Qian Yu
Associate Research ScientistAbout
Research
Publications
2025
Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor influences periarticular joint inflammation in Borrelia burgdorferi-infected mice
Yu Q, Tang X, Hart T, Homer R, Belperron A, Bockenstedt L, Ring A, Nakamura A, Fikrig E. Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor influences periarticular joint inflammation in Borrelia burgdorferi-infected mice. ELife 2025, 14: rp104913. PMID: 40392222, PMCID: PMC12092001, DOI: 10.7554/elife.104913.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSecretory leukocyte protease inhibitorJoint inflammationC57BL/6 miceHigher infection loadTick-borne infectionsWild-type control miceClinical manifestations of infectionDevelopment of Lyme arthritisElevated serum levelsExcessive pro-inflammatory responsesManifestations of infectionProtease inhibitorsPro-inflammatory responseAnkle joint tissueInfection loadPromote tissue repairAnti-inflammatory effectsSerum levelsPeriarticular swellingClinical manifestationsControl miceTibiotarsal jointMMP-8Lyme diseaseIL-6Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor influences periarticular joint inflammation in Borrelia burgdorferi-infected mice
Yu Q, Tang X, Hart T, Homer R, Belperron A, Bockenstedt L, Ring A, Nakamura A, Fikrig E. Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor influences periarticular joint inflammation in Borrelia burgdorferi-infected mice. ELife 2025, 14 DOI: 10.7554/elife.104913.4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSecretory leukocyte protease inhibitorSLPI-deficient miceJoint inflammationC57BL/6 miceDeficient miceB. burgdorferiHigher infection loadTick-borne infectionsWild-type control miceDeficient C57BL/6 miceClinical manifestations of infectionDevelopment of Lyme arthritisElevated serum levelsExcessive pro-inflammatory responsesManifestations of infectionProtease inhibitorsPro-inflammatory responseAnkle joint tissueInfection loadPromote tissue repairAnti-inflammatory effectsSerum levelsPeriarticular swellingClinical manifestationsControl miceCCL17 Influences Borrelia burgdorferi Infection in the Heart
Tang X, Yu Q, Cui Y, Hart T, Rivas-Giorgi F, Calloway K, Mohapatra A, Fikrig E. CCL17 Influences Borrelia burgdorferi Infection in the Heart. Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2025, 232: 162-169. PMID: 39777514, PMCID: PMC12308671, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf011.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSerum levels of proinflammatory cytokinesLevels of proinflammatory cytokinesVector-Borne PathogensB. burgdorferiReduce pathogen loadImmune alterationsMacrophage infiltrationProinflammatory cytokinesCCL17B. burgdorferi infectionIxodes ticksPathogen loadControl animalsChemokinesBorrelia burgdorferiInfectious diseasesInfectionDiverse illnessesKnockoutLyme diseaseDisease
2024
Neisseria gonorrhoeae induces local secretion of IL-10 at the human cervix to promote colonization
Dai Y, Edwards V, Yu Q, Tettelin H, Stein D, Song W. Neisseria gonorrhoeae induces local secretion of IL-10 at the human cervix to promote colonization. Journal Of Clinical Investigation 2024, 135: e183331. PMID: 39585777, PMCID: PMC11735093, DOI: 10.1172/jci183331.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCarcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion moleculeSecretion of IL-10IL-10Local secretionNF-kB activationGC colonizationEpithelial sheddingNeisseria gonorrhoeaeGC expressionSexually transmitted infectionsInhibition of NF-kB activationIL-10 secretionIL-10 receptorPathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeaeTissue explant modelCell adhesion moleculesAsymptomatic colonizationAntiinflammatory cytokinesTNF-aHuman cervixIL-1BSubepithelial cellsCytokine inductionWoman's cervixCervix
2023
The mucosal immune responses of the human cervix are modulated by Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Song W, Dai Y, Yu Q, Edwards V, Tettelin H, Stein D. The mucosal immune responses of the human cervix are modulated by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The Journal Of Immunology 2023, 210: 69.08-69.08. DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.210.supp.69.08.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFemale reproductive tractT cellsGC infectionsCytokine productionSexually transmitted pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeaeHuman cervixNeisseria gonorrhoeaeNuclear stainingNF-kB pathway genesUpper female reproductive tractPro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1bImmune responseCD3+ T cellsCervical transformation zoneMRNA levelsAnti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10Anti-inflammatory cytokine productionSecretion of pro-inflammatoryLevels of cytokinesMucosal immune responsesLocal immune responseCytokines IL-1bInduction of chemokinesInhibiting NF-kB activationElevated cytokine production
2021
Gonococcal invasion into epithelial cells depends on both cell polarity and ezrin
Yu Q, Wang L, Di Benigno S, Stein D, Song W. Gonococcal invasion into epithelial cells depends on both cell polarity and ezrin. PLOS Pathogens 2021, 17: e1009592. PMID: 34852011, PMCID: PMC8668114, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009592.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGC adherent sitesNon-polarized epithelial cellsF-actinCervical epithelial cellsPolarized epithelial cellsEpithelial cellsGC entryApical polarityEzrin phosphorylationExfoliated cervical epithelial cellsGC invasionHuman cervical tissue explantsInhibition of ezrin phosphorylationAdherence sitesCervical tissue explantsF-actin disassemblyMicrovilli elongationEctocervical epithelial cellsF-actin reductionHeterogeneous epithelial cellsF-actin recruitmentCell line modelsLevels of ezrinEctocervical epitheliumEndocervical epithelia
2020
Adaptation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to the Female Reproductive Tract
Song W, Yu Q, Wang L, Stein D. Adaptation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to the Female Reproductive Tract. Microbiology Insights 2020, 13: 1178636120947077. PMID: 32848409, PMCID: PMC7425258, DOI: 10.1177/1178636120947077.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFemale reproductive tractAsymptomatic infectionManipulation of host cell signalingReproductive tractSexually transmitted infectionsCell-cell adhesion complexHuman mucosal surfacesHost cell signalingEpithelial cell typesTissue explant modelPublic health problemGenital tractGonococcal adaptationNeisseria gonorrhoeaeMucosal surfacesEpithelial cellsHeterogeneous epitheliaAdhesion complexesExplant modelCell signalingGonococcal variantsPrimary nicheInfectionCell typesGonorrhea
2019
Neisseria gonorrhoeae infects the heterogeneous epithelia of the human cervix using distinct mechanisms
Yu Q, Wang L, Di Benigno S, Gray-Owen S, Stein D, Song W. Neisseria gonorrhoeae infects the heterogeneous epithelia of the human cervix using distinct mechanisms. PLOS Pathogens 2019, 15: e1008136. PMID: 31790511, PMCID: PMC6907876, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008136.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCarcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion moleculeSexually transmitted infectionsEpithelial cellsNeisseria gonorrhoeaeHuman infection in vivoLack of research modelsLuminal membraneCervical epithelial cellsInfection mechanismInfection in vivoBacterial surface moleculesIntegrin B1Opacity-associated proteinsTissue explant modelEndocervical epitheliaSquamocolumnar junctionCell adhesion moleculesClinical outcomesEpithelial sheddingSymptomatic infectionCervical regionHuman cervixJunction disassemblyHeterogeneous epitheliaExplant model
2018
Immunofluorescence Analysis of Human Endocervical Tissue Explants Infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Wang L, Yu Q, Stein D, Song W. Immunofluorescence Analysis of Human Endocervical Tissue Explants Infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Bio-protocol 2018, 8 PMID: 29780854, PMCID: PMC5959038, DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.2720.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFemale reproductive tractEndocervical epitheliumReproductive tractImmunofluorescence analysisImmortalization of epithelial cellsMucosal barrier functionHuman cervical tissueHost cell responsesCervical tissueInfected targetsMucosal pathogensNeisseria gonorrhoeaeEpithelial cellsInfection modelFunctional integrityEpitheliumBarrier functionCell responsesHuman infectionsInfectionTissue explantsImmunofluorescence microscopyInteraction of GCImmunofluorescenceTract
2017
Neisseria gonorrhoeae infects the human endocervix by activating non-muscle myosin II-mediated epithelial exfoliation
Wang L, Yu Q, Edwards V, Lin B, Qiu J, Turner J, Stein D, Song W. Neisseria gonorrhoeae infects the human endocervix by activating non-muscle myosin II-mediated epithelial exfoliation. PLOS Pathogens 2017, 13: e1006269. PMID: 28406994, PMCID: PMC5391109, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006269.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNon-muscle myosin IIHuman endocervixEpithelial exfoliationJunction disruptionEpithelial cellsActivity of non-muscle myosin IIGC adherent sitesEndocervical epithelial cellsCytoplasmic Ca2+Regulatory light chain phosphorylationLight chain phosphorylationCa2+ fluxReduced bacterial adherenceMucosal barrier functionFemale reproductive tractEndocervical epitheliumColumnar epithelial cellsEpithelial barrierEndocervixMyosin IIBacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeaeMucosal pathogensNeisseria gonorrhoeaeBacterial adherenceProtein variants
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