SARS-CoV-2 primarily causes mucosal infections of the respiratory or intestinal tract. This virus, unlike other viruses responsible for similar mucosal infections, is characterized by an extraordinary ability to modify the immune response at several levels and thus cause a range of clinical complications. These manipulations create a false picture of pyogenic bacterial infection. The course of the disease is mainly determined by the natural mucosal immunity which can stop the virus from multiplying in the early stages of infection before it can exert its influence. COVID-19 has two main clinical forms: mucosal infection (respiratory or intestinal) and pneumonia. Pneumonia is associated with activation of the vascular endothelium and a procoagulant state. Viremia does not belong to the standard course of the disease. Affecting organs other than the lungs - whether during an active infection or later (long covid) - is usually caused by immunopathological reactions or hormonal regulation disorders.

• MeSH
• COVID-19 * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• postakutní syndrom COVID-19 MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

T-2 toxin, A trichothecenes mycotoxin, is immunotoxic to animals and humans. Although it is highly cardiotoxic, the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy caused by T-2 toxin is not entirely clear. Hence, in our research, cardiomyopathy was induced by a single injection of T-2 mycotoxin (0.23 mg/kg s.c., 1 LD50) to Wistar rats. The cardiac tissue was carefully examinated by using basic histopathology, semiquantitative (tissue grading score scales) and imaging (a total number of mast cells - MCs) analyses on days 1, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 60 of the study. The most intensive myocardial alterations (cardiac damage score, CDS = 4.20-4.40), irregular glycogen distribution (glycogen distribution score, GDS = 4.07-4.17), haemorrhagic foci (vascular damage score, VDS = 4.57-4.90), diffuse accumulation and degranulation of MCs were observed on day 28 and 60 after treatment (p < 0.001 vs. control and 1st T-2-toxin-treated group, respectively). Besides, statistically significant positive correlations were obtained regarding myocardial injury, glycogen distribution and intensity of haemorrhage, and a negative correlation was found in the case of MCs. Obtained results are essential and crucial for further in vivo experimental studies, including the development of medications able to reduce T-2 toxin-induced cardiotoxicity.

• Klíčová slova
• Analyses, Cardiotoxicity, Histopathology, Rats, Semiquantitative, T-2 toxin,
• MeSH
• glykogen metabolismus   MeSH
• kardiomyocyty metabolismus   MeSH
• kardiomyopatie chemicky indukované   etiologie   patologie   MeSH
• kardiotoxicita etiologie   patologie   MeSH
• mastocyty patologie   MeSH
• myokard metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• T-2 toxin toxicita   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• glykogen MeSH
• T-2 toxin MeSH

The production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) by phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated human leukemia T cell lines was significantly increased by 6 different cytokines. The most effective cytokines were interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and IL-1 beta; less effective were interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IFN-beta and TNF-beta. The combinations of two cytokines had synergistic or additive effects and increased IL-2 production to a greater extent than either cytokine alone. Other cytokines tested, such as IL-3, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8 and IFN-gamma, had no effect on IL-2 production. However, a remarkable heterogeneity in sensitivity to the enhancing effects of the active cytokines was found among the IL-2-producing T cell lines studied. While IL-2 production in the most sensitive cell line, MOLT-16, was increased by all 6 active cytokines, other cell lines responded by increasing IL-2 production to stimulation with only some of the cytokines tested. The production of IL-2 in T cell line H9 was not enhanced by any of the cytokines used. These results show that several cytokines can increase IL-2 production by having a direct effect on the activated IL-2-producing T cells, but also that the outcome of the regulatory effects of individual cytokines depends considerably upon the individual IL-2-producing T cell clone.

• MeSH
• aktivace lymfocytů účinky léků   MeSH
• cytokiny farmakologie   MeSH
• fytohemaglutininy MeSH
• interleukin-2 biosyntéza   MeSH
• leukemie T-buněčná farmakoterapie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádorové buňky kultivované MeSH
• rekombinantní proteiny farmakologie   MeSH
• synergismus léků MeSH
• T-lymfocyty účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cytokiny MeSH
• fytohemaglutininy MeSH
• interleukin-2 MeSH
• rekombinantní proteiny MeSH

The biodegradation of T-2 toxin was studied by strains of micromycetes which were isolated from the environment. The 26 tested strains were divided into three groups. Group contains strains which degraded T-2 toxin very fast. This toxin could not be chromatographically determined in the medium even after 48 hours of incubation and the antifungal activity of residua against Kluyveromyces fragilis CCY-51-1-2 was low or zero. There were strains of Alternaria sp., Ulocladium sp., Aspergillus candidus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Rhodotorula sp., Aspergillus flavus and Cladosporium macrocarpum. Group II contains with a low activity and in group III the results were variable and non stable.

• MeSH
• biodegradace MeSH
• biotest MeSH
• chromatografie na tenké vrstvě MeSH
• Kluyveromyces účinky léků   MeSH
• mitosporické houby genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• T-2 toxin analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• T-2 toxin MeSH

The production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) by phytohemaglutinin (PHA)-stimulated cells of human leukemia T cell line MOLT-16 can be significantly increased by interleukin-1 (IL-1) or interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). The enhancing effect of IL-1 and IFN-alpha on IL-2 production was studied at the IL-2 mRNA level. We show that IL-1 enhances considerably and transiently, with the maximum level between 1 and 2 hr after stimulation, the expression of IL-2 mRNA in the PHA-stimulated cells. The level of IL-2 mRNA declined rapidly within 4 to 6 hr after stimulation in both PHA- and PHA plus IL-1-stimulated cell cultures. On the contrary, IFN-alpha does not elevate the level of IL-2 mRNA above the level in PHA-stimulated cultures, but maintains an enhanced level of IL-2 mRNA in the activated cells for more than 6 hr after stimulation. These observations correlate well with the kinetics of IL-2 protein production into the culture media. The results thus suggest that IL-1 and IFN-alpha may exert an enhancing effect on IL-2 production by distinct mechanisms. In addition, none of the five other lymphokines tested (i.e., IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6) had any significant effect on IL-2 mRNA expression in the activated MOLT-16 cells.

• MeSH
• aktivace lymfocytů MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• exprese genu účinky léků   MeSH
• interferon alfa farmakologie   MeSH
• interleukin-1 farmakologie   MeSH
• interleukin-2 genetika   farmakologie   MeSH
• interleukin-3 farmakologie   MeSH
• interleukin-4 farmakologie   MeSH
• interleukin-5 farmakologie   MeSH
• interleukin-6 farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• messenger RNA genetika   MeSH
• techniky in vitro MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• interferon alfa MeSH
• interleukin-1 MeSH
• interleukin-2 MeSH
• interleukin-3 MeSH
• interleukin-4 MeSH
• interleukin-5 MeSH
• interleukin-6 MeSH
• messenger RNA MeSH

BACKGROUND: The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) evades immunity conferred by vaccines and previous infections. METHODS: We used a Cox proportional hazards model and a logistic regression on individual-level population-wide data from the Czech Republic to estimate risks of infection and hospitalization, including severe states. RESULTS: A recent (≤2 months) full vaccination reached vaccine effectiveness (VE) of 43% (95% confidence interval [CI], 42%-44%) against infection by Omicron compared to 73% (95% CI, 72%-74%) against Delta. A recent booster increased VE to 56% (95% CI, 55%-56%) against Omicron infection compared to 90% (95% CI, 90%-91%) for Delta. The VE against Omicron hospitalization of a recent full vaccination was 45% (95% 95% CI, 29%-57%), with a recent booster 87% (95% CI, 84%-88%). The VE against the need for oxygen therapy due to Omicron was 57% (95% CI, 32%-72%) for recent vaccination, 90% (95% CI, 87%-92%) for a recent booster. Postinfection protection against Omicron hospitalization declined from 68% (95% CI, 68%-69%) at ≤6 months to 13% (95% CI, 11%-14%) at >6 months after a previous infection. The odds ratios for Omicron relative to Delta were 0.36 (95% CI, .34-.38) for hospitalization, 0.24 (95% CI, .22-.26) for oxygen, and 0.24 (95% CI, .21-.28) for intensive care unit admission. CONCLUSIONS: Recent vaccination still brings substantial protection against severe outcome for Omicron.

• Klíčová slova
• COVID-19, Omicron variant, SARS-CoV-2, hospitalization, postinfection immunity, vaccine effectiveness,
• MeSH
• COVID-19 * prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• vakcinace MeSH
• vakcíny * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• vakcíny * MeSH

The early detection of upcoming disease outbreaks is essential to avoid both health and economic damage. The last four years of COVID-19 pandemic have proven wastewater-based epidemiology is a reliable system for monitoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2, a causative agent of COVID-19, in an urban population. As this monitoring enables the identification of the prevalence of spreading variants of SARS-CoV-2, it could provide a critical tool in the fight against this viral disease. In this study, we evaluated the presence of variants and subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 in Prague wastewater using nanopore-based sequencing. During August 2021, the data clearly showed that the number of identified SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies increased in the wastewater earlier than in clinical samples indicating the upcoming wave of the Delta variant. New SARS-CoV-2 variants consistently prevailed in wastewater samples around a month after they already prevailed in clinical samples. We also analyzed wastewater samples from smaller sub-sewersheds of Prague and detected significant differences in SARS-CoV-2 lineage progression dynamics among individual localities studied, e.g., suggesting faster prevalence of new variants among the sites with highest population density and mobility.

• Klíčová slova
• Epidemiology, Nanopore-based sequencing, Prague, SARS-CoV-2, Variants, Wastewater,
• MeSH
• COVID-19 * epidemiologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nanopóry * MeSH
• odpadní voda MeSH
• pandemie MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• RNA virová MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• odpadní voda MeSH
• RNA virová MeSH

Milk thistle [Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.] achieved a significant increase in interest over the past few years from local and foreign pharmaceutical corporations. The silymarin complex of constituents extracted from milk thistle achenes provides compelling health benefits primarily thanks to antioxidant activities and hepatoprotective effects. However, consuming mycotoxin-contaminated plant material can cause immunosuppression and hepatotoxic problems. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a method for the determination of mycotoxin content in milk thistle. Fusarium toxins as T-2 and HT-2 toxins in grown milk thistle harvested from a breeding station in the Czech Republic during 2020-2021 were studied. The analysis of T-2 and HT-2 toxins was performed by UPLC-MS/MS after immunoaffinity columns EASI-EXTRACT® T-2 & HT-2 clean up. All analysed samples of milk thistle were contaminated with T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin. The content of T-2 toxin in the samples from 2020 was in the range of 122.7-290.2 µg/kg and HT-2 toxin 157.0-319.0 µg/kg. In 2021, the content of T-2 toxin was in the range of 28.8-69.9 µg/kg and HT-2 toxin was 24.2-75.4 µg/kg. The results show that the climatic conditions of the year of harvesting have a highly statistically significant effect on the content of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in milk thistle.

• Klíčová slova
• HT-2 toxin, T-2 toxin, UPLC-MS/MS, immunoaffinity column, milk thistle, validation method,
• MeSH
• antioxidancia MeSH
• biologické přípravky * MeSH
• chromatografie kapalinová MeSH
• flavonoidy MeSH
• mykotoxiny * MeSH
• ostropestřec mariánský MeSH
• semena rostlinná MeSH
• silymarin * MeSH
• šlechtění rostlin MeSH
• T-2 toxin * analogy a deriváty   MeSH
• tandemová hmotnostní spektrometrie MeSH
• vysokoúčinná kapalinová chromatografie metody   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antioxidancia MeSH
• biologické přípravky * MeSH
• flavonoidy MeSH
• HT-2 toxin MeSH Prohlížeč
• mykotoxiny * MeSH
• silymarin * MeSH
• T-2 toxin * MeSH

In this study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the cell structure of SARS-CoV-2 infected cells. Our measurements revealed infection remodeling caused by infection, including the emergence of new specialized areas where viral morphogenesis occurs at the cell membrane. Intercellular extensions for viral cell surfing have also been observed. Our results expand knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with cells, its spread from cell to cell, and their size distribution. Our findings suggest that SEM is a useful microscopic method for intracellular ultrastructure analysis of cells exhibiting specific surface modifications that could also be applied to studying other important biological processes.

• Klíčová slova
• Filopodia, SARS-CoV-2, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Surface morphology, Vero cells,
• MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• Cercopithecus aethiops MeSH
• COVID-19 * MeSH
• mikroskopie elektronová rastrovací MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 * MeSH
• Vero buňky MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Plasma specimens from coronavirus disease 2019 patients were double-tested for anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies by two different batches of MAGLUMI 2019-nCov immunoglobulin M/immunoglobulin G (IgM/IgG) assays to evaluate IgM/IgG levels, qualitative interpretation, antibody kinetics, and linearity of diluted specimen. Here we show that (i) high-level IgM specimens need to be diluted with negative human plasma but not kit diluents and (ii) measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG concentrations are substantially higher with later marketed immunoassay batch leading to (iii) the change of qualitative interpretation (positive vs. negative) in 12.3% of specimens measured for IgM, (iv) the informative time-course pattern of antibody production only when data from different immunoassay batches are not combined.

• Klíčová slova
• CLIA, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM, inter-assay batch variation, interpretative inconsistency,
• MeSH
• COVID-19 krev   imunologie   MeSH
• imunoanalýza metody   MeSH
• imunoglobulin G krev   imunologie   MeSH
• imunoglobulin M krev   imunologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• luminiscence MeSH
• luminiscenční měření metody   MeSH
• protilátky virové imunologie   MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 imunologie   MeSH
• senzitivita a specificita MeSH
• testování na COVID-19 metody   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• imunoglobulin G MeSH
• imunoglobulin M MeSH
• protilátky virové MeSH