Immune System Diseases Commons^™

Contribution Of The Human Microbiome And Proteus Mirabilis To Onset And Progression Of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Potential For Targeted Therapy, Jessica Kerpez, Marc Kesselman, Michelle Demory Beckler

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The human microbiome has been shown to play a role in the regulation of human health, behavior, and disease. Data suggests that microorganisms that co-evolved within humans have an enhanced ability to prevent the development of a large spectrum of immune-related disorders but may also lead to the onset of conditions when homeostasis is disrupted. In many conditions, a link between dysbiosis (microbial imbalance or microbiome upset) has been identified and associated with immune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This review provides insight into how an individual’s unique microbiome, combined with a genetic predisposition and environmental factors may lead …

High Rates Of Misdiagnosis Of Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome And How To Reduce Them, Aliya Centner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) is a clinical diagnosis characterized by sudden onset of obsessive compulsive disorder and is considered a type of Autoimmune Encephalitis. Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder associated with Streptococcal Infection (PANDAS) is a subset of PANS characterized by a similar presentation but specifically results from infection by Group A β-hemolytic streptococcus. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential, as PANS can become a chronic condition. PANS and PANDAS are frequently misdiagnosed. There are a variety of differential diagnoses. The intent of this thesis is to evaluate differences in symptoms between PANDAS patients and those with a differential diagnosis …

Sequence-Independent Assay For Hiv Viral Load Quantitation, Omar El Merhebi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Although nucleic acid tests (NATs) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exhibit many advantages, such as early detection and viral load quantification, over immunological assays, their widespread use is limited by their demand for high-level infrastructure, sophisticated equipment, and advanced staff competence. Furthermore, when quantifying viral loads of patients, it has been reported that these assays can underestimate viral quantities by 22- to 100-fold due to primer-template mismatches in more divergent HIV subtypes. Therefore, we have developed a cost-effective and sequence-independent assay for the detection and quantification of HIV utilizing a modified nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) protocol coupled to an …

Identification And Characterization Of Epitope Specific Immune Responses In Humans And Mice, David Henson

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world causing approximately 14% of total disease burden. A major factor in the progression to major CVD within patients is immune activation, which led to the study of various immune products as potential biomarkers for the prediction of cardiovascular events, including antigen-specific antibodies and immune complexes. One focus of this biomarker research is IgG autoantibodies targeting apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), and several studies of these antibodies have found an association with increased CVD events. Based on the encouraging results from these studies and previous research which has identified …

Another One Bites The Joint: A Case Of Reactive Arthritis In An Otherwise Healthy Hispanic Male, Christine E. Loftis, Emilia C. Dulgheru

School of Medicine Publications

Reactive Arthritis is a spondyloarthritis following gastrointestinal or genitourinary infections, traditionally described as a triad of conjunctivitis, urethritis, and arthritis. It is important to identify patients with reactive arthritis as certain disease features portend a poorer prognosis. We present a case of reactive arthritis in a 36-year-old gentleman after a self-limited episode of gastroenteritis.

A 36-year-old man presented to the Rheumatology clinic for a 2-week history of multiple arthralgias. The patient reported that one week before the onset of arthritis he experienced a self-limited episode of gastroenteritis. Succeeding, the patient noticed pain and swelling to right wrist, left elbow, and …

Efficacy Of Sublingual Immunotherapy In The Treatment Of House-Dust Mite Induced Allergic Rhinitis, Sirena Saleet

Capstone Showcase

Introduction: House-dust mite (HDM) induced allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic condition associated with rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, nasal pruritus and sneezing. The current mainstay of treatment is intranasal corticosteroids, which have shown variable degrees of symptom control among patients. Chronic use is typically required to achieve continued relief. Immunotherapy works to increase peripheral immune tolerance by administration of the allergen itself. Not only does it have the potential to decrease acute symptoms of allergic rhinitis, but it is also the sole treatment offering disease-modifying potential with long-term use. Immunotherapy is an option which can eliminate both the chronic administration …

The Intellectual Property Of Covid-19, Ana Santos Rutschman

All Faculty Scholarship

The response to COVID-19 is indissolubly tied to intellectual property. In an increasingly globalized world in which infectious disease pathogens travel faster and wider than before, the development of vaccines, treatments and other forms of medical technology has become an integral part of public health preparedness and response frameworks. The development of these technologies, and to a certain extent the allocation and distribution of resulting outputs, is informed by intellectual property regimes. These regimes influence the commitment of R&D resources, shape scientific collaborations and, in some cases, may condition the widespread availability of emerging technologies. As seen throughout this chapter, …

A Role For Endothelial Tissue-Nonspecific Alkaline Phosphatase In Blood-Tissue Barrier Health And Disease, Allison L. Brichacek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sepsis is a disorder that targets the microcirculation with significant effects at blood-tissue barriers such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and gut-vascular barrier (GVB). Intestinal barrier dysfunction is thought to be one of the most important contributors to multi-organ dysfunction in sepsis. As a common site of infection, the impaired gut allows the dissemination of bacteria, which exacerbates the disease pathophysiology, and can lead to long-term morbidity and mortality. The mechanisms that influence altered barrier permeability in the GVB in sepsis and other inflammatory disorders are not well understood. Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) enzyme activity, which has been shown to …

Developing A Vector For Expressing Serratiopeptidase In Lactococcus Lactis, Taylor C. Mauzy

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Chronic inflammation stems from the inability of the body to resolve acute inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a growing health concern, as nearly 60% of Americans reported coping with at least one chronic condition (as of 2014). On a world scale, three fifths of deaths result from a chronic inflammation disease. Treatments for chronic inflammation include lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) and a variety of conventional drugs. Beyond these treatments, supplementing the body with systemic enzymes may attenuate inflammation. One promising enzyme is serratiopeptidase. Serratiopeptidase is a serine protease expressed by Serratia marcescens which has demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-edemic, and analgesic activity …

Intrapulmonary Administration Of Purified Neil2 Abrogates Nf-Κb-Mediated Inflammation, Nisha Tapryal, Shandy Shahabi, Anirban Chakraborty, Koa Hosoki, Maki Wakamiya, Gobinda Sarkar, Gulshan Sharma, Victor J Cardenas, Istvan Boldogh, Sanjiv Sur, Gourisankar Ghosh, Tapas K Hazra

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aberrant or constitutive activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) contributes to various human inflammatory diseases and malignancies via the upregulation of genes involved in cell proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, inflammation, and metastasis. Thus, inhibition of NF-κB signaling has potential for therapeutic applications in cancer and inflammatory diseases. We reported previously that Nei-like DNA glycosylase 2 (NEIL2), a mammalian DNA glycosylase, is involved in the preferential repair of oxidized DNA bases from the transcriptionally active sequences via the transcription-coupled base excision repair pathway. We have further shown that Neil2-null mice are highly sensitive to tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)- and lipopolysaccharide-induced …

Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying Hiv-Infection Induced Susceptibility Of Cd4+ T Cells To Enhanced Activation-Induced Fasl Expression And Cell Death., Smita Ghare, Paula M. Chilton, Aakarsha V. Rao, Swati Joshi-Barve, Paula Peyrani, Andrea Reyes-Vega, Craig J. Mcclain, Kendall Bryant, Robert L. Cook, Mathew Freiberg, Shirish Barve

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background:

Chronic immune activation and CD4⁺ T cell depletion are significant pathogenic features of HIV infection. Expression of Fas ligand (FasL), a key mediator of activation-induced cell death in T cells, is elevated in people living with HIV-1 infection (PLWH). However, the epigenetic mechanisms underlying the enhanced induction of FasL expression in CD4⁺ T lymphocytes in PLWH are not completely elucidated. Hence, the current work examined the effect of HIV infection on FasL promoter-associated histone modifications and transcriptional regulation in CD4⁺ T lymphocytes in PLWH.

Method:

Flow cytometric analysis was performed to examine the Fas-FasL expression on …