Influenza Humans Commons^™

Comparison Of Ecg Features, Cardiac Biomarkers, And Clinical Outcomes In Three Waves Of Hospitalized Covid-19 Pneumonia Patients With Cardiovascular Events, Yuchen Han, Jahnavi Sunkara, Tshura S Ali, Harideep Samanapally, Vidyulata Salunkhe, Fnu Deepti, Emma C. Huang, Justin J. Huang, Maiying Kong, Jiapeng Huang

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a rapidly evolving virus that can severely impact the cardiovascular system. With new variants, it is important to characterize wave-specific (defined by dominant circulating variants) clinical changes.

Methods

A multi-center retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 community acquired pneumonia at eight adult acute-care hospitals in the city of Louisville, KY was conducted. Patients hospitalized with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) community acquired pneumonia who experienced a cardiovascular event between March 2020 and July 2022 were included in this analysis. Variant assignment was based on temporal prevalence rather than genomic confirmation, and …

Interim Estimates Of 2025-26 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness - United States, September 2025-February 2026., Patrick Maloney, Emily L. Reeves, Kristina Wielgosz, Ashley M. Price, Karthik Natarajan, Malini B. Desilva, Kristin Dascomb, Nicola P. Klein, Sara Y. Tartof, Stephanie A. Irving, Shaun J. Grannis, Toan C. Ong, Zachary A. Weber, Jennifer E. Schuster, Danielle M. Zerr, Marian G. Michaels, Julie A. Boom, Natasha B. Halasa, Mary A. Staat, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Stacey L. House, Elie A. Saade, Krissy Moehling Geffel, Manjusha Gaglani, Karen J. Wernli, Vel Murugan, Emily T. Martin, Natalie A B Bontrager, Marie K. Kirby, Amanda B. Payne, Fatimah S. Dawood, Ayzsa Tannis, Heidi L. Moline, Sifang Kathy Zhao, Katherine Adams, Jennifer Decuir, Samantha M. Olson, Jessie R. Chung, Nathaniel Lewis, Brendan Flannery, Carrie Reed, Shikha Garg, Sascha Ellington, Cdc Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Collaborators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

In the United States, annual influenza vaccination has been recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months, including during the 2025-26 season. Interim influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates were calculated for patients with acute respiratory illness-associated outpatient visits and hospitalizations from three U.S. respiratory virus VE networks during the 2025-26 influenza season, using a test-negative case-control design. Among children and adolescents aged < 18 years, VE was 38%-41% against influenza outpatient visits and 41% against influenza-associated hospitalization. Among adults aged ≥18 years, VE was 22%-34% against influenza outpatient visits and 30% against influenza-associated hospitalization. Among children and adolescents, VE against influenza A ranged from 37% (against outpatient visits) to 42% (against hospitalization) across settings; among adults, VE against influenza A ranged from 30% (against hospitalization) to 34% (against outpatient visits) across settings. Among children and adolescents, VE against influenza A(H3N2)-associated outpatient visits was 35% and against influenza A(H3N2)-associated hospitalization was 38%. VE against influenza B outpatient visits ranged from 45%-71% among children and adolescents and was 63% among adults. Other estimates of VE were not statistically significant or were not reportable. Although interim influenza VE is lower during the 2025-26 influenza season than it was during recent influenza seasons, these findings demonstrate that influenza vaccination still provides protection against influenza. CDC recommends influenza vaccination; U.S. influenza vaccines remain available for persons aged ≥6 months.

Exploring The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Preventive Healthcare Utilization In Rural Georgia, Ryan R. Traylor

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and preventive healthcare use among adults in Georgia, specifically within rural populations facing structural barriers. Using 2023 Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, the research analyzes associations between ACE exposure, rural residence, and preventive care outcomes, including physical exams and flu vaccinations. Guided by an intersectionally adapted version of Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, the study evaluates how predisposing factors, enabling resources, and perceived barriers relate to healthcare engagement. Logistic regression analyses assess the correlation of ACE exposure, cost barriers, provider access, and sociodemographics with preventive …

Changes In Antiviral Prescribing For Children With Influenza In Us Emergency Departments., Tess Stopczynski, Olla Hamdan, Justin Z. Amarin, James W. Antoon, Laura S. Stewart, Haya Hayek, James Chappell, Andrew J. Spieker, Eileen J. Klein, Janet A. Englund, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Peter G. Szilagyi, John V. Williams, Marian G. Michaels, Julie A. Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Mary Allen Staat, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Jennifer E. Schuster, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Ayzsa Tannis, Heidi L. Moline, Samantha M. Olson, Natasha B. Halasa

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Despite national recommendations, antiviral prescribing in emergency departments (EDs) for children at higher risk of severe influenza, such as those younger than 5 years and those with specific underlying conditions, remains low.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether there were changes in antiviral prescribing for children at higher risk of severe influenza in academic pediatric EDs before the COVID-19 pandemic (2016-2020) vs the late pandemic period (2021-2023).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This multicenter, cross-sectional study included influenza-positive children younger than 18 years presenting to the ED at 1 of 7 US pediatric academic hospitals participating in the Centers for Disease Control …

Antiviral Use Among Children Hospitalized With Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza Illness: A Prospective, Multicenter Surveillance Study., James W. Antoon, Justin Z. Amarin, Olla Hamdan, Tess Stopczynski, Laura S. Stewart, Marian G. Michaels, John V. Williams, Eileen J. Klein, Janet A. Englund, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Peter G. Szilagyi, Jennifer E. Schuster, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Christopher J. Harrison, Julie A. Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Flor M. Muñoz, Mary Allen Staat, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, James D. Chappell, Benjamin R. Clopper, Heidi L. Moline, Angela P. Campbell, Andrew J. Spieker, Samantha M. Olson, Natasha B. Halasa

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Guidelines state that all hospitalized children with suspected or confirmed influenza receive prompt treatment with influenza-specific antivirals. We sought to determine the frequency of, and factors associated with, antiviral receipt among hospitalized children.

METHODS: We conducted active surveillance of children presenting with fever or respiratory symptoms from 1 December 2016 to 31 March 2020 at 7 pediatric medical centers in the New Vaccine Surveillance Network. The cohort consisted of children hospitalized with influenza A or B confirmed by clinical or research testing. The primary outcome was frequency of antiviral receipt during hospitalization. We used logistic regression to obtain adjusted …

Clinical Testing For Covid-19, Influenza, And Rsv In Hospitalized Youths, 2016-2024., Ariana P. Toepfer, Rachel E. Rutkowski, Leila C. Sahni, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Marian G. Michaels, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Mary Allen Staat, Natasha Halasa, Janet A. Englund, Julie A. Boom, Peter G. Szilagyi, Jennifer E. Schuster, Elizabeth P P. Schlaudecker, Laura S. Stewart, Eileen J. Klein, Samantha M. Olson, Sascha Ellington, Meredith L. Mcmorrow, Heidi L. Moline, Fatimah S. Dawood, New Vaccine Surveillance Network Collaborators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Studies of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease clinical epidemiology, disease burden, and vaccine effectiveness often rely on clinical testing to identify cases, particularly with increasing use of electronic health record data. However, few data are available describing clinical testing practices to inform interpretation of these studies.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize clinical testing frequency for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV among children and adolescents hospitalized with acute respiratory illness during the 2016 to 2024 respiratory illness seasons by age, intensive care unit admission, and time period (2016-2020 and each season in 2020-2024); estimate the case fraction missed by clinical …

Secretogranin 2 Binds Lilrb4 Resulting In Immunosuppression, Xing Yang, Ryan Huang, Meng Fang, Yubo He, Jingjing Xie, Xiaoye Liu, Chengcheng Zhang, Qi Lou, Mi Deng, Wei Xiong, Cheryl Lewis, Zade Sadek, Ankit Gupta, Lianqi Chen, Xuewu Zhang, Lei Guo, Lin Xu, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, Cheng Cheng Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immunosuppressive myeloid cells are important in a variety of physiological and pathological contexts, including tumor development, but how hormones might regulate their activity is unclear. Secretogranins, a family of secretory proteins in endocrine and neuronal cells, are proposed to function as prohormones or hormones, but their specific receptors are unknown. Here we show that secretogranin 2 (SCG2), a granin family member, functionally interacts with leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B4 (LILRB4) on monocytic cells. Tumor-derived SCG2 promotes tumor growth in myeloid-specific LILRB4 transgenic mice in a T cell-dependent manner, whereas SCG2 deficiency in host mice impairs tumor progression and reduces infiltration of …

Citrullinated Eno1 Vaccine Enhances Pd-1 Blockade In Mice Implanted With Murine Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells, Ricardo A León-Letelier, Alejandro M Sevillano-Mantas, Yihui Chen, Soyoung Park, Jody Vykoukal, Johannes F Fahrmann, Edwin J Ostrin, Candace Garrett, Rongzhang Dou, Yining Cai, Fu-Chung Hsiao, Jennifer B Dennison, Eduardo Vilar, Banu K Arun, Samir Hanash, Hiroyuki Katayama

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/Objectives:Cancer vaccine targets mostly include mutations and overexpressed proteins. However, cancer-associated post-translational modifications (PTMs) may also induce immune responses. Previously, our group established the enzyme protein arginine deiminase type-2 (PADI2), which catalyzes citrullination modification, is highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), promoting antigenicity.

Methods: Here, we show the workflow of designing citrullinated enolase 1 (citENO1) vaccine peptides identified from breast cancer cells by mass spectrometry and demonstrate TNBC vaccine efficacy in the mouse model. Immunized mice with citENO1 peptides or the corresponding unmodified peptides, plus Poly I:C as an adjuvant, were orthotopically implanted with a TNBC murine …

A Retrospective Study Of Pulmonary Function Tests In Bronchiectasis: An Infectious Disease Of The Respiratory System, Vinod Mutkule, Mahesh Shinde, Vidya Bapmare, Sangramsingh Dixit, Atharva Sharma, Kshitij Sarwey, Yogeshwari Patil, Sanket Jethlia, Aayushi Dwivedi, Disha Pardeshi, Anmol Rai, Kunal Shah, Vidhi Kalwar

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Bronchiectasis, currently being recognized worldwide, is an abnormal dilatation of the bronchi and bronchioles brought on by recurrent cycles of inflammation and airway infection. Impaired pulmonary function has a predictive significance in bronchiectasis. When treating patients with suspected or confirmed respiratory diseases, pulmonary function tests (PFT) are useful examinations. Very few studies have been done on PFTs in bronchiectasis. The main aim of this study is to study PFTs in bronchiectasis.

Method: This is a retrospective observational study done on 50 patients over two years at the tertiary care center. The previous records of patients were collected from the …

Clinical And Fundamental Research Progressions On Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Therapy In Cancer, Jiandong Hu, Mengli Jin, Weihong Feng, Barbara Nassif-Rausseo, Alexandre Reuben, Chunhua Ma, Gregory Lizee, Fenge Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Malignant tumors represent a significant threat to human health. Among the various therapeutic strategies available, cancer immunotherapy-encompassing adoptive cell transfer (ACT) and immune checkpoint blockade therapy-has emerged as a particularly promising approach following surgical resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and molecular targeted therapies. This form of treatment elicits substantial antigen-specific immune responses, enhances or restores anti-tumor immunity, thereby facilitating the control and destruction of tumor cells, and yielding durable responses across a range of cancers, which can lead to the eradication of tumor lesions and the prevention of recurrence. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), a subset of ACT, are characterized by their heterogeneity and …

Overcoming Barriers To Human Papillomavirus Vaccination In Guangdong Province, China, Shuaijing Zhang, Shiqi Li, Jingtai Ma, Guiyuan Ji, Zhifeng Li, Siyi Chen, Fenglin Zhang, Xingfen Yang, Jianpeng Xiao, Rong Cao, Chenggang Wu, Wei Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection remains a critical public health challenge in China, particularly in Guangdong Province, where HPV-52, 16, and 58 genotypes predominate, and male infection rates exceed 40%. Despite the successful implementation of a government-funded school-based program that has achieved 88% HPV vaccine coverage among adolescent girls, several persistent barriers, including genotype mismatch (the free HPV vaccine covers < 50% of high-risk local strains), regional disparities (80% vs. 60% for first-dose coverage), and exclusion of males, thwart progress toward herd immunity. Financial sustainability risks pose an even more significant threat to the expansion of HPV vaccination programs, especially in Guangdong province where annual expenditures exceed CNY 200 million. This review delves into Guangdong's pioneering efforts and proposes practical solutions: accelerating domestic multivalent HPV vaccine development, adopting gender-neutral vaccination policies, and leveraging mobile clinics for remote populations. These strategies not only provide a roadmap for China but also serve as valuable insight for other LMICs striving to overcome HPV-related inequalities.

Interim Estimates Of 2024-2025 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness - Four Vaccine Effectiveness Networks, United States, October 2024-February 2025., Aaron M. Frutos, Seana Cleary, Emily L. Reeves, Haris M. Ahmad, Ashley M. Price, Wesley H. Self, Yuwei Zhu, Basmah Safdar, Ithan D. Peltan, Kevin W. Gibbs, Matthew C. Exline, Adam S. Lauring, Sarah W. Ball, Malini Desilva, Sara Y. Tartof, Kristin Dascomb, Stephanie A. Irving, Nicola P. Klein, Brian E. Dixon, Toan C. Ong, Ivana A. Vaughn, Stacey L. House, Kiran A. Faryar, Mary Patricia Nowalk, Manjusha Gaglani, Karen J. Wernli, Vel Murugan, Olivia L. Williams, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Mary A. Staat, Natasha B. Halasa, Leila C. Sahni, Marian G. Michaels, Janet A. Englund, Marie K. Kirby, Diya Surie, Fatimah S. Dawood, Benjamin R. Clopper, Heidi L Moline, Ruth Link-Gelles, Amanda B. Payne, Elizabeth Harker, Kristina Wielgosz, Zachary A. Weber, Duck-Hye Yang, Nathaniel M. Lewis, Jennifer Decuir, Samantha M. Olson, Jessie R. Chung, Brendan Flannery, Lisa A. Grohskopf, Carrie Reed, Shikha Garg, Sascha Ellington, Cdc Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Collaborators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months in the United States. Interim influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) was calculated among patients with acute respiratory illness-associated outpatient visits and hospitalizations from four VE networks during the 2024-25 influenza season (October 2024-February 2025). Among children and adolescents agedyears, VE against any influenza was 32%, 59%, and 60% in the outpatient setting in three networks, and against influenza-associated hospitalization was 63% and 78% in two networks. Among adults aged ≥18 years, VE in the outpatient setting was 36% and 54% in two networks and was 41% and 55% against hospitalization …

Characteristics And Outcomes Of Adults Hospitalized With Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Brian S. Shaw, Cara Slaton, Ian P. Murphy, Michael Mcalister, Daniel Egan, Kwabena Ayesu

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a negative sense single-stranded RNA virus (ssRNA) that primarily causes respiratory infections in both children and older adults. We examined clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized adult patients who tested positive for RSV.

Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, descriptive study that examined adult patients admitted with a positive RSV test over two years across eight hospitals in Orlando, Florida.

Results: A total of 120 patients were included, of which 88 (73%) were 60 years old and older. Overall, patients with RSV infection were caucasian (62%) with a median age of 70 years and …

Immunogenicity And Reactogenicity Of High- Or Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccine In A Second Consecutive Influenza Season., Hannah Bahakel, Andrew J. Spieker, Haya Hayek, Jennifer E. Schuster, Lubna Hamdan, Daniel E. Dulek, Carrie L. Kitko, Tess Stopczynski, Einas Batarseh, Zaid Haddadin, Laura S. Stewart, Anna Stahl, Molly Potter, Herdi Rahman, Justin Amarin, Spyros A. Kalams, Claire E. Bocchini, Elizabeth A. Moulton, Susan E. Coffin, Monica I. Ardura, Rachel L. Wattier, Gabriela Maron, Michael Grimley, Grant Paulsen, Christopher J. Harrison, Jason Freedman, Paul A. Carpenter, Janet A. Englund, Flor M. Munoz, Lara Danziger-Isakov, Natasha Halasa, Pediatric Hct Flu Study

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients are at high risk for morbidity from influenza virus infection. We demonstrated in a primary phase 2 randomized controlled trial that 2 post-HCT doses of high-dose trivalent influenza vaccine (HD-TIV) given 4 weeks apart were more immunogenic than 2 doses of standard-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine (SD-QIV). Herein, we present the immunogenicity and safety of influenza vaccination in a consecutive season post-HCT using the same dosing regimen.

METHODS: A subcohort of study participants reenrolled and had hemagglutinin inhibition titers measured at baseline and 4 weeks after each vaccine dose in year 2. We estimated …

Development And Evaluation Of An Implementation Strategy To Increase Hpv Vaccination Among Underserved Youth Across Texas: A Protocol Paper, Paula M Cuccaro, Jihye Choi, Lara S Savas, Efrat K Gabay, Mayra Aguilar Mcbride, Amy Montelongo Eldridge, Timothy J Walker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: All for Them is a theory-based and evidence-informed multilevel, multicomponent program delivered through schools to increase HPV vaccination among medically underserved youth across Texas. Given the potential logistical challenges of program implementation, understanding how to best support the implementation and sustainment of the program is critical. The overall goals of this study are twofold: 1) develop a multifaceted implementation strategy, Implementing All for Them (IM-AFT); and 2) evaluate the impact of IM-AFT on implementation outcomes for schools and healthcare providers to successfully implement All for Them in their respective settings.

METHODS: This study is underpinned by a comprehensive and …

Influenza Knowledge And Barriers To Vaccination In Immunosuppressed Patients In The Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic., Julia G. Harris, Leslie Favier, Jordan T. Jones, Maria Ibarra, Michael J. Holland, Emily Fox, Kelly Jensen, Ashley K. Sherman, Ashley M. Cooper

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Most patients with a pediatric rheumatic disease are at increased risk of influenza due to immunosuppressive medication use. Despite initial quality improvement efforts, our influenza vaccination rate plateaued at 72%, which prompted a survey of patients and families to assess provider vaccine recommendations, influenza knowledge, and barriers to influenza vaccination.

METHODS: Patients on immunosuppressive medication or their parent were eligible to complete a survey between July 2019 and January 2020. Survey questions assessed demographics, rheumatology diagnosis, immunosuppressive medication(s), influenza vaccination recommendation, patient/parent influenza knowledge, and barriers to influenza vaccination. Influenza vaccination rates for immunosuppressed patients were acquired each influenza …

Estimated Vaccine Effectiveness For Pediatric Patients With Severe Influenza, 2015-2020., Kelsey M. Sumner, Leila C. Sahni, Julie A. Boom, Natasha B. Halasa, Laura S. Stewart, Janet A. Englund, Eileen J. Klein, Mary A. Staat, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Christopher J. Harrison, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Peter G. Szilagyi, Monica N. Singer, Parvin H. Azimi, Benjamin R. Clopper, Heidi L. Moline, Emma K. Noble, John V. Williams, Marian G. Michaels, Samantha M. Olson, New Vaccine Surveillance Network Collaborators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Increasing the understanding of vaccine effectiveness (VE) against levels of severe influenza in children could help increase uptake of influenza vaccination and strengthen vaccine policies globally.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate VE in children by severity of influenza illness.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This case-control study with a test-negative design used data from 8 participating medical centers located in geographically different US states in the New Vaccine Surveillance Network from November 6, 2015, through April 8, 2020. Participants included children 6 months through 17 years of age who were hospitalized or presented to an emergency department (ED) with acute respiratory illness. …

Underutilization Of Influenza Antiviral Treatment Among Children And Adolescents At Higher Risk For Influenza-Associated Complications - United States, 2023-2024., Aaron M. Frutos, Haris M. Ahmad, Dawud Ujamaa, Alissa C. O'Halloran, Janet A. Englund, Eileen J. Klein, Danielle M. Zerr, Melanie Crossland, Holly Staten, Julie A. Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Natasha B. Halasa, Laura S. Stewart, Olla Hamdan, Tess Stopczynski, William Schaffner, H Keipp Talbot, Marian G. Michaels, John V. Williams, Melissa Sutton, M Andraya Hendrick, Mary A. Staat, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Brenda L. Tesini, Christina B. Felsen, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Peter G. Szilagyi, Bridget J. Anderson, Jemma V. Rowlands, Murtada Khalifa, Marc Martinez, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Jennifer E. Schuster, Ruth Lynfield, Melissa Mcmahon, Sue Kim, Val Tellez Nunez, Patricia A. Ryan, Maya L. Monroe, Yun F. Wang, Kyle P. Openo, James Meek, Kimberly Yousey-Hindes, Nisha B. Alden, Isaac Armistead, Suchitra Rao, Shua J. Chai, Pam Daily Kirley, Ariana P. Toepfer, Fatimah S. Dawood, Heidi L. Moline, Timothy M. Uyeki, Sascha Ellington, Shikha Garg, Catherine H. Bozio, Samantha M. Olson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Annually, tens of thousands of U.S. children and adolescents are hospitalized with seasonal influenza virus infection. Both influenza vaccination and early initiation of antiviral treatment can reduce complications of influenza. Using data from two U.S. influenza surveillance networks for children and adolescents agedattended, laboratory-confirmed influenza for whom antiviral treatment is recommended, the percentage who received treatment was calculated. Trends in antiviral treatment of children and adolescents hospitalized with influenza from the 2017-18 to the 2023-2024 influenza seasons were also examined. Since 2017-18, when 70%-86% of hospitalized children and adolescents with influenza received antiviral treatment, the proportion receiving treatment notably declined. …

In Silico Analysis Of The Rop29 Protein As A Vaccine Candidate Against Toxoplasma Gondii, Amir Karimipour-Saryazdi, Fatemeh Ghaffarifar, Abdolhossein Dalimi, Masoud Foroutan, John Horton, Javid Sadraei

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The progression of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) invasion is aided by rhoptry proteins (ROPs), which are also crucial for the parasite's survival in host cells. In this study, in silico analysis was performed to examine the various aspects of the ROP29 protein, such as physicochemical properties, potential T- and B-cell epitopes, and other significant features. The research revealed that there were 55 possible sites for posttranslational modification in the ROP29 protein. The secondary structure of the ROP29 protein consists of a random coil, an alpha-helix, and an extended strand, which account for 49.69%, 36.81%, and 13.50%, respectively. Moreover, …

Ultrapotent Broadly Neutralizing Human-Llama Bispecific Antibodies Against Hiv-1, Jianliang Xu, Tongqing Zhou, Krisha Mckee, Baoshan Zhang, Cuiping Liu, Alexandra F Nazzari, Amarendra Pegu, Chen-Hsiang Shen, Jordan E Becker, Michael F Bender, Payton Chan, Anita Changela, Ridhi Chaudhary, Xuejun Chen, Tal Einav, Young Do Kwon, Bob C Lin, Mark K Louder, Jonah S Merriam, Nicholas C Morano, Sijy O'Dell, Adam S Olia, Reda Rawi, Ryan S Roark, Tyler Stephens, I-Ting Teng, Emily Tourtellott-Fogt, Shuishu Wang, Eun Sung Yang, Lawrence Shapiro, Yaroslav Tsybovsky, Nicole A Doria-Rose, Rafael Casellas, Peter D Kwong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Broadly neutralizing antibodies are proposed as therapeutic and prophylactic agents against HIV‐1, but their potency and breadth are less than optimal. This study describes the immunization of a llama with the prefusion‐stabilized HIV‐1 envelope (Env) trimer, BG505 DS‐SOSIP, and the identification and improvement of potent neutralizing nanobodies recognizing the CD4‐binding site (CD4bs) of vulnerability. Two of the vaccine‐elicited CD4bs‐targeting nanobodies, G36 and R27, when engineered into a triple tandem format with llama IgG2a‐hinge region and human IgG1‐constant region (G36×3‐IgG2a and R27×3‐IgG2a), neutralized 96% of a multiclade 208‐strain panel at geometric mean IC80s of 0.314 and 0.033 µg mL−1, respectively. Cryo‐EM …

A Multilevel Intervention To Promote Hpv Vaccination Among Young Adults In Texas: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Qian Lu, Lenna Dawkins-Moultin, Dalnim Cho, Naomi Q P Tan, Suellen Hopfer, Yisheng Li, Lois Ramondetta, Yusi Xu, Di Lun, Minxing Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections can cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus, and oropharynx. The most recently approved HPV vaccine, Gardasil-9, protects against HPV infection and can prevent HPV-associated invasive cancers. However, Gardasil-9 is one of the most underused vaccines in the US today. Young adults are at risk for HPV infection, but many are not vaccinated. This study uses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test an innovative multilevel intervention to increase HPV vaccination rates among young adults. In this paper, we describe the research protocol.

METHODS: The study uses a two by three factorial design. …

Barriers To The Assessment And Recommendation Of Hpv Vaccination Among Healthcare Providers In Texas, Onyema G Chido-Amajuoyi, Ikponmwosa Osaghae, Henry K Onyeaka, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Healthcare providers (HCPs) recommendations for HPV vaccination plays a critical role in increasing vaccination uptake. This study assesses the prevalence of reported barriers to HPV vaccination assessment and recommendation among HCPs in Texas.

METHODS: Study data were obtained from a population-based survey of HCPs currently practicing in Texas. Participants were asked about their HPV vaccination assessment and recommendation practices and the reasons for not assessing or recommending the vaccine. Barriers were stratified by HCP characteristics including age, sex, race/ethnicity, location of practice, provider type, and type of facility.

RESULTS: Among the 826 HCPs included in this study, 47.3 % …

Covid-19 Vaccine Confidence, Concerns, And Uptake In Children Aged 5 And Older In Calgary, Alberta: A Longitudinal Cohort Study, Emily J Doucette, Leah Ricketson, Tarannum Tarannum, Isabella Alatorre, Joslyn Gray, Cora Constantinescu, Susan Kuhn, Jessica K E Dunn, James D Kellner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Beginning early in the pandemic, there was a worldwide effort to develop effective vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Before and after the approval and implementation of vaccines, there were concerns about their need as well as their safety and rapid development. We explored child demographic characteristics and parental concerns to identify factors associated with the decision to vaccinate.

METHODS: A cohort of 1035 children from Calgary was assembled in 2020 to participate in 5 visits every 6 months for survey completion and blood sampling for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Visits 1 to 2 occurred before approval of vaccines for children; Visits …

Vaccine Uptake And Intentions: Insights From A Texas Survey On Factors Influencing Covid-19 Vaccination Decisions, Yordanos M Tiruneh, Paula M Cuccaro, Kimberly S Elliott, Jing Xie, Journey Martinez, Mark Owens, Christian R Alvarado, Jose-Miguel Yamal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines depends on widespread vaccine uptake. Employing a telephone-administered weighted survey with 19,502 participants, we examined the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among adults in Texas. We used multiple regression analysis with LASSO-selected variables to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake and intentions to receive the vaccine among the unvaccinated. The prevalence of unvaccinated individuals (22%) was higher among those aged 18-39, males, White respondents, English speakers, uninsured individuals, those facing financial challenges, and individuals expressing no concern about contracting the illness. In a fully adjusted regression model, higher odds of being unvaccinated were observed …

Parental Factors Associated With Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake For Children Over 5 Years Of Age In Texas, Paula M Cuccaro, Jihye Choi, Yordanos M Tiruneh, Journey Martinez, Jing Xie, Michelle Crum, Mark Owens, Jose-Miguel Yamal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children, yet parental hesitancy towards vaccinating children against the virus persists. We conducted a telephone-administered weighted survey in Texas to examine parents' sociodemographic factors and medical conditions associated with COVID-19 vaccination intention for parents with unvaccinated children ages 5-17 years. We collected responses from 19,502 participants, of which 4879 were parents of children ages 5-17 years. We conducted multiple logistic regression with Lasso-selected variables to identify factors associated with children's vaccination status and parents' intention to vaccinate their children. From the unweighted sample, less than half of the parents (46.8%) had at …

Accuracy Of Influenza Icd-10 Diagnosis Codes In Identifying Influenza Illness In Children., James W. Antoon, Tess Stopczynski, Justin Z. Amarin, Laura S. Stewart, Julie A. Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Marian G. Michaels, John V. Williams, Janet A. Englund, Eileen J. Klein, Mary A. Staat, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Jennifer E. Schuster, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Peter G. Szilagyi, Ariana Perez, Heidi L. Moline, Andrew J. Spieker, Carlos G. Grijalva, Samantha M. Olson, Natasha B. Halasa

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Studies of influenza in children commonly rely on coded diagnoses, yet the ability of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes to identify influenza in the emergency department (ED) and hospital is highly variable. The accuracy of newer International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes to identify influenza in children is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of ICD-10 influenza discharge diagnosis codes in the pediatric ED and inpatient settings.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Children younger than 18 years presenting to the ED or inpatient settings with fever and/or respiratory symptoms at 7 …

Multivalent Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein B Nucleoside Modified Mrna Vaccines Did Not Demonstrate A Greater Antibody Breadth, Hsuan-Yuan Wang, Leike Li, Cody S Nelson, Richard Barfield, Sarah Valencia, Cliburn Chan, Hiromi Muramatsu, Paulo J C Lin, Norbert Pardi, Zhiqiang An, Drew Weissman, Sallie R Permar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) remains the most common congenital infection and infectious complication in immunocompromised patients. The most successful HCMV vaccine to date, an HCMV glycoprotein B (gB) subunit vaccine adjuvanted with MF59, achieved 50% efficacy against primary HCMV infection. A previous study demonstrated that gB/MF59 vaccinees were less frequently infected with HCMV gB genotype strains most similar to the vaccine strain than strains encoding genetically distinct gB genotypes, suggesting strain-specific immunity accounted for the limited efficacy. To determine whether vaccination with multiple HCMV gB genotypes could increase the breadth of anti-HCMV gB humoral and cellular responses, we immunized 18 female …

Immunity From Nk Cell Subsets Is Important For Vaccine-Mediated Protection In Hpv+ Cancers, Madison P O'Hara, Ananta V Yanamandra, K Jagannadha Sastry

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are associated with genital and oral cancers, and the incidence of HPV+ head and neck squamous cell cancers is fast increasing in the USA and worldwide. Survival rates for patients with locally advanced disease are poor after standard-of-care chemoradiation treatment. Identifying the antitumor host immune mediators important for treatment response and designing strategies to promote them are essential. We reported earlier that in a syngeneic immunocompetent preclinical HPV tumor mouse model, intranasal immunization with an HPV peptide therapeutic vaccine containing the combination of aGalCer and CpG-ODN adjuvants (TVAC) promoted clearance of HPV vaginal tumors via induction …

Accelerate Vaccine Development Using Seamless Phase 2/3 Trial Designs, Jia-Ying Yang, Guo-Chun Li, Ying Yuan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Traditional vaccine development, often a lengthy and costly process of three separated phases. However, the swift development of COVID-19 vaccines highlighted the critical importance of accelerating the approval of vaccines. This article showcases a seamless phase 2/3 trial design to expedite the development process, particularly for multi-valent vaccines.

Research design and methods: This study utilizes simulation to compare the performance of seamless phase 2/3 design with that of conventional trial design, specifically by re-envisioning a 9-valent HPV vaccine trial. Across three cases, several key performance metrics are evaluated: overall power, type I error rate, average sample size, trial duration, …

Influenza Viral Infection Is A Risk Factor For Severe Illness In Covid-19 Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study, Jeong-Hwan Hwang, Yeon Seok You, Sang Woo Yeom, Min Gyu Lee, Jong-Hwan Lee, Min Gul Kim, Jong Seung Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In order to prepare for the twindemic of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infection, we investigated the association between influenza infection and subsequent severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A population-based nationwide cohort study was performed using data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) in the Republic of Korea. This study included 274,126 individuals who underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing between 20 January 2020 and 1 October 2020. Among these patients, 28,338 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and 4,003 of these individuals had a history of influenza. The control group was selected through 1:1 propensity score matching. In the group of 4,003 COVID-19-positive individuals with …