The urinary tract is constantly exposed to microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal
tract, but generally the urinary tract resists infection by gut microorganisms. This resistance …

Circulating blood monocytes supply peripheral tissues with macrophage and dendritic cell
(DC) precursors and, in the setting of infection, also contribute directly to immune defense …

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) account for almost 25% of infections in women. Many are
recurrent (rUTI), with patients frequently experiencing chronic pelvic pain and urinary …

Bladder infections affect millions of people yearly, and recurrent symptomatic infections
(cystitis) are very common. The rapid increase in infections caused by multidrug-resistant …

The bladder is continuously protected by passive defences such as a mucus layer,
antimicrobial peptides and secretory immunoglobulins; however, these defences are …

Environmental signals at the site of inflammation mediate rapid monocyte mobilization and
dictate differentiation programs whereby these cells give rise to macrophages or dendritic …

The phagocytes of the innate immune system, macrophages and neutrophils, contribute to
antibacterial defense, but their functional specialization and cooperation is unclear. Here …

Rationale: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which leukocytes and oxidatively
modified lipids accumulate in the arterial intima. Previously, we showed that dendritic cells …

Dendritic cells (DCs) are a heterogeneous group of antigen-presenting leukocytes that are
important in activation of both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Although …

Despite its proximity to the fecal flora, the urinary tract is considered sterile. The precise
mechanisms by which the urinary tract maintains sterility are not well understood. Host …