Digital Commons Network^™

Community Perspectives On The Benefits And Risks Of Technologically Enhanced Communicable Disease Surveillance Systems: A Report On Four Community Juries, Christopher J. Degeling, Stacy M. Carter, Antoine M. Van Oijen, Jeremy Mcanulty, Vitali Sintchenko, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Trent Yarwood, Jane Johnson, Gwendolyn L. Gilbert

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background Outbreaks of infectious disease cause serious and costly health and social problems. Two new technologies – pathogen whole genome sequencing (WGS) and Big Data analytics – promise to improve our capacity to detect and control outbreaks earlier, saving lives and resources. However, routinely using these technologies to capture more detailed and specific personal information could be perceived as intrusive and a threat to privacy. Method Four community juries were convened in two demographically different Sydney municipalities and two regional cities in New South Wales, Australia (western Sydney, Wollongong, Tamworth, eastern Sydney) to elicit the views of well-informed community members …

Diet Quality In Patients With End-Stage Kidney Disease Undergoing Dialysis, Lauren Roach, Kelly Lambert, Jane Holt, Barbara J. Meyer

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

ACKGROUND: People on haemodialysis (HD) are at risk of consuming a poor quality diet. This includes inadequate intake of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA). OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate diet quality, with a particular focus on n-3 LCPUFA intake, in a population of incentre HD patients. DESIGN: Dietary intake was measured using three 24 hour recalls; the Polyunsaturated food frequency questionnaire (PUFA FFQ) and the Total Diet Score (TDS). Dietary intake was also compared to evidence based practice guidelines (EBPG). Nutritional status was assessed using the Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG SGA). SUBJECTS: A total …

Beneficial Effects Of Increased Lysozyme Levels In Alzheimer's Disease Modelled In Drosophila Melanogaster, Linnea Sandin, Liza Bergkvist, Sangeeta Nath, Claudia Kielkopf, Camilla Janefjord, Linda Helmfors, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow, Hongyun Li, Camilla Nilsberth, Brett Garner, Ann-Christin Brorsson, Katarina Kagedal

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Genetic polymorphisms of immune genes that associate with higher risk to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) have led to an increased research interest on the involvement of the immune system in AD pathogenesis. A link between amyloid pathology and immune gene expression was suggested in a genome-wide gene expression study of transgenic amyloid mouse models. In this study, the gene expression of lysozyme, a major player in the innate immune system, was found to be increased in a comparable pattern as the amyloid pathology developed in transgenic mouse models of AD. A similar pattern was seen at protein levels of lysozyme …

Identifying Metabolic Syndrome In A Clinical Cohort: Implications For Prevention Of Chronic Disease, Allison Martin, Elizabeth Neale, Marijka Batterham, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

In the clinical setting, calculating cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is commonplace but the utility of the harmonised equation for metabolic syndrome (MetS) (Alberti et al., 2009) is less well established. The aims of this study were to apply this equation to an overweight clinical cohort to identify risk factors for being metabolically unhealthy and explore associations with chronic disease. Baseline data were analysed from a lifestyle intervention trial of Illawarra residents recruited in 2014/2015. Participants were aged 25–54 years with a BMI 25–40 kg/m2. Data included MetS, CVD risk, insulin sensitivity, weight, body fat, diet, peripheral artery disease (PAD), physical …

Novel Behavioural Characteristics Of The Appswe/Ps1Δe9 Transgenic Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, David Cheng, Warren Logge, Jac Kee Low, Brett Garner, Tim Karl

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

In order to better understand animal models of Alzheimer's disease, novel phenotyping strategies have been established for transgenic mouse models. In line with this, the current study characterised male APPxPS1 transgenic mice on mixed C57BL/6JxC3H/HeJ background for the first time for social recognition memory, sensorimotor gating, and spatial memory using the cheeseboard test as an alternative to the Morris water maze. Furthermore, locomotion, anxiety, and fear conditioning were evaluated in transgenic and wild type-like animals. APPxPS1 males displayed task-dependent hyperlocomotion and anxiety behaviours and exhibited social recognition memory impairments compared to wild type-like littermates. Spatial learning and memory, fear conditioning, …

Amyloid Beta Selectively Modulates Neuronal Trkb Alternative Transcript Expression With Implications For Alzheimer's Disease, J Wong, M Higgins, G Halliday, B Garner

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Dysregulation in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/full-length TrkB (TrkB-TK+) signaling is implicated in promoting neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). BDNF/TrkB-TK+ signaling can be modulated by the presence of truncated TrkB isoforms (TrkB-TK-, TrkB-Shc). All TrkB isoforms are encoded by different alternative transcripts. In this study, we assessed if expression of the three main TrkB alternative transcripts, TrkB-TK+, TrkB-TK-, and TrkB-Shc are altered in AD. Using a cohort of control and AD brains (n=29), we surveyed the hippocampus, temporal cortex, occipital cortex, and cerebellum and found specific increases in TrkB-Shc, a neuron-specific transcript, in the AD hippocampus. No significant changes were detected …

Srp20 Regulates Trkb Pre-Mrna Splicing To Generate Trkb-Shc Transcripts With Implications For Alzheimer's Disease, Jenny Wong, Brett Garner, Glenda M. Halliday, John B.J Kwok

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Previously, we reported elevated levels of the neuronspecific tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) transcript, TrkB- sarc homology containing (Shc) in the hippocampus of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains. In this study, we determined how TrkB-Shc transcripts are increased in AD. Utilizing a TrkB minigene transiently transfected into SHSY5Y cells, we found increased exon 19 inclusion in TrkB minigene transcripts (to generate TrkB-Shc) following cellular exposure to amyloid beta 1–42 (Ab42). As this suggested altered TrkB pre-mRNA splicing in AD, we conducted an in silico screening for putative splice regulatory protein-binding sites in the intron/exon splice regulatory regions of exons 18 and …

Factors Associated With Chronic Kidney Disease Progression In Australian Nephrology Practices, Neil Boudville, Anna Kemp, Henry Moody, Robert G. Fassett, Eugenie Pedagogos, Craig Nelson, Helen Healy, George Mangos, Geoff Kirkland, Troy Kay, Paul Champion De Crespigny, David Hoffman, David Waugh

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background/Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health issue worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with CKD progression in Australian nephrology practices. Methods: This was a retrospective study utilising an electronic medical record (EMR), Audit4 (Software for Specialists, Australia). The baseline visit was defined as the first entry into the EMR. The primary outcome was the rate of change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: 1,328 patients were included with a mean eGFR at baseline of 37.4 ± 0.7 ml/min/1.73 m2, a mean follow-up of 17.7 months and a mean annual rate of …

Defining The Host Mucosal And Gut Microflora Interactions In Crohn's Disease Using Redundancy Analysis On Microarray Datasets, Caroline A. Kerr, J Shaw, Christopher S. Mcsweeney, Seungha Kang, M J. Buckley, T Lockett, Peter Pavlik

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Introduction: Crohn’s disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease that is characterised by chronic relapsing inflammation of the digestive tract. There is a significant body of evidence that suggests the intestinal mucosal microbiome interacts with the immune response to produce pathological inflammation and together these factors play a major role in the pathogenesis of CD. The aim of this study is to investigate interactions between the human intestinal mucosal transcriptome and mucosal microbiome using multivariate redundancy analysis on microarray datasets.

Methods: DNA and RNA were extracted from the same mucosal biopsies collected from CD patients (terminal ileum: n=5 from sites …

Unrealistic Pessimism About Risk Of Coronary Heart Disease And Stroke In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Koula G. Asimakopoulou, Timothy Chas Skinner, Jennifer Spimpolo, Sally Marsh, Charles Fox

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

OBJECTIVE: We examined the accuracy of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients risk estimates of developing Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)/ having a stroke as a consequence of diabetes and their mood about these risks. METHODS: Patients reported their perceived risks of developing CHD/ having a stroke and rated their mood about these risks using a self-report measure. Using an objective risk calculator, they were then told their actual risk of CHD and stroke and their mood was re-assessed. RESULTS: Patients estimates of their risk of CHD / stroke were grossly inflated. A negative relationship between disease risk and mood was also …

"It Doesn't Do Any Harm, But Patients Feel Better": A Qualitative Exploratory Study On Gastroenterologists' Perspectives On The Role Of Antidepressants In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Antonina A. Mikocka-Walus, Deborah Turnbull, Nicole T. Moulding, Ian G. Wilson, Jane M. Andrews, Gerald J. Holtmann

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Background: Interest in psychological factors in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased in recent years. It has even been proposed that treating psychological co-morbidities with antidepressants may control disease activity and improve quality of life. Despite this, there is no data on gastroenterologists' attitudes to, and experiences with, antidepressant therapy in patients with IBD. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 gastroenterologists associated with metropolitan teaching hospitals. Qualitative content analysis was used to examine their responses. Results: Seventy-eight percent of gastroenterologists had treated IBD patients with antidepressants for pain, depression and/or anxiety, and insomnia. Antidepressants were reported to …

Antidepressants And Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review, Antonina A. Mikocka-Walus, Deborah Turnbull, Nicole T. Moulding, Ian G. Wilson, Jane M. Andrews, Gerald J. Holtmann

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Background: A number of studies have suggested a link between the patient's psyche and the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although pharmacotherapy with antidepressants has not been widely explored, some investigators have proposed that treating psychological comorbidities with antidepressants may help to control disease activity. To date a systematic analysis of the available studies assessing the efficacy of antidepressants for the control of somatic symptoms in IBD patients has not been performed. Methods: We searched electronic databases, without any language restriction. All relevant papers issued after 1990 were examined. Results: 12 relevant publications were identified. All of them referred …

Dietary Fats And Membrane Function: Implications For Metabolism And Disease, Anthony J. Hulbert, Nigel Turner, Leonard H. Storlein, Paul Else

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Lipids play varied and critical roles in metabolism, with function dramatically modulated by the individual fatty acid moities in complex lipid entities. In particular, the fatty acid composition of membrane lipids greatly influences membrane function. Here we consider the role of dietary fatty acid profile on membrane composition and, in turn, its impact on prevalent disease clusters of the metabolic syndrome and mental illness. Applying the classical physiological conformer-regulator paradigm to quantify the influence of dietary fats on membrane lipid composition (i.e. where the membrane variable is plotted against the same variable in the environment - in this case dietary …

Beta-2 Glycoprotein1: Function In Health And Disease, Spyridon Miyakis, Bill Giannakopoulos, S A. Krilis

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Beta-2 glycoprotein I (β2GPI) is the principal target of autoantibodies in the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). It is abundant in human plasma and shares high homology between different mammalian species. Although the exact physiological function of β2GPI has not been fully elucidated, several interactions have been described with other proteins and with negatively charged surfaces, such as anionic phospholipids, dextran and heparin. β2GPI is involved in the coagulation pathway, exerting both procoagulant and anticoagulant activities. Plasma from β2GPI-deficient mice exhibits impaired thrombin generation in vitro. Recently, it has been demonstrated that β2GPI binds factor (F) XI in vitro at concentrations lower …