Infectious diseases are known to regulate population dynamics, an observation that underlies the use of pathogens as control agents of unwanted populations. Sterilizing rather than lethal pathogens are often suggested so as to avoid unnecessary suffering of the infected hosts. Until recently, models used to assess plausibility of pathogens as potential pest control agents have not included a possibility that reduced fecundity of the infected individuals may save their energy expenditure on reproduction and thus increase their longevity relative to the susceptible ones. Here, we develop a model of host-pathogen interaction that builds on this idea. We analyze the model for a variety of infection transmission functions, revealing that the indirect effect of sterilizing pathogens on mortality of the infected hosts, mediated by a fecundity-longevity trade-off, may cause hosts at endemic equilibria to attain densities higher than when there is no effect of pathogens on host mortality. On the other hand, an opposite outcome occurs when the fecundity-longevity trade-off is concave or when the degree of fecundity reduction by the pathogen is high enough. This points to a possibility that using sterilizing pathogens as agents of pest control may actually be less effective than previously thought, the more so since we also suggest that if sexual selection acts on the host species then the presence of sterilizing pathogens may even enhance host densities above the levels achieved without infection.
Behaviorální imunitní systém představuje vedle tělesného imunitního systému další obranný nástroj organismu. Jeho hlavní funkcí je detekce a vyhnutí se potenciálně ohrožujícím podnětům, jež mohou vést k přenosu patogenů. Včasná vyhýbavá reakce organismu významně snižuje energii, jež by jinak byla vydána na metabolicky náročné reakce tělesného imunitního systému po infekci patogenem. Cílem tohoto souborného článku je představit jednotlivé složky behaviorálního imunitního systému, jenž v první řadě zahrnuje percepci ohrožujících podnětů na základě jednotlivých smyslových modalit (vizuální, akustická, čichová, taktilní a jejich integrace). Dále se jedná o afektivní složku, a to zejména emoci znechucení, kterou zde dále dělíme na patogenní, sexuální a morální. Další části zahrnují kognitivní složku, která umožňuje uvědomovat si a hodnotit míru nebezpečnosti podnětu, a exekutivní složku včetně vyhýbavého chování. Součástí práce je také krátké představení základních metod měření behaviorálního imunitního systému pomocí dotazníků, vizuálních stimulů či měření fyziologických reakcí. Fungování behaviorálního imunitního systému je možné vysvětlit pomocí "teorie zvládání chyb" (error management theory), podle níž systém funguje ve prospěch energeticky méně náročných chyb. Kvůli vysoké citlivosti behaviorálního imunitního systému se snižuje množství falešně negativních chyb, ale naopak se zvyšuje náchylnost vůči falešně pozitivním chybám. V důsledku generalizace pak tyto reakce mohou mít zásadní sociální implikace, jako je vliv na společenskost, ageismus, xenofobii a konformitu vůči normám. V neposlední řadě poukážeme na možnou souvislost mezi behaviorálním imunitním systémem a vznikem některých psychiatrických poruch, jako je obsedantně-kompulzivní porucha. Systém je funkčně flexibilní dle možné zranitelnosti jedince a aktuální situace, proto se stručně věnujeme i jevům souvisejícím s aktivací behaviorálního imunitního systému objevujícím se v současné situaci pandemie COVID-19.
The behavioural immune system is, besides the body immune system, another defence mechanism of the organism. Its primary function is to detect and facilitate avoidance of potentially harmful stimuli that can lead to pathogen transmission. The prompt avoidant reaction significantly reduces high energetic demands that would be spent by the body immune system after the actual pathogen infection. The main aim of this review is to introduce individual components of the behavioural immune system that, first, include the perception of the threatening stimuli based on the individual sensory modalities (visual, acoustic, tactile and their integration). Next is the affective component, which primarily involves the emotion of disgust. Here, we differentiate three domains: pathogen disgust, sexual disgust and moral disgust. Other components include cognitive processes that enable awareness and evaluation of the extent of the threat and executive component, including avoid-ant behaviour. The paper also shortly introduces the major testing methods of the behavioural immune system, such as questionnaires, visual stimuli and measurement of the physiological responses. The functioning of the behavioural immune system is best explained by error management theory which predicts that less costly errors are favoured. The high sensitivity of the behavioural immune system thus decreases the amount of false-negative errors and as a result, increases the susceptibility to false-positive errors. Due to overgeneralization, these reactions may have significant implications for social life, with an influence on social gregariousness, ageism, xenophobia and conformity to social norms. Finally, we point to a possible association between the behavioural immune system and the development of some psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. The system is functionally flexible according to potential disease susceptibility and current situation. Therefore, we briefly discuss the issues related to activation of the behavioural immune system in the current COVID-19 pandemic.
- Keywords
- Covid 19,
- MeSH
- Immune System * MeSH
- Communicable Diseases MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Stress, Psychological MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
Phagocytosis by hemocytes, Drosophila macrophages, is essential for resistance to Streptococcus pneumoniae in adult flies. Activated macrophages require an increased supply of energy and we show here that a systemic metabolic switch, involving the release of glucose from glycogen, is required for effective resistance to S. pneumoniae. This metabolic switch is mediated by extracellular adenosine, as evidenced by the fact that blocking adenosine signaling in the adoR mutant suppresses the systemic metabolic switch and decreases resistance to infection, while enhancing adenosine effects by lowering adenosine deaminase ADGF-A increases resistance to S. pneumoniae. Further, that ADGF-A is later expressed by immune cells during infection to regulate these effects of adenosine on the systemic metabolism and immune response. Such regulation proved to be important during chronic infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes. Lowering ADGF-A specifically in immune cells prolonged the systemic metabolic effects, leading to lower glycogen stores, and increased the intracellular load of L. monocytogenes, possibly by feeding the bacteria. An adenosine-mediated systemic metabolic switch is thus essential for effective resistance but must be regulated by ADGF-A expression from immune cells to prevent the loss of energy reserves and possibly to avoid the exploitation of energy by the pathogen.
- MeSH
- Adenosine pharmacology MeSH
- Drosophila melanogaster growth & development immunology metabolism microbiology MeSH
- Energy Metabolism MeSH
- Extracellular Space metabolism MeSH
- Phagocytosis drug effects immunology MeSH
- Hemocytes drug effects immunology metabolism MeSH
- Host-Pathogen Interactions drug effects MeSH
- Listeria monocytogenes drug effects immunology metabolism MeSH
- Listeriosis immunology metabolism microbiology MeSH
- Macrophages drug effects immunology metabolism MeSH
- Mutation MeSH
- Pneumococcal Infections immunology metabolism microbiology MeSH
- Drosophila Proteins genetics metabolism MeSH
- Signal Transduction drug effects immunology MeSH
- Streptococcus pneumoniae drug effects immunology metabolism MeSH
- Vasodilator Agents pharmacology MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
Laribacter hongkongensis is relatively a new name in the list of bacterial pathogens for gastroenteritis and travelers' diarrhea. Addition of another name increases burden on the enteric infections as a whole. L. hongkongensis belongs to Neisseriaceae family of β subclass Proteobacteria. L. hongkongensis was initially isolated in Hong Kong from blood and empyema of an alcoholic cirrhotic patient in 2001, followed by reports from Korea and China, representing a total of 38 articles in PubMed until April 2013. As of now, there is no report from Indian subcontinent where infectious diarrhea is very much prevalent and a major burden. This review provides information about the microbiological characteristics, consideration of an emerging pathogen, relative pathogenicity, genome and proteome content, resistance toward multiple antibiotics, adaptability to different stress, and other features since its time of discovery. Investigation for this bacterium may avoid misidentification as other microbial flora. Further studies like the geographical distribution, type of infection, disease burden, pathogenicity, or genomic exploration of this bacterium will be useful in characterizing them properly. This bacterium may possibly be the emerging threat to public health.
- MeSH
- Gastroenteritis microbiology MeSH
- Genome, Bacterial MeSH
- Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections drug therapy genetics microbiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial MeSH
- Neisseriaceae genetics isolation & purification pathogenicity MeSH
- Food Microbiology * MeSH
- Proteome MeSH
- Public Health MeSH
- Virulence MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
- Geographicals
- Hong Kong MeSH
Sexually transmitted infections are ubiquitous in nature and affect many populations. The key process for their transmission is mating, usually preceded by mate choice. Susceptible individuals may avoid mating with infected individuals to prevent infection provided it is recognizable. We show that accounting for infection avoidance significantly alters host population dynamics. We observe bistability between the disease-free and endemic or disease-induced extinction equilibria, significant abrupt reduction in the host population size and disease-induced host extinction. From the population persistence perspective, the best strategy is either not to avoid mating with the infected individuals, to prevent disease-induced host extinction, or to completely avoid mating with the infected individuals, to prevent pathogen invasion. Increasing sterilization efficiency of the infection leads to lower population sizes and reduced effect of mating avoidance. We also find that the disease-free state is more often attained by populations with strong polyandry, whereas a high-density endemic state is more often observed for populations with strong polygyny, suggesting that polygamy rather than monogamy may be promoted in denser host populations.
- MeSH
- Models, Biological * MeSH
- Population Density * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Population Dynamics * MeSH
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases * epidemiology transmission MeSH
- Sexual Behavior, Animal * MeSH
- Sexual Behavior * MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
Ticks must durably suppress vertebrate host responses (hemostasis, inflammation, immunity) to avoid rejection and act as vectors of many pathogenic microorganisms that cause disease in humans and animals. Transcriptomics and proteomics studies have been used to study tick-host-pathogen interactions and have facilitated the systematic characterization of salivary composition and molecular dynamics throughout tick feeding. Tick saliva contains a complement of protease inhibitors that are differentially produced during feeding, many of which inhibit blood coagulation, platelet aggregation, vasodilation, and immunity. Here we focus on two major groups of protease inhibitors, the small molecular weight Kunitz inhibitors and cystatins. We discuss their role in tick-host-pathogen interactions, how they mediate the interaction between ticks and their hosts, and how they might be exploited both by pathogens to invade hosts and as candidates for the treatment of various human pathologies.
- MeSH
- Aprotinin chemistry metabolism MeSH
- Cystatins chemistry metabolism MeSH
- Protease Inhibitors metabolism MeSH
- Host-Parasite Interactions * MeSH
- Ticks MeSH
- Proteomics MeSH
- Salivary Glands metabolism MeSH
- Saliva metabolism MeSH
- Transcriptome MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Review MeSH
The emotion of disgust plays a key role in the behavioral immune system, a set of disease-avoidance processes constituting a frontline defense against pathogenic threats. In the context of growing research interest in disgust, as well as recognition of its role in several psychiatric disorders, there is need for an improved understanding of behavioral triggers of disgust and for adequate techniques to both induce disgust in experimental settings and to measure individual variability in disgust sensitivity. In this study, we sought to address these issues using a multi-stage, bottom-up approach that aimed first to determine the most widespread and effective elicitors of disgust across several cultures. Based on exploratory factor analysis of these triggers, revealing four main components of pathogen-related disgust, we then generated a novel visual stimulus set of 20 images depicting scenes of highly salient pathogen risk, along with paired control images that are visually comparable but lack the disgust trigger. We present a series of validation analyses comparing our new stimulus set (the Culpepper Disgust Image Set, C-DIS) with the most commonly used pre-existing set, a series of 7 images devised by Curtis et al. (2004). Disgust scores from participants who rated the two image sets were positively correlated, indicating cross-test concordance, but results also showed that our pathogen-salient images elicited higher levels of disgust and our control images elicited lower levels of disgust. These findings suggest that the novel image set is a useful and effective tool for use in future research, both in terms of priming disgust and for measuring individual differences in disgust sensitivity.
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Vysoce účinné opatření v prevenci některých infekčních onemocnění je očkování, které je v České republice upraveno zákonem č. 258/2000 Sb., o ochraně veřejného zdraví, a vyhláškou MZ ČR č. 537/2006 Sb., o očkování proti infekčním nemocem. O podobě a složení povinného očkování rozhoduje Ministerstvo zdravotnictví ČR. V České republice se očkování dělí na povinné a nepovinné (doporučené). Povinné je celoplošné, je regulováno a hrazeno státem. Očkování zpravidla provádí lékař, v případě, že očkuje sestra, je vždy nutná přítomnost lékaře. Po očkování musí být proveden záznam do očkovacího a zdravotního průkazu dítěte a do zdravotnické dokumentace. Sestra v souvislosti s očkováním provádí řadu činností, např. rozesílání pozvánek rodičům, přípravu dítěte a rodiče před očkováním, vlastní očkování, informování rodiče o kontraindikacích a možných komplikacích konkrétního očkování. Sestra by měla rodiče motivovat k maximální spolupráci v oblasti povinného očkování dětí, dále ke zvýšení zájmu rodičů o nepovinné očkování a snižovat obavy z nežádoucích účinků očkovacích látek.
Vaccination is a highly efficient measure in prevention of some infectious diseases. In the Czech Republic it is regulated by law nr. 258/2000 Col., Proctection of general health and by a decree of the Czech Health Ministry nr. 537/2006 Col., regarding vaccination against infectious diseases. The form and content of mandatory vaccination is decided by the Czech Ministry of Health. In CR the vaccination of children in divided into voluntary and mandatory. Mandatory is nation-wide, regulated and financed by the state. Vaccination is normally administered by the paediatrician or nurse with the doctor present. The vaccination must be recorded into vaccination certificate and health card as well as in medical records. The nurse is in charge of many tasks in connection to vaccination such as sending invitations to the parents, preparing the child and the parent before and during the vaccination, informing the parents about contraindications and possible complications of the given vaccination. The nurse should also motivate the parents for maximum collaboration concerning the mandatory vaccinations, raise the interest of parents regarding the voluntary vaccinations and reduce their fears concerning side effects of the vaccination substances.
- MeSH
- Diphtheria physiopathology prevention & control transmission MeSH
- Child * MeSH
- Haemophilus influenzae type b MeSH
- Hepatitis B MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Motivation MeSH
- Treatment Refusal legislation & jurisprudence MeSH
- Whooping Cough physiopathology prevention & control transmission MeSH
- Poliomyelitis physiopathology prevention & control transmission MeSH
- General Practice * MeSH
- Disease Transmission, Infectious MeSH
- Parents education MeSH
- Measles physiopathology prevention & control transmission MeSH
- Tetanus physiopathology prevention & control transmission MeSH
- Vaccination * history contraindications adverse effects legislation & jurisprudence MeSH
- Vaccines administration & dosage MeSH
- Nurse-Patient Relations MeSH
- Rubella physiopathology prevention & control transmission MeSH
- Nurses MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
Aspergillus moulds are increasingly being recognised as significant human pathogens that can cause life-threatening infections in the context of host immune dysregulation, particularly in the lung. It is now clear that there is a close relationship between infection susceptibility and the fine regulation of pulmonary immunity and inflammation. While the contribution of IL-17/Th17 responses to both physiological and pathological lung inflammation is now well established, the cellular interactions, soluble factors, and signalling pathways that determine Th17 cell responses to fungal infection remain unclear. Here, we identify potential key mediators of fungus-DC-T cell interactions in the respiratory tract, with a focus on the DC-derived cytokines thought to exert a major influence on generation of pathological Th17 cells. We review recent data indicating a crucial role for Aspergillus-induced autophagy in lung DCs on subsequent T-cell polarization and modulation of 'stemness', which appears critical for avoiding pathological lung inflammation and promoting disease resolution.
- MeSH
- Aspergillus immunology pathogenicity MeSH
- Autophagy MeSH
- Th17 Cells immunology MeSH
- Cytokines metabolism MeSH
- Dendritic Cells immunology MeSH
- Host-Pathogen Interactions * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Disease Models, Animal MeSH
- Pulmonary Aspergillosis drug therapy pathology MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
Mezi nejčastější příčiny maligní axilární lymfadenopatie patří sekundární postižení karcinomem prsu, maligním melanomem či hematoonkologickým onemocněním. V literatuře jsou dále raritně popisovány axilární metastázy s primárním nádorem plic, gastrointestinálního traktu, ovaria/varlete či hypofaryngu. Diferenciální diagnostiku opíráme hlavně o výsledek histologického vyšetření, dále mamologické, kožní, endoskopické, plicní a ORL vyšetření a často ji řešíme v rámci multioborové komise. Uvádíme kazuistiku 86leté ženy s četnými kožními projevy trupu ve smyslu spinocelulárních karcinomů in situ avšak s výraznou lymfadenopatií v axile, kde byl patologem popsán dlaždicobuněčný karcinom. Výše uvedená vyšetření nevedla k odhalení primárního tumoru. Po čtyřech měsících pacientka sama přichází pro krvácení z vaginy. Onkochirurgem byl nalezen tumor vulvy, který byl následně gynekologem a patologem uzavřen jako dlaždicobuněčný karcinom. Jednalo se o primární origo axilární lymfadenopatie, která byla jediným projevem onemocnění. Solitární metastázy vaginy či vulvy v axilárních uzlinách nejsou v odborných článcích evidovány.
The most common causes of malignant axillary lymphadenopathy include secondary impairment of the breast cancer, malignant melanoma and haemato-oncological disease. Descriptions of axial metastases with primary tumours of the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, ovaria and/or testicle or hypopharynx are rarely found in medical literature. To determine a differential diagnosis, we focus mainly on results from histological examinations and from other examinations such as mammological, dermatological, endoscopic, pulmonary or ENT. Multi-disciplinary commissions usually come out with such diagnoses very often. We present in our paper the case history of an 86-year-old female with numerous thoracic skin manifestations to the spinal cellular carcinomas in situ and with a distinctive lymphadenopathy in her axilla, where the described pathogen was a squamous cell carcinoma. All the above-mentioned examinations have not led to any revealing of the primary tumour. After four months the patient came complaining of vaginal bleeding. The oncological surgeon discovered a vulvar tumour, which was subsequently confirmed also by the gynaecologist. Furthermore, the pathologists concluded with the squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis as being a primary origin axillary lymphadenopathy which was an unusual only symptom of the disease. The solitary vaginal or vulvar metastases in axillary nodes have of yet to be recorded in any medical article.
- MeSH
- Axilla pathology MeSH
- Bowen's Disease surgery diagnosis pathology MeSH
- Uterine Hemorrhage etiology MeSH
- Fatal Outcome MeSH
- Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage etiology MeSH
- Histological Techniques MeSH
- Skin Manifestations MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local diagnosis MeSH
- Lymphadenopathy * surgery diagnostic imaging etiology pathology MeSH
- Neoplasm Metastasis diagnosis MeSH
- Vulvar Neoplasms * surgery diagnosis epidemiology pathology therapy MeSH
- Treatment Refusal MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Carcinoma, Squamous Cell surgery diagnosis pathology therapy MeSH
- Ultrasonography MeSH
- Vulvectomy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Case Reports MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
