Immune System Diseases Commons^™

Parents Of Children With Arthritis-Related Diseases: An Examination Of Knowledge Of And Participation In Select Support Programs And Services Offered By The Arthritis Foundation, Margo B. Deihl

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this pilot study was to identify the knowledge of and participation in select Arthritis Foundation support programs and services among parents of children with arthritis-related diseases. Parents attending the 2014 Juvenile Arthritis National Conference in Keystone, Colorado completed an online survey that asked about their knowledge of and participation in these programs. The data collected for the study was quantitative and qualitative. Respondents were given the opportunity to add comments to some survey items, and these items were analyzed by grouping them according to common themes. Results indicated that the parents were more knowledgeable about the Juvenile …

Role Of Interleukin-3 In An Experimental Model Of Mouse Cerebral Malaria Caused By Plasmodium Berghei Anka, Brendon R. Perry

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, with about 200 million new cases reported each year. In rodent models of malaria, a variety of immune proteins called cytokines have been noted to either promote or suppress protective immunity. While the cytokine interleukin-3 (IL-3) clearly promotes host defense against some intestinal nematode parasites, few studies have reported a similar function for IL-3 in the pathophysiology of malaria. In this study, we investigated the role of IL-3 in a mouse model of cerebral malaria caused by Plasmodium berghei ANKA. We infected wild-type (WT) and IL-3 …

Fecal Transplant Vs Vancomycin For Recurrent Clostridium Diffile, Lauren M. Taylor, Todd E. Edwards

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: To compare fecal transplant and vancomycin in the treatment of recurrent clostridium difficile to determine which has the higher cure rate. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Pubmed, Google Scholar, and TRIP database using the search terms “recurrent clostridium difficile.” Filters were implemented in the Pubmed database including: randomized control trials, English, and published in the past 5 years. Records were screened for RCT with fecal transplant and full-text. Results: van Nood et al. revealed an initial cure rate of 81% for the infusion group, and a re-treated cure rate of 94%, compared to the vancomycin alone group of 31% …

The Role Of Drak2 In T Cell Function And Autoimmunity, Tarsha L. Harris

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The immune system utilizes many regulatory mechanisms to limit immune responses and ensure that immune cells target foreign pathogens and not healthy cells of the body. However, some immune cells can escape these checkpoints and attack the body’s healthy cells, leading to tissue destruction and devastating autoimmune disorders. For example, multiple sclerosis (MS) occurs when immune cells attack the myelin sheath surrounding neurons of the central nervous system (CNS). Likewise, the destruction of pancreatic islet cells by dysregulated immune cells leads to type 1 diabetes (T1D). Remarkably, there are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases. An estimated 50 million …

Antibodies To Heterogenous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein A1 Penetrate Neurons Leading To Multiple Downstream Effects Resulting In Neurodegeneration, Joshua Nathan Douglas

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system. MS is believed to occur in genetically susceptible individuals due to an unknown environmental stimulus. MS patients produce autoantibodies to heterogenous nuclear ribonuclearprotein A1 (hnRNP A1), an RNA binding protein (RBP) highly expressed in neurons. hnRNP A1 functions in pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA trafficking, and translation. Furthermore, the anti-hnRNP A1 antibodies are specific to a N-terminal region termed ‘M9’ which serves as a nuclear export sequence/nuclear localization sequence (NES/NLS) responsible for nuclear/cytoplasmic transport of the protein. In this manuscript we will provide data revealing that anti-hnRNP A1 …

Pten Signaling In Regulatory T Cells And Inflammatory Disease, Sharad Krishna Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Regulatory T (Treg) cells suppress CD4+ T cell responses during homeostasis and inflammation to prevent autoimmunity and other immune disorders. Although the transcriptional and epigenetic programs impacting Treg cell function have been extensively studied, the signaling and metabolic pathways underlying Treg stability and function are not fully understood. In this study, we determined the role of the phosphatase PTEN in Treg cells. We found that specific depletion of PTEN in Treg cells results in excessive TH1 and T follicular helper cells (TFH) responses, associated with elevated germinal center (GC) B cells and spontaneous development of autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disease in …

Torn Between Two Diseases: Changes In Tgfβ Signaling Prevents Diabetes But Promotes Neuropathy, Vasalya Panchumarthi

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that affects millions of children and adults worldwide. In this disease, white blood cells (Leukocytes) invade, attack, and destroy the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, resulting in increased blood glucose levels. Patients with T1D must use exogenous insulin injections, which can lead to many side effects over the lifespan of the person. Therefore, understanding the pathogenesis of this disease is crucial to develop new treatments for patients. The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse is a rodent model of T1D as well as other autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren’s syndrome, where immune cells …

Re-Inventing Adherence: Toward A Patient-Centered Model Of Care For Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis And Hiv, Max R. O'Donnell, A. Daftary, M. Frick, Y. Hirsch-Moverman, K. R. Amico, M. Senthilingam, A. Wolf, J. Z. Metcalfe, P. Isaakidis, J. L. Davis, J. R. Zelnick, J.C.M. Brust, N. Naidu, M. Garretson, David Bangsberg, N. Padayatchi, G. Friedland

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

BACKGROUND—Despite renewed focus on molecular tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics and new antimycobacterial agents, treatment outcomes for patients co-infected with drug-resistant TB and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remain dismal, in part due to lack of focus on medication adherence as part of a patient-centered continuum of care.

OBJECTIVE—To review current barriers to drug-resistant TB-HIV treatment and propose an alternative model to conventional approaches to treatment support.

DISCUSSION—Current national TB control programs rely heavily on directly observed therapy (DOT) as the centerpiece of treatment delivery and adherence support. Medication adherence and care for drug-resistant TB-HIV could be improved by fully implementing team-based patient-centered …

The Feminization Of Hiv/Aids In Yunnan, China, Leah Pinckney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The feminization of HIV is a global phenomenon in which more women are becoming HIV-positive. This not only has tragic consequences for those women but also signifies how HIV transmission in China is changing. Increased sexual transmission has given HIV the ability to move from at-risk groups, such as intravenous drug users and commercial sex workers, to the general population. Despite China’s improved health policies and programs about HIV, this situation poses a serious public health issue allowed to perpetuate because of societal problems surrounding gender. These problems are compounded by socioeconomic inequality brought upon by economic change. While much …

Asessing The Implementation Of Hiv/Aids Programs Amongst Youth Fisherfolk: The Case Of Mbita, Kenya, Edward Ham

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Homa Bay, Nyanza Province has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Kenya (25.7%). Risky sexual behaviors are especially prevalent in fishing communities within this area. This study was conducted in Mbita, a sub-county of Homa Bay. The main objective was to determine which factors influence the implementation of HIV/AIDS programs amongst youth fisherfolk (ages 18-24) within beaches around Mbita. Data was collected through survey administration, key-informant interviews, and in depth interviews. The results highlight some interesting correlations, as well as a disturbing picture of the inequities females face within these fishing communities. Furthermore, a novel microclinic peer education HIV/AIDS program …

Women’S Views On The Challenges And Solutions In Preventing The Gendered Spread Of Hiv In Masxha, Cato Manor, Paige Mcmahon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite numerous national prevention efforts, South Africa remains at the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The burden of the epidemic is extremely heterogeneous, with province, race, gender, age, and socioeconomic status serving as key variables in determining HIV prevalence rates. Black African women are disproportionately affected by the epidemic, with those between the ages of 20 and 34 having an HIV prevalence rate of 31.6%, the highest in the country (Shisana et al., 2014). The purpose of this study was to engage with black African women about the challenges they believe women face in protecting themselves against HIV, and potential …

Dental Health Practices In Us College Students: The American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment Findings, Lori Dewald Edd, Atc, Mches, F-Aahe

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the dental health seeking practices of US college students. Participants: The total number of college students who participated in the ACHA-NCHA survey from 2000-2013 was 1,201,531. Methods: The data requested were the demographic questions and the dental health question from both the ACHA-NCHA I and II. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: The percentage of students who reported having a dental exam and cleaning in the last year averaged 76.6% in this study period of time. However, dental health care declined annually following their freshman year. More females …

The Association Between Vitamin A Status Or Supplementation And Hiv/Aids, Mikaela Kathleen Curtis

Food Science and Nutrition

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has infected millions of people since the start of the epidemic in the early 1980s. HIV is the etiologic agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which has taken millions of lives. It is extremely difficult for particular populations to receive medication to treat HIV infection and prevent the progression of HIV to AIDS. Multiple studies have examined the effect of vitamin A on HIV infection, due to its immune stimulating effects. It is unclear whether an association exists between vitamin A and different aspects of HIV. This review examined the effect of vitamin A …

A Model For Hiv Disclosure Of A Parent's And/Or A Child's Illness, Gary J. Burkholder Jr, Grace Gachanja

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

HIV prevalence in Kenya remains steady at 5.6% for adults 15 years and older, and 0.9% among children aged below 14 years. Parents and children are known to practice unprotected sex, which has implications for continued HIV spread within the country. Additionally, due to increased accessibility of antiretroviral therapy, more HIV-positive persons are living longer. Therefore, the need for HIV disclosure of a parent's and/or a child's HIV status within the country will continue for years to come. We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study to understand the entire process of disclosure from the time of initial HIV diagnosis of an …

Initial Benchmarking Of The Quality Of Medical Care In Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus., Rina Mina, Julia G. Harris, Marisa S. Klein-Gitelman, Simone Appenzeller, Maraisa Centeville, Diane Eskra, Jennifer L. Huggins, Anne L. Johnson, Raju Khubchandani, Prachi Khandekar, Jiha Lee, Hai Mei Liu, Joshua D. Pendl, Clovis A. Silva, Marco F. Silva, Ahmad I. Zaal, Esi Morgan Dewitt, Stacy P. Ardoin, Hermine I. Brunner

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of medical care in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at tertiary pediatric rheumatology centers as measured by observance of SLE quality indicators (SLE-QIs).

METHODS: International consensus has been achieved for childhood-onset SLE-QIs capturing medical care provision in 9 domains: diagnostic testing, education of cardiovascular (CV) risk and lifestyles, lupus nephritis (LN), medication management, bone health, ophthalmologic surveillance, transition, pregnancy, and vaccination. Using medical record information, the level of performance of these childhood-onset SLE-QIs was assessed in childhood-onset SLE populations treated at 4 tertiary pediatric rheumatology centers in the US, 2 in Brazil, and 1 center …

Pitfalls Of Practicing Cancer Epidemiology In Resource-Limited Settings: The Case Of Survival And Loss To Follow-Up After A Diagnosis Of Kaposi’S Sarcoma In Five Countries Across Sub-Saharan Africa, Esther Freeman, Aggrey Semeere, Megan Wenger, Mwebesa B. Bwana, F. Chite Asirwa, Naftali Busakhala, Emmanuel Oga, Elima Jedy-Agba, Vivian Kwaghe, Kenneth Iregbu, Antoine Jaquet, Francois Dabis, Habakkuk Azinyui Yumo, Jean Claude Dusingize, David Bangsberg, Kathryn Anastos, Sam Phiri, Julia Bohlius, Matthias Egger, Constantin T. Yiannoutsos, Kara Wools-Kaloustian, Jeffrey Martin

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Survival after diagnosis is a fundamental concern in cancer epidemiology. In resource-rich settings, ambient clinical databases, municipal data and cancer registries make survival estimation in real-world populations relatively straightforward. In resource-poor settings, given the deficiencies in a variety of health-related data systems, it is less clear how well we can determine cancer survival from ambient data.

Methods: We addressed this issue in sub-Saharan Africa for Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), a cancer for which incidence has exploded with the HIV epidemic but for which survival in the region may be changing with the recent advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART). From 33 …

Multilevel Analysis Of Individual, Neighborhood, And Health Care Facility Characteristics Associated With Achievement And Maintenance Of Hiv Viral Suppression Among Persons Newly Diagnosed With Hiv In New York City, Ellen W. Wiewel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective

To investigate the effect of individual, health care facility, and neighborhood characteristics on achievement and maintenance of HIV viral suppression, among New York City residents aged 13 years and older diagnosed with HIV between 2006 and 2012.

Methods

I used individual-level data from the New York City HIV surveillance registry and Case Surveillance-Based Sampling, facility-level data from the surveillance registry, and neighborhood-level data from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey. The outcomes of interest were first viral suppression after diagnosis (Aims 1 and 3; ≤400 copies/mL) and virologic failure after first suppression among persons who achieved suppression (Aim …

Cyclophosphamide For Suspected Primary Angiitis Of The Central Nervous System In A Patient With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Case Report, Martha M. Rumore, Samantha Su, Jake Pellinen

Touro College of Pharmacy (New York) Publications and Research

Introduction: Central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis is rare, including in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), occurring in less than 1% of patients. Systemic vasculitis affecting the CNS is termed secondary CNS vasculitis, whereas primary CNS vasculitis, referred to as primary angiitis of the CNS (PACNS) refers to an extremely rare disease specifically confined to the CNS. Only some cases of PACNS in HIV patients have been reported in literature.

Case Report: We report a case of a 46-year-old female with HIV who developed probable primary CNS vasculitis, which was treated with intravenous cyclophosphamide and glucocorticoids for both induction and …

Utility And Origin Of Blood-Based Autoantibodies For Early Detection And Diagnosis Of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Cassandra Demarshall

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Autoantibodies are self-reactive antibodies that have been widely implicated as causal agents of autoimmune diseases. They are found in the blood of all human sera, regardless of age, gender, or the presence or absence of disease. While the underlying reason for their ubiquity remains unknown, it has been hypothesized that they participate in the clearance of blood-borne cell and tissue debris generated in both healthy and diseased individuals on a daily basis. Although much evidence supports this debris clearance role, recent studies also suggest a causal role for autoantibodies in disease. My thesis work has focused on this "cause and/or …

Improving The Renal Profile Of A Hiv Drug Combination Through Prodrug Alteration, Derek E. Murrell, Sam Harirforoosh

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to alter the lives of countless individuals, who once infected, live on a continuum between viral suppression and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The former being achieved via the use of various antiretrovirals beginning with the release of zidovudine over a quarter-century ago; whereas the latter may result from treatment failure or lack of treatment such as in the absence of diagnosis or the inaccessibility of medication. As no cure is yet available, regimens must be continued lifelong. Thus, contemporary treatment is given as a combination of agents from various antiretroviral drug classes in an effort to …