Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis in humans and animals. Mtb invades the host′s lungs via airborne transmission, infects macrophages and causes tuberculosis. In some cases, the infection can spread to other tissues and organs. Despite the availability of several drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis, the emergence of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis has led to high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for researchers to develop new anti-tuberculosis drugs that can treat tuberculosis more efficiently. Recent studies have shown that the virulence factors of Mtb play a crucial role in its pathogenicity. These factors primarily include secreted proteins, transcription factors, proteases, stress response proteins, metabolism-associated proteins, and cell-surface components. By evading the host′s immune surveillance through mechanisms such as anti-oxidative stress, regulating nutrient synthesis and metabolism, and modulating host cells apoptosis, Mtb is able to achieve long-term survival and spread with in the host. Understanding the mechanisms of Mtb virulence factors can provide new directions for targeted tuberculosis therapy. Therefore, knowledge of these virulence factors is essential for the development of new vaccines and anti-tuberculosis drugs. In this review, we summarize the latest research progress in the virulence factors of Mtb to provide a reference for targeted treatment of tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis in humans and animals. Mtb invades the host′s lungs via airborne transmission, infects macrophages and causes tuberculosis. In some cases, the infection can spread to other tissues and organs. Despite the availability of several drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis, the emergence of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis has led to high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for researchers to develop new anti-tuberculosis drugs that can treat tuberculosis more efficiently. Recent studies have shown that the virulence factors of Mtb play a crucial role in its pathogenicity. These factors primarily include secreted proteins, transcription factors, proteases, stress response proteins, metabolism-associated proteins, and cell-surface components. By evading the host′s immune surveillance through mechanisms such as anti-oxidative stress, regulating nutrient synthesis and metabolism, and modulating host cells apoptosis, Mtb is able to achieve long-term survival and spread with in the host. Understanding the mechanisms of Mtb virulence factors can provide new directions for targeted tuberculosis therapy. Therefore, knowledge of these virulence factors is essential for the development of new vaccines and anti-tuberculosis drugs. In this review, we summarize the latest research progress in the virulence factors of Mtb to provide a reference for targeted treatment of tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies have demonstrated that simvastatin that can promote osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal stem cel s in vitro, is likely to be a new osteogenic drug. While it is stil unknown whether there is time-dependent stimulation of simvastatin on the expressions of bone morphogenetic protein 2 and col agen type I. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expressions of bone morphogenetic protein 2 and col agen type I in rat bone marrow stromal stem cel s in vitro stimulated by simvastatin at different time points. METHODS:Passage 1 bone marrow stromal cel s were divided into control and simvastatin group, fol owed by cultured in osteogenic differetiation medium with or uithout 10-7 mol/L simvastatin. After 7-day intervention, expression of alkaline phosphatase was detected in passage 3 cel s. Passage 4 cel s were divided and cultured as described above, and afterwards, RNA and proteins were extracted at 12 and 36 hours to detect the expressions of bone morphogenetic protein 2 and col agen type I using real-time PCR and western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Both two groups could express alkaline phosphatase, while the rate of positive cel s significantly increased in the simvastatin group compared with the control group (P<0.05);at 12 and 36 hours after intervention, mRNA expressions of bone morphogenetic protein 2 and col agen type I in the simvastatin group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Besides, western blot assay showed:at both 12 and 36 hours, simvastatin significantly enhanced the expression of bone morphometric protein 2, while the expression of col agen type I significantly increased at 12 hours (P<0.05), but not at 36 hours. In conclusion, simvastatin can promote the expressions of bone morphometric protein 2 and col agen type I in rat bone marrow stromal cel s, with more favorable outcomes after 12-hour treatment.

PURPOSE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disorder, the progression of which leads to the destruction of cartilage and bone. Chemokines are involved in RA pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated the chemokine signaling pathway associated with CCL2 in peripheral blood (PB) and synovial tissues (ST) of RA patients based on our previous work about chemokine signaling pathway involved in the activation of CCL2 production in collagen-induced arthritis rat ST. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from PB leukocytes and synovium of the knee joint in both RA patients and control populations. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine CCL4, CCR5, c-Jun, c-Fos, and CCL2 expressions. Serum level of CCL2 was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the production of CCL2 in ST was analyzed immunohistochemically. RESULTS: The expressions of CCL4, CCR5, c-Jun, c-Fos, and CCL2 messenger RNA in RA patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls, both in ST and on PB leukocyte. Serum CCL2 levels were elevated in RA patients. Histological examination of rheumatoid joints revealed extensive CCL2 expression in RA ST. CONCLUSION: CCL2, CCL4, c-Jun, c-Fos, and CCR5 may play an important role in the recruitment of PB leukocytes into the RA joints. These data provide evidence that the chemokine signaling pathway is involved in CCL2 expression in RA patient tissues, which may contribute to chronic inflammation associated with RA. Targeting this signaling pathway may provide a novel therapeutic avenue in RA.
Adult ; Animals ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*blood/metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Chemokine CCL2/*blood/metabolism ; Chemokines/metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger/genetics/metabolism ; Rats ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Signal Transduction ; Synovial Membrane/*metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of the double-balloon and triple-channel catheter (DBTC) in the treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP).

METHODSOne hundred and three CBP patients were randomly assigned to three different groups and received three different therapies, respectively: 1. 61 cases by transurethral perfusion and drainage with antibiotics with DBTC catheter; 2. 29 cases by intravenous antibiotics, and 3. 13 cases by transurethral irrigation with 0.9% saline. The lecithin, white blood cells (WBC) in expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) and Meares-Stamey's test fractionary urine culture pre- and post-therapies were compared.

RESULTSThe improvement rates of clinical symptoms and lecithin corpuscles were 81.9% and 68.9%, respectively. And the decline rate of WBC and bacteriological efficacy rate were 75.4% and 91.8%, respectively. There was a significant statistical difference between the DBTC group and the intravenous group in the lecithin, WBC and bacterial culture (P < 0.05, < 0.01 and < 0.01, respectively), and so was there between the saline group and the intravenous group in the decline of WBC(chi 2 = 5.6, P < 0.05), but with no difference in lecithin and bacterial culture. Among 61 patients treated with DBTC, 3 developed mild allergic reaction in urethra.

CONCLUSIONSTransurethral DBTC has a better clinical efficacy than traditional intravenous treatment for CBP. DBTC perfusion combined with other hypurgia holds obvious advantages of being safe, effective, easy and repeatable in the treatment of CBP.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Bacterial Infections ; complications ; therapy ; Catheterization ; methods ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Perfusion ; methods ; Prostate ; microbiology ; Prostatitis ; microbiology ; therapy