@article{BoettcherPrifertWeissbrichetal.2016,
  author    = {B{\"o}ttcher, S. and Prifert, C. and Weißbrich, B. and Adams, O. and Aldabbagh, S. and Eis-H{\"u}binger, A. M. and Diedrich, S.},
  title     = {Detection of enterovirus D68 in patients hospitalised in three tertiary university hospitals in Germany, 2013 to 2014},
  series = {Eurosurveillance},
  volume    = {21},
  journal   = {Eurosurveillance},
  number    = {19},
  doi       = {10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2016.21.19.30227},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165068},
  pages     = {pii=30227},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has been recognised as a worldwide emerging pathogen associated with severe respiratory symptoms since 2009. We here report EV-D68 detection in hospitalised patients with acute respiratory infection admitted to three tertiary hospitals in Germany between January 2013 and December 2014. From a total of 14,838 respiratory samples obtained during the study period, 246 (1.7\%) tested enterovirus-positive and, among these, 39 (15.9\%) were identified as EV-D68. Infection was observed in children and teenagers (0-19 years; n=31), the majority (n=22) being under five years-old, as well as in adults > 50 years of age (n=8). No significant difference in prevalence was observed between the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Phylogenetic analyses based on viral protein 1 (VP1) sequences showed co-circulation of different EV-D68 lineages in Germany. Sequence data encompassing the entire capsid region of the genome were analysed to gain information on amino acid changes possibly relevant for immunogenicity and revealed mutations in two recently described pleconaril binding sites.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MuellerStoetterKalluvyaetal.2015,
  author    = {Mueller, A. and Stoetter, L. and Kalluvya, S. and Stich, A. and Majinge, C. and Weissbrich, B. and Kasang, C.},
  title     = {Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among health care workers in a tertiary hospital in Tanzania},
  series = {BMC Infectious Diseases},
  volume    = {15},
  journal   = {BMC Infectious Diseases},
  number    = {386},
  doi       = {10.1186/s12879-015-1129-z},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-141786},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Background: Sub-Saharan Africa has a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. Health care workers (HCWs) are at high risk of contracting HBV infection through their occupation. Vaccination of HCWs against HBV is standard practice in many countries, but is often not implemented in resource-poor settings. We aimed with this cross-sectional study to determine HBV prevalence, HCW vaccination status, and the risk factors for HCWs contracting HBV infection in Tanzania. Methods: We enrolled 600 HCWs from a tertiary Tanzanian hospital. Their demographics, medical histories, HBV vaccination details and risk factors for contracting blood-borne infections were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Serum samples were tested for HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers by ELISA techniques, PCR and an anti-HBs rapid test. HCWs were divided in two subgroups: those at risk of contracting HBV (rHCW 79.2 \%) via exposure to potentially infectious materials, and those considered not at risk of contracting HBV (nrHCW, 20.8 \%). Results: The overall prevalence of chronic HBV infection (HBsAg+, anti-HBc+, anti-HBs-) was 7.0 \% (42/598). Chronic HBV infection was found in 7.4 \% of rHCW versus 5.6 \% of nrHCW(p-value = 0.484). HCWs susceptible to HBV (HBsAg-, anti-HBc-, anti-HBs-) comprised 31.3 \%. HBV immunity achieved either by healed HBV infection (HBsAg-, anti-HBc+, anti-HBs+) or by vaccination (HBsAg-, anti-HBc-, anti-HBs+) comprised 36.5 \% and 20.2 \%, respectively. 4.8 \% of participants had indeterminate results (HBsAg-, anti-HBc+, anti-HBc-IgM-, anti-HBs-). Only 77.1 \% of HCWs who received a full vaccination course had an anti-HBs titer > 10 ml/U. An anti-HBs point-of-care test was 80.7 \% sensitive and 96.9 \% specific. There was a significantly higher risk for contracting HBV (anti-HBc+) among those HCW at occupational risk (rHCW) of older age (odds ratios (OR) in rHCW 3.297, p < 0.0001 vs. nrHCW 1.385, p = 0.606) and among those HCW being employed more than 11 years (OR 2.51, p < 0.0001***). HCV prevalence was low (HCV antibodies 1.2 \% and HCV-RNA 0.3 \%). Conclusions: Chronic HBV infection is common among Tanzanian HCWs. One third of HCWs were susceptible to HBV infection, highlighting the need for vaccination. Due to high prevalence of naturally acquired immunity against HBV pre-testing might be a useful tool to identify susceptible individuals.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KasangKalluvyaMajingeetal.2011,
  author    = {Kasang, Christa and Kalluvya, Samuel and Majinge, Charles and Stich, August and Bodem, Jochen and Kongola, Gilbert and Jacobs, Graeme B. and Mllewa, Mathias and Mildner, Miriam and Hensel, Irina and Horn, Anne and Preiser, Wolfgang and van Zyl, Gert and Klinker, Hartwig and Koutsilieri, Eleni and Rethwilm, Axel and Scheller, Carsten and Weissbrich, Benedikt},
  title     = {HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) in antiretroviral therapy-naive patients in Tanzania not eligible for WHO threshold HIVDR survey is dramatically high},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-69024},
  year      = {2011},
  abstract  = {Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended guidelines for a HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) survey for resource-limited countries. Eligibility criteria for patients include age below 25 years in order to focus on the prevalence of transmitted HIVDR (tHIVDR) in newly-infected individuals. Most of the participating sites across Africa have so far reported tHIVDR prevalences of below 5\%. In this study we investigated whether the rate of HIVDR in patients ,25 years is representative for HIVDR in the rest of the therapy-naive population. Methods and Findings: HIVDR was determined in 88 sequentially enrolled ART-naive patients from Mwanza, Tanzania (mean age 35.4 years). Twenty patients were aged, 25 years and 68 patients were aged 25-63 years. The frequency of HIVDR in the study population was 14.8\% (95\%; CI 0.072-0.223) and independent of NVP-resistance induced by prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs. Patients .25 years had a significantly higher HIVDR frequency than younger patients (19.1\%; 95\% CI 0.095-0.28) versus 0\%, P = 0.0344). In 2 out of the 16 patients with HIVDR we found traces of antiretrovirals (ARVs) in plasma. Conclusions: ART-naive patients aged over 25 years exhibited significantly higher HIVDR than younger patients. Detection of traces of ARVs in individuals with HIVDR suggests that besides transmission, undisclosed misuse of ARVs may constitute a significant factor in the generation of the observed high HIVDR rate. The current WHO tHIVDR survey that is solely focused on the transmission of HIVDR and that excludes patients over 25 years of age may therefore result in substantial underestimation of the prevalence of HIVDR in the therapy-naive population. Similar studies should be performed also in other areas to test whether the so far reported optimistic picture of low HIVDR prevalence in young individuals is really representative for the rest of the ART-naive HIV-infected population.},
  subject      = {Tansania},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KasangKalluvyaMajingeetal.2011,
  author    = {Kasang, Christa and Kalluvya, Samuel and Majinge, Charles and Stich, August and Bodem, Jochen and Kongola, Gilbert and Jacobs, Graeme B. and Mlewa, Mathias and Mildner, Miriam and Hensel, Irina and Horn, Anne and Preiser, Wolfgang and van Zyl, Gert and Klinker, Hartwig and Koutsilieri, Eleni and Rethwilm, Axel and Scheller, Carsten and Weissbrich, Benedikt},
  title     = {HIV Drug Resistance (HIVDR) in Antiretroviral Therapy-Na{\"i}ve Patients in Tanzania Not Eligible for WHO Threshold HIVDR Survey Is Dramatically High},
  series = {PLoS One},
  volume    = {6},
  journal   = {PLoS One},
  number    = {8},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0023091},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-137988},
  pages     = {e23091},
  year      = {2011},
  abstract  = {Background The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended guidelines for a HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) survey for resource-limited countries. Eligibility criteria for patients include age below 25 years in order to focus on the prevalence of transmitted HIVDR (tHIVDR) in newly-infected individuals. Most of the participating sites across Africa have so far reported tHIVDR prevalences of below 5\%. In this study we investigated whether the rate of HIVDR in patients <25 years is representative for HIVDR in the rest of the therapy-na{\"i}ve population. Methods and Findings HIVDR was determined in 88 sequentially enrolled ART-na{\"i}ve patients from Mwanza, Tanzania (mean age 35.4 years). Twenty patients were aged <25 years and 68 patients were aged 25-63 years. The frequency of HIVDR in the study population was 14.8\% (95\%; CI 0.072-0.223) and independent of NVP-resistance induced by prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs. Patients >25 years had a significantly higher HIVDR frequency than younger patients (19.1\%; 95\% CI 0.095-0.28) versus 0\%, P = 0.0344). In 2 out of the 16 patients with HIVDR we found traces of antiretrovirals (ARVs) in plasma. Conclusions ART-na{\"i}ve patients aged over 25 years exhibited significantly higher HIVDR than younger patients. Detection of traces of ARVs in individuals with HIVDR suggests that besides transmission, undisclosed misuse of ARVs may constitute a significant factor in the generation of the observed high HIVDR rate. The current WHO tHIVDR survey that is solely focused on the transmission of HIVDR and that excludes patients over 25 years of age may therefore result in substantial underestimation of the prevalence of HIVDR in the therapy-na{\"i}ve population. Similar studies should be performed also in other areas to test whether the so far reported optimistic picture of low HIVDR prevalence in young individuals is really representative for the rest of the ART-na{\"i}ve HIV-infected population.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SteinhardtWiercinskaPhametal.2020,
  author    = {Steinhardt, M. J. and Wiercinska, E. and Pham, M. and Grigoleit, G. U. and Mazzoni, A. and Da-Via, M. and Zhou, X. and Meckel, K. and Nickel, K. and Duell, J. and Krummenast, F. C. and Kraus, S. and Hopkinson, C. and Weissbrich, B. and M{\"u}llges, W. and Stoll, G. and Kort{\"u}m, K. M. and Einsele, H. and Bonig, H. and Rasche, L.},
  title     = {Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in a patient post allo-HCT successfully treated with JC virus specific donor lymphocytes},
  series = {Journal of Translational Medicine},
  volume    = {18},
  journal   = {Journal of Translational Medicine},
  doi       = {10.1186/s12967-020-02337-5},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-229307},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Background Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a demyelinating CNS disorder. Reactivation of John Cunningham virus leads to oligodendrocyte infection with lysis and consequent axonal loss due to demyelination. Patients usually present with confusion and seizures. Late diagnosis and lack of adequate therapy options persistently result in permanent impairment of brain functions. Due to profound T cell depletion, impairment of T-cell function and potent immunosuppressive factors, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients are at high risk for JCV reactivation. To date, PML is almost universally fatal when occurring after allo-HCT. Methods To optimize therapy specificity, we enriched JCV specific T-cells out of the donor T-cell repertoire from the HLA-identical, anti-JCV-antibody positive family stem cell donor by unstimulated peripheral apheresis [1]. For this, we selected T cells responsive to five JCV peptide libraries via the Cytokine Capture System technology. It enables the enrichment of JCV specific T cells via identification of stimulus-induced interferon gamma secretion. Results Despite low frequencies of responsive T cells, we succeeded in generating a product containing 20 000 JCV reactive T cells ready for patient infusion. The adoptive cell transfer was performed without complication. Consequently, the clinical course stabilized and the patient slowly went into remission of PML with JCV negative CSF and containment of PML lesion expansion. Conclusion We report for the first time feasibility of generating T cells with possible anti-JCV activity from a seropositive family donor, a variation of virus specific T-cell therapies suitable for the post allo transplant setting. We also present the unusual case for successful treatment of PML after allo-HCT via virus specific T-cell therapy.},
  language  = {en}
}