Infectious Disease Commons^™

Correlates Of Consistent Condom Use Among Female Entertainment Workers In Shanghai, China: A Repeated Measures Analysis, Xiushi Yang, Guomei Xia

Sociology & Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Female entertainment workers (FEWs) in China are at increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, but correlates of their risky sexual behaviour remain poorly understood. Using data from a series of four surveys, this paper employs repeated measures analysis to identify individual and social correlates of consistent condom use among FEWs in Shanghai. Results reveal that both individual cognitive and social influence factors are statistically significant in their bivariate relationships to consistent condom use with a stable or non-stable partner; only prevention motivation and perceived self-efficacy in condom use remain significant in the multiple regressions. When individual and …

Characterization Of Brer Interaction With The Bile Response Promoters Breab And Brer In Vibrio Cholerae, Francisca A. Cerda-Maira, Gabriela Kovacikova, Brooke A. Jude, Karen Skorupski, Ronald Taylor

Dartmouth Scholarship

The Vibrio cholerae BreR protein is a transcriptional repressor of the breAB efflux system operon, which encodes proteins involved in bile resistance. In a previous study (F. A. Cerda-Maira, C. S. Ringelberg, and R. K. Taylor, J. Bacteriol. 190:7441-7452, 2008), we used gel mobility shift assays to determine that BreR binds at two independent binding sites at the breAB promoter and a single site at its own promoter. Here it is shown, by DNase I footprinting and site-directed mutagenesis, that BreR is able to bind at a distal and a proximal site in the breAB promoter. However, only one of …

Towards Defining The Chloroviruses: A Genomic Journey Through A Genus Of Large Dna Viruses, Adrien Jeanniard, David D. Dunigan, James Gurnon, Irina V. Agarkova, Ming Kang, Jason Vitek, Garry Duncan, O William Mcclung, Megan Larsen, Jean-Michel Claverie, James L. Van Etten, Guillaume Blanc

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background: Giant viruses in the genus Chlorovirus (family Phycodnaviridae) infect eukaryotic green microalgae. The prototype member of the genus, Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1, was sequenced more than 15 years ago, and to date there are only 6 fully sequenced chloroviruses in public databases. Presented here are the draft genome sequences of 35 additional chloroviruses (287 – 348 Kb/319 – 381 predicted protein encoding genes) collected across the globe; they infect one of three different green algal species. These new data allowed us to analyze the genomic landscape of 41 chloroviruses, which revealed some remarkable features about these viruses. …

Evaluation Of Higher Plant Virus Resistance Genes In The Green Alga, Chlorella Variabilis Nc64a, During The Early Phase Of Infection With Paramecium Bursaria Chlorella Virus-1, Janet M. Rowe, David D. Dunigan, Guillaume Blanc, James R. Gurnon, Yuannan Xia, James L. Van Etten

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

With growing industrial interest in algae plus their critical roles in aquatic systems, the need to understand the effects of algal pathogens is increasing. We examined a model algal host–virus system, Chlorella variabilis NC64A and virus, PBCV-1. C. variabilis encodes 375 homologs to genes involved in RNA silencing and in response to virus infection in higher plants. Illumina RNA-Seq data showed that 325 of these homologs were expressed in healthy and early PBCV-1 infected (≤60 min) cells. For each of the RNA silencing genes to which homologs were found, mRNA transcripts were detected in healthy and infected cells. C. variabilis …

A Twin-Cysteine Motif In The V2 Region Of Gp120 Is Associated With Siv Envelope Trimer Stabilization, Christopher Bohl, Dane Bowder, Jesse Thompson, Levon Abrahamyan, Sandra Gonzalez-Ramirez, Youdong Mao, Joseph Sodroski, Charles Wood, Shi-Hua Xiang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The V1 and V2 variable regions of the primate immunodeficiency viruses contribute to the trimer association domain of the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein. A pair of V2 cysteine residues at 183 and 191 (‘‘twin cysteines’’) is present in several simian immunodeficiency viruses, human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) and some SIV_cpz lineages, but not in HIV-1. To examine the role of this potentially disulfide-bonded twin-cysteine motif, the cysteine residues in the SIVmac239 envelope glycoproteins were individually and pairwise substituted by alanine residues. All of the twin-cysteine mutants exhibited decreases in gp120 association with the Env trimer, membrane-fusing activity, and …

Hiv-1 Env C2-V4 Diversification In A Slow-Progressor Infant Reveals A Flat But Rugged Fitness Landscape, S. Abigail Smith, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) fitness has been associated with virus entry, a process mediated by the envelope glycoprotein (Env). We previously described Env genetic diversification in a Zambian, subtype C infected, slow-progressor child (1157i) in parallel with an evolving neutralizing antibody response. Because of the role the Variable-3 loop (V3) plays in transmission, cell tropism, neutralization sensitivity, and fitness, longitudinally isolated 1157i C2-V4 alleles were cloned into HIV-1_NL4-3-eGFP and -DsRed2 infectious molecular clones. The fluorescent reporters allowed for dual-infection competitions between all patient-derived C2-V4 chimeras to quantify the effect of V3 diversification and selection on fitness. ‘Winners’ …

‘‘Megavirales’’, A Proposed New Order For Eukaryotic Nucleocytoplasmic Large Dna Viruses, Philippe Colson, Xavier De Lamballerie, Natalya Yutin, Sassan Asgari, Yves Bigot, Dennis K. Bideshi, Xiao-Wen Cheng, Brian A. Federici, James L. Van Etten, Eugene V. Koonin, Bernard La Scola, Didier Raoult

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs) comprise a monophyletic group of viruses that infect animals and diverse unicellular eukaryotes. The NCLDV group includes the families Poxviridae, Asfarviridae, Iridoviridae, Ascoviridae, Phycodnaviridae, Mimiviridae and the proposed family ‘‘Marseilleviridae’’. The family Mimiviridae includes the largest known viruses, with genomes in excess of one megabase, whereas the genome size in the other NCLDV families varies from 100 to 400 kilobase pairs. Most of the NCLDVs replicate in the cytoplasm of infected cells, within so-called virus factories. The NCLDVs share a common ancient origin, as demonstrated by evolutionary reconstructions that trace approximately 50 genes encoding …

Recent Advances On The Use Of Structural Biology For The Design Of Novel Envelope Immunogens Of Hiv-1, Shi-Hua Xiang

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Many efforts have been made in the worldwide quest for a prophylactic HIV vaccine to end the AIDS pandemic, but none has yet succeeded. The lessons learned have repeatedly informed us that the traditional or conventional approaches directly using the pathogens or subunits will not be sufficient for an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine. Recent advances in structure-based technology have shown some promise in the quest for a better immunogen in HIV vaccine development. According to the basic binding structural relationship of an antigen and an antibody, structure-based antigen design could bring some hope for the development of an effective vaccine against …

The Highly Conserved Layer-3 Component Of The Hiv-1 Gp120 Inner Domain Is Critical For Cd4-Required Conformational Transitions, Anik Désormeaux, Mathieu Coutu, Halima Medjahed, Beatriz Pacheco, Alon Herschhorn, Christopher Gu, Shi-Hua Xiang, Youdong Mao, Joseph Sodroski, Andrés Finzi

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The trimeric envelope glycoprotein (Env) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) mediates virus entry into host cells. CD4 engagement with the gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein subunit represents the first step during HIV-1 entry. CD4-induced conformational changes in the gp120 inner domain involve three potentially flexible topological layers (layers 1, 2, and 3). Structural rearrangements between layer 1 and layer 2 have been shown to facilitate the transition of the envelope glycoprotein trimer from the unliganded to the CD4-bound state and to stabilize gp120-CD4 interaction. However, our understanding of CD4-induced conformational changes in the gp120 inner domain remains incomplete. Here, …

Analysis Of Primary Resistance Mutations To Hiv-1 Entry Inhibitors In Therapy Naive Subtype C Hiv-1 Infected Mother– Infant Pairs From Zambia, Hongyan Guo, Chang Liu, Bin Liu, Charles Wood, Xiaohong Kong

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Background—Small molecular CCR5 inhibitors represent a new class of drugs for treating HIV-1 infection. The evaluation of the primary resistance mutations associated with entry inhibitors during HIV-1 perinatal transmission is required because they may have a profound impact on the clinical management in MTCT.

Objectives—To evaluate the primary resistance mutations to maraviroc and vicriviroc during perinatal transmission and analyze the sensitivity of Env derived from mother–infant pairs to maraviroc.

Study design—Nine MIPs infected by subtype C HIV-1 were recruited to analyze the prevalence and transmission of primary resistance mutations to maraviroc and vicriviroc. Moreover, Env derived from six MIPs were …

Early Childhood Infection Of Kaposi’S Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus In Zambian Households: A Molecular Analysis, Landon Olp, Danielle M. Shea, Maxine K. White, Clement Gondwe, Chipepo Kankasa, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Sub-Saharan Africa is endemic for Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and there is a high rate of early childhood infection; however, the transmission sources are not well characterized. We examined household members as potential KSHV transmission sources to young children in the KSHV-endemic country of Zambia. To this end, we enrolled and followed Zambian households with at least one KSHV-seropositive child and collected longitudinal buccal swab samples. KSHV burden was evaluated and K1 sequences from the children were determined and analyzed for differences to K1 sequences from household members. The K1 sequences were also analyzed for evolution over time. We generated …

Austrian Syndrome: Triad Of The Past Or Harbinger Of The Future?, Mira Mitry Md, Suzanne J. Templer Do, Stacey Smith Md, Facp, Eugene P. York Md, Facp

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

A Double Blind Community-Based Randomized Trial Of Amoxicillin Versus Placebo For Fast Breathing Pneumonia In Children Aged 2-59 Months In Karachi, Pakistan (Retapp), Fyezah Jehan, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Salima Kerai, Nick Brown, Benazir Balouch, Zulfiqar Hyder, Gwen Ambler, Amy Sarah Ginsburg, Anita K. M. Zaidi

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: Fast breathing pneumonia is characterized by tachypnoea in the absence of danger signs and is mostly viral in etiology. Current guidelines recommend antibiotic therapy for all children with fast breathing pneumonia in resource limited settings, presuming that most pneumonia is bacterial. High quality clinical trial evidence to challenge or support the continued use of antibiotics, as recommended by the World Health Organization is lacking.

Methods/Design: This is a randomized double blinded placebo-controlled non-inferiority trial using parallel assignment with 1:1 allocation ratio, to be conducted in low income squatter settlements of urban Karachi, Pakistan. Children 2-59 months old with fast …

Parallel Ngo Networks For Hiv Control: Risks And Opportunities For Ngo Contracting., Shehla Zaidi, Xaher Gul, Noureen Aleem Nishtar

Community Health Sciences

Policy measures for preventive and promotive services are increasingly reliant on contracting of NGOs. Contracting is a neo-liberal response relying on open market competition for service delivery tenders. In contracting of health services a common assumption is a monolithic NGO market. A case study of HIV control in Pakistan shows that in reality the NGO market comprises of parallel NGO networks having widely different service packages, approaches and agendas. These parallel networks had evolved over time due to vertical policy agendas. Contracting of NGOs for provision of HIV services was faced with uneven capacities and turf rivalries across both NGO …

A Case Of A Male With Fever And Fatigue, Steve Ting

The Medicine Forum

This is a case of a 78 year old Caucasian gentleman who presented to the hospital in the early summer with complaints of high fevers and progressive fatigue. The patient lives near Philadelphia and enjoys doing yard work. He reported finding a tick attached to the skin near his groin approximately 3 weeks prior to admission. The tick was removed; however the patient was unsure of the duration of the tick attachment. He also denied developing any significant rash in that area. He had no recent sick contacts and no recent history of travel. He began developing fever spikes up …

Rethinking Hiv-Exposure Crimes, Margo Kaplan

Indiana Law Journal

This Article challenges the current legislative and scholarly approaches to HIV-exposure crimes and proposes an alternative framework to address their flaws. Twenty-four states criminalize consensual sexual activities of people with HIV. Current statutes and the scholarship that supports them focus on HIV-positive status, sexual activity, and knowledge of HIV-positive status as proxies for risk, mental state, and consent to risk. As a result, they are dramatically over- and underinclusive and stigmatize individuals living with HIV. Criminalization should be limited to circumstances in which a defendant exposed her partner to a substantial degree of unassumed risk and did so with a …

Human Cytomegalovirus Induces Tlr4 Signaling Components In Monocytes Altering Tirap, Tram And Downstream Interferon-Beta And Tnf-Alpha Expression., Kok-Hooi Yew, Cory Carpenter, R Scott Duncan, Christopher J. Harrison

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Using TLR pathways, primary human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) induces innate responses including the production of inflammatory cytokines. Mounting evidence suggests that LPS recognition by TLR4/MD2/CD14 results in differential utilization of TIRAP-TRAF6 and TRAM-TRIF signaling, thereby leading to transcriptional activation of various cytokine genes. However, relative roles of the TLR4/MD2/CD14 complex and its adaptor proteins TIRAP and TRAM involved in regulating monocyte responses to HCMV are incomplete. Here, we provided evidence supporting the notion that the TLR4/MD2/CD14 complex contributes notably to HCMV-induced signaling and subsequent cytokine production in monocytes. In particular, induction of both IL-6 and IL-8 is associated with elevated TIRAP …

Triple Valve Endocarditis By Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: A Case Report., Quratulain Shaikh, Syed Faisal Mahmood

Department of Medicine

BACKGROUND:

Granulomas caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis have been observed at autopsy in the heart, pre-dominantly in the myocardium and endocardium, but rarely involving the coronary vessels and valvular structures. Mycobacterium tuberculosis valvular endocarditis is extremely rare, with most reports coming from autopsy series.

CASE PRESENTATION:

We report the case of a 17 year old immunocompetent girl who presented with history of fever, malaise, foot gangrene and a left sided hemiparesis. On investigation she was found to have infective endocarditis involving the aortic, mitral and tricuspid valves. She had developed a right middle cerebral artery stroke. She underwent dual valve replacement …

Fulminant Invasive Aspergillosis Of The Mediastinum In An Immunocompetent Host: A Case Report., Muhammad Tariq Shakoor, Samia Ayub, Zunaira Ayub, Syed Faisal Mahmood

Department of Medicine

Introduction: Invasive aspergillosis is a serious complication in immunocompromised patients. It is an opportunistic disease, which predominantly occurs in the lungs, although dissemination to virtually any organ is possible. Invasive aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient with extension to the mediastinum has rarely been reported. Here, we present the case of a patient with no apparent immunodeficiency state, who presented with Aspergillus endocarditis and fulminant invasive aspergillosis with extensive involvement of the mediastinal structures, which ultimately was responsible for her death. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case in the literature on fulminant invasive mediastinal aspergillosis …

Herpes Simplex Virus 34.5 Interferes With Autophagosome Maturation And Antigen Presentation In Dendritic Cells, Philipe A. M. Gobeil, David A. Leib

Dartmouth Scholarship

The cellular autophagy response induced by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is countered by the viral γ34.5 protein. γ34.5 modulates autophagy by binding to the host autophagy protein Beclin-1 and through this binding inhibits the formation of autophagosomes in fibroblasts and neurons. In contrast, in this study dendritic cells (DCs) infected with HSV-1 showed an accumulation of autophagosomes and of the long-lived protein p62. No such accumulations were observed in DCs infected with a γ34.5-null virus or a virus lacking the Beclin-binding domain (BBD) of γ34.5. To explore this further, we established stably transduced DC lines to show that γ34.5 …