Respiratory infection with Francisella novicida induces rapid dystrophic cardiac calcinosis (DCC)

Role of Apoptotic Cell Clearance in Pneumonia and Inflammatory Lung Disease

Pneumonia and inflammatory diseases of the pulmonary system such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality globally. While the etiology of these diseases is highly different, they share a number of similarities in the underlying inflammatory processes driving disease pathology. Multiple recent studies have identified failures in efferocytosis-the phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cells-as a common driver of inflammation and tissue destruction in these diseases. Effective efferocytosis has been shown to be important for resolving inflammatory diseases of the lung and the subsequent restoration of normal lung function, while many pneumonia-causing pathogens manipulate the efferocytic system to enhance their growth and avoid immunity. Moreover, some treatments used to manage these patients, such as inhaled corticosteroids for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the prevalent use of statins for cardiovascular disease, have been found to beneficially alter efferocytic activity in these patients. In this review, we provide an overview of the efferocytic process and its role in the pathophysiology and resolution of pneumonia and other inflammatory diseases of the lungs, and discuss the utility of existing and emerging therapies for modulating efferocytosis as potential treatments for these diseases.

A case of sporotrichosis caused by different Sporothrix brasiliensis strains: mycological, molecular, and virulence analyses

BACKGROUND

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous mycosis caused by dimorphic pathogenic fungi belonging to the Sporothrix genus. Pathogenic Sporothrix species typically produce melanin, which is known to be a virulence factor.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to perform phenotypic, genotypic, and virulence analyses of two distinct Sporothrix brasiliensis strains isolated from the same lesion on a patient from Rio de Janeiro.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

Genotypic analyses by partial sequencing of the calmodulin, β-tubulin, and chitin synthase genes, as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-fingerprinting by T3B, M13, and GACA, showed that the isolates were very similar but not identical. Both isolates had similar phenotypic characteristics and effectively produced melanin in their yeast forms, accounting for their ability of causing disease in a murine sporotrichosis model. Remarkably, isolate B was albino in its environmental form but caused more severe disease than the pigmented A isolate.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that the patient was infected by two genetically and biologically distinct S. brasiliensis that vary in their production of melanin in their environmental forms. The results underscore the importance of characterizing phenotypically different isolates found in the same clinical specimen or patient.

IglC and PdpA are important for promoting Francisella invasion and intracellular growth in epithelial cells

The highly infectious bacteria, Francisella tularensis, colonize a variety of organs and replicate within both phagocytic as well as non-phagocytic cells, to cause the disease tularemia. These microbes contain a conserved cluster of important virulence genes referred to as the Francisella Pathogenicity Island (FPI). Two of the most characterized FPI genes, iglC and pdpA, play a central role in bacterial survival and proliferation within phagocytes, but do not influence bacterial internalization. Yet, their involvement in non-phagocytic epithelial cell infections remains unexplored. To examine the functions of IglC and PdpA on bacterial invasion and replication during epithelial cell infections, we infected liver and lung epithelial cells with F. novicida and F. tularensis 'Type B' Live Vaccine Strain (LVS) deletion mutants (ΔiglC and ΔpdpA) as well as their respective gene complements. We found that deletion of either gene significantly reduced their ability to invade and replicate in epithelial cells. Gene complementation of iglC and pdpA partially rescued bacterial invasion and intracellular growth. Additionally, substantial LAMP1-association with both deletion mutants was observed up to 12 h suggesting that the absence of IglC and PdpA caused deficiencies in their ability to dissociate from LAMP1-positive Francisella Containing Vacuoles (FCVs). This work provides the first evidence that IglC and PdpA are important pathogenic factors for invasion and intracellular growth of Francisella in epithelial cells, and further highlights the discrete mechanisms involved in Francisella infections between phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells.

Spontaneous cardiac calcinosis in BALB/cByJ mice

BALB/c mice are predisposed to dystrophic cardiac calcinosis-the mineralization of cardiac tissues, especially the right ventricular epicardium. In previous reports, the disease appeared in aged animals and had an unknown etiology. In the current study, we report a substrain of BALB/c mice (BALB/cByJ) that develops disease early and with high frequency. Here we analyzed hearts grossly to identify the presence and measure the severity of disease and to compare BALB/c substrains. Histologic analysis and fluorescent and immunofluorescent microscopy were used to characterize the calcinotic lesions. BALB/cByJ mice exhibited more frequent and severe calcium deposition than did BALB/c mice of other substrains (90% compared with 3% at 5 wk). At this age, lesions covered an average of 30% of the total ventricular surface area in BALB/cByJ mice, compared with less than 1% in other strains. In bone-marrow-chimeric mice, green fluorescent protein was used as a marker to show that the lesions contain an infiltration of cells of bone marrow origin. Lesion histology showed that calcium deposits were surrounded by fibrosis with interspersed immune cells. Lymphocytes, macrophages, and granulocytes were all present. Internalization of the gap-junction protein connexin 43 was observed in myocytes adjacent to lesions. In conclusion, BALB/cByJ mice exhibit more frequent and severe dystrophic cardiac calcinosis than do other BALB/c substrains. Our findings suggest that immune cells are actively recruited to lesions and that myocyte gap junctions are altered near lesions.