Genome :: Genome of the parasite behind trichomoniasis
A team of international scientists has decoded the genome of the parasite behind trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that each year affects about 170 million people worldwide.
Infection
Gum Disease :: Gum disease linked to pancreatic cancer
Gum disease, tooth loss or periodontal disease, inflammation of the gums caused by bacterial infection that leads to tooth loss, was shown to be associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer in two studies. In one study, all subjects were smokers, and in the other, no adjustment was made for smoking, a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer.
Multiple Sclerosis :: Parasite infection may benefit MS patients
The first study examining the relationship between parasite infections and MS in humans suggests that such infections may affect the immune response in a way that alters the course of MS.
Smoking :: Association between tobacco smoking and increased risk of tuberculosis
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) found consistent evidence that smoking is associated with an increased risk of TB. They also found that passive smoking (secondhand smoke) and the burning of biomass fuels was associated with an increased TB risk.
Breastfeeding :: Should HIV-positive mothers breastfeed?
A new study conducted by Renaud Becquet and colleagues in Abidjan, C?te d’Ivoire, and reported in PLoS Medicine shows that if HIV-positive mothers are well supported, either of the two feeding options currently recommended (formula-only feed, or short-term breastfeeding) are likely to be equivalent in terms of the baby’s chances for survival and health.
Smoking :: Tuberculosis with smoking and indoor air pollution
Smokers have an increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) infection, TB disease and of dying from TB compared to people who do not smoke.
Amniotic Fluid :: New proteomic method to detect inflammation in amniotic fluid
A score that measures the proteomic profile of amniotic fluid may predict inflammation before delivery. Researchers from Yale University, led by Catalin Buhimschi, have previously identified a set of four protein markers that were closely associated with inflammation in the amniotic fluid, and developed a score based on these proteins “the “Mass Restricted” (MR) score. This score has been shown to be able to identify women at risk of preterm delivery.
HIV :: Survival of People with HIV Improves in Recent Years
A study of nearly 4,000 HIV-infected people in Denmark, matched with about 380,000 people who were not infected, found that people diagnosed with HIV infection between 1995-2005 had a shorter life expectancy (20 years beyond age 25) than the general population (51 years beyond age 25).
E Coli :: Taco Bell E coli outbreak linked to California lettuce
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has moved closer to identifying the source of illness for the Taco Bell E. coli outbreak. FDA and the state of California, working in conjunction with state health officials in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, have DNA-matched the strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria associated with the outbreak with two environmental samples gathered from dairy farms near a lettuce growing area in California’s Central Valley.
Allergies :: White blood cells in lung produce histamine seen in allergies
In a surprise finding, scientists have discovered that histamine, the inflammatory compound released during allergic reactions that causes runny nose, watery eyes and wheezing, can be produced in large amounts in the lung by neutrophils, the white blood cells that are the major component of pus.