The establishment of novel molecular imaging tools to monitor the local activity of inflammation remains an interdisciplinary challenge. Our target, the alarmin S100A9, one subunit of the heterodimer S100A8/S100A9 (calprotectin), is locally secreted in high concentrations from immigrated and activated phagocytes at local sites of inflammation. Calprotectin is already a well established serum bi...

Human calprotectin (CP) is a metal-chelating antimicrobial protein of the innate immune response. The current working model states that CP sequesters manganese and zinc from pathogens. We report the discovery that CP chelates iron and deprives bacteria of this essential nutrient. Elemental analysis of CP-treated growth medium establishes that CP reduces the concentrations of manganese, iron and...

Methods In a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 1018 infants in high risk for allergy received from birth to 6 months either a mixture of preand probiotics, or placebo. They were followed for the emergence of allergic diseases and sensitisation for 5 years. In an unselected group of 48 infants receiving probiotics and 52 receiving placebo, we measured fecal levels of human neutr...

Background: Sepsis is defined as a systematic inflammatory reaction against infection. Despite the recent advances in medical and pediatric sciences, sepsis remains a significant life-threatening health issue. The main problem associated with this disorder is the nonspecific and non-discriminative symptoms of noninfectious diseases. The present study aimed to introduce diagnostic parameters of ...

Bacterial and fungal pathogens cause a variety of infectious diseases and constitute a significant threat to public health. The human innate immune system represents the first line of defense against pathogenic microbes and employs a range of chemical artillery to combat these invaders. One important mechanism of innate immunity is the sequestration of metal ions that are essential nutrients. M...

It has long been appreciated that polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) kill Cryptococcus neoformans, at least in part via generation of fungicidal oxidants. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of nonoxidative mechanisms to the inhibition and killing of C. neoformans. Treatment of human PMN with inhibitors and scavengers of respiratory burst oxidants only partially reversed antic...

The preterm infant gut has been described as immature and colonized by an aberrant microbiota. Therefore, the use of probiotics is an attractive practice in hospitals to try to reduce morbidity and mortality in this population. The objective of this pilot study was to elucidate if administration of two probiotic strains isolated from human milk to preterm infants led to their presence in feces....

INTRODUCTION Decreasing the diagnostic delay in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) remains a major challenge. Here, we assessed the value of serum inflammatory biomarkers to distinguish early axSpA from other pathologies in a large cohort of patients referred with early back pain. METHODS Serum c reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and calprotectin were determined in the...