Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; Face ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium avium Complex ; isolation & purification ; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection ; metabolism ; microbiology ; pathology ; Nasal Cavity ; microbiology ; Nose Diseases ; metabolism ; microbiology ; pathology ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Adult ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; HIV Enteropathy ; complications ; metabolism ; microbiology ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Mycobacterium avium Complex ; isolation & purification ; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection ; complications ; metabolism ; microbiology ; pathology ; Young Adult

The presence of galectin-3 was immunohistochemically quantified in bovine intestines infected with paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) to determine whether galectin-3 was involved in the formation of granulation tissue associated with the disease. Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection was histochemically confirmed using Ziehl-Neelsen staining and molecularly diagnosed through rpoB DNA sequencing. Galectin-3 was detected in the majority of inflammatory cells, possibly macrophages, in the granulomatous lesions within affected tissues, including the ileum. These findings suggest that galectin-3 is associated with the formation of chronic granulation tissues in bovine paratuberculosis, probably through cell adhesion and anti-apoptosis mechanisms.
Animals ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/*pathology ; Chronic Disease ; Galectin 3/*metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intestine, Small/microbiology/*pathology ; Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis/growth & development/isolation & purification ; Paratuberculosis/*pathology ; RNA Polymerase II/genetics

In this study, we showed the direct interaction between Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis fibronectin attachment protein (FAP) and toll-like receptor4 (TLR4) via co-localization and binding by using confocal microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation assays. FAP triggered the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in a TLR4-dependent manner. In addition, FAP-induced cytokine expression in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) was modulated in part by glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). FAP-induced expression of CD80, CD86, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, and MHC class II in TLR4+/+ BMDCs was not observed in TLR4-/- BMDCs. Furthermore, FAP induced DC-mediated CD8+ T cell proliferation and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity, and suppressed tumor growth with DC-based tumor vaccination in EG7 thymoma murine model. Taken together, these results indicate that the TLR4 agonist, FAP, a potential immunoadjuvant for DC-based cancer vaccination, improves the DC-based immune response via the TLR4 signaling pathway.
*Adhesins, Bacterial/genetics/metabolism ; Animals ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism ; *Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use ; Cell Proliferation ; Cytokines/metabolism ; Dendritic Cells/*cytology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3/metabolism ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mycobacterium avium/genetics/metabolism ; Paratuberculosis/metabolism ; Protein Binding ; Signal Transduction ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/metabolism ; *Thymoma/genetics/metabolism ; *Toll-Like Receptor 4/agonists/genetics/metabolism

PURPOSE: The optimal treatment regimen for Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung disease has not yet been fully established. We evaluated the efficacy of standardized combination antibiotic therapy and the factors that might affect unfavorable microbiologic responses in patients with MAC pulmonary disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed data from 96 patients (56 females; median age 59 years) treated with newly diagnosed MAC lung disease between January 2003 and December 2006. RESULTS: All patients received standardized combination antibiotic therapy, consisting of clarithromycin, rifampicin, and ethambutol. Streptomycin was additionally given in 72 patients (75%) for a median duration of 4.5 months. The overall favorable microbiologic response rate was 79% (76/96); 20 patients (21%) had unfavorable microbiologic responses, including failure to sputum conversion (n = 13), relapse (n = 3), and MAC-related death (n = 4). A positive sputum acid-fast bacillus smear at the start of treatment was an independent predictor of an unfavorable microbiologic response. CONCLUSION: Standardized combination antibiotic therapy consisting of clarithromycin, rifampicin, and ethambutol with or without initial use of streptomycin is effective in treating patients with newly diagnosed MAC lung disease.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*therapeutic use ; Clarithromycin/therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination/*methods ; Ethambutol/therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Diseases/*drug therapy/*microbiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium Infections/*drug therapy ; Mycobacterium avium/*metabolism ; Retrospective Studies ; Rifampin/therapeutic use ; Streptomycin/therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome