Dalit Strauss-Ayali  Ph.D. (2006)

Present Position: Postdoctoral Fellow

Previous Position: Graduate student at the Microbiology Institute, School of Medicine, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel, and lecturer and course coordinator, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel

DVM: 1994, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel

MS: 1999, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

PhD: 2006, School of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

Research Interests: Characterization of monocytes subpopulations during Leishmania infection. The role of specific anti-Leishmania IgG subclass antibodies in IL-10 production. The immune response during canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Publications

1. Talmi-Frank, Strauss-Ayali, D., Jaffe,C.L. and G. Baneth (2006). Kinetics and diagnostic and prognostic potential of quantitative Western blot analysis and antigen-specific enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in experimental canine leishmaniasis. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology 13: 271-276.
2. Strauss-Ayali, D., Baneth, G., Shor, S., Okano, F., and C.L. Jaffe (2005). Interleukin-12 augments interferon gamma production and lymphocyte proliferation in canine visceral leishmaniasis. International Journal for Parasitology 35: 63-73.
3. Gonen, L., Strauss-Ayali, D., Shkap, V., Vincent-Johnson, N., Macintire, D.K. and G. Baneth (2004). An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies to Hepatozoon canis. Veterinary Parasitology 122: 131-139.

4. Strauss-Ayali, D., Jaffe, C.L., Burshtain, O., Gonen, L., and G. Baneth (2004). Polymerase Chain Reaction Using Noninvasively Obtained Samples, for the Detection of Leishmania infantum DNA in dogs. Journal of Infectious Diseases 189: 1729-1733

5. Fishman, Z., Gonen, L., Harrus, S., Strauss-Ayali, D., King, R. and G. Baneth (2004). A serosurvey of Hepatozoon canis and Ehrlichia canis antibodies in wild red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Israel. Veterinary Parasitology 119: 21-26.

6. Harrus S., Waner T., Strauss-Ayali, D., Bark H., Jongejan, F., Hecht G., Baneth, G. (2001). Dynamics of IgG1 and IgG2 subclass response in dogs naturally and experimentally infected with Ehrlichia canis. Veterinary Parasitology 99: 63-71.

7. Strauss-Ayali, D., Scanziani, E., Deng, D., Simpson, K.W. (2001) Helicobacter spp. infection in cats: Evaluation of the humoral immune response and prevalence of gastric Helicobacter spp. Veterinary Microbiology 79:253-265.

8. Simpson K.W., Fyfe J., Cornetta A., Sachs A., Strauss-Ayali, D., Lamb S., Reimers T. Subnormal concentrations of serum cobalamin (vitamin B12) in cats with gastrointestinal disease (2001). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 15:26-32.

9. Simpson, K.W., Strauss-Ayali, D., Scanziani, E., Straubinger, R., McDonough, P.L., Straubinger, A., Chang, Y-F., Esteves, M., Fox, J.G., Domenghini, C., Arebi, N., Calam, J. (2001) Helicobacter pylori infection in the cat: evaluation of gastric colonization, inflammation and function. Helicobacter 6(1): 1-14.
10. Scanziani E., Simpson K.W., Monestiroli S., Soldati S., Strauss-Ayali D., Del Piero F. (2001). Histological and immunohistochemical detection of different Helicobacter species in the gastric mucosa of cats. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 13: 3-12.
11. Simpson, K.W., Strauss-Ayali, D., Scanziani, E., Straubinger, R., McDonough, P.L., Straubinger, A., Chang, Y-F., Domenghini, C., Arebi, N., Calam, J. (2000) Helicobacter felis is associated with lymphoid follicular hyperplasia and mild gastritis but normal secretory function in cats. Infection and Immunity 68: 779-790.
12. Simpson, K.W., Strauss-Ayali, D., McDonough, P.L., Chang, Y-F, Valentine, B.A. (1999) Gastric function in dogs with naturally acquired gastric Helicobacter spp. infection. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 13: 507-515.
13. Simpson, K.W., McDonough, P.L., Strauss-Ayali, D., Chang, Y-F., Harpending, P., Valentine, B. (1999) Helicobacter felis infection in dogs: effect on gastric structure and function. Veterinary Patholology 36(3): 237-248
14. Strauss-Ayali, D., Simpson, K.W., Schein, A.H., McDonough, P.L., Jacobson, R.H., Valentine, B., Peacock, J. (1999) Serological discrimination of dogs infected with gastric Helicobacter spp. and uninfected dogs. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 37(5): 1280-1287.
15. Cornetta, A., Simpson, K.W., Strauss-Ayali, D., McDonough, P.L., Gleed, R.D. (1998) Use of ¹³C-urea breath test for detection of gastric infection with Helicobacter spp in dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research 59: 1364-1369.

Research Summary:

We are interested in characterizing the changes in monocytes and macrophages subpopulations during leishmaniasis. Human and murine models of leishmaniasis are being examined. The differentiation of blood monocytes to tissue macrophages and dendritic cells is evaluated in these models.

Recent work in our lab identified anti-Leishmania antibodies as an exacerbating factor in the clinical manifestation of leishmaniasis. This was correlated to IL-10 production. We are currently investigating the role of specific anti-Leishmania IgG subclass antibodies in IL-10 production.