Search

Copyright of Advances in Hygiene & Experimental Medicine / Postepy Higieny i Medycyny Doswiadczalnej is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

It is postulated that vaccination against tuberculosis with Bacillus Calmette-Gue'rin (BCG) vaccine may translate into lower incidence of respiratory tract infections by modulating the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines by innate immune cells. This modulation may be due to epigenetic changes in these cells resulting in an increase in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6 or TNF-α. It is not known whether the pulmonary vascular endothelium equipped with molecular pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and with entry receptors for human coronaviruses can be infected by them, or whether BCG vaccination may modulate its susceptibility to infection with these viruses. This study analyzes the effect of the HCoV 229E human coronavirus on human pulmonary vascular endothelium. Moreover, the influence of BCG sonicates on susceptibility to HCoV 229E endothelial infection and the generation of antiviral and inflammatory responses was assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gram-negative bacillus Helicobacter pylori is widely recognized as a major etiologic agent responsible for chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcers, the development of gastric cancer and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma). Still, little is known about the natural history of H. pylori infection, since patients usually after many years of not suffering from symptoms of the infection are simply asymptomatic. Since the research investigators carried out on human models has many limitations, there is an urgent need for the development of an animal model optimal and suitable for the monitoring of H. pylori infections. This review summarizes the recent findings on the suitability of animal models used in H. pylori research. Several animal models are useful for the assessment of pathological, microbiological and immunological consequences of infection, which makes it possible to monitor the natural history of H. pylori infection. Preclinical investigations on animal models are an essential stage of research which enrich the knowledge on treatment and prevention strategies.