Microbiology spectrum
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Microbiology spectrum · Jun 2017
ReviewLung Microbiota and Its Impact on the Mucosal Immune Phenotype.
The use of culture-independent techniques has allowed us to appreciate that the upper and lower respiratory tract contain a diverse community of microbes in health and disease. Research has only recently explored the effects of the microbiome on the host immune response. The exposure of the human body to the bacterial environment is an important factor for immunological development; thus, the interaction between the microbiome and its host is critical to understanding the pathogenesis of disease. ⋯ With the use of ecological principles, we have learned how the lower airways constitute a unique niche subjected to frequent microbial migration (e.g., through aspiration) and constant immunological pressure. The discussion will focus on the possible inflammatory pathways that are up- and downregulated when the immune system is challenged by dysbiosis. Identification of potential markers and microbial targets to address the modulation of inflammation in early disease, when changes may have the most effect, will be critical for future therapies.
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The history of Zika virus disease serves as a paradigm of a typical emerging viral infection. Zika virus disease, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, was first isolated in 1947 in the Zika forest of Uganda. The same virus was also isolated from jungle-dwelling mosquitoes (Aedes [Stegomyia] africanus). ⋯ Zika virus was imported to northern Brazil possibly during the world soccer championship that was hosted by Brazil in June through July 2014. A cluster of severe fetal malformations with microcephaly and ocular defects was noted in 2015 in the northeast of Brazil, and intrauterine infections with Zika virus were confirmed. The dramatic change in Zika virus pathogenicity upon its introduction to Brazil has remained an enigma.