Physicians

Departments / Divisions

• Pediatrics / Pediatrics-Allergy/Immunology
• Immunology

Address
DUMC 3068
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone
919-684-6263

Office Telephone
919-684-6263

Fax Telephone
919-681-8676

Training

• MD, Duke University School of Medicine, 1982

Residency

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

Other Training

• PhD, Immunology, 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. Sixty three infants with complete DiGeorge anomaly have been transplanted and 45 survive (71%). 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 is now studying patients previously transplanted to learn how long the thymus functions and why the T cell numbers in her post thymus transplantation patients remain low for age - similar to the T cell numbers in patients with partial DiGeorge anomaly who do not need thymus transplantation. In 2012, Dr. Markert began studies in an animal model to use thymus transplantatin to induce tolerance to solid organ transplants. This work is funded by The Hartwell Foundation.

Industry Relationships and Collaborations (What's this?)

This faculty member has no reported relationships with industry.

Representative Publications
Chinn, IK; Markert, ML. Induction of tolerance to parental parathyroid grafts using allogeneic thymus tissue in patients with DiGeorge anomaly. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2011;127:1351-1355. (2011) Abstract

Knutsen, AP; Baker, MW; Markert, ML. Interpreting low T-cell receptor excision circles in newborns with DiGeorge anomaly: importance of assessing naive T-cell markers. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2011;128:1375-1376. (2011) Abstract

Li, B; Li, J; Devlin, BH; Markert, ML. Thymic microenvironment reconstitution after postnatal human thymus transplantation. Clinical Immunology. 2011;140:244-259. (2011) Abstract

Markert, ML; Marques, JG; Neven, B; Devlin, BH; McCarthy, EA; Chinn, IK; Albuquerque, AS; Silva, SL; Pignata, C; de Saint Basile, G; Victorino, RM; Picard, C; Debre, M; Mahlaoui, N; Fischer, A; Sousa, AE. First use of thymus transplantation therapy for FOXN1 deficiency (nude/SCID): a report of 2 cases. Blood. 2011;117:688-696. (2011) Abstract

Chinn, IK; Olson, JA; Skinner, MA; McCarthy, EA; Gupton, SE; Chen, DF; Bonilla, FA; Roberts, RL; Kanariou, MG; Devlin, BH; Markert, ML. Mechanisms of tolerance to parental parathyroid tissue when combined with human allogeneic thymus transplantation. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2010;126:814-820.e8. (2010) Abstract

Markert, ML; Devlin, BH; McCarthy, EA. Thymus transplantation. Clinical Immunology. 2010;135:236-246. (2010) Abstract

Chinn, IK; Devlin, BH; Li, YJ; Markert, ML. Long-term tolerance to allogeneic thymus transplants in complete DiGeorge anomaly. Clinical Immunology. 2008;126:277-281. (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. Journal of Immunology. 2008;180:6354-6364. (2008) Abstract

Selim, MA; Markert, ML; Burchette, JL; Herman, CM; Turner, JW. The cutaneous manifestations of atypical complete DiGeorge syndrome: a histopathologic and immunohistochemical study. Journal of Cutaneous Pathology. 2008;35:380-385. (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;109:4539-4547. (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;104:2574-2581. (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;102:1121-1130. (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 Research and Human Retroviruses. 2001;17:1635-1643. (2001) 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. Clinical Immunology. 1999;91:156-162. (1999) 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. New England Journal of Medicine. 1999;341:1180-1189. (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. Journal of Clinical Immunology. 1997;17:167-175. (1997) Abstract