A5078646028- Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
- Biosensors and Analytical Detection
- Streptococcal Infections and Treatments
- T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Microbial infections and disease research
- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research
- Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
- Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
- Ear Surgery and Otitis Media
- Trigeminal Neuralgia and Treatments
- Neonatal and Maternal Infections
- Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia detection and treatment
- Animal health and immunology
- Peripheral Neuropathies and Disorders
- Advanced Biosensing Techniques and Applications
University of Bristol
2013-2024
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
2015-2017
NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre
2016
At Bristol
2014-2015
University of Coimbra
2015
Wellcome Sanger Institute
2014
Nagasaki University
2014
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência
2014
Vanderbilt Health
2014
Vanderbilt University
2014
Serogroup W and Y invasive meningococcal disease increased globally from 2000 onwards. Responding to a rapid increase in serogroup clonal complex 11 (W:cc11) disease, the UK replaced an adolescent booster dose of C conjugate vaccine with quadrivalent MenACWY 2015. By 2018, coverage eligible school cohorts aged 14 19 years was 84%. We assessed impact vaccination programme on carriage.An observational study culture-defined oropharyngeal carriage prevalence before after start students, 15...
To establish and characterise a rat model of periodontitis that reiterates the features human disease.Periodontal inflammation was induced by single injection 10 microg liposaccharide (LPS) (Salmonella typhimurium) in 1 microl saline into mandibular gingiva at buccomesial aspect second molar. Animals were killed after 3, 7 days, mandibles dissected sectioned for histological immunocytochemical analysis.LPS resulted significant gingival periodontal with inflammatory infiltrate, apical...
Recent development of serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccines highlights the importance pharyngeal carriage data, particularly in adolescents and young adults, to inform implementation strategies. We describe current UK prevalence this high risk population compare methods detection.In multisite study, swabs were collected on 3-4 occasions over 6-12 months, from 1040 school university students, aged 10-25 years. Meningococcal was detected by standard culture combined with seroagglutination...
Abstract Background Saliva is easily obtainable non-invasively and potentially suitable for detecting both current previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, but there limited evidence on the utility of salivary antibody testing community surveillance. Methods We established 6 ELISAs IgA IgG antibodies to whole spike protein, its receptor binding domain region nucleocapsid protein in saliva. evaluated diagnostic performance, using paired saliva serum samples, correlated mucosal systemic responses. The...
Rationale: Viral infections of the upper respiratory tract may influence commensal nasopharyngeal bacteria. Changes in bacterial niche could affect transmission dynamics. Attenuated vaccine viruses can be used to investigate this empirically humans.Objectives: To study effects mild viral on colonization using live attenuated influenza (LAIV) as a surrogate.Methods: We trivalent LAIV evaluate infection carriage and density Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Haemophilus...
We developed an in-house RT-qPCR assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 from different sample types. Novel primer and probe sets were designed to amplify 2 regions nucleocapsid (N) gene. Two dual-target multiplex assays then evaluated performance in known samples. An combining one novel pair N (N6), a published region envelope protein (E) extraction control target (MS2), was found have good efficiency low limit detection, be sensitive specific set positive negative clinical Assay maintained...
Background: This longitudinal study describes the associations between respiratory viral infections, rhinitis and prevalence density of common nasopharyngeal bacterial colonizers, Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp), Moraxella catarrhalis (Mc), Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) Staphylococcus aureus . Methods: In an observational cohort study, 161 children attending day care centers in Bristol, United Kingdom, were recruited. Monthly swabs taken stored frozen Skim-milk, tryptone, glucose glycerin broth...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) burden in adults is of interest due to recently–licensed vaccines, however, estimates are affected by test characteristics. We conducted a prospective cohort study with acute lower respiratory tract disease (aLRTD) hospitalised Bristol from April 2022–March 2023. RSV was detected RT–PCR at standard–of–care and additional nasopharyngeal, saliva, sputum samples. Latent class analysis quantified adjusted for error multiple testing. 6906/11445 aLRTD cases (60%)...
Bacterial vaccines can reduce carriage rates. Colonization is usually a binary endpoint. Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) quantify bacterial DNA in mucosal samples over wide range. Using culture and single-gene species-specific qPCRs for Streptococcus pneumoniae (lytA), pyogenes (ntpC), Moraxella catarrhalis (ompJ), Haemophilus influenzae (hdp) Staphylococcus aureus (nuc) standard curves against log-phase reference strain broth cultures we described frequency peak density distributions of...
Abstract We investigated three bovine respiratory pathobionts in healthy cattle using qPCR optimised and validated to quantify Histophilus somni , Mannheimia haemolytica Pasteurella multocida over a wide dynamic range. A longitudinal study was conducted investigate the carriage density of these bacteria nasal passages beef calves (N = 60) housed winter an experimental farm setting. The pathobiont species exhibited remarkably different rates profiles. At housing, high were observed for P ....
The ELISpot assay is used in vaccine studies for the quantification of antigen-specific memory B cells (BMEM), and can be performed using cryopreserved samples. effects cryopreservation on BMEM detection consistency cultured assays when by different operators or laboratories are unknown. In this study, blood was taken from healthy volunteers, a to count specific 2 routine antigens (diphtheria tetanus toxoid). Results were assessed intra- inter-operator variation, cryopreservation....
Abstract Periodontal disease is a common multifactorial chronic inflammatory in humans. In conditions that are known to be associated with changes nociception, such as arthritis, the neuronal expression of proinflammatory neuropeptides, substance P and calcitonin gene‐related peptide altered. this study these neuropeptides' mRNAs has been studied an model shows no behavioural evidence altered nociception. Periodontitis was induced male rats by intragingival injection lipopolysaccharide...
Introduction and aims Improved sensitivity efficiency of detection quantification carriage Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) in young people is important for evaluation the impact vaccines upon transmission associated population-wide effects. Saliva collection quick, non-invasive facilitates frequent sampling, but has been reported to yield low by culture. We re-evaluated this approach a follow-up cross sectional study using direct culture-amplified PCR. Material/Methods In April 2016 we collected...
Background: Improved understanding of Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) carriage biology and better methods for detection quantification would facilitate studies potential impact new vaccines on colonization transmission in adolescents. Methods: We performed plate cultures 107 oropharyngeal swabs stored frozen skim milk tryptone glucose glycerol (STGG) broth previously positive Nm. compared quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) Nm 601 STGG-swabs with culture. Using qPCR (n = 87), a...
Prevalence of pneumococcal serotypes in carriage and disease has been described but absolute serotype colonisation densities have not reported. 515 paediatric nasal swab DNA extracts were subjected to lytA qPCR molecular serotyping by microarray. Absolute derived from total density (qPCR cycle threshold standard curve) relative abundance (microarray) varied widely. Compared all observed, the strongest evidence differences was seen for 21 35B (higher) 3, 38 non-typeables (lower) (p<0.05) with...
Background The true burden of acute lower respiratory tract diseases (aLRTD; includes infection, exacerbation pre-existing heart failure and chronic lung disease) among adults presenting to primary care, the proportion that are potentially vaccine preventable, is unknown. Aims To describe aLRTD incidence in care; estimate proportions caused by RSV, SARS-CoV-2 pneumococcus; investigate disease from patient NHS perspectives. Design & setting Primary care prospective cohort study conducted...
Among 55 children with cultures positive for acute otitis media spontaneous otorrhea, 28 (51%) had aural Streptococcus pneumoniae, and in 10 of these, two distinct strains were detected, which 5 pairs that both capsule-bearing serotypes. Such cases more likely to have other otopathogens than those only one pneumococcus present.
Low-volume antibody assays can be used to track SARS-CoV-2 infection rates in settings where active testing for virus is limited and remote sampling optimal. We developed 12 ELISAs detecting total or isotypes nucleocapsid, spike protein its receptor binding domain (RBD), 3 anti-RBD isotype specific luciferase immunoprecipitation system (LIPS) a novel Spike-RBD bridging LIPS total-antibody assay. utilized pre-pandemic (n=984) confirmed/suspected recent COVID-19 sera taken pre-vaccination...
Abstract The importance of T cells in the generation antigen-specific B-cell immunity has been extensively described, but role B play shaping T-cell memory is uncertain. In healthy controls, exposure to Neisseria meningitidis upper respiratory tract associated with mucosal and systemic compartments. However, we demonstrate that cell–deficient subjects X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA), naturally acquired responses meningococcal antigens are reduced compared control patients. This difference...
Portugal introduced (2+1) conjugate Meningococcal group C vaccine in 2006 with high coverage catch up to 18 years and has given only 1 dose at year since 2012. Among 601 student oropharyngeal swabs, meningococcal carriage rate was 13.3% (A-0%, B-5.3%, C-0.3%, W-0.2%, X-0.2% Y-1.7%). W strains were of potentially disease-causing clonal complexes (cc) but not the hyperinvasive cc11.
Proinflammatory neuropeptides, such as substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide, are up-regulated in primary afferent neurons acute chronic inflammation. While these neuropeptides have been intensively studied, potentially anti-inflammatory and/or anti-nociceptive somatostatin (SS) less widely investigated. Endogenous is thought to exert a tonic antinociceptive effect. Exogenous SS actions through inhibition of proinflammatory neuropeptide release. In this study we compared the...
Abstract Between April 2016 and September 2017, four cases of group B meningococcal disease were reported among sixth-form college students in Bristol, UK. Culture non-culture whole genome sequencing was utilised demonstrated that the genomes responsible ST-41 strains clustered closely on a sub-lineage ST-41/44 clonal complex. The outbreak resulted two fatalities. A distinct social associated with one selected for vaccination 4CMenB pharyngeal swabbing. In vitro culturing, multiple real-time...