Infection and Immunity Group
WHO WE ARE
Cinician-scientists and laboratory scientists studying the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, including hepatitis C and the acute sickness response to common infections.
WHAT WE DO
The major theme of research in the Infection and Immunity Group is study of the host factors (immunological, metabolic and genetic) and pathogen factors (viral mutations), which determine the major outcomes from infectious diseases. The infections under study include hepatitis C, and the acute sickness response to common viral infections such as glandular fever. The research is conducted using both human blood and tissue samples, as well as laboratory cell culture systems. The research is built upon large prospective cohort studies which provide detailed clinical data and laboratory samples, including the
Hepatitis C
Incidence and
Transmission Study (HITS) in the NSW prisons, and the Dubbo and Sydney Infection Outcomes Studies, which are conducted in collaboration with A/Professor Ute Vollmer-Conna from the School of Psychiatry. A range of cellular and molecular biological techniques, as well as genetic approaches to investigation are utilized. The overall goal of the research in the Group is to guide better prevention and treatment strategies for important human infectious diseases.
FUNDING & MEDIA HIGHLIGHT
The group is supported by an NHMRC Program grant, NHMRC Project grants, funding from NSW Health, and support from a range of non-governmental funding agencies.
MAJOR RESEARCHERS
FURTHER INFORMATION
Other staff members:
Dr Suzy Teutsch (Post-Doctoral Scientist)
Ms Elisabeth Keoshkerian (Research Fellow)
Ms Hui Li (Research Assistant)
Mr Luke McCredie (Research Nurse)
Ms Koko Bu (Research Assistant)
Ms Roshana Sultan (Administrative Officer)
Selected publications (2006-2010):
Palmer, C., T. Corpuz, M. Guirguis, S. O'Toole, K. Yan, Y. Bu, J. Jorgenson, M. Talbot, K. Loi,
A.R. Lloyd, and
A. Zekry. 2010. The effect of obesity on intrahepatic cytokine and chemokine expression in chronic hepatitis C infection.
Gut 59:397-404.
Grebely, J., K. Petoumenos, G.V. Matthews, P. Haber, P. Marks, A.R. Lloyd, J.M. Kaldor, G.J. Dore, and M. Hellard. 2010. Factors associated with uptake of treatment for recent hepatitis C virus infection in a predominantly injecting drug user cohort: The ATAHC Study. Drug Alcohol Depend 107:244-249.
Dore, G.J., M. Hellard, G.V. Matthews, J. Grebely, P.S. Haber, K. Petoumenos, B. Yeung, P. Marks, I. van Beek, G. McCaughan, P. White, R. French, W. Rawlinson, A.R. Lloyd, and J.M. Kaldor. Australian Trial In Acute Hepatitis. 2010. Effective treatment of injecting drug users with recently acquired hepatitis C virus infection. Gastroenterology 138:123-135.e121-122.
Dolan, K., S. Teutsch, N. Scheuer, M. Levy, W. Rawlinson, J. Kaldor, A.R Lloyd, and P. Haber. 2010. Incidence and risk for acute hepatitis C infection during imprisonment in Australia. Eur J Epidemiol 25:143-148.
Cameron, B., D.L. Hirschberg, Y. Rosenberg-Hassan, D. Ablashi, and A.R. Lloyd. 2010. Serum cytokine levels in postinfective fatigue syndrome. Clin Infect Dis 50:278-279.
Boonwaat, L., P.S. Haber, M.H. Levy, and A.R. Lloyd. 2010. Establishment of a successful assessment and treatment service for Australian prison inmates with chronic hepatitis C. Medical Journal of Australia 192:496-500.
Post, J., S. Ratnarajah, and A.R. Lloyd. 2009. Immunological determinants of the outcomes from primary hepatitis C infection. Cell Mol Life Sci 66:733-756.
Matthews, G.V., M. Hellard, P. Haber, B. Yeung, P. Marks, D. Baker, G. McCaughan, J. Sasadeusz, P. White, W. Rawlinson, A. Lloyd, J. Kaldor, G.J. Dore. 2009. Characteristics and treatment outcomes among HIV-infected individuals in the Australian Trial in Acute Hepatitis C. Clin Infect Dis 48:650-658..
Vollmer-Conna, U., B.F. Piraino, B. Cameron, T. Davenport, I. Hickie, D. Wakefield, A.R. Lloyd, and G. Dubbo Infection Outcomes Study. 2008. Cytokine polymorphisms have a synergistic effect on severity of the acute sickness response to infection. Clin Infect Dis 47:1418-1425.
Palmer, C., T. Hampartzoumian, A. Lloyd, and A. Zekry. 2008. A novel role for adiponectin in regulating the immune responses in chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatology 48:374-384.
Chow, S.S.W., M.E. Craig, C.A. Jones, B. Hall, J. Catteau, A.R. Lloyd, and W.D. Rawlinson. 2008. Differences in amniotic fluid and maternal serum cytokine levels in early midtrimester women without evidence of infection. Cytokine 44:78-84.
Xue, M.-L., A. Thakur, N. Cole, A. Lloyd, F. Stapleton, D. Wakefield, and M.D.P. Willcox. 2007. A critical role for CCL2 and CCL3 chemokines in the regulation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils recruitment during corneal infection in mice. Immunol Cell Biol 85:525-531.
Watson Ng, W.S., T. Hampartzoumian, A.R. Lloyd, and M.C. Grimm. 2007. A murine model of appendicitis and the impact of inflammation on appendiceal lymphocyte constituents. Clin Exp Immunol 150:169-178.
Vollmer-Conna, U., B. Cameron, D. Hadzi-Pavlovic, K. Singletary, T. Davenport, S. Vernon, W.C. Reeves, I. Hickie, D. Wakefield, A.R. Lloyd. 2007. Postinfective fatigue syndrome is not associated with altered cytokine production. Clin Infect Dis 45:732-735.
Lloyd, A.R., E. Jagger, J.J. Post, L.-A. Crooks, W.D. Rawlinson, Y.S. Hahn, and R.A. Ffrench. 2007. Host and viral factors in the immunopathogenesis of primary hepatitis C virus infection. Immunol Cell Biol 85:24-32.
Everett, B., B. Cameron, H. Li, U. Vollmer-Conna, T. Davenport, I. Hickie, D. Wakefield, S. Vernon, W.C. Reeves, and A.R. Lloyd. 2007. Polymorphisms in Toll-like receptors-2 and -4 are not associated with disease manifestations in acute Q fever. Genes Immun 8:699-702.
Dyer, W.B., S.L. Pett, J.S. Sullivan, S. Emery, D.A. Cooper, A.D. Kelleher, A. Lloyd, and S.R. Lewin. 2007. Substantial improvements in performance indicators achieved in a peripheral blood mononuclear cell cryopreservation quality assurance program using single donor samples. Clin Vaccine Immunol 14:52-59.
Dolan, M.J., H. Kulkarni, J.F. Camargo, W. He, A. Smith, J.-M. Anaya, T. Miura, F.M. Hecht, M. Mamtani, F. Pereyra, V. Marconi, A. Mangano, L. Sen, R. Bologna, R.A. Clark, S.A. Anderson, J. Delmar, R.J. O'Connell, A. Lloyd, J. Martin, S.S. Ahuja, B.K. Agan, B.D. Walker, S.G. Deeks, and S.K. Ahuja. 2007. CCL3L1 and CCR5 influence cell-mediated immunity and affect HIV-AIDS pathogenesis via viral entry-independent mechanisms.[see comment]. Nat Immunol 8:1324-1336.
Chang, J.H., T. Hampartzoumian, B. Everett, A. Lloyd, P.J. McCluskey, and D. Wakefield. 2007. Changes in Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 and TLR4 expression and function but not polymorphisms are associated with acute anterior uveitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 48:1711-1717.
Cameron, B., S. Galbraith, Y. Zhang, T. Davenport, U. Vollmer-Conna, D. Wakefield, I. Hickie, W. Dunsmuir, T. Whistler, S. Vernon, W.C. Reeves, A.R. Lloyd. 2007. Gene expression correlates of postinfective fatigue syndrome after infectious mononucleosis. J Infect Dis 196:56-66.
Vernon, S.D., A. Nicholson, M. Rajeevan, I. Dimulescu, B. Cameron, T. Whistler, and A. Lloyd. 2006. Correlation of psycho-neuroendocrine-immune (PNI) gene expression with symptoms of acute infectious mononucleosis. Brain Research 1068:1-6.
Hickie, I., T. Davenport, D. Wakefield, U. Vollmer-Conna, B. Cameron, S.D. Vernon, W.C. Reeves, A. Lloyd. 2006. Post-infective and chronic fatigue syndromes precipitated by viral and non-viral pathogens: prospective cohort study. BMJ 333:575.
Elliott, L., A. Lloyd, J. Ziegler, and R. Ffrench. 2006. Protective immunity against hepatitis C virus infection. Immunology and Cell Biology 84:1-11.
Cameron, B., M. Bharadwaj, J. Burrows, C. Fazou, D. Wakefield, I. Hickie, R. Ffrench, R. Khanna, A. Lloyd. 2006. Prolonged illness after infectious mononucleosis is associated with altered immunity but not with increased viral load. J Infect Dis 193:664-671.