Immune System Diseases Commons^™

Harnessing Poverty Alleviation To Reduce The Stigma Of Hiv In Sub-Saharan Africa, Alexander C. Tsai, David Bangsberg, Sheri D. Weiser

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

HIV is highly stigmatized throughout sub-Saharan Africa. In studies conducted among general population samples, stigma has been shown to impede uptake of HIV testing and increase sexual risktaking behavior. Among HIV-infected persons, stigma has also been associated with inhibited serostatus disclosure to sexual partners and potential treatment supporters, delays in HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, and ART nonadherence. The stigma of HIV also intensifies the poverty, stress, and insecurity endemic to many resource-limited settings, resulting in worsened mental health, itself an important determinant of AIDS-related mortality. Until we can better understand how to effectively intervene to reduce the stigma of …

Factors Associated With Pruritic Papular Eruption Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection In The Antiretroviral Therapy Era, S. L. Chua, E. H. Amerson, K. S. Leslie, T. H. Mccalmont, P. E. Leboit, J. N. Martin, David Bangsberg, T. A. Maurer

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background—Pruritic papular eruption (PPE) of HIV is common in HIV-infected populations living in the tropics. Its aetiology has been attributed to insect bite reactions and it is reported to improve with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Its presence after at least 6 months of ART has been proposed as one of several markers of treatment failure.

Objectives—To determine factors associated with PPE in HIV-infected persons receiving ART.

Methods—A case–control study nested within a 500-person cohort from a teaching hospital in Mbarara, Uganda. Forty-five cases and 90 controls were enrolled. Cases had received ART for ≥ 15 months and had an itchy papular …

Dental Hygienists' Knowledge Of Hiv, Attitudes Towards People With Hiv And Willingness To Conduct Rapid Hiv Testing, Anthony J. Santella, B Krishnamachari, Susan H. Davide, Marilyn Cortell, Winnie Furnari, B Watts, Sarah C. Hayden

Publications and Research

This study was aimed to determine the dental hygienists' knowledge of HIV, attitudes towards people living with HIV and willingness to conduct rapid HIV testing.

Gender Disparities In Access To Hiv Testing And Antiretroviral Treatment Services, Wyatt Lombard Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Throughout a six-week practicum period at TASO Mulago in Kampala, Uganda and St. Francis Naggalama Hospital in Naggalama, Uganda, the researcher aimed to find methods to increase male engagement in all facets of comprehensive HIV/AIDS care. Women and children generally receive most global attention on the issue of HIV/AIDS in Uganda but men are beginning to demand more attention. Antiretroviral treatment has been critical in allowing countless people to live functionally with HIV but many research projects have hypothesized that delayed access to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention methods has resulted in men exhibiting higher mortality rates upon initiation of this …

Up North They’Re Talking Sex: A Collaborative And Community Driven Model For Sexual Health Knowledge Mobilization, Karen Edwards, Steve Mitchell Phd, Nancy Gibson Phd, Cecilia Zoe-Martin, Anita Daniels, Jim Martin, Patrick Wansbrough Rn

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

To address high STI rates in their aboriginal communities, the Tłı̨chǫ of the Northwest Territories adopted a collaborative participatory research approach to sexual health based on four key stages of development. First was community initiation and engagement, where local leaders identified a priority need and began community discussions around sexual health. Secondly, identifying that existing government statistics did not provide them with adequate information, the Tlicho Community Services Agency partnered with the University of Alberta and CIETcanda to conduct a baseline study in all four Tlicho communities, designed and administered by community-based researchers. Third, a community action research team (CART) …

Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Infectious Disease Hospitalizations In Arizona, Laura Callinan, Robert Holman, Douglas Esposito, Marian Mcdonald

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Infectious disease (ID) hospitalizations in Arizona, a diverse population with nearly complete race/ethnicity data, were analyzed using the State Inpatient Database for 2005-2008. ID hospitalizations rates were calculated and compared by ID group, race/ethnicity, age, and sex. During 2005-2008, there were 383,597 ID hospitalizations reported in Arizona, resulting in an age-adjusted rate of 1498.1 per 100,000 persons. A range of racial/ethnic disparities in ID hospitalization rates were noted. Persons of Native American and black race/ethnicity had overall ID hospitalization rates higher than the rate for persons of white race/ethnicity; persons of Asian or Pacific Islander race/ethnicity had a lower rate. …

Severe Combined Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Ali Faisal Saleem, Ranish Deedar Ali Khawaja, Abdul Sattar Shaikh, Syed Asad Ali, Anita Kaniz Mehdi Zaidi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objective: To determine the clinico-demographic features and laboratory parameters of children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).

Study Design: Case series.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Aga Khan University, Karachi, from July 2006 to July 2011.

Methodology: Thirteen infants who were discharged with a diagnosis of SCID were inducted in the study. Their clinicodemographic features and laboratory parameters were determined. Descriptive statistics has been used for computing frequency and percentage.

Results: The median age at diagnosis was five months; 5 infants presented within 3 months of life. Three-fourth (77%) were males. Most of the …

Bioengineering The Expression Of Active Recombinant Human Cathepsin G, Enteropeptidase, Neutrophil Elastase, And C-Reactive Protein In Yeast, Eliot T. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The yeasts Pichia pastoris and Kluyveromyces lactis were used to express several recombinant human proteins for further biochemical characterization. Two substitution variants of recombinant human enteropeptidase light chain (rhEPL) were engineered to modify the extended substrate specificity of this serine protease. Both were secreted as active enzymes in excess of 1.7 mg/L in P. pastoris fermentation broth. The substitution variant rhEPL R96Q showed significantly reduced specificities for the preferred substrate sequences DDDDK and DDDDR; however, the rhEPL Y174R variant displayed improved specificities for these substrate sequences relative to all other reported variants of this enzyme. The neutrophil serine proteases human …

T-Cell Treatments For Solid And Hematological Tumors, Drew C. Deniger

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cell-based therapies have demonstrated potency and efficacy as cancer treatment modalities. T cells can be dichotomized by their T cell receptor (TCR) complexes where alpha/beta T cells (95% of T cells) and gamma/delta T cells (+T cells proliferated to clinically significant numbers and ROR1⁺ tumor cells were effectively targeted and killed by both ROR1-specific CAR⁺ T cell populations, although ROR1RCD137 were superior to ROR1RCD28 in clearance of leukemia xenografts in vivo. The second specific aim focused on generating bi-specific CD19-specific CAR⁺ gamma/delta T cells with polyclonal TCRgamma/delta repertoire on CD19⁺ artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPC). …

Research Fatigue Among Injecting Drug Users In Karachi, Pakistan, Aysha Zahidie, Arshad Altaf, Adeel Ahsan, Tanzil Jamali

Community Health Sciences

Background

Karachi is the largest metropolis of Pakistan and its economic hub attracting domestic migrants for economic opportunities. It is also the epicenter of HIV epidemic in the country. Since 2004, one pilot study and four behavioral and biological surveillance rounds have been conducted in Karachi. In addition many student research projects have also focused on key risk groups including injection drug users (IDUs). As a result of this extra ordinary exposure of same kind of questions, IDUs know how to respond to high value questions related to sharing of needles or unsafe sexual practices. The purpose of the study …

A Home-Based Exercise Intervention To Increase Physical Activity Among People Living With Hiv: Study Design Of A Randomized Clinical Trial, Jason R. Jaggers, Wesley Dudgeon, Steven N. Blair, Xuemei Sui, Stephanie Burgess, Sara Wilcox, Gregory A. Hand

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background

While combination antiretroviral therapy has extended the life expectancy of those infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), there is a high prevalence of comorbidities that increase the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The side effects associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) lead to multiple metabolic disorders, making the management of these metabolic issues and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in those treated with ART a critical issue. Clinical research trials, primarily clinical exercise, rarely include this population due to unique challenges in research methods with underserved minority populations living with a life threatening …

Stimulation Through Tlr4 Increases Fviii Inhibitor Formation In A Mouse Model Of Hemophilia A, Claire K. Holley

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Hemophilia A is a clotting disorder caused by functional factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. About 25% of patients treated with therapeutic recombinant FVIII develop antibodies (inhibitors) that render subsequent FVIII treatments ineffective. The immune mechanisms of inhibitor formation are not entirely understood, but circumstantial evidence indicates a role for increased inflammatory response, possibly via stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), at the time of FVIII immunization. I hypothesized that stimulation through TLR4 in conjunction with FVIII treatments would increase the formation of FVIII inhibitors. To test this hypothesis, FVIII K.O. mice were injected with recombinant human FVIII with or without concomitant doses …

Evolution Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Clade C Envelope V1–V5 Region During Disease Progression In Non-Human Primate Model, For Yue Tso

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) clade C strain is the fastest spreading HIV-1 strain globally, especially in Africa. It has been decades since the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic first started. However, an effective anti-HIV-1 vaccine is not yet available, which is partly due to the highly variable nature of HIV-1 envelope gene and the absence of a suitable animal model. Strengthening of the understanding of envelope evolution during disease progression will contribute significantly towards future anti-HIV-1 treatment and preventions.

Non-human primates have been an essential animal model for many biomedical research areas. Using simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) …

Effects Of Clostridium Difficile On The Human Immune Response, Mike Mcgovern

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

Clostridium difficile is a bacterium that is rapidly becoming a large issue in the medical community due to its tendency to infect hospital patients and its resistance to antibiotics. By studying the way in which the pathogen interacts with the human immune system, it is possible to better understand how the body naturally fights off the disease. This knowledge can allow medical professionals to develop treatments that can help curtail the infection before serious symptoms occur. Working under a grant program alongside Professors Kirsten Hokeness and Chris Reid, I was able to research the effects that exposure to the C. …

Discrimination In Medical Settings And Attitudes Toward Complementary And Alternative Medicine: The Role Of Distrust In Conventional Providers, Tetyana Shippee, Carrie Henning-Smith, Nathan Shippee, Jessie Kemmick Pintor, Kathleen T. Call, Donna Mcalpine, Pamela Jo Johnson

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

This study examines the relationship between racial/ethnic discrimination in medical settings, distrust in conventional medicine, and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among a racially/ethnically diverse sample. We also investigate how this relationship differs by nativity. Data are from a 2008 statewide stratified sample of publicly insured adults in Minnesota (N=2,194). Discrimination was measured as self-reported unfair treatment in medical settings due to race, ethnicity, and/or nationality. Outcomes are trust in conventional providers/medicine and attitudes toward CAM modalities. Discrimination in medical settings was positively associated with 1) distrust in conventional providers and 2) favorable attitudes toward CAM. Foreign-born …

Isolation Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Youth: A Dimensional Concept Analysis, Michael Johnson, Elaine Amella

Interdisciplinary Research Scholarship Day

Present the findings of a dimensional concept analysis of isolation within the context of LGBT youth. LGBT youth are at greater risk for negative health outcomes as compared to heterosexual youth, including depression, anxiety, suicide, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS. Some studies suggest LGBT feeling and being isolated is related to some negative health outcomes. Other research reveals a relationship between isolation and negative health

Interventions To Reduce Neonatal Mortality From Neonatal Tetanus In Low And Middle Income Countries - A Systematic Review, Adeel Ahmed Khan, Aysha Zahidie, F. Rabbani

Community Health Sciences

Background

In 1988, WHO estimated around 787,000 newborns deaths due to neonatal tetanus. Despite few success stories majority of the Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) are still struggling to reduce neonatal mortality due to neonatal tetanus. We conducted a systematic review to understand the interventions that have had a substantial effect on reducing neonatal mortality rate due to neonatal tetanus in LMICs and come up with feasible recommendations for decreasing neonatal tetanus in the Pakistani setting.

Methods

We systemically reviewed the published literature (Pubmed and Pubget databases) to identify appropriate interventions for reducing tetanus related neonatal mortality. A total …

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels And C-Reactive Protein In Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, C. Anderson Johnson, Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, Krishna C. Poudel, Masamine Jimba, Jun Kobayashi, Paula Palmer

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has frequently been associated with vitamin D deficiency as well as chronic inflammatory response. We tested the hypothesis of an independent relationship between serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) in a cohort of HIV-positive people. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 316 HIV-positive people (181 men and 135 women) aged 16 to 60 years residing in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Serum high-sensitivity CRP concentrations and serum 25(OH)D levels were measured by the latex agglutination nephelometry method and the competitive protein-binding assay, respectively. The relationship between serum CRP concentrations and 25(OH)D …

Generation And Characterization Of Peptide Fusion Proteins, Brianna L. Probasco

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Pathogenic Th17 cells drive progression of many autoimmune diseases. Th17 cells develop from naïve T cells in the immune system after antigen-driven stimulation in a specific cytokine environment. Normally, T cells act to fight off infection, but when not properly controlled, they can cause disease. The cytokine interleukin-23 (IL-23) plays an essential role in the expansion of pathogenic Th17 cells. IL-23 is a heterodimeric protein, composed of a p19 alpha chain and a p40 beta chain. The p40 is also part of IL-12 and binds to the IL-12 receptor beta 1 (IL-12Rβ1) subunit. Thus, it follows that the IL-23 receptor …

Men Who Have Sex With Men And Use Of An In Home Hiv Test, Richard Jimenez

2010-2016 Archived Posters

The authors will examine Men Who Have Sex with Men’s (MSM ) knowledge, attitudes, and utilization patterns of a new rapid in home HIV test. Data will be collected via a focus group interview session of MSM ages 18-21 recruited from the Houston, Texas metropolitan area with the assistance of a community research collaborator partner, the Montrose Center.