| 1. |
- Bergmann, René, et al.
(author)
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Prominent Binding of Human and Equine Fibrinogen to Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus Is Mediated by Specific SzM Types and Is a Distinct Phenotype of Zoonotic Isolates
- 2020
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In: Infection and Immunity. - 1098-5522. ; 88:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus is an important pathogen in horses that causes severe diseases such as pneumonia and abortion. Furthermore, it is a zoonotic agent, and contact with horses is a known risk factor. In this study, we investigated the working hypothesis that the zoonotic potential varies among S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus strains in association with differences in M-like protein-mediated binding of host plasma proteins. We demonstrate via in-frame deletion mutagenesis of two different S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus strains that the M-like protein SzM is crucial for the binding of fibrinogen to the bacterial surface and for survival in equine and human blood. S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus isolates of equine and human origins were compared with regard to SzM sequences and binding of equine and human fibrinogens. The N-terminal 216 amino acids of the mature SzM were found to exhibit a high degree of diversity, but the majority of human isolates grouped in three distinct SzM clusters. Plasma protein absorption assays and flow cytometry analysis revealed that pronounced binding of human fibrinogen is a common phenotype of human S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus isolates but much less so in equine S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus isolates. Furthermore, binding of human fibrinogen is associated with specific SzM types. These results suggest that SzM-mediated binding of human fibrinogen is an important virulence mechanism of zoonotic S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus isolates.
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| 2. |
- Laine, Romain F., et al.
(author)
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NanoJ : a high-performance open-source super-resolution microscopy toolbox
- 2019
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In: Journal of Physics D. - : IOP Publishing. - 0022-3727 .- 1361-6463. ; 52:16
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Super-resolution microscopy (SRM) has become essential for the study of nanoscale biological processes. This type of imaging often requires the use of specialised image analysis tools to process a large volume of recorded data and extract quantitative information. In recent years, our team has built an open-source image analysis framework for SRM designed to combine high performance and ease of use. We named it NanoJ-a reference to the popular ImageJ software it was developed for. In this paper, we highlight the current capabilities of NanoJ for several essential processing steps: spatio-temporal alignment of raw data (NanoJ-Core), super-resolution image reconstruction (NanoJ-SRRF), image quality assessment (NanoJ-SQUIRREL), structural modelling (NanoJ-VirusMapper) and control of the sample environment (NanoJ-Fluidics). We expect to expand NanoJ in the future through the development of new tools designed to improve quantitative data analysis and measure the reliability of fluorescent microscopy studies.
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| 3. |
- Moock, Joern, et al.
(author)
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Health-related quality of life and IGF-1 in GH-deficient adult patients on GH replacement therapy : analysis of the German KIMS data and the Study of Health in Pomerania
- 2009
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In: European Journal of Endocrinology. - 0804-4643 .- 1479-683X. ; 160:1, s. 17-24
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To analyse 12-month response to GH treatment in a single-country cohort of hypopituitary adult patients with GH deficiency (GHD) in regards to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) compared with values from general population sample. Moreover, association between the response in HRQoL and the IGF-1 values in patients and in the background population was investigated. Design: HRQoL was assessed by quality of life assessment of GH deficiency in adults (QoL-AGHDA) in 651 patients retrieved from the German KIMS (Pfizer International Metabolic Database) before and after 12 months of GH replacement and in a sample drawn from a cross-sectional study in Germany (n=2734). IGF-1 was measured in KIMS patients and in the population-based study with the same assay technique. Results: in KIMS patients, mean QoL-AGHDA scores before GH replacement were 9.2 +/- 6.8 (8.7 +/- 6.8) in women (men) and in the general population sample 4.5 +/- 5.3 (4.3 +/- 5.0) in women (men). Mean differences in QoL-AGHDA scores were statistically significant for all age categories (P<0.05). The mean IGF-1 SDS of KIMS patients before GH replacement was -1.1 +/- 1.4 (-0.8 +/- 1.4) in women (men). After GH replacement, a significant increase of IGF-1 concentration and a significant decrease of QoL-AGHDA scores near to age- and gender-specific population-based values were observed. Conclusions: This Study confirms an improvement in HRQoL and an increase of IGF-1 SDS in GH-replaced adults, which approximated the values of general population. However, there was no association between IGF-1 values and HRQoL assessment as one of the important treatment outcomes.
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