Microbiology Commons^™

Oral Immunization Of Rhesus Macaques With Adenoviral Hiv Vaccines Using Enteric-Coated Capsules, George T. Mercier, Pramod N. Nehete, Marco F. Passeri, Bharti N. Nehete, Eric A. Weaver, Nancy Smyth Templeton, Kimberly Schluns, Stephanie S. Buchl, K. Buchl, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Targeted delivery of vaccine candidates to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract holds potential for mucosal immunization, particularly against mucosal pathogens like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Among the different strategies for achieving targeted release in the GI tract, namely the small intestine, pH sensitive enteric coating polymers have been shown to protect solid oral dosage forms from the harsh digestive environment of the stomach and dissolve relatively rapidly in the small intestine by taking advantage of the luminal pH gradient. We developed an enteric polymethacrylate formulation for coating hydroxy-propyl-methyl-cellulose (HPMC) capsules containing lyophilized Adenoviral type 5 (Ad5) vectors expressing HIV-1 gag …

Longitudinal Tracking Of Cytokines After Acute Exposure To Tuberculosis: Association Of Distinct Cytokine Patterns With Protection And Disease Development, Rabia Hussain, Najeeha Talat, Firdaus Shahid, Ghaffar Dawood

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Household contacts (HCs) of patients with tuberculosis (TB) are at higher risk of infection as well as the development of active disease. Longitudinal tracking of antigen-specific cytokines after acute exposure may significantly advance our understanding of the dynamic changes in cytokine patterns associated with disease establishment. To achieve this objective, we carried out a prospective cohort study with healthy HCs after exposure to TB. The patterns of cytokines (gamma interferon [IFN-gamma] and interleukin 10 [IL-10]) in response to mycobacterial antigens (culture filtrate [CF] proteins) and nonspecific mitogens (phytohemagglutinin [PHA] and lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) were assessed at 0, 6, 12, and 24 …

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6pd) Screening In Pakistani Neonates: To Be Or Not To Be, Bushra Moiz

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

No abstract provided.

A Group M Consensus Envelope Glycoprotein Induces Antibodies That Neutralize Subsets Of Subtype B And C Hiv-1 Primary Viruses, Hua-Xin Liao, Laura L. Sutherland, Shi-Mao Xia, Mary E. Brock, Richard M. Scearce, Stacie Vanleeuwen, S. Munir Alam, Mildred Mcadams, Eric A. Weaver, Zenaido T. Camacho, Ben-Jiang Ma, Yingying Li, Julie M. Decker, Gary J. Nabel, David C. Montefiori, Beatrice H. Hahn, Bette T. Korber, Feng Gao, Barton F. Haynes

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

HIV-1 subtype C is the most common HIV-1 group M subtype in Africa and many parts of Asia. However, to date HIV-1 vaccine candidate immunogens have not induced potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies against subtype C primary isolates. We have used a centralized gene strategy to address HIV-1 diversity, and generated a group M consensus envelope gene with shortened consensus variable loops (CON-S) for comparative studies with wildtype (WT) Env immunogens. Our results indicate that the consensus HIV-1 group M CON-S Env elicited cross-subtype neutralizing antibodies of similar or greater breadth and titer than the WT Envs tested, indicating the …

A Serratia Marcescens Oxyr Homolog Mediates Surface Attachment And Biofilm Formation, Robert M. Q. Shanks, Nicholas A. Stella, Eric J. Kalivoda, Megan R. Doe

Dartmouth Scholarship

OxyR is a conserved bacterial transcription factor with a regulatory role in oxidative stress response. From a genetic screen for genes that modulate biofilm formation in the opportunistic pathogen Serratia marcescens, mutations in an oxyR homolog and predicted fimbria structural genes were identified. S. marcescens oxyR mutants were severely impaired in biofilm formation, in contrast to the hyperbiofilm phenotype exhibited by oxyR mutants of Escherichia coli and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Further analysis revealed that OxyR plays a role in the primary attachment of cells to a surface. Similar to what is observed in other bacterial species, S. marcescens OxyR …

Clear Cell Carcinoma Of Ovary With Associated Mucinous Cystadenoma And Endometriosis, Zeeshan Uddin, Nausheen Yaqoob, Naila Kayani, Sheema H. Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

A 45 year old woman presented with right sided ovarian mass with multiple omental deposits and liver metastases. The right ovary was enlarged and showed a partly cystic partly solid cut surface. Histological picture showed clear cell carcinoma with areas of mucinous cystadenoma and endometriosis. Clear cell carcinoma is known to be associated with endometriosis. To the best of author's knowledge, it's association with mucinous cystadenoma has been described only once in the literature, where clear cell carcinoma was shown to be associated with mucinous cystadenoma without any evidence of endometriosis.

Clinical Presentation And Genotype Of Hepatitis Delta In Karachi, Tariq Moatter, Zaigham Abbas, Sabhita Shabir, Wasim Jafri

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Aim:
To assess the clinical presentation and genotypes of delta hepatitis in local population.
Methods:
In this prospective study, 39 consecutive patients who were positive for HBsAg and hepatitis D virus (HDV) antibody were included. The patients were divided in two groups on the basis of presence or absence of HDV RNA and a comparative study was done. Genotype of HDV was determined in PCR positive patients.
Results:
Overall there is male dominance, in which 34 patients out of 39 (87.2%) were male. Twenty (51%) patients were from the adjacent areas of three provinces; Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan indicating the …

Radiation-Induced Increases In Pkc Modulate Integrin Expression And Contribute To Fibrotic Changes, Pinal Rushikesh Pandya

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The sequences of events in fibrosis are similar to those in wound healing; however, the normal termination and resolution stages do not take place. The initial cellular response following ionizing radiation involves accumulation of the ECM (extracellular matrix) including collagen, fibronectin and the interaction of many growth factors (cytokines) with their receptors. There are a number of unanswered questions regarding many aspects of radiation-induced fibrosis, including the initial triggers and physical changes that initiate the process. We have confirmed that elevated pKC and other cellular changes following radiation are similar to those found at sites of inflammation. This information leads …

Epidermoid Cyst Of The Ovary, Romana Idress, Zubair Ahmad, Khurrum Minhas, Naila Kayani

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Epidermoid cysts of the ovary are rare lesions and are uniformly incidental findings in hysterectomy specimens. They must be differentiated from mature cystic teratomas of the ovary, and some authors believe them to be monodermal teratomas. The histogenesis is still uncertain. We report an epidermoid cyst of the ovary which was an incidental finding.

Collecting Duct Carcinoma: An Incidental Finding In A Non Functional Kidney Secondary To Nephrolithiasis, Asim Qureshi

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

A nephrectomy specimen was sent to the laboratory for end stage renal disease secondary to nephrolithiasis. Initial sections incidentally revealed a tumor infiltrating the normal renal tissue. Further workup including cytochemical and immuno-histochemical stains confirmed it to be collecting duct carcinoma.

Poxviral B1 Kinase Overcomes Barrier To Autointegration Factor, A Host Defense Against Virus Replication, Matthew S. Wiebe, Paula Traktman

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Barrier to autointegration factor (BAF) is a DNA-binding protein found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells that functions to establish nuclear architecture during mito-sis. Herein, we demonstrate a cytoplasmic role for BAF in host defense during poxviral infections. Vaccinia is the prototypic poxvirus, a family of DNA viruses that replicate ex-clusively in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Mutations in the vaccinia B1 kinase (B1) com-promise viral DNA replication, but the mechanism by which B1 achieves this has remained elusive. We now show that BAF acts as a potent inhibitor of poxvirus replication unless its DNA-binding activity is blocked …

Modulation Of Retroviral Restriction And Proteasome Inhibitor-Resistant Turnover By Changes In The Trim5Α B-Box 2 Domain, Felipe Diaz-Griffero, Alak Kar, Michel Perron, Shi-Hua Xiang, Hassan Javanbakht, Xing Li, Joseph Sodroski

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

An intact B-box 2 domain is essential for the antiretroviral activity of TRIM5α. We modeled the structure of the B-box 2 domain of TRIM5α based on the existing three-dimensional structure of the B-box 2 domain of human TRIM29. Using this model, we altered the residues predicted to be exposed on the surface of this globular structure. Most of the alanine substitutions in these residues exerted little effect on the antiretroviral activity of human TRIM5αhu or rhesus monkey TRIM5α_rh. However, alteration of arginine 119 of TRIM5α_hu or the corresponding arginine 121 of TRIM5α_rh diminished the abilities of …

Functional Interplay Between The B-Box 2 And The B30.2(Spry) Domains Of Trim5Α, Xi Ling, Byeongwoon Song, Shi-Hua Xiang, Joseph Sodroski

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The retroviral restriction factors, TRIM5α and TRIMCyp, consist of RING and B-box 2 domains separated by a coiled coil from carboxy-terminal domains. These carboxy-terminal domains (the B30.2(SPRY) domain in TRIM5α and the cyclophilin A domain in TRIMCyp) recognize the retroviral capsid. Here we show that some B-box 2 changes in TRIM5α, but not in TRIMCyp, resulted in decreased human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) capsid binding. The phenotypic effects of these B-box 2 changes on the restriction of retroviral infection depended on the potency of restriction and the affinity of the TRIM5α interaction with the viral capsid, two properties specified by the …

Characterization Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Monomeric And Trimeric Gp120 Glycoproteins Stabilized In The Cd4-Bound State: Antigenicity, Biophysics, And Immunogenicity, Barna Dey, Marie Pancera, Krisha Svehla, Yuuei Shu, Shi-Hua Xiang, Jeffrey Vainshtein, Yuxing Li, Joseph Sodroski, Peter D. Kwong, John R. Mascola, Richard Wyatt

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 exterior gp120 envelope glycoprotein is highly flexible, and this flexibility may contribute to the inability of monomeric gp120 immunogens to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies. We previously showed that an S375W modification of a critical interfacial cavity central to the primary receptor binding site, the Phe43 cavity, stabilizes gp120 into the CD4-bound state. However, the immunological effects of this cavity-altering replacement were never tested. Subsequently, we screened other mutations that, along with the S375W alteration, might further stabilize the CD4-bound state. Here, we define a selected second cavity-altering replacement, T257S, and analyze the double mutations …

Georgeoral Immunization Of Rhesus Macaques With Adenoviral Hiv Vaccines Using Enteric-Coated Capsules, George T. Mercier, Pramod N. Nehete, Marco F. Passeri, Bharti N. Nehete, Eric A. Weaver, Nancy Smyth Templeton, Kimberly Schluns, Stephanie S. Buchl, K. Jagannadha Sastry, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Targeted delivery of vaccine candidates to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract holds potential for mucosal immunization, particularly against mucosal pathogens like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Among the different strategies for achieving targeted release in the GI tract, namely the small intestine, pH sensitive enteric coating polymers have been shown to protect solid oral dosage forms from the harsh digestive environment of the stomach and dissolve relatively rapidly in the small intestine by taking advantage of the luminal pH gradient. We developed an enteric polymethacrylate formulation for coating hydroxy-propyl-methyl-cellulose (HPMC) capsules containing lyophilized Adenoviral type 5 (Ad5) vectors expressing HIV-1 gag …

Potential For Stimulating Host Anti-Tumor Immune Response Via Rnai-Mediated Local Foxp3 Knockdown, N. Klaiber

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Neoplastic growths represent a unique challenge for the host immune system. As they are indeed derived from self, many of the same mechanisms operating to prevent autoimmunity also provide an umbrella beneath which malignant cells are free to proliferate.1 Central among these immune regulatory boundaries are an influential subset of lymphocytes known as T regs. Hypothesized to exist decades ago, yet eluding definitive characterization until relatively recently, T regs have been demonstrated to play a crucial role in the proper functioning of the immune system as a whole. They may also, however, represent one of the primary obstacles to successful …

Comparative Predictive Value Of Three Prognostic Markers--S-Phase Fraction, Pcna And Mitotic Count On Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis In Carcinoma Breast, Shahid Pervez, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, Muhammad Israr Nasir

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Axillary lymph node metastasis is the single most important prognostic factor in carcinoma of the breast. Therefore, prognostic markers that may reliably predict probability of lymph node (LN) metastases are of great value. This study was conducted to compare the predictive value of two novel prognostic / proliferative markers i.e. S-phase fraction (SPF) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in parallel with mitotic index.

Methods: Data of consecutive cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) breast diagnosed from July 2003 to July 2004 at the section of the Histopathology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, were reviewed. A total of …