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Hmgb1 In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, T. Liu, M. Son, B. Diamond

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Modulating Cytokine Production Via Select Packaging And Secretion From Extracellular Vesicles, B. J. Barnes, C. C. Somerville

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Editorial: The Role Of Hmgb1 In Immunity, M. Son, B. Diamond, J. Shin

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Stochastic Expression Of Sae-Dependent Virulence Genes During Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Development Is Dependent On Saes, Elizabeth A. Delmain, Derek E. Moormeier, Jennifer L. Endres, Rebecca E. Hodges, Marat R. Sadykov, Alexander R. Horswill, Kenneth W. Bayles

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

The intricate process of biofilm formation in the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus involves distinct stages during which a complex mixture of matrix molecules is produced and modified throughout the developmental cycle. Early in biofilm development, a subpopulation of cells detaches from its substrate in an event termed “exodus” that is mediated by SaePQRS-dependent stochastic expression of a secreted staphylococcal nuclease, which degrades extracellular DNA within the matrix, causing the release of cells and subsequently allowing for the formation of metabolically heterogenous microcolonies. Since the SaePQRS regulatory system is involved in the transcriptional control of multiple S. aureus virulence factors, the …

Fluorescent Sensor Arrays Can Predict And Quantify The Composition Of Multicomponent Bacterial Samples, Denis Svechkarev, Marat Sadykov, Lucas J. Houser, Kenneth W. Bayles, Aaron M. Mohs

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Fast and reliable identification of infectious disease agents is among the most important challenges for the healthcare system. The discrimination of individual components of mixed infections represents a particularly difficult task. In the current study we further expand the functionality of a ratiometric sensor array technology based on small-molecule environmentally-sensitive organic dyes, which can be successfully applied for the analysis of mixed bacterial samples. Using pattern recognition methods and data from pure bacterial species, we demonstrate that this approach can be used to quantify the composition of mixtures, as well as to predict their components with the accuracy of ~80% …

First-Time Characterization Of Viable But Non-Culturable Proteus Mirabilis: Induction And Resuscitation, Reham Wasfi, G. R. Abdellatif, H. M. Elshishtawy, Hossam M. Ashour

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Pathogenic bacteria can enter into a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state under unfavourable conditions. Proteus mirabilis is responsible for dire clinical consequences including septicaemia, urinary tract infections and pneumonia, but is not a species previously known to enter VBNC state. We suggested that stress-induced P. mirabilis can enter a VBNC state in which it retains virulence. P. mirabilis isolates were incubated in extreme osmotic pressure, starvation, low temperature and low pH to induce a VBNC state. Resuscitation was induced by temperature upshift and inoculation in tryptone soy broth with Tween 20 and brain heart infusion broth. Cellular ultrastructure and gene …

Prophylaxis Of Food Allergen Sensitivity, Dustin Gottfeld

Physician Assistant Studies | Student Authored Articles

Food allergies can have a severe and drastic effect on a person’s lifestyle, while prevention of allergic disease can help to ensure others do not have to live with this burden. There are a variety of differing hypotheses that offer explanations for the early development of food allergies, particularly peanut allergies. Two of the foremost hypotheses are the Hygiene Hypothesis and the Dual-Allergen Hypothesis. The Hygiene Hypothesis claims that the diversity of a child’s microbiota creates a beneficial balance of microorganisms which can help prevent the development of allergic disease. Alternatively, the Dual-Allergen Hypothesis states that early environmental exposure to …

Lack Of Cd8+ T-Cell Co-Localization With Kaposi’S Sarcoma- Associated Herpesvirus Infected Cells In Kaposi’S Sarcoma Tumors, Salum J. Lidenge, For Yue Tso, Owen Ngalamika, Jaydeep Kolape, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Despite the close association between Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and immune dysfunction, it remains unclear whether tumor infiltrating immune cells (TIIC), by their absence, presence, or dysfunction, are mechanistically correlated with KS pathogenesis. Therefore, their potential capacity to serve as prognostic biomarkers of KS disease progression or control is unclear. Because epidemic-KS (EpKS) occurs with HIV-1 co-infection, it is particularly important to compare TIIC between EpKS and HIV-negative African endemic-KS (EnKS) to dissect the roles of HIV-1 and Kaposi Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in KS pathogenesis. This cross-sectional study of 13 advanced KS (4 EnKS, 9 EpKS) patients and 3 healthy controls …

Prevalence Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus And Transfusion-Transmissible Infections In Tanzanian Blood Donors, Salum J. Lidenge, Tara Tran, For Yue Tso, John R. Ngowi, Danielle M. Shea, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), one of the most common cancers in Tanzania. We have investigated KSHV prevalence and factors associated with KSHV infection in Tanzania.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of voluntary blood-donors from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Plasma was screened for KSHV, HIV-1, HBV, HCV and Treponema pallidum (syphilis). Associations between KSHV sero-status and risk factors were analyzed. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported to evaluate risk factors of KSHV infection. All tests were 2-tailed, and P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: The overall KSHV seroprevalence was 56.9%. Significantly …

Incidence Of The Covid-19 In Iraq – Implications For Travellers, Maysaa Kadhim Al-Malkey, Maitham Ahmed Al-Sammak

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The first emerged Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China at the end of 2019, then spread to the rest of China [1], followed by the spread of the COVID-19 epidemics into the world caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) [2]. Many epidemiological assessments in different countries from Asia, Europe, and North America have been published [3]. Nevertheless, there are countries in the Middle East like Iraq, with a rapid increase in cases and a high number of deaths, with a lack of studies. It is worth noting that the Iraqi Foreign Ministry was …

Cervico-Vaginal Inflammatory Cytokine And Chemokine Responses To Two Different Siv Immunogens, Nikki P.L. Toledo, Hongzhao Li, Robert W. Omange, Tamara G. Dacoba, Jose Crecente-Campo, Dane Schalk, Mohammad A. Kashem, Eva Rakasz, Nancy Schultz-Darken, Qingsheng Li, James B. Whitney, Maria J. Alonso, Francis A. Plummer, Ma Luo

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Studies have shown that vaccine vectors and route of immunization can differentially activate different arms of the immune system. However, the effects of different HIV vaccine immunogens on mucosal inflammation have not yet been studied. Because mucosal sites are the primary route of HIV infection, we evaluated the cervico-vaginal inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels of Mauritian cynomolgus macaques following immunization and boost using two different SIV vaccine immunogens. The PCS vaccine delivers 12 20-amino acid peptides overlapping the 12 protease cleavage sites, and the Gag/Env vaccine delivers the full Gag and full Env proteins of simian immunodeficiency virus. We showed …

Genetic Diversity Of Potassium Ion Channel Proteins Encoded By Chloroviruses That Infect Chlorella Heliozoae, Carter Murry, Irina V. Agarkova, Jayadri S. Ghosh, Fiona C. Fitzgerald, Roger M. Carlson, Brigitte Hertel, Kerri Kukovetz, Oliver Rauh, Gerhard Thiel, James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Chloroviruses are large, plaque-forming, dsDNA viruses that infect chlorella-like green algae that live in a symbiotic relationship with protists. Chloroviruses have genomes from 290 to 370 kb, and they encode as many as 400 proteins. One interesting feature of chloroviruses is that they encode a potassium ion (K+) channel protein named Kcv. The Kcv protein encoded by SAG chlorovirus ATCV-1 is one of the smallest known functional K+ channel proteins consisting of 82 amino acids. The KcvATCV-1 protein has similarities to the family of two transmembrane domain K+ channel proteins; it consists of two transmembrane -helixes with a pore region …

Viral And Immunological Analytes Are Poor Predictors Of The Clinical Treatment Response In Kaposi’S Sarcoma Patients, Salum J. Lidenge, For Yue Tso, Yasaman Mortazavi, John R. Ngowi, Danielle M. Shea, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent for Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). The prognostic utility of KSHV and HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) viremia as well as immunological parameters in clinical management of participants with KS is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate viral and immunological parameters as predictors of KS treatment responses in participants with KS from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Plasma KSHV-DNA, HIV-1 viral load, total anti-KSHV antibody, KSHV-neutralizing antibody (nAb), cytokine/chemokine levels, and T-cell differentiation subsets were quantified before and after KS treatment in 13 participants with KS and in 13 KSHV-infected asymptomatic control individuals. …

Diversity Of Trna Clusters In The Chloroviruses, Garry A. Duncan, David D. Dunigan Ph. D., James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Viruses rely on their host’s translation machinery for the synthesis of their own proteins. Problems belie viral translation when the host has a codon usage bias (CUB) that is different from an infecting virus due to differences in the GC content between the host and virus genomes. Here, we examine the hypothesis that chloroviruses adapted to host CUB by acquisition and selection of tRNAs that at least partially favor their own CUB. The genomes of 41 chloroviruses comprising three clades, each infecting a different algal host, have been sequenced, assembled and annotated. All 41 viruses not only encode tRNAs, but …

Social Media Engagement At Academic Conferences: Report Of The Association Of Pathology Chairs 2018 And 2019 Annual Meeting Social Media Committee, Yonah C. Ziemba, Dana Razzano, Timothy C. Allen, Adam L. Booth, Scott R. Anderson, Anne Champeaux, Michael D. Feldman, Valerie Fitzhugh, Simone Gittens, Marilea Grider, Mary Gupta, Christina Hanos, Karen Kelly, Tarush Kothari, Jennifer Laudadio, Amy Y. Lin, Kamran M. Mirza, Kathleen T. Montone, Priscilla S. Markwood

Pathology and Cell Biology Faculty Publications

The use of social media at academic conferences is expanding, and platforms such as Twitter are used to share meeting content with the world. Pathology conferences are no exception, and recently, pathology organizations have promoted social media as a way to enhance meeting exposure. A social media committee was formed ad hoc to implement strategies to enhance social media involvement and coverage at the 2018 and 2019 annual meetings of the Association of Pathology Chairs. This organized approach resulted in an 11-fold increase in social media engagement compared to the year prior to committee formation (2017). In this article, the …

Association Of A Repetitive Manual Task On Inflammatory Biomarker Expression, Heart Rate Variability And Rating Of Perceived Exertion, Daniel Conde

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) as a group of disorders involving muscles, tendons, and nerves. The WMSDs symptoms are considered the most common occupational disease, causing limitations in daily activities. Even though there is an association between repetitive manual tasks involving short work cycles, force demanding tasks, and the development of WMSDs, the specific cause of the physiological changes over a long period of time is a cause of debate. The study of mechanisms underlying the physiological changes is essential for the early detection, diagnosis, and appropriate management of WMSDs.

Identification Of A Novel Single Amino Acid Substitution (V666g) Of Jak1 From A Patient With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Impairs Jak3 Mediated Il-2 Signaling, Alice Hernandez Grant

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Janus kinase (JAK) family, notably JAK1, JAK2 and JAK3 are recognized as oncogenic drivers in high risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). The bulk of activating JAK mutations are thought to occur within functional hot-spots across Janus Homology (JH) domains. The most frequently mutated regions is the JH2 pseudo-kinase, which provides a negative regulatory role to the adjacent catalytically active JH1 kinase domain. Despite the prevalence of JAK activating mutations and a need for new therapeutic inhibitors, there is a lack of understanding in the allosteric regulation of JAK kinases. Here we sought to identify mutations involved in driving ALL …

Expression And Functional Sialome Of Triatomines, Insect Vectors Of Chagas Disease, Maria Tays Mendes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Triatomines are blood-sucking arthropods that transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease (ChD). Triatomines use bioactive molecules in the saliva for successful blood feeding and to evade the hemostatic and immune defense system of the hosts. Knowing the saliva composition could be useful for a better understanding which and how insect-derived molecules might influence host-parasite interactions. Previous studies have shown that some saliva-derived proteins and lipids can modulate the host immune system and increase T. cruzi infection. We hypothesize that the triatomine saliva contains a great diversity of lipids and proteins that can modulate the mammalian host immune …

Molecular And Functional Characterization Of Α-Galactosyl Epitopes In Trypanosoma Cruzi, Uriel Ortega Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease (CD) currently affects 6-7 million people across the world. Currently, only two drugs, benznidazole and nifurtimox, are available for treatment of CD and they are highly toxic and less effective in the chronic stage of the disease. Specific biomarkers for diagnosis and follow-up of treatment do not exist in the clinical settings. following chemotherapy, patients take approximately 10-20 years to exhibit negative seroconversion with the conventional serology assays. Moreover, there is no vaccine available to prevent or treat CD. T. cruzi contains a complex cell surface consisting of several classes of glycoconjugates …

Toxin Secretion By Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Uday Tak

All ETDs from UAB

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a highly infectious airborne bacterial pathogen, and the causative agent of human tuberculosis. Mtb infects approximately one-third of the human population, and is responsible for more deaths than any other infectious disease in the history of mankind. Mtb is an intracellular pathogen and primarily infects myeloid cells, such as macrophages in the human lung. In macrophages, Mtb establishes a replication niche within membrane-bound vacuoles named phagosomes, while subverting immunity. The intracellular survival of Mtb depends on manipulation of host cellular processes through secreted effector proteins. Ultimately, this intracellular vacuole is ruptured by the type VII secretion …

Understanding The Impact Of Diet And Obesity On Anti-Tumor Immunity And Therapeutic Efficacy In Kidney Cancer, Rachael Miller Orlandella

All ETDs from UAB

Obesity is regarded as a major risk factor for developing renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Advanced-stage RCC exhibits chemotherapeutic resistance, but is responsive to immunotherapies such as the immune checkpoint inhibitor anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1). Despite some clinical successes, response rates remain low for anti-PD-1 monotherapy (20-30%). Preclinical evaluations of immunotherapeutic strategies typically use lean mice and do not account for patient comorbidities. This may explain the underwhelming success rates following clinical translation of new cancer treatments. Recent studies found that obesity was associated with favorable outcomes and responses to immunotherapy in melanoma. However, the effects of obesity on anti-tumor immunity …

Protective Host Responses During Acute And Chronic Lung Exposure To Aspergillus Fumigatus, Joseph Mackel

All ETDs from UAB

Aspergillus fumigatus is an environmental airborne fungus that acts as both an opportunistic pathogen and an allergen. In immunocompromised hosts, A. fumigatus can germinate in the lung, cause tissue damage and pneumonia, and disseminate to other organs, causing a disease termed invasive aspergillosis (IA). In severe asthma, sensitization to fungi such as A. fumigatus is associated with more severe disease. Determination of host and fungal factors that drive immunoprotection versus immunopathogenesis in both of these settings will ultimately enable therapeutic modulation of immune responses to improve disease outcomes. In this body of work, we build on recent findings that implicate …

A Discrete Age Structured Model Of Hantavirus In A Rodent Reservoir In Paraguay, Megan A. Rúa

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Many rodent-borne hantaviruses are zoonotic pathogens that can cause disease in humans through inhalation of aerosolized rodent excreta. To evaluate the prevalence of Jaborâ virus (JABV) over time within its rodent reservoir, Akodon montensis, we formulated a mathematical model with multiple rodent age classes and unique infection class progression features. We then parameterized the model with data collected from a survey of JABV harbored by Akodon montensis in the Mbaracayú Reserve in Paraguay. Our model incorporates three types of infection over the lifetime of the rodent as well as a recovered class. A new feature of the model allows transition …

Covid-19: Prevention And Control Measures In Community, Hati̇ce Rahmet Güner, İmran Hasanoğlu, Fi̇rdevs Aktaş

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

On January 30, 2020, the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern and, in March 2020, began to characterize it as a pandemic in order to emphasize the gravity of the situation and urge all countries to take action in detecting infection and preventing spread. Unfortunately, there is no medication that has been approved by the FDA, gone through controlled studies and demonstrated an effect on the virus for this global pandemic. Although there are cures for illnesses and developments made by leaps and bounds in our day, the strongest and most effective weapon that …

Corpus Cavernosum Abscess Secondary To Traumatic Perforation Of Urethral Diverticulum, Thomas C. Gore, Anna Schepcoff, Domenick Sorresso

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2020

A corpus cavernosum abscess is a rare condition. Usual etiologies include penile injection of erectile dysfunction medications or illicit drugs, priapism, sexually transmitted infections, and trauma; however, there have been reported cases of idiopathic etiology. The most common causative organisms include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococci, and Bacteroides [1]. Diagnosis is typically made clinically and through imaging (computed tomography [CT] and ultrasound). The first-line treatment is the use of intravenous (IV) antibiotics and surgical drainage. More conservative treatment, however, includes aspiration in conjunction with IV antibiotics [2-3]. Urethral diverticulum (UD) is the formation of a saccular outpouching of the urethral lumen. Symptoms …

Aging Induces B Cell Defects And Decreased Antibody Responses To Influenza Infection And Vaccination, Daniela Frasca, Bonnie B. Blomberg

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Background: Aging is characterized by a progressive decline in the capacity of the immune system to fight influenza virus infection and to respond to vaccination. Among the several factors involved, in addition to increased frailty and high-risk conditions, the age-associated decrease in cellular and humoral immune responses plays a relevant role. This is in large part due to inflammaging, the chronic low-grade inflammatory status of the elderly, associated with intrinsic inflammation of the immune cells and decreased immune function.

Results: Aging is usually associated with reduced influenza virus-specific and influenza vaccine-specific antibody responses but some elderly individuals with higher pre-exposure …

Host Transcriptional Response To Persistent Infection With A Live-Attenuated Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Strain, Jayeshbhai Chaudhari, Chia-Sin Liew, Aspen M. Workman, Jean-Jack Riethoven, David J. Steffen, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, Hiep Vu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Both virulent and live-attenuated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) strains can establish persistent infection in lymphoid tissues of pigs. To investigate the mechanisms of PRRSV persistence, we performed a transcriptional analysis of inguinal lymphoid tissue collected from pigs experimentally infected with an attenuated PRRSV strain at 46 days post infection. A total of 6404 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected of which 3960 DEGs were upregulated and 2444 DEGs were downregulated. Specifically, genes involved in innate immune responses and chemokines and receptors associated with T-cell homing to lymphoid tissues were down regulated. As a result, homing of virus-specific …

First Records Of Established Populations Of Ixodes Scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Collected From Three Nebraska Counties, Lindsey E. Nielsen, Roberto Cortinas, Paul D. Fey, Peter C. Iwen, David H. Nielsen

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Reported cases of Lyme disease in Nebraska have been assumed to be imported from other endemic areas. Previous surveillance efforts provided no evidence of established populations as only individual specimens of Ixodes scapularis (Say) had been collected. In the winter of 2018, adult I. scapularis were found on a dog at Two Rivers State Recreation Area, Douglas County, prompting tick collection at the site and nearby natural areas. In May 2019, all life stages of host-seeking I. scapularis were collected using dragging and flagging techniques in sites located near the Platte River in Douglas, Sarpy, and Saunders counties. This is …

Intimate Attachment Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 To Urinary Bladder Epithelium In The Gnotobiotic Piglet Model, Rodney A. Moxley, Tom W. Bargar, Stephen D. Kachman, Diane R. Baker, David H. Francis

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), a pathogenic subset of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), is an important cause of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic–uremic syndrome (HUS), and a rare cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) with associated HUS. EHEC strains attach intimately to intestinal epithelium with formation of actin pedestals (attaching-effacing (A/E) lesions); however, the mechanism of EHEC attachment to the uroepithelium is unknown. We conducted a retrospective study on archived urinary bladder specimens from gnotobiotic piglets that naturally developed cystitis associated with EHEC O157:H7 infection following oral inoculation and fecal shedding. Paraffin-embedded bladder tissues from three piglets with cystitis and immunohistochemical …

Triggers Of Inflammatory Heart Disease, Ninaad Lasrado, Bharathi Yalaka, Jay Reddy

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Inflammatory heart disease (IHD) is a group of diseases that includes pericarditis, myocarditis, and endocarditis. Although males appear to be more commonly affected than females, IHD can be seen in any age group. While the disease can be self-limiting leading to full recovery, affected individuals can develop chronic disease, suggesting that identification of primary triggers is critical for successful therapies. Adding to this complexity, however, is the fact that IHD can be triggered by a variety of infectious and non-infectious causes that can also occur as secondary events to primary insults. In this review, we discuss the immunological insights into …