Publications by authors named "D L Ellerson"

Genital infection causes severe reproductive pathologies such as salpingitis and pelvic inflammatory disease that can lead to tubal factor infertility. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved regulators of mammalian gene expression in development, immunity and pathophysiologic processes during inflammation and infection, including infection. Among the miRNAs involved in regulating host responses and pathologic outcome of infection, we have shown that miR-378b was significantly differentially expressed during primary infection and reinfection.

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Shift work, performed by approximately 21 million Americans, is irregular or unusual work schedule hours occurring after 6:00 pm. Shift work has been shown to disrupt circadian rhythms and is associated with several adverse health outcomes and chronic diseases such as cancer, gastrointestinal and psychiatric diseases and disorders. It is unclear if shift work influences the complications associated with certain infectious agents, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and tubal factor infertility resulting from genital chlamydial infection.

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Human genital infection is a major public health concern due to the serious reproductive system complications. binds several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) on host cells, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and activates cellular signaling cascades for host invasion, cytoskeletal remodeling, optimal inclusion development, and induction of pathogenic epithelial-mesenchyme transition (EMT). also upregulates transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) expression, whose signaling pathway synergizes with the EGFR cascade, but its role in infectivity, inclusions, and EMT induction is unknown.

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Genital chlamydia infection in women causes complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and tubal factor infertility, but it is unclear why some women are more susceptible than others. Possible factors, such as time of day of chlamydia infection on chlamydial pathogenesis has not been determined. We hypothesised that infections during the day, will cause increased complications compared to infections at night.

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