UCDavis University of California

Education

• B.S., Biochemistry, University of California, Davis, 1978
• M.S., Human Nutrition, Cornell University, 1980
• Ph.D., Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University, School of Hygiene and Public Health, 1985

Research Interests

Dr. Stephensen’s research interests focus on the relation between nutritional status and infectious diseases, particularly the host immune response to infections and the impact of infections on nutritional status. For example, recent work has shown that children and adults with severe infections may excrete substantial quantities of vitamin A in the urine, whereas healthy subjects excrete little or no urinary vitamin A. The cause of such urinary losses appears to be impaired functioning of the kidney tubular epithelial cells, which normally reabsorb vitamin A, during severe infections. This phenomenon may help explain the longstanding observation that severe infections often precipitate clinical vitamin A deficiency (xerophthalmia) in young children with marginal vitamin A stores. In addition, vitamin A deficiency impairs certain aspects of the immune response. In particular, work in Dr. Stephensen’s laboratory has shown that the secretory IgA response is dramatically impaired by vitamin A deficiency. Finally, these observations suggest that children with poor vitamin A status who have serious infections could benefit from vitamin A supplements in that vitamin A may improve recovery from infection. In some cases, most notably with measles, this is true. But collaborative work with clinical investigators in Lima, Peru has shown that such supplements can modestly impair recovery from pneumonia. This apparent contradiction emphasizes the need to understand the mechanisms by which micronutrients, and the use of micronutrient supplements, actually modulate the immune response. Understanding the mechanisms by which vitamin A modulates the immune response to infection, and defining how infectious diseases affect vitamin A status, are the two principal goals of current research in Dr. Stephensen’s laboratory.

Invited Papers

• Holmes KV, R Williams, CB Stephensen. Coronavirus receptors. In: "Concepts in Viral Pathogenesis," A Notkins and M Oldstone, eds., Springer-Verlag, N.Y., 1989.
• Holmes KV, Williams R, Stephensen CB, Compton S, Cardellichio C, Hay M, Knobler R. Coronavirus receptors. In: "Cell Biology of Virus Entry, Replication and Pathogenesis," UCLA Symposium on Molecular and Cell Biology (New Series). Vol. 90, R Compans, A Helenius, M Oldstone, eds. Alan R. Liss, Inc. pp. 85-95, 1989.
• Holmes KV, Boyle JF, Weismiller DG, Compton SR, Williams RK, Stephensen CB, Frana MF. Identification of a receptor for mouse hepatitis virus. In: "Coronaviruses," MC Lai, SA Stohlman, eds., Plenum Publishing Corp., 1987.
• Holmes KV, Boyle JF, Williams RK, Stephensen CB, Robbins SG, Bauer EC. Processing of coronavirus proteins and assembly of virions. In: "Positive Strand RNA Viruses," M Brinton, R Rueckert, eds., Alan R. Liss, Inc., 1986.

Book Chapters

• Stephensen CB. Nutrition, Immunity and AIDS. Chapter 27 in: Handbook of Clinical Nutrition, 3d ed., C.V. Mosby Company, Baltimore, 1996.
• Stephensen CB. Immunity, Immune Compromise and AIDS. in: Fundamentals of Clinical Nutrition. 2d ed., C.V. Mosby Company, Baltimore, 1997.

Published Abstracts

• Stephensen CB, Franchi LM, Hernandez H, Campos M, Gilman RH, Alvarez JO.
• A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of high-dose vitamin A supplements in children hospitalized with pneumonia in Lima, Peru. FASEB J 11:A141, 1997.
• Mitra AK, Alvarez JO, Wahed MA, Fuchs GJ, Guay-Woodford L, Stephensen CB. Urinary vitamin A loss in acute shigellosis. FASEB J 11:A141, 1997.
• Mitra AK, Stephensen CB, Alvarez JO, Wahed MA, Khaled MA, Fuchs GJ. Effect of shigellosis on vitamin A loss in the urine. Gastroenterology 110:A822, 1996.
• Mitra A, Stephensen CB, Alvarez JO, Wahed MA, Fuchs G. Depressed serum concentration and urinary excretion of retinol during acute shigellosis. FASEB J, 10:A466, 1996.
• Alvarez JO, Salazar-Lindo E, Santisteban J, Colarossi A, Stephensen CB. Acute Diarrhea, Urinary Excretion of Retinol and Vitamin A Status in Peruvian Children. FASEB J, 9:A460, 1995.
• Stephensen C, Moldoveanu Z, Gangopadhyay N, Blount S. Vitamin A Deficiency Impairs the Secretory IgA Response to Influenza A Virus Infection in BALB/C Mice. FASEB J, 9:A732, 1995.
• Sarkar J, Stephensen CB, Moldoveanu Z. Vitamin A is Required for Cytokine-Mediated Stimulation of Polymeric Immunoglobulin Receptor Expression by the Epithelial Cell Line HT-29. FASEB J, 8:A535, 1994.
• Salazar E, Alvarez JO, Miranda P, Kohatsu J, Stephensen CB. Acute Diarrhea Causes Urinary Loss of Vitamin A. FASEB J, 8:A817, 1994.
• Stephensen CB, Alvarez JO, Hardmeier R, Kohatsu J, Duke P, Kennedy JI. Vitamin A is excreted at high levels in the urine of ICU patients with pneumonia and sepsis. FASEB J, 7:A511, 1993.
• Stephensen CB, Blount SR, Park J, Schoeb JR. Virus Clearance and Mortality are not Affected by Vitamin A Deficiency During Experimental Influenzia A Virus Infection of Balb/c Mice. FASEB J, 6:A1663, 1992.
• Stephensen CB, SR Compton, CB Cardellichio, RK Williams, KV Holmes. Expression of the MHV receptor is required for susceptibility to MHV infection. Abstracts of the UCLA Symposium on Cell Biology of Virus Entry, Replication and Pathogenesis. J Cell Biochem (Supp 12C), 1988.
• Williams RK, CB Stephensen, JF Boyle, AL Smith, KV Holmes. Host dependence and virus strain variation of coronavirus MHV. Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, p. 320, 1986.
• Stephensen CB, R Leon-Barua, RB Sack, DA Sack. Evaluation of a non-invasive breath hydrogen test (BHT) for gastric acid secretion. Gastroenterology 88:1599, 1985.
• Stephensen CB, PJ Fedorka, PH Pettibone, WM Spira. Cholera toxin production in Vibrio cholorae and Vibrio mimicus. Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, p. 29, 1982.

Publications

• Welter J, Taylor J, Tartaglia J, Paoletti E, Stephensen CB. Mucosal vaccination with recombinant poxvirus vaccines protects ferrets against symptomatic CDV infection. Vaccine (accepted for publication)
• Mitra AK, Alvarez JO, Wahed MA, Fuchs GJ, Stephensen CB. Predictors of Serum Retinol in Children with Shigellosis. Am J Clin Nutr (accepted for publication)
• Mitra AK, Alvarez JO, Guay-Woodford L, Fuchs GJ, Wahed MA, Stephensen CB. Urinary Retinol Excretion and Kidney Function in Children with Shigellosis. Am J Clin Nutr (accepted for publication).
• Sarkar J, Gangopadhyay NN , Moldoveanu Z, Mestecky J, Stephensen CB. Vitamin A Is Required for Regulation of Polymeric Immunoglobulin Receptor (pIgR) Expression by IL-4 and IFN- in HT-29 Cells. J Nutr 128:1063-9, 1998.
• Stephensen CB, Franchi LM, Hernandez H, Campos M, Gilman RH, Alvarez JO. Adverse Effects of High-Dose Vitamin A Supplements on Children Hospitalized with Pneumonia. J Pediatrics 101:e3, 1998.
• Mitra AK, Alvarez JO, Stephensen CB. Increased Urinary Retinol Loss in Children With Severe Infection. Lancet 351:1033-4, 1998.
• Park JY, Peters CJ, Rollin PE, Ksiazek TG, Katholi CR, Waites KB, Gray B, Maetz HM, Stephensen CB. Age Distribution of Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV) Serum Antibody in Birmingham, Alabama Suggests a Decreased Risk of Infection. Am J Trop Med Hyg 57:37-41, 1997.
• Casebolt DB, Baio Q, Stephensen CB. Polymerase Chain Reaction for Detection of Mouse Hepatitis Virus Fecal Excretion. J. Lab. Animal Med. 47:6-10, 1997.
• Stephensen CB, Welter J, Thaker SR, Taylor J, Tartaglia J, Paoletti E. Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) Infection of Ferrets as a Model for Testing Morbillivirus Vaccine Strategies: NYVAC and ALVAC-based CDV Recombinants Protect Against Symptomatic Infection. J. Virol.71:1506-13, 1997.
• Park JY, Peters CJ, Rollin PE, Ksiazek TG, Gray B, Waites KB, Stephensen CB. D\evelopment of an RT-PCR Assay for Diagnosis of Lymphocytic Choriomenintitis Virus (LCMV) Infection and its use in a prospective surveillance study. J. Med. Virol. 1997.
• Gangopadhyay NN, Moldoveanu Z, Stephensen CB. Vitamin A Deficiency and the Immunoglobulin A Response: Different Effects on Production and Transport. J. Nutr., 126:2960-7, 1996.
• Ross AC, Stephensen CB. Vitamin A and the Antiviral Immune Response. FASEB J 10:979-85, 1996.
• Stephensen CB, Moldoveanu Z, Gangopadhyay NN. Vitamin A Deficiency Diminishes the Salivary IgA Response and Enhances the Serum IgG Response to Influenza A Virus Infection in BALB/c Mice. J Nutr, 126:94-102, 1996.
• Alvarez JO, Salazar-Lindo E, Kohatsu J, Miranda P, Stephensen CB. Urinary excretion of retinol in children with acute diarrhea. Am J Clin Nutr. 61:1273-6, 1995.
• Stephensen CB, Park JY, Blount SR. cDNA Sequence Analysis Confirms that the Etiologic Agent of Callitrichid Hepatitis is Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis. J Virol 69:1349-52, 1995.
• Stephensen CB, Alvarez JO, Kohatsu J, Hardmeier R. Vitamin A is Excreted in the Urine During Acute Infections. Am J Clin Nutr 60:388-92, 1994.
• Stephensen, CB, Blount SR, Schoeb TR, Park JY. Vitamin A Deficiency Impairs Some Aspects of the Host Response to Influenza A Virus Infection in BALB/c Mice. J Nutr, 123:823-33, 1993.
• Compton SR, Stephensen CB, Snyder S, Weismiller D, Holmes KV. Coronavirus Species Specificity: Murine Coronavirus Binds to a Mouse-Specific Epitope on its CEA-Related Receptor. J Virol 66:7420-8, 1992.
• Stephensen CB, Blount SB, Lanford RE, Holmes KV, Montali RJ, Fleenor ME, Shaw JFE. Prevalence of Serum Antibodies Against Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus in Selected Populations from Two U.S. Cities. J Med Virol, 38:27-31, 1992.
• Casebolt DC, Stephensen CB. Monoclonal Antibody Solution Hybridization Assay for the Detection of Mouse Hepatitis Virus Infection. J Clin Micro, 30:608-612, 1992.
• Stephensen CB, Jacob JR, Montali RJ, Holmes KV, Muchmore E, Compans RW, Arms ED, Buchmeier MJ, Lanford RE. Isolation of an Arenavirus from a Marmoset with Callitrichid Hepatitis and Its Serologic Association with Disease. J Virol 65:3995, 1991.
• Stephensen CB, Montali RJ, Ramsay EC, Holmes KV. Identification, Using Sera from Exposed Animals, of Putative Viral Antigens in Livers of Primates with Callitrichid Hepatitis. J Virol 64:6347-54, 1990.
• Van Loon FPL, Clemens JD, Shahrier M, Sack DA, Stephensen CB, Khan MR, Rabbani, GH, Banik AK. Low gastric acid as a risk factor for cholera transmission: Application of a new non-invasive gastric acid field test. J Clin Epidemiol 43:1361-7, 1990.
• Roos DS, Duchala CS, Stephensen CB, Holmes KV, Choppin PW. Control of Virus-Induced Cell Fusion by Host Cell Lipid Composition. Virology 175: 345-357, 1990.
• Montali RJ, Ramsay EC, Stephensen CB, Worley M, Davis JA, Holmes KV. A new transmissable viral hepatitis of marmosets and tamarins. J Infec Dis 160:759-60, 1989.
• Ramsay EC, Montali RJ, Worley M, Stephensen CB, Holmes KV. Callitrichid hepatitis: Epizootiology of a fatal hepatitis in zoo tamarins and marmosets. J Zoo Wildlife Med 20:178-183, 1989.
• Singh VK, Maheshwari RK, Damewood IV GP, Stephensen CB, Oliver C, Friedman RM. Interferon inhibits transport of vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein. J Biol Reg Homeostat Agents, 2:53-62, 1988.
• Stephensen CB, Leon-Barua R, Sack RB, Sack DA. Comparison of noninvasive breath hydrogen test for gastric acid secretion to standard intubation test in adults. Dig Dis Sci, 32:973-7, 1987
• Stephensen CB, Sack RB, Sack DA. Comparison of noninvasive breath hydrogen test for gastric acid secretion to standard intubation test in infants and young children. Dig Dis Sci, 32:978-84, 1987.
• The Gastrointestinal Physiology Working Group (RH Gilman, R Leon-Barua, J Koch, A Ramirez-Ramos, S Recavarren, WW Spira, CB Stephensen, C Barreda, N Quevado, C Rodriguez). Rapid identification of pyloric Campylobacter in Peruvians with gastritis. Dig Dis Sci 31:1089-94, 1986.
• Ramirez-Ramos A, Leon-Barua R, Gilman R, Spira W, Recavarren S, Watanabe J, Stephensen C, Cok J, Quevedo N, Rodriguez Ulloa C. "[Detection of Pyloric Campylobacter in Patients With Gastroduodenal Diseases]. [Spanish]." Acta Gastroenterologica Latinoamericana 16(1):9-22, 1986.
• Sack DA, Stephensen CB. Liberation of hydrogen from gastric acid following administration of oral magnesium. Dig Dis Sci 30:1127-33, 1985.