The Medical Microbiology Section now consists of the Department of Immunology, the Department of Virology, the Central Diagnostic Unit and the Laboratory Animal Facility.

Work of the Department of Immunology concentrates on the analysis of the immune response to certain infectious agents but also deals with basic questions of immunology such as the role of heat shock proteins in antigen processing or the mechanisms of T cell receptor recognition and signalling. The cellular immune response to the protozoon Trypanosoma cruzi is studied in patients and in mice. As part of the Institute’s programme on Onchocerciasis the specificity and the nature of the T cell response to the filaria Onchocerca volvulus is investigated in patients from the rain forest in Guinea. As a model system of a filarial infection the full cycle of Litomosoides sigmodontis was established used in permissive Balb/c mice. This experimental model is used to address issues of T cell cytokine regulation and effector mechanisms against the worm. Heat shock proteins are important intracellular chaperones and transport molecules for antigen processing but have also a stimulatory influence on immune reactivity if introduced into an animal. They may be interesting means to specifically stimulate certain immune responses. Signalling via the T cell antigen receptor and associated surface molecules on the T cell surface plays a central role in initiation and effector phases of the immune response. Moreover, it is involved into the mechanisms by which certain infectious pathogens such as Herpesvirus saimiri or Theileria parva transform T lymphocytes.

The Department of Virology continued its investigation on different aspects of Lassavirus infection in Guinea, West Africa. For several months blood and sera were collected and viable lymphocytes of patients with Lassa antibodies were transported to Hamburg. With these lymphocytes the cellular immunity against Lassavirus is studied with proliferation assays and T cell cloning. Several Lassavirus sequences were amplified by PCR from sera of patients with hemorrhagic fever from Gueckedou and compared to reference strains.

The Hamburg AIDS program (coordinator: Dr. H. Schmitz) obtained support for an additional period of three years by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology (BMBF). Investigations on humoral immune reaction on HIV showed that in the area of the V3 loop in the envelope of HIV continuous and discontinuous epitopes exist. For homologous neutralisation only the discontinuous epitopes which result from folding of the loop by means of disulfide bridges appear to be relevant. Therefore, former results which are only based on the examination of linear epitopes in the area of the V3 loop obviously are not relevant for the HIV neutralisation.

Sera of patients from a Dengue epidemic in Mindanao in 1996 were analysed with regard to antibody patterns and Dengue virus RNA. It was found that Dengue-1 virus is the predominant subtype in Mindanao and that most of the children suffering from Dengue hemorrhagic fever actually were infected with Dengue-1 virus.

The Central Diagnostic Unit performs the direct identification of bacteria, parasites and viruses and the serodiagnosis of parasitic, bacterial, rickettsial and viral infections. It was installed in 1997 as a National Expert Laboratory for amoebiasis, leishmaniasis, trypanomiasis, filariasis, and Dengue virus infection. Because of its specialisation the Unit receives material submitted from all parts of Germany and also from Denmark and Austria. Approx. 1000 samples from cases with suspected Dengue infection were tested. Moreover, the P4 laboratory was used for diagnostic tests in several cases of suspected hemorrhagic fever. New diagnostic methods developed by the research laboratories are evaluated and eventually incorporated into the diagnostic routine.

Experimental investigations in animals are an essential component of research in Tropical Medicine. Certain parasites can only be maintained by passage in animals, and immunisation for producing monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies has to be performed in animals. Studies on defence mechanisms and possible vaccines against Entamoeba histolytica, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania major and a murine filaria (Litomosoides sigmodontis) were carried out in mice. The Laboratory Animal Facility cooperates in a number of these scientific projects and it supports and advises scientists in planning and executing such experimentation in accordance with the regulations by the Animal Protection Law. The health status of the animals is excellent, parasitological, bacteriological and virological tests for a number of animal pathogens were repeatedly negative indicating a high standard of hygiene.
 
 

Staff

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Fleischer, Chairman and Head, Department of Immunology

Prof. Dr. Herbert Schmitz, Head, Department of Virology

Dr. Thomas Schüler, Head Laboratory Animal Facility

Dr. Arne von Bonin
Dr. Barbara Bröker
Petra Emmerich-Paloh
Dr. Stefanie Frosch
Dr. Sebastian Graefe
Dr. Achim Hörauf
Dr. Thomas Hoppe
Frank Hünger
Dr. Kristiane Kuhnt
Christian Meyer zum Büschenfelde
Dr. Frank Polzien
Dr. Joachim Schalk
Dr. Michael Schreiber
Dr. Jan ter Meulen

Visiting Scientists
Steven Buguruka-Tugume, University of Kampala, Uganda
Dr. Kekora Koulemou, Guéckedou, Guinea
Dr. Solomon O. Odemuyiwa, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Prof. Paulo Paes de Andrade and
Prof. Cynthia Paes de Andrade, University of Recife, Brazil

Associated Members
Dr. Thomas Fenner
Prof. Erich Mannweiler

Doctoral Students
Khaled Mahmood Al-Qaoud
Minka Breloer
Jan Castan
Andrea Dötze
Claudia Fich
Andreas Fuhrmann
Judith Gbenoudon
Timm Greve
Jochen Hühn
Bettina Kluxen
Alexander Koop
Thomas Laue
Andreas Merkle
Harm Müller
Ole Rathje
Peter Scheinert
Ulrich Spengler
Sebastian Strigl
Christine Trumpfheller
Moritz Vahlenkamp
Christoph Wachsmuth
Nicole Wiese
Klara Windisch
Finn Zedler

Graduate Students
Niels Albrechtsen
Sven Cramer
Bodo Eikhoff
Olaf Elkemann
Anja Schmitt

Support Staff
Arshad Ali
Marlis Badusche
Evelin Bendrat
Serpil Demir
Svenja Ehrlich
Horst Fasel
Fatma Firat
Ole Kaddasch
Ulricke Klauenberg
Swantje Kraus
Käthe Kühne
Dagmar Küntzlin
Britta Liedig
Angelika Maaß
Birgit Mannes
Stephanie Max
Ute Mehlhoop
Elke Paulsen
Iole Parisi
Dirk Plähn
Petra Plähn
Beate Richter
Yvonne Richter
Gabriele Rietdorf
Anette Seifert
Christiane Steeg
Kudret Sügük
Corinna Thomé-Bolduan
Meral Teczan
Irmgard Thiele
Alexandra Veit
Christine Wegner
Martina Winsche
Karin Wojanowski
Almuth Wolf
Sonja Ziegelmaier