M. Louise Markert, MD, PhD

Department / Division:
Pediatrics / Allergy and Immunology

Address:
DUMC 3068
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone:
919-684-6263

Office Telephone:
919-684-6263

Fax Telephone:
919-681-8676

• MD, Duke University School of Medicine, 1982

• Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, 1982-1984
• Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, 1984-1987

• PhD, Duke University, 1981

Clinical Interests:
Thymic transplantation for DiGeorge syndrome, inherited immunodeficiency states

Research Interests:
Dr. Markert is currently investigating thymus transplantation in complete DiGeorge syndrome.  Complete DiGeorge syndrome is a fatal genetic disorder in which patients have heart defects, severe parathyroid hypoplasia and absence of the thymus. In a research protocol complete DiGeorge patients who have no T cells are transplanted with postnatal cultured human thymic epithelial tissue.  The transplants are later biopsied to evaluate whether host stem cells have migrated to the tranplanted tissue and developed into T cells.  Fifty two infants with complete DiGeorge anomaly have been transplanted and 38 survive (73%).  Her research to date has shown that the patient can develop new host T cells in the graft and normal T cell proliferative responses to mitogens and antigens.  Thus, in infants born with no T cells because of DiGeorge syndrome, cultured donor postnatal thymic tissue is sufficient for the development of host T cells from host stem cells.  Dr. Markert has recently expanded her research to include parathyroid transplantation to treat the profound hypoparathyroidism seen in a subgroup of patients.  Four have been transplanted and parathyroid hormone has developed in each.  

Representative Publications:
Selim MA, Markert ML, Burchette JL, Herman CM, Turner JW. The cutaneous manifestations of atypical complete DiGeorge syndrome: a histopathologic and immunohistochemical study. J Cutan Pathol. 2008 Apr;35(4):380-5. (2008) Abstract

Markert ML, Li J, Devlin BH, Hoehner JC, Rice HE, Skinner MA, Li YJ, Hale LP. Use of allograft biopsies to assess thymopoiesis after thymus transplantation. J Immunol. 2008 May 1;180(9):6354-64. (2008) Abstract

Chinn IK, Devlin BH, Li YJ, Markert ML. Long-term tolerance to allogeneic thymus transplants in complete DiGeorge anomaly. Clin Immunol. 2008 Mar;126(3):277-81. (2008) Abstract

Markert ML, Devlin BH, Alexieff MJ, Li J, McCarthy EA, Gupton SE, Chinn IK, Hale LP, Kepler TB, He M, Sarzotti M, Skinner MA, Rice HE, Hoehner JC. Review of 54 patients with complete DiGeorge anomaly enrolled in protocols for thymus transplantation: outcome of 44 consecutive transplants. Blood. 2007 May 15;109(10):4539-47. (2007) Abstract

Markert ML, Alexieff MJ, Li J, Sarzotti M, Ozaki DA, Devlin BH, Sedlak DA, Sempowski GD, Hale LP, Rice HE, Mahaffey SM, Skinner MA. Postnatal thymus transplantation with immunosuppression as treatment for DiGeorge syndrome. Blood. 2004 Oct 15;104(8):2574-81. (2004) Abstract

Markert ML, Sarzotti M, Ozaki DA, Sempowski GD, Rhein ME, Hale LP, Le Deist F, Alexieff MJ, Li J, Hauser ER, Haynes BF, Rice HE, Skinner MA, Mahaffey SM, Jaggers J, Stein LD, Mill MR. Thymus transplantation in complete DiGeorge syndrome: immunologic and safety evaluations in 12 patients. Blood. 2003 Aug 1;102(3):1121-30. (2003) Abstract

Markert ML, Alvarez-McLeod AP, Sempowski GD, Hale LP, Horvatinovich JM, Weinhold KJ, Bartlett JA, D'Amico TA, Haynes BF. Thymopoiesis in HIV-infected adults after highly active antiretroviral therapy. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2001 Nov 20;17(17):1635-43. (2001) Abstract

Markert ML, Boeck A, Hale LP, Kloster AL, McLaughlin TM, Batchvarova MN, Douek DC, Koup RA, Kostyu DD, Ward FE, Rice HE, Mahaffey SM, Schiff SE, Buckley RH, Haynes BF. Transplantation of thymus tissue in complete DiGeorge syndrome. N Engl J Med. 1999 Oct 14;341(16):1180-9. (1999) Abstract

Collard HR, Boeck A, Mc Laughlin TM, Watson TJ, Schiff SE, Hale LP, Markert ML. Possible extrathymic development of nonfunctional T cells in a patient with complete DiGeorge syndrome. Clin Immunol. 1999 May;91(2):156-62. (1999) Abstract

Davis CM, McLaughlin TM, Watson TJ, Buckley RH, Schiff SE, Hale LP, Haynes BF, Markert ML. Normalization of the peripheral blood T cell receptor V beta repertoire after cultured postnatal human thymic transplantation in DiGeorge syndrome. J Clin Immunol. 1997 Mar;17(2):167-75. (1997) Abstract