Background and Objectives: The immunomodulatory potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be regulated by a variety of molecules, especially cytokines. The inflammatory cytokine, TNF-like ligand 1A (TL1A), has been reported as an inflammation stimulator in-multiple autoimmune diseases. Here, we studied the effects of TL1A/TNF-receptor 2 (TNFR2) pathway on the therapeutic potency of bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMSCs). Methods and Results: BMSCs, fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), and H9 a...
Abstract/Overview Aims: Immune-mediated mechanism, such as deposition of complement (C3b) on erythrocytes leading to enhanced receptor-mediated uptake by macrophages has been proposed to contribute partly to the destruction of non-infected cells leading to anaemia. The extent of complement deposition on RBC (red blood cells) may therefore influence an individual's resistance or susceptibility to severe malarial anaemia. Our objective was to see if RBC of sickle cell trait individuals have...
Abstract/Overview Clinical immunity to malaria declines in the absence of repeated parasite exposure. However, little is known about how B cell populations and antigen-specific memory B cells change in the absence of P. falciparum infection. A successful indoor residual insecticide spraying campaign in a highland area of western Kenya, led to an absence of blood-stage P. falciparum infection between March 2007 and April 2008. We assessed memory B cell responses in 45 adults at the beginni...
Abstract/Overview Human peripheral blood BCRμ+ B cells express high levels of CD23 and circulate preloaded with IgE. The Ag specificity of CD23-bound IgE presumably differs from the BCR and likely reflects the Ag-specific mix of free serum IgE. CD23-bound IgE is thought to enhance B Cell Ag presentation to T cells raising the question of how a B cell might respond when presented with a broad mix of Ags and CD23-bound IgE specificities. We recently reported that an increase in CD23+ B cel...
Abstract: The ABO blood group system is a genetic polymorphism that leads to phenotypic polymorphism. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between malaria, particularly P. falciparum and P.vivax malaria, and the distribution of the ABO and Rh (D) blood group systems in Miesso district of West Hararge Zone of Oromia Regional State. A case-control study design was carried out from November to January 2016. A total of 168 people participated in this study. Blood group da...
Abstract: Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is the most common AIDS-defining cancer, even as HIV-positive people live longer. Like other herpesviruses, human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) establishes a lifelong infection of the host that in association with HIV infection may develop at any time during the illness. With the increasing global incidence of KS, there is an urgent need of designing optimal therapeutic strategies for HHV-8-related infections. Here we formulate two models with innate and adaptive immune...
Abstract: During the course of malaria infection, a range of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines are produced by the host immune system. Successful recovery from malaria involves striking a balance between these counteracting cytokines. The cytokine imbalance contributes to pathological features but their exact levels have not been elucidated. The present study aimed at investigating the role played by circulating cytokines in pathophysiology of cerebral malaria. Using an experimental cereb...
ABSTRACT The eradication of malaria requires a combined effort involving all available control tools, and these efforts would be complemented by an effective vaccine. An effective malaria vaccine should be capable of inducing protective immune responses against variant forms of the parasite and in a genetically diverse population. Allelic polymorphisms in antigens that are targets of protective immune responses are a major drawback to vaccine development. This study investigated the influenc...
Abstract Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar is the most dreaded and devastating form of leishmaniasis, causing high mortality rate, mainly in children. A vaccine against different forms of leishmaniasis should be feasible considering the wealth of information on genetics and biology of the parasite, clinical and experimental immunology of leishmaniasis, and the availability of vaccines that can protect experimental animals against challenge with different Leishmania species. However, t...
ABSTRACT Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most common opportunistic infection in HIV/AIDS patients globally and more cases in sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya included. It is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in adults aged between 18 and 49 years. CD4+ T cell count is a crucial marker of immunologic integrity and therefore clinical signs of TB vary with the CD4+ T cell counts in HIV-TB patients. It has been used with viral load as markers of disease progression. Th...
ABSTRACT Typhoid fever is one of the infectious human diseases. Outbreaks of typhoid fever caused by Salmonella typhi remains a serious health problem worldwide. There are a number of tests available presently, from molecular to immunological and biochemical to microbiological. However, misdiagnosis is usually experienced since most health care facilities use only Widal test without confirmation of results with a second test method. This study aimed at evaluating the performance of Widal te...
ABSTRACT Malaria is a major public health problem worldwide with increasing cases and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Sickle cell disease conditions relate geographically with malaria endemic areas. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) moderates the clinical severity of sickle cell disease (SCD) and also provides protection against malaria. Consequently, it provides survival advantage but the data is limited. Designing a study linking HbF with protection against malaria infection has been a challenge due to...
ABSTRACT Khat (Catha edulis) is a dicotyledonous evergreen shrub of the family Celastraceae whose fresh leaves are habitually chewed for their euphoric properties. The habit of khat chewing is mainly found in Arabia, Somalia, Kenya and has spread to Asia, Europe and other parts of the world due to improvement in transport and communication. Khat consumption was traditionally confined to adult men of the population. However; today khat chewing has become popular among all segments of the popu...
Prostate cancer (PCa) is Kenya‘s most frequently diagnosed cancer of men with an incidence rate of 32 per 100,000 and mortality rate of 12 per 100,000. It is also the leading cancer in terms of incidence and mortality in men from Africa and the Caribbean and the numbers may double by 2030. Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) is the main diagnostic biomarker used for screening patients currently. Biopsy histology is the only confirmatory test, but it is invasive and tedious to perform. The...
Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides biotype Small Colony (MmmSC) is a cattle respiratory disease. It is controlled using live vaccines, movement control and slaughter of affected cattle. The current CBPP vaccine, T144 is associated with several limitations that make delivery in the field difficult. One of main short comings is low efficacy and sub-optimum bacterial titers. This has necessitated modifications in formulation of the vaccin...