Infection and Immunity Group
The first major theme of the research in the Infection & Immunity Group is the pathogenesis of prolonged illness following infection, including the phenomenon of post-infective fatigue. The Dubbo Infection Outcomes Study is a major prospective cohort study following individuals from the time of onset of documented infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Ross River virus (RRV) or Q fever infection. The co-investigators in this project include Professor Denis Wakefield of the School of Medical Sciences, in addition to Dr Ute Vollmer-Conna from the School of Psychiatry and Professor Ian Hickie (psychiatrist) from the University of Sydney. In addition to funding from NHMRC, the study has been supported by a large scale four year Cooperative Research Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control, USA. An Australia-wide network of collaborative research laboratories has been established for this project to conduct microbiological, immunological, and genetic studies of pathogenesis.
The second major theme in the Infection and Immunity Group is the immunopathogenesis of hepatitis C (HCV) infection. These studies are conducted in collaboration with virologists, Professor Bill Rawlinson at Prince of Wales Hospital and Dr Peter White, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, and with A/Professor Rose Ffrench, Burnet Institute, Melbourne. The studies include: the HITS cohort (Hepatitis C Incidence and Transmission in prisons Study), which is an NHMRC funded seeking to define the epidemiological, clinical, and immunological features of primary hepatitis C infections in a prospective cohort of inmates in NSW prisons who are at high risk of this infection. In addition, a series of studies are underway examining aspects of potentially protective immunity against HCV amongst individuals highly exposed, but uninfected, with the virus – including injecting drug users and multiply-transfused individuals with thalassaemia major.
Researchers
Professor Andrew Lloyd
Professor Denis Wakefield
Dr Michael Grimm
Dr Fabio Luciani
Dr Amany Zekry
Dr Charles Harvey, Postdoctoral scientist
Dr Barbara Cameron, Postdoctoral scientist
Ms Hui Li, Research assistant
Ms Justine Diver, Project coordinator
Sue Newham, Research nurse
Leng Boonwaat, Research nurse
Beth Everett, PhD Student
Lisa Elliott, PhD Student
Barbara Piraino, PhD Student
Emma Jagger, PhD Student
Selected Publications
Harris RJ, Storm PA,
Lloyd A, Arens M. Marmion BP. Long term persistence of Coxiella burnetii in the host after primary Q fever.
Epidem. Inf. 2000; 124:543-549.
Freeman AJ, Zekry A, Whybin LR, Harvey CE, van Beek IA, de Kantzow SL, Rawlinson WD, Boughton CR, Robertson PW, Marinos G,
Lloyd AR. Prevalence and genotype of hepatitis C virus among Australian injecting drug users in the 1970’s.
Med J Aust 2000; 172: 588-591.
Post JJ, Dolan K, Whybin R, Carter IW, Haber PS,
Lloyd AR. Acute hepatitis C virus infection in an Australian prison inmate: tattooing as a possible transmission route.
Med J Aust 2001; 174:183-184.
Freeman AJ, Dore GJ, Law MG, Thorpe M, von Overbeck J,
Lloyd AR, Marinos G, Kaldor JM. Estimating progression to cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
Hepatology 2001; 34: 809-816.
Hickie IB, Bansal A, Kirk KM,
Lloyd AR, Martin NG. A twin study of the etiology of prolonged fatigue and immune activation.
Twin Research 2001; 4: 94-102.
Freeman AJ, Marinos G, Ffrench RA,
Lloyd AR The immunopathogenesis of hepatitis C virus infection.
Immunol Cell Biol 2001; 79, 515-536.
Freeman AJ. Pan Y.
Harvey CE. Post JJ. Law MG. White PA. Rawlinson WD.
Lloyd AR. Marinos G. Ffrench RA. The presence of an intrahepatic cytotoxic T lymphocyte response is associated with low viral load in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
J Hepatol. 2003; 38:349-56.
Post JJ, Pan Y, Freeman AJ,
Harvey,CE, White PA, Palladinetti P, Haber PS, George Marinos G, Levy MH, Kaldor JM, Dolan KA, Ffrench RA,
Lloyd AR, RawlinsonWD, and the Hepatitis C Incidence and Transmission in Prisons Study (HITS) group. Clearance of hepatitis C viremia associated with cellular immunity in the absence of seroconversion in the HITS cohort.
J Infect Dis 2004; 189:1846-55.
Vollmer-Conna U, Fazou C, Cameron B,
Li H, Brennan C, Luck L, Davenport T, Wakefield D, Hickie I,
Lloyd A. Production of pro-inflammatory cytokines correlates with the symptoms of acute sickness behaviour in humans.
Psychol Med 2004; 34: 1289-1297.
Freeman AJ. Ffrench RA. Post JJ.
Harvey CE. Gilmour SJ. White PA. Marinos G. van Beek I. Rawlinson WD.
Lloyd AR. Prevalence of production of virus-specific interferon-gamma among seronegative hepatitis C-resistant subjects reporting injection drug use.
J Infect. Dis. 2004; 190:1093-7
Freeman AJ, Marinos G, Ffrench RA,
Lloyd AR. Intrahepatic and peripheral blood virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity is associated with a response to combination IFN- and ribavirin treatment among patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.
J Viral Hepatitis 2005; 12: 125–12.