Immunology and Infectious Disease Commons^™

Detection Of Strongylus Vulgaris In Equine Faecal Samples By Real-Time Pcr And Larval Culture – Method Comparison And Occurrence Assessment, A. Kaspar, K. Pfister, Martin K. Nielsen, C. Silaghi, H. Fink, M. C. Scheuerle

Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Background: Strongylus vulgaris has become a rare parasite in Germany during the past 50 years due to the practice of frequent prophylactic anthelmintic therapy. To date, the emerging development of resistance in Cyathostominae and Parascaris spp. to numerous equine anthelmintics has changed deworming management and the frequency of anthelmintic usage. In this regard, reliable detection of parasitic infections, especially of the highly pathogenic S. vulgaris is essential. In the current study, two diagnostic methods for the detection of infections with S. vulgaris were compared and information on the occurrence of this parasite in German horses was gained. For this purpose, …

Identification Of Candidate Infection Genes From The Model Entomopathogenic Nematode Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora., Jonathan Vadnal, Ramesh Ratnappan, Melissa Keaney, Eric Kenney, Ioannis Eleftherianos, Damien O'Halloran, John M. Hawdon

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Despite important progress in the field of innate immunity, our understanding of host immune responses to parasitic nematode infections lags behind that of responses to microbes. A limiting factor has been the obligate requirement for a vertebrate host which has hindered investigation of the parasitic nematode infective process. The nematode parasite Heterorhabditis bacteriophora offers great potential as a model to genetically dissect the process of infection. With its mutualistic Photorhabdus luminescens bacteria, H. bacteriophora invades multiple species of insects, which it kills and exploits as a food source for the development of several nematode generations. The ability to culture …

Isolation, Culture And Characterization Of Hirsutella Sinensis Mycelium From Caterpillar Fungus Fruiting Body, Yun-Fei Komi, Jian-Ching Liau, Chien-Sheng Lee, Chen-Yaw Chiu, Jan Martel, Chuan-Sheng Lin, Shan-Fu Tseng, David M. Ojcius, Chia-Chen Lu, Hsin-Chih Lai, John Ding-E. Young

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

The caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (previously called Cordyceps sinensis) has been used for centuries in Asia as a tonic to improve health and longevity. Recent studies show that O. sinensis produces a wide range of biological effects on cells, laboratory animals and humans, including anti-fatigue, anti-infection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor activities. In view of the rarity of O. sinensis fruiting bodies in nature, cultivation of its anamorph mycelium represents a useful alternative for large-scale production. However, O. sinensis fruiting bodies harvested in nature harbor several fungal contaminants, a phenomenon that led to the isolation and characterization of a large number …

Genomes Of Fasciola Hepatica From The Americas Reveal Colonization With Neorickettsia Endobacteria Related To The Agents Of Potomac Horse And Human Sennetsu Fevers., Samantha N Mcnulty, Jose F Tort, Gabriel Rinaldi, Bruce A Rosa, Victoria H. Mann, Patricia S. Latham, Paul J. Brindley, +Several Additional Authors

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Food borne trematodes (FBTs) are an assemblage of platyhelminth parasites transmitted through the food chain, four of which are recognized as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Fascioliasis stands out among the other NTDs due to its broad and significant impact on both human and animal health, as Fasciola sp., are also considered major pathogens of domesticated ruminants. Here we present a reference genome sequence of the common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica isolated from sheep, complementing previously reported isolate from cattle. A total of 14,642 genes were predicted from the 1.14 GB genome of the liver fluke. Comparative genomics indicated that F. …

Schistosoma Mansoni Reinfection: Analysis Of Risk Factors By Classification And Regression Tree (Cart) Modeling., Andréa Gazzinelli, Roberta Oliveira-Prado, Leonardo Ferreira Matoso, Bráulio M Veloso, Gisele Andrade, Helmut Kloos, Jeffrey M Bethony, Renato M Assunção, Rodrigo Correa-Oliveira

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Praziquantel (PZQ) is an effective chemotherapy for schistosomiasis mansoni and a mainstay for its control and potential elimination. However, it does not prevent against reinfection, which can occur rapidly in areas with active transmission. A guide to ranking the risk factors for Schistosoma mansoni reinfection would greatly contribute to prioritizing resources and focusing prevention and control measures to prevent rapid reinfection. The objective of the current study was to explore the relationship among the socioeconomic, demographic, and epidemiological factors that can influence reinfection by S. mansoni one year after successful treatment with PZQ in school-aged children in Northeastern Minas …

Ancylostoma Ceylanicum Infective Third-Stage Larvae Are Activated By Co-Culture With Ht-29-Mtx Intestinal Epithelial Cells, Caitlin Feather, John M. Hawdon, John March

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Human hookworm larvae arrest development until they enter an appropriate host. This makes it difficult to access the larvae for studying larval development or host-parasite interactions. While there are in vivo and in vitro animal models of human hookworm infection, there is currently no human, in vitro model. While animal models have provided much insight into hookworm biology, there are limitations to how closely this can replicate human infection. Therefore, we have developed a human, in vitro model of the initial phase of hookworm infection using intestinal epithelial cell culture.

Results

Co-culture of the human hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum with …

H-Ipse Is A Pathogen-Secreted Host Nucleus Infiltrating Protein (Infiltrin) 3 Expressed Exclusively By The Schistosoma Haematobium Egg Stage, Luke Pennington, Abdulaziz Alouffi, Evaristus Mbanefo, Debalina Ray, David Heery, Theodore Jardetzky, Michael Hsieh, Franco Falcone

Urology Faculty Publications

Urogenital schistosomiasis, caused by the parasitic trematode Schistosoma haematobium, affects over 112 million people worldwide. As with S. mansoniinfections, the pathology in urogenital schistosomiasis is mainly related to the egg stage, which induces granulomatous inflammation of affected tissues. Schistosoma eggs and their secretions have been studied extensively for the related S. mansoniorganism which is more amenable to laboratory studies. Indeed, we have shown that IPSE/alpha-1 (M-IPSE herein), a major protein secreted from S .mansoni eggs, can infiltrate host cells. Although M-IPSE function is unknown, its ability to translocate to their nucleus and bind DNA suggests a possible …

The Effect Of Gram-Positive Staphylococcus Aureus Cell Wall Components Lipoteichoic Acid And Peptidoglycan On Cytokine Production, Cytoskeletal Arrangement, And Cell Viability On Raw 264.7 Murine Macrophages, Gabrielle String

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In this study, gram positive Staphylococcus aureus cell wall components such as lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and peptidoglycan (PGN) were used to study the potential inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine response, cytoskeletal arrangement and cell viability on RAW264.7 murine macrophages over 24 hours. The effect of S.aureus LTA and PGN (5 µg/mL) on RAW 264.7 macrophages was evaluated every six hours for twenty-four hours. Inflammatory cytokine (TNF-a) production peaked at 6 hours before decreasing over time. Anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) production peaked between 12 and 18 hours. During the first twenty-four hours, cytotoxicity of treated macrophages, as defined as the release of lactate …

Effects Of Socs1 And Socs3 Peptide Mimetics On Macrophage Phagocytosis Of Malignant Cells, Colt Dylan Capan

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Macrophages play a key role in both the innate and adaptive immune system responses to foreign materials. Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins are known as regulators of the immune response through various JAK/STAT pathways. This study examined the roles of SOCS1 and SOCS3 peptide mimetics on the phagocytosis of fluorescently labeled malignant target cell by RAW264.7 murine macrophages. The malignant cells used were Neuro-2a cells, a murine neuroblastoma cell line. A prominent "eat me" signal found in neuroblastoma cells is calreticulin (CRT), which permits macrophages to recognize and then phagocytize the malignant cells. When M1 (pro-inflammatory) polarized macrophages were …

Hepatocyte-Specific Deletion Of Tristetraprolin Family Of Rna Binding Proteins Result In The Development Of Hepatocellular Carcinomas, Sonika Patial

Hepatobiliary Cancers: Pathobiology and Translational Advances

No abstract provided.

A Critical Appraisal Of Extracorporeal Photopheresis As A Treatment Modality For Acute And Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Hind Rafei, Mohamed Kharfan-Dabaja, Taiga Nishihori

Medicine Faculty Publications

Although significant advances have been made in the biologic understanding of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and its treatment options, GVHD remains the single most challenging obstacle to the success of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) due to high risk of disabling morbidity and mortality. Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) has promising effects in controlling steroid-refractory GVHD, both acute and chronic, and it has been studied extensively. Its putative immunomodulatory mechanisms, while not immunosuppressive, position ECP as an attractive treatment strategy for GVHD patients who are already receiving global immunosuppression. However, ECP is relatively underutilized due in part to limited access and time commitment. …

Development Of Cellular Assays To Monitor Enzymatic And Biological Activity Of Cd73: A Key Modulator Of Anti-Tumor Immune Response, Alexandra Fanuka

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Ecto-5’-nucleotidase, known as CD73, is an extracellular enzyme that converts adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to adenosine and has recently been identified as a potential drug target for cancer immunotherapy. Its immunosuppressive effects, mediated by the activity of adenosine, are associated with higher rates of tumor invasion and metastasis, as well as poorer prognoses overall in many cancer types. CD73 is often co-expressed with ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1 (CD39), which catalyzes the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and ADP to AMP on the surface of tumor cells. Dual expression further propagates immunosuppressive effects of adenosine in the tumor microenvironment. …

Cytokine Expression, Cytoskeleton Organization, And Viability Of Sim-A9 Microglia Exposed To Staphylococcus Aureus-Derived Lipoteichoic Acid And Peptidoglycan, Erin Roberts

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In these experiments, SIM-A9 microglia were exposed to Staphylococcus aureus cell wall components lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and peptidoglycan (PGN) at a concentration of 5 ug/mL for six, twelve, eighteen, and twenty-four hours and the cytokine expression, cytoskeleton organization, and cell viability of the cells were observed. Following LTA and PGN exposure, TNF-a; secretion increased at each time interval and was highest observed at 24 hours. No significant IL-10 secretion was detected. Over the 24 hour period, cell viability and cytotoxicity of LTA and PGN treatment groups were not significantly different from the control, indicating the observed inflammatory cytokine response was …

Genomic Vs. Non-Genomic Role Of The Ahr In Human Immunoglobulin Expression, Nasser Alhamdan

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The immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (Igh) in various animal models is regulated by numerous regulatory elements including the 3’Igh regulatory region (3’IghRR). Several transcription factors are involved in modulating the 3’IghRR including the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The AhR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates the transcription of genes involved in the metabolism of environmental toxicants such as TCDD. TCDD binds AhR and regulates immunoglobulin (Ig) expression in B cells. This modulation appears to be directly mediated by binding of the AhR to dioxin response elements (DRE) within the 3’IghRR. In human B cells, IgG secretion inhibited by TCDD …

Sleep Disturbance And The Immunological Acute Phase Response In Hospitalized Post-Operative Adults., Jean Dorothy Humphries

Wayne State University Dissertations

Abstract

Sleep Disturbance and the Immunological Acute Phase Response

in Postoperative Hospitalized Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the subjective and objective (actigraphy) sleep patterns, the immunological acute phase response of IL1-β and TNF-α, and the physiological stress response of cortisol and systolic blood pressure in post-operative abdominal surgical patients. Nineteen subjects, 10 men and 9 women, mean age 45.63 years (SD = 11.44) were enrolled between April 2015 and March 2016. All subjects were elective major invasive abdominal surgery patients. Laparoscopic surgery occurred in 10 patients and incisional surgery occurred in 9 patients. This descriptive …

Effects Of Socs1 And Socs3 Peptide Mimetics On Macrophage Phagocytosis Of Malignant Cells, Colt Dylan Capan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Macrophages play a key role in both the innate and adaptive immune system responses to foreign materials. Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins are known as regulators of the immune response through various JAK/STAT pathways. This study examined the roles of SOCS1 and SOCS3 peptide mimetics on the phagocytosis of fluorescently labeled malignant target cell by RAW264.7 murine macrophages. The malignant cells used were Neuro-2a cells, a murine neuroblastoma cell line. A prominent “eat me” signal found in neuroblastoma cells is calreticulin (CRT), which permits macrophages to recognize and then phagocytize the malignant cells. When M1 (pro-inflammatory) polarized macrophages were …

Nasopharyngeal Microbiome Diversity Changes Over Time In Children With Asthma, Marcos Pérez-Losada, Lamia Alamri, Keith Crandall, Robert J. Freishtat

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background

The nasopharynx is a reservoir for pathogens associated with respiratory illnesses such as asthma. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been used to characterize the nasopharyngeal microbiome of infants and adults during health and disease; less is known, however, about the composition and temporal dynamics (i.e., longitudinal variation) of microbiotas from children and adolescents. Here we use NGS technology to characterize the nasopharyngeal microbiomes of asthmatic children and adolescents (6 to 18 years) and determine their stability over time.

Methods

Two nasopharyngeal washes collected 5.5 to 6.5 months apart were taken from 40 children and adolescents with asthma living in the …

Immune Evasion By Division Of Labor: The Trophic Life Cycle Stage Of Pneumocystis Murina Suppresses Innate Immunity To This Opportunistic, Fungal Pathogen, Heather M. Evans

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Pneumocystis species are opportunistic fungal pathogens that cause severe pneumonia in immunocompromised hosts, including AIDS patients. Pneumocystis species have a biphasic life cycle consisting of single-nucleated trophic forms and ascus-like cysts. Both stages live within the host, and, thus, must contend with threats from the host immune system. The cyst cell wall β-glucans have been shown to stimulate immune responses in lung epithelial cells, dendritic cells and alveolar macrophages. Little is known about how the trophic life forms, which do not have a fungal cell wall, interact with immune cells. In this study, the immune response to the life cycle …

The Outcome Of Elisa For Antiphosphatidylethanolamine Antibodies Is Dependent On The Composition Of Phosphatidylethanolamine, Songwang Hou, Paul E. Harper, Nathalie Bardin, Ming Zhao

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Objective The presence of circulating autoantibodies against phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) has been shown to be positively associated with symptoms of antiphospholipid syndromes (APS). However, the current ELISA-based tests for antiphosphatidylethanolamine (aPE) antibodies remain inconsistent and controversial. The term PE refers to a collection of phospholipids that have phosphorylethanolamine head group as a common structural feature, but can vary in fatty acids with diverse physicochemical properties. The present study was to investigate, using synthetic positionally symmetrical PE species as a model system, the impact of PE structural variations on aPE ELISA. Methods Single and combinations of synthetic PE species, including 16:0 (fatty …

Genomic Vs. Non-Genomic Role Of The Ahr In Human Immunoglobulin Expression, Nasser Alhamdan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (Igh) in various animal models is regulated by numerous regulatory elements including the 3'Igh regulatory region (3'IghRR). Several transcription factors are involved in modulating the 3'R including the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The AhR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates the transcription of genes involved in the metabolism of environmental toxicants such as TCDD. TCDD binds AhR and regulates immunoglobulin (Ig) expression in B cells. This modulation appears to be directly mediated by binding of the AhR to dioxin response elements (DRE) within the 3'IghRR. In human B cells, IgG secretion inhibited by TCDD …

Novel Possibilities For The Treatment And Prevention Of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Eva A. Iniguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Protozoan parasites from the genus Leishmania cause broad clinical manifestations known as leishmaniasis, which affect millions of people worldwide. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is mainly caused by either Leishmania major or L. tropica parasites, which produce localized cutaneous ulcers, often leading to scarring and social stigma. Currently, the disease has reached hyperendemicity levels in the Middle East due to conflict and human displacement and is one the most common forms of the disease in the Old World. Furthermore, the first choice of treatment in that region continues to be pentavalent antimonials, which are costly and highly toxic, and current vector control …

The Fleas (Arthropoda: Insecta: Siphonaptera) Of Arkansas, Chris T. Mcallister, Lance A. Durden, Henry W. Robison, Matthew B. Connior

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) are important ectoparasites of cats, dogs, other mammals (including humans), and birds, and are an important component of the biota of North America. In addition, they can be nuisance biters and serve as vectors or intermediate hosts of several flea-borne disease agents and parasites that negatively affect mammals and birds. In Arkansas, there have been no recent comprehensive summaries of fleas in the last 45+ years. Here, we provide a summary of the 29 species of fleas within 7 families that have been recorded from the state, update their taxonomy, and note their medical and veterinary importance.

Association Of Gut Luminal Metabolites And Allergic Responses, Ghaith Mohammed Fallata

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Allergy is a global health problem, affecting more than 40% of the world population. Allergy is often associated with a dysregulation of the immune system that becomes overactive against allergens. Several genes are known to be important for the proper homeostasis of the immune system in the epithelial tissues, and the loss of function of genes such as IKKß or SOX9 impacts the interaction between external stimuli and the host. Many of the allergic responses are triggered through the regulatory cascade governed by transcriptional factor NF-κB. Regulation of NF-κB activity is complex, involves several alternative routes, and is also influenced …

Detoxification Of Mitochondrial Oxidants And Apoptotic Signaling Are Facilitated By Thioredoxin-2 And Peroxiredoxin-3 During Hyperoxic Injury, Benjamin J. Forred, Darwin R. Daugaard, Brianna K. Titus, Ryan R. Wood, Miranda J. Floen, Michelle L. Booze, Peter F. Vitiello

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Mitochondria play a fundamental role in the regulation of cell death during accumulation of oxidants. High concentrations of atmospheric oxygen (hyperoxia), used clinically to treat tissue hypoxia in premature newborns, is known to elicit oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury to pulmonary epithelial cells. A consequence of oxidative stress in mitochondria is the accumulation of peroxides which are detoxified by the dedicated mitochondrial thioredoxin system. This system is comprised of the oxidoreductase activities of peroxiredoxin-3 (Prx3), thioredoxin-2 (Trx2), and thioredoxin reductase-2 (TrxR2). The goal of this study was to understand the role of the mitochondrial thioredoxin system and mitochondrial injuries during …

Maternal Inflammation At Mid-Gestation In Pregnant Rats Impairs Fetal Muscle Growth And Development At Term, C. N. Cadaret, K. A. Beede, E. M. Merrick, T. L. Barnes, J. D. Loy, D. T. Yates

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Low birth weight resulting from preterm birth and/or IUGR is an underlying factor in 60–80% of perinatal death worldwide, and is particularly common in developing countries (UNICEF, 2008). Furthermore, studies have linked IUGR and the associated fetal malnutrition to increased incidence of metabolic syndrome in adult life (Barker et al., 1993; Godfrey and Barker, 2000). The “thrifty phenotype hypothesis” developed by David Barker (Hales et al., 1991) states that IUGR-associated fetal malnutrition forces the fetus to spare nutrients by altering tissue-specific metabolism in order to survive. In …

A Parapoxviral Virion Protein Targets The Retinoblastoma Protein To Inhibit Nf-Κb Signaling, Ponnuraj Nagendraprabhu, Sushil Khatiwada, Sabal Chaulagain, Gustavo A. Delhon, Daniel L. Rock

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Poxviruses have evolved multiple strategies to subvert signaling by Nuclear Factor κB (NF-κB), a crucial regulator of host innate immune responses. Here, we describe an orf virus (ORFV) virion-associated protein, ORFV119, which inhibits NF-κB signaling very early in infection (≤30 min post infection). ORFV119 NF-κB inhibitory activity was found unimpaired upon translation inhibition, suggesting that virion ORFV119 alone is responsible for early interference in signaling. A C-terminal LxCxE motif in ORFV119 enabled the protein to interact with the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) a multifunctional protein best known for its tumor suppressor activity. Notably, experiments using a recombinant virus containing an ORFV119 …

The Neonatal Anti-Viral Response Fails To Control Measles Virus Spread In Neurons Despite Interferon-Gamma Expression And A Th1-Like Cytokine Profile, Priya Ganesan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neonates are highly susceptible to infections in the central nervous system (CNS) and have a greater risk of viral infections and encephalopathies. Neurotropic viral infections can lead to blindness, hearing loss and neurological deficiencies such as cognitive impairment, epilepsy, and even death in the neonatal and pediatric populations. Viral infections also are hypothesized to indirectly contribute to neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases such as Schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease later in life due to early neuronal damage or stress. Many diverse viruses are capable of invading the neonatal CNS including Borna Disease Virus, Coxsackievirus (CV), Herpes simplex viruses (HSV), and measles virus. …

Secondary Data Analysis: A Non-Pharmacology Treatment For Individuals Living With Hiv/Aids, Joseph Jean, Carolee Dodge-Francis Ed.D

McNair Poster Presentations

At the end of 2015, 36.7 million people were living with HIV/AIDS world wide (WHO, 2017). Living with this disease puts individuals at increased risk for mental and physical health complications. Opportunistic infections and increased serious mental health conductions are common (NIH, 2016). Advances in antiretroviral therapies have been made to increase life expectancy but often times can adversely affect the individuals quality of life. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is one way to help improve quality of life. One form of CAM, massage therapy may offer benefits to PLWHA in terms of ability to cope with stress.

Effects Of Myrrh On Hsv-1 Using Plaque Assay, Badrieah Mohammad Alamri

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Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a highly infective human pathogen which infects a wide range of population in North America and worldwide. HSV-1 infection has two phases, lytic and latent. Recurrence of HSV-1 is a major challenge to clinicians to control the infection especially in immune depleted individuals. Acyclovir (ACV) is an antiviral drug used to treat HSV-1 infection. Low solubility of ACV in water, mutation of viral thymidine kinase, and mutation of viral DNA polymerase are major problems that cause usage limitations of ACV. Myrrh has been used as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory natural product in middle …

Effects Of Chromium On Mouse Splenic T Lymphocytes And Effects Of Ethanol Exposure During Early Neurodevelopment On Behaviors In Mice, Lu Dai

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

The dissertation consists of three major projects with the focus on the immunotoxicity of chromium and the behavior disorders caused by early ETOH exposure respectively.

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is widely used in various industrial processes and has been recognized as a carcinogen. As the first line of host defense system, the immune system can be a primary target of Cr(VI). T cell population represents a major arm of the immune system that plays a critical role in host anti-tumor immunity. Dysfunction of T cells compromises host anti-tumor immunity resulting in oncogenesis. Using mouse splenic T cells as an in vitro …