Accumulating evidence suggests an immune-modulatory role for platelets (PLT) and PLT-derived microvesicles. In particular, ectosomes, i.e. vesicles budding from PLT surface, have been shown to exert immunosuppressive activities on phagocytes. Here we investigated the effects mediated by PLT-derived ectosomes (PLT-Ecto) on CD4+ T cells. Exposure of activated CD4+ T cells to PLT-Ecto decreased th...

BACKGROUND It is difficult to diagnose spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) early in decompensated liver cirrhotic ascites patients (DCPs). The aim of the study was to measure serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels and peripheral blood leukocyte/platelet (WBC/PLT) ratios to obtain an early diagnostic indication of SBP in DCPs. METHODS Our cohort of 129 patients included 112 DCPs (94 of whom had ...

Background Platelets have an important contribution in pathogenesis of different infectious and inflammatory disorders. This study was performed to identify the diagnostic value of platelet count (PLT), and platelet indices in children with acute pyelonephritis (APN).  Materials and Methods In a cross sectional case control s...

Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5 is a soil bacterium that suppresses plant pathogens due in part to its production of the antibiotic pyoluteorin. Previous characterization of Pf-5 revealed three global regulators, including the stationary-phase sigma factor sigma(S) and the two-component regulators GacA and GacS, that influence both antibiotic production and stress response. In this report, we desc...

BACKGROUND Reports of deterioration and death after platelet (PLT) transfusions in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) have led to recommendations that they should not be given except for life-threatening hemorrhage. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Published reports of PLT transfusions in patients with TTP were systematically reviewed and data from the Oklahoma TTP-HUS Registry, ...

This study investigated the relationship between platelet (PLT) serotonin (5-HT) and intestinal permeability in children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Differential sugar absorption and PLT 5-HT were determined in 23 children with PDD. PLT 5-HT (2.0-7.1 nmol/10(9) PLT) was elevated in 4/23 patients. None exhibited elevated intestinal permeability (lactulose/mannitol ratio: 0.008-...

The pyrrolomycins are a family of polyketide antibiotics, some of which contain a nitro group. To gain insight into the nitration mechanism associated with the formation of these antibiotics, the pyrrolomycin biosynthetic gene cluster from Actinosporangium vitaminophilum was cloned. Sequencing of ca. 56 kb of A. vitaminophilum DNA revealed 35 open reading frames (ORFs). Sequence analysis reveal...

CCL19 and CCL21 are thought to be critical for experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induction, but their precise role is unknown. We examined the role of these chemokines in inducing EAE. C57BL/6 mice lacking expression of these chemokines (plt/plt mice) or their receptor CCR7 were resistant to EAE induced with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide 35-55 (MOG(35-55)) and pertus...

The paucity of lymph node (LN) T cells (plt) mutation in mice results in strongly reduced T cell numbers in LNs and homing defects of both dendritic cells (DCs) and naive T cells. In this study, we investigated the functional significance of the plt phenotype for the generation of antiviral immune responses against cytopathic and noncytopathic viruses. We found that DC-CD8(+) T cell contacts an...