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Introduction: The main protease (Mpro) and the papain-like protease (PLpro) are essential for the replication of SARS-CoV-2. Both proteases can be targets for drugs acting against SARS-CoV-2.

OBJECTIVE: Chlorhexidine (CHX) is one of the most widely used antiseptic, especially in dentistry. At low concentrations CHX is bacteriostatic and at high concentrations acts bactericidal causing cell death by cytolysis. In this study, we performed a systematic review of pharmaco-biological activity and application of CHX. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Articles for inclusion in this review were retrieved from online databases PubMed/Medline. The selected papers were included in the present manuscript according to their relevance for the topic. RESULTS: Totally 75 papers were enrolled in this research. CHX has strong biocidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria and weaker activity against Gram-negative bacteria. It is also active against yeasts, some dermatophytes and some lipophilic viruses. The most widely application CHX has found in dentistry and antisepsis. Numerous studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of CHX in reducing of plaque accumulation, in tooth caries, gingivitis, periodontitis and in alveolar osteitis. Unfortunately, CHX exhibits cytotoxic activity on human cells, can cause colorization of teeth and fillings, and its activity depends on the pH of the environment and the presence of organic substances. CONCLUSIONS: CHX plays a valuable role in the dentistry and antisepsis. However, it can also cause side effects, limiting its application time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to describe the levels of circulating cytokines produced by Th lymphocytes (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17A), as well as the levels of cytokines produced by monocytes/macrophages (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-12), in patients with chronic Staphylococcus aureus infections before treatment and following completion of autovaccine treatment. The study was carried out on adult individuals, including 25 healthy subjects (group 1, control, not treated), 50 patients with chronic suppurative dermatitis (group 2) and 40 patients with chronic infections of the upper respiratory tract (group 3). Blood serum cytokine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). S. aureus was detected in cultures of suppurative dermal exudates or of pharyngeal smears. For every individual patient an autovaccine was prepared, containing a suspension of inactivated S. aureus bacteria (1.5 x 108 bacteria/ml) isolated from the patient. The autovaccine was administered subcutaneously for a period exceeding 3 months, for a total of 18 injections. The average level of IFN-γ and IL-17 was 2-2.5 times higher in the infected patients. This was not accompanied by an increase in TNF-α or IL-12 levels. A treatment with autovaccine eradicated S. aureus infection in 42 (84%) patients of group 2 and in 14 (35%) patients of group 3. A significant increase (two-fold) in IL-17A was observed in treated patients. Also, following the treatment with autovaccine, all patients demonstrated a significant increase in the levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-12. These studies showed for the first time that efficiency of the autovaccine treatment in patients with chronic S. aureus infection depends on an adequate secretory response of TH17 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: For centuries, mosses have been used in traditional medicine due to their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts obtained from 12 moss species: Brachythecium albicans, Bryum argenteum, Ceratodon purpureus, Dicranum scoparium, Dryptodon pulvinatus, Orthotrichum anomalum, Oxyrrhynchium hians, Plagiomnium undulatum, Polytrichum juniperinum, P. piliferum, Schistidium crassipilum, and Syntrichia ruralis. Methods: The antimicrobial activity of extracts was investigated against three Gram(+) bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes) and two Gram(-) bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae), using the agar disc-diffusion method. Results: The high activity against all investigated bacteria was determined for extracts of D. pulvinatus, P. undulatum, B. argenteum, S. crassipilum, O. anomalum (mean inhibition zone: 11.3-13.1 mm) and to a lesser extent in the case of D. scoparium (8.3 mm). Extracts from P. juniperinum and P. piliferum showed activity only against Gram-positive bacteria, with an inhibition zone from 7.3 to 9.7 mm. Four species: B. albicans, C. purpureus, O. hians, and S. ruralis had not antibacterial properties. Conclusions: The obtained results indicate that mosses could be a significant source of antibacterial agents. For the first time, we presented antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts from S. crassipilum and O. anomalum.

Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) are chronic autoimmune disorders that cause impaired immunoregulation, leading to specific immune responses against thyroid antigens. Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) are the major forms of AITDs. Increasing evidence suggests a possible role of microbiota alterations in the pathogenesis and progression of AITDs. This systematic review was designed to address the following question: "Is microbiota altered in patients with AITDs?" After screening the selected studies using the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 studies were included in this review (in accordance with PRISMA statement guidelines). A meta-analysis revealed that patients with HT showed significantly higher values of diversity indices (except for the Simpson index) and that patients with GD showed significant tendencies toward lower values of all assessed indices compared with healthy subjects. However, the latter demonstrated a higher relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria at the phylum level and thus Prevotella and Bifidobacterium at the genus level, respectively. Thyroid peroxidase antibodies showed the most significant positive and negative correlations between bacterial levels and thyroid functional parameters. In conclusion, significant alterations in the diversity and composition of the intestinal microbiota were observed in both GD and HT patients.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to describe the levels of circulating monocyte/macrophage pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta IL-6, and IL-8) and an anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and healthy controls., Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 15 healthy individuals, 20 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 12 with Crohn's disease (CD), and 15 with CRC (Dukes' stage B). Blood serum cytokine levels were measured by ELISA., Results: The patients with UC had significantly higher levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and of circulating IL-10 than the healthy controls. The patients with CD and CRC had the same specific pattern of serum cytokines of significantly elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, but the IL-10 levels were within the range found in the healthy individuals., Conclusions: Thus our results demonstrate that both IBD and CRC are linked with an intensified production of a wide array of monocyte/macrophage pro-inflammatory cytokines which is not accompanied by elevated levels of circulating IL-10, except for its insufficiently inhibitory elevation in UC patients.

In the present work primary antimicrobial resistance was analyzed in clinical H. pylori strain isolates from adult patients from Polish Wielkopolska region within the last 10 years. Drug sensitivity was evaluated in a total of 142 H. pylori isolates, with 66 strains originating from years 1997/1998 forming group 1 and 76 strains isolated in 2007/2008 forming group 2. Sensitivity to amoxicillin, tetracycline, metronidazole and clarithromycin was determined by E-test. All strains were susceptible to amoxicillin and tetracycline. On the other hand, a high proportion of strains resistant to metronidazole was determined (36.4% in group 1 and 44.7% in group 2). In parallel, a growing tendency was discovered for resistance to clarithromycin (9.1% strains resistant in group 1 and 18.4% isolates resistant in group 2). The studies confirm the need for monitoring the drug resistance of Helicobacter pylori strains.

The authors carried out clinical observations and allergical, bacteriological and serological investigations of 73 dairy cows in a herd affected with paratuberculosis. Durings 18 months, clinical signs of the disease were noted in 2 animals only. It was found that the allergic test with the use of johnin had a limited diagnostic value and made it possible only to suspect the disease in the herd. Avian tuberculin had higher potency than johnin and gave, in most cases, stronger allergic reactions in animals infected with M. johnei that the homologous preparation. Bacterioscopic and cultural examination of the faeces with the use of Stuart's serum-agar medium had a significant diagnostic value because they made it possible to detect the excretion of Johne's bacilli before the clinical signs could be observed. The complement fixation test gave positive results in animals with the clinical symptoms of the disease, or when pathological lesions in the intestines were pronounced. In most of the cows investigated, the pathological changes of the ileocecal valve, characteristic for paratuberculosis, appeared earlier than the positive results of the complement fixation test.

The purpose of these studies was to make and to evaluate serums (SAG) helpful to the carrying out of OAG in diagnosis of pig brucellosis. Immunological serums directed against globulin fraction of pig serum were produced on rabbits immunizing them with "Suiglobin" preparation or with own preparation--"purified globulins" obtained from pig serum. Królak immunization method was used and in parallel that of Ressang's for the sake of comparison. Obtained SAG was titrated in the quick and slow OAG according to Hajdu. It was shown that rabbit immunization according to Ressang gives better results than that of Królak's. With the help of the immunoelectrophoresis reaction, in all SAG, the presence of the antibodies precipitating subfractions IgG and IgM of pig serum was found. Moreover, it was shown that to determine the final, working dilution of SAG, its titration was necessary in the slow, sample variant of OAG according to Hajdu.

In the examinations of the swine sera obtained from swines immunized s.c. with adjuvant Br.abortus S19 vaccine or Br.suis 1417 vaccine, it was found that agglutinins were present after 3 weeks, and C.F. antibodies or incomplete agglutinins normally after injections. Probably, in the first period of Brucella infection negative results of C.F.T. or AGT or both will be obtained. In the swine sera from Brucella free herds, agglutinins reacting with the Brucellognost antigen were present. The performance of mercaptoethanol test or C.F.T. lead in most cases to suitable diagnosis. In our conditions we have not obtained results which permit to classify AGT as a supplement test in serodiagnosis of swine brucellosis.