{"title":"Interleukin 27 (IL-27) productions in the liver microenvironment confer an immunosuppressive role and enhance hepatitis B viral persistence.","authors":"Hsiu-Jung Liao, Lin-Ping Cheng, Yu-Ching Hsieh, Chien-Sheng Wu, Hung-Chih Yang, I-Tsu Chyuan, Ping-Ning Hsu","doi":"10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Persistent chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The immunosuppressive tissue microenvironment in the liver restricts the immune response, potentially facilitating persistent HBV infection. This study examined the expression of immunity-related factors in the liver in response to HBV.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed gene expression profiling on mice subjected to HBV DNA hydrodynamic transfection to identify transcriptomic changes. The expression of IL-27 was validated through Western blotting, ELISA, and immunohistochemical staining. Liver macrophages in mice were depleted using clodronate-liposomes to evaluate their role in IL-27 production. IL-27 knockout mice were generated to examine the effects of IL-27 deficiency on CD8 T cell dysfunction and HBV persistence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that IL-27 is significantly induced in the liver in response to HBV DNA. The elevated levels of IL-27 are strongly correlated with HBV persistence and are linked to CD8 T cell dysfunction, characterized by increased expression of PD-1 and Tim-3, along with reduced IFN-γ production in liver-infiltrating T cells. Furthermore, depleting macrophage-lineage cells using clodronate-liposomes significantly reduces IL-27 production in the liver and promotes viral clearance. Additionally, mice with IL-27 deficiency exhibit enhanced HBV clearance and restored CD8 T cell function.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Collectively, IL-27 is significantly induced by HBV in the liver, and its production is strongly associated with HBV persistence and CD8 T cell dysfunction. This highlights the immunosuppressive role of IL-27 in the liver microenvironment and suggests that IL-27 could serve as a potential therapeutic target for HBV infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":56117,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144676673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effectiveness of the monovalent XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccines: A systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Hsin Ma, Yi-Yu Chen, Wei-Liang Shih, Yu-Chun Chen, Tzeng-Ji Chen, Chi-Tai Fang","doi":"10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a public health concern even after its pandemic status officially ended on May 5, 2023, when XBB became the globally predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant. Amid population immunity, the benefit of the monovalent XBB.1.5 vaccines remains uncertain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This systematic review searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials through November 30, 2024, for studies evaluating the effectiveness of XBB.1.5 vaccines in adults during the 2023-2024 season. Meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effects model (PROSPERO registration: CRD42024513730).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-one eligible studies, with a total of 53,396,781 participants, were included. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) in the first month post-vaccination was 52.9 % (95 % CI: 47.6 %-57.6 %) against SARS-CoV-2 infection, 64.4 % (95 % CI: 59.3 %-68.9 %) against COVID-19-related hospitalization, and 77.3 % (95 % CI: 67.1 %-84.3 %) against COVID-19-related death. However, by the fifth month, VE declined to 26.7 %, 52.3 %, and 69.4 %, respectively. Notably, against the JN.1 variant that replaced XBB in December 2023, VE against infection, hospitalization, and death dropped significantly by 47 % (from 53.7 % to 28.3 %), 32 % (from 67.8 % to 46.2 %), and 26 % (from 77.3 % to 57.1 %), respectively. VE against hospitalization in individuals aged >60 years was not inferior to that in those aged <60 years (57.2 % versus 49.2 %; subgroup difference, p = 0.24).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>XBB.1.5 vaccines provided substantial protection against severe COVID-19 outcomes in the 2023-2024 season prior to the emergence of the JN.1 variant. These findings underscore the need for updated COVID-19 vaccinations to maintain protection against evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants.</p>","PeriodicalId":56117,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144683663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jorge Acosta-Reyes, Rafael Tuesca, Edgar Navarro-Lechuga, Brayan Bayona-Pacheco, Diego Viasus
{"title":"Chronicity and quality of life in Chikungunya virus infection: a cross-sectional study in Barranquilla, Colombia.","authors":"Jorge Acosta-Reyes, Rafael Tuesca, Edgar Navarro-Lechuga, Brayan Bayona-Pacheco, Diego Viasus","doi":"10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection is the second most widespread arboviral disease after dengue, and a significant number of patients suffer from a spectrum of chronic symptoms. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of chronic CHIKV infection and its impact on the quality of life of patients. This cross-sectional study was carried out during the CHIKV epidemic in Colombia. For the diagnosis of CHIKV infection, clinical and laboratory criteria were used. Chronic CHIKV infection was defined as a persistence of symptoms after 3 months of the acute episode and health-related quality of life was measured using the Short Form- 36 Health Survey. We selected 290 patients with clinical criteria for CHIKV infection, 172 had positive IgG test anti-CHIKV and were analyzed in the study. The mean age of patients was 43.2 years (SD = 15.4), 128 (74.4 %) were female. Chronic CHIKV infection was documented in 149 (86.6 %, 95 %CI 80.9-91.1). The most frequent symptom was persistent join pain in 94.0 % and affected more frequently knees (67.8 %) and ankles (65.1 %). The SF-36 showed lower values in physical and mental summaries in chronic CHIKV infection compared with non-chronic disease (p value < 0.001). These results show that chronic CHIKV infection is common after an acute episode of CHIKV infection and has a significant impact on the physical and mental health of patients. Health systems must be prepared to adequately identify and care for this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":56117,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144627854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wei Feng, Qian Yuan, Xiaowen Wang, Qianmei Wang, Ye Wei, Fengjun Sun
{"title":"The novel pyridine-fused quinolinone PQ-L5 exhibits antibacterial effects and enhances β-lactam activity by targeting PBP2a in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.","authors":"Wei Feng, Qian Yuan, Xiaowen Wang, Qianmei Wang, Ye Wei, Fengjun Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are becoming increasingly difficult to treat because of the resistance of this pathogen to multiple drugs and its ability to form biofilms. Therefore, the development of new antimicrobial agents to combat MRSA infections is urgently needed.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We designed and synthesized a series of structurally novel pyridine-fused quinolinones via a one-pot method, and compound PQ-L5 which exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria, especially MRSA strains was selected for further study. The bactericidal activity, synergistic antibacterial effect and antibiofilm activity of PQ-L5 were investigated, and then its in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo anti-MRSA efficacy were evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>PQ-L5 displayed rapid bactericidal activity without inducing resistance even after continuous passage. The mechanistic study revealed that PQ-L5 inhibited peptidoglycan biosynthesis by binding to PBP2a, disrupting the bacterial cell wall and ultimately resulting in bacterial death. Furthermore, PQ-L5 restored the susceptibility of MRSA to β-lactam antibiotics and could inhibit the biofilm formation of different MRSA strains at sub-MIC concentrations both alone and in combination with oxacillin. In addition, PQ-L5 had low hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity in vitro, and in a mouse skin tissue infection model, PQ-L5 alone or in combination with oxacillin at a low dose reduced the MRSA load in wounds and enhanced the process of wound healing.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>PQ-L5 might be a promising antimicrobial agent against MRSA infections and that the synergistic effect of PQ-L5 combined with β-lactams reduces the required dosages of these drugs and thus minimizes potential toxic side effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":56117,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144644165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Personalized serum proteome profiles of COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome in response to mesenchymal stem cell therapy.","authors":"Denise Utami Putri, Mei-Chuan Chen, Chih-Ming Weng, Han-Pin Kuo, Chih-Hsin Lee, Chia-Li Han","doi":"10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is one of the therapeutic options for COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, not all patients benefit equally and the mechanism of action of the treatment remains unknown. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the molecular response to MSC treatment in COVID-19-related ARDS, and proposed protein signature to advocate for patient selection to maximize the benefit.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Five COVID-19-related ARDS patients who consented to compassionate placenta-derived (pc)-MSC treatment were followed for clinical response and disease progression. Serum samples were collected before and after pc-MSC infusion for quantitative proteomics analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Following treatment, lung injury was significantly improved. Patients with invasive mechanical ventilation exhibited activation of inflammation, coagulation, and glucose metabolism, while it was inhibited in patients with high-flow oxygenation maintenance. Upregulations of complement system and HIF1α signaling may suggest a correlation to lung fibrosis. We proposed CD44, MMP2, MMP9, and CRP as a distinction panel to advise the response to pc-MSC treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We exploited molecular regulations in response to pc-MSC treatment for COVID-19-related ARDS and proposed protein signatures to assist treatment decisions. Large cohort study to observe the long-term impact should be implemented in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":56117,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144676674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Han-Tang Wang, Meng-Ling Li, Wan-Lin Wu, Chi-Jung Wu, Wei-Ting Liu
{"title":"Emergence of terbinafine-resistant Trichophyton indotineae dermatophytosis in a familial cluster in Taiwan: Successful management with prolonged oral itraconazole.","authors":"Han-Tang Wang, Meng-Ling Li, Wan-Lin Wu, Chi-Jung Wu, Wei-Ting Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2025.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56117,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144661122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A 71-year-old man with fever and small pulmonary nodules following repeated choking.","authors":"Bo-Ming Huang, Wen-Chia Tsai, Po-Lin Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jmii.2025.06.012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2025.06.012","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56117,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144661121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Efficacy and safety of ten-day bismuth quadruple therapy for first-line anti-Helicobacter pylori infection in the elderly- A multicenter real-world report.","authors":"Kuo-Hsuan Huang, Wei-Chen Tai, Feng-Woey Tsay, Pin-I Hsu, Deng-Chyang Wu, Song-Seng Loke, Chih-Chien Yao, Seng-Kee Chuah, Chih-Ming Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.jmii.2025.06.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2025.06.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Aging may influence the effectiveness of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy as a first-line treatment for H. pylori infection in elderly individuals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from September 2018 to December 2021 in southern Taiwan. All patients received 10-day quadruple therapy consisting of rabeprazole 20 mg twice daily, bismuth subcitrate 120 mg four times daily, metronidazole 500 mg three times daily, and tetracycline 500 mg four times daily. Patients were categorized into two groups: an elderly group (aged ≥65) and a control group (aged <65).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study included 231 naive patients receiving 10-day quadruple therapy. The eradication rates in the elderly and control groups were 80.3 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 68.1 %-89.4 %) and 85.3 % (95 % CI: 79.1 %-90.3 %) (P = 0.364), respectively, in the intention-to-treat analysis. In the per-protocol analysis, eradication rates were 89.1 % (95 % CI: 77.8 %-95.9 %) for the elderly group and 94.8 % (95 % CI: 90.0 %-97.7 %) for the control group (P = 0.149). Adverse event rates were 34.5 % in the elderly group and 27.5 % in the control group (P = 0.322). Compliance was slightly lower in the elderly group than the control group (89.1 % vs. 95.4 %, P = 0.096).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The efficacy of 10-day bismuth quadruple therapy as a first-line treatment for H. pylori was comparable between elderly and non-elderly cohorts, with similar levels of adverse effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":56117,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144577057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Regulatory Networks in Helicobacter pylori: The Roles of Two-Component Systems and CsrA in Stress Adaptation.","authors":"Pei-Yun Kuo, Cheng-Yen Kao","doi":"10.1016/j.jmii.2025.06.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2025.06.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a major human pathogen, infecting nearly half of the global population. It has evolved remarkable adaptability to the harsh gastric environment, contributing to gastrointestinal diseases and gastric cancer. During infection, H. pylori encounters various environmental stresses, including acidity, reactive species, metal ion fluctuations, and osmotic changes. Two-component systems (TCSs) are key regulatory mechanisms that enable bacteria to respond to such environmental stimuli. Compared to other gram-negative bacteria, H. pylori encodes a relatively limited number of TCSs, consisting of four (ArsRS, CrdRS, FlgRS, and CheY1Y2A) along with two orphan regulators (HP1021 and HsrA). These systems regulate gene transcription, playing essential roles in bacterial adaptation and survival. Additionally, the global regulator CsrA, positioned at the center of the regulatory hierarchy, orchestrates stress response mechanisms. This review summarizes how H. pylori utilizes TCSs and CsrA to modulate cellular responses under environmental stresses. We further explore potential interactions among these regulators and discuss the feasibility of targeting TCSs and CsrA as alternative strategies for H. pylori treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":56117,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144568141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Molecular mechanisms and targets underlying immune evasion by human cytomegalovirus.","authors":"Yitian Shen, Liang Zhang, Xiangyang Xue, Shiyu Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.jmii.2025.06.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2025.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) establishes lifelong latency in humans largely through the evolution of sophisticated immune evasion strategies that allow it to escape recognition and clearance by the host immune system. While significant progress has been made in elucidating the mechanisms underlying HCMV immune evasion, the precise regulation of host immune responses that enables viral persistence remains incompletely understood. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on HCMV immune evasion, with a particular emphasis on the functions of HCMV-encoded genes. We examine how these gene products impair immune cell responses, inhibit interferon production, reshape the immune microenvironment, and interact synergistically to promote viral latency and long-term persistence. Furthermore, we also explore the potential involvement of HCMV in the pathogenesis of cancer and autoimmune diseases, aiming to bridge molecular mechanisms with clinical implications and provide insights for the prevention and treatment of HCMV and related conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":56117,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology Immunology and Infection","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144627855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}