Virus Diseases Commons^™

P16ink4a Expression And Immunologic Aging In Chronic Hiv Infection, Susan Ribeiro, Jeffrey Milush, Edecio Cunha-Neto, Esper Kallas, Jorge Kalil, Luiz Felipe D. Passero, Peter W. Hunt, Steven Deeks, Douglas F. Nixon, Devi Sengupta

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

Chronic HIV infection is characterized by increased immune activation and immunosenescence. p16 INK4a (p16) is a member of the cyclin-dependent kinase antagonist family that inhibits cellular proliferation, and its protein expression increases during normal chronological aging. However, some infectious diseases can increase the expression of this anti-proliferative protein, potentially accelerating immunological aging and dysfunction. In order to investigate the immunological aging in HIV patients, p16 protein expression was evaluated by flow cytometry, in T cell subsets in a cohort of chronically HIV-infected patients on and off ART as well as age-matched healthy controls. Results showed that untreated HIV-infected subjects exhibited …

Chemokine Levels In The Penile Coronal Sulcus Correlate With Hiv-1 Acquisition And Are Reduced By Male Circumcision In Rakai, Uganda., Jessica L Prodger, Ronald H Gray, Brett Shannon, Kamnoosh Shahabi, Xiangrong Kong, Kate Grabowski, Godfrey Kigozi, Fred Nalugoda, David Serwadda, Maria J Wawer, Steven J Reynolds, Cindy M. Liu, Aaron A R Tobian, Rupert Kaul

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Individual susceptibility to HIV is heterogeneous, but the biological mechanisms explaining differences are incompletely understood. We hypothesized that penile inflammation may increase HIV susceptibility in men by recruiting permissive CD4 T cells, and that male circumcision may decrease HIV susceptibility in part by reducing genital inflammation. We used multi-array technology to measure levels of seven cytokines in coronal sulcus (penile) swabs collected longitudinally from initially uncircumcised men enrolled in a randomized trial of circumcision in Rakai, Uganda. Coronal sulcus cytokine levels were compared between men who acquired HIV and controls who remained seronegative. Cytokines were also compared within men before …

Progress Toward Eliminating Mother To Child Transmission Of Hiv In Kenya: Review Of Treatment Guideline Uptake And Pediatric Transmission At Four Government Hospitals Between 2010 And 2012., Sarah Finocchario-Kessler, Kristine F. Clark, Samoel Khamadi, Brad J. Gautney, Vincent Okoth, Kathy Goggin, Hitsystem Study Team

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

We analyzed prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) data from a retrospective cohort of n = 1365 HIV+ mothers who enrolled their HIV-exposed infants in early infant diagnosis services in four Kenyan government hospitals from 2010 to 2012. Less than 15 and 20 % of mother-infant pairs were provided with regimens that met WHO Option A and B/B+ guidelines, respectively. Annually, the gestational age at treatment initiation decreased, while uptake of Option B/B+ increased (all p's < 0.001). Pediatric HIV infection was halved (8.6-4.3 %), yet varied significantly by hospital. In multivariable analyses, HIV-exposed infants who received no PMTCT (AOR 4.6 [2.49, 8.62], p < 0.001), mixed foods (AOR 5.0 [2.77, 9.02], p < 0.001), and care at one of the four hospitals (AOR 3.0 [1.51, 5.92], p = 0.002) were more likely to be HIV-infected. While the administration and uptake of WHO PMTCT guidelines is improving, an expanded focus on retention and medication adherence will further reduce pediatric HIV transmission.

When It Isn’T Always Lyme: Expanding The Differential Diagnosis For Acute-Onset Polyarthralgia In The West Virginia Eastern Panhandle, Natalie A. Moffett, Rosemarie Lorenzetti

Marshall Journal of Medicine

This case presentation discusses a 36 year-old female animal care worker presenting with an acute-onset polyarthropathy during the summer months in a Lyme endemic region. Though she appeared to be a good candidate for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis, her screening serology reported negative results and alternative diagnoses were considered. Her subsequent diagnosis with parvovirus B19 acts to remind the general practitioner to have confidence in the accuracy of a negative Lyme screen and, upon negative result, to expand the differential to include less common infections including parvovirus B19. It also highlights the need to remember parvovirus B19 in a …

The Kinetics Of Type 1 Interferons During Influenza Virus Infection, Margaret A. Myers

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Bill Of Rights: What Does It Say?, The U.S. National Archives And Records Administration

Pandemic Response and Religion in the USA: Law and Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Testing Modeling Assumptions In The West Africa Ebola Outbreak, Matthew C. Ingram, Keith Burghardt, Christopher Verzijl, Junming Huang, Binyang Song, Marie-Pierre Hasne

Political Science Faculty Scholarship

The Ebola virus in West Africa has infected almost 30,000 and killed over 11,000 people. Recent models of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) have often made assumptions about how the disease spreads, such as uniform transmissibility and homogeneous mixing within a population. In this paper, we test whether these assumptions are necessarily correct, and offer simple solutions that may improve disease model accuracy. First, we use data and models of West African migration to show that EVD does not homogeneously mix, but spreads in a predictable manner. Next, we estimate the initial growth rate of EVD within country administrative divisions and …

Immune- And Nonimmune-Compartment-Specific Interferon Responses Are Critical Determinants Of Herpes Simplex Virus-Induced Generalized Infections And Acute Liver Failure, Zachary M. Parker, Tracy Jo Pasieka, George A. Parker, David A. Leib

Dartmouth Scholarship

The interferon (IFN) response to viral pathogens is critical for host survival. In humans and mouse models, defects in IFN responses can result in lethal herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infections, usually from encephalitis. Although rare, HSV-1 can also cause fulminant hepatic failure, which is often fatal. Although herpes simplex encephalitis has been extensively studied, HSV-1 generalized infections and subsequent acute liver failure are less well understood. We previously demonstrated that IFN-αβγR-/- mice are exquisitely susceptible to liver infection following corneal infection with HSV-1. In this study, we used bone marrow chimeras of IFN-αβγR-/- (AG129) and wild-type (WT; 129SvEv) mice …

Does Persistent Hiv Replication Explain Continued Lymphoma Incidence In The Era Of Effective Antiretroviral Therapy?, Jennifer Totonchy, Ethel Cesarman

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are highly increased in incidence in individuals infected with HIV, and this continues to be the case in spite of highly effective combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). New evidence has demonstrated that while successful virtual recovery of CD4 counts and elimination of HIV from peripheral blood can be achieved with cART, viral replication can still occur in lymphoid tissues. In addition, recent studies have suggested that adipose tissue provides an additional reservoir for HIV-infected macrophages and T lymphocytes even in the context of successful cART therapy. In this review article, we discuss possible mechanisms leading to the development of …

Airway Secretory Micrornaome Changes During Rhinovirus Infection In Early Childhood., M. Gutierrez, J. Gomez, Geovanny Perez, Krishna Pancham, Dinesh K. Pillai, M. Giri, S. Ferrante, Robert J. Freishtat, Mary C. Rose, Diego A. Preciado, Gustavo Nino

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Innate immune responses are fine-tuned by small noncoding RNA molecules termed microRNAs (miRs) that modify gene expression in response to the environment. During acute infections, miRs can be secreted in extracellular vesicles (EV) to facilitate cell-to-cell genetic communication. The purpose of this study was to characterize the baseline population of miRs secreted in EVs in the airways of young children (airway secretory microRNAome) and examine the changes during rhinovirus (RV) infection, the most common cause of asthma exacerbations and the most important early risk factor for the development of asthma beyond childhood.

METHODS:

Nasal airway secretions were obtained from …

Anticancer Effect Of Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract In Human Cancer Cell Lines, María Del Mar Zayas-Viera, Pablo Vivas-Mejia, Ph.D, Jeyshka Reyes, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Many medicinal plants are used as chemo preventives and antitumor agents in numerous experimental models of carcinogenesis. Moringa oleifera is a plant that contains several phytochemicals, which have been used for medical purposes including anti-inflammatory, analgesic, metabolism activator, anti-asthmatic, anti-anemia, hormone-producing, liver protector, and detoxifier, among others. Moringa oleifera extracts have also been proposed as potential anticancer agents. Cancer is one of the main causes of deaths worldwide. Although many drugs exist against several types of cancer, more specific agents with lower side effects are necessary. Few reports exist regarding the antitumor activity of Moringa oleifera leaf extract in cancer …

The Role Of Sumo And Coilin In The Cajal Body, Shanya Whitehorse, Mario Izaguirre-Sierra, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Our lab is solely based on learning about the molecular biology of the cell nucleus using basic model organism such as plants and flies. We focus on the study of the Cajal Body (CB) and specifically, we are interested to know how nuclear bodies can be formed without a membrane. The CB and the nucleolus are conserved nuclear bodies in all eukaryotic cells. CBs contain multiple proteins and RNA species involved in many pathways such as splicing, ribosome biogenesis and telomere maintenance.

Coilin is one of the main proteins in the nucleus and it is known to be required for …

Addressing Diabetes Prevention At The American Indian Summer Medical Wellness Camp, Mahpiya Vanderbilt, Francine Gachupin, Phd, Mph

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

American Indian youth ages 10-19 are nine times more likely of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes compared to non-Hispanic whites. A family history of diabetes, being overweight, and being inactive are the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes. The American Indian Summer Medical Wellness Camp is a six day camp for American Indian youth where they are taught about nutrition and fitness in an effort to prevent diabetes. What I looked at is if students who have attended the camp in previous years make different choices than the youth who have never attended camp. I hypothesize that if …

Hiv-1 Vpr Causes Synaptodendritic Damage In Neurons, María A. Torres Rivera, Richard Noel, Jr., Phd, Bethzaly Velázquez-Pérez, Neysha Martínez-Orengo, Ms

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

HIV weakens the immune system by infecting and destroying T-cells, leaving the body vulnerable to infection and the development of AIDS. Conventional treatments for HIV, such as combined anti-rectroviral therapy (cART), fail to prevent the development of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). Neurological dysfunction has been directly related to the invasion of HIV in the central nervous system (CNS). HIV produces neurotoxic proteins, such as the Viral Protein R (Vpr), which contribute to HAND. Astrocytes are the most abundant cells in the brain and an important HIV target. We hypothesize that astrocytes expressing Vpr will cause neuronal damage in our co-culture …

Protein Expression Of Steroid Receptors In Macaca Mulatta Endometriotic Lesions, Héctor Torres, Lynette Ruiz, Phd, Olga Gonzalez, Dvm, Luisa Morales, Drph

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Endometriosis is pathologically defined as the presence of endometrial tissue in ectopic locations. Currently, there are no specific, non-invasive biomarkers and no cure for endometriosis. Non-human primates (NHP), including Macaca mulatta (rhesus macaques), have been highlighted as appropriate models to study endometriosis due to genetic, physiological, and anatomical similarities to humans. Research shows endometriosis might be associated with molecular deviations in human peritoneal endometriosis, such as increased levels of estrogen receptors and decreased levels of progesterone receptors.

The aim of this study is to determine protein expression of steroid receptors in five endometriotic lesions of rhesus macaques. We propose that …

Polymer Antimicrobial Synergy Research, Samuel Smith, Charles V. Rice, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Recent studies have shown that certain polymers, such as branched polyethylenimine (BPEI), have the potential to be antimicrobial. We have been growing certain strains of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and adding in concentrations of ampicillin to find the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). This allows us to add in different concentrations of BPEI to test for synergy between our antibiotic and our polymer.

To find the MIC of each antibiotic, we grew an overnight of the bacteria in Lysogeny Broth (LB) and let it inoculate for 20 hours. We then inoculated a 24 well culture cluster …

Mt1a Mrna Expression In Human Lung Cells (Beas 2b) After Airborne Pm10 And Copper Exposure: A Possible Biomarker For Asthma, Mariela Rosa-Casillas, Noé Crespo-Hernández, Bs, Mario Ortiz-Martínez, Braulio Jiménez-Vélez

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Puerto Ricans have the highest prevalence, morbidity and mortality of asthma than any other ethnic group in the U.S. and can be triggered by different stimuli such as airborne Particle pollution (PM). PM transfers transition metals, including cooper, to the human airways generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Metallothionein protein (MT1A) is a free radical scavenger expected to be induced in lung cells by PM exposure; however, this has never been proven nor demonstrated. The hypothesis involves the amounts of PM₁₀ in 2004, which would be significantly higher in the urban sites during months of March and June, thereby increasing …

Indirect Elisa For Detection Of Fascioliasis Igg Antibodies In Human Sera, Ernesto R. Ramos Maldonado, Ana M. Espino, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Currently, coprological examination based on egg detection in stool samples is used as the most ideal standard for the diagnosis of human fascioliasis. However, this method has been proven not to be adequate when being employed in the acute phase of the disease, and presents a poor sensitivity during the chronic phase. Serodiagnosis has become an excellent alternative to coprological examination in efforts to combat the effects of fascioliasis on human and animal health. Human fascioliasis is usually recognized as an infection of the bile ducts and liver caused by Fasciola hepatica, known to affect over 2 million humans.

In …

Investigating The Role Of The Retinoblastoma Protein In The Expression Of Immunosuppressive Factors, Felipe Pérez Deliz, Pedro Santiago-Cardona, Phd, J. González, Phd, Jaileene Pérez-Morales, Meng

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Lung cancer remains one of the deadliest types of cancer, causing approximately 160,000 deaths per year in the US alone. Because of its poor detection techniques and highly invasive abilities, conventional treatments -such as radiation and chemotherapy- fail to improve long-term survival of patients. At the moment, the 5-year survival rate for all stages of lung cancer is only 16%. Recent breakthroughs in cancer research establish immunotherapy, which involves the stimulation of the immune system to target and attack cancer cells, as a highly promising alternative treatment against this deadly disease. However, the efficiency of this treatment varies on each …

Protein-To-Lipid Ratio Of Meibum As A Metric For Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, Isabel Ortiz, Eric Potma, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Dry eye disease is a condition caused by inadequate moisture levels in the eye that may result from one of two prevalent situations: reduced tear production, or imbalance in tear composition. The imbalance specific to deficiencies in the fatty, outer layer of the tear film is known as meibomian gland dysfunction. Meibomian glands secrete an oily substance, meibum, which slows the evaporation of the aqueous layer of the tear film. It is believed that the chemical composition of the meibum is directly related to its ability to keep the eye at healthy moisture. In analyzing the composition of meibum samples …