Abstract

Pneumocystis (Pc) is a major cause of lethal pneumonia (P) in HIV patients, but seroepidemiological studies have been severely limited by the lack of suitable reagents. I have developed recombinant fragments (A, B,C) of the human PC major surface glycoprotein (Msg) and found that one of them, MsgC, shows considerable promise as an antigen for these studies in an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). I hypothesize that MsgC is a universal serologic marker for PC infection, and that the highest level of antibodies will be found in HIV patients who recovered from PcP (PcP+). The goals of this proposal are to analyze serum antibody responses, as well as the host factors that influence these responses, to the Msg fragments in adult HIV PcP+ patients, HIV patients who never had PcP (PcP-), and healthy blood donors in 8 different international locations. Data obtained from these studies will lead to the first standard antigen for PC serologic studies, and enhance our understanding of the epidemiology and immunology of PC infection.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
National Research Service Awards for Senior Fellows (F33)
Project #
1F33AI065207-01X1
Application #
7114021
Study Section
AIDS Clinical Studies and Epidemiology Study Section (ACE)
Program Officer
Huebner, Robin E
Project Start
2005-09-01
Project End
2006-08-31
Budget Start
2005-09-01
Budget End
2006-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$6,500
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
U of L London School/Hygiene & Tropical Med
Department
Type
DUNS #
424403046
City
London
State
Country
United Kingdom
Zip Code

  Publications

Gingo, Matthew R; Lucht, Lorrie; Daly, Kieran R et al. (2011) Serologic responses to pneumocystis proteins in HIV patients with and without Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 57:190-6
Armstrong-James, D; Copas, A J; Walzer, P D et al. (2011) A prognostic scoring tool for identification of patients at high and low risk of death from HIV-associated Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. Int J STD AIDS 22:628-34
Djawe, Kpandja; Daly, Kieran R; Vargas, Sergio L et al. (2010) Seroepidemiological study of Pneumocystis jirovecii infection in healthy infants in Chile using recombinant fragments of the P. jirovecii major surface glycoprotein. Int J Infect Dis 14:e1060-6
Miller, R F; Evans, H E R; Copas, A J et al. (2010) Seasonal variation in mortality of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in HIV-infected patients. Int J STD AIDS 21:497-503
Walzer, Peter D; Djawe, Kpandja; Levin, Linda et al. (2009) Long-term serologic responses to the Pneumocystis jirovecii major surface glycoprotein in HIV-positive individuals with and without P. jirovecii infection. J Infect Dis 199:1335-44
Walzer, Peter D; Evans, Hannah E R; Copas, Andrew J et al. (2008) Early predictors of mortality from Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in HIV-infected patients: 1985-2006. Clin Infect Dis 46:625-33