Harini Bagavant, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program
Research
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a systemic autoimmune disease affecting multiple organ systems including the kidney, joints, skin and brain. Renal failure is a major cause of morbidity in Lupus patients. Another autoimmune disease, Sjogren’s syndrome affects the saliva and tear producing glands. A characteristic feature of both these diseases is an immune response to intracellular proteins. I am interested in studying how the immune responses to these self-proteins are initiated; and how this activation of the immune system leads to organ damage.
The immune system is constantly responding to the environment, particularly to microbes present on skin and mucosal surfaces. We are currently investigating whether the microbes in the mouth or the gut can initiate autoimmunity and/or influence the severity of disease. This research into the interactions between the microbiota and the immune system will give us insights into disease mechanisms. It will give us some clues on why some patients develop worse kidney disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or worse salivary gland dysfunction in Sjogren’s Syndrome.
Publications
Recent Publications
Garman L, Pezant N, Dawkins BA, Rasmussen A, Levin AM, Rybicki BA, Iannuzzi MC, Bagavant H, Deshmukh US, Montgomery CG. Inclusivity in Research Matters: Variants in PVT1 Specific to People of African Descent Are Associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2023 June, PMID: 37348127
Pyclik M, Durslewicz J, Papinska JA, Deshmukh US, Bagavant H. STING Agonist-Induced Skin Inflammation Is Exacerbated with Prior Systemic Innate Immune Activation. Int J Mol Sci 24, 2023 February, PMID: 36835537, PMCID: PMC9960435
Bagavant H, Araszkiewicz AM, Rasmussen A, Pezant N, Montgomery C, Scofield RH, Farris D, Lessard CJ, Deshmukh US. Anti-vimentin antibodies are associated with higher severity of Sjögren's disease. Clin Immunol 247:109243, 2023 January, PMID: 36702181, PMCID: PMC10037908
Selected Publications
Bagavant H, Araszkiewicz AM, Ingram JK, Cizio K, Merrill JT, Arriens C, Guthridge JM, James JA, Deshmukh US. Immune Response to Enterococcus gallinarum in Lupus Patients Is Associated With a Subset of Lupus-Associated Autoantibodies. Front Immunol. 2021 May 28;12:635072. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.635072. eCollection 2021. PMID: 34122404, PMCID: PMC8193979
Bagavant H, Deshmukh US. Protocols for Experimental Sjögren's Syndrome. Curr Protoc Immunol. 2020 Dec;131(1):e114. doi: 10.1002/cpim.114. PMID: 33252847
Papinska J, Bagavant H, Gmyrek GB, Deshmukh US. Pulmonary Involvement in a Mouse Model of Sjögren's Syndrome Induced by STING Activation. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jun 25;21(12):4512. doi: 10.3390/ijms21124512. PMID: 32630417, PMCID: PMC7349948
Papinska J, Bagavant H, Gmyrek GB, Sroka M, Tummala S, Fitzgerald KA, Deshmukh US. Activation of Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) and Sjögren Syndrome. J Dent Res. 2018 Jul;97(8):893-900. doi: 10.1177/0022034518760855. Epub 2018 Mar 5. PMID: 29505322, PMCID: PMC6728552
Bagavant H, Dunkleberger ML, Wolska N, Sroka M, Rasmussen A, Adrianto I, Montgomery C, Sivils K, Guthridge JM, James JA, Merrill JT, Deshmukh US. Antibodies to periodontogenic bacteria are associated with higher disease activity in lupus patients. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2019 Jan-Feb;37(1):106-111. Epub 2018 Jun 25. PMID: 29998833, PMCID: PMC6309750
Bagavant H, Trzeciak M, Papinska J, Biswas I, Dunkleberger ML, Sosnowska A, Deshmukh US. A Method for the Measurement of Salivary Gland Function in Mice. J Vis Exp. 2018 Jan 25;(131):57203. doi: 10.3791/57203. PMID: 29443033, PMCID: PMC5828684
Contact
Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program, MS 24
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 N.E. 13th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
Phone: (405) 271-2439
E-mail: Harini-Bagavant@omrf.org
