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Coccidioidomycosis in Northern Arizona: an Investigation of the Host, Pathogen, and Environment Using a Disease Triangle Approach. mSphere 2022; 7:e0035222. [PMID: 35972134 PMCID: PMC9599602 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00352-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii are the etiological agents of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever [VF]). Disease manifestation ranges from mild pneumonia to chronic or extrapulmonary infection. If diagnosis is delayed, the risk of severe disease increases. In this report, we investigated the intersection of pathogen, host, and environment for VF cases in Northern Arizona (NAZ), where the risk of acquiring the disease is much lower than in Southern Arizona. We investigated reported cases and assessed pathogen origin by comparing genomes of NAZ clinical isolates to isolates from other regions. Lastly, we surveyed regional soils for presence of Coccidioides. We found that cases of VF increased in NAZ in 2019, and Coccidioides NAZ isolates are assigned to Arizona populations using phylogenetic inference. Importantly, we detected Coccidioides DNA in NAZ soil. Given recent climate modeling of the disease that predicts that cases will continue to increase throughout the region, and the evidence presented in this report, we propose that disease awareness outreach to clinicians throughout the western United States is crucial for improving patient outcomes, and further environmental sampling across the western U.S. is warranted. IMPORTANCE Our work is the first description of the Valley fever disease triangle in Northern Arizona, which addresses the host, the pathogen, and the environmental source in the region. Our data suggest that the prevalence of diagnosed cases rose in 2019 in this region, and some severe cases necessitate hospitalization. We present the first evidence of Coccidioides spp. in Northern Arizona soils, suggesting that the pathogen is maintained in the local environment. Until disease prevention is an achievable option via vaccination, we predict that incidence of Valley fever will rise in the area. Therefore, enhanced awareness of and surveillance for coccidioidomycosis is vital to community health in Northern Arizona.
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Gorris ME, Caballero Van Dyke MC, Carey A, Hamm PS, Mead HL, Uehling JK. A Review of Coccidioides Research, Outstanding Questions in the Field, and Contributions by Women Scientists. CURRENT CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2021; 8:114-128. [PMID: 34367880 PMCID: PMC8327307 DOI: 10.1007/s40588-021-00173-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Coccidioidomycosis is an infectious disease that gained clinical significance in the early 20th century. Many of the foundational contributions to coccidioidomycosis research, including the discovery of the fungal disease agent, Coccidioides spp., were made by women. We review recent progress in Coccidioides research and big questions remaining in the field, while highlighting some of the contributions from women. Recent Findings New molecular-based techniques provide a promising method for detecting Coccidioides, which can help determine the dominate reservoir host and ideal environmental conditions for growth. Genetic and genomic analyses have allowed an understanding of population structure, species level diversity, and evolutionary histories. We present a current, comprehensive genome list, where women contributed many of these entries. Several efforts to develop a coccidioidomycosis vaccine are underway. Summary Women continue to pioneer research on Coccidioides, including the relationships between the fungi and the environment, genetics, and clinical observations. Significant questions remain in the field of Coccidioides, including the main host reservoir, the relationships between genotypic and phenotypic variation, and the underlying cause for chronic clinical coccidioidomycosis cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E Gorris
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Information Systems and Modeling & Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos, NM USA
| | | | - Adrienne Carey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Paris S Hamm
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM USA
| | - Heather L Mead
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ USA
| | - Jessie K Uehling
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR USA
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Campuzano A, Zhang H, Ostroff GR, Dos Santos Dias L, Wüthrich M, Klein BS, Yu JJ, Lara HH, Lopez-Ribot JL, Hung CY. CARD9-Associated Dectin-1 and Dectin-2 Are Required for Protective Immunity of a Multivalent Vaccine against Coccidioides posadasii Infection. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2020; 204:3296-3306. [PMID: 32358020 PMCID: PMC7323849 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Coccidioides species are fungal pathogens that can cause a widely varied clinical manifestation from mild pulmonary symptom to disseminated, life-threatening disease. We have previously created a subunit vaccine by encapsulating a recombinant coccidioidal Ag (rCpa1) in glucan-chitin particles (GCPs) as an adjuvant-delivery system. The GCP-rCpa1 vaccine has shown to elicit a mixed Th1 and Th17 response and confers protection against pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in mice. In this study, we further delineated the vaccine-induced protective mechanisms. Depletion of IL-17A in vaccinated C57BL/6 mice prior to challenge abrogated the protective efficacy of GCP-rCpa1 vaccine. Global transcriptome and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of murine bone marrow-derived macrophages after exposure to this vaccine revealed the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) that are associated with activation of C-type lectin receptors (CLR) Dectin-1- and Dectin-2-mediated CARD9 signaling pathway. The GCP formulation of rCpa1 bound soluble Dectin-1 and Dectin-2 and triggered ITAM signaling of corresponding CLR reporter cells. Furthermore, macrophages that were isolated from Dectin-1 -/-, Dectin-2 -/-, and CARD9 -/- mice significantly reduced production of inflammatory cytokines in response to the GCP-rCpa1 vaccine compared with those of wild-type mice. The GCP-rCpa1 vaccine had significantly reduced protective efficacy in Dectin-1 -/-, Dectin-2 -/-, and CARD9 -/- mice that showed decreased acquisition of Th cells in Coccidioides-infected lungs compared with vaccinated wild-type mice, especially Th17 cells. Collectively, we conclude that the GCP-rCpa1 vaccine stimulates a robust Th17 immunity against Coccidioides infection through activation of the CARD9-associated Dectin-1 and Dectin-2 signal pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Althea Campuzano
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249
| | - Hao Zhang
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249
| | - Gary R Ostroff
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605; and
| | - Lucas Dos Santos Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin Medical School, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, WI 53792
| | - Marcel Wüthrich
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin Medical School, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, WI 53792
| | - Bruce S Klein
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin Medical School, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, WI 53792
| | - Jieh-Juen Yu
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249
| | - Humberto H Lara
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249
| | - Jose L Lopez-Ribot
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249
| | - Chiung-Yu Hung
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249;
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Van Dyke MCC, Thompson GR, Galgiani JN, Barker BM. The Rise of Coccidioides: Forces Against the Dust Devil Unleashed. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2188. [PMID: 31572393 PMCID: PMC6749157 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) is a fungal disease caused by the inhalation of Coccidioides posadasii or C. immitis. This neglected disease occurs in the desert areas of the western United States, most notably in California and Arizona, where infections continue to rise. Clinically, coccidioidomycosis ranges from asymptomatic to severe pulmonary disease and can disseminate to the brain, skin, bones, and elsewhere. New estimates suggest as many as 350,000 new cases of coccidioidomycosis occur in the United States each year. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of a vaccine and new therapeutic drugs against Coccidioides infection. In this review, we discuss the battle against Coccidioides including the development of potential vaccines, the quest for new therapeutic drugs, and our current understanding of the protective host immune response to Coccidioides infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - George R Thompson
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - John N Galgiani
- Valley Fever Center for Excellence, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Bridget M Barker
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
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Hung CY, Hsu AP, Holland SM, Fierer J. A review of innate and adaptive immunity to coccidioidomycosis. Med Mycol 2019; 57:S85-S92. [PMID: 30690602 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myy146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis is a human fungal disease cause by inhalation of aerosol spores produced by Coccidioides posadasii or Coccidioides immitis. This disease is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in the endemic areas of the Southwestern United States. It also can present as a life-threatening disease as the fungal cells disseminate to skin, bone, and central nervous system. The outcome of coccidioidomycosis is largely determined by the nature of host immune response to the infection. Escalation of symptomatic infections and increased cost of long-term antifungal treatment warrant a concerted effort to better understand the innate and adaptive immune responses and the genetics associated with coccidioidomycosis susceptibility. This knowledge can be harnessed for development of a human vaccine against Coccidioides and advance clinic management of this disease. This review discusses recently reported studies on innate and adaptive immunity to Coccidioides infection, Mendelian susceptibility to disseminated disease and progress toward a human vaccine against this formidable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiung-Yu Hung
- Department of Biology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Amy P Hsu
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Steven M Holland
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joshua Fierer
- Infectious Diseases Section, VA Healthcare San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
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Weaver EA, Kolivras KN. Investigating the Relationship Between Climate and Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis). ECOHEALTH 2018; 15:840-852. [PMID: 30284073 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-018-1375-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) is a disease caused by inhalation of spores from the soil-dwelling Coccidioides fungal species. The disease is endemic to semiarid areas in the western USA and parts of Central and South America. The region of interest for this study, Kern County, California, accounts for approximately 14% of the reported valley fever cases in the USA each year. It is hypothesized that the weather conditions that foster the growth and dispersal of the fungus influence the number of cases in the endemic area. This study uses regression-based analysis to model and assess the seasonal relationships between valley fever incidence and climatic variables including concurrent and lagged precipitation, temperature, Palmer Drought Severity Index, wind speed, and PM10 using data from 2000 to 2015. We find statistically significant links between disease incidence and climate conditions in Kern County, California. The best performing seasonal model explains up to 76% of the variability in fall valley fever incidence based on concurrent and antecedent climate conditions. Findings are consistent with previous studies, suggesting that antecedent precipitation is an important predictor of disease. The significant relationships found support the "grow and blow" hypothesis for climate-related coccidioidomycosis incidence risk that was originally developed for Arizona.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Weaver
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 115 Major Williams Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 4061, USA.
| | - Korine N Kolivras
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 115 Major Williams Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 4061, USA
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Glucan-Chitin Particles Enhance Th17 Response and Improve Protective Efficacy of a Multivalent Antigen (rCpa1) against Pulmonary Coccidioides posadasii Infection. Infect Immun 2018; 86:IAI.00070-18. [PMID: 30104216 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00070-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing an effective and safe recombinant vaccine requires microbe-specific antigens combined with an adjuvant/delivery system to strengthen protective immunity. In this study, we designed and expressed a multivalent recombinant Coccidioides polypeptide antigen (rCpa1) that consists of three previously identified antigens (i.e., Ag2/Pra, Cs-Ag, and Pmp1) and five pathogen-derived peptides with high affinity for human major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) molecules. The purified rCpa1 was encapsulated into four types of yeast cell wall particles containing β-glucan, mannan, and chitin in various proportions or was mixed with an oligonucleotide (ODN) containing two methylated dinucleotide CpG motifs. This multivalent antigen encapsulated into glucan-chitin particles (GCP-rCpa1) showed significantly greater reduction of fungal burden for human HLA-DR4 transgenic mice than the other adjuvant-rCpa1 formulations tested. Among the adjuvants tested, both GCPs and β-glucan particles (GPs) were capable of stimulating a mixed Th1 and Th17 response. Mice vaccinated with GCP-rCpa1 showed higher levels of interleukin 17 (IL-17) production in T-cell recall assays and earlier lung infiltration by activated Th1 and Th17 cells than GP-rCpa1-vaccinated mice. Both C57BL/6 and HLA-DR4 transgenic mice that were vaccinated with the GCP-rCpa1 vaccine showed higher survival rates than mice that received GCPs alone. Concurrently, the GCP-rCpa1 vaccine stimulated greater infiltration of the injection sites by macrophages, which engulf and process the vaccine for antigen presentation, than the GP-rCpa1 vaccine. This is the first attempt to systematically characterize the presentation of a multivalent coccidioidomycosis vaccine encapsulated with selected adjuvants that enhance the protective cellular immune response to infection.
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Immune Response to Coccidioidomycosis and the Development of a Vaccine. Microorganisms 2017; 5:microorganisms5010013. [PMID: 28300772 PMCID: PMC5374390 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms5010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides posadasii and Coccidioides immitis. It is estimated that 150,000 new infections occur in the United States each year. The incidence of this infection continues to rise in endemic regions. There is an urgent need for the development of better therapeutic drugs and a vaccine against coccidioidomycosis. This review discusses the features of host innate and adaptive immune responses to Coccidioides infection. The focus is on the recent advances in the immune response and host-pathogen interactions, including the recognition of spherules by the host and defining the signal pathways that guide the development of the adaptive T-cell response to Coccidioides infection. Also discussed is an update on progress in developing a vaccine against these fungal pathogens.
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Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis is a potentially life-threatening mycosis endemic to the Southwestern USA and some arid regions of Central and South America. A vaccine against Coccidioides infection would benefit over 30-million people who reside in or visit the endemic regions. Vaccine candidates against systemic fungal infections come in many forms. Live attenuated vaccines are derived from disease-causing pathogens and generally stimulate excellent protective immunity. Since attenuated vaccines contain living microbes, there is a degree of unpredictability raising concerns regarding safety and stability. Generation of a subunit vaccine has initiated efforts to design a safe reagent suitable for administration to humans at risk of coccidioidomycosis. Epitope-based vaccines allow for eliciting specific protective immune responses and removal of potentially detrimental sequences to improve safety. This chapter describes methods for the identification of T cell epitopes derived from Coccidioides antigens, design, and production of a recombinant vaccine containing multiple T cell epitopes, and evaluation of its protective efficacy and vaccine immunity against pulmonary Coccidioides infection using a strain of transgenic mice that express a human MHC II molecule.
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11
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Berli JU, Campbell WN, Katz RD. Coccidioidomycosis causing osteomyelitis of the hand in an immunocompetent patient. Hand (N Y) 2015; 10:562-4. [PMID: 26330797 PMCID: PMC4551624 DOI: 10.1007/s11552-014-9696-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Coccidioidomycosis osteomyelitis is a rare entity considered even more rare when identified in the immunocompetent patient. In non-endemic areas, the diagnosis of a fungus-causing osteomyelitis is often delayed or overlooked. This results in delayed or inappropriate treatment. We present the case of a 35-year-old immunocompetent male immigrant from India who was ultimately diagnosed as having Coccidioidomycosis immitis osteomyelitis of his ring finger metacarpal. His initial surgery included drainage and bacterial cultures only. When he failed to improve, he presented for a second opinion. The patient's origin and travel history coupled with the appearance of rapid bone destruction on plain radiographs prompted a second operation for tissue biopsy and culture for bacteria, fungus, and mycobacteria cultures. This case highlights the importance of a thorough clinical history in deriving an appropriate differential diagnosis prior to surgical intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens U. Berli
- The Curtis National Hand Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, 3333 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
| | - Wayne N. Campbell
- The Curtis National Hand Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, 3333 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
| | - Ryan D. Katz
- The Curtis National Hand Center, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, 3333 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
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12
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Hung CY, Jiménez-Alzate MDP, Gonzalez A, Wüthrich M, Klein BS, Cole GT. Interleukin-1 receptor but not Toll-like receptor 2 is essential for MyD88-dependent Th17 immunity to Coccidioides infection. Infect Immun 2014; 82:2106-14. [PMID: 24614655 PMCID: PMC3993447 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01579-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2013] [Accepted: 03/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-17A (IL-17A)-producing CD4(+) T helper (Th17) cells have been shown to be essential for defense against pulmonary infection with Coccidioides species. However, we have just begun to identify the required pattern recognition receptors and understand the signal pathways that lead to Th17 cell activation after fungal infection. We previously reported that Card9(-/-) mice vaccinated with formalin-killed spherules failed to acquire resistance to Coccidioides infection. Here, we report that both MyD88(-/-) and Card9(-/-) mice immunized with a live, attenuated vaccine also fail to acquire protective immunity to this respiratory disease. Like Card9(-/-) mice, vaccinated MyD88(-/-) mice revealed a significant reduction in numbers of both Th17 and Th1 cells in their lungs after Coccidioides infection. Both Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and IL-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1r1) upstream of MyD88 have been implicated in Th17 cell differentiation. Surprisingly, vaccinated TLR2(-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice showed similar outcomes after pulmonary infection with Coccidioides, while vaccinated IL-1r1(-/-) mice revealed a significant reduction in the number of Th17 cells in their infected lungs compared to WT mice. Thus, activation of both IL-1r1/MyD88- and Card9-mediated Th17 immunity is essential for protection against Coccidioides infection. Our data also reveal that the numbers of Th17 cells were reduced in IL-1r1(-/-) mice to a lesser extent than in MyD88(-/-) mice, raising the possibility that other TLRs are involved in MyD88-dependent Th17 immunity to coccidioidomycosis. An antimicrobial action of Th17 cells is to promote early recruitment of neutrophils to infection sites. Our data revealed that neutrophils are required for vaccine immunity to this respiratory disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiung-Yu Hung
- Department of Biology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - María del Pilar Jiménez-Alzate
- Department of Biology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Angel Gonzalez
- Department of Biology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Marcel Wüthrich
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin Medical School, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Bruce S. Klein
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin Medical School, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Wisconsin Medical School, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Garry T. Cole
- Department of Biology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Nanjappa SG, Klein BS. Vaccine immunity against fungal infections. Curr Opin Immunol 2014; 28:27-33. [PMID: 24583636 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2014.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Som G Nanjappa
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53792, United States.
| | - Bruce S Klein
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53792, United States; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53792, United States; Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53792, United States.
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Cole GT, Hung CY, Sanderson SD, Hurtgen BJ, Wüthrich M, Klein BS, Deepe GS, Ostroff GR, Levitz SM. Novel strategies to enhance vaccine immunity against coccidioidomycosis. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003768. [PMID: 24367252 PMCID: PMC3868515 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Garry T. Cole
- Department of Biology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Chiung-Yu Hung
- Department of Biology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sam D. Sanderson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Brady J. Hurtgen
- U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Marcel Wüthrich
- Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Bruce S. Klein
- Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - George S. Deepe
- Division of Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati and Veterans Affairs Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Gary R. Ostroff
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stuart M. Levitz
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Wise HZ, Hung CY, Whiston E, Taylor JW, Cole GT. Extracellular ammonia at sites of pulmonary infection with Coccidioides posadasii contributes to severity of the respiratory disease. Microb Pathog 2013; 59-60:19-28. [PMID: 23583291 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2013.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2013] [Revised: 04/01/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Coccidioides is the causative agent of a potentially life-threatening respiratory disease of humans. A feature of this mycosis is that pH measurements of the microenvironment of pulmonary abscesses are consistently alkaline due to ammonia production during the parasitic cycle. We previously showed that enzymatically active urease is partly responsible for elevated concentrations of extracellular ammonia at sites of lung infection and contributes to both localized host tissue damage and exacerbation of the respiratory disease in BALB/c mice. Disruption of the urease gene (URE) of Coccidioides posadasii only partially reduced the amount of ammonia detected during in vitro growth of the parasitic phase, suggesting that other ammonia-producing pathways exist that may also contribute to the virulence of this pathogen. Ureidoglycolate hydrolase (Ugh) expressed by bacteria, fungi and higher plants catalyzes the hydrolysis of ureidoglycolate to yield glyoxylate and the release CO2 and ammonia. This enzymatic pathway is absent in mice and humans. Ureidoglycolate hydrolase gene deletions were conducted in a wild type (WT) isolate of C. posadasii as well as the previously generated Δure knock-out strain. Restorations of UGH in the mutant stains were performed to generate and evaluate the respective revertants. The double mutant revealed a marked decrease in the amount of extracellular ammonia without loss of reproductive competence in vitro compared to both the WT and Δure parental strains. BALB/c mice challenged intranasally with the Δugh/Δure mutant showed 90% survival after 30 days, decreased fungal burden, and well-organized pulmonary granulomas. We conclude that loss of both Ugh and Ure activity significantly reduced the virulence of this fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Zhang Wise
- Department of Biology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
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Construction and evaluation of a novel recombinant T cell epitope-based vaccine against Coccidioidomycosis. Infect Immun 2012; 80:3960-74. [PMID: 22949556 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00566-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical and animal studies of coccidioidomycosis have demonstrated that activated CD4(+) T lymphocytes are essential for protection against this fungal respiratory disease. We previously reported a vaccine against Coccidioides infection which contained three recombinant CD4(+) T cell-reactive proteins and induced a robust, protective immune response in mice. Due to the anticipated high cost of production and clinical assessment of this multivalent vaccine, we generated a single protein which contained immunodominant T cell epitopes of the three polypeptides. Epitopes were initially identified by computational prediction of their ability to bind promiscuously to human major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) molecules. Cellular immunoassays confirmed the immunogenicity of the synthesized epitope peptides, while in vitro binding assays revealed a range of peptide affinity for MHC II. A DNA construct was synthesized for bacterial expression of a recombinant protein vaccine which contained five epitopes with the highest affinity for human MHC II, each fused with leader and spacer peptides proposed to optimize epitope processing and presentation to T cell receptors. Recall assays of immune T lymphocytes obtained from human MHC II-expressing HLA-DR4 transgenic mice confirmed that 4 of the 5 epitope peptides were processed. Mice immunized with the epitope-based vaccine admixed with a synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide adjuvant or loaded into yeast glucan particles and then challenged intranasally with Coccidioides showed early lung infiltration of activated T helper-1 (Th1), Th2, and Th17 cells, elevated gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin (IL)-17 production, significant reduction of fungal burden, and prolongation of survival compared to nonvaccinated mice. This is the first report of an epitope-based vaccine against coccidioidomycosis.
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