Patients are Prone to Infection in Chronic Granulomatous Disease

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) patients are prone to recurrent and potentially life threatening bouts of infection due to the inability of phagocytic cells to kill invading microorganisms.

Normal phagocytes release reactive oxygen compounds in response to infection, but this defense is lacking in phagocytes of people with CGD. In the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Griffin Rodgers and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health identify a neutrophil granule protein, OLFM4 as a potential therapeutic target for CGD patients.

Study: Supplementing Vitamin D Reduces Infections in Patients from Neurosurgical ICU
Muscle function, cardiovascular homeostasis, nerve function, immune response and many other physiological processes are influenced by Vitamin D.

In a mouse model of CGD, deletion of Olfm4 protected the mice from infection with Staphylococcus aureus. The protective effect of Olmf4 deletion in CGD mice extended to multiple strains of S. aureus, including a community-associated strain of MRSA. This study suggests that targeting OLMF4 in CGD patients may enhance their ability to fight off bacterial infection.

Source-Eurekalert

Same Gene Connection For Immuno Deficiency And Balance Disorders In Humans
Researchers at the University of Iowa noted that a genetic defect responsible for severe immune deficiency in humans might also lead to balance disorders.

Antibiotic Resistance Among Hospital-Acquired Infections is Much Greater Than Estimated Previously
A new study reveals that the number of hospital-acquired infections that are resistant to antibiotics is greater than what the CDC found in its 2008 analysis.

Danes Contract Salmonella Infections While Travelling Abroad
Some of the findings are presented in the annual report on the occurrence of diseases that can be transmitted to humans from animal and food.