Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene

Tracheal tuft cell-released leukotrienes promote antibacterial immune responses

SUMMARY Tuft cells act as crucial sentinels in the airways that detect bacterial metabolites. In response, tuft cells release signaling molecules that trigger immune responses essential for clearing the infection. The molecular mechanisms driving immune cell activation following...

Combination of antibody-based screening methods for the identification and quantification of Legionella pneumophila in process water

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe and often fatal pneumonia primarily caused by the inhalation of aerosols contaminated with the waterborne pathogen Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. While conventional culture-based detection is often standard for monitoring evaporative cooling...

Cold Atmospheric Plasma Disrupts Microbial Wound Bioburden: In Vitro, Porcine MRSA Biofilm, and Clinical Fluorescence Evidence from Bench to Bedside

Background: Biofilm-associated microbial burden is a major barrier to wound healing and is increasingly difficult to control in the era of antimicrobial resistance. This translational study evaluated the antimicrobial performance and tissue compatibility of a commercially availab...

Primary splenic Alveolar Echinococcosis: a case report from Germany

PURPOSE: We are reporting on a rare case of a primary manifestation of Alveolar Echinococcosis in the spleen in a German patient. METHODS: The patient was initially presented to her gastroenterologist and subsequently referred to a district hospital for surgical management. The f...

Ruling In and Ruling Out Sepsis Using Likelihood Ratios of a Host Response Assay

Overview: SeptiCyte RAPID is an FDA-cleared gene expression test that quantifies host immune response to aid in the diagnosis of sepsis. The test yields a score (the SeptiScore) ranging from 0–15, distributed across four bands (1–4) based on increased likelihood of sepsis. Each b...