Human herpesvirus 6 variants A and B (HHV-6A and HHV-6B) are closely related viruses that can be readily distinguished by comparison of restriction endonuclease profiles and nucleotide sequences. The viruses are similar with respect to genomic and genetic organization, and their genomes cross-hybridize extensively, but they differ in biological and epidemiologic features. Differences include in...

We read the papers of Bratcher and Nahm (3) and Oftadeh et al. (8) with interest. Both papers reported that Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 6D isolates react with factor antiserum specific to serotype 6C in addition to that to 6B. Pneumococcal serotype 6C, first reported in 2007, cross-reacts serologically with serotype 6A but is differentiated by a change in the wciN gene (wciN ) among the c...

Human herpesvirus type 6B (HHV-6B) is a strong inducer of IFN-alpha and has the capacity to promote Th1 responses and block Th2 responses in vitro. In this study we addressed whether inactivated HHV-6B can also induce IFN lambda responses and to what extent interferons alpha and lambda affect Th1/Th2 polarization. We show that inactivated HHV-6B induced IFN-lambda1 (IL-29) but not IFN-lambda2 (...

The development of neural crest cells involves an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated with the restriction of cadherin 6B expression to the pre-migratory neural crest cells (PMNCCs), as well as a loss of N-cadherin expression. We find that cadherin 6B, which is highly expressed in PMNCCs, persists in early migrating neural crest cells and is required for their emigration from the...

This study was designed to evaluate the in vivo activity of cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) in 49 healthy Japanese subjects aged 22–58 years using endogenous cortisol 6b-hydroxylation clearance [CLm(6b)], a novel biomarker for CYP3A phenotyping. CLm(6b) in the 49 healthy subjects was 2.40 6 0.79 ml/min with an approximately 4fold interindividual variability of CYP3A activity. The mean clearance in t...

The aim of the present study was to assess the frequency of human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) and human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) infection during pregnancy. 100-100 blood samples were collected from pregnant and non-pregnant women, then nucleic acid was isolated from both plasma and leukocytes fraction. Nested and real-time PCR were used to detect and differentiate HHV-6A and HHV-6B DNA and to deter...

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a well-known antitumor target. Exogenous ROS insult can lead to selective cytotoxicity against cancer cells. A combination of STAT3 inhibition and "oxidation therapy" may be a new strategy to address the multidrug-resistance issue due to their important roles in the survival and drug resistance of cancer cells. Here, a series of nove...

The polysaccharide capsule is a major virulence mechanism of Streptococcus pneumoniae, shielding the bacterium from phagocytes. Capsule types may differ in their abilities to resist immune defense. Antibody-mediated complement activation and opsonophagocytosis are crucial in protection against pneumococcus. Conjugate vaccine trials suggest imperfect protection against 19F. We have previously sh...