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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Psychological Trauma Alters T-Lymphocyte Inflammation And Redox Through Sympathetic Mechanisms, Safwan K. Elkhatib
Psychological Trauma Alters T-Lymphocyte Inflammation And Redox Through Sympathetic Mechanisms, Safwan K. Elkhatib
Theses & Dissertations
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a devastating psychiatric disorder characterized by distinctive symptom clusters, including intrusive memories (i.e., flashbacks), avoidance of related stimuli, affective changes, and hyperarousal. Strikingly, patients with PTSD face a significantly increased risk for a number of inflammation-driven pathologies, ranging from cardiovascular to autoimmune disease. Yet, the exact etiology of this increased risk remains unknown. The immune system is known to be strongly influenced by the sympathetic nervous system, and sympathetic overactivity is a hallmark of PTSD. Lymphoid organs, such as the spleen, are richly innervated by sympathetic nerve fibers which terminate near adaptive immune …
Gut Commensals Modulate Siv/Shiv Pathogenesis And Therapeutics, Samuel Johnson
Gut Commensals Modulate Siv/Shiv Pathogenesis And Therapeutics, Samuel Johnson
Theses & Dissertations
Despite significant advancements in combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), ongoing inflammation in the brain and gut remain two of the most significant hurdles in the health of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Additionally, a viral reservoir in each compartment inhibits cure efforts by allowing rapid viral rebound following cART interruption. Emerging understanding of the gut-brain axis (GBA) implicates each compartment in the modulation of the other in a complex bi-directional interaction mediated by vagus innervation, circulating lymphocytes, and microbiome composition and biproducts. Using multiple models of the simian (and simian-human) immunodeficiency virus (SIV/SHIV) and therapeutic intervention, I present how …
The Role Of Calprotectin In T-Lymphocyte Driven Inflammation In A Mouse Model Of Psychological Trauma, Cassandra Moshfegh
The Role Of Calprotectin In T-Lymphocyte Driven Inflammation In A Mouse Model Of Psychological Trauma, Cassandra Moshfegh
Theses & Dissertations
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychological disorder that affects nearly 45 million Americans. This mental disorder is characterized by behavioral symptoms such as learned helplessness, hyperarousal, withdrawal, and flashbacks. The deleterious effects of PTSD are far-reaching and go beyond behavioral dysfunction, as these individuals are at a three-fold higher risk of comorbid inflammatory diseases. Autonomic, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases plague these individuals later in their lifetime, however, the mechanistic link connecting psychological trauma to this systemic peripheral immunological dysfunction remains elusive. T-lymphocyte-induced inflammation plays a significant role in all these disease pathologies. Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated …