Frank J. Jenkins, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Pathology - School of Medicine (Primary Appointment), Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (Secondary Appointment), and the Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute E-mail: fjenkins@pitt.edu Phone: 412-623-3233 Fax: 412-623-1119 Address: Hillman Cancer Center Research Pavillion 5117 Centre Avenue, Suite G.17 Pittsburgh, PA 15213-1863

Education

MS; North Texas State University; 1979
PhD; Pennsylvania State University; 1984
Post-doctoral fellow; University of Chicago; 1984-1987

Research Interests

The role of a newly discovered human herpesvirus, HHV-8, in development and pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma and other human cancers.

Research Summary

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), or HHV-8, is a newly discovered member of the human herpesvirus family whose DNA sequences have been found in samples of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). The discovery of a new human herpesvirus has generated a great deal of interest which is magnified by its potential role in the establishment of human cancers. KSHV DNA sequences have been detected in tissues from AIDS-associated, classic, and endemic forms of KS as well as in some EBV-infected lymphomas and non-KS skin cancers. A number of projects in our laboratory are focused on the prevalence of KSHV infection in various cohorts and populations. We are particularly interested in the serological association of KSHV with human prostate cancer and are investigating at a molecular level, potential roles for KSHV in progression and maintenance of this cancer. We are also exploring the events during a primary KSHV infection including interactions between the virus and cell membrane, modulation of host gene synthesis and establishment of a viral infection.

Affiliations

• American Association for Cancer Research
  
• American Society of Microbiology
  
• American Society of Virology

Recent Publications

• Jenkins, F.J. and Hoffman, L.J. Overview of Herpesviruses. In Infectious Causes of Cancer: Targets for Intervention, (J.J. Goedert, ed.), Humana Press Inc, Totowa, NJ, pp. 33-50, 2000.
• Jenkins, F.J. and Hoffman, L.J. Viral Carcinogenesis. In Surgical Oncology:
  Contemporary Principles and Practice. (K. Bland, J. Daly, and C. Karakousis, eds.), McGraw-Hill, New York, NY,pp. 92-100, 2001.
• Wang, Q., Jenkins, F.J., Jacobson, L.P., Meng, Y.-X., Pau, C.-P., Pellett, P.E., Kingsley, L.A., Kousoulas, K.G., Baghian, A., and Rinaldo, C.R. CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses to lytic proteins of human herpesvirus 8 in HIV-1 infected and uninfected individuals. J Inf Dis 182:928-932, 2000.
• Jacobson, L.P., Jenkins, F.J., Springer, G., MuZoz, A., Shah, K. V., Phair, J., Zhang, Z-F., and Armenian, H. Interaction of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and human herpesvirus type 8 infections on the incidence of Kaposi’s sarcoma. J Inf Disease 181:1940-9, 2000.
• Wang, Q., Jenkins, F.J., Jacobson, L.P., Kingsley, L.A., Day, R.B., Zhang, Z.W., Meng, Y.-X., Pellett, P.E., Kousoulas, K.G., Baghian, A., and Rinaldo, C.R. Primary human herpesvirus 8 infection generates a broadly specific CD8+ T cell response to viral lytic proteins. Blood 97:2366-2373, 2001.
• Michaels, M.G., Jenkins, F.J., St. George, K., Nalesnik, M.A., Starzl, T.E., and Rinaldo, C.R. Detection of infectious baboon cytomegalovirus after baboon-to-human liver xenotransplantation. J. Virol. 75:2825-2828, 2001.
• Jenkins, F.J., Hoffman, L.J., and Liegey-Dougall, A. Reactivation and Primary Infection of Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) Among Solid-Organ Transplant Patients. J. Inf Dis. 185:11238-43, 2002.
• Wang, Q.J., Jenkins, F.J., Huang, X.-L., Hildebrand, W.H., Fan, Z., and Rinaldo, C.R. Jr. Identification of an HLA-A*201 Restricted CD8+ T Cell Epitope for the Glycoprotein B Homolog of Human Herpesvirus 8. Blood. 99:3360-66, 2002.
• S. Polk, A. Muñoz, N.C. Sacktor, F.J. Jenkins, B. Cohen, E.N. Miller, and L.P. Jacobson. A case-control study of HIV-1-related dementia and co-infection with HHV-8. American Acad Neurology 59:950-953, 2002
• Bernstein, K.T., Jacobson, L.P., Jenkins, F.J., Vlahov, D., and Armenian, H.K. Factors associated with human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) infection in an injecting drug user cohort. Sexually Transmitted Disease, 30:199-204, 2003
• Michaels, M.G., and Jenkins, F.J. Human herpesvirus 8: Is it time for routine surveillance in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients to prevent the development of Kaposi’s sarcoma? Pediatr Transplantation 7:1-3, 2003
• Jenkins, F.J., Rowe, D.T., and Rinaldo, C.R., Jr. Herpesvirus Infections in Organ Transplant Recipients. Clin and Diag Lab Immunology 10(1)1-7, 2003
• Pellett, P.E., Wright, D.J., Engels, E.A., Ablashi, D.V., Dollard, S.C. Forghani, B., Glynn, S.A., Goedert, J.J., Jenkins, F.J., Lee, T.-H., Neipel, F., Todd D.S., Whitby, D., Nemo, G.J., and Busch, M.P. for the Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study. Multicenter comparison of serologic assays and estimation of human herpesvirus 8 seroprevalence among US blood donors. Transfusion 43:1260-1268, 2003
• Hoffman, L.J., Bunker, C.H., Pellett, P.E., Trump, D.L., Patrick, A.L., Dollard, S.C., Keenan, H.A., and Jenkins, F.J. Elevated scroprevalence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) among men with prostate cancer. J. Inf. Dis. 189:15-20, 2004.
• Chen, N., Nelson, K.E., Jenkins, F.J., Suriyanon, V., Duerr, A., Robison, V., and Jacobson, L.P. Seroprevalence of human herpesvirus-8 in northern Thailand. Clin Inf Dis. 39:1052-1058, 2004.
• Flint, M.S., Carroll, J.E., Jenkins, F.J., Chambers, W.H., Han, M.L., and Baum, A. Genomic profiling of restraint stress-induced alterations in mouse T lymphocytes. J Neuroimmunol. 167:34-44, 2005.
• Galambos, C., Montgomery, J., and Jenkins, F.J. No role for Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in pediatric idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. Pediatr Pulmonol. 41:122- 125, 2006.
• Rappocciolo, G., Jenkins, F.J., Hensler, H.R., Piazza, P., Jais, M., Borowski, L.,
  Watkins, S.C., and Rinaldo, C.R. Jr. DC-SIGN is a receptor for human herpesvirus 8 on dendritic cells and macrophages. J Immunol 176:1741-1749, 2006.
• Montgomery, J.D., Jacobson, L., Dhir, R. and Jenkins, F.J. Detection of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) in normal prostates. The Prostate In Press, 2006.
• Flint, M.S., Baum, A., Chambers, W.H., and Jenkins, F.J.  Induction of DNA damage, alteration of DNA repair and transcriptional activation by stress hormones. Psychoneuroendocrinology 32:470-479, 2007.
• Jenkins, F.J., Hayes, R.B., Jackson, A., Pizza, G., Mbisa, G., Whitby, D., and Goedert, J.J.  Human herpesvirus 8 seroprevalence among prostate cancer case patients and control subjects.  J. Infect. Dis.  196:208-211, 2007.
• Sutcliffe, S., Giovannucci, E., Gaydos, C.A., Viscidi, R.P., Jenkins, F.J., Zenilman, J.M., Jacobson, L.P., De Marzo, A.M., Willett, W.C., and Platz, E.A.  Plasma antibodies against Chlamydia trachomatis, human papillomavirus, and human herpesvirus type 8 in relation to prostate cancer:  a prospective study.  Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.  16:1573-1480, 2007.

Dr. Jenkins' Lab