ORCID Profile
0000-0001-9159-5414
Current Organisations
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
,
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-10-2023
DOI: 10.1002/LARY.31088
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 06-12-2021
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 14-02-2022
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 04-02-2022
DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.02.22270308
Abstract: Idiopathic subglottic stenosis (iSGS) is a rare fibrotic disease of the proximal airway affecting adult Caucasian women nearly exclusively. Life-threatening ventilatory obstruction occurs secondary to pernicious subglottic mucosal scar. Diverse diseases in ergent organ systems are associated with fibrosis, suggesting common biologic mechanisms. One well characterized pathway is chronic inflammation secondary to pathogen. In the present study, we explored the role of the proximal airway microbiome in iSGS pathogenesis. In human s les, abundant bacteria are detectable in iSGS scar as well as in health subglottic controls or patients that developed subglottic stenosis following endotracheal intubation. Interestingly, the community structure of the iSGS proximal airway microbiome does not appear disrupted. Rather, in iSGS defects in the airway epithelial barrier allow displacement of the native microbiome into the immunoprivileged lamina propria and are associated with adaptive immune activation. Animal models of iSGS confirm both bacteria and an adaptive immune response are necessary for pathologic proximal airway fibrosis. Single cell RNA sequencing of the affected airway in iSGS offers an unbiased characterization of the observed epithelial barrier dysfunction. The airway scar in iSGS patients demonstrates basal cell depletion and epithelial acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype. The epithelial alterations are associated with the observed microbiome displacement, dysregulated immune activation, and localized fibrosis. These results refine our understanding of iSGS and implicate shared pathogenic mechanisms with distal airway fibrotic diseases.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 29-07-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.28.221325
Abstract: Chronic innate and adaptive immune activation may contribute to high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in persons living with HIV (PLWH). We assessed coronary plaques from deceased PLWH (n=6) and HIV-negative (n=6) persons matched by age and gender. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded 5μm thick sections were processed using Movat, hematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence stains. Immune cell populations were measured using surface antibodies, and immune-related protein expression from macrophage rich, T-cell rich and perivascular adipose tissue regions using GeoMx ® digital spatial profiling. Coronary plaques from PLWH and HIV-negative persons had similar plaque area and percent stenosis. Percent CD163 + cells as measured by immunohistochemical staining was significantly higher in PLWH, median 0.29% (IQR 0.11-0.90) vs. 0.01% (IQR 0.0013-0.11) in HIV-negative plaque, p = 0.02 (Figure 1A). Other surface markers of innate cells (CD68 + , p=0.18), adaptive immune cells (CD3 + , p=0.39 CD4 + , p=0.09 CD8 + , p=0.18) and immune trafficking markers (CX3CR1 + , p=0.09) within the coronary plaque trended higher in HIV-positive plaques but did not reach statistical significance. GeoMx ® digital spatial profiling showed higher differential protein expression of CD163 (scavenger receptor for hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex), stimulator of interferon gamma (STING, a cytosolic DNA sensor), CD25 and granzyme-B in the HIV-positive compared to HIV-negative, p .05(Figure 1B). Increased inflammation within the coronary plaques of PLWH is characterized by more innate and adaptive immune cells. Higher STING expression in PLWH suggests that immune response to viral antigens within the plaque might be a driver above other stimulants. STING inhibitors are available and could be investigated as a future therapeutic target in PWH if these results are replicated with a larger number of plaques. Immunohistochemical and fluorescent stains combined with GeoMx ® digital spatial profiling allowed for deep characterization of immune cells within intact coronary plaques and perivascular adipose tissue Coronary plaques from HIV-positive persons had higher proportion of CD163 + immune cells compared to HIV-negative persons Differential protein expression of immune-rich regions of interest within intact 5μm sections of coronary plaques revealed higher levels of stimulator of interferon gamma (STING) in HIV-positive persons
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 23-03-2022
DOI: 10.1101/2022.03.21.484794
Abstract: Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) is a critical regulator of systemic metabolic homeostasis. Persons with HIV (PWH) have an increased risk of metabolic diseases and significant alterations in the SAT immune environment compared with the general population. We generated a comprehensive SAT atlas to characterize cellular compositional and transcriptional changes in 59 PWH with a spectrum of metabolic health. Glucose intolerance was associated with increased lipid-associated macrophages and CD4 + and CD8 + T effector memory cells, and decreased perivascular macrophages. We observed a coordinated intercellular regulatory program which enriched for genes related to inflammation and lipid-processing across multiple cell types as glucose intolerance increased. Increased CD4 + effector memory tissue resident cells most strongly associated with altered expression of adipocyte genes critical for lipid metabolism and cellular regulation. Many of these findings were present in a separate group of 32 diabetic HIV-negative persons, suggesting these changes are not specific to HIV.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 06-12-2022
Abstract: Persons with HIV have a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease compared with their HIV‐negative counterparts. Earlier identification of subclinical atherosclerosis may provide a greater opportunity for cardiovascular disease risk reduction. We investigated coronary cross‐sectional area (CorCSA) by noncontrasted computed tomography imaging as a noninvasive measure of arterial remodeling among virally suppressed persons with HIV. We assessed 105 persons with HIV with a spectrum of cardiometabolic health. All participants underwent computed tomography imaging to assess the mean corCSA of the proximal left anterior descending artery and 28 participants underwent additional coronary computed tomography angiography. Partial Spearman rank correlations adjusted for cardiovascular disease risk factors were used to assess relationships of corCSA with anthropometric measurements, HIV‐related factors, and plasma cytokines. Mean corCSA measured by noncontrast computed tomography and coronary computed tomography angiography were strongly correlated (ρ=0.91, P .0001). Higher mean corCSA was present in those with coronary artery calcium ( P =0.005) and it correlated with participants' atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk score (ρ=0.35, P =0.01). After adjusting for established cardiovascular disease risk factors, we observed an inverse relationship between corCSA and CD4 + T‐cell count (ρ=−0.2, P =0.047). Removal of age from the model strengthened the relationships between corCSA and antiretroviral therapy duration (from ρ=0.19, P =0.08 to ρ=0.3, P =0.01). CorCSA was also inversely correlated with plasma IL‐10 (ρ=−0.25, P =0.03) but had no relationship with IL‐6 (ρ=0.11, P =0.4) or IL‐1β (ρ=0.08, P =0.5). Positive coronary arterial remodeling, an imaging marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, is associated with a lower CD4 T‐cell count, lower circulating IL‐10, and possibly a longer antiretroviral therapy duration in persons with HIV. Clinicaltrials.gov Unique identifier: NCT04451980.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 13-02-2020
Abstract: A higher proportion of circulating memory CD4+ T cells is associated with prevalent diabetes mellitus in the general population. Given the broad changes in adaptive immunity, including memory T-cell expansion, and rising prevalence of diabetes in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) population, we assessed whether similar relationships were present in persons with HIV (PWH). Multiple CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets were measured by flow cytometry, and prevalent diabetes cases were adjudicated by 2 physicians for PWH and HIV-negative participants in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study. Multivariable logistic regression models evaluated the association of T-cell subsets and diabetes stratified by HIV status, adjusted for cytomegalovirus serostatus and traditional risk factors. Among 2385 participants (65% PWH, 95% male, 68% African American), higher CD45RO+ memory CD4+ T cells and lower CD38+ CD4+ T cells were associated with prevalent diabetes, and had a similar effect size, in both the PWH and HIV-negative (P ≤ .05 for all). Lower CD38+CD8+ T cells were also associated with diabetes in both groups. The CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets associated with diabetes are similar in PWH and HIV-negative in iduals, suggesting that diabetes in PWH may be related to chronic immune activation.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-02-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S42003-022-03058-9
Abstract: Pre-existing pathogen-specific memory T cell responses can contribute to multiple adverse outcomes including autoimmunity and drug hypersensitivity. How the specificity of the T cell receptor (TCR) is subverted or seconded in many of these diseases remains unclear. Here, we apply abacavir hypersensitivity (AHS) as a model to address this question because the disease is linked to memory T cell responses and the HLA risk allele, HLA-B*57:01, and the initiating insult, abacavir, are known. To investigate the role of pathogen-specific TCR specificity in mediating AHS we performed a genome-wide screen for HLA-B*57:01 restricted T cell responses to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), one of the most prevalent human pathogens. T cell epitope mapping revealed HLA-B*57:01 restricted responses to 17 EBV open reading frames and identified an epitope encoded by EBNA3C. Using these data, we cloned the dominant TCR for EBNA3C and a previously defined epitope within EBNA3B. TCR specificity to each epitope was confirmed, however, cloned TCRs did not cross-react with abacavir plus self-peptide. Nevertheless, abacavir inhibited TCR interactions with their cognate ligands, demonstrating that TCR specificity may be subverted by a drug molecule. These results provide an experimental road map for future studies addressing the heterologous immune responses of TCRs including T cell mediated adverse drug reactions.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 04-2021
DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.120.315786
Abstract: Persons with HIV have double the risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared with the general population. A persistent and heightened immune response to cytomegalovirus coinfection may be one contributing factor, but the relationship between cytomegalovirus replication, virus-specific immune cells, and plaque burden is unclear. We assessed the relationship between CD4 + T-cell subsets and carotid plaque burden in a cohort of 70 HIV-positive participants with sustained viral suppression on a single antiretroviral regimen and without known cardiovascular disease. We evaluated relationships between immune parameters, carotid plaque burden, and brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation using multivariable linear and logistic regression models. We found that participants with carotid plaque had increased circulating CX3CR1 + ~GPR56 + ~CD57 + (ie, C~G~C) + CD4 + T cells ( P =0.03), which is a marker combination associated with antiviral and cytotoxic responses. In addition, a median of 14.4% (IQR, 4.7%–32.7%) of the C~G~C + CD4 + T-cells expressed antigen receptors that recognized a single cytomegalovirus glycoprotein-B epitope. Using immunofluorescence staining, we found that CX3CR1 + CD4 + T cells were present in coronary plaque from deceased HIV-positive persons. C~G~C + CD4 + T cells were also present in cells isolated from the aorta of HIV-negative donors. HIV-positive persons with carotid atheroma have a higher proportion of circulating CD4 + T-cells expressing the C~G~C surface marker combination associated with antiviral and cytotoxic responses. These cells can be cytomegalovirus-specific and are also present in the aorta.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2021
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 19-03-2019
Location: United States of America
Location: United States of America
No related grants have been discovered for Celestine Wanjalla.