Rat Anti-Mouse CD54 (ICAM-1) Monoclonal antibody, clone YN1/1.7.4 Functional Grade

The antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin is critical for protection against different kinds of microbial infection. This study sought to elucidate the protective action of cathelicidin against Helicobacter pylori infection and its associated gastritis. Exogenous cathelicidin was found to inhibit H. pylori growth, destroy the bacteria biofilm, and induce morphological alterations in H. pylori membrane. Additionally, knockdown of endogenous cathelicidin in human gastric epithelial HFE-145 cells markedly increased the intracellular survival of H. pylori. Consistently, cathelicidin knockout mice exhibited stronger H. pylori colonization, higher expression of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1 beta, and ICAM1, and lower expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in the gastric mucosa upon H. pylori infection. In wild-type mice, H. pylori infection also stimulated gastric epithelium-derived cathelicidin production. Importantly, pretreatment with bioengineered Lactococcus lactis that actively secretes cathelicidin significantly increased mucosal cathelicidin levels and reduced H. pylori infection and the associated inflammation. Moreover, cathelicidin strengthened the barrier function of gastric mucosa by stimulating mucus synthesis. Collectively, these findings indicate that cathelicidin plays a significant role as a potential natural antibiotic for H. pylori clearance and a therapeutic agent for chronic gastritis.

There is increasing evidence that genetic variability influences patients' early morbidity after cardiac surgery performed using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The use of mortality as an outcome measure in cardiac surgical genetic association studies is rare. We publish the 30-day and 5-year survival analyses with focus on pre-, intra-, postoperative variables, biochemical parameters, and genetic variants in the INFLACOR (INFLAmmation in Cardiac OpeRations) cohort. In a prospectively recruited cohort of 518 adult Polish Caucasians, who underwent cardiac surgery in which CPB was used, the clinical data, biochemical parameters, IL-6, soluble ICAM-1, TNF alpha, soluble E-selectin, and 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms were evaluated for their association with 30-day and 5-year mortality. The 30-day mortality was associated with: pre-operative prothrombin international normalized ratio, intra-operative blood lactate, postoperative serum creatine phosphokinase, and acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy (AKI-RRT) in logistic regression. Factors that determined the 5-year survival included: pre-operative NYHA class, history of peripheral artery disease and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, intra-operative blood transfusion; and postoperative peripheral hypothermia, myocardial infarction, infection, and AKI-RRT in Cox regression. Serum levels of IL-6 and ICAM-1 measured three hours after the operation were associated with 30-day and 5-year mortality, respectively. The ICAM1 rs5498 was associated with 30-day and 5-year survival with borderline significance. Different risk factors determined the early (30-day) and late (5-year) survival after adult cardiac surgery in which cardiopulmonary bypass was used. Future genetic association studies in cardiac surgical patients should account for the identified chronic and perioperative risk factors.