Tropical Medicine Commons^™

Na-Gst-1 Adsorbed On Alhydrogel Co-Administered With Different Toll-Like Receptor Agonists In Hookworm-Naive Adults Using A Controlled Human Infection Model In The Usa: A Phase 2, Double-Blind, Randomised Controlled Trial, Caroline K Dirosato, Elissa M Malkin, Sean M Lee, Guacyara Erwin, Lara Hoeweler, Larissa Scholte, Maria Elena Bottazzi, David I Pritchard, Peter J Hotez, Jeffrey M Bethony, David J Diemert

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Necator americanus glutathione S-transferase-1 (Na-GST-1) performs a crucial enzymatic step in hookworm blood feeding and is a leading target for vaccine development. Phase 1 trials in Brazil, Gabon, and the USA of recombinant Na-GST-1 adsorbed on Alhydrogel (Na-GST-1/Al), co-administered with or without AP 10-701 (Toll-like receptor [TLR] 4 agonist) or CpG 10104 (TLR9 agonist), showed the vaccine was well tolerated, safe, and immunogenic. A controlled human hookworm infection (CHHI) model was previously developed to evaluate the effect of candidate hookworm vaccines on infection. We aimed to assess the effect of vaccination with three different Na-GST-1 vaccine formulations on subsequent …

Helminth-Infected Mozambican Children With Malaria Have Increased Anaemia, Cytokines And Helminth-Specific Antibodies, Inocência Cuamba, Rebeca Santano, Berta Grau-Pujol, Marta Vidal, Anélsio Cossa, Chenjerai Jairoce, Rojelio Mejía, José Muñoz, Ruth Aguilar, Bin Zhan, Augusto Nhabomba, Gemma Moncunill, Carlota Dobaño

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Owing to their overlapping geographical distribution and the consequent occurrence of coinfections, several studies have evaluated the impact of helminth infections on malaria immune responses and clinical outcomes. However, little has been reported on how malaria coinfection affects anthelmintic responses in children harbouring worm infections. We therefore aimed to assess the impact of malaria coinfection on helminth-related clinical and immune outcomes in children. Here, we measured in plasma the levels of 30 cytokines, total IgE, and helminth-specific IgM, IgA, IgG, IgG1-4, and IgE antibodies to a panel of 11 helminth antigens by Luminex. Samples were obtained from 441 children aged …

Ixodid And Flea Infestations And Associated Bacteria On Two Sympatric Felid Species In South Texas, Allan T Showler, Hilary Swarts, Maya Murry, Alisa Nelson, Alexander R Kneubehl, Sarah M Gunter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Ixodid ticks and fleas parasitize wild felids and can transmit pathogens of veterinary and public health concern. We identified ixodid and flea species collected from sympatric South Texas bobcats, L. rufus, and ocelots, L. pardalis. Greater diversities of ixodids were found on both felids than in previous reports, with seven species in three genera on L. rufus and six species in three genera on L. pardalis. We report first findings of tropical horse tick, Dermacentor nitens, on L. rufus in Texas, and Ixodes keiransi on both felids in Texas. Although false cayenne tick, Amblyomma tenellum, nymphs were the most abundant …

Immunotherapy Of Tsa-1.C4 Or In Combination With Bnz Confers Protection Against Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection With A Distinct Cytokine Response, Landy Magaly Pech-Pisté, Victor Dzul-Huchim, Christian Florian Teh-Poot, Fabian Gusovsky, Kathryn Jones, Peter Hotez, Liliana Estefanía Villanueva-Lizama, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Jaime Ortega-Lopez, Julio Vladimir Cruz-Chan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chagas disease is a poverty-related neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi affecting approximately 6.3 million people, predominantly in the Americas. Approximately 30% of T. cruzi infections progress to chronic cardiomyopathy and 10% of these cases end in death from cardiac failure. The first-line drug Benznidazole (BNZ) require a prolonged treatment regimen and can be highly toxic. Here, we evaluate a therapeutic vaccine in T. cruzi-infected mice, based on the recombinant Trypomastigote Surface Antigen 1 (TSA-1.C4) protein and the emulsified adjuvant E6020, and in combination with a suboptimal dose of BNZ. We observed a reduced burden parasite in …

Emerging Tick-Borne Disease Risk In An Urban Center Of Harris County, Texas, Alisa Nelson, Michelle Downey, Maya Murry, Brianna Weber, Erik Aguirre, Richard Scott Mccrea, Jerrod Mims, Max Vigilant, Courtney Standlee, Kristy O Murray, Alex Kneubehl, Eric L Brown, Heather T Essigmann, Sarah M Gunter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Tick-borne diseases are an endemic and emerging public health concern in the United States. Ongoing tick range expansion, invasive species, and newly identified pathogens are rapidly altering disease epidemiology. Surveillance is critical to understanding vector ecology and disease risk. Harris County, Texas, with nearly five million residents and diverse ecological zones, offers a unique setting to study local tick dynamics.

Methods: From January 2021 to December 2022, we conducted weekly tick surveillance across 63 sites in Harris County (City of Houston), Texas. Ticks were morphologically identified and tested for Rickettsia, Borrelia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma via real-time PCR. Samples positive …

Alterations Of The Upper Respiratory Microbiome Among Children Living With Hiv Infection In Botswana, Sweta M Patel, John Farirai, Mohamed Z Patel, Sifelane Boiditswe, Leabaneng Tawe, Shimane Lekalake, Mogomotsi Matshaba, Andrew P Steenhoff, Tonya Arscott-Mills, Kristen A Feemster, Samir S Shah, Nathan Thielman, Coleen K Cunningham, Lawrence A David, David M Murdoch, Matthew S Kelly

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Children living with HIV (CLWH) are at high risk of colonization and infection by respiratory pathogens, though this risk can be reduced by other microbes in the upper respiratory microbiome. The impact of HIV infection on the pediatric upper respiratory microbiome is poorly understood, and we sought to address this knowledge gap by identifying associations between HIV infection and the nasopharyngeal microbiomes of Batswana children. We enrolled Batswana CLWH (< 5 years) and age- and sex-matched HIV-exposed, uninfected and HIV-unexposed, uninfected children in a cross-sectional study. We used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to compare nasopharyngeal microbiomes by HIV status. Among the 143 children in this study, HIV and HIV-associated immunosuppression were associated with alterations in nasopharyngeal microbiome composition, including lower abundances of Corynebacterium species associated with resistance to bacterial pathogen colonization. These findings suggest that the upper respiratory microbiome may contribute to the high risk of respiratory infections among CLWH.

Clinical Phenotype And Outcomes In Autoimmune Encephalitis After Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jonathan Cleaver, Renetta Chungath, Amy Gimson, Christine Strippel, Bryan Ceronie, Babak Soleimani, Thomas Johnson, Eyal Muscal, Kristen Fisher, Yike Jiang, Timothy A Erickson, Kristy O Murray, Siv Tonje Faret Hovet, Charlotte Aaberg Poulsen, Anna Søgaard Magnussen, Pauline Dumez, Shannon Ronca, Martin Häusler, Annegret Quade, Andrew Swayne, Morten Blaabjerg, Mette Nissen, Alexander J Sandweiss, Jerome Honnorat, Russell Dale, Ming Lim, Michael Eyre, Margherita Nosadini, Lahiru Handunnetthi, Sarosh R Irani, Adam E Handel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Autoimmune encephalitis after herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE-AE) represents the intersection of central nervous system infection and autoimmunity. Defining the phenotype and the safety and effectiveness of immunotherapy in HSVE-AE would help identify immunotherapy candidates, optimise therapeutic strategies, and improve patient outcomes.

Methods: We systematically searched Embase, Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science (2007-2024) for cases meeting consensus criteria for AE after confirmed HSVE. Demographics, phenotype, treatment and outcome data were extracted. Dimensionality reduction, network analysis, and multivariate logistic regression was used to explore age- and diagnosis-specific patterns and outcome predictors.

Results: From 2259 articles screened, 78 studies (225 …

A Honduran Prevalence Study On Soil-Transmitted Helminths Highlights Serological Antibodies To Tm-Wap49 As A Diagnostic Marker For Exposure To Human Trichuriasis, Neima Briggs, Leroy Versteeg, Rojelio Mejia, Jeroen Pollet, Maria Jose Villar, Bin Zhan, Graeme Segal, Stephanie Novak, Patricia Lenihan, Paul Musgrave, Viviana Ellis, Carol Florencia Coello, K Jagannadha Sastry, Joe Craft, Peter J Hotez, Maria Elena Bottazzi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections rank among the most prevalent communicable diseases of humans, yet detection of these parasites is mostly restricted to identifying active infection through fecal examinations. Currently, there are no commercial diagnostic tools to identify a prior whipworm or hookworm exposure, and the few serological assays for roundworm infection have not been well validated for crossreactivity or infections in humans. Such diagnostic restrictions limit the range of scientific and clinical questions that surround STH exposures and their implicated relationship to chronic diseases, such as autoimmunity, allergy, and cancer. The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the diagnostic …

Mechanistic Insights Into The Structure-Based Design Of A Cspz-Targeting Lyme Disease Vaccine, Kalvis Brangulis, Jill Malfetano, Ashley L Marcinkiewicz, Alan Wang, Yi-Lin Chen, Jungsoon Lee, Zhuyun Liu, Xiuli Yang, Ulrich Strych, Dagnija Tupina, Inara Akopjana, Maria-Elena Bottazzi, Utpal Pal, Ching-Lin Hsieh, Wen-Hsiang Chen, Yi-Pin Lin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) causes Lyme disease (LD), one of the most common vector-borne diseases in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we solve the crystal structure of a mutated Bb vaccine antigen, CspZ-YA that lacks the ability to bind to host complement factor H (FH). We generate point mutants of CspZ-YA and identify CspZ-YAI183Y and CspZ-YAC187S to trigger more robust bactericidal responses. Compared to CspZ-YA, these CspZ-YA mutants require a lower immunization frequency to protect mice from LD-associated inflammation and bacterial colonization. Antigenicity of wild-type and mutant CspZ-YA proteins are similar, as measured using sera from infected people or immunized …

Identification And Characterization Of A Novel Pavlovskyella (Acari: Argasidae) From Chile, Parasite Of The Culpeo Fox (Lycalopex Culpaeus), Sebastián Muñoz-Leal, Alexander R Kneubehl, Karen Ardiles, Catalina Parragué-Migone, Ignacio Troncoso-Toro, Pablo Oyarzún-Ruiz, Job E Lopez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Soft ticks (Argasidae) of the subgenus Pavlovskyella Pospelova-Shtrom are worldwide distributed parasites of medical importance. However, the systematics of the subgenus are currently under debate because genetic data shows that the group is paraphyletic. Meanwhile, species of Pavlovskyella continue to be discovered. In this study a novel species of the subgenus is described from specimens collected on a fox in central Chile. The larva of this new species differentiates from other Pavlovskyella spp. by having the following combination of characters: subpyriform dorsal plate; 15 pairs of setae, 7 anterolateral, 3 central, and 5 posterolateral, and hypostome with denticles in the …

Altering The Intracellular Trafficking Of Necator Americanus Gst-1 Antigen Yields Novel Hookworm Mrna Vaccine Candidates, Athos Silva De Oliveira, Leroy Versteeg, Neima Briggs, Rakesh Adhikari, Maria Jose Villar, Jeanna R Redd, Peter Hotez, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Jeroen Pollet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The antigen Na-GST-1, expressed by the hookworm Necator americanus, plays crucial biochemical roles in parasite survival. This study explores the development of mRNA vaccine candidates based on Na-GST-1, building on the success of recombinant Na-GST-1 (rNa-GST-1) protein, currently assessed as a subunit vaccine candidate, which has shown promise in preclinical and clinical studies.

METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: By leveraging the flexible design of RNA vaccines and protein intracellular trafficking signal sequences, we developed three variants of Na-GST-1 as native (cytosolic), secretory, and plasma membrane-anchored (PM) antigens. After one immunization in mice, mRNA vaccines induced an earlier onset of antigen-specific antibodies compared to …

Microbiota Dynamics During Ascaris Suum Larval Migration: Implications For Host Microbial Communities In A Murine Model, Sergio Castañeda, Cristina Poveda, Charlie Suarez-Reyes, Yifan Wu, Noah Haugen, Luz H Patiño, Jill E Weatherhead, Juan David Ramírez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The complex interactions between parasites, their hosts, and associated microbiota hold significant implications for host health and disease outcomes. Helminths like Ascaris lumbricoides and Ascaris suum can significantly alter the host's intestinal microbiota, affecting both parasite biology and host pathology. Despite extensive research on host-microbiota changes due to helminth infections, the study of helminth-associated microbiota remains limited. This study aims to characterize the microbiota associated with Ascaris larvae and surrounding host tissues at distinct developmental stages (day 4, day 8, day 14), during larval migration through the liver, lungs, and intestine, and its impact on the host's microbiota in a …

Randomized, Observer-Blind, Controlled Phase 1 Study Of The Safety And Immunogenicity Of The Na-Gst-1/Alhydrogel Hookworm Vaccine With Or Without A Cpg Odn Adjuvant In Hookworm-Naïve Adults, David J Diemert, Maria Zumer, Mark Bova, Christina Gibbs-Tewary, Elissa M Malkin, Doreen Campbell, Lara Hoeweler, Guangzhao Li, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez, Jeffrey M Bethony

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Recombinant Necator americanus Glutathione-S-Transferase-1 (Na-GST-1) formulated on Alhydrogel (Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel) is being developed to prevent anemia and other complications of N. americanus infection. Antibodies induced by vaccination with recombinant Na-GST-1 are hypothesized to interfere with the blood digestion pathway of adult hookworms in the host. Phase 1 trials have demonstrated the safety of Na-GST-1 formulated on Alhydrogel, but further optimization of the vaccine adjuvant formulation may improve humoral immune responses, thereby increasing the likelihood of vaccine efficacy.

METHODS: A randomized, observer-blind, dose escalation Phase 1 trial was conducted in 24 healthy, hookworm-naïve adults. In each cohort of 12 participants, 4 …

Immunopeptidomic Mhc-I Profiling And Immunogenicity Testing Identifies Tcj2 As A New Chagas Disease Mrna Vaccine Candidate, Leroy Versteeg, Rakesh Adhikari, Gonteria Robinson, Jungsoon Lee, Junfei Wei, Nelufa Islam, Brian Keegan, William K Russell, Cristina Poveda, Maria Jose Villar, Kathryn Jones, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter Hotez, Edwin Tijhaar, Jeroen Pollet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease. Globally 6 to 7 million people are infected by this parasite of which 20-30% will progress to develop Chronic Chagasic Cardiomyopathy (CCC). Despite its high disease burden, no clinically approved vaccine exists for the prevention or treatment of CCC. Developing vaccines that can stimulate T. cruzi-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and eliminate infected cells requires targeting parasitic antigens presented on major histocompatibility complex-I (MHC-I) molecules. We utilized mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics to investigate which parasitic peptides are displayed on MHC-I of T. cruzi infected cells. Through duplicate experiments, we identified an …

A Comparison Of The Diagnostic Capability Of Kato-Katz And Real-Time Pcr For The Assessment Of Treatment Efficacy Of Ivermectin And Albendazole Combination Against T Trichiura Infections, Gabriela Matamoros, Ana Sanchez, Ruben Cimino, Alejandro Krolewiecki, Rojelio Mejia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Trichuris trichiura is humans' second most prevalent soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection after Ascaris lumbricoides, affecting approximately 460 million people worldwide. Despite its sub-optimal sensitivity, especially in low prevalence and infection intensity settings, the modified Kato-Katz (K-K) is still recommended as a diagnostic method by the World Health organization (WHO) guidelines.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Within a randomized clinical trial (RCT) comprising four treatment arms with two different anthelmintics, the present study reports an important secondary research objective to determine the diagnostic agreement between K-K and real-time PCR evaluating treatment efficacy against T. trichiura. The parasitological results were analyzed, including cure rates …

Molecular Detection Of Intestinal Parasites In A Rural Community Of Colombia: A One Health Approach To Explore Potential Environmental-Zoonotic Transmission, Sergio Castañeda, Claudia Patricia Acosta, Luis Reinel Vasquez-A, Luz H Patiño, Rojelio Mejía, Juan David Ramírez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aims: Protozoan and helminth parasitic infections pose significant public health challenges, especially in developing countries with rural populations marked by suboptimal hygiene practices and socio-economic constraints. The parasites are the etiological agents of these infections and have a notably elevated global prevalence. Therefore, this study focuses on estimating the frequency and transmission dynamics of several parasitic species, including Blastocystis, Giardia, Cryptosporidium spp., Entamoeba histolytica, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Taenia spp. and hookworms, within a rural community in southwest Colombia with a particular emphasis on the One Health framework, considering environmental and zoonotic transmission potentials.

Methods and results: This study involved …

Vaccine Value Profile For Hookworm, Karl Philipp Puchner, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Victoria Periago, Martin Grobusch, Rick Maizels, James Mccarthy, Bruce Lee, Erika Gaspari, David Diemert, Peter Hotez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Hookworm, a parasitic infection, retains a considerable burden of disease, affecting the most underprivileged segments of the general population in endemic countries and remains one of the leading causes of mild to severe anemia in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), particularly in pregnancy and children under 5. Despite repeated large scale Preventive Chemotherapy (PC) interventions since more than 3 decades, there is broad consensus among scholars that elimination targets set in the newly launched NTD roadmap will require additional tools and interventions. Development of a vaccine could constitute a promising expansion of the existing arsenal against hookworm. Therefore, we …

Optimizing Immunogenicity And Product Presentation Of A Sars-Cov-2 Subunit Vaccine Composition: Effects Of Delivery Route, Heterologous Regimens With Self-Amplifying Rna Vaccines, And Lyophilization, William R Lykins, Jeroen Pollet, Jessica A White, Brian Keegan, Leroy Versteeg, Ulrich Strych, Wen-Hsiang Chen, Raodoh Mohamath, Gabi Ramer-Denisoff, Sierra Reed, Christina Renshaw, Samuel Beaver, Alana Gerhardt, Emily A Voigt, Mark A Tomai, Robert Sitrin, Robert K M Choy, Frederick J Cassels, Peter J Hotez, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Christopher B Fox

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Dozens of vaccines have been approved or authorized internationally in response to the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, covering a range of modalities and routes of delivery. For example, mucosal delivery of vaccines via the intranasal (i.n.) route has been shown to improve protective mucosal responses in comparison to intramuscular (i.m.) delivery. As we gain knowledge of the limitations of existing vaccines, it is of interest to understand if changes in product presentation or combinations of multiple vaccine modalities can further improve immunological outcomes.

METHODS: We investigated a commercial-stage SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) antigen adjuvanted with a clinical-stage TLR-7/8 agonist …

Autogenous Reproduction By Ornithodoros Turicata (Ixodida: Argasidae) Females And Vertical Transmission Of The Tick-Borne Pathogen Borrelia Turicatae (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae), Serhii Filatov, Aparna Krishnavajhala, Job E Lopez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Ornithodoros turicata is a vector of relapsing fever spirochetes in North America and transmits Borrelia turicatae to a variety of vertebrate hosts. The remarkably long lifespan of O. turicata and its ability to maintain spirochetes horizontally (between life stages) and vertically (to progeny) promote the perpetuation of B. turicatae in nature. Nevertheless, the reproductive biology of O. turicata is poorly understood. In this report, we collected ticks from a park within a neighborhood of Austin, TX. They were reared to adulthood, and male ticks were individually housed with females. We observed autogenous reproduction, which is the ability to produce eggs …

The Impact Of Vaccine-Linked Chemotherapy On Liver Health In A Mouse Model Of Chronic Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection, Duc Minh Nguyen, Cristina Poveda, Jeroen Pollet, Fabian Gusovsky, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez, Kathryn Marie Jones

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Chagas disease, chronic infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, mainly manifests as cardiac disease. However, the liver is important for both controlling parasite burdens and metabolizing drugs. Notably, high doses of anti-parasitic drug benznidazole (BNZ) causes liver damage. We previously showed that combining low dose BNZ with a prototype therapeutic vaccine is a dose sparing strategy that effectively reduced T. cruzi induced cardiac damage. However, the impact of this treatment on liver health is unknown. Therefore, we evaluated several markers of liver health after treatment with low dose BNZ plus the vaccine therapy in comparison to a curative dose of BNZ. …

Description Of A New Pavlovskyella Species (Acari: Argasidae) From Chile, Sebastián Muñoz-Leal, José M Venzal, Alexander R Kneubehl, Job E Lopez, Thiago F Martins, Marcelo B Labruna

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Soft ticks (Argasidae) of the Pavlovskyella Pospelova-Shtrom subgenus are important vectors of relapsing fever spirochetes, which are agents of disease globally. South American representatives of the Pavlovskyella subgenus include 3 species: Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) brasiliensis Aragão, Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) furcosus Neumann, and Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) rostratus Aragão. Here, we describe a fourth species based on morphological and mitogenomic evidence of ticks collected in burrows of unknown hosts in central Chile. The larva of the new species separates from other South American soft ticks by the following combination of characters: 13 pairs of dorsolateral setae, dorsal plate hexagonal, hypostome blunt with denticles from apex …

Vaccine-Linked Chemotherapy Improves Cardiac Structure And Function In A Mouse Model Of Chronic Chagas Disease, Kathryn M Jones, Elise N Mangin, Corey L Reynolds, Liliana E Villanueva, Julio Vladimir Cruz, Leroy Versteeg, Brian Keegan, April Kendricks, Jeroen Pollet, Fabian Gusovsky, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Chagas disease, caused by chronic infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects 6-7 million people worldwide. The major clinical manifestation of Chagas disease is chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC), which encompasses a spectrum of symptoms including arrhythmias, hypertrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and sudden death. Current treatment is limited to two antiparasitic drugs, benznidazole (BNZ) and nifurtimox, but both have limited efficacy to halt the progression of CCC. We developed a vaccine-linked chemotherapy strategy using our vaccine consisting of recombinant Tc24-C4 protein and a TLR-4 agonist adjuvant in a stable squalene emulsion, in combination with low dose benznidazole treatment. …

Rationalization Of The Laboratory Diagnosis For Good Management Of Malaria: Lessons From Transitional Methods, Neguemadji N. Ngaba, Imteyaz A. Khan, Namrata Hange, Maria Kezia Lourdes Ligsay Pormento, Manoj Kumar Reddy Somagutta, Ajay Kumar, Youssouf Abdelkerim, Alarangue Djindimadje, Samia Jahan

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Introduction. Malaria is an endemic disease in sub-Saharan Africa. In clinical practice, the main concern is the overdiagnosis of malaria leading to inappropriate drug prescription without laboratory confirmation. Objective. This study aimed to evaluate clinical examination reliability compared with translational laboratory methods of malaria diagnosis. Methods. The study was conducted in Goundi Hospital among hospitalized patients over a seven-month period. Patients were interviewed, and malaria tests done included the Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood smears. Diagnostic accuracy was analysed by calculating sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. Results. Among 1,874 participants, 674 (35.96%) patients had positive Giemsa-stained …

Transient Ascaris Suum Larval Migration Induces Intractable Chronic Pulmonary Disease And Anemia In Mice, Yifan Wu, Evan Li, Morgan Knight, Grace Adeniyi-Ipadeola, Li-Zhen Song, Alan R Burns, Ana Clara Gazzinelli-Guimaraes, Ricardo Fujiwara, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Jill E Weatherhead

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Ascariasis is one of the most common infections in the world and associated with significant global morbidity. Ascaris larval migration through the host's lungs is essential for larval development but leads to an exaggerated type-2 host immune response manifesting clinically as acute allergic airway disease. However, whether Ascaris larval migration can subsequently lead to chronic lung diseases remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a single episode of Ascaris larval migration through the host lungs induces a chronic pulmonary syndrome of type-2 inflammatory pathology and emphysema accompanied by pulmonary hemorrhage and chronic anemia in a mouse model. Our results reveal that …

Case Report: Molecular Diagnosis Of Cystoisospora Belli In A Severely Immunocompromised Patient With Hiv And Kaposi Sarcoma, Roumen Borilov Iordanov, Lauren M Leining, Meng Wu, Galant Chan, Andrew R Dinardo, Rojelio Mejia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Diarrhea in an immunocompromised patient has a broad infectious differential. Diagnosis is difficult despite advances in diagnostic modalities. We report a case of a 45-year-old Nigerian woman who immigrated to the United States 2 years ago. She presented to the hospital with gastrointestinal bleeding, newly diagnosed HIV, and disseminated Kaposi sarcoma. During hospitalization, the patient had an onset of watery diarrhea and high eosinophilia. Subsequent stool analysis using multi-parallel real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction for 13 parasites was positive for Cystoisospora belli. The patient was treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but had relapsed disease when her antibiotics were stopped prematurely. After restarting …

Case Report: Molecular Diagnosis Of Cystoisospora Belli In A Severely Immunocompromised Patient With Hiv And Kaposi Sarcoma, Roumen Borilov Iordanov, Lauren M Leining, Meng Wu, Galant Chan, Andrew R Dinardo, Rojelio Mejia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Diarrhea in an immunocompromised patient has a broad infectious differential. Diagnosis is difficult despite advances in diagnostic modalities. We report a case of a 45-year-old Nigerian woman who immigrated to the United States 2 years ago. She presented to the hospital with gastrointestinal bleeding, newly diagnosed HIV, and disseminated Kaposi sarcoma. During hospitalization, the patient had an onset of watery diarrhea and high eosinophilia. Subsequent stool analysis using multi-parallel real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction for 13 parasites was positive for Cystoisospora belli. The patient was treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but had relapsed disease when her antibiotics were stopped prematurely. After restarting …

Analysis Of The Immunological Biomarker Profile During Acute Zika Virus Infection Reveals The Overexpression Of Cxcl10, A Chemokine Linked To Neuronal Damage., Felipe Gomes Naveca, Gemilson Soares Pontes, Aileen Yu-Hen Chang, George Allan Villarouco Da Silva, Valdinete Alves Do Nascimento, Dana Cristina Da Silva Monteiro, +Several Additional Authors

Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Infection with Zika virus (ZIKV) manifests in a broad spectrum of disease ranging from mild illness to severe neurological complications and little is known about Zika immunopathogenesis.

OBJECTIVES: To define the immunologic biomarkers that correlate with acute ZIKV infection.

METHODS: We characterized the levels of circulating cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors in 54 infected patients of both genders at five different time points after symptom onset using microbeads multiplex immunoassay; comparison to 100 age-matched controls was performed for statistical analysis and data mining.

FINDINGS: ZIKV-infected patients present a striking systemic inflammatory response with high levels of pro-inflammatory mediators. Despite …