CD103+ dendritic cell-fibroblast crosstalk via TLR9, TDO2, and AHR signaling drives lung fibrogenesis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by progressive scarring and loss of lung function. With limited treatment options, patients die from the disease within 2-5 years. The molecular pathogenesis underlying the immunologic changes that occur in IPF is poorly understood.

Dendritic Cell - Fibroblast Crosstalk via TLR9 and AHR Signaling Drives Lung Fibrogenesis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by progressive scarring and loss of lung function. With limited treatment options, patients succumb to the disease within 2-5 years. The molecular pathogenesis of IPF regarding the immunologic changes that occur is poorly understood.

Role of Coffee Caffeine and Chlorogenic Acids Adsorption to Polysaccharides with Impact on Brew Immunomodulation Effects.

Coffee brews have High Molecular Weight (HMW) compounds with described immunostimulatory activity, namely polysaccharides and melanoidins. Melanoidins are formed during roasting and are modified during brews technological processing. In addition, brews have Low Molecular Weight (LMW) compounds, namely free chlorogenic acids and caffeine, with well-known anti-inflammatory properties.

Seroprevalence of Triatoma virus (Dicistroviridae: Cripaviridae) antibodies in Chagas disease patients.

Background: Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, and humans acquire the parasite by exposure to contaminated feces from hematophagous insect vectors known as triatomines. Triatoma virus (TrV) is the sole viral pathogen of triatomines, and is transmitted among insects through the fecal-oral route and, as it happens with T. cruzi, the infected insects release the virus when defecating during or after blood uptake.

Immunoproteomic analysis of Plasmodium falciparum antigens using sera from patients with clinical history of imported malaria.

Background: The malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum remains a serious public health problem in the world, due largely to the absence of an effective vaccine. There is a lack of information on the structural properties and antigens capable of activating the immunological mechanisms for the induction of protective immunity. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the serological reactivity of sera from individuals with imported malaria and identify major immunogenic proteins.

Chestnut cultivar diversification process in the Iberian Peninsula, Canary Islands, and Azores.

This is a large-scale molecular study based on simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci of the diversification process in chestnut cultivars from Portugal and Spain, from the northern Iberian Peninsula to the Canary Islands and the Azores. A total of 593 grafted chestnut trees (Castanea sativa Mill.) were analysed with 10 SSRs: 292 from Portugal and 301 from Spain.