Publications
Chosen filters:
Chosen filters:
The pathogenesis of African trypanosomiasis Ghent University
African trypanosomes are bloodstream protozoan parasites that infect mammals including humans, where they cause sleeping sickness. Long-lasting infection is required to favor parasite transmission between hosts. Therefore, trypanosomes have developed strategies to continuously escape innate and adaptive responses of the immune system, while also preventing premature death of the host. The pathology linked to infection mainly results from ...
Targeted serum proteomics of longitudinal samples from newly diagnosed youth with type 1 diabetes distinguishes markers of disease and C-peptide trajectory KU Leuven
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: There is a growing need for markers that could help indicate the decline in beta cell function and recognise the need and efficacy of intervention in type 1 diabetes. Measurements of suitably selected serum markers could potentially provide a non-invasive and easily applicable solution to this challenge. Accordingly, we evaluated a broad panel of proteins previously associated with type 1 diabetes in serum from newly diagnosed ...
APOL1 C-terminal variants may trigger kidney disease through interference with APOL3 control of actomyosin University of Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine KU Leuven
The C-terminal variants G1 and G2 of apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) confer human resistance to the sleeping sickness parasite Trypanosoma rhodesiense, but they also increase the risk of kidney disease. APOL1 and APOL3 are death-promoting proteins that are partially associated with the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi membranes. We report that in podocytes, either APOL1 C-terminal helix truncation (APOL1 Delta) or APOL3 deletion (APOL3KO) induces ...
Novel Human Podocyte Cell Model Carrying G2/G2 APOL1 High-Risk Genotype KU Leuven
Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) high-risk genotypes (HRG), G1 and G2, increase the risk of various non-diabetic kidney diseases in the African population. To date, the precise mechanisms by which APOL1 risk variants induce injury on podocytes and other kidney cells remain unclear. Trying to unravel these mechanisms, most studies have used animal or cell models created by gene editing. We developed and characterised conditionally immortalised human ...
APOLs with low pH dependence can kill all African trypanosomes Institute of Tropical Medicine
The primate-specific serum protein apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) is the only secreted member of a family of cell death promoting proteins (1-4) . APOL1 kills the bloodstream parasite Trypanosoma brucei brucei, but not the human sleeping sickness agents T.b. rhodesiense and T.b. gambiense (3) . We considered the possibility that intracellular members of the APOL1 family, against which extracellular trypanosomes could not have evolved resistance, ...
Apolipoprotein F is reduced in humans with steatosis and controls plasma triglyceride-rich lipoprotein metabolism University of Antwerp
Background: NAFLD affects nearly 25% of the global population. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death among patients with NAFLD, in line with highly prevalent dyslipidemia in this population. Increased plasma triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoprotein (TRL) concentrations, an important risk factor for CVD, are closely linked with hepatic TG content. Therefore, it is of great interest to identify regulatory mechanisms of hepatic ...
Clinical and genetic factors are associated with kidney complications in African children with sickle cell anaemia KU Leuven
Clinical and genetic factors have been reported as influencing the development of sickle cell nephropathy (SCN). However, such data remain limited in the paediatric population. In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 361 sickle cell disease children from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Participants were genotyped for the beta (β)-globin gene, apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) risk variants, and haem oxygenase-1 (HMOX1) GT-dinucleotide repeats. As ...
Human gene polymorphisms and their possible impact on the clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection KU Leuven
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has become one of the most serious health concerns globally. Although multiple vaccines have recently been approved for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an effective treatment is still lacking. Our knowledge of the pathogenicity of this virus is still incomplete. Studies have revealed that viral factors such as the viral load, duration of exposure to the virus, and viral mutations are important ...
Coupling of lysosomal and mitochondrial membrane permeabilization in trypanolysis by APOL1 Ghent University
Humans resist infection by the African parasite Trypanosoma brucei owing to the trypanolytic activity of the serum apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1). Following uptake by endocytosis in the parasite, APOL1 forms pores in endolysosomal membranes and triggers lysosome swelling. Here we show that APOL1 induces both lysosomal and mitochondrial membrane permeabilization (LMP and MMP). Trypanolysis coincides with MMP and consecutive release of the ...