Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of the central nervous system (CNS) affects primarily microglial cells and astrocytes. Infection of these latter cells occurs independently of CD4 and is characterised by preferential accumulation of 2 Kb mRNA, encoding mostly Nef, and by low levels of 4.5 and 9 Kb RNAs. We have investigated the potential role of chronic HIV infection of human astroc...

background: leishmania major is an intracellular parasite transmitted through the bite of the female phlebotomine sand flies. leishmania major is able to escape the host immune defense and survive within macrophages. modulation of the nf-κb (nuclear factor-kappa b) activation and suppression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines by l. major are the main evasion mechanisms that remain to be explored...

1. Two cases of rat-bite fever with a typical fever course and a maculopapular exanthem came under my observation in Mexico. 2. A spiral organism morphologically identical with one known in Japan as the causative agent of Sodoku was found in a Mus decumanus caught in Mexico City. 3. The organism was found to be pathogenic for white rats and guinea pigs, the infection being fatal for guinea pigs...

Despite advances in therapeutic modalities, aspergillosis remains a leading cause of mortality. This has necessitated the identification of effective and safe antifungal molecules. In the present study, in vivo safety and antifungal efficacy of a coumarin derivative, N, N, N-Triethyl-11-(4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-benzopyran-7-yloxy)-11-oxoundecan-1-aminium bromide (SCD-1), was investigated. The maximum...

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causes adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, and other inflammatory diseases. Despite such severe outcomes of HTLV-1 infection, the level of HTLV-1 expression in vivo is very low and rapidly increases after transfer of cells to culture conditions. The mechanisms of this phenomenon have remained obscure...