Pauline E. Jolly

The Lentiviruses of Sheep and Goats

The animal lentiviruses are nononcogenic, replication competent, and horizontally transmitted retroviruses (Narayan and Clements, 1989; see also Volume 1, Chapter 2). Each virus causes natural infection only in closely related species of animals. Based on host specificity, the viruses can be subdivided into families that cause infection in equidae, bovidae, felidae, small ruminants (sheep and goats), and certain species of African monkeys, respectively. The ovine-caprine virus family is prototypic of the lentiviruses and causes infection in sheep and goats throughout the world (Dawson, 1980). These infections are usually subclinical. Disease is sporadic and occurs mainly in adult animals between 3 and 5 years of age during their agriculturally productive years. Clinical signs develop insidiously and progress slowly during a course of weeks to months. One or more organ systems, usually the central nervous system, the lungs, the joints, or the mammary glands, are affected and the animals eventually become cachectic in spite of normal appetites. Severe chronic, ongoing inflammation is the hallmark of lesions in affected tissues. The main target organ in sheep is the lung, and affected animals develop chronic dyspnea. This condition has a number of different names in various countries, including Progressive Pneumonia in the United States, La-Bouhite in France, Zwoegerziekte in Holland, Graaf Reiner disease in South Africa, Maedi in Iceland, and Chronic Interstitial Pneumonia in East Africa, India, etc. (Narayan and Cork, 1985). Diseases resulting from infection in the CNS (visna) (Sigurdsson et al., 1957), the joints (synovitis/arthritis) (Crawford et al., 1980), and mammary glands (mastitis) (Cutlip et al., 1985; Kennedy-Stoskopf et al., 1985) occur less frequently. Disease in goats occurs mainly as a subacute paralysis that begins a few weeks after birth and synovitis/arthritis that affects adult animals (Cork et al., 1974; Crawford et al., 1980). Mastitis is common in infected lactating animals.

Determinants of the Variability of Aflatoxin–Albumin Adduct Levels in Ghanaians

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multifactorial disease with various host and environmental factors involved in its etiology. Of these, aflatoxin exposure has been established as an important risk factor in the development of HCC; the presence of aflatoxin–albumin (AA) adducts in the blood serves as a valuable biomarker of human exposure. In this study, the relationship between a variety of different HCC host factors and the incidence of AA adduct levels was examined in a Ghanaian population at high risk for HCC. These factors included age, gender, hepatitis virus B (HVB) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) status, and genetic polymorphisms in both microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). Blood samples were analyzed for AA adducts and HBV and HCV status. GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletion polymorphisms and mEH exon 3 and exon 4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were determined from urine samples. In univariate analysis, age, HBV and HVC status, and GSTT1 and mEH exon 3 genotypes were not associated with AA adduct levels. However, mean adduct levels were significantly higher in both females and individuals typed heterozygous for mEH exon 4 (vs. wild types). Stratification analysis also showed that gender along with mEH exon 4 genotype and HBV status had a significant effect on adduct levels. Both females typed HBsAg+ and males with mEH exon 4 heterozygote genotypes showed significantly higher adduct levels as compared to the HBsAg– and wild types, respectively. Understanding the relationships between these host factors and the variability in aflatoxin-adduct levels may help in identifying susceptible populations in developing countries and for targeting specific public health interventions for the prevention of aflatoxicoses in populations with HCC and chronic liver diseases.

Lentiviruses of animals are biological models of the human immunodeficiency viruses

Submitted by jollyp on Mon, 09/08/2014 11:42am Title Lentiviruses of animals are biological models of the human immunodeficiency viruses. Publication Type Journal Article Year of Publication 1988 Authors Narayan, O, Zink, MC, Huso, D, Sheffer, D, Crane, S, Kennedy-Stoskopf, S, Jolly, P, Clements, JE Journal Microb Pathog Volume 5 Issue 3 Pagination 149-57 Date Published 1988 Sep ISSN 0882-4010

The Determinants of Sexual Intercourse Before Age 16 Years Among Rural Jamaican Adolescents

Individual and family factors have been hypothesized to influence adolescent sexual behavior, but the extent to which this is true for adolescents in Jamaica as a whole and for those in rural areas in particular, has not been well studied. The objective of this study was to identify individual and family factors associated with initiation of sexual activity before the age of 16 among rural adolescents in Jamaica. We analyzed data for 469 sexually experienced adolescents attending public high schools in the rural parish of Hanover. Multivariate logistic regression was used to predict independent influences of these factors. The mean age at sexual debut was 11 years for boys and 15 years for girls. Early adolescent sexual activity was associated with liberal attitudes about negative sexual outcomes (OR = 1.96, 95%CI = 1.34-2.87) and first sexual partner not being a steady boyfriend or girlfriend (OR = 4.19, 95%CI = 1.62-10.84). Female gender (OR = 0.16, 95%CI = 0.07-0.36) and older age at time of survey were protective (OR = 0.40, 95%CI = 0.32-0.52). Girls who were early starters were more likely to have been initiated by partners who were not steady boyfriends. They also reported liberal attitude towards negative sexual outcomes. Boys were mainly influenced by liberal attitude towards negative sexual outcomes. Being older was protective for both genders. Considering the high rates of HIV and adolescent pregnancy in this population, reproductive health programs that attempt to delay age at first sex should begin early in primary school before adolescents become sexually active.

Vitamin A depletion in HIV infection and AIDS.

published by jollyp on Mon, 09/08/2014 11:41am Title Vitamin A depletion in HIV infection and AIDS. Publication Type Journal Article Year of Publication 1996 Authors Jolly, P, Yang, YL, Alvarez, JO, Smoot, TM Journal AIDS Volume 10 Issue 1 Pagination 114 Date Published 1996 Jan ISSN 0269-9370

Assessment of risk factors for stillbirth among pregnant women in Jamaica

A case - control study was conducted to assess the risk factors of stillbirth among pregnant women in Jamaica. A total of 314 women participated (160 with stillborn babies and 154 with live-born babies). A questionnaire designed to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics, antenatal care, medical and sexually transmitted disease (STD) history, method of delivery and infant birth and health status was administered to each woman. Medical records were reviewed to verify medical history. Six variables were found to be significant predictors of stillbirth by multivariate logistic regression. Low birth weight (OR = 4.3, CI = 2.4 - 7.7), complications during pregnancy or delivery (OR = .19, CI = 0.09 - 0.41), method of delivery (caesarean section; OR = 7.2, CI = 1.6 - 33.2), number of living children (OR = 0.54, CI = 0.40 - 0.73), number of antenatal visits (less than three; OR = 2.0, CI = 1.3 - 3.1), and presence of unfavourable and /or adverse fetal outcome (OR = 4.0, CI = 1.8 - 9.2) were found to be associated with stillbirth. These findings have important implications in establishing policies for prenatal care in Jamaica.

Contemporary profile of oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS and associated risk factors in a southeastern US clinic

BACKGROUND Introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has resulted in a significant decrease of oral manifestations (OMs). The profile and risk factors for OM in those individuals initiating HAART remain understudied in the Southeast of the United States, region of increasing HIV prevalence. OBJECTIVE To determine clinical, socio-demographic, and laboratory characteristics associated with the presence of OM among patients initiating HAART. METHODS Retrospective review of electronically captured data from patients initiating HAART at a Southeastern US clinic. Prevalence was determined, and risk factors for overall OM, oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC), and all other OM were evaluated using logistic regression. RESULTS In our sample (n = 744), majority of individuals were males (75 percent), African-American (50 percent), mean age of 39 years, 42 percent of which reported sex with men (MSM). Two hundred sixty-six had some type of OM. Compared with those without any OM, patients with OM had a lower mean baseline CD4+ T cells count (CD4 count) (331 ± 260 versus 179 ± 244 CD4 cells/mm(3) ) and higher mean baseline HIV-1 RNA viral load (4.0 ± 1.34 log(10) versus 4.6 ± 1.30 log(10) ) (P < 0.01). In the logistic regression models seeking to determine factors associated with an increased risk of OM and OPC, the only characteristic associated with the outcome was baseline CD4 value. Being male, African-American, and heterosexual showed a protective role for OM other than OPC. CONCLUSION OM continues to be common despite HAART. General OM and OPC were closely associated with a low baseline CD4 count. Knowledge of risk factors for OM can potentially help clinicians target oral evaluation of HIV-positive individuals.

Noninvasive Identification of Interindividual Variation in Xenobiotic-Metabolizing Enzymes: Implications for Cancer Epidemiology and Biomarker Studies

In this study, DNA extracted from frozen urine was used in the analysis of polymorphisms in genes coding for xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes (XMEs). These included single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH), that is, substitutions of tyrosine by histidine in codon 113 (Y113H) and histidine by arginine in codon 139 (H139R), and deletion polymorphisms in glutathione S-transferase (GST) M1 and T1 genes. The concentration of DNA extracted from urine of a Ghanaian population (n = 91) exposed to aflatoxins in their diet ranged from 82.5 to 573 ng/ml urine. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) procedures were used for the characterization of mEH polymorphisms, whereas a multiplex PCR method was utilized to identify GST deletion polymorphisms. In total, 91% and 94% of 91 samples were genotyped for mEH exon 3 and exon 4 polymorphisms, respectively. In the multiplex analysis of GST polymorphisms, 94% and 91% of 91 individuals were genotyped for GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms, respectively. The polymorphisms in the mEH exon 4, GSTM1 and GSTT1, were not in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) except for mEH exon 3. Representative genotypes identified by PCR-RFLP were cloned and sequenced, then confirmed by comparison with reference sequences of human DNA published in the GenBank BLAST database. These results demonstrate that XMEs can be genotyped from urine with reliable accuracy and may be useful in cancer and molecular epidemiology studies.

Effect of Malaria and Geohelminth Infection on Birth Outcomes in Kumasi, Ghana.

Aim In 2005, the Ghana Health Service mandated malaria and helminths chemoprophylaxis during antenatal care visits. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of malaria and helminth infections and their relationship with adverse birth outcomes (low birth weight, stillbirth, and preterm) following the implementation of these treatments. Study Design A quantitative cross-sectional study. Method The study was conducted on 630 women presenting for delivery in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Manhyia District Hospital from July to November 2011. Socio-demographic information and medical and obstetric history were collected. Laboratory analyses for the presence of malaria and helminths were performed. Association of malaria and helminths with birth outcomes was assessed using logistic regression to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. Results The prevalence of malaria, helminths and adverse birth outcomes was 9.0%, 5.0% and 22.2%, respectively. Compared with women who received malaria prophylaxis, women without malaria prophylaxis were two times more likely to have malaria infection (aOR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.06-4.17). Women who were not screened for helminths were twice as likely to be infected with helminths (aOR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.15-5.12) than women who were screened for helminths. For women infected with hookworm or Schistosoma mansoni, the odds of having an adverse birth outcome (aOR = 3.9; 95% CI = 1.09-14.20) and stillbirth (aOR = 7.7; 95% CI = 1.21-36.38) were greater than for women who were not infected. Conclusion The prevalence of malaria, helminths and adverse birth outcomes was lower than previously reported 9.0% vs. 36.3, 5.0% vs. 25.7 and 22.2% vs. 44.6, respectively. Helminth but not malaria infection was found to be significantly associated with adverse birth outcomes.

Mechanisms of Persistent Replication of Lentiviruses in Immunocompetent Hosts

Lentiviruses are nononcogenic, replication-competent retroviruses. They are genus specific in animal host range and are transmitted exogenously in nature by blood, milk, or inflammatory exudates. The viruses have been known for several years as specific pathogens of domestic animals, causing infectious anemia in horses, visna-maedi in sheep, arthritis-encephalitis in caprine species, and more recently, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC) in humans [1–5]. Newer members of the lentivirus family include feline and bovine immunodeficiency viruses and lentiviruses of macaques (SIVmac) and African green monkeys (SlVagm). The viruses persist indefinitely in infected hosts and cause disease after variable and often prolonged incubation periods of months to years. Disease is gradual in onset and becomes progressively worse with time. It involves many organ systems in inflammatory and degenerative processes and leads eventually to cachexia and death [6–10].