Publications by authors named "J Alcorn"
Influenza virus infects millions each year, contributing greatly to human morbidity and mortality. Upon viral infection, pathogen-associated molecular patterns activate pattern recognition receptors on host cells, triggering an immune response. The CD209 protein family, homologs of DC-SIGN (dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule 3-grabbing nonintegrin), is thought to modulate immune responses to viruses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntibody-mediated protection against pathogens is crucial to a healthy life. However, the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has shown that pre-existing comorbid conditions including kidney disease account for compromised humoral immunity to infections. Individuals with kidney disease are not only susceptible to infections but also exhibit poor vaccine-induced antibody response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Prolonged exposure to hyperoxia can lead to hyperoxic acute lung injury (HALI) in preterm neonates. Vitamin D (VitD) stimulates lung maturation and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. Our objective was to determine if VitD provides a dose-dependent protective effect against HALI by reducing inflammatory cytokine expression and improving alveolarization and lung function in neonatal mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnalysis of cannabinoids in plasma from 38 cases of suspected cannabinoid intoxication in dogs.
J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio)
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to analyze plasma cannabinoid levels in dogs suspected of cannabis toxicity to understand the relationship between clinical symptoms and cannabinoid concentrations.
- Among the 38 dogs examined, common symptoms included ataxia, urinary incontinence, lethargy, and hyperesthesia, with THC being the most prevalent cannabinoid detected in plasma samples.
- The findings suggest that while abnormal reflexes correlate with THC levels, other clinical signs do not, indicating that veterinarians can diagnose cannabis toxicity with high accuracy based on clinical history and presenting symptoms alone.
Article Synopsis
- Millions get influenza yearly, often complicated by secondary bacterial pneumonia, with inflammatory cytokines playing a role in susceptibility.
- Nrf2, a key regulator of antioxidant and inflammatory responses, was studied using mice models to analyze its impact on influenza and Staphylococcus aureus superinfection.
- Results showed that Nrf2 deficiency led to reduced flu severity and increased bacterial load, while enhancing regulatory T cell responses that improved survival time, despite the higher bacterial presence.