Measles virus (MV) infects an estimated 30 million individuals each year, leading to ∼880,000 deaths. The mechanisms that underlie both MV-associated immunosuppression and the dramatic benefit of vitamin A remain poorly understood. Vitamin A supplements are also important for the eradication of vitamin A deficiency, which is implicated in the death of ∼1 million children each year, due to blindness and severe infections. In recent years, there has been increasing pressure to include vitamin A supplements in "universal" childhood vaccination programs in the developing world (e.g.: EPI). In this thesis, three studies dealing with the relationship between measles virus, vitamin A and the immune system are presented. First, the induction of PBMC apoptosis by MV is described and correlated with viral output and proliferation of these cells. In the second study, the results from a large trial of vitamin A supplementation at the time of MV vaccination are presented. Finally, as part of ongoing studies into the mechanism underlying the beneficial effect of vitamin A supplementation in MV infections, changes in the retinoid (vitamin A) signaling cascade during MV infection of a monocytic cell line (U937) were measured. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.32992 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Fox, Stephanie. |
| Contributors | Ward, Brian J. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Microbiology and Immunology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001838504, proquestno: MQ75307, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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