Francis Gigliotti, M.D.

1) Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
2) Infections in the immunocompromised host
3) Inflammatory lung injury
4) Opportunistic infections.

Pneumocystis carinii is a life-threatening cause of pneumonitis among patients who are immunocompromised because of malignancies, AIDS, or congenital immunodeficiency disorders. P. carinii pneumonia also occurs in children who are immunocompromised on the basis of malnutrition; thus the global significance of P. carinii pneumonia is potentially great. However, because this organism is difficult to work with and because it cannot be cultivated outside an animal host, almost nothing is known about its biology.

The focus of Dr. Gigliotti's laboratory is elucidating the immunopathogenesis of P. carinii pneumonia. A major area of investigation relates to studying active and passive immunity to P. carinii. This work involves production of monoclonal antibodies, cloning of P. carinii genes (in collaboration with Dr. C.G. Haidaris and Dr. P.J. Haidaris, Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and of Medicine), and extensive use of animal models of P. carinii pneumonia.

The second major area of emphasis is the study of lung injury resulting from immune-mediated inflammation in response to infection with P. carinii. Together with Dr. Terry Wright, we are trying to develop means to manipulate this inflammatory process so as to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with P. carinii pneumonia. It is hoped that these studies will lead to a better understanding of this organism and host-parasite interactions, which in turn will result in better means of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of P. carinii pneumonia.

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