Infectious pathology is one of principal causes of morbidity and lethality. Patients may not only be infected by a single infectious agent, but can be simultaneously contaminated by different microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Because of profound alterations of the immunatory system that may be due to these microorganisms, it is possible that the existence of an infection will have important consequences on intercurrent infectious diseases. Moreover, non-infectious affections, that have an immune component may be modified themselves by the existence of a simultaneous infection. However, this aspect of infectious pathology is not yet well understood. The present study is realized to establish an experimental model in which LDV (lactate dehydrogenase elevating virus), a prototypically weakly pathogenic virus, is employed, permitting to study the consequences of a viral infection on the concomitant pathologies implicating the immunatory system, like septic shock.

In mice, administration with an extremely high dose of bacterial endo- or exotoxin can lead to death. The death rate is very high if the lower doses of LPS (lipopolysaccharide) are injected into the footpad, followed the day after by an intravenous injection. This phenomenon is known as Shwartzman reaction. In our laboratory, it has been recently observed that a very low dose of LPS is sufficient to cause the death of mice infected one or two days before by LDV. So, the first purpose of this research will be to study the mechanisms, which are involved in this phenomenon, including the involvement of various cytokines and cell populations. Possible genetic differencies in susceptibility virally-induced septic shock will be determined . Finally, therapeutic pathways to prevent the full development of septic shock will be analyzed.

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YEARS	INSTITUTION	PROFILE	GRADUATION TITLE
Sept., 2003 - present	Université Catholique de Louvain, VIRAL IMMUNITY& PATHOGENESIS GROUP, Brussels, Belgium	PhD student of biomedical sciences, Immunology &Virology	upon graduation-PhD of Biomedical Sciences
Nov., 2001 - Sept., 2003	Université Catholique de Louvain, VIRAL IMMUNITY& PATHOGENESIS GROUP, Brussels, Belgium	Master student of biomedical sciences, Immunology &Virology	Master of biomedical sciences
Feb., 2001 - Sept., 2001	University Training Centre for Health Care Professionals, Ho Chi Minh city, Viet Nam	Assistant of Physio-Pathophysio-Immunology department
Sept., 1994 - Dec., 2000	University Training Centre for Health Care Professionals, Ho Chi Minh city, Viet Nam	Medical student	MD- Medical Doctor of General Medicine