More about hypervirulent avian influenza: Is the world now better prepared?

Figures & data

Table

ACTH	adrenocorticotrophic hormone
Aδ-fibers	type designation of a group of thin myelinated sensory nerve fibers
AED	androstenediol (formed by hydroxylation of DHEA)
AED-S	androstenediol-sulfate
AET	androstenetriol (formed by hydroxylation of AED)
αMβ2-integrin	see CR3, below
AP-1	activating protein-1 (name of transcription factor)
B220	pan B; name of surface molecule on cells that are precursors of myeloid leukocytes
βGR	β-glucan receptor; same as Dectin-1 receptor
βGR-A	isoform of β-glucan receptor
βGR-B	isoform of β-glucan receptor
B lymphocyte	bursa-derived lymphocyte (name from the lymphoid organ bursa of Fabricius that is found in birds, but not in mammals); different subgroups; gives rise to plasma cells that produce immunoglobulins
C3b	cleavage product formed by degradation of complement factor 3
CB4	Coxsackievirus B4
CCL2	monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (name of chemokine)
CCL5	monocyte chemoattractant protein-5 (name of chemokine); also called RANTES
CCL20	name of chemokine
CD4^+ T cells	subgroup(s) of T cells best known for their regulatory functions; strongly depleted in AIDS patients; different subgroups of CD4^+ cells are characterized by different cytokine secretion patterns; some of these are called Th1 CD4^+ cells or T-helper 1 cells because they produce mainly Th1-associated cytokines, while others are called called Th2 CD4^+ cells or T-helper 2 cells because they produce mainly Th2-associated cytokines
CD8^+ T cells	subgroup(s) of T cells with killer and regulatory functions; important especially for defense against viruses, against bacterial or eukaryote pathogens that live inside cells of their host (e.g. tubercle bacilli), and defense against cancer cells
CD11b/Mac-1	name of surface molecule on cells that are precursors of myeloid leukocytes, but also on different types of mature leukocytes; same as complement receptor 3 (CR3); binds factor I-cleaved C3b
C-fibers	type designation of mostly unmyelinated nerve fibers, which can have sensory and/or secretory functions (including various subgroups with different functions and properties)
CGRP	calcitonin gene-related peptide (name of one of the peptides secreted from C-fibers)
CI	confidence interval (in statistical or modeling studies)
COX-2	cyclooxygenase-2 (rate-regulatory protein making prostaglandins which is expressed in leukocytes especially when they are activated)
CR3	complement receptor 3; also known as Mac-1, CD11b/CD18, or αMβ2-integrin; binds factor I-cleaved C3b (iC3b)
DC-Chol	name of type of immunoadjuvant (used for enhancing the immunological response to a vaccine)
DC-SIGN	name of receptor found on dendritic cells (DCs); can participate in the uptake of viruses or bacteria by these cells, but also has important regulatory functions
DDX58	same as RIG-I (see below).
Dectin-1 receptor	name of β-glucan receptor found, i.a. on dendritic cells (DCs); not considered to belong to the group of Toll-like receptors, although it has a similar function
DHEA	dihydroepiandrosterone; name of steroid hormone with anti-glucocorticoid action that is produced mainly in the adrenals; also precursor of other signal substances including AED, AED-S, and AET
DNA	deoxyribonucleic acid (made from deoxyribonucleotide monomers)
dsRNAs	double-stranded ribonucleic acids
ERK1/2	extracellular receptor kinase 1/2; name of protein kinase
GABA	γ-aminobutyric acid; name of amino acid that functions as an important inhibitory transmitter substance in the brain
GABAB receptor	subtype(s) of GABA receptor found both in the central nervous system and on peripheral nerves
GSH	reduced glutathione (γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine)
HIV	human immunodeficiency virus
H1N1	type A influenza virus with hemagglutinin belonging to subgroup 1 and neuraminidase belonging to subgroup 1; common in humans; a highly pathogenic form was responsible for the Spanish flu pandemic
H5N1	type A influenza virus with hemagglutinin belonging to subgroup 5 and neuraminidase belonging to subgroup 1 (as in H1N1 influenzavirus); mainly in birds where it is now often highly pathogenic
H7N7	type A influenza virus with hemagglutinin belonging to subgroup 7 and neuraminidase belonging to subgroup 7; found in birds (sometimes highly pathogenic), only rarely transmitted to humans
HOCl	hypochlorous acid (chemical formula, not abbreviation)
HSV-1	herpes simplex virus 1
iC3b	molecular fragment formed when factor I cleaves C3b; C3b is formed by cleavage of complement factor 3
IFIH1	same as melanoma differentiation-associated gene, also called MDA5
IgA	immunoglobulin A
IgG	immunoglobulin G
IgM	immunoglobulin M
IFN-α	interferon-α
IFN-β	interferon-β
IL-1α	interleukin-1α
IL-2	interleukin-2
IL-3	interleukin-3
IL-4	interleukin-4
IL-6	interleukin-6
IL-6R	interleukin-6 receptor
IL-8	interleukin-8
IL-10	interleukin-10
IL-11	interleukin-11
IL-12	interleukin-12
IP-10	name of chemokine
IRF-3	name of transcription factor
ITAMs	immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs
Jak1	Janus kinase 1 (name of tyrosine kinase)
Jak2	Janus kinase 2 (name of tyrosine kinase)
LD50	lethal dose 50; dose of toxic substance that is sufficient to kill half of the animals used for testing its toxicity
LD75	lethal dose 75; used for dose of virus that causes 75% of the animals used in the experiment to die
LD100	lethal dose 100; used for dose of virus that causes 100% of the animals used in the experiment to die
LPS	lipopolysaccharide; name of group of molecules found in bacterial cell walls; recognized by Toll-like receptors; also called endotoxin
MCP-1	name of chemokine
MIP-2	name of chemokine
mRNA	messenger RNA (ribonucleic acid)
MDA5	same as IFH1
MIO	melatonin-induced opioid; type of opioid peptide(s) produced by leukocytes when they are stimulated by melatonin
n	number of cases included in a statistical study
NFAT	nuclear factor of activated T cells (name of transcription factor)
NF-κB	nuclear factor κB (name of transcription factor).
N-glycosylation	glycosylation at nitrogen atom
NK cells	natural killer cells; name of cell type considered part of the innate immune system with important effector as well as regulatory functions; participate in the killing of virally infected cells, of cells infected by bacteria and of cancer cells; participate also (by means of cytokine secretion) in the control of class switching by B lymphocytes
NO	nitric oxide (used for regulatory purposes and also as a weapon for killing pathogenic invaders or cancer cells)
NS1	non-specific 1 (name of one of the internal proteins of influenza virus)
OMp	oxidative macrophages, i.e. macrophages that contain little GSH
p38 MAPK	p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase; one of the MAPKs
PGE2	prostaglandin E2 (made from arachidonic acid)
PGF2α	prostaglandin F2α (made from arachidonic acid)
PGI2	prostaglandin I2 (made from arachidonic acid); also called prostacyclin
PIAS	protein inhibitor of activated STATs
3pRNA	uncapped 5′-triphosphate RNA
R	reproductive number (average number of other persons that will be infected by one infected person)
RANTES	name of chemokine; same as CCL5
RIG-I	retinoid acid-inducible protein-I; also called DDX58
RNA	ribonucleic acid (made from ribonucleotide monomers)
ROS	reactive oxygen species (such as H2O2, superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical, and singlet oxygen)
RMp	reductive macrophages, i.e. macrophages that contain much GSH
SARS	severe acute respiratory syndrome (name of disease and of the coronavirus that causes this disease)
SBG	soluble branched yeast β-1,3-D-glucan
sgp130	soluble glycoprotein 130
SHP-2	name of tyrosine phosphatase (reversing the effect of tyrosine kinases)
sIL6-R	soluble interleukin-6 receptor
SOCS	suppressor of cytokine signaling (name of inhibitor of Janus kinase)
Src	name of tyrosine kinase
ssRNA	single-stranded ribonucleic acid
STAT-1	signal transducer and activator of transcription-1
STAT-2	signal transducer and activator of transcription-2
Syk	name of tyrosine kinase
syk-/- cells	gene-manipulated cells that are doubly deficient in the gene for Syk
TauCl	taurine chloramine
T cell	thymus-derived lymphocyte
TGF-β	transforming growth factor-β
Th1	T-helper 1 (for particular subgroups of T cells and cytokines)
Th2	T-helper 2 (for particular subgroups of T cells and cytokines)
TLR-2	Toll-like receptor-2
TNF-α	tumor necrosis factor-α
Toll-like receptors	group of receptors used for recognition of molecules found in large groups of pathogenic organisms or viruses, but not normally in human tissues or cells (e.g. structural molecules found in bacterial cell walls, bacterial and viral DNA); found also in plants, and must therefore be phylogenetically very ancient (earlier than the departure of animal and plant ancestors to form two separate evolutionary lineages perhaps more than 2 billion years ago); echinoderms have been found to contain one order of magnitude more different types of Toll-like receptors than human cells