Department of Pediatrics
USF Health · College of Medicine

Research and Scholarly Activity

The Division of Allergy,Immunology and Rheumatology is actively engaged in basic and clinical research.  The Allergy/Immunology Laboratory in the Children's Research Institute focuses on HIV, developmental immunology, inflammatory cytokines following exposure to marine toxins and studies of T cell responses to vaccines.

Current Research Projects

  • 5 RO1AI47723-06; Impact of HIV-1 Genotype on Therapy Response in Children: The major goals for this project are to determine structure-function relationships between HIV-1 protease and p7nc from patients treated with combination therapies that include protease inhibitors.
  • RO1A1065265; Role of HIV-1 Env Diversity in Cellular Tropism: The goal of this research is to determine the interactions between HIV-1 envelope and CD4 target cells and the consequence of viral evolution on cell tropism in HIV-infected children and adolescents.
  • 2U01 HD040433-08; Adolescent Medicine Leadership Group (AMLG)
  • NIH R21 A1078450-01; Characterization of Novel Polyreactive Anti-HIV Antibodies in Autoimmunity: The long-term goal of this proposed research is to develop strategies that lead to induction of broadly reactive neutralizing antibodies that can prevent infection by a wide variety of clinically relevant strains.
  • OHHI 2005 National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration; Effects of brevetoxin on human immune cells: The overall objective of this proposed project is to understand mechanisms of immunotoxicity resulting from brevetoxin exposure.
  • Florida Department of Health Aquatic Toxins Program: The goal of this study is to determine the effect of fresh water toxins on human immunity.

    Clinical Trials

  • CSL Behring - Protocol # 05-01-I: Phase IV Trial Evaluating Health-Related Quality of Life and Serious Bacterial Infections in Subjects with Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder (PIDD) Treated with Subcutaneous Immune Globulin Following Conversion from Intravenous Immune Immune Globulin
  • Grifols - Protocol Number #IG0705: Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of FLEBOGAMMA 5% DIF [Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)] for Replacement Therapy in Pediatric Subjects with Primary Immunodeficiency (PID).
  • CARRA - A3191349: CARRA Enhanced Drug Safety Surveillance Project in Juvenile Rheumatoid and Idiopathic Arthritis
  • Abbott - M10-044: Compassionate Use Study of Humira® (Adalimumab) in Children 2 to <4 Years Old or Age 4 and Above Weighing Less Than 15kg with Active Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

    Recent Publications

    1. Chinratanapisit S, Sriaroon P, Sleasman JW. Diagnostic approach of the adult with suspected immune deficiency. World Allergy Organization website 2008

    2. Yin L, Rodriguez CA, Hou W, Potter O, Caplan MR, Goodenow MM, Sleasman JW. Antiretroviral therapy corrects HIV-1-induced expansion of CD8+ CD45RA CD27-CD11bright activated T cells. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 122: 166-172, doi: 10.1016, 2008

    3. Brown JN, Kohler JJ, Coberley CR, Sleasman JW, Goodenow MM. HIV-1 Activates Macrophages Independent of Toll-like Receptors, PLoS One 3(12): e3664, 2008.

    4. Ho SK, Coman RM, Bunger JC, Rose SL, O’Brien P, Munoz I, Dunn BM, Sleasman JW, Goodenow MM. Drug-associated changes in amino acid residues in Gag p2, p7NC, and p6Gag/p6Pol in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) display a dominant effect on replicative fitness and drug response. Virology 378: 272-281 epub 2008.

    5. Church JA, Borte M, Taki H, Nelson RP, Sleasman JW, Knutsen AP, Le Gall E, Debre M, Bichler J. Efficacy and safety of privigen in children and adolescents with primary immunodeficiency. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2008

    6. Walsh CJ, Leggett SR, Strohbehn K, Pierce RH, Sleasman JW. Effects of in vitro Brevetoxin Exposure on Apoptosis and cellular Metabolism in a Leukemic T Cell Line (Jurkat) J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008; 122: 166-72.

    7. Sleasman JW, Robbins B, Cross S, Lindsey J, Kraimer J, Heckman B, Sprenger HL, Tustin N, Pakes GE, Capparelli E. Abacavir pharmacokinetics during chronic therapy in HIV-1 infected adolescents and young adults. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Apr; 85(4):394-401. Epub 2008 Dec 31.

    8. Wasserman, R, Church, J, Peter, H, Sleasman, JW, Melamed, I, Stein, M, Bichler, J Pharmacokinetics of a new 10% intravenous immunoglobulin in patients receiving replacement therapy for primary immunodeficiency. EUFEPS 2009 June; 37 (4):272-278.

    9. Rudy B, Sleasman JW, Kapogiannis B, Wilson CM, Bethel J, Serchuck L, Ahmad S, Cunningham CK Short-Cycle therapy in adolescents after continuous therapy with established viral suppression: the impact on viral load suppression. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 25 (6) Jun 21 2009.555-561.

    10. Ho S, Perez E, Rose S, Lowe A, Smith L, Lawrence M, Dunn B, Ma C, Sleasman JW, Goodenow MM Genetic determinants in HIV-1 Gag and Env V3 are related to viral response to combination antiretroviral therapy with a protease inhibitor. AIDS 23 (12) Jul 21 2009. Epub.

    11. Dorsey M, Petrovic A, Morrow M, Dishaw L Sleasman JW, FOXP3 expression following bone marrow transplantation for IPEX syndrome after reduced-intensity conditioning. Immunologic Research 44 (1-3) Jul 2009.179-184.

    Recent Abstracts

    1. Caplan B, Rodriguez C, Morrow M, Potter O, Sleasman JW. Immune reconstitution (IR) in late-presenting (LT) HIV-1 vertically-infected children treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) is similar to that of age-matched HIV-1 vertically-infected children treated since infancy. 46th Annual Meeting of Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, September 27 -30, 2008, San Francisco, California

    2. Sleasman JW, Church JA, Stein MR, Wasserman RL, Robak T.  Efficacy and safety of IgPro10 in primary immunodeficiency and chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.43rd Midyear Clinical Meeting, December 7-11, 2008, Orlando, Florida

    3. Wallet M, Saporta, S, Koch S, Sleasman JW, Goodenow MM. Reduced Pathogenesis by High Levels of Drug-resistant HIV Replication 2009 16th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, February 8-11, 2009, Montreal, Canada. CROI 2009 Abstract Book Abstract # 309 [Session 61], p. 167, 2009.

    4. Sriaroon P, Morrow M, Hudey SN, Goodenow MM, Sleasman JW. Memory CD27+ B220 B Cell Subpopulationis Decreased in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Disease (HIV) on Therapy, Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology. February 24-March 1, 2009. Abstract #341, p 119.

    5. Dorsey MJ, Morrow, MR, Sleasman JW. differential Expression of Naïve Phenotype T Regulatory Cells in Allergic Asthmatics vs. Health Age-matched Controls.  American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2009 Annual Meeting March 13-17, 2009.

    6. Duff CM, Faulkner E, Schirm Z, Lang J, Rodriguez CA, Sleasman JW. Effective Use of Subcutaneous Immune Globulin (SCIG) for an Infant with X-linked Agammaglobulinemia (X-LA).  American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2009 Annual Meeting March 13-17, 2009.

    7. Chinratanapisit S, Wallet MA, Saporta SR, Ghaffari G, Rodriguez CA, Goodenow MM, Sleasman JW.  Measurements of Plasma Lipopolysacharide (LPS), Endotoxin Core IgM Antibody (EndoCAb), Soluble CD14 (sCD14), TNFa, and Soluble CD62L (sCD62L) Levels to Assess Microbial Translocation and Immune Activation in HIV-Infected Children and Adolescents.  American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2009 Annual Meeting March 13-17, 2009.

    8. Sriaroon P, Morrow MR, Hudey SN, Goodenow MM, Sleasman JW. Memory CD27+ B220- B Cell Subpopulation is decreased in Both Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID). American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2009 Annual Meeting, March 13-17, 2009.

    9. McMahon DF, Watkins SM, Reich A, Kellogg DA, Gonzalez BE, Sleasman JW. A Cluster of Cases of Cutaneous Rashes in Swimmers Exposed to Freshwater Spring-fed Rivers in Northern Florida.  American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2009 Annual Meeting March 13-17, 2009.