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Because the p300/CBP-mediated hyperacetylation of RelA (p65) is critical for nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation, the attenuation of p65 acetylation is a potential molecular target for the prevention of chronic inflammation. During our ongoing screening study to identify natural compounds with histone acetyltransferase inhibitor (HATi) activity, we identified epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) as a novel HATi with global specificity for the majority of HAT enzymes but with no activity to

HCV 1a or 2a envelope proteins do not modulate NK cell function when expressed as a part of infectious HCV particles. Without direct inhibition by HCV, NK cells may become activated by cytokines in acute HCV infection and contribute to infection outcome and disease pathogenesis.

The distinct feature of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a high incidence of chronicity. The reason for chronic HCV infection has been actively investigated, and impairment of innate and adaptive immune responses against HCV is proposed as a plausible cause. Whereas functional impairment of HCV-specific T cells is well characterized, the role and functional status of natural killer (NK) cells in each phase of HCV infection are still elusive. We therefore investigated whether direct interacti

Patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are characterized by a high incidence of chronic infection, which results in chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The functional impairment of HCV-specific T cells is associated with the evolution of an acute infection to chronic hepatitis. While T cells are the important effector cells in adaptive immunity, natural killer (NK) cells are the critical effector cells in innate immunity to virus infections. The findings

UNLABELLED: Mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) is the most common extrahepatic manifestation of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Although the formation of inflammation-triggering immune complexes is driven by clonal expansions of autoreactive B cells, we found total B cell numbers paradoxically reduced in HCV-infected patients with MC. HCV patients with MC (n = 17) also displayed a reduced number and a reduced frequency of naïve B cells compared with HCV-infected patients without MC (n = 19),

AIMS: We evaluated the antibody response to a single-dose adjuvanted, inactivated, pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccination in patients with diabetes and assessed factors associated with the failure to induce antibody responses. METHODS: Eighty-two patients with Type 2 diabetes were vaccinated and antibody responses were determined with haemagglutination inhibition assay and anti-haemagglutinin antibody ELISA. RESULTS: Among 70 antibody-negative patients at baseline, 34 (48.6%) achieved seroconversio

Serial plasma aliquots (50 mL) obtained from 10 commercial donors who converted from hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA negative to positive were transfused into 2 chimpanzees to assess infectivity during early HCV infection. Plasma, obtained 4 days before HCV RNA detectability by licensed assays, transmitted HCV infection to chimpanzee X355. The infectious PCR-negative plasma was subsequently shown to be positive in 2 of 23 replicates using a sensitive transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) assay,

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Leptin is a hormone expressed by adipose tissue that regulates body energy homeostasis and weight loss by activating leptin receptors in the hypothalamus. Leptin receptors are also expressed in astrocytes. An anti-apoptosis effect of leptin in brain has recently been reported. However, the anti-apoptosis mechanism of leptin in the brain is unknown. METHODS: To investigate whether leptin exerts protective effects against glutamate-induced apoptosis in astrocytes, we performed cel

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is characterized by a high frequency of chronic cases owing to the impairment of innate and adaptive immune responses. The modulation of natural killer (NK) cell functions by HCV leads to an impaired innate immune response. However, the underling mechanisms and roles of HCV proteins in this immune evasion are controversial, especially in the early phase of HCV infection. To investigate the role of HCV nonstructural proteins especially NS3 in the impairment of NK