Infection remains a significant complication after solid organ transplantation (SOT). The incidence of various pathogens varies widely depending on the presence of specific factors, according to which patients can be classified into different risk categories that may merit tailored prophylaxis strategies. Both the endogenous origin of microorganisms (previous colonization or latent infection) a...

Respiratory tract infections and tuberculosis are among the leading reasons for seeking medical care. In this report the most recent advances in the field of clinical research and basic sciences of respiratory infections and tuberculosis are presented through the analysis of some of the best abstracts presented at the 20th European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona, Spain and their subs...

Kidney transplantation is associated with lower risk for infection than other solid organ transplantations, reflecting the elective nature of kidney transplantation and clinical and nutritional status of recipients. Infection, however, remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients. Infections related to transplant surgical complications, acquisition of he...

The BK virus (BKV) is a nonenveloped double-stranded DNA virus of the polyomavirus family that primarily affects immunocompromised people. BKV infects humans at an early age. Initial infections with BKV are mainly asymptomatic and usually remain latent in the brain, peripheral blood, kidneys, and urothelium. Following the primary infection, viruses persist indefinitely as 'latent' infections of...

A major roadblock to achieving a cure for human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) is the persistence of latent viral infections in cells and tissue compartments an infected host. Latent HIV-1 proviral DNA persists resting memory CD4+ T mononuclear phagocytes (MPs; macrophages, microglia, dendritic cells). Tissue reservoirs both cell types reside gut, lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, live...

The authors examined the eye diseases produced during acute and experimentally reactivated infections of rabbits intranasally inoculated with high and low neurovirulent strains of herpes simplex virus, type-1 (HSV-1). Experimental reactivation of latent trigeminal ganglionic infection was accomplished by an injection of cyclophosphamide followed by one injection of dexamethasone the next day. N...

BACKGROUND With the introduction of more potent immunosuppressive agents in inflammatory bowel disease, prevention of opportunistic infections has become necessary by introducing screening programs. Prevalence of the most important infectious agents may vary in different geographical areas. The aim of our study was to assess the immune status for hepatitis B, varicella, mononucleosis, and cytom...

A signature feature of HIV infection is poor control of herpes virus infections, which reactivate from latency and cause opportunistic infections. While the general mechanism underlying this observation is deficient CD4+T-cell function, it is unknown whether increased severity of herpes virus infections is due primarily to poor immune control in latent or lytic sites of infection, or whether CD...

Opportunistic fungal infections account for a significant amount of morbidity associated with HIV disease. In Northern Ireland approximately 10% of our HIV positive patients have acquired their disease in foreign climes, particularly subSaharan Africa and the United States of America. This, coupled with increasing travel in general abroad, increases the likelihood ofthem acquiring opportunistic...

Viruses commandeer regulatory pathways of their hosts to optimize their success as cellular parasites. The human tumor viruses, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Kaposi's Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) all affect autophagy for their own ends. EBV and KSHV regulate it during latent infections, a phase when no progeny virus is produced, while HBV and HCV ...