Medical Immunology Commons^™

The Effects Of Allergies And Anaphylaxis On The Body And Mind: A Survey Of Opinions And Knowledge On These Disorders, Kathryn E. O'Brien

Honors Program: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Despite common knowledge, allergies and anaphylaxis are considered disabilities. As such, these disorders affect the daily lives of those who have them, including one's mental health. In this paper, all the nuances of allergies and anaphylaxis will be discussed as the etiology and scientific aspects of allergies, anaphylaxis, and hypersensitivity are distinguished from one another. Furthermore, the findings are reported from two surveys; an assessment of how well educated and prepared teachers are for students with allergies and whether other students with food allergies have had similar experiences to the author's and those described in research by other studies concerning …

Lineage-Specific Differences In The Gp120 Inner Domain Layer 3 Of Human And Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses, Shilei Ding, Halima Medjahed, Jérémie Prévost, Mathieu Coutu, Shi-Hua Xiang, Andrés Finzi

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Binding of HIV-1 and SIV gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein to CD4 triggers conformational changes in gp120 that promote its interaction with one of the chemokine receptors, usually CCR5, ultimately leading to gp41-mediated virus-cell membrane fusion and entry. We previously described that topological Layers (Layer 1, Layer 2 and Layer 3) in the gp120 inner domain contribute to gp120-trimer association in the unliganded state but also help secure CD4 binding. Relative to Layer 1 of HIV-1 gp120, the SIVmac239 gp120 Layer 1 plays a more prominent role in maintaining gp120-trimer association but is minimally involved in promoting CD4 binding, which could …

Giant Chloroviruses: Five Easy Questions, James L. Van Etten, David Dunigan

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Chloroviruses are large, icosahedral, dsDNA-containing viruses that replicate in certain unicellular, chlorella-like green algae [1,2]. They exist in freshwater throughout the world with titers as high as thousands of plaque-forming units (PFU) per ml of indigenous water although titers are typically 1–100 PFU/ml. Titers fluctuate during the year with the highest titers typically occurring in the spring and late fall. Known chlorovirus hosts, which are normally symbionts and are often referred to as zoochlorellae, are associated with either the protozoan Paramecium bursaria (Fig 1A), the coelenterate Hydra viridis, or the heliozoan Acanthocystis turfacea. Zoochlorellae are resistant to viruses …

Genetic Barrier To Direct Acting Antivirals In Hcv Sequences Deposited In The European Databank, Dimas Alexandre Kliemann, Cristiane Valle Tovo, Ana Beatriz Gorini Da Veiga, André Luiz Machado, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background & Aims: Development of resistance results from mutations in the viral genome, and the presence of selective drug pressure leads to the emergence of a resistant virus population. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of genetic variability on the genetic barrier to drug resistance to DAAs.

Methods: The genetic barrier was quantified based on the number and type of nucleotide mutations required to impart resistance, considering full-length HCV NS3, NS5A and NS5B regions segregated by genotype into subtypes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b and 3a. This study analyzed 789 NS3 sequences, 708 sequences and 536 NS5B …

Kaposi’S Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Reduces Cellular Myeloid Differentiation Primary-Response Gene 88 (Myd88) Expression Via Modulation Of Its Rna, Amy Lingel, Erica Ehlers, Qianli Wang, Mingxia Cao, Charles Wood, Rongtuan Lin, Luwen Zhang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human gammaherpesvirus associated with several human malignancies. The replication and transcription activator (RTA) is necessary and sufficient for the switch from KSHV latency to lytic replication. Interleukin 1 (IL-1) is a major mediator for inflammation and plays an important role in both innate and adaptive immunity. Myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) is an essential adaptor molecule for IL-1 as well as most Toll-like receptor signaling. In this study, we identified a novel mechanism by which KSHV interferes with host inflammation and immunity. KSHV RTA specifically reduces the steady-state protein levels of …

Nf45 And Nf90 Bind Hiv-1 Rna And Modulate Hiv Gene Expression, Yan Li, Michael Belshan

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

A previous proteomic screen in our laboratory identified nuclear factor 45 (NF45) and nuclear factor 90 (NF90) as potential cellular factors involved in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. Both are RNA binding proteins that regulate gene expression; and NF90 has been shown to regulate the expression of cyclin T1 which is required for Tat-dependent trans-activation of viral gene expression. In this study the roles of NF45 and NF90 in HIV replication were investigated through overexpression studies. Ectopic expression of either factor potentiated HIV infection, gene expression, and virus production. Deletion of the RNA binding domains of NF45 …

Mucosal Vaccination By Adenoviruses Displaying Reovirus Sigma 1, Eric A. Weaver, Zenaido T. Camacho, Matthew L. Hillestad, Catherine M. Crosby, Mallory A. Turner, Adam J. Guenzel, Hind J. Fadel, George T. Mercier, Michael A. Barry

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

We previously developed adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vectors displaying the sigma 1 protein from reovirus as mucosal vaccines. Ad5-sigma retargets to JAM-1 and sialic acid, but had 40-fold reduced gene delivery when compared to Ad5. While weaker at transduction, Ad5-sigma generated stronger T cell responses than Ad5 when used for mucosal immunization. New Ad5- fiber-sigma vectors were generated here by varying the number of fiber β-spiral shaft repeats (R) fused between fiber tail and the sigma. Ad5 virions encoding R3, R14, and R20 chimeras were rescued. Increasing chimera length led to their decreasing encapsidation of these proteins in the virions. …

Choosing An Allograft Or Autograft In Orthopedic Surgeries For Athletes, Cassandra M. Izzo

Honors Theses and Capstones

Athletes and their doctors have the choice of using an allograft or autograft in reconstruction surgeries. The purpose of this study is to see if there is a difference in the healing mechanism and surgical outcome in using an allograft or autograft during orthopedic surgical procedures, as well as to analyze graft rejection and disease transmission through donor tissue.

Doctors and athletic trainers were interviewed in order to learn about the healing mechanisms and advantages and disadvantages of allografts and autografts in order to conclude if one was better than the other. College level athletes on different sports teams were …

Recapitulating Cross-Species Transmission Of Sivcpz To Humans Using Humanized-Blt Mice, Zhe Yuan, Guobin Kang, Fangrui Ma, Wuxun Lu, Wenjin Fan, Christine M. Fennessey, Brandon F. Keele, Qingsheng Li

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The origins of HIV-1 have been widely accepted to be the consequence of simian immunodeficiency viruses from wild chimpanzees (SIVcpz) crossing over to humans. However, there has not been any in vivo study of SIVcpz infection of humans. Also, it remains largely unknown why only specific SIVcpz strains have achieved cross-species transmission and what transmission risk might exist for those SIVcpz strains that have not been found to infect humans. Closing this knowledge gap is essential for better understanding cross-species transmission and predicting the likelihood of additional cross-species transmissions of SIV into humans. Here we show hu-BLT mice are susceptible …

High Glucose Induces Reactivation Of Latent Kaposi’S Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus, Fengchun Ye, Yan Zeng, Jingfeng Sha, Tiffany Jones, Kurt Kuhne, Charles Wood, Shou-Jiang Gao

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

High prevalence of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is seen in diabetic patients. It is unknown if the physiological condition of diabetes contributes to KS development. We found elevated levels of viral lytic gene expression when Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infected cells were cultured in high glucose medium. To demonstrate the association between high glucose and KSHV replication, we xeno29

grafted telomerase-immortalized human umbilical vein endothelial cells that are infected with KSHV (TIVE-KSHV) into hyperglycemic and normal nude mice. The injected cells expressed significantly higher levels of KSHV lytic genes in hyperglycemic mice than in normal mice. We further demonstrated that high …

Persistent Low-Level Replication Of Sivδnef Drives Maturation Of Antibody And Cd8 T Cell Responses To Induce Protective Immunity Against Vaginal Siv Infection, Sama Adnan, R. Keith Reeves, Jacqueline Gillis, Fay E. Wong, Yi Yu, Jeremy V. Camp, Qingsheng Li, Michelle Connole, Yuan Li, Michael Piatak Jr., Jeffrey D. Lifson, Wenjun Li, Brandon F. Keele, Pamela A. Kozlowski, Ronald C. Desrosiers, Ashley T. Haase, R. Paul Johnson

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Defining the correlates of immune protection conferred by SIVΔnef, the most effective vaccine against SIV challenge, could enable the design of a protective vaccine against HIV infection. Here we provide a comprehensive assessment of immune responses that protect against SIV infection through detailed analyses of cellular and humoral immune responses in the blood and tissues of rhesus macaques vaccinated with SIVΔnef and then vaginally challenged with wild-type SIV. Despite the presence of robust cellular immune responses, animals at 5 weeks after vaccination displayed only transient viral suppression of challenge virus, whereas all macaques challenged at weeks 20 and 40 post-SIVΔnef …

A Requirement For Y841 In Jak3 Enzymatic Activity And Hematopoietic Cancers, George Steven Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A medical need exists for successfully treating people afflicted with leukemia, especially those who develop drug resistant forms. Relapse leukemia cases are particularly high within Hispanic populations where this disease is among the most frequently occurring cancer. Fourteen somatic mutations have been reported in Janus tyrosine kinase 3 (Jak3), including M511I and A573V, from patients with various forms of leukemia. To monitor drug sensitivity, a model system was developed. Indeed, many of these mutations have been shown to possess transforming ability in cell lines such as the IL-3 dependent pro-B cell line Ba/F3. As such, Ba/F3 cells were transformed to …

Pre-Antibiotic Therapy Of Syphilis, Charles T. Ambrose

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

The explosive increase in syphilis throughout China and Russia during the past several decades represents a global public health threat for several reasons. 1) Most cases are undertreated and thus collectively offer optimal conditions for the emergence of resistant strains of the syphilis spirochete, Treponema pallidum. No penicillin-resistant strains have been recognized to date, but strains resistant to the second line antibiotic agents are now common. 2) The recent discovery of plasmids in T. pallidumraises the likelihood of plasmid transfer from other bacteria of various resistance genes, especially those directed toward penicillin-type antibiotics, currently the drugs of choice for …

Coordination Of Rna Polymerase Ii Pausing And 3' End Processing Factor Recruitment With Alternative Polyadenylation, Becky Fusby, Soojin Kim, Benjamin Erickson, Hyunmin Kim, Martha L. Peterson, David L Bentley

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Most mammalian genes produce transcripts whose 3' ends are processed at multiple alternative positions by cleavage/polyadenylation (CPA). Poly(A) site cleavage frequently occurs cotranscriptionally and is facilitated by CPA factor binding to the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) C-terminal domain (CTD) phosphorylated on Ser2 residues of its heptad repeats (YS₂PTSPS). The function of cotranscriptional events in the selection of alternative poly(A) sites is poorly understood. We investigated Pol II pausing, CTD Ser2 phosphorylation, and processing factor CstF recruitment at wild-type and mutant IgM transgenes that use alternative poly(A) sites to produce mRNAs encoding the secreted and membrane-bound forms of …

Synthesis Of Neoglycoproteins/Neoglycopeptides And Their Immunological Evaluation In The Context Of Chagas Disease, Nathaniel Scott Schocker

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease (ChD), has a cell surface covered by immunogenic glycoconjugates. A synthetic glycoarray containing non-reducing α-galactopyranosyl moieties related to mucin O-glycans of the parasite T. cruzi was evaluated by a chemiluminescent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CL-ELISA) with sera from patients with chronic ChD, revealing the disaccharide Galα(1,3)Galβ as the immunodominant glycotope (Chapter 2). This disaccharide comprises the two terminal sugars of the known immunodominant glycotope Galα(1,3)Galβ(1,4)GlcNAcα, which is expressed on glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored mucins of the infective trypomastigote stage of T. cruzi and triggers high levels of protective anti-α-Gal antibodies (Abs) in infected …

In Vitro Modeling Of The Interaction Between Human Epithelial Cells And Lymphocytes Upon Influenza Infection, Natalia A. Ilyushina, Pete F. Wright

Dartmouth Scholarship

Influenza viruses are a continuous threat to humans because of their ability to cross species barriers and adapt to new hosts. Data from murine studies, along with limited human data, suggest that CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) that recognize conserved epitopes of structural influenza proteins are the main mediators of influenza virus clearance. Additionally, the fact that many CTLs recognize epitopes shared between different influenza strains offers the potential for broad cross-strain immunity. However, the mechanisms of cellular immunity against influenza viruses are poorly defined in humans, where the CTL response has been hard to measure and interpret. We developed …

Determining The Role Of Poly [Adp-Ribose] Polymerase 1 (Parp-1) In Retroviral Infection, Luis Valdes Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Possible links between PARP-1 and HIV-1 have been previously reported but the role of this protein during viral infection has remained elusive. Based on the high evolutionary conservation of PARP-1, from Drosophila to humans, we have been able to counteract the difficulties related with the functional redundancy manifested in the PARP family by studying the influence of PARP-1 on the expression of an endogenous retrovirus using the chicken B lymphoblastoid cell line DT40, this cell line exhibits low PARP-1 functional redundancy and is viable after PARP-1 knockout. We have determined that the transcription level of the endogenous retrovirus RAV-1 is …

Medical Community Distrust And The Influenza Vaccination Rates Of Black Americans, Kenyatte Irby Winston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black Americans experience influenza vaccination rates that are lower than the rates of other ethnic groups. Low influenza vaccination rates among the Black community are associated with higher influenza infection rates, influenza-related hospitalizations, and higher influenza mortality rates. There is a belief within the Black American community that the medical establishment does not have the Black American patient in its best interest, leading to feelings of distrust. The purpose of this study was to determine if the distrust of the medical community is a relevant factor in the low influenza vaccination rates of Black Americans aged 18 and older in …

Complete Genome Sequence Of Highly Virulent Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus Variants That Recently Emerged In The United States, Aspen M. Workman, Timothy P.L. Smith, Fernando A. Osorio, Hiep L.X. Vu

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

A recent outbreak of particularly virulent disease caused by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus has occurred in swine herds across the United States. We report here the complete genome sequence of eight viral isolates from four Nebraska herds experiencing an outbreak of severe disease in 2016.

Domain I Of The 5′ Non-Translated Genomic Region In Coxsackievirus B3 Rna Is Not Required For Productive Replication, L. Jaramillo, S. Smithee, S. Tracy, N. M. Chapman

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Domain I is a cloverleaf-like secondary structure at the 5′ termini of all enterovirus genomes, comprising part of a cis-acting replication element essential for efficient enteroviral replication. 5′ genomic terminal deletions up to as much as 55% of domain I can occur without lethality following coxsackie B virus infections. We report here that the entire CVB structural domain I can be deleted without lethality.