Listeria momocytogenes is a positive gram bacillus, not producing odontoblast, often seen in soil, straw and grass and plants. Listeria can infect to herbs, cooked food and cheese and paste in fridge. Listeria gets in human body by digestion of contaminated food. The disease caused by listeria is dangerous with the mortality rate can up to 30% of cases. To prevent listeria-caused diseases, food safety has to be promoted, especially for people with exposure (infants, pregnant women, immune-compromised people). Biochemical tests to differentiate Listeria momocytogenes from other forms of non-harm listeria variations help diagnose at the earliest possible stage.
Food ; Listeria Infections ; Diagnosis

The invariant (i) natural killer (NK)T cells represent a unique subset of T lymphocytes which express the V alpha14 chain of the T cell receptor (TCR), that recognizes glycolipid antigens presented by the nonpolymorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-like antigen presentation molecule CD1d, and they participate in protection against some microbial pathogens. Although iNKT cells have originally been regarded as T cells co-expressing NKR-P1B/C (NK1.1: CD 161), they do not seem to consistently express this marker, since NK1.1 surface expression on iNKT cells undergoes dramatic changes following facultative intracellular bacterial infection, which is correlated with functional changes of this cell population. Accumulating evidence suggests that NK1.1 allows recognition of "missing-self", thus controling activation/inhibition of NK1.1-expressing cells. Therefore, it is tempting to suggest that iNKT cells participate in the regulation of host immune responses during facultative intracellular bacterial infection by controlling NK1.1 surface expression. These findings shed light not only on the unique role of iNKT cells in microbial infection, but also provide evidence for new aspects of the NK1.1 as a regulatory molecule on these cells.
Animals ; Humans ; Listeria Infections/*immunology ; Listeria monocytogenes/*immunology ; Natural Killer T-Cells/*immunology/*microbiology

Infection still remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Patients with SLE are well known to have an increased risk of various opportunistic infections, which can be fatal. Central nervous system (CNS) infections such as meningitis are rare complications to SLE. On occasion, nonspecific neurologic manifestations of infectious meningitis in SLE patients can be confused with neuropsychiatric lupus. Listeria monocytogenes is a less-commonly identified organism causing meningitis in SLE patients. Here, we describe a case of Listeria monocytogenes meningitis presenting with bilateral abducens nerve (sixth cranial nerve) palsy in a patient with SLE, who was successfully treated with systemic antibiotics.
Abducens Nerve ; Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Central Nervous System ; Humans ; Listeria ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Listeria ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Opportunistic Infections ; Paralysis

In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, immunosuppressive treatment with cytotoxic drugs or corticosteroids, proteinuria, renal insufficiency, and active SLE itself are known as risk factors for serious bacterial infections and opportunistic infections. Several opportunistic infections such as toxoplasmosis, nocardiosis, and cryptococcal meningitis have been reported to occur in patients with SLE and these can mimic neuropsychiatric lupus. Listeria monocytogenes is one of the pathogens of bacterial meningitis that is less commonly identified than Neisseira meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults, and shows the clinical manifestations, such as headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, mental changes and seizures similar to symptoms and signs of neuropsychiatric lupus. We report a case of Listeria monocytogenes meningitis in a patient with SLE who was admitted because of headache, nausea, vomiting and poor oral intake.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Adult ; Bacterial Infections ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; Listeria monocytogenes* ; Listeria* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; Meningitis, Cryptococcal ; Meningitis, Listeria* ; Nausea ; Neck ; Nocardia Infections ; Opportunistic Infections ; Proteinuria ; Renal Insufficiency ; Risk Factors ; Seizures ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Toxoplasmosis ; Vomiting

An orthotopic cardiac transplantation was successfully performed in a 40 year-old Jehovah's witness without use of any blood product. Preoperatively, the patient had been on coumadin to prevent left atrial thrombi and the INR(Internation Normalized Ratio)of prothrombin time was 2.4. During the operation, cell saver was used for shed blood and aprotinin was administered intravenously for platelet function. Total postoperative drainage was 860cc and the lowest hemoglobin was 12.2 gm/dl. Postoperative course was complicated by central nervous system infection by Listeria monocytogenes and two episodes of rejection, both of which were effectively treated. The patient is on his 5th postoperative month and doing well.
Adult ; Aprotinin ; Blood Platelets ; Central Nervous System Infections ; Drainage ; Heart Transplantation* ; Humans ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Prothrombin Time ; Warfarin

Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a rare, but important bacterial pathogen causing central nervous system infection in the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised patients. A 60-year-old man with diabetes presented with headache, fever and rapidly progressive ophthalmoplegia. Based on serological and MRI studies, he was diagnosed with rhombencephalitis due to L. monocytogenes. The patient recovered without complications with urgent initiation of empirical antibiotics and the pathogen-specific antibiotic treatment. L. monocytogenes should be considered as a cause of rhombencephalitis presenting as external ophthalmoplegia.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Brain Stem ; Central Nervous System Infections ; Cerebellum ; Encephalitis ; Female ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Listeria ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Pregnant Women

PURPOSE: This study focused on the effect of immuno-compromising conditions on the clinical presentation of severe listerial infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nine human listeriosis cases seen from 1991-2002 were reviewed. All adult patients, from whose blood, peritoneal fluid or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) the L. monocytogenes was isolated, were included in this retrospective study. RESULTS: Listeriosis presented as primary sepsis with positive blood cultures in 5 cases and meningitis with positive CSF cultures in 4 cases. All of these patients had at least one underlying disease, most commonly, hematologic malignancy, diabetes mellitus, amyloidosis and hepatic cirrhosis; 55.6% had received immunosuppressive or corticosteroid therapy within a week before the onset of listeriosis. The patients were adults with a mean age of 60 years. Fever, night sweats, chills and lethargy were the most common symptoms; high temperature (> 38 degrees C), tachycardia, meningeal signs and poor conditions in general were the most common findings on admission. The mortality rate was 33.3% and was strictly associated with the severity of the underlying disease. Mortality differences were significant between sepsis (20%) and meningitis (50%) patients. CONCLUSION: Listeriosis as an uncommon infection in our region and that immuno- suppressive therapy is an important pre-disposing factor of listeriosis. Sepsis and meningitis were more common in this group of patients and had the highest case-fatality rate for food-borne illnesses.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use ; Adult ; Aged ; Ascitic Fluid/microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/*therapeutic use ; Listeria Infections/blood/cerebrospinal fluid/*drug therapy ; Listeria monocytogenes/*drug effects/growth & development/isolation & purification ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/blood/cerebrospinal fluid/*drug therapy ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis/blood/cerebrospinal fluid/*drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Although listeria monocytogenes is widely distributed in nature, it rarely causes clinical infection in previously healthy people. However, this microorganism may cause severe infectious disease in pregnant women and newborns due to impaired cell-mediated immunity. Various clinical symptoms have been described such as sepsis, central nervous system infections, endocarditis, gastroenteritis and localized infections. A clinical presentation of listeriosis in an early third trimester pregnant woman and in a preterm infant is emphasized in addition to taking a careful patient history, early empirical administration of antibiotics, aggressive ventilation therapy and also pharmacological support.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Central Nervous System Infections ; Communicable Diseases ; Endocarditis ; Female ; Gastroenteritis ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Listeriosis* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third* ; Pregnant Women* ; Sepsis ; Ventilation

The expression of both constitutive and inducible forms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) was investigated by immunohistochemical staining of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections in normal and Listeria monocytogenes-infected brains of goats. In normal control goats, a small number of neurons showed immunoreactivity of both iNOS and nNOS, and the number of iNOS-positive neurons was higher than the number of nNOS-positive neurons. In natural listeriosis, listeria antigens were easily immunostained in the inflammatory cells of microabscesses. In this lesion, the immunoreactivity of iNOS in neurons was more intense than the control, but nNOS was not. In microabscesses, nNOS was weakly visualized in macrophages and neutrophils, while iNOS was expressed in macrophages, but not in neutrophils. These findings suggest that normal caprine brain cells, including neurons, constitutively express iNOS and nNOS, and the expressions of these molecules is increased in Listeria monocytogenes infections. Furthermore, inflammatory cells, including macrophages, expressing both nNOS and iNOS may play important roles in the pathogenesis of bacterial meningoencephalitis in goat.
Animals ; Brain/cytology/*enzymology ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein/analysis ; Goat Diseases/*enzymology ; Goats ; Immunohistochemistry ; Listeria Infections/enzymology/*veterinary ; Neurons/*enzymology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase/*analysis ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II

Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes, LM) is an excellent tumor vaccine vector. In this study, recombinant LM vaccine candidate expressing human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E7 protein was constructed and its charactericts were determined. Through homologous recombination, E7 gene was cloned in frame with the LM4 Phly promoter-signal sequence, and introduced into the chromosome of LM4. The recombinant strain named LM4△hly::E7 with the plasmid-free and antibiotic-resistant gene-free was constructed. LM4△hly::E7 could express and secrete E7-LLO fusion protein; its size is 66 kDa and has immunological activity. Furthermore, LM4△hly::E7 could multiply in RAW264.7 macrophages by confocal laser scanning microscope. Additionally, LM4△hly::E7 could induce specific antibodies against E7 in immunized mice in ELISA. Also, the 50% lethal dose (LD₅₀) of LM4△hly::E7 strain was 3.863×10⁹ CFU (Colony-Forming Units) in C57BL/6 mice with intraperitoneal immunization, which was more attenuated than wild type LM4. Mice immunized with LM4△hly::E7 did not show obvious pathological change. These data show that LM4△hly::E7 expressing E7-LLO fusion protein has good safety, which may provide the materials for research of antitumor effect and would be a promising vaccine candidate for cervical cancer.
Animals ; Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Papillomavirus E7 Proteins ; immunology ; Papillomavirus Infections ; prevention & control ; Plasmids ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; immunology ; Vaccines, Attenuated ; immunology ; Viral Vaccines ; immunology