Gillian F. Black
A5026222310- Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Immunodeficiency and Autoimmune Disorders
- Participatory Visual Research Methods
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Immune responses and vaccinations
- Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis
- Health Policy Implementation Science
- Digital Storytelling and Education
- Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies
- Ethics in Clinical Research
- T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Disaster Management and Resilience
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Cytokine Signaling Pathways and Interactions
- Psoriasis: Treatment and Pathogenesis
- HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Indigenous and Place-Based Education
- Legal Issues in South Africa
- Outdoor and Experiential Education
- Diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis
- Climate Change and Health Impacts
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Immune Response and Inflammation
Sustainable Livelihoods Foundation
2016-2025
Stellenbosch University
2009-2023
Royal Hospital for Children
2023
South African Medical Research Council
2020
National Research Foundation
2015
University of Cape Town
2009
University of London
2003-2007
Lambeth Hospital
2007
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
2000-2006
Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit
2001-2006
Abstract We investigated whether the proinflammatory T cell cytokines IL-17 and IL-22 are induced by human mycobacterial infection. Remarkably, >20% of specific cytokine-producing CD4+ cells in peripheral blood healthy, mycobacteria-exposed adults expressed or IL-22. Specific IL-17- IL-22-producing were distinct from each other Th1 cells. These had phenotypic characteristics long-lived central memory In patients with tuberculosis disease, frequencies these reduced, whereas...
Rationale: Contacts of patients with tuberculosis (TB) constitute an important target population for preventive measures because they are at high risk infection Mycobacterium and progression to disease.Objectives: We investigated biosignatures predictive ability incident TB.Methods: In a case–control study nested within the Grand Challenges 6-74 longitudinal HIV-negative African cohort exposed household contacts, we employed RNA sequencing, PCR, pair ratio algorithm in training/test set...
Abstract Antigen-specific, MHC-restricted αβ T cells are necessary for protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis , but the ability to broadly study these responses has been limited. In present study, we used single-cell and bulk cell receptor (TCR) sequencing GLIPH2 algorithm analyze M. -specific sequences in two longitudinal cohorts, comprising 166 individuals with infection who progressed either ( n = 48) or controlled 118). We found 24 groups similar TCR-β sequences,...
One important factor in the virulence of infections with Plasmodium falciparum is adherence infected erythrocytes to small vessel endothelium. In that lead serious, life-threatening disease accumulation large numbers cells particular organs thought organ dysfunction or failure. This relevance when affected brain, leading development cerebral malaria. Many different endothelial receptors for red blood have been identified. Some such as CD36 and thrombospondin are used by all parasite...
Although tuberculosis (TB) causes more deaths than any other pathogen, most infected individuals harbor the pathogen without signs of disease. We explored metabolome >400 small molecules in serum uninfected individuals, latently healthy and patients with active TB. identified changes amino acid, lipid nucleotide metabolism pathways, providing evidence for anti-inflammatory metabolomic Metabolic profiles indicate increased activity indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), decreased phospholipase...
Interferon gamma release assays, including the QuantiFERON® TB Gold In Tube (QFT) have been shown to be accurate in diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. These assays however, do not discriminate between latent infection (LTBI) and active disease. We recruited twenty-three pulmonary patients 34 household contacts from Cape Town, South Africa performed QFT test. To investigate ability of new host markers differentiate LTBI TB, levels 29 biomarkers supernatants were evaluated using...
The recent introduction of fluorescent bead-based technology, allowing the measurement multiples analytes in a single 25–50 µl sample has revolutionized study cytokine responses. However, such multiplex approaches may compromise ability these assays to accurately measure actual levels. This evaluates performance three commercially available immunoassays (Bio-Rad's Cytokine 17-plex kit; LINCO Inc's 29-plex and RnD System's Fluorokine-Multi Analyte Profiling (MAP) base kit A B). Inc was found...
Approximately 20% of persons living in areas hyperendemic for tuberculosis (TB) display persistent lack tuberculin skin test (TST) reactivity and appear to be naturally resistant infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Among those with a positive response, the intensity TST varies greatly. The genetic basis is not known. We report on genome-wide linkage search loci that have an impact reactivity, which defined either as zero versus nonzero (TST-BINa) or extent millimeters (TST–quantitative...
Increasing knowledge about DosR regulon-encoded proteins has led us to produce novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens for immunogenicity testing in human populations three countries Africa which (TB) is endemic. A total of 131 tuberculin skin test-positive and/or ESAT-6/CFP10-positive, immunodeficiency virus-negative adult household contacts active pulmonary TB cases from South (n = 56), The Gambia 26), and Uganda 49) were tested gamma interferon responses 7 classical 51 M. recombinant...
New biomarkers of tuberculosis (TB) risk and disease are critical for the urgently needed control ongoing TB pandemic. In a prospective multisite study across Subsaharan Africa, we analyzed metabolic profiles in serum plasma from HIV-negative, TB-exposed individuals who either progressed to 3-24 months post-exposure (progressors) or remained healthy (controls). We generated trans-African biosignature TB, which identifies future progressors both on blinded test samples external data sets...
Abstract Improved tuberculosis diagnostics and tools for monitoring treatment response are urgently needed. We developed a robust simple, PCR-based host-blood transcriptomic signature, RISK6, multiple applications: identifying individuals at risk of incident disease, as screening test subclinical or clinical tuberculosis, treatment. RISK6 utility was validated by blind prediction using quantitative real-time (qRT) PCR in seven independent cohorts. Prognostic performance significantly...
For heterogeneous tissues, such as blood, measurements of gene expression are confounded by relative proportions cell types involved. Conclusions have to rely on estimation signals for homogeneous populations, e.g. applying micro-dissection, fluorescence activated sorting, or in-silico deconfounding. We studied feasibility and validity a non-negative matrix decomposition algorithm using experimental data blood sorted cells from the same donor samples. Our objective was optimize regarding...
Interferon (IFN)–γ responsiveness to 12 purified protein derivative (PPD) and new tuberculin antigens from 9 species of mycobacteria was assessed, using a whole blood assay, in 616 young adults living northern Malawi, where Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) vaccination provides no protection against pulmonary tuberculosis. The prevalence IFN‐γ highest for PPDs M. avium, intracellulare, scrofulaceum (the MAIS complex). Correlations between paralleled genetic relatedness the...
Summary We report a large study of the effect BCG vaccination on in vitro 6-day whole blood interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) response to antigens from eight species mycobacteria among schoolchildren south-eastern England, where bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) is highly protective against pulmonary tuberculosis, and young adults northern Malawi, not protective. In UK children, induced an appreciable increase IFN-γ most mycobacteria. The degree change was linked relatedness Mycobacterium bovis BCG,...
<h3>Background:</h3> There are limited data comparing interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) for the detection of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> infection in highly endemic settings. <h3>Methods:</h3> A cross-sectional household contact study was conducted to measure agreement two IGRAs relation tuberculin skin test (TST) detect <i>M and assess influence exposure age. <h3>Results:</h3> In 82 individuals contact, 93% children 42% adults had a high score. The TST positive 78% 54% children,...
Confirming tuberculosis (TB) disease in suspects resource limited settings is challenging and calls for the development of more suitable diagnostic tools. Different Mycobacterium (M.tb) infection phase-dependent antigens may be differentially recognized infected diseased individuals therefore useful as tools differentiating between M.tb states. In this study, we assessed potential 118 different TB patients household contacts (HHCs) a high-burden setting.Antigens were evaluated using 7-day...
Background Recent interferon gamma (IFN-γ)-based studies have identified novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection phase-dependent antigens as diagnostic candidates. In this study, the levels of 11 host markers other than IFN-γ, were evaluated in whole blood culture supernatants after stimulation with M.tb antigens, for diagnosis TB disease. Methodology and Principal Findings Five comprising three DosR-regulon-encoded proteins (Rv2032, Rv0081, Rv1737c), two resucitation promoting...
BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) remains a global health threat with 9 million new cases and 1.4 deaths per year. In order to develop protective vaccine, we need define the antigens expressed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which are relevant immunity in high-endemic areas. MethodsWe analysed responses 23 Mtb total of 1247 subjects different HIV TB status across 5 geographically diverse sites Africa (South Africa, The Gambia, Ethiopia, Malawi Uganda). We used 7-day whole blood assay followed...