The complex communities of microorganisms that colonise the human gastrointestinal tract
play an important role in human health. The development of culture-independent molecular …

Immune dysfunction can provoke (multiple) organ failure in severely injured patients. This
dysfunction manifests in two forms, which follow a biphasic pattern. During the first phase, in …

The rationale for the use of probiotics in the management of infectious diseases is supported
by their potential to influence and stabilize the composition of gut microbiota, enhance …

Cytokines secreted by cells of the immune system can alter the behavior and properties of
immune or other cells. At a site of inflammation, sets of cytokines interact with immune cells, …

Hyperimmunoglobulinaemia D and periodic fever syndrome (HIDS; MIM 260920) is an
autosomal recessive disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of fever associated with …

Background Growing knowledge about cellular interactions in the immune system, including
the central role of cytokine networks, has lead to new treatments using monoclonal …

Background Whether addition of corticosteroids to antibiotic treatment benefits patients with
community-acquired pneumonia who are not in intensive care units is unclear. We aimed to …

Probiotic bacteria are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts,
confer a health benefit on the host. There is a growing interest in probiotics within the scientific …

Health claims for probiotics are evaluated by the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and
Allergies of the European Food Safety Authority. Despite a substantial amount of basic and …

Cytokines, chemokines and soluble adhesion molecules interact in a complex network within
the immune system. Fingerprinting of these proteins may allow the use of these proteins as …