Respiratory pathogens like Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause severe pneumonia. Nonetheless, mechanically ventilated intensive care patients, who have a high risk of contracting pneumonia, rarely develop pneumococcal pneumonia. Mechanically ventilated patients are at risk of contracting pneumonia. Therefore, …

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease which is characterized by vasculopathy, tissue fibrosis and activation of the innate and adaptive immune system. Clinical features of the disease consists of skin thickening and internal organ involvement. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease …

Since Factor H is the main regulator of the complement system, any dysregulation may result in either uncontrolled complement activation or inhibition. Auto-antibodies against Factor H inhibit the protective function of Factor H on host cells, which are now sensitive for complement activation. It is …

Background In 2007, routine hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody testing was introduced for men who have sex with men (MSM) with a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive or unknown status attending a Dutch sexually transmitted infection (STI) outpatient clinic. We evaluated whether this screening resulted …

Formation of the pro-apoptotic death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) can be initiated in cancer cells via binding of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) to its two pro-apoptotic receptors, TRAIL receptor 1 (TRAIL-R1) and TRAIL-R2. Primary components of the DISC are trimerized …

Plasma urokinase, a plasminogen activator immunochemically related to urinary urokinase (UK), was removed from human plasma (3.5 ng/ml) by immuno-depletion with antibodies raised against UK. The remaining plasminogen activator activity of the depleted plasma could not be inhibited by anti-UK antibodies …

An ELISA was set up using polyvinylchloride microtiter plates coated with rabbit anti-UK IgG's and affino-purified goat anti-UK IgG's as second antibody. Detection occurred with rabbit anti-goat IgG antibodies conjugated with alkaline phosphatase. The assay is specific for urokinase (UK) with a detection …

The specific fibrinolytic properties of both high molecular weight (55 kd) and low molecular weight (30 kd) pro-urokinase from a monkey kidney cell culture were evaluated in a plasma clot lysis system and compared with those of human urokinase. The system was composed of a radiolabelled plasma clot immersed …