Ravi R. Jhaveri, MD

Department / Division:
Pediatrics / Infectious Diseases

Address:
DUMC 3499
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone:
(919) 684-6335

Office Telephone:
(919) 684-6335

Fax Telephone:
(919) 668-4859

• M.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, 1996

• Pediatrics, University of Chicago Hospital, Illinois, 1996-1999

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, California, 1999-2003

Clinical Interests:
Children with viral hepatitis (Hepatitis A, B, C), research interest in children with Hepatitis C exposure or infection, patients with problems related to general pediatric infectious diseases

Research Interests:
My primary work is in translational and clinical research on Hepatitis C virus.  

My work is currently investigating the pathogenesis of steatosis in HCV genotype 3.  This project has involved cloning HCV genes from clinical samples and examining changes in intracellular lipid concentrations within liver cells after HCV protein expression.  We have focused on the Core protein and have discovered polyporphisms that correlate with clincal steatosis and cause increased intracellular fat to accumulate in transfected cells.  We have used site-specific mutagenesis to prove that these polymorphisms play a significant role in lipid metabolism.  Our current work is focused on discovering the mechanisms involved and what elements within the Core protein are sufficient for lipid accumulation.

This work is being conducted in the lab of Anna Mae Diehl of Gastroenterology/Hepatology.

I also have clinical research interests.
One is the impact of Hepatitis C in infants and children.  I am particularly interested in the determinants of vertical transmission and the factors for resolution in HCV infection in young children.  We have begun a study examining the immune response in pregnant women with HCV and their infants to understand the dynamics of responses in the ante-, peri- and post-partum periods.
Two is the outcomes of children under 3 years old that present with fever to the urgent and emergent care centers.  Since the universal administration of Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in 2000, there has been a significant drop in the rates of invasive penumococcal disease.  Our focus has been to re-evaluate the clinical paradigm in febrile children that calls for a complete laboratory evaluation and empiric antibiotics.  Our data thus far shows that all interventions except for urine cultures are no longer needed.  We will continue to evaluate for changes in this group.

Representative Publications:
Jhaveri R, Kundu P, Shapiro AM, Venkatesan A, Dasgupta A. Effect of heptitis C virus core protein on cellular gene expression: specific inhibition of cyclooxygenase 2. J Infect Dis. 2005 May 1;191(9):1498-506. (2005) Abstract

Slowik MK, Jhaveri R. Hepatitis B and C viruses in infants and young children. Semin Pediatr Infect Dis. 2005 Oct;16(4):296-305. (2005) Abstract

Jhaveri R, Grant W, Kauf TL, McHutchison J. The burden of hepatitis C virus infection in children: estimated direct medical costs over a 10-year period.  J Pediatr.  2006 Mar;148(3):353-8. (2006) Abstract

Grant W, Jhaveri R, McHutchison J, Schulman K, Kauf TL.  “Hepatitis C Healthcare Utilization
Trends in the United States”, Hepatology 2005 Dec;42:1406-1413
(2005)

Yang L, Jhaveri R, Huang J, Qi Y, Diehl AM. Endoplasmic reticulum stress, hepatocyte CD1d and NKT cell abnormalities in murine fatty livers. Lab Invest. 2007 Jul 2. (2007) Abstract

Waddle E, Jhaveri R. Outcomes of febrile children without localizing signs post-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Arch Dis Child. 2008 Jun 6. (2008) Abstract

Jhaveri R, McHutchison J, Patel K, Qiang G, Diehl AM. Specific Polymorphisms in Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 3 Core Protein Associated with Intracellular Lipid Accumulation. J Infect Dis. 2008 Jan 4. (2008) Abstract

Waddle E, El-Yaman M, Jhaveri R.  “Frequency and Outcomes of Moraxella catarrhalis Bacteremia in
Children”, Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, 2007;2:95-100
(2007)