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Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons™

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2015

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Articles 31 - 60 of 203

Full-Text Articles in Immunology and Infectious Disease

Viewpoint: A Response To "Screening And Isolation To Control Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: Sense, Nonsense, And Evidence", Kevin T. Kavanagh, Lindsay Calderon, Daniel Saman Nov 2015

Viewpoint: A Response To "Screening And Isolation To Control Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: Sense, Nonsense, And Evidence", Kevin T. Kavanagh, Lindsay Calderon, Daniel Saman

Biological Sciences Faculty and Staff Research

Surveillance and isolation for the prevention of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a controversial topic, one that causes heated debate and appears to be surrounded by both politics and industrial conflicts-of-interest. There have been calls from numerous authors for a movement away from rigid mandates and toward an evidence-based medicine approach. However, much of the evidence can be viewed with an entirely different interpretation. Two major studies with negative findings have had an adverse impact on recommendations regarding active detection and isolation (ADI) for MRSA. However the negative findings in these studies can be explained by shortcomings in study …


Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2015 – 2020, Department Of Fisheries Nov 2015

Research, Monitoring, Assessment And Development Plan 2015 – 2020, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.


Detection And Characterization Of Mineralo-Organic Nanoparticles In Human Kidneys, Tsui-Yin Wong, Cheng-Yeu Wu, Jan Martel, Cheng-Wei Lin, Fu-Yung Hsu, David M. Ojcius, Paul Y. Lin, John Ding-E. Young Oct 2015

Detection And Characterization Of Mineralo-Organic Nanoparticles In Human Kidneys, Tsui-Yin Wong, Cheng-Yeu Wu, Jan Martel, Cheng-Wei Lin, Fu-Yung Hsu, David M. Ojcius, Paul Y. Lin, John Ding-E. Young

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Ectopic calcification is associated with various human diseases, including atherosclerosis, cancer, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus. Although mineral nanoparticles have been detected in calcified blood vessels, the nature and role of these particles in the human body remain unclear. Here we show for the first time that human kidney tissues obtained from end-stage chronic kidney disease or renal cancer patients contain round, multilamellar mineral particles of 50 to 1,500 nm, whereas no particles are observed in healthy controls. The mineral particles are found mainly in the extracellular matrix surrounding the convoluted tubules, collecting ducts and loops of Henle as …


Hirsutella Sinensis Mycelium Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation And Fibrosis In Vivo, Tsung-Teng Huang, Hsin-Chih Lai, Yun-Fei Ko, David M. Ojcius, Ying-Wei Lan, Jan Martel, John Ding-E. Young, Kowit-Yu Chong Oct 2015

Hirsutella Sinensis Mycelium Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation And Fibrosis In Vivo, Tsung-Teng Huang, Hsin-Chih Lai, Yun-Fei Ko, David M. Ojcius, Ying-Wei Lan, Jan Martel, John Ding-E. Young, Kowit-Yu Chong

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Hirsutella sinensis mycelium (HSM), the anamorph of Cordyceps sinensis, is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been shown to possess various pharmacological properties. We previously reported that this fungus suppresses interleukin-1β and IL-18 secretion by inhibiting both canonical and non-canonical inflammasomes in human macrophages. However, whether HSM may be used to prevent lung fibrosis and the mechanism underlying this activity remain unclear. Our results show that pretreatment with HSM inhibits TGF-β1–induced expression of fibronectin and α-SMA in lung fibroblasts. HSM also restores superoxide dismutase expression in TGF-β1–treated lung fibroblasts and inhibits reactive oxygen species production in lung epithelial cells. Furthermore, …


Loss Of Glycosaminoglycan Receptor Binding After Mosquito Cell Passage Reduces Chikungunya Virus Infectivity, Amber M. Paul, Dhiraj Acharya, John F. Anderson, Faqing Huang, Fengwei Bai Oct 2015

Loss Of Glycosaminoglycan Receptor Binding After Mosquito Cell Passage Reduces Chikungunya Virus Infectivity, Amber M. Paul, Dhiraj Acharya, John F. Anderson, Faqing Huang, Fengwei Bai

Publications

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that can cause fever and chronic arthritis in humans. CHIKV that is generated in mosquito or mammalian cells differs in glycosylation patterns of viral proteins, which may affect its replication and virulence. Herein, we compare replication, pathogenicity, and receptor binding of CHIKV generated in Vero cells (mammal) or C6/36 cells (mosquito) through a single passage. We demonstrate that mosquito cell derived CHIKV (CHIKVmos) has slower replication than mammalian cell derived CHIKV (CHIKVvero), when tested in both human and murine cell lines. Consistent with this, CHIKVmos infection in both cell lines produce less cytopathic …


Odorant Receptor-Based Discovery Of Natural Repellents Of Human Lice, Julien Pelletier, Pingxi Xu, Kyong-Sup Yoon, John M. Clark, Walter S. Leal Oct 2015

Odorant Receptor-Based Discovery Of Natural Repellents Of Human Lice, Julien Pelletier, Pingxi Xu, Kyong-Sup Yoon, John M. Clark, Walter S. Leal

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

The body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus, is an obligate blood-feeding ectoparasite and an important insect vector that mediates the transmission of diseases to humans. The analysis of the body louse genome revealed a drastic reduction of the chemosensory gene repertoires when compared to other insects, suggesting specific olfactory adaptations to host specialization and permanent parasitic lifestyle. Here, we present for the first time functional evidence for the role of odorant receptors (ORs) in this insect, with the objective to gain insight into the chemical ecology of this vector. We identified seven putative full-length ORs, in addition to the odorant receptor …


Workplace Safety Concerns Among Co-Workers Of Responder Returning From Ebola-Affected Country, Benjamin P. Chan, Elizabeth R. Daly, Elizabeth A. Talbot Oct 2015

Workplace Safety Concerns Among Co-Workers Of Responder Returning From Ebola-Affected Country, Benjamin P. Chan, Elizabeth R. Daly, Elizabeth A. Talbot

Dartmouth Scholarship

We surveyed public health co-workers regarding attitudes toward a physician who returned to New Hampshire after volunteering in the West African Ebola outbreak. An unexpectedly large (18.0%) proportion of staff expressed discomfort with the Ebola responder returning to work. Employers should take proactive steps to address employee fears and concerns.


Dynamic Ubiquitination Drives Herpesvirus Neuroinvasion, Nicholas J. Huffmaster, Patricia J. Sollars, Alexsia L. Richards, Gary E. Pickard, Gregory A. Smith Oct 2015

Dynamic Ubiquitination Drives Herpesvirus Neuroinvasion, Nicholas J. Huffmaster, Patricia J. Sollars, Alexsia L. Richards, Gary E. Pickard, Gregory A. Smith

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Neuroinvasive herpesviruses display a remarkable propensity to enter the nervous system of healthy individuals in the absence of obvious trauma at the site of inoculation. We document a repurposing of cellular ubiquitin during infection to switch the virus between two invasive states. The states act sequentially to defeat consecutive host barriers of the peripheral nervous system and together promote the potent neuroinvasive phenotype. The first state directs virus access to nerve endings in peripheral tissue, whereas the second delivers virus particles within nerve fibers to the neural ganglia. Mutant viruses locked in either state remain competent to overcome the corresponding …


The Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Favipiravir Protects Guinea Pigs From Lethal Lassa Virus Infection Post-Disease Onset, David Safronetz, Kyle Rosenke, Jonna B. Westover, Cynthia Martellaro, Atsushi Okumura, Yousuke Furuta, Joan Geisbert, Greg Saturday, Takashi Komeno, Thomas W. Geisbert, Heinz Feldmann, Brian B. Gowen Oct 2015

The Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Favipiravir Protects Guinea Pigs From Lethal Lassa Virus Infection Post-Disease Onset, David Safronetz, Kyle Rosenke, Jonna B. Westover, Cynthia Martellaro, Atsushi Okumura, Yousuke Furuta, Joan Geisbert, Greg Saturday, Takashi Komeno, Thomas W. Geisbert, Heinz Feldmann, Brian B. Gowen

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

With up to 500,000 infections annually, Lassa virus (LASV), the cause of Lassa fever, is one of the most prevalent etiological agents of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) in humans. LASV is endemic in several West African countries with sporadic cases and prolonged outbreaks observed most commonly in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. Additionally several cases of Lassa fever have been imported into North America, Europe and Asia making LASV a global threat to public health. Despite this, currently no approved therapeutic or vaccine exists to treat or prevent LASV infections. Here, using a passaged strain of LASV that is …


A Tail Of Two Phages: Genomic And Functional Analysis Of Listeria Monocytogenes Phages Vb_Lmos_188 And Vb_Lmos_293 Reveal The Receptor-Binding Proteins Involved In Host Specificity, Aidan Casey, Kieran Jordan, Horst Neve, Aidan Coffey, Olivia Mcauliffe Oct 2015

A Tail Of Two Phages: Genomic And Functional Analysis Of Listeria Monocytogenes Phages Vb_Lmos_188 And Vb_Lmos_293 Reveal The Receptor-Binding Proteins Involved In Host Specificity, Aidan Casey, Kieran Jordan, Horst Neve, Aidan Coffey, Olivia Mcauliffe

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The physical characteristics of bacteriophages establish them as viable candidates for downstream development of pathogen detection assays and biocontrol measures. To utilize phages for such purposes, a detailed knowledge of their host interaction mechanisms is a prerequisite. There is currently a wealth of knowledge available concerning Gram-negative phage-host interaction, but little by comparison for Gram-positive phages and Listeria phages in particular. In this research, the lytic spectrum of two recently isolated Listeria monocytogenes phages (vB_LmoS_188 and vB_LmoS_293) was determined, and the genomic basis for their observed serotype 4b/4e host-specificity was investigated using comparative genomics. The late tail genes of these …


Colonization Of Lutzomyia Verrucarum And Lutzomyia Longipalpis Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) By Bartonella Bacilliformis, The Etiologic Agent Of Carrion's Disease, James M. Battisti, Phillip G. Lawyer, Michael F. Minnick Oct 2015

Colonization Of Lutzomyia Verrucarum And Lutzomyia Longipalpis Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) By Bartonella Bacilliformis, The Etiologic Agent Of Carrion's Disease, James M. Battisti, Phillip G. Lawyer, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bartonella bacilliformis is a pathogenic bacterium transmitted to humans presumably by bites of phlebotomine sand flies, infection with which results in a bi-phasic syndrome termed Carrion's disease. After constructing a low-passage GFP-labeled strain of B. bacilliformis, we artificially infected Lutzomyia verrucarum and L. longipalpis populations, and subsequently monitored colonization of sand flies by fluorescence microscopy. Initially, colonization of the two fly species was indistinguishable, with bacteria exhibiting a high degree of motility, yet still confined to the abdominal midgut. After 48h, B. bacilliformis transitioned from bacillus-shape to a non-motile, small coccoid form and appeared to be digested along with …


Advances In The Diagnosis Of Human Opisthorchiasis: Development Of Opisthorchis Viverrini Antigen Detection In Urine, Chanika Worasith, Christine Kamamia, Anna Yakovleva, Kunyarat Duenngai, Chompunoot Wangboon, Jeffrey M. Bethony, +8 Additional Authors Oct 2015

Advances In The Diagnosis Of Human Opisthorchiasis: Development Of Opisthorchis Viverrini Antigen Detection In Urine, Chanika Worasith, Christine Kamamia, Anna Yakovleva, Kunyarat Duenngai, Chompunoot Wangboon, Jeffrey M. Bethony, +8 Additional Authors

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Many strategies to control opisthorchiasis have been employed in Thailand, but not in the other neighbouring countries. Specific control methods include mass drug administration (MDA) and health education to reduce raw fish consumption. These control efforts have greatly shifted the epidemiology of Opisthorchis viverrini (OV) infection over the last decade from presenting as densely concentrated "heavy" infections in single villages to widespread "light" OV infections distributed over wide geographical areas. Currently, the "gold standard" detection method for OV infection is formalin ethyl-acetate concentration technique (FECT), which has limited diagnostic sensitivity and diagnostic specificity for light OV infections, with OV …


Carcinogenic Parasite Secretes Growth Factor That Accelerates Wound Healing And Potentially Promotes Neoplasia., Michael J. Smout, Javier Sotillo, Thewarach Laha, Atiroch Papatpremsiri, Gabriel Rinaldi, Rafael N. Pimenta, Paul J. Brindley, +11 More Oct 2015

Carcinogenic Parasite Secretes Growth Factor That Accelerates Wound Healing And Potentially Promotes Neoplasia., Michael J. Smout, Javier Sotillo, Thewarach Laha, Atiroch Papatpremsiri, Gabriel Rinaldi, Rafael N. Pimenta, Paul J. Brindley, +11 More

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Infection with the human liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini induces cancer of the bile ducts, cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Injury from feeding activities of this parasite within the human biliary tree causes extensive lesions, wounds that undergo protracted cycles of healing, and re-injury over years of chronic infection. We show that O. viverrini secreted proteins accelerated wound resolution in human cholangiocytes, an outcome that was compromised following silencing of expression of the fluke-derived gene encoding the granulin-like growth factor, Ov-GRN-1. Recombinant Ov-GRN-1 induced angiogenesis and accelerated mouse wound healing. Ov-GRN-1 was internalized by human cholangiocytes and induced gene and protein expression changes associated …


Whole-Genome Sequencing Of Kshv From Zambian Kaposi’S Sarcoma Biopsies Reveals Unique Viral Diversity, Landon N. Olp, Adrien Jeanniard, Clemence Marimo, John T. West, Charles Wood Sep 2015

Whole-Genome Sequencing Of Kshv From Zambian Kaposi’S Sarcoma Biopsies Reveals Unique Viral Diversity, Landon N. Olp, Adrien Jeanniard, Clemence Marimo, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiological agent for Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). Both KSHV and KS are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa where approximately 84% of global KS cases occur. Nevertheless, whole-genome sequencing of KSHV has only been completed using isolates from Western countries—where KS is not endemic. The lack of whole-genome KSHV sequence data from the most clinically important geographical region, sub-Saharan Africa, represents an important gap as it remains unclear whether genomic diversity has a role on KSHV pathogenesis. We hypothesized that distinct KSHV genotypes might be present in sub-Saharan Africa compared to Western countries. Using a KSHV-targeted enrichment …


An Evolutionary Vaccination Game In The Modified Activity Driven Network By Considering The Closeness, Dun Han, Mei Sun Sep 2015

An Evolutionary Vaccination Game In The Modified Activity Driven Network By Considering The Closeness, Dun Han, Mei Sun

Publications and Research

In this paper, we explore an evolutionary vaccination game in the modified activity driven network by considering the closeness. We set a closeness parameter p which is used to describe the way of connection between two individuals. The simulation results show that the closeness p may have an active role in weakening both the spreading of epidemic and the vaccination. Besides, when vaccination is not allowed, the final recovered density increases with the value of the ratio of the infection rate to the recovery rate λ/μ. However, when vaccination is allowed the final density of recovered individual first increases and …


A Forward Genetic Screen Identifies Factors Associated With Fever Pathogenesis In Plasmodium Falciparum, Phaedra J. Thomas Sep 2015

A Forward Genetic Screen Identifies Factors Associated With Fever Pathogenesis In Plasmodium Falciparum, Phaedra J. Thomas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Infectious diseases that spread from person-to-person and continent-to-continent are a cause for concern for any health entity. One such disease is malaria, a mosquito-borne infection instigated by the protozoan parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Hundreds of millions of people are affected annually and it is responsible for nearly 1 million deaths. It is the most fatal species causing malaria and proliferates in human red blood cells with a life cycle occurring every 48 hours. At this time, the parasite’s late stage form or schizont bursts from the erythrocyte releasing immune-inducing particles and infective forms (merozoites) into the bloodstream. The merozoites go …


Metazoan Endoparasites Of The Gray Fox, Urocyon Cinereoargenteus From New Mexico, John E. Ubelaker, Bretton S. Griffin, Genevieve M. Konicke, Nora Abdullah, Aya Mouhaffel, Donald W. Duszynski, Robert L. Harrison Sep 2015

Metazoan Endoparasites Of The Gray Fox, Urocyon Cinereoargenteus From New Mexico, John E. Ubelaker, Bretton S. Griffin, Genevieve M. Konicke, Nora Abdullah, Aya Mouhaffel, Donald W. Duszynski, Robert L. Harrison

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Metazoan gastrointestinal endoparasites were recovered from 10 of 14 (71.4%) gray foxes [Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775)] collected in New Mexico from 1996 -1998. They include a pentastome Porocephalus sp., (n=1, 7.1%), a trematode: Fasciola hepatica Linnaeus, 1758 (n=1, 7.1%), the nematodes: Physaloptera rara Hall and Wigdor, 1918 (n=3, 14.3%), Physaloptera praeputialis Linstow, 1899 (n=2, 14.3%), an unidentified female Physaloptera sp. (n=1, 7.1%), Toxocara mystax (Zeder, 1800) (n=2, 14.3%), Toxocara canis (Werner, 1782) (n=1, 7.1%), Spirocerca lupi (Rudolphi, 1809) (n=6, 42.9%), and cestodes: Taenia pisiformis (Bloch, 1780) n=3, n=3, (21.4%), Taenia serialis (Gervais, 1847) (n=3, 21.4%), and Mesocestoides …


Meningeal Infiltration Of The Spinal Cord By Non-Classically Activated B Cells Is Associated With Chronic Disease Course In A Spontaneous B Cell-Dependent Model Of Cns Autoimmune Disease, Amy K. Dang, Yodit Tesfagiorgis, Rajiv W. Jain, Heather C. Craig, Steven M. Kerfoot Sep 2015

Meningeal Infiltration Of The Spinal Cord By Non-Classically Activated B Cells Is Associated With Chronic Disease Course In A Spontaneous B Cell-Dependent Model Of Cns Autoimmune Disease, Amy K. Dang, Yodit Tesfagiorgis, Rajiv W. Jain, Heather C. Craig, Steven M. Kerfoot

Microbiology & Immunology Publications

We characterized B cell infiltration of the spinal cord in a B cell-dependent spontaneous model of central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity that develops in a proportion of mice with mutant T and B cell receptors specific for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. We found that, while males are more likely to develop disease, females are more likely to have a chronic rather than monophasic disease course. B cell infiltration of the spinal cord was investigated by histology and FACs. CD4+ T cell infiltration was pervasive throughout the white and in some cases gray matter. B cells were almost exclusively restricted to …


Local Bacteria Affect The Efficacy Of Chemotherapeutic Drugs, Panos Lehouritis, Joanne Cummins, Michael Stanton, Carola T Murphy, Florence O Mccarthy, Gregor Reid, Camilla Urbaniak, William L Byrne, Mark Tangney Sep 2015

Local Bacteria Affect The Efficacy Of Chemotherapeutic Drugs, Panos Lehouritis, Joanne Cummins, Michael Stanton, Carola T Murphy, Florence O Mccarthy, Gregor Reid, Camilla Urbaniak, William L Byrne, Mark Tangney

Microbiology & Immunology Publications

In this study, the potential effects of bacteria on the efficacy of frequently used chemotherapies was examined. Bacteria and cancer cell lines were examined in vitro and in vivo for changes in the efficacy of cancer cell killing mediated by chemotherapeutic agents. Of 30 drugs examined in vitro, the efficacy of 10 was found to be significantly inhibited by certain bacteria, while the same bacteria improved the efficacy of six others. HPLC and mass spectrometry analyses of sample drugs (gemcitabine, fludarabine, cladribine, CB1954) demonstrated modification of drug chemical structure. The chemoresistance or increased cytotoxicity observed in vitro with sample drugs …


A Multi-Platform Metabolomics Approach Identifies Highly Specific Biomarkers Of Bacterial Diversity In The Vagina Of Pregnant And Non-Pregnant Women, Amy Mcmillan, Stephen Rulisa, Mark Sumarah, Jean M Macklaim, Justin Renaud, Jordan E Bisanz, Gregory B Gloor, Gregor Reid Sep 2015

A Multi-Platform Metabolomics Approach Identifies Highly Specific Biomarkers Of Bacterial Diversity In The Vagina Of Pregnant And Non-Pregnant Women, Amy Mcmillan, Stephen Rulisa, Mark Sumarah, Jean M Macklaim, Justin Renaud, Jordan E Bisanz, Gregory B Gloor, Gregor Reid

Microbiology & Immunology Publications

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) increases transmission of HIV, enhances the risk of preterm labour, and is associated with malodour. Clinical diagnosis often relies on microscopy, which may not reflect the microbiota composition accurately. We use an untargeted metabolomics approach, whereby we normalize the weight of samples prior to analysis, to obtained precise measurements of metabolites in vaginal fluid. We identify biomarkers for BV with high sensitivity and specificity (AUC = 0.99) in a cohort of 131 pregnant and non-pregnant Rwandan women, and demonstrate that the vaginal metabolome is strongly associated with bacterial diversity. Metabolites associated with high diversity and clinical BV …


The Conserved G-Protein Coupled Receptor Fshr-1 Regulates Protective Host Responses To Infection And Oxidative Stress, Elizabeth V. Miller, Leah N. Grandi, Jennifer A. Giannini, Joseph D. Robinson, Jennifer R. Powell Sep 2015

The Conserved G-Protein Coupled Receptor Fshr-1 Regulates Protective Host Responses To Infection And Oxidative Stress, Elizabeth V. Miller, Leah N. Grandi, Jennifer A. Giannini, Joseph D. Robinson, Jennifer R. Powell

Biology Faculty Publications

The innate immune system’s ability to sense an infection is critical so that it can rapidly respond if pathogenic microorganisms threaten the host, but otherwise maintain a quiescent baseline state to avoid causing damage to the host or to commensal microorganisms. One important mechanism for discriminating between pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria is the recognition of cellular damage caused by a pathogen during the course of infection. InCaenorhabditis elegans, the conserved G-protein coupled receptor FSHR-1 is an important constituent of the innate immune response. FSHR-1 activates the expression of antimicrobial infection response genes in infected worms and delays accumulation …


Trim21 Regulates Nmi-Ifi35 Complex-Mediated Inhibition Of Innate Antiviral Response, Anshuman Das, Phat X. Dinh, Asit K. Pattnaik Sep 2015

Trim21 Regulates Nmi-Ifi35 Complex-Mediated Inhibition Of Innate Antiviral Response, Anshuman Das, Phat X. Dinh, Asit K. Pattnaik

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

In this study, using an immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry approach, we have identified the E3 ubiquitin ligase Trim21 as an interacting partner of IFI35 and Nmi. We found that this interaction leads to K63-linked ubiquitination on K22 residue of Nmi, but not IFI35. Using domain deletion analysis, we found that the interaction is mediated via the coiled-coil domain of Nmi and the carboxyl-terminal SPRY domain of Trim21. Furthermore, we show that depletion of Trim21 leads to significantly reduced interaction of Nmi with IFI35, which results in the abrogation of the negative regulatory function of the Nmi-IFI35 complex on innate …


Role Of Macrophages In Muscle Transfection With Pdna/Pluronic Formulation, Vivek Mahajan Aug 2015

Role Of Macrophages In Muscle Transfection With Pdna/Pluronic Formulation, Vivek Mahajan

Theses & Dissertations

Non-ionic amphiphilic block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO), Pluronics, arranged in a tri-block structure PEO-PPO-PEO, have raised a considerable interest in skeletal muscle Gene Therapy. Previous studies have demonstrated that co-administration of Pluronics with naked plasmid DNA (pDNA) by direct i.m. injection enhanced transgene expression not only in muscle but also in distal lymphoid organs (spleen and lymph nodes) and this response was strain-dependent; not observed in athymic (BALB/c nu/nu) mouse; suggesting a role of immune cells in gene transfer to skeletal muscles. Therefore, we first evaluated the role of inflammation and inflammatory cells, on muscle …


Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Contribute To The Subversion Of Innate Immunity During Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Infection, Cortney E. Heim Aug 2015

Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Contribute To The Subversion Of Innate Immunity During Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Infection, Cortney E. Heim

Theses & Dissertations

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of immature monocytes and granulocytes that are potent inhibitors of T cell activation. A role for MDSCs in bacterial infections has only recently emerged, and our laboratory was the first to demonstrate a functional role for MDSCs during Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) biofilm infection. Biofilm infections often lead to significant morbidity due to their recalcitrance to antibiotics and ability to subvert immune-mediated clearance by skewing the immune response toward an anti-inflammatory, pro-fibrotic phenotype. Therefore, we examined whether MDSCs could play a role in this process. CD11b+Gr-1+ MDSCs …


Paleoepidemiology Of Intestinal Parasites And Lice In Pre-Columbian South America *, Adauto Araujo, Karl J. Reinhard, Daniela Leles, Luciana Sianto, Alena Iniguez, Martin Fugassa, Berrnardo Arriaza, Nancy Orellana, Luiz Fernando Ferreira Aug 2015

Paleoepidemiology Of Intestinal Parasites And Lice In Pre-Columbian South America *, Adauto Araujo, Karl J. Reinhard, Daniela Leles, Luciana Sianto, Alena Iniguez, Martin Fugassa, Berrnardo Arriaza, Nancy Orellana, Luiz Fernando Ferreira

Karl Reinhard Publications

Some human parasites originated in prehominid ancestors in Africa. Nematode species, such as Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm), hookworms and Trichuris trichiura are shared by humans and other close phylogenetic primates (Pan and Gorilla), showing that they infected a common ancestor to this group. When humans migrated from Africa to other continents they carried these parasites wherever climate conditions allowed parasite transmission from host to host. Other parasites, however, were acquired throughout human biological and social evolutive history when new territories were occupied. Paleoparasitology data is a valuable source to recover emergence and disappearance of parasite infections through analysis of archaeological remains. …


Diet And Parasitism At Dust Devil Cave, Karl J. Reinhard, J Richard Ambler, Magdalene Mcguffie Aug 2015

Diet And Parasitism At Dust Devil Cave, Karl J. Reinhard, J Richard Ambler, Magdalene Mcguffie

Karl Reinhard Publications

Human parasitism has obvious relationships to group size and composition, mobility, subsistence patterns, and rates of culture change. At their best, human endoparasites may be annoying; at their worst, some can cause death. Thus, an overall view of the parasite load of a prehistoric population can yield insights useful in interpreting past lifeways. With these thoughts in mind, we undertook a study of Desha Complex (6800-4800 B .C.) human feces recovered from Dust Devil Cave in southern Utah.


Proteins Of Bartonella Bacilliformis:Candidates For Vaccine Development, Cesar Henriquez-Camocho, Palmira Ventosilla, Michael F. Minnick, Joaquim Ruiz, Ciro Maguina Aug 2015

Proteins Of Bartonella Bacilliformis:Candidates For Vaccine Development, Cesar Henriquez-Camocho, Palmira Ventosilla, Michael F. Minnick, Joaquim Ruiz, Ciro Maguina

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Bartonella bacilliformis is the etiologic agent of Carrion's disease suggest complex adaptations by the bacterium to the human host, with the overall objectives of persistence, maintenance of a reservoir state for vectorial transmission, and immune evasion. These events include a multitude of biochemical and genetic mechanisms involving both bacterial and host proteins. This review focuses on proteins involved in interactions between B. bacilliformis and human host. Some of them (e.g., flagellin, Brps, IalB, FtsZ, Hbp/Pap31, and other outer membrane proteins) are potential protein antigen candidates for a synthetic vaccine.


The Right Tool For The Job: Detection Of Soil-Transmitted Helminths In Areas Co-Endemic For Other Helminths, Maria V. Periago, Renata C. Diniz, Simone A. Pinto, Anna Yakovleva, Rodrigo Correa-Oliveira, David J. Diemert, Jeffrey M. Bethony Aug 2015

The Right Tool For The Job: Detection Of Soil-Transmitted Helminths In Areas Co-Endemic For Other Helminths, Maria V. Periago, Renata C. Diniz, Simone A. Pinto, Anna Yakovleva, Rodrigo Correa-Oliveira, David J. Diemert, Jeffrey M. Bethony

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Due to the recent increased use of the McMaster (MM) fecal egg counting method for assessing benzimidazole drug efficacy for treating soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections, the aim of the current study was to determine the operational value of including the MM method alongside the Kato-Katz (KK) fecal thick smear to increase the diagnostic sensitivity when STHs are co-endemic with trematode helminths (e.g., Schistosoma mansoni).

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in school-aged children aged 4-18 years in the northeastern region of the State of Minas Gerais (Brazil), where Necator americanus, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and S …


Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Ca-Mrsa) Usa300 Perturbs Acquisition Of Lysosomal Hydrolases And Requires Phagosomal Acidification For Survival In A Human Macrophage Cell Line, Zachary Ronald Tranchemontagne Aug 2015

Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Ca-Mrsa) Usa300 Perturbs Acquisition Of Lysosomal Hydrolases And Requires Phagosomal Acidification For Survival In A Human Macrophage Cell Line, Zachary Ronald Tranchemontagne

All Theses And Dissertations

Community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) strain USA300 is a major cause of invasive drug-resistant skin and soft tissue infections in humans. Although S. aureus is a well-recognized extracellular pathogen, recent reports that USA300 survives inside host macrophages suggest that the intramacrophage environment may be a niche for persistent infection. Intramacrophage survival requires bacteria to avoid destruction in the phagosome; however, mechanisms by which USA300 evades phagosomal defenses are unclear. We examined the fate of the USA300-containing phagosome in human THP-1 macrophages by evaluating phagosomal acidification and maturation, and by testing the impact of phagosomal conditions on bacterial viability. Utilizing confocal …


Enhancement Of Hiv Persistence By Adipose Tissue, Jacob Couturier Aug 2015

Enhancement Of Hiv Persistence By Adipose Tissue, Jacob Couturier

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

A major challenge for HIV eradication is the persistence of cellular and anatomic viral reservoirs. The primary cellular reservoirs for HIV, memory CD4 T cells and macrophages, traffic into various tissues where most viral replication occurs, or in the case of virally-suppressed antiretroviral-treated patients, the virus becomes dormant and protected from drugs and immune responses. The major tissue reservoirs for HIV include lymphoid tissues such as lymph nodes, bone marrow, and gastrointestinal lymphoid tissues, but adipose tissues could potentially harbor HIV as well. Adipose tissues are ubiquitous connective tissues and major sites of infiltration and immune activity by T cells …