Hui-Min Feng

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Hui-Min Feng
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Academic Appointments
Appointment Organization
Adjunct Professor Pathology
Professional Education
Degree Institution Field of Study Graduation Year
Bachelor of Medicine Zhongshan Medical College 1953
Postgraduate training Dailin Medical College Microbiology 1953
Professional Affiliations
Society Year(s)
Chinese Society of Medicine -
American Society of Microbiology -
Society of Microbiology and Immunology -
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene -
Research Interests

Mechanisms of Protective Immunity

In collaboration with David H. Walker, M.D., my research focuses on the mechanisms of protective immunity to obligate intracellular bacteria, particularly spotted fever group rickettsiae and the novel pathogen, Ehrfichia chaffeensis. Long intrigued by the question of how the immune system could clear rickettsiae from their niche within the cytosol of endothelial cells lining the blood vessels, we have developed animal models to address our hypotheses. Recently, we have shown that the mechanism by which cell-mediated immunity kills intracellular rickettsiae is through the effect of interferon- and tumor necrosis factor-. These cytokines act synergistically on the infected cell to induce the synthesis of nitric oxide, which plays an important rickettsicidal role.

Moreover, we have proven that these cytokines are critical effectors of immunity against endothelial rickettsiae in vivo. These breakthrough discoveries lead to further important questions regarding immunity to intracellular pathogens, including the role of NK cells. We have developed T-lymphocyte clones for epitope mapping and adoptive transfer studies. An endothelial-target cell culture model was developed to address the role of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in immunity to rickettsial infections in conjunction with depletion and adoptive transfer studies in animal models. Study of immunity to Ehrlichia chaffeensis offers significant contrasts related to antigenic composition, location of the organisms in phagosomes of macrophages, and curious immunosuppressive phenomena.

Selected Publications
  1. Schmaier AH, Srikanth S, Elghetany MT, Normolle D, Gokhale S, FENG H-M, Walker DH: Hemostatic/fibrinolytic protein changes in C3H/HeN mice infected with Rickettsia conorii-A model for Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Thromb Haemost 86:871-879, 2001.
  2. Billings AN, FENG H-M, Olano JP, Walker DH: Rickettsial infection in murine models activates an early anti-rickettsial effect mediated by NK cells and associated with production of gamma interferon. Am J Trop Med Hyg 65:52-56, 2001.
  3. Sotomayor EA, Popov VL, FENG H-M, Walker DH: Animal model of fatal human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis. Am J Pathol 158:757-769, 2001.
  4. Walker DH, Olano JP, and Feng H-M: Critical role of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in immune clearance of rickettsial infection. Infect Immun 69:1841-1846, 2001
  5. Moron CL, FENG H-M, Wear DJ, Walker DH: Identification of the target cells of Orientia tsutsugamushi in human cases of scrub typhus. Mod Pathol 14:752-759, 2001.
  6. Diaz CM, FENG HM, Crocquet-Valdes, Walker DH. Identification of protective components of two major outer membrane proteins of spotted fever group rickettsiae. Am J Trop Med Hyg 65:371-378, 2001.
  7. Walker DH, Popov VL, FENG H-M: Establishment of a novel endothelial target mouse model of a typhus group rickettsiosis: evidence of critical roles for gamma interferon and CD8 T-lymphocytes. Lab Invest 80:1361-1372, 2000
  8. FENG HM, Walker DH: Mechanisms of intracellular killing of Rickettsia conorii in infected human endothelial cells, hepatocytes and macrophages. Infect Immun 68:6729-6736, 2000.
  9. Walker DH, Hudnall SD, Szaniawski WK, FENG HM: Monoclonal antibody-based immunohistochemical diagnostic of rickettsialpox: The macrophage is the principal target. Mod Pathol 12:529-533, 1999
  10. Popov VL, Han VC, Chen S-M, Dumler JS, Feng H-M, Andreadis TG, Tesh RB, WALKER DH: Ultrastructural differentiation of the genogroups in the genus Ehrlichia. J Med Microbiol 47:235-251, 1998.
  11. Sexton DJ, Corey GR, Carpenter C, Kong LQ, Gandhi T, Breitschwerdt E, Hegarty B, Chen S-M, FENG H-M, Yu X-J, Olano J, Walker DH, Dumler JS: Dual infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis and a spotted fever group rickettsia: A case report. Emerg Infect Dis 4:311-316, 1998
  12. Walker DH, Popov VL, Crocquet-Valdes PA, Welsh CJR, Feng H-M: Cytokine-induced nitric oxide-dependent, intracellular antirickettsicidal activity of mouse endothelial cells. Lab Invest 76:129-138,1997
  13. FENG H-M, Popov VL, Yuoh G, Walker DH: Role of T-lymphocyte subsets in immunity of spotted fever group rickettsiae. J Immunol 158:5314-5320, 1997.
  14. Walker DH, FENG H-M, Ladner S, Billings AN, Zaki SR,Wear DJ, Hightower B: Immunohistochemical diagnosis of typhus rickettsioses using an anti-lipopolysaccharide monoclonal antibody. Mod Pathol 10:1038-1042, 1997
  15. Stenos J, Ross B, FENG H-M, Crocquet-Valdes P, Walker DH: Protein characterisation of Australian spotted fever group rickettsiae and monoclonal antibody typing of Rickettsia honei. J Clin Microbiol 35:261-263, 1997
  16. Radulovic S, FENG H-M, Morovic M, Djelalija B, Popov V, Crocquet-Valdes P, Walker DH: Isolation of Rickettsia akari from a patient in a region where Mediterranean spotted fever is endemic. Clin Infect Dis 22:216-220, 1996
  17. Chen S-M, Popov V, FENG H-M, Walker DH: Analysis and ultrastructural localization of Ehrlichia chaffeensis proteins with monoclonal antibodies. Am J Trop Med Hyg 54:405-412, 1996.
  18. Chen S-M, Popov V, FENG H-M, Wen J, Walker DH: Cultivation of Ehrlichia chaffeensis in mouse embryo cells, Vero, BGM, and L929 cells and study of Ehrlichia-induced cytopathic effect and plaque formation. Infect Immun 63:647-655, 1995
  19. Popov VL, Chen S-M, FENG H-M, Walker DH: Ultrastructural variation of cultured Ehrlichia chaffeensis. J Med Microbiol 43:411-421, 1995.
  20. Walker DH, FENG H-M, Saada JI, Crocquet-Valdes P, Radulovic S, Popov VL, Manor E: Comparative antigenic analysis of spotted fever group rickettsiae from Israel and other closely related organisms. AmJ Trop Med Hyg 52:569-576, 1995.
  21. Walker DH, Popov VL, Wen J, FENG HM: Rickettsia conorii infection of C3H/Hen mice: a model of endothelial-target rickettsiosis. Lab Invest 70:358-368, 1994.
  22. Chen S-M, Dumler JS, FENG H-M, Walker DH: Identification of the antigenic constituents of Ehrlichia chaffeensis. Am J Trop Med Hyg 50:52-58, 1994
  23. RaduIovic S, FENG H-M, Crocquet-Valdes P, Morovic M, Dzelalija B, Walker DH: Antigen-capture enzyme immunoassay: a comparison with other methods for the detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks. Am J Trop Med Hyg 50:359-364, 1994
  24. Walker DH, FENG H-M, Popov VL, Crocquet-Valdes PA: Mouse endothelial cells stimulated by gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in vitro kill intracellular Rickettsia conorii by inducible nitric oxide synthesis. Biomedical Journal 1:15-24, 1994.
  25. FENG H-M, Popov V, Walker DH: Depletion of gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor alpha in mice with Rickettsia conorii-infected endothelium: impairment of rickettsicidal nitric oxide production resulting in fatal, overwhelming rickettsial disease. Infect Immun 62:1952-1960, 1994.
  26. FENG H-M, Walker DH: Interferon-g and tumor necrosis factor-a exert their antirickettsial effect via induction of synthesis of nitric oxide. Am J Pathol 143:1016-1023, 1993
  27. Radulovic S, Speed R, FENG H-M, Taylor C, Walker DH: EIA with species-specific monoclonal antibodies: a novel seroepidemiologic tool for determination of the etiologic agent of spotted fever rickettsiosis. J Infect Dis 168:1292-1295, 1993.
  28. FENG HM, Wen J, Walker DH: Rickettsia australis Infection: A murine model of a highly invasive vasculopathic rickettsiosis. Am J Pathol 142:1471-1482, 1993
  29. Walker DH, Liu QH, Yu ZJ, Li H, Taylor C, FENG HM: Antigenic diversity of Rickettsia conorii. Am J Trop Med Hyg 47:78-86, 1992
  30. FENG HM, Chen TS, Lin BH, Lin YZ, Wang PF, Su QH, Xia HB, Kumano K, Uchida T: Serologic survey of spotted fever group rickettsiosis on Hainan Island of China. Microbiol Immunol 35:687-694, 1991
  31. Shu LL, FENG HM, Hou YD: Endonuclease mapping of the Chinese human papilloma virus, HPV6BV. Chin J Virol 5:170-175, 1991.
  32. Shu LL, FENG HM, Hou YD: The human papilloma virus type 6 isolated from a Chinese woman with condyloma acuminata and its L1 gene expression in Escherichia coli. Chin J Microbiol Immunol 6:424 27, 1991.
  33. Walker DH, Liu Q-H, FENG H-M: Update on rickettsiae and rickettsial diseases in China [letter]. Rev Infect Dis 12:562-563, 1990
  34. Yu HK, FENG HM: Changes of ADCC and CAMP in mice experimentally infected or immunized with Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Chin J Zoonoses 5:22, 1989.
  35. Xu Fan, FENG HM: Isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis from women's cervical smear samples in Guangzhou. Chin J Epidemiol (Supp) 10:153-156, 1989.
  36. Shu LL, Duan SM, FENG HM, Hou YD: Studies on the DNA sequence of human papilloma virus of the female uterine cervix. Virologica Sinica 5:268-271, 1989.
  37. FENG HM, Walker DH, Wang JG: Analysis of T-cell-dependent and ﷓independent antigens of Rickettsia conorii with monoclonal antibodies. Infect Immun 55:7-15, 1987.
  38. Pang HL, FENG HM, Ng MH: Antigens of virulent and attenuated Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Clin Exp Immunol 66:279, 1986.
  39. Yi Q, FENG HM: Detection of antibody of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi by solid phase radioimmunoassay in scrub typhus. Chin J Zoonoses 2:9, 1986
  40. FENG HM, Kirkman C, Walker DH: Radioimmunoprecipitation of [35S] methionine-radiolabeled Rickettsia conorii and Rickettsia rickettsii proteins. J Infect Dis 154:717-721, 1986.
  41. Ding HF, FENG HM: The pathogenesis of specific immune complex in animal models infected with Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Chin J Microbiol Immunol 66:356, 1986.
  42. FENG HM, Yi Q: Is the presence of spotted fever rickettsiosis possible in Hainan Island? Academica Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences 7:77, 1986.
  43. Chen KX, FENG HM: A preliminary study of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi by pyrolysis gas chromatography. Chin J Zoonoses 2:5, 1986
  44. FENG HM, et al.: Study of cellular immune mechanisms in artificially immunodeficiency. Chin J Epidemiol (Supp): pp. 55-57, 1983.
  45. Wu YR, FENG HM: Experimental study with ELISA for detecting specific antibodies against Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Chin J Epidemiol (Supp): pp. 57-59, 1983.
  46. Goldman M, FENG HM, Engers HD, Hochman A, Louis JA, Lambert PH: Autoimmunity and immune complex diseases after neonatal induction of transplantation tolerance in mice. J Immunol 131: 251, 1983.
  47. FENG HM, Glasebrook AL, Engers HD, Louis JA: Clonal analysis of T-cell unresponsiveness to alloantigens induced by neonatal injection of 171 spleen cells into parental mice. J Immunol 131:2165, 1983.
  48. FENG HM, et al.: The immunoglobulin levels of saliva and sera in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Guangdong Medicine 1:12-15, 1980.
  49. FENG HM, et al.: The complement fixation antigen of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Acta Microbiol Sinica 19:202, 1979
  50. FENG HM, et al.: The virulence and immunogenocity of attenuated strains of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Acta Microbiol Sinica 19:198, 1979.
  51. FENG HM, et al.: Variation in virulence of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Acta Microbiol Sinica 18:259, 1978.
  52. FENG HM, et al.: Studies on the virulence-variation of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Acta Microbiol Sinica 18:259, 1978
  53. FENG HM, et al.: The influences of lyophilization on the antigenicity of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Acta Microbiol Sinica 1218:376, 1978.
  54. FENG HM, et al.: Histochemical changes of host cells in tissue culture inoculated with Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Ke Xue Tong Bao 17:311, 1966
  55. FENG HM, et al.: Tissue culture of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi II. Acta Microbiol Sinica 9:280, 1963.
  56. FENG HM, et al.: Tissue culture of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. Acta Microbiol Sinica 8:126, 1960

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