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Article
Open AccessNext-generation sequencing for hypothesis-free genomic detection of invasive tropical infections in poly-microbially contaminated, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples – a proof-of-principle assessment
The potential of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for hypothesis-free pathogen diagnosis from (poly-)microbially contaminated, formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue samples from patients with invasive funga...
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Article
Comparison of the etiological relevance of Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Staphylococcus hominis
The study was performed to assess potential differences in the etiological relevance of two coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Staphylococcus hominis, in an observational sin...
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Article
Open AccessScreening for Gram-negative bacteria: Impact of preanalytical parameters
Screening recommendations for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria comprise microbiological analyses from rectal swabs. However, essential specifications of the preanalytic steps of such screenings, i.e....
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Article
Open AccessStreptococcus bovis infectious endocarditis and occult gastrointestinal neoplasia: experience with 25 consecutive patients treated surgically
To assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal neoplasia in patients with Streptococcus bovis infectious endocarditis we performed a retrospective cohort analysis of all episodes of S. bovis infectious endocarditis...
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Article
Open AccessArthralgia and blood culture-negative endocarditis in middle Age Men suggest tropheryma whipplei infection: report of two cases and review of the literature
Whipple’s disease is a rare, often multisystemic chronic infectious disease caused by the rod-shaped bacterium Tropheryma whipplei. Very rarely the heart is involved in the process of the disease, leading to cult...
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Article
Open AccessDental care resistance prevention and antibiotic prescribing modification—the cluster-randomised controlled DREAM trial
Bacterial resistance development is one of the most urgent problems in healthcare worldwide. In Europe, dentistry accounts for a comparatively high amount of antibiotic prescriptions. In light of increasing le...
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Article
In vivo examination of the local inflammatory response after implantation of Ti6Al4V samples with a combined low-temperature plasma treatment using pulsed magnetron sputtering of copper and plasma-polymerized ethylenediamine
Copper (Cu) could serve as antibacterial coating for Ti6Al4V implants. An additional cell-adhesive layer might compensate Cu cytotoxicity. This study aimed at in vitro and in vivo evaluation of low-temperature...
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Article
Serum profile of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in rats following implantation of low-temperature plasma-modified titanium plates
Surface modification of Titanium (Ti) by low-temperature plasma influences cell-material interactions. Therefore, this study aimed at examining serum cytokine levels and associations after intramuscular implan...
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Article
Spondylodiscitis of the lumbar spine in a non-immunocompromised host caused by Yersinia enterocolitica O:9
Here presented is an extremely rare case of a spinal osteomyelitis (L5–S1) with epidural empyema in a non-immunocompromised 62-year-old man caused by Yersinia enterocolitica O:9. The infection occurred acutely an...
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Article
Open AccessRapid differentiation of Francisella species and subspecies by fluorescent in situ hybridization targeting the 23S rRNA
Francisella (F.) tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia. Due to its low infectious dose, ease of dissemination and high case fatality rate, F. tularensis was the subject in diverse biological weapons prog...
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Article
Open AccessSerotype- and strain- dependent contribution of the sensor kinase CovS of the CovRS two-component system to Streptococcus pyogenes pathogenesis
The Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococci, GAS) two-component signal transduction system CovRS has been described to be important for pathogenesis of this exclusively human bacterial species. If this syste...
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Article
Open AccessM-protein and other intrinsic virulence factors of Streptococcus pyogenes are encoded on an ancient pathogenicity island
The increasing number of completely sequenced bacterial genomes allows comparing their architecture and genetic makeup. Such new information highlights the crucial role of lateral genetic exchanges in bacteria...
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Article
Kytococcus schroeteri: a probably underdiagnosed pathogen involved in prosthetic valve endocarditis
Kytococcus schroeteri ist ein kürzlich neu beschriebenes Gram-positives Bakterium, das bisher überwiegend bei Infektionen künstlicher Herzklappen isoliert werden konnte. Charakteristisch für dieses Pathogen ist s...
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Article
Cysteine protease SpeB expression in group A streptococci is influenced by the nutritional environment but SpeB does not contribute to obtaining essential nutrients
Group A streptococcal (GAS) cysteine protease is a major virulence factor involved in the pathogenesis of purulent and invasive infections. The secreted enzyme cleaves a number of different bacterial and host...
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Article
A co-stimulatory signal through ICAM-β2 integrin-binding potentiates neutrophil phagocytosis
The β2 integrin LFA–1 (lymphocyte function associated antigen; CD11a/CD18) is the common ligand for the intercellular adhesion molecules1,2,3,4 (ICAMs). Integrins support cell function by providing co-stimulatory...
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Summary of the Round Table Discussion on Genome Structure and Regulation of Gene Expression in Streptococci and Enterococci
The significant progress made in recent years in the areas of streptoccocal genome structure and function was highlighted by the following topical contributions
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Chapter
Human Isolates of Large Colony-Forming β Hemolytic Group G Streptococci form a Distinct Clade upon 16S rRNA Gene Analysis
Currently the following four groups of large colony-forming Streptococci are lumped together in the Streptococcus dysgalactiae complex mainly due to their high degree of genomic DNA-DNA hybridization1:
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Chapter
Virulence of Streptococcus pyogenes for Chicken Embryos after Isogenic Inactivation of Different Streptococcal Pathogenicity Factors
M protein of Streptococcus pyogenes has been postulated as the major virulence factor of group A streptococci (GAS) based on its association with a phagocytosis-resistant phenotype (4). The antiphagocytic propert...
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Chapter
Activation of Granulocytes by Phorbol-12-Myristate-14-Acetate (PMA) Enhances Phagocytosis of Streptococcus pyogenes
The expression of the M protein is thought to be responsible for the ability of Streptococcus pyogenes to resist phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL)6. Recently M-like proteins (Mrp) were sho...
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Article
Different alleles of the fcrA/mrp gene of Streptococcus pyogenes encode M-related proteins exhibiting an identical immunoglobulin-binding pattern
The majority of group A streptococci (GAS, Streptococcus pyogenes) express immunoglobulin (Ig)-binding proteins. The genes encoding these proteins belong either to the emm or the emm-related (fcrA/mrp and enn) ...
