Associate Professor of Virology

Division of Applied Medical Virology
Department of Virology
Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1095 Vienna, Austria

Phone: +43 (0)1 40160 - 65522
FAX: +43 (0)1 40160 - 965599

E-mail: heidemarie.holzmann@meduniwien.ac.at

Research Interests
Modern methods for virus diagnosis, hepatitis viruses with special focus on hepatitis C virus (HCV), HCV-specific CD4+ T-cell response, chemokines, predictive factors for resolution of acute – or response to therapy in chronic HCV infection.
Impact of hepatitis Delta- and hepatitis E-, tick-borne encephalitis-, measles and rubella virus infections in Austria, vaccinology.

Hepatitis viruses, tick-borne encephalitis virus, measles and rubella virus:

Modern diagnostics, prognostic factors, epidemiology and vaccine effectiveness

In the last years we have investigated the role of viral factors and HCV-specific CD4+ T-cell response and chemokine patterns in acute HCV infection with respect to identify predictive factors for spontaneous viral clearance, and in chronic HC for response to therapy.
In our current project we analyse micro-RNA patterns in acute viral hepatitis infections with regard to identification of virus-specific miRNAs, natural history and severity of disease.

In addition, we are interested in the impact of hepatitis delta and hepatitis E virus infections, surveillance of tick-borne-encephalitis (TBE), as well as measles and rubella (M/R) in Austria, and in special diagnostic problems.
Since TBE and M/R are vaccine-preventable diseases our research interests include the analysis of antibody dynamics, vaccine effectiveness, acceptance and seroprevalence.


Selected References

Schiller D, Schoefl R, Holzmann H. Fatal acute liver failure in a kidney-transplant recipient. Gastroenterology. 2014 Jan;146(1):36, 325.

Drebber U, Odenthal M, Aberle SW, Winkel N, Wedemeyer I, Hemberger J, Holzmann H, Dienes HP. Hepatitis E in liver biopsies from patients with acute hepatitis of clinically unexplained origin. Front Physiol. 2013 Dec 13;4:351.

Beinhardt S, Payer BA, Datz C, Strasser M, Maieron A, Dorn L, Grilnberger-Franz E, Dulic-Lakovic E, Stauber R, Laferl H, Aberle JH, Holzmann H, Krall C, Vogel W, Ferenci P, Hofer H. A diagnostic score for the prediction of spontaneous resolution of acute hepatitis C virus infection. J Hepatol. 2013 Nov;59(5):972-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2013.06.028. Epub 2013 Jul 10.

Heinz FX, Stiasny K, Holzmann H, Grgic-Vitek M,  Kriz  B, Essl A, Kundi M. Vaccination and tick-borne encephalitis, central Europe. Emerg Infect Dis. 2013 Jan;19(1):69-76.

Beinhardt S, Aberle JH, Strasser M, Dulic-Lakovic E, Maieron A, Kreil A, Rutter K, Staettermayer AF, Datz C, Scherzer TM, Strassl R, Bischof M, Stauber R, Bodlaj G, Laferl H, Holzmann H, Steindl-Munda P, Ferenci P, Hofer H. Serum level of IP-10 increases predictive value of IL28B polymorphisms for spontaneous clearance of acute HCV infection. Gastroenterology. 2012 Jan;142(1):78-85.e2. Epub 2011 Sep 24