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Project Title:
Micro-array Determinants of Outcome In Community Acquired Pneumonia
Funding Agency:
National Institutes of Health
Total Project Period:
Apr 01, 2003 - Mar 31, 2008
Principal Investigator:
Kelly Wood
Co-Investigator(s):
Derek Angus, MD; Mitchell Fink, MD (Co-Mentors)
Project Summary:
The research proposal, "Micro-array Determinants in Community-Acquired Pneumonia (MADCAP), will focus on Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) which is a major public health problem, frequently fatal in the elderly. Genetic analysis of elderly caucasian males with CAP will be performed with micro-array technology in order to construct a model with additive predictive value over currently existing predictive tools and to identify genes involved in the progression of the infected state. Three subject cohorts will be analyzed: 1. a group of phenotypically similar elderly caucasian males obtained from a query of the pre-existing database of the NIH funded, "Genetic and Inflammatory Markers of Sepsis (GenIMS) study (survivors n=20; non-survivors n=20); 2. a group of normal elderly caucasian males (n=10); and 3. a prospective cohort of elderly caucasian males with pneumococcal CAP (n=40). Temporal patterns of gene expression at various time points (0, 1, and 6 hours) of both unstimulated and stimulated (with pneumoccocal vaccine) whole blood samples will be determined to evaluate if individuals who have a poor clinical outcome can be identified early in their clinical course. This proposed study will generate a new predictive tool of clinical outcome based on gene expression analysis in the narrowly defined cohort of elderly caucasian males with CAP. Information will also be generated regarding the pathophysiology of infection and possible points of early intervention with medical therapy that may alter the course of the disease process.
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