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Immunology of Infectious Disease

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Articles 361 - 390 of 478

Full-Text Articles in Immunology and Infectious Disease

Humoral Immunity To Ehrlichial Infection : Identification And Characterization Of An Igm+ Memory B Cell Population, Jennifer Lynne Yates Jan 2013

Humoral Immunity To Ehrlichial Infection : Identification And Characterization Of An Igm+ Memory B Cell Population, Jennifer Lynne Yates

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Immunological memory is a fundamental concept that is key to generating and maintaining immunity to pathogens. Humoral memory resides in part in antigen-specific memory B cells, which are classically defined as class-switched, somatically mutated, long-lived cells that are highly responsive to specific antigen challenge. Despite the focus on class-switched memory B cells, several studies have validated the existence of IgM memory B cells, and have demonstrated distinct functions of IgM and IgG memory B cell subsets. Based on the expression of CD11c, we have identified a large population of IgM memory B cells using a natural model of infection by …

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Evidence For The Maturation Of Cellular Immune Responses In Equine Infectious Anemia Virus-Infected Ponies, Chong Liu Jan 2013

Evidence For The Maturation Of Cellular Immune Responses In Equine Infectious Anemia Virus-Infected Ponies, Chong Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) has been used as a model to investigate protective mechanisms against lentiviruses. Unlike other lentiviruses, EIAV replication can be eventually controlled in most infected horses leading to an inapparent carrier state free of overt clinical signs which can last for many years. Maintenance of this carrier state is absolutely dependent on active immune responses as evidenced by the fact that immunosuppressive drugs can induce the recurrence of disease. However, the immune mechanisms that are responsible for this control of infection are not yet identified. As the resolution of the initial infection is correlated with the …

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Equine Serum Antibody Responses To Streptococcus Equi And Streptococcus Zooepidemicus, Rafaela De Negri Jan 2013

Equine Serum Antibody Responses To Streptococcus Equi And Streptococcus Zooepidemicus, Rafaela De Negri

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Sz) and Streptococcus equi (Se) share 98% DNA sequence homology, but display different pathogenic properties. Infection by one organism does not cross-protect against the other. To better understand pathogenic differences between these organisms and gain information about which proteins are expressed in horses infected experimentally with Se, intrauterine Sz or naturally with respiratory Sz we compared antibody specificities of convalescent sera using ELISA. These comparisons were based on sets of 8 and 14 immunoreactive recombinant proteins of Se strain CF32 and Sz strain NC78, respectively. Sera from donkeys that were previously naturally affected with strangles and later developed …

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Tumour Inflammasome-Derived Il-1b Recruits Neutrophils And Improves Local Recurrence-Free Survival In Ebv-Induced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Lih-Chyang Chen, Li-Jie Wang, Nang-Ming Tsang, David M. Ojcius, Chia-Chen Chen, Chun-Nan Ouyang, Chuen Hsueh, Ying Liang, Kai-Ping Chang, Chiu-Chin Chen, Yu-Sun Chang Dec 2012

Tumour Inflammasome-Derived Il-1b Recruits Neutrophils And Improves Local Recurrence-Free Survival In Ebv-Induced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Lih-Chyang Chen, Li-Jie Wang, Nang-Ming Tsang, David M. Ojcius, Chia-Chen Chen, Chun-Nan Ouyang, Chuen Hsueh, Ying Liang, Kai-Ping Chang, Chiu-Chin Chen, Yu-Sun Chang

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Inflammasomes sense infection and cellular damage and are critical for triggering inflammation through IL-1β production. In carcinogenesis, inflammasomes may have contradictory roles through facilitating antitumour immunity and inducing oncogenic factors. Their function in cancer remains poorly characterized. Here we show that the NLRP3, AIM2 and RIG-I inflammasomes are overexpressed in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and expression levels correlate with patient survival. In tumour cells, AIM2 and RIG-I are required for IL-1β induction by EBV genomic DNA and EBV-encoded small RNAs, respectively, while NLRP3 responds to extracellular ATP and reactive oxygen species. Irradiation and chemotherapy can further activate AIM2 …

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Reversible Inhibition Of Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection In Epithelial Cells Due To Stimulation Of P2x4 Receptors, Matthew A. Pettengill, Camila Marques-Da-Silva, Maria Luisa Avila, Verissa W. Lam, Ikechukwu Ollawa, Ali Abdul-Sater, Robson Coutinho-Silva, Georg Hacker, David M. Ojcius, Suellen D'Arc Dos Santos Oliveira Dec 2012

Reversible Inhibition Of Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection In Epithelial Cells Due To Stimulation Of P2x4 Receptors, Matthew A. Pettengill, Camila Marques-Da-Silva, Maria Luisa Avila, Verissa W. Lam, Ikechukwu Ollawa, Ali Abdul-Sater, Robson Coutinho-Silva, Georg Hacker, David M. Ojcius, Suellen D'Arc Dos Santos Oliveira

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Bacterial infections of the mucosal epithelium are a major cause of human disease. The prolonged presence of microbial pathogens stimulates inflammation of the local tissues, which leads to changes in the molecular composition of the extracellular milieu. A well-characterized molecule that is released to the extracellular milieu by stressed or infected cells is extracellular ATP and its ecto-enzymatic degradation products, which function as signaling molecules through ligation of purinergic receptors. There has been little information, however, on the effects of the extracellular metabolites on bacterial growth in inflamed tissues. Millimolar concentrations of ATP have been previously shown to inhibit irreversibly …

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Ivermectin Inhibits Growth Of Chlamydia Trachomatis In Epithelial Cells, Matthew A. Pettengill, Verissa W. Lam, Ikechukwu Ollawa, Camila Marques-Da-Silva, David M. Ojcius Oct 2012

Ivermectin Inhibits Growth Of Chlamydia Trachomatis In Epithelial Cells, Matthew A. Pettengill, Verissa W. Lam, Ikechukwu Ollawa, Camila Marques-Da-Silva, David M. Ojcius

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Ivermectin is currently approved for treatment of both clinical and veterinary infections by nematodes, including Onchocerca cervicalis in horses and Onchocerca volvulus in humans. However, ivermectin has never been shown to be effective against bacterial pathogens. Here we show that ivermectin also inhibits infection of epithelial cells by the bacterial pathogen, Chlamydia trachomatis, at doses that could be envisioned clinically for sexually-transmitted or ocular infections by Chlamydia.

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Neurosteroid-Mediated Regulation Of Brain Innate Immunity In Hiv/Aids: Dhea-S Suppresses Neurovirulence, Amber Paul, Ferdinand G. Maingat, Maria J. Polyak, Pornpun Vivithanaporn, Farshid Noorbakhsh, Samir Ahboucha, Glen B. Baker, Keir Pearson, Christopher Power Oct 2012

Neurosteroid-Mediated Regulation Of Brain Innate Immunity In Hiv/Aids: Dhea-S Suppresses Neurovirulence, Amber Paul, Ferdinand G. Maingat, Maria J. Polyak, Pornpun Vivithanaporn, Farshid Noorbakhsh, Samir Ahboucha, Glen B. Baker, Keir Pearson, Christopher Power

Publications

Neurosteroids are cholesterol-derived molecules synthesized within the brain, which exert trophic and protective actions. Infection by human and feline immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and FIV, respectively) causes neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, leading to neurological deficits. Secretion of neuroinflammatory host and viral factors by glia and infiltrating leukocytes mediates the principal neuropathogenic mechanisms during, although the effect of neurosteroids on these processes is unknown. We investigated the interactions between neurosteroid mediated effects and lentivirus infection outcomes. Analyses of HIV-infected uninfected human brains disclosed a reduction in neurosteroid synthesis enzyme expression. Human neurons exposed to supernatants from HIV macrophages exhibited suppressed enzyme expression without …

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Interactome-Wide Analysis Identifies End-Binding Protein 1 As A Crucial Component For The Speck-Like Particle Formation Of Activated Absence In Melanoma 2 (Aim2) Inflammasomes, Li-Jie Wang, Chia-Wei Hsu, Chiu-Chin Chen, Ying Liang, Lih-Chyang Chen, David M. Ojcius, Ngan-Ming Tsang, Chuen Hsueh, Chih-Ching Wu, Yu-Sun Chang Aug 2012

Interactome-Wide Analysis Identifies End-Binding Protein 1 As A Crucial Component For The Speck-Like Particle Formation Of Activated Absence In Melanoma 2 (Aim2) Inflammasomes, Li-Jie Wang, Chia-Wei Hsu, Chiu-Chin Chen, Ying Liang, Lih-Chyang Chen, David M. Ojcius, Ngan-Ming Tsang, Chuen Hsueh, Chih-Ching Wu, Yu-Sun Chang

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Inflammasomes are cytoplasmic receptors that can recognize intracellular pathogens or danger signals and are critical for interleukin 1β production. Although several key components of inflammasome activation have been identified, there has not been a systematic analysis of the protein components found in the stimulated complex. In this study, we used the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification approach to systemically analyze the interactomes of the NLRP3, AIM2, and RIG-I inflammasomes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells treated with specific stimuli of these interactomes (H2O2, poly (dA:dT), and EBV noncoding RNA, respectively). We identified a number of proteins that appeared to be …

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Leptospiral Hemolysins Induce Proinflammatory Cytokines Through Toll-Like Receptor 2-And 4-Mediated Jnk And Nf-Κb Signaling Pathways, Huan Wang, Yifei Hu, David M. Ojcius, X. Frank Yang, Chenglin Zhang, Shibiao Ding, Xu'ai Lin, Jie Yan Aug 2012

Leptospiral Hemolysins Induce Proinflammatory Cytokines Through Toll-Like Receptor 2-And 4-Mediated Jnk And Nf-Κb Signaling Pathways, Huan Wang, Yifei Hu, David M. Ojcius, X. Frank Yang, Chenglin Zhang, Shibiao Ding, Xu'ai Lin, Jie Yan

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Infection with pathogenic Leptospira species causes serious systemic inflammation in patients. Although a few leptospiral proinflammatory molecules have been identified, Leptospira likely encodes other unidentified strong inflammation stimulators. The pathogenic L. interrogans genome encodes numerous putative hemolysin genes. Since hemolysins from other bacteria can cause inflammatory reactions, we hypothesized that leptospiral hemolysins may function as proinflammatory stimulators that contribute to the strong inflammation associated with Leptospira infection.

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Regulation Of To Xin Synthesis By Clostridium Difficile, Charles Darkoh Aug 2012

Regulation Of To Xin Synthesis By Clostridium Difficile, Charles Darkoh

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Clostridium difficile is the leading definable cause of nosocomial diarrhea worldwide due to its virulence, multi-drug resistance, spore-forming ability, and environmental persistence. The incidence of C. difficile infection (CDI) has been increasing exponentially in the last decade. Virulent strains of C. difficile produce either toxin A and/or toxin B, which are essential for the pathogenesis of this bacterium. Current methods for diagnosing CDI are mostly qualitative tests that detect the bacterium, the toxins, or the toxin genes. These methods do not differentiate virulent C. difficile strains that produce active toxins from non-virulent strains that do not produce toxins or produce …

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Inhibition Of Burkholderia Multivorans Adhesion To Lung Epithelial Cells By Bivalent Lactosides, Ciara Wight, Rosaria Leyden, Paul V. Murphy, Máire Callaghan, Trinidad Velasco-Torrijos, Siobhan Mcclean Aug 2012

Inhibition Of Burkholderia Multivorans Adhesion To Lung Epithelial Cells By Bivalent Lactosides, Ciara Wight, Rosaria Leyden, Paul V. Murphy, Máire Callaghan, Trinidad Velasco-Torrijos, Siobhan Mcclean

Articles

Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is an opportunistic pathogen in cystic fibrosis patients which is inherently resistant to antimicrobial agents. The mechanisms of attachment and pathogenesis of Bcc, a group of 17 species, are poorly understood. The most commonly identified Bcc species in newly colonised patients, Burkholderia multivorans, continues to be acquired from the environment. Development of therapies which can prevent or reduce the risk of colonization on exposure to Bcc in the environment would be a better alternative to antimicrobial agents. Previously, it has been shown that Bcc strains bound to many glycolipid receptors on lung epithelia. Using a …

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The Anti-Tumorigenic Mushroom Agaricus Blazei Murill Enhances Il-1Β Production And Activates The Nlrp3 Inflammasome In Human Macrophages, Tsung-Teng Huang, David M. Ojcius, John Ding-E. Young, Yi-Hui Wu, Yun-Fei Ko, Tsui-Yin Wong, Cheng-Yeu Wu, Chia-Chen Lu, Hsin-Chih Lai Jul 2012

The Anti-Tumorigenic Mushroom Agaricus Blazei Murill Enhances Il-1Β Production And Activates The Nlrp3 Inflammasome In Human Macrophages, Tsung-Teng Huang, David M. Ojcius, John Ding-E. Young, Yi-Hui Wu, Yun-Fei Ko, Tsui-Yin Wong, Cheng-Yeu Wu, Chia-Chen Lu, Hsin-Chih Lai

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) has been reported to possess immune activity against tumors and infections through stimulation of mononuclear phagocytes. Recently, AbM extract was shown to induce the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), in human monocytes. IL-1β is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by activated macrophages and monocytes and its secretion is strictly controlled by the inflammasome. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of AbM water extracts on the regulation of IL-1β production and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in human THP-1 macrophages. The NLRP3 inflammasome consists of an NLRP3 receptor, an adaptor protein …

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Characterization Of The Infectivity Of Non-Replicating Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv)-Derived Viral Vectors., Vanessa E. Rodriguez, Manuel Llano, Luis Valdes Jul 2012

Characterization Of The Infectivity Of Non-Replicating Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv)-Derived Viral Vectors., Vanessa E. Rodriguez, Manuel Llano, Luis Valdes

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2012

The ability of HIV-derived viral vectors to integrate genes of interest into the host genome causing permanent phenotypic modifications makes them excellent tools in gene therapy. However, integration also causes insertional mutagenesis and controlling integration site selection will increase the biosafety of these molecular tools. HIV DNA integration site selection is influenced by LEDGF/p75, a chromatin-bound cellular protein that interacts with the viral enzyme integrase through the integrase binding domain (IBD). Integrase catalyzes viral DNA integration and non-covalently associates with the HIV genome forming the pre-integration complex (PIC). Therefore, interaction of chromatin-bound LEDGF/p75 with the PIC-associated integrase tethers the HIV …

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Cloning And Purification Of Sas0397 From Community Associated Staphylococcus Aureus, Amber Wannemacher, H. Kathleen Dannelly May 2012

Cloning And Purification Of Sas0397 From Community Associated Staphylococcus Aureus, Amber Wannemacher, H. Kathleen Dannelly

Symposium 2012

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a unique bacterium that can cause painful abscesses that require surgical treatment and can be confined to the skin surface or burrow into the skin causing life-threatening infections. There are two types of MRSA: hospital associated-MRSA (HA-MRSA) and community associated-MRSA (CA-MRSA). Community associated-MRSA is acquired through direct contact with an infected individual or sharing of personal items and is often seen in locations such as athletic facilities, dormitories, and daycare centers. This study involves cloning and purification of SAS0397, a putative exported protein predicted, according to bioinformatics, to be unique to community associated Staphylococcus …

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Clam (Corbicula Fluminea) As A Potential Sentinel Of Human Norovirus Contamination In Freshwater, Xunyan Ye May 2012

Clam (Corbicula Fluminea) As A Potential Sentinel Of Human Norovirus Contamination In Freshwater, Xunyan Ye

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and validate the use of the clam Corbicula fluminea as a sentinel of human noroviruses (HuNoV) contamination in freshwater. The first specific aim was to develop a new method to extract HuNoV RNA from contaminated bivalves (e.g. oysters, clams) that would be much faster than existing methods. The procedure developed includes an initial total RNA extraction using TRI Reagent, followed by HuNoV RNA concentration and purification using biotinylated probe-capture technology. HuNoV RNA is finally detected by real-time RT-PCR. Using bivalve homogenates spiked with HuNoV, 100 PCR detection units of the virus was …

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Activation Of An Nlrp3 Inflammasome Restricts Mycobacterium Kansasii Infection, Chang-Chieh Chen, Sheng-Hui Tsai, Chia-Chen Lu, Shiau-Ting Hu, Ting-Shu Wu, Tsung-Teng Huang, Najwane Saïd-Sadier, David M. Ojcius, Hsin-Chih Lai Apr 2012

Activation Of An Nlrp3 Inflammasome Restricts Mycobacterium Kansasii Infection, Chang-Chieh Chen, Sheng-Hui Tsai, Chia-Chen Lu, Shiau-Ting Hu, Ting-Shu Wu, Tsung-Teng Huang, Najwane Saïd-Sadier, David M. Ojcius, Hsin-Chih Lai

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Mycobacterium kansasii has emerged as an important nontuberculous mycobacterium pathogen, whose incidence and prevalence have been increasing in the last decade. M. kansasii can cause pulmonary tuberculosis clinically and radiographically indistinguishable from that caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Unlike the widely-studied M. tuberculosis, little is known about the innate immune response against M. kansasii infection. Although inflammasome activation plays an important role in host defense against bacterial infection, its role against atypical mycobacteria remains poorly understood. In this report, the role of inflammasome activity in THP-1 macrophages against M. kansasii infection was studied. Results indicated that viable, but not heat-killed, …

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Cloning And Characterization Of The Cell Wall Acting Enzyme Cd1034 From The Pathogen Clostridium Difficile, Zachary Suter Apr 2012

Cloning And Characterization Of The Cell Wall Acting Enzyme Cd1034 From The Pathogen Clostridium Difficile, Zachary Suter

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

The manifestation of multidrug resistance in bacteria over the past several decades has resulted in one of the foremost challenges in the management of infectious diseases. The question arises, “How do we address this growing problem?” One solution to stem the growing rise in antimicrobial resistance is to investigate new targets, while another approach is to re-examine classical antibacterial targets with a fresh perspective. The aim of this paper is to begin the process of antibacterial development for the pathogen Clostridium difficile by characterizing the cell wall acting glucosaminidase CD1034. It is inunderstanding how CD1034 functions biochemically that it can …

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Role Of Poly [Adp-Ribose] Polymerase 1 In Retroviral Infection, Vanessa E. Rodriguez ^, Manuel Llano * Mar 2012

Role Of Poly [Adp-Ribose] Polymerase 1 In Retroviral Infection, Vanessa E. Rodriguez ^, Manuel Llano *

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.

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Development Of A Humanized Hla-A2.1/Dp4 Transgenic Mouse Model And The Use Of This Model To Map Hla-Dp4-Restricted Epitopes Of Hbv Envelope Protein, Zhitao Ru, Wenjun Xiao, Anthony Pajot, Zhihua Kou, Shihui Sun, Benard Maillere, Guangyu Zhao, David M. Ojcius, Yu-Chun Lone, Yusen Zhou Mar 2012

Development Of A Humanized Hla-A2.1/Dp4 Transgenic Mouse Model And The Use Of This Model To Map Hla-Dp4-Restricted Epitopes Of Hbv Envelope Protein, Zhitao Ru, Wenjun Xiao, Anthony Pajot, Zhihua Kou, Shihui Sun, Benard Maillere, Guangyu Zhao, David M. Ojcius, Yu-Chun Lone, Yusen Zhou

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

A new homozygous humanized transgenic mouse strain, HLA-A2.1+/+HLA-DP4+/+ hCD4+/+mCD4−/−IAβ−/−β2m−/− (HLA-A2/DP4), was obtained by crossing the previously characterized HLA-A2+/+β2m−/− (A2) mouse and our previously created HLA-DP4+/+ hCD4+/+mCD4−/−IAβ−/− (DP4) mouse. We confirmed that the transgenes (HLA-A2, HLA-DP4, hCD4) inherited from the parental A2 and DP4 mice are functional in the HLA-A2/DP4 mice. After immunizing HLA-A2/DP4 mice with a hepatitis B DNA vaccine, hepatitis B virus-specific antibodies, HLA-A2-restricted and HLA-DP4-restricted responses were observed to be similar to those in naturally infected humans. Therefore, the present …

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Study Guide For United In Anger: A History Of Act Up, Matt Brim Jan 2012

Study Guide For United In Anger: A History Of Act Up, Matt Brim

Open Educational Resources

The United in Anger Study Guide facilitates classroom and activist engagement with Jim Hubbard’s 2012 documentary, United in Anger: A History of ACT UP. The Study Guide contains discussion sections, projects and exercises, and resources for further research about the activism of the New York chapter of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). The Study Guide is a free, interactive, multimedia resource for understanding the legacy of ACT UP, the film’s role in preserving that legacy, and its meaning for viewers' lives.

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Antibody Production During Ehrlichial Infection : Development And Specificity Of T Cell-Independent Igm, Derek Daniel Jones Jan 2012

Antibody Production During Ehrlichial Infection : Development And Specificity Of T Cell-Independent Igm, Derek Daniel Jones

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Historically, the role for antibodies in mediating protective immunity against intracellular pathogens was thought to be minimal. However, our previous studies demonstrated that antibodies were both necessary and sufficient to establish protective immunity against Ehrlichia muris, a tick-transmitted intracellular bacterium. The identification of a unique population of CD11c-expressing IgM-secreting plasmablasts in the spleen during early infection of mice led to the appreciation that IgM was a critical component of the humoral immune response, and that IgM was required for control of acute ehrlichial infection. Here, we addressed the generation of the IgM-secreting cells, as well as the properties of the …

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Identification Of Epitopes On Ricin Toxin's Enzymatic Subunit (Rta) Critical For Eliciting Neutralizing Antibodies And Protective Immunity, Joanne Marie O'Hara Jan 2012

Identification Of Epitopes On Ricin Toxin's Enzymatic Subunit (Rta) Critical For Eliciting Neutralizing Antibodies And Protective Immunity, Joanne Marie O'Hara

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ricin toxin's enzymatic subunit (RTA) is a 267 amino acid RNA N-glycosidase that selectively depurinates eukaryotic ribosomal RNA and arrests protein synthesis. The crystal structure of RTA revealed that the protein assumes three distinct folding domains (FD). Residues within FD1 and FD2 form RTA's active site pocket and are proposed to interface with ribosomal proteins, while FD3's primary function is to associate with ricin's B subunit (RTB). In this study I sought to identify the regions of RTA that are important in eliciting toxin-neutralizing antibodies (TNA), as this information is critical for current efforts to develop RTA-based subunit vaccines. I …

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Rhodococcus Equi Infection And Interferon-Gamma Regulation In Foals, Lingshuang Sun Jan 2012

Rhodococcus Equi Infection And Interferon-Gamma Regulation In Foals, Lingshuang Sun

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) is one of the most serious causes of pneumonia in young foals. The clinical disease is of great concern to breeding farms worldwide due to the impact of mortality on economic losses. While adult horses are resistant to R. equi, foals exhibit a distinct age-associated susceptibility. The mechanism underlying this susceptibility in foals is not well understood. Interferon-gamma (IFNg) plays an important role in the clearance of R. equi, but its expression is impaired in neonatal foals. Moreover, the regulation of this age-related IFNg expression in foals remains unknown. In humans, IFNg …

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Activation Of Mmp-9 By Human Lung Epithelial Cells In Response To The Cystic Fibrosis-Associated Pathogen Burkholderia Cenocepacia Reduced Wound Healing In Vitro, Ciara Wright ], Ruth Pilkington, Máire Callaghan, Siobhan Mcclean Oct 2011

Activation Of Mmp-9 By Human Lung Epithelial Cells In Response To The Cystic Fibrosis-Associated Pathogen Burkholderia Cenocepacia Reduced Wound Healing In Vitro, Ciara Wright ], Ruth Pilkington, Máire Callaghan, Siobhan Mcclean

Articles

Burkholderia cepacia complex is a group of bacterial pathogens that cause opportunistic infections in cystic fibrosis (CF). The most virulent of these is Burkholderia cenocepacia. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are upregulated in CF patients. The aim of this work was to examine the role of MMPs in the pathogenesis of B. cepacia complex, which has not been explored to date. Real-time PCR analysis showed that B. cenocepacia infection upregulated MMP-2 and MMP-9 genes in the CF lung cell line CFBE41o- within 1 h, whereas MMP-2, -7, and -9 genes were upregulated in the non-CF lung cell line 16HBE14o-. Conditioned media from …

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Avian Influenza In Migratory Birds In The United States, 2007–2009, And Effects Of September Hunting Seasons On Survival, Harvest, And Recovery Rates Of Canada Geese Banded In Southeast Nebraska, Scott R. Groepper Aug 2011

Avian Influenza In Migratory Birds In The United States, 2007–2009, And Effects Of September Hunting Seasons On Survival, Harvest, And Recovery Rates Of Canada Geese Banded In Southeast Nebraska, Scott R. Groepper

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV H5N1) poses risks to wild birds, poultry, and humans. Personnel with the United States Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service-Wildlife Services, state, and tribal wildlife agencies collected 168,940 samples from migratory birds from 2007 to 2009 to test for presence of HPAIV H5N1. No HPAIV was found, but other subtypes were discovered, including H5 and H7. I estimated prevalence of avian influenza virus by flyway and found prevalence was lowest each year in the Atlantic Flyway (6.7%–8.3%), highest in the Pacific Flyway in 2007 (13.3%) and 2008 (13.4%), and highest in the Mississippi Flyway …

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Extracellular Atp Acts On P2y2 Purinergic Receptors To Facilitate Hiv-1 Infection, Claire Séror, Marie-Therese Melki, Frederic Subra, Syed Qasim Raza, Marlene Bras, Hela Saïdi, Roberta Nardacci, Laurent Voisin, Audrey Paoletti, Frederic Law, Isabelle Martins, Alessandra Amendola, Ali A. Abdul-Sater, Fabiola Ciccosanti, Olivier Delelis, Florence Niedergang, Sylvain Thierry, Najwane Said-Sadier, Christophe Lamaze, Didier Métivier, Jerome Estaquier, Gian Maria Fimia, Laura Falasca, Rita Casetti, Nazanine Modjtahedi, Jean M. Kanellopoulos, Jean-Francois Mouscadet, David M. Ojcius, Mauro Piacentini, Marie-Lise Gougeon, Guido Kroemer, Jean-Luc Perfetini Aug 2011

Extracellular Atp Acts On P2y2 Purinergic Receptors To Facilitate Hiv-1 Infection, Claire Séror, Marie-Therese Melki, Frederic Subra, Syed Qasim Raza, Marlene Bras, Hela Saïdi, Roberta Nardacci, Laurent Voisin, Audrey Paoletti, Frederic Law, Isabelle Martins, Alessandra Amendola, Ali A. Abdul-Sater, Fabiola Ciccosanti, Olivier Delelis, Florence Niedergang, Sylvain Thierry, Najwane Said-Sadier, Christophe Lamaze, Didier Métivier, Jerome Estaquier, Gian Maria Fimia, Laura Falasca, Rita Casetti, Nazanine Modjtahedi, Jean M. Kanellopoulos, Jean-Francois Mouscadet, David M. Ojcius, Mauro Piacentini, Marie-Lise Gougeon, Guido Kroemer, Jean-Luc Perfetini

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) can activate purinergic receptors of the plasma membrane and modulate multiple cellular functions. We report that ATP is released from HIV-1 target cells through pannexin-1 channels upon interaction between the HIV-1 envelope protein and specific target cell receptors. Extracellular ATP then acts on purinergic receptors, including P2Y2, to activate proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) kinase and transient plasma membrane depolarization, which in turn stimulate fusion between Env-expressing membranes and membranes containing CD4 plus appropriate chemokine co-receptors. Inhibition of any of the constituents of this cascade (pannexin-1, ATP, P2Y2, and Pyk2) impairs the replication of HIV-1 mutant …

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Caspase-1 Dependent Il-1Β Secretion Is Critical For Host Defense In A Mouse Model Of Chlamydia Pneumoniae Lung Infection, Kenichi Shimada, Timothy R. Crother, Justin Karlin, Shuang Chen, Norika Chiba, V. Krishnan Ramanujan, Laurent Vergnes, David M. Ojcius, Moshe Arditi Jun 2011

Caspase-1 Dependent Il-1Β Secretion Is Critical For Host Defense In A Mouse Model Of Chlamydia Pneumoniae Lung Infection, Kenichi Shimada, Timothy R. Crother, Justin Karlin, Shuang Chen, Norika Chiba, V. Krishnan Ramanujan, Laurent Vergnes, David M. Ojcius, Moshe Arditi

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) is an important human pathogen that causes atypical pneumonia and is associated with various chronic inflammatory disorders. Caspase-1 is a key component of the ‘inflammasome’, and is required to cleave pro-IL-1β to bioactive IL-1β. Here we demonstrate for the first time a critical requirement for IL-1β in response to CP infection. Caspase-1−/− mice exhibit delayed cytokine production, defective clearance of pulmonary bacteria and higher mortality in response to CP infection. Alveolar macrophages harbored increased bacterial numbers due to reduced iNOS levels in Caspase-1−/− mice. Pharmacological blockade of the IL-1 receptor in CP infected wild-type mice …

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Hypervirulent Chlamydia Trachomatis Clinical Strain Is A Recombinant Between Lymphogranuloma Venereum (L(2)) And D Lineages, Naraporn Somboonna, Raymond Wan, David M. Ojcius, Matthew A. Pettengill, Sandeep J. Joseph, Alexander Chang, Ray Hsu, Timothy D. Read, Deborah Dean May 2011

Hypervirulent Chlamydia Trachomatis Clinical Strain Is A Recombinant Between Lymphogranuloma Venereum (L(2)) And D Lineages, Naraporn Somboonna, Raymond Wan, David M. Ojcius, Matthew A. Pettengill, Sandeep J. Joseph, Alexander Chang, Ray Hsu, Timothy D. Read, Deborah Dean

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes a diversity of severe and debilitating diseases worldwide. Sporadic and ongoing outbreaks of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) strains among men who have sex with men (MSM) support the need for research on virulence factors associated with these organisms. Previous analyses have been limited to single genes or genomes of laboratory-adapted reference strain L2/434 and outbreak strain L2b/UCH-1/proctitis. We characterized an unusual LGV strain, termed L2c, isolated from an MSM with severe hemorrhagic proctitis. L2c developed nonfusing, grape-like inclusions and a cytotoxic phenotype in culture, …

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Analysis And Interpretation Of Factors Leading To Increased Aids Prevalence In Sub-Saharan Africa, William Kalhorn May 2011

Analysis And Interpretation Of Factors Leading To Increased Aids Prevalence In Sub-Saharan Africa, William Kalhorn

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

My thesis research project focuses on the major factors that are contributing to the worst disease epidemic on the planet today. I have aimed to determine what may be some of the most important factors contributing to highly variable difference in HIV/AIDS prevalence rates are among the regions of East, West, and South Africa.  The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been growing and expanding to new areas of the world since the first case arose in 1959 in what is now called Kinshasa, Congo (Avert, 2011). The AIDS/HIV epidemic is believed to have originated on the African continent, and this is where …

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Role Of Vitamin-D3 And Retinoic Acid In A Human Thp-1 Macrophage Model Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection, Jaymie L. Estrella May 2011

Role Of Vitamin-D3 And Retinoic Acid In A Human Thp-1 Macrophage Model Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection, Jaymie L. Estrella

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) replicates within the human macrophages and we investigated the activating effects of retinoic acid (RA) and vitamin D3 (VD) on macrophages in relation to the viability of Mtb. A combination of these vitamins (RAVD) enhanced the receptors on THP-1 macrophage (Mannose receptor and DC-SIGN) that increased mycobacterial uptake but inhibited the
subsequent intracellular growth of Mtb by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and autophagy. RAVD also enhanced antigen presenting and homing receptors in THPs that suggested an activated phenotype for THPs following RAVD treatment. RAVD mediated activation was also associated with a marked phenotypic change in Mtb …

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