| Publications :: | Professor
of Pediatrics Division Chief, Pediatric Infectious Diseases 
Dr. Keith English’s laboratory studies the biochemical pathways
that regulate the response of macrophages and monocytes to bacteria
and bacterial products. White blood cells, including blood monocytes
and tissue macrophages, constitute a critical part of the body’s
innate immune system. The innate immune system plays a critical role
in the response to primary infection with many types of pathogens.
While the production of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis
factor (TNF) and nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the
control of many types of infectious agents, the overproduction or
unbalanced production of these host mediators may also damage the
body. In fact, overproduction of TNF, NO and other substances by monocytes
and macrophages appears to play a primary role in the development
of septic shock and other acute and chronic diseases characterized
by intense or prolonged inflammation. The long-term impact of these
studies on child health will be in the development of novel strategies
to prevent or treat serious infections as well as other disorders
characterized by severe or prolonged inflammation, including juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis, burn injury and inflammatory bowel disease.
In addition, these studies have important implications for the development
of antibiotic treatment strategies for serious infections in children. |
Spencer JD, Hastings MC, Rye AK, English BK, Ault BH. Gastroenteritis caused by Edwardsiella tarda in a pediatric renal transplant recipient. Pediatr Transplant 2008; 12(2):238-241 Chang R, English BK, Chicoine LG, Kanagy NL, Young TL, Walker BR, Liu Y, and Nelin LD. Cytokine-induced arginase activity in pulmonary endothelial cells is dependent on Src-family tyrosine kinase activity. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2008; 295: L688-L697 Talati AJ, Kim, H-J, Yi A-K, English BK: Role of bacterial DNA in macrophage activation by group B streptococci. Microbes and Infection 2008; 10:1106-1113 McCullers JA, English BK: Improving therapeutic strategies for secondary bacterial pneumonia following influenza. Future Microbiol 2008;3:397-404 English BK and Shenep JL: Enterococcal and viridans streptococcal infections. In Feigin RD, Cherry JD, Demmler, G, and Kaplan, SL. Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Saunders, Philadelphia, Sixth Edition, 2009, in press |