Infections mucosal

The adherence of bacteria to mammalian tissue surfaces may be an important event in the establishment of many bacterial infections. Mucosal and endothelial surfaces are constantly bathed in fluids, e.g. mucus, blood, urine. These secretions are often kept in motion by a variety of anatomical... 

Initial and recurrent mucosal and cutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 and 2 infections in... 

Microbes responsible for skin infection often arise from the normal skin flora which includes Staph, aureus. In addition Strep, pyogenes, Ps. aeruginosa and anaerobic bacteria are other recognized pathogens. Vimses also affect the skin and mucosal surfaces, either as a result of generalized infection or localized disease as in the case of herpes simplex. The latter is amenable to antiviral therapy in selected patients, although for the majority of patients, vims infections of the skin are self-limiting. 

Sterilization is an essential stage in the processing of aity product destined for parenteral administration, or for contact with broken skin, mucosal surfaces or internal organs, where the threat of infection exists, hi addition, the sterilization of microbiological materials, soiled dressings and other contaminated items is necessary to minimize the health hazard associated with these articles. 

BONN D (2002) Edible vaccines tackle mucosal infections head on. Lancet Infect Dis. 2 263. 

Sobala, G.M., Crabtree, J., Dixon, M.F., Schorah, C.J., Taylor, J.D., Rathbone, B.J., Heatley, R.V. and Axon, A.T.R. (1991a). Acute Helicobacter pylori infection clinical features, local and systemic immune response, gastric mucosal histology and gastric juice ascorbic acid concentrations. Gut 32, 1415-1418. 

The CTZ, located outside the blood-brain barrier (BBB), is exposed to cerebrospinal fluid and blood.2,3 Therefore it is easily stimulated by uremia, acidosis, and the circulation of toxins such as chemotherapeutic agents. The CTZ has many serotonin type 3 (5-HT3), neurokinin-1 (NKj), and dopamine (D2) receptors.2 Visceral vagal nerve fibers are rich in 5-HT3 receptors. They respond to gastrointestinal distention, mucosal irritation, and infection. 

Multiple factors play a role in the development of AOM. Viral infection of the nasopharynx impairs eustachian tube function and causes mucosal inflammation, impairing mucociliary clearance and promoting bacterial proliferation and infection. Children are predisposed to AOM because their eustachian tubes are shorter, more flaccid, and more horizontal than adults, which make them less functional for drainage and protection of the middle ear from bacterial entry. Clinical signs and symptoms of AOM are the result of host immune response and damage to cells caused by inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor and interleukins that are released from bacteria.4... 

Since HSV is only found in humans, infection may only be transmitted from infectious secretions onto mucosal surfaces (i.e., cervix or urethra) or abraded skin. It has also been noted that the virus may survive for a limited amount of time on environmental surfaces. 

Vazquez JA, Sobel JD. Mucosal candidiasis. Infect Dis Clin North Am 2002 16 793-820. 

HIV infection occurs through three primary modes of transmission sexual, parenteral, and perinatal. The most common method for transmission is receptive anal and vaginal intercourse, with the probability of transmission up to 3% per sexual contact for the former, and up to 0.2% per sexual contact for the latter. The probability of transmission increases when the index partner has a high level of viral replication (which occurs at the very beginning of infection or late in disease), or when the uninfected partner has ulcerative disease, compromised mucosal surfaces, or (in the case of men) has not been circumcised. 

The rapidly proliferating cells of the GI tract make them susceptible to the effects of chemotherapy. Mucositis is the inflamed, ulcerated mucosa of the mouth, esophagus, and lower GI tract that may result in infection and pain with subsequent decreased fluid and nutritional intake. Methotrexate, 5-FU, etoposide, and doxorubicin are the chemotherapy agents most commonly associated with mucositis. Patients should be instructed on good oral mouth care and use saline rinses several... 

Paclitaxel Infection, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mucositis, arthralgia, Mild (day 1 only)... 

Gram-negative organisms result of fluoroquinolone prophylaxis associated with mucositis Infections rapidly fatal... 

Bomsel M, David V. Mucosal gatekeepers selecting HIV viruses for early infection. Nat Med 2002 8(2) 114-116. 

Parasitism by T. spiralis has been a subject of scientific interest for over 150 years. Recently, considerable attention has been paid to the parasite by immunologists interested in immunity to nematodes in general, and mucosal immunity in particular. It has been shown that glycan-specific antibodies are highly effective mediators of host defence against intestinal 7. spiralis infection. Protective monoclonal antibodies have been used to elucidate mechanisms of worm expulsion, as well as to identify molecules that the parasite uses to create its niche. In the future, detailed characterization of these molecules and their functions should afford additional insights into parasitism by Trichinella spiralis, and possibly also by other types of pathogen. 

Lee, G.B. and Ogilvie, B.M. (1982) The intestinal mucus layer in Trichinella spiralis infected rats. In Strober, W., Hanson, L.A. and Sell, K.W. (eds) Recent Advances in Mucosal Immunity. Raven Press, New York, p. 319. 

Given that epithelial cells have been shown to be a source of chemokines at mucosal sites (Li et al., 1999 Santy et al, 1999 Song et al, 1999), it will be important to define the expression and function of chemokines and their receptors in the intestinal microenvironment during nematode infection, and to determine what effects, if any, these have on the polarization or regulation of anti-nematode responses. 

The mechanisms whereby mast cells enhance host protection to H. polygyms and T. spiralis (and whether these are related to the leak-lesion hypothesis) have not yet been fully defined. Certainly, mast cells contribute to intestinal inflammation during infection through the secretion of a range of cytokines (Gordon et al., 1990) and vasoactive substances (see above). In addition, the release of mast cell proteases are known to increase enterocyte permeability to macromolecules in the rat intestine (Scudamore et al., 1995) and regulate epithelial cell functions at other mucosal sites (Cairns and Walls, 1996). 

Dehlawi, M.S., Wakelin, D. and Behnke, J.M. (1987) Suppression of mucosal mastocytosis by infection with the intestinal nematode Nematospiroides dubius. Parasite Immunology 12, 561-566. 

Katona, I.M., Urban, J.F., Finkelman, F.D., Gause, W.C. and Madden, K.B. (1995) Cytokine regulation of intestinal mastocytosis in Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection. In Mestecky, J. et al. (eds) Advances in Mucosal Immunology. Plenum Press, New York, pp. 971-973. 

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