bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Burning mouth syndrome and psychological disorders
Authors: Abetz LM , Savage NW 
Published: May 2009

AbstractBurning mouth syndrome (BMS) is an oral dysaesthesia that causes chronic orofacial pain in the absence of a detectable organic cause. The aetiology of BMS is complex and multifactorial, and has been associated in the literature with menopause, trigger events and even genetic polymorphisms. Other studies have found evidence for mechanisms such as central and peripheral nervous system changes, with clinical and laboratory investigations supporting a neuropathologic cause. These physiological explanations notwithstanding, there is still much evidence that BMS aetiology has at least some psychological elements. Somatoform pain disorder has been suggested as a mechanism and factors such as personality, stress, anxiety, depression and other psychological, psychosocial and even psychiatric disorders play a demonstrable role in BMS aetiology and symptomatology. In order to treat BMS patients, both physiological and psychological factors must be managed, but patient acceptance of possible components of psychological disease basis is a major hurdle. Clinical signs of patient stress, anxiety or depression are a useful reinforcement of clinical discussions. The current paper proposes a number of clinical signs that may be useful for both clinical assessment and subsequent patient discussions by providing visible supportive evidence of the diagnosis.
Biomarkers of periodontal inflammation in the Australian adult population
Authors: Fitzsimmons TR , Sanders AE , Slade GD , Bartold PM 
Published: May 2009

AbstractBackground:  Several inflammatory biomarkers are implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontitis including interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and C‐reactive protein (CRP). This study investigated the presence of these factors in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and their relationship to clinical and social determinants of periodontitis in the Australian population.Methods:  Equal numbers of periodontitis cases and non‐cases were sampled during oral epidemiologic examination in the National Survey of Adult Oral Health. GCF was sampled from four sites where probing pocket depth (PPD) and recession were recorded. From these, IL‐1β and CRP were quantified by ELISA and the log amount of GCF IL‐1β (pg) per person and the proportion of adults with detectable CRP was computed.Results:  Periodontitis cases (n = 511) had significantly higher levels of IL‐1β and CRP than non‐cases (n = 562). PPD, clinical attachment loss, plaque and gingivitis indices were positively associated with elevated levels of both biomarkers. Levels of both were positively associated with age, low socio‐economic position and non‐Australian birth.Conclusions:  The presence of IL‐1β and CRP in GCF are associated with periodontal disease parameters within the Australian population. The levels of both biomarkers are influenced by age, education and eligibility for public dental care.
Public dental service utilization among adults in South Australia
Authors: Luzzi L , Spencer AJ 
Published: May 2009

AbstractBackground:  Longitudinal patterns of public dental service use may reflect access issues to public dental care services. Therefore, patterns of dental service use among South Australian adult public dental patients over a 3½‐year period were examined.Methods:  Public dental patients (n = 898) initially receiving a course of emergency dental care (EDC) or general dental care (GDC) at baseline were followed for up to 3½ years. Patient clinical records were accessed electronically to obtain information on dental visits and treatment received at those visits.Results:  Some 70.7 per cent of EDC and 51.3 per cent of GDC patients returned for dental treatment post‐baseline. EDC patients returned within a significantly shorter time period post‐baseline, received significantly more courses of care and were visiting more frequently than GDC patients. A greater proportion of EDC patients received oral surgery, restorative, endodontic and prosthodontic services, but fewer received periodontic services. EDC patients received significantly more oral surgery and fewer preventive services per follow‐up year, on average, than GDC patients. Large proportions of EDC (52.4 per cent) and GDC (63.8 per cent) patients who returned sought emergency care post‐baseline.Conclusions:  Patients appeared to be cycling through emergency dental care because of lack of access to general care services, highlighting access problems to public dental care.
Specific Antibodies Elicited by a Novel DNA Vaccine Targeting Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Inhibit Murine Melanoma Growth In Vivo
Authors: Fang Jing , Lu Yong , Ouyang Kedong , Wu Guojun , Zhang Huiyong , Liu Yanhua , Chen Yingying , Lin Ming , Wang Huaqian , Jin Liang , Cao Rongyue , Roque Rouel S. , Zong Li , Liu Jingjing , Li Taiming 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACTThe elevated expression and receptor binding of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) in various types of cancer, especially in malignant melanoma of the skin, suggest that GRP might be a putative target for immunotherapy in neoplastic diseases. We have therefore constructed a novel DNA vaccine coding for six tandem repeats of a fragment of GRP from amino acids 18 to 27 (GRP6) flanked by helper T-cell epitopes for increased immunogenicity, including HSP65, a tetanus toxoid fragment from amino acids 830 to 844 (T), pan-HLA-DR-binding epitope (PADRE) (P), and two repeats of a mycobacterial HSP70 fragment from amino acids 407 to 426 (M). The anti-GRP DNA vaccine (pCR3.1-VS-HSP65-TP-GRP6-M2) was constructed on a backbone of a pCR3.1 plasmid vector with eight 5′-GACGTT-3′ CpG motifs and the VEGF183 signal peptide (VS). Intramuscular (IM) injections of anti-GRP vaccine in mice stimulated the production of high titers of specific antibodies against GRP and suppressed the growth of subcutaneous tumors of B16-F10 melanoma cells. Parallel results were obtained in vitro, showing inhibition of B16-F10 cell proliferation by GRP antisera. IM injections of the DNA vaccine also significantly attenuated tumor-induced angiogenesis associated with intradermal tumors of B16-F10 cells. In addition, lung invasion of intravenously injected cells was highly diminished, suggesting potent antimetastatic activity of the DNA vaccine. These findings support the highly immunogenic and potent antitumorigenic activity of specific anti-GRP antibodies elicited by the anti-GRP DNA vaccine.
Development of a Murine Mycobacterial Growth Inhibition Assay for Evaluating Vaccines againstMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Parra Marcela , Yang Amy L. , Lim JaeHyun , Kolibab Kristopher , Derrick Steven , Cadieux Nathalie , Perera Liyanage P. , Jacobs William R. , Brennan Michael , Morris Sheldon L. 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACTThe development and characterization of new tuberculosis (TB) vaccines has been impeded by the lack of reproducible and reliable in vitro assays for measuring vaccine activity. In this study, we developed a murine in vitro mycobacterial growth inhibition assay for evaluating TB vaccines that directly assesses the capacity of immune splenocytes to control the growth ofMycobacterium tuberculosiswithin infected macrophages. Using this in vitro assay, protective immune responses induced by immunization with five different types of TB vaccine preparations (Mycobacterium bovis BCG, an attenuatedM. tuberculosismutant strain, a DNA vaccine, a modified vaccinia virus strain Ankara [MVA] construct expressing four TB antigens, and a TB fusion protein formulated in adjuvant) can be detected. Importantly, the levels of vaccine-induced mycobacterial growth-inhibitory responses seen in vitro after 1 week of coculture correlated with the protective immune responses detected in vivo at 28 days postchallenge in a mouse model of pulmonary tuberculosis. In addition, similar patterns of cytokine expression were evoked at day 7 of the in vitro culture by immune splenocytes taken from animals immunized with the different TB vaccines. Among the consistently upregulated cytokines detected in the immune cocultures are gamma interferon, growth differentiation factor 15, interleukin-21 (IL-21), IL-27, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Overall, we have developed an in vitro functional assay that may be useful for screening and comparing new TB vaccine preparations, investigating vaccine-induced protective mechanisms, and assessing manufacturing issues, including product potency and stability.
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis of PCR-Amplified
gki
Genes: a New Technique for Tracking Streptococci
Authors: van Vliet M. J. , Tissing W. J. E. , de Bont E. S. J. M. , Meessen N. E. L. , Kamps W. A. , Harmsen H. J. M. 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACT

Viridans group streptococci (VGS) are a well-known cause of infections in immunocompromised patients, accounting for severe morbidity and mortality.
Streptococcus
mitis
group species (
Streptococcus mitis
,
Streptococcus pneumoniae
,
Streptococcus oralis
) are among the VGS most often encountered in clinical practice. Identifying the portal of entry for
S. mitis
group strains is crucial for interventions preventing bacterial translocation. Unfortunately, tracking the source of
S. mitis
group strains is dependent on a combination of extremely laborious and time-consuming cultivation and molecular techniques (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR [ERIC-PCR]). To simplify this procedure, a PCR analysis with newly designed primers targeting the household gene glucose kinase (
gki
) was used in combination with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). This
gki
-PCR-DGGE technique proved to be specific for
S. mitis
group strains. Moreover, these strains could be detected in samples comprised of highly diverse microbiota, without prior cultivation. To study the feasibility of this new approach, a pilot study was performed. This confirmed that the source of
S. mitis
group bacteremia in pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia could be tracked back to the throat in five out of six episodes of bacteremia, despite the fact that throat samples are polymicrobial samples containing multiple
S. mitis
group strains. In contrast, using the classical combination of cultivation techniques and ERIC-PCR, we could detect these strains in only two out of six cases, showing the superiority of the newly developed technique. The new
gki
-PCR-DGGE technique can track the source of
S. mitis
group strains in polymicrobial samples without prior cultivation. Therefore, it is a valuable tool in future epidemiological studies.
Pseudo-Outbreak of
Rhizobium radiobacter
Infection Resulting from Laboratory Contamination of Saline Solution
Authors: Pereira Lynette A. , Chan Douglas Su Gin , Ng Toon Mae , Lin Raymond , Jureen Roland , Fisher Dale A. , Tambyah Paul A. 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACT

We report a pseudo-outbreak of
Rhizobium radiobacter
infections resulting from contamination by a saline dispenser in the microbiology laboratory. Isolates from clinical specimens had identical antimicrobial susceptibilities and electrophoretic fingerprints. The episode resolved with autoclaving of the dispenser. This demonstrates the importance of timely, thorough investigation of unusual organisms, particularly when they appear as a cluster.
The Nucleocapsid Region of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Gag Assists in the Coordination of Assembly and Gag Processing: Role for RNA-Gag Binding in the Early Stages of Assembly
Authors: Ott David E. , Coren Lori V. , Shatzer Teresa 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACT
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag-RNA interactions are required for virus assembly. However, our prior study found that a defect in particle production exhibited by an HIV-1 proviral mutant with a severe deletion in the RNA-binding nucleocapsid (NC) region of Gag, NX, could be reversed by eliminating its protease activity. While our follow-up study indicated that a secondary RNA-binding site in Gag can also provide the required RNA-binding function, how protease activity inhibits NX virion production is still unclear. Therefore, we tested three possible mechanisms: NX virions are unstable and fall apart after budding; NX Gag assembly is slowed, allowing protease processing to start before particle formation; or the protease region within NX Gag-Pol becomes activated prematurely and processes the assembling Gag. We found that NX particles were as stable as wild-type virions. Furthermore, even a modest slowing of protease activity could rescue NX. Pulse-chase analysis revealed that the initial particle production by NC-deleted Gag was delayed compared to that of wild type Gag, but once started, the rate of production was similar, revealing a defect in the initiation of assembly. Wild-type Gag particle production was not eliminated or decreased in the presence of excess NX Gag-Pol, inconsistent with a premature activation of protease. Overall, these results indicate that the particle formation defect of NX is due to delayed initiation of assembly caused by the absence of NC in Gag, making it vulnerable to protease processing before budding can occur. Therefore, NC plays an important initiating role in Gag assembly.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Specific CD8+T-Cell Responses during Primary Infection Are Major Determinants of the Viral Set Point and Loss of CD4+T Cells
Authors: Streeck Hendrik , Jolin Jonathan S. , Qi Ying , Yassine-Diab Bader , Johnson Randall C. , Kwon Douglas S. , Addo Marylyn M. , Brumme Chanson , Routy Jean-Pierre , Little Susan , Jessen Heiko K. , Kelleher Anthony D. , Hecht Frederick M. , Sekaly Rafick-Pierre , Rosenberg Eric S. , Walker Bruce D. , Carrington Mary , Altfeld Marcus 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACTPrimary HIV-1 infection (PHI) is marked by a flu-like syndrome and high levels of viremia that decrease to a viral set point with the first emergence of virus-specific CD8+T-cell responses. Here, we investigated in a large cohort of 527 subjects the immunodominance pattern of the first virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses developed during PHI in comparison to CTL responses in chronic infection and demonstrated a distinct relationship between the early virus-specific CTL responses and the viral set point, as well as the slope of CD4+T-cell decline. CTL responses during PHI followed clear hierarchical immunodominance patterns that were lost during the transition to chronic infection. Importantly, the immunodominance patterns of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific CTL responses detected in primary, but not in chronic, HIV-1 infection were significantly associated with the subsequent set point of viral replication. Moreover, the preservation of the initial CD8+T-cell immunodominance patterns from the acute into the chronic phase of infection was significantly associated with slower CD4+T-cell decline. Taken together, these data show that the specificity of the initial CTL response to HIV is critical for the subsequent control of viremia and have important implications for the rational selection of antigens for future HIV-1 vaccines.
Evaluation of Vaccines for H5N1 Influenza Virus in Ferrets Reveals the Potential for Protective Single-Shot Immunization
Authors: Middleton Deborah , Rockman Steven , Pearse Martin , Barr Ian , Lowther Sue , Klippel Jessica , Ryan David , Brown Lorena 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACT

As part of influenza pandemic preparedness, policy decisions need to be made about how best to utilize vaccines once they are manufactured. Since H5N1 avian influenza virus has the potential to initiate the next human pandemic, isolates of this subtype have been used for the production and testing of prepandemic vaccines. Clinical trials of such vaccines indicate that two injections of preparations containing adjuvant will be required to induce protective immunity. However, this is a working assumption based on classical serological measures only. Examined here are the dose of viral hemagglutinin (HA) and the number of inoculations required for two different H5N1 vaccines to achieve protection in ferrets after lethal H5N1 challenge. Ferrets inoculated twice with 30 μg of A/Vietnam/1194/2004 HA vaccine with AlPO
4
, or with doses as low as 3.8 μg of HA with Iscomatrix (ISCOMATRIX, referred to as Iscomatrix herein, is a registered trademark of CSL Limited) adjuvant, were completely protected against death and disease after H5N1 challenge, and the protection lasted at least 15 months. Cross-clade protection was also observed with both vaccines. Significantly, complete protection against death could be achieved with only a single inoculation of H5N1 vaccine containing as little as 15 μg of HA with AlPO
4
or 3.8 μg of HA with Iscomatrix adjuvant. Ferrets vaccinated with the single-injection Iscomatrix vaccines showed fewer clinical manifestations of infection than those given AlPO
4
vaccines and remained highly active. Our data provide the first indication that in the event of a future influenza pandemic, effective mass vaccination may be achievable with a low-dose “single-shot” vaccine and provide not only increased survival but also significant reduction in disease severity.
Upstream Regulatory Region Alterations Found in Human Papillomavirus Type 16 (HPV-16) Isolates from Cervical Carcinomas Increase Transcription,
ori
Function, and HPV Immortalization Capacity in Culture
Authors: Lace Michael J. , Isacson Christina , Anson James R. , Lörincz Attila T. , Wilczynski Sharon P. , Haugen Thomas H. , Turek Lubomír P. 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACT

Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNAs isolated from cervical and head and neck carcinomas frequently contain nucleotide sequence alterations in the viral upstream regulatory region (URR). Our study has addressed the role such sequence changes may play in the efficiency of establishing HPV persistence and altered keratinocyte growth. Genomic mapping of integrated HPV type 16 (HPV-16) genomes from 32 cervical cancers revealed that the viral E6 and E7 oncogenes, as well as the L1 region/URR, were intact in all of them. The URR sequences from integrated and unintegrated viral DNA were found to harbor distinct sets of nucleotide substitutions. A subset of the altered URRs increased the potential of HPV-16 to establish persistent, cell growth-altering viral-genome replication in the cell. This aggressive phenotype in culture was not solely due to increased viral early gene transcription, but also to augmented initial amplification of the viral genome. As revealed in a novel
ori
-dependent HPV-16 plasmid amplification assay, the altered motifs that led to increased viral transcription from the intact genome also greatly augmented HPV-16
ori
function. The nucleotide sequence changes correlate with those previously described in the distinct geographical North American type 1 and Asian-American variants that are associated with more aggressive disease in epidemiologic studies and encompass, but are not limited to, alterations in previously characterized sites for the negative regulatory protein YY1. Our results thus provide evidence that nucleotide alterations in HPV regulatory sequences could serve as potential prognostic markers of HPV-associated carcinogenesis.
Murine Cytomegalovirus Capsid Assembly Is Dependent on US22 Family Gene M140 in Infected Macrophages
Authors: Hanson Laura K. , Slater Jacquelyn S. , Cavanaugh Victoria J. , Newcomb William W. , Bolin Lisa L. , Nelson Christine N. , Fetters Lisa D. , Tang Qiyi , Brown Jay C. , Maul Gerd G. , Campbell Ann E. 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACT
Macrophages are an important target cell for infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV). A number of viral genes that either are expressed specifically in this cell type or function to optimize CMV replication in this host cell have now been identified. Among these is the murine CMV (MCMV) US22 gene family member M140, a nonessential early gene whose deletion (RVΔ140) leads to significant impairment in virus replication in differentiated macrophages. We have now determined that the defect in replication is at the stage of viral DNA encapsidation. Although the rate of RVΔ140 genome replication and extent of DNA cleavage were comparable to those for revertant virus, deletion of M140 resulted in a significant reduction in the number of viral capsids in the nucleus, and the viral DNA remained sensitive to DNase treatment. These data are indicative of incomplete virion assembly. Steady-state levels of both the major capsid protein (M86) and tegument protein M25 were reduced in the absence of the M140 protein (pM140). This effect may be related to the localization of pM140 to an aggresome-like, microtubule organizing center-associated structure that is known to target misfolded and overexpressed proteins for degradation. It appears, therefore, that pM140 indirectly influences MCMV capsid formation in differentiated macrophages by regulating the stability of viral structural proteins.
Reassessing the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Life Cycle through Age-Structured Modeling: Life Span of Infected Cells, Viral Generation Time, and Basic Reproductive Number,R0
Authors: Althaus Christian L. , De Vos Anneke S. , De Boer Rob J. 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACTThe rapid decay of the viral load after drug treatment in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has been shown to result from the rapid loss of infected cells due to their high turnover, with a generation time of around 1 to 2 days. Traditionally, viral decay dynamics after drug treatment is investigated using models of differential equations in which both the death rate of infected cells and the viral production rate are assumed to be constant. Here, we describe age-structured models of the viral decay dynamics in which viral production rates and death rates depend on the age of the infected cells. In order to investigate the effects of age-dependent rates, we compared these models with earlier descriptions of the viral load decay and fitted them to previously published data. We have found no supporting evidence that infected-cell death rates increase, but cannot reject the possibility that viral production rates increase, with the age of the cells. In particular, we demonstrate that an exponential increase in viral production with infected-cell age is perfectly consistent with the data. Since an exponential increase in virus production can compensate for the exponential loss of infected cells, the death rates of HIV-1-infected cells may be higher than previously anticipated. We discuss the implications of these findings for the life span of infected cells, the viral generation time, and the basic reproductive number,R0.