Medical Immunology Commons^™

Lack Of Cd8+ T-Cell Co-Localization With Kaposi’S Sarcoma- Associated Herpesvirus Infected Cells In Kaposi’S Sarcoma Tumors, Salum J. Lidenge, For Yue Tso, Owen Ngalamika, Jaydeep Kolape, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Despite the close association between Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and immune dysfunction, it remains unclear whether tumor infiltrating immune cells (TIIC), by their absence, presence, or dysfunction, are mechanistically correlated with KS pathogenesis. Therefore, their potential capacity to serve as prognostic biomarkers of KS disease progression or control is unclear. Because epidemic-KS (EpKS) occurs with HIV-1 co-infection, it is particularly important to compare TIIC between EpKS and HIV-negative African endemic-KS (EnKS) to dissect the roles of HIV-1 and Kaposi Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in KS pathogenesis. This cross-sectional study of 13 advanced KS (4 EnKS, 9 EpKS) patients and 3 healthy controls …

Prevalence Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus And Transfusion-Transmissible Infections In Tanzanian Blood Donors, Salum J. Lidenge, Tara Tran, For Yue Tso, John R. Ngowi, Danielle M. Shea, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), one of the most common cancers in Tanzania. We have investigated KSHV prevalence and factors associated with KSHV infection in Tanzania.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of voluntary blood-donors from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Plasma was screened for KSHV, HIV-1, HBV, HCV and Treponema pallidum (syphilis). Associations between KSHV sero-status and risk factors were analyzed. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported to evaluate risk factors of KSHV infection. All tests were 2-tailed, and P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: The overall KSHV seroprevalence was 56.9%. Significantly …

Incidence Of The Covid-19 In Iraq – Implications For Travellers, Maysaa Kadhim Al-Malkey, Maitham Ahmed Al-Sammak

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The first emerged Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China at the end of 2019, then spread to the rest of China [1], followed by the spread of the COVID-19 epidemics into the world caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) [2]. Many epidemiological assessments in different countries from Asia, Europe, and North America have been published [3]. Nevertheless, there are countries in the Middle East like Iraq, with a rapid increase in cases and a high number of deaths, with a lack of studies. It is worth noting that the Iraqi Foreign Ministry was …

Cervico-Vaginal Inflammatory Cytokine And Chemokine Responses To Two Different Siv Immunogens, Nikki P.L. Toledo, Hongzhao Li, Robert W. Omange, Tamara G. Dacoba, Jose Crecente-Campo, Dane Schalk, Mohammad A. Kashem, Eva Rakasz, Nancy Schultz-Darken, Qingsheng Li, James B. Whitney, Maria J. Alonso, Francis A. Plummer, Ma Luo

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Studies have shown that vaccine vectors and route of immunization can differentially activate different arms of the immune system. However, the effects of different HIV vaccine immunogens on mucosal inflammation have not yet been studied. Because mucosal sites are the primary route of HIV infection, we evaluated the cervico-vaginal inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels of Mauritian cynomolgus macaques following immunization and boost using two different SIV vaccine immunogens. The PCS vaccine delivers 12 20-amino acid peptides overlapping the 12 protease cleavage sites, and the Gag/Env vaccine delivers the full Gag and full Env proteins of simian immunodeficiency virus. We showed …

Genetic Diversity Of Potassium Ion Channel Proteins Encoded By Chloroviruses That Infect Chlorella Heliozoae, Carter Murry, Irina V. Agarkova, Jayadri S. Ghosh, Fiona C. Fitzgerald, Roger M. Carlson, Brigitte Hertel, Kerri Kukovetz, Oliver Rauh, Gerhard Thiel, James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Chloroviruses are large, plaque-forming, dsDNA viruses that infect chlorella-like green algae that live in a symbiotic relationship with protists. Chloroviruses have genomes from 290 to 370 kb, and they encode as many as 400 proteins. One interesting feature of chloroviruses is that they encode a potassium ion (K+) channel protein named Kcv. The Kcv protein encoded by SAG chlorovirus ATCV-1 is one of the smallest known functional K+ channel proteins consisting of 82 amino acids. The KcvATCV-1 protein has similarities to the family of two transmembrane domain K+ channel proteins; it consists of two transmembrane -helixes with a pore region …

Viral And Immunological Analytes Are Poor Predictors Of The Clinical Treatment Response In Kaposi’S Sarcoma Patients, Salum J. Lidenge, For Yue Tso, Yasaman Mortazavi, John R. Ngowi, Danielle M. Shea, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent for Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). The prognostic utility of KSHV and HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) viremia as well as immunological parameters in clinical management of participants with KS is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate viral and immunological parameters as predictors of KS treatment responses in participants with KS from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Plasma KSHV-DNA, HIV-1 viral load, total anti-KSHV antibody, KSHV-neutralizing antibody (nAb), cytokine/chemokine levels, and T-cell differentiation subsets were quantified before and after KS treatment in 13 participants with KS and in 13 KSHV-infected asymptomatic control individuals. …

Diversity Of Trna Clusters In The Chloroviruses, Garry A. Duncan, David D. Dunigan Ph. D., James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Viruses rely on their host’s translation machinery for the synthesis of their own proteins. Problems belie viral translation when the host has a codon usage bias (CUB) that is different from an infecting virus due to differences in the GC content between the host and virus genomes. Here, we examine the hypothesis that chloroviruses adapted to host CUB by acquisition and selection of tRNAs that at least partially favor their own CUB. The genomes of 41 chloroviruses comprising three clades, each infecting a different algal host, have been sequenced, assembled and annotated. All 41 viruses not only encode tRNAs, but …

Aging Induces B Cell Defects And Decreased Antibody Responses To Influenza Infection And Vaccination, Daniela Frasca, Bonnie B. Blomberg

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Background: Aging is characterized by a progressive decline in the capacity of the immune system to fight influenza virus infection and to respond to vaccination. Among the several factors involved, in addition to increased frailty and high-risk conditions, the age-associated decrease in cellular and humoral immune responses plays a relevant role. This is in large part due to inflammaging, the chronic low-grade inflammatory status of the elderly, associated with intrinsic inflammation of the immune cells and decreased immune function.

Results: Aging is usually associated with reduced influenza virus-specific and influenza vaccine-specific antibody responses but some elderly individuals with higher pre-exposure …

Host Transcriptional Response To Persistent Infection With A Live-Attenuated Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Strain, Jayeshbhai Chaudhari, Chia-Sin Liew, Aspen M. Workman, Jean-Jack Riethoven, David J. Steffen, Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, Hiep Vu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Both virulent and live-attenuated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) strains can establish persistent infection in lymphoid tissues of pigs. To investigate the mechanisms of PRRSV persistence, we performed a transcriptional analysis of inguinal lymphoid tissue collected from pigs experimentally infected with an attenuated PRRSV strain at 46 days post infection. A total of 6404 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected of which 3960 DEGs were upregulated and 2444 DEGs were downregulated. Specifically, genes involved in innate immune responses and chemokines and receptors associated with T-cell homing to lymphoid tissues were down regulated. As a result, homing of virus-specific …

Understanding The Host Immune Response Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa To Develop Novel Therapeutics And Vaccines, Emel Sen Kilic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic bacterium that causes a broad range of acute and chronic infections. The high adaptability and emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of this bacterium pose a significant threat to human health. Particularly, pneumonia caused by this pathogen is associated with high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. To prevent these infections, we aimed to develop novel vaccine strategies by characterizing the host immune response against P. aeruginosa. During respiratory infections, P. aeruginosa first contacts with epithelial cells along the respiratory tract. Using RNA-sequencing, we were able to characterize transcriptional changes of the epithelial cells in …

Potential Roles Of Extracellular Vesicles In The Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, And Treatment Of Autoimmune Diseases., Jing Tian, Giacomo Casella, Yuan Zhang, Abdolmohamad Rostami, Xing Li

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Since extracellular vesicles (EVs) were discovered in 1983 in sheep reticulocytes samples, they have gradually attracted scientific attention and become a topic of great interest in the life sciences field. EVs are small membrane particles, released by virtually every cell that carries a variety of functional molecules. Their main function is to deliver messages to the surrounding area in both physiological and pathological conditions. Initially, they were thought to be either cell debris, signs of cell death, or unspecific structures. However, accumulating evidence support a theory that EVs are a universal mechanism of communication. Thanks to their biological characteristics and …

Hiv-1 Subtypes And Drug Resistance Mutations Among Female Sex Workers Varied In Different Cities And Regions Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Eun Hee Kwon, Godefroid M. A. Musema, Jessica Boelter, Sydney Townsend, Desire Tshala-Katumbay, Patrick K. Kayembe, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background Complex mosaic structures of HIV-1 were found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Currently, there is limited information on the circulating HIV-1 strains, the distribution of these strains and antiretroviral (ART) resistant viruses in different regions of the country, and the HIV-1 strains harbored by the high-risk groups like female sex workers (FSW) reported to be the source of recombinant and ART resistant viruses.

Methods Dried Blood Spots (DBS), collected from 325 infected FSWs in ten cities from 2012 DRC HIV/STI Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Survey, were tested for HIV-1 genotypes and antiretroviral resistance mutations. Regional segregation …

Law, Structural Racism, And The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ruqaiijah Yearby, Seema Mohapatra

All Faculty Scholarship

Racial and ethnic minorities have always been the most impacted by pandemics because of: disparities in exposure to the virus; disparities in susceptibility to contracting the virus; and disparities in treatment. This article explains how structural racism, the ways in which laws are used to advantage the majority and disadvantage racial and ethnic minorities, has caused these disparities. Specifically, this article focuses on how employment, housing, health care, and COVID-19 relief laws have been manipulated to disadvantage racial and ethnic minorities, making minorities more susceptible to COVID-19 infection and death. This article uses Blumenshine’s 2008 framework to outline how structural …

Association Of A Repetitive Manual Task On Inflammatory Biomarker Expression, Heart Rate Variability And Rating Of Perceived Exertion, Daniel Conde

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) as a group of disorders involving muscles, tendons, and nerves. The WMSDs symptoms are considered the most common occupational disease, causing limitations in daily activities. Even though there is an association between repetitive manual tasks involving short work cycles, force demanding tasks, and the development of WMSDs, the specific cause of the physiological changes over a long period of time is a cause of debate. The study of mechanisms underlying the physiological changes is essential for the early detection, diagnosis, and appropriate management of WMSDs.

Identification Of A Novel Single Amino Acid Substitution (V666g) Of Jak1 From A Patient With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Impairs Jak3 Mediated Il-2 Signaling, Alice Hernandez Grant

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Janus kinase (JAK) family, notably JAK1, JAK2 and JAK3 are recognized as oncogenic drivers in high risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). The bulk of activating JAK mutations are thought to occur within functional hot-spots across Janus Homology (JH) domains. The most frequently mutated regions is the JH2 pseudo-kinase, which provides a negative regulatory role to the adjacent catalytically active JH1 kinase domain. Despite the prevalence of JAK activating mutations and a need for new therapeutic inhibitors, there is a lack of understanding in the allosteric regulation of JAK kinases. Here we sought to identify mutations involved in driving ALL …

Isolation And Characterization Of Α-Gal-Containing Extracellular Vesicles (Evs) From Three Major Genotypes Of Trypanosoma Cruzi: Potential Biomarkers Of Chagas Disease, Nasim Karimi Hosseini

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas disease (ChD) is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. It is transmitted by the insect-vector triatomine (popular known as kissing bug), blood transfusion, organ transplantation, congenitally, and contaminated foods and juices. T. cruzi has evolved several strategies to invade the host cells, including the release extracellular vesicles (EVs), which assist pathogen survival and its replication within the host. T. cruzi is covered with highly glycosylated surface molecules such as glycoproteins and glycolipids, which are shown to be involved in the interaction with host immune cells. These molecules are highly immunogenic and reactive with …

Expression And Functional Sialome Of Triatomines, Insect Vectors Of Chagas Disease, Maria Tays Mendes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Triatomines are blood-sucking arthropods that transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease (ChD). Triatomines use bioactive molecules in the saliva for successful blood feeding and to evade the hemostatic and immune defense system of the hosts. Knowing the saliva composition could be useful for a better understanding which and how insect-derived molecules might influence host-parasite interactions. Previous studies have shown that some saliva-derived proteins and lipids can modulate the host immune system and increase T. cruzi infection. We hypothesize that the triatomine saliva contains a great diversity of lipids and proteins that can modulate the mammalian host immune …

Molecular And Functional Characterization Of Α-Galactosyl Epitopes In Trypanosoma Cruzi, Uriel Ortega Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease (CD) currently affects 6-7 million people across the world. Currently, only two drugs, benznidazole and nifurtimox, are available for treatment of CD and they are highly toxic and less effective in the chronic stage of the disease. Specific biomarkers for diagnosis and follow-up of treatment do not exist in the clinical settings. following chemotherapy, patients take approximately 10-20 years to exhibit negative seroconversion with the conventional serology assays. Moreover, there is no vaccine available to prevent or treat CD. T. cruzi contains a complex cell surface consisting of several classes of glycoconjugates …

The Problem With Relying On Profit-Driven Models To Produce Pandemic Drugs, Ana Santos Rutschman

All Faculty Scholarship

The longstanding problems of relying on a market response to a pandemic are becoming readily apparent in the United States, which has quickly become the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. The problems are particularly pronounced in pharmaceutical markets, where we are pinning our hopes for both cures and vaccines. In previous work we have shown how characteristics of healthcare markets in the United States create a divergence between the private incentives of for-profit companies and public health needs, leading to sub-optimal health outcomes in what is a uniquely market-driven healthcare system. In this Essay, written as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, …

The Reemergence Of Vaccine Nationalism, Ana Santos Rutschman

All Faculty Scholarship

This short essay explores the reemergence of vaccine nationalism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The essay traces the pre-COVID origins of vaccine nationalism and explains how it can have detrimental effects on equitable access to newly developed vaccines.