Brian Ferrari

Case Western Reserve University | CWRU · Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine

People living with HIV (PLWH) who are Immune Non-Responders (INR) persons are at greater risk of comorbidity and mortality than are Immune Responders (IR) who restore their CD4 T cells count (IR) after anti-retroviral therapy (ART). INR have low CD4-T cell counts (<350 c/ul), heightened systemic inflammation, and increased CD4-T cell cycling (Ki67+...

While platelets are the essential mediators of hemostasis, they are being increasingly recognized for their potential of contributing to host defenses. Here, using immunofluorescent microscopy, western blot, and ELISA, we found that human β-defensin 3 (hBD-3), an important antimicrobial peptide produced by epithelial cells, can be detected in human...

SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause compromised respiratory function and thrombotic events. SARS-CoV-2 binds to and mediates downregulation of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on cells that it infects. Theoretically, diminished enzymatic activity of ACE2 may result in increased concentrations of pro-inflammatory molecules, angiotensin II, and Brad...

Recent studies have implicated a role for adenosine‐dependent immunosuppression in head and neck tumor microenvironments. We describe expression of CD73, an enzyme critical to the generation of adenosine from extracellular AMP, in T cells and other cell types within human head and neck tumors. Flow cytometric analyses of tumor‐infiltrating cells in...

Background: HIV-infected patients who fail to normalize CD4 T cells despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy have impaired immune homeostasis: diminished naïve T cell numbers, elevated T cell turnover, senescence and inflammation. Methods: Blood samples from immune failures (n=60), immune successes (n=20) and healthy controls (n=20) were exami...

Human β defensin-3 (hBD-3), an epithelial cell-derived antimicrobial peptide, mediates chemotaxis and activation of myeloid cells. In this study, we provide evidence that hBD-3 induces the costimulatory molecule CD86 on primary human monocytes by a mechanism involving autocrine activation of ionotropic P2X7 receptors (P2X7R) by ATP. Incubation of m...

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, and this risk correlates with markers of monocyte activation. We have shown that HIV is associated with a prothrombotic monocyte phenotype, which can be partially mitigated by statin therapy. We therefore explored the relationship between oxidized LDL par...

Despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART), increased levels of immune activation persist in HIV-infected subjects. Statins have anti-inflammatory effects and may reduce immune activation in HIV disease. SATURN-HIV is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessing the effect of rosuvastatin (10mg/daily) on markers of cardiovas...