Digital Commons Network^™

Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model In Rodents: Methods And Potential Pitfalls, Fudong Liu, Louise D. Mccullough

UCHC Articles - Research

A variety of animal models have been developed for modeling ischemic stroke. The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model has been utilized extensively, especially in rodents. While the MCAO model provides stroke researchers with an excellent platform to investigate the disease, controversial or even paradoxical results are occasionally seen in the literature utilizing this model. Various factors exert important effects on the outcome in this stroke model, including the age and sex of the animal examined. This paper discusses emerging information on the effects of age and sex on ischemic outcomes after MCAO, with an emphasis on mouse models of …

Serum Fibrosis Markers Are Associated With Liver Disease Progression In Non-Responder Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C, Herbert L. Bonkovsky

UCHC Articles - Research

Abstract

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to explore the association of serum fibrosis marker levels with the risk of clinical and histological disease progression in a large cohort of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC)

DESIGN/SETTING

462 prior non-responders to peginterferon and ribavirin enrolled in the randomized phase of the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) Trial had baseline and annual serum samples tested for hyaluronic acid (HA), n-terminal peptide of procollagen type 3, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1, and YKL-40.

OUTCOME MEASURES

All patients underwent a pretreatment liver biopsy and follow-up biopsies at years 2 …

Oral Mucositis: The New Paradigms, Rajesh V. Lalla, Douglas E. Peterson

UCHC Articles - Research

Purpose of review

Mucositis has long been viewed as an unavoidable consequence of high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiation. Management has been directed to supportive care including oral pain control, nutritional support, infection treatment and control of diarrhea. While these interventions have been valuable for clinical management, they have not been collectively directed to molecularly targeted prevention and treatment. This review addresses recent advances regarding mucosal injury in cancer patients, with emphasis on symptom clusters, genetically-based tissue susceptibility and risk prediction, imaging technology, and computational biology.

Recent findings

Modeling of symptom clusters in cancer patients continues to mature. Although integration of mucositis …

Effects Of Naltrexone Treatment For Alcohol-Related Disorders On Healthcare Costs In An Insured Population, Henry R. Kranzler

UCHC Articles - Research

Objective To determine the impact of treatment with oral naltrexone on healthcare costs in patients with alcohol-related disorders. Methods Using data from the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database for 2000–2004, we identified a Naltrexone Group (with an alcohol-related diagnosis and at least one pharmacy claim for oral naltrexone) and two control groups. Alcohol Controls had an alcohol-related diagnosis and were not prescribed an alcoholism treatment medication. Non-Alcohol Controls had no alcohol-related diagnosis and no prescription for an alcoholism treatment medication. The control groups were matched three to one to the naltrexone group on demographic and other relevant measures. Healthcare …

A Prospective Cohort Study Investigating Factors Associated With Depression During Medical Internship, Grace Chan, Henry R. Kranzler

UCHC Articles - Research

Context

Although the prevalence of depression among medical interns substantially exceeds that of the general population, the specific factors responsible are not well understood. Recent reports of a moderating effect of a genetic polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the serotonin transporter protein gene on the likelihood that life stress will precipitate depression may help to understand the development of mood symptoms in medical interns.

Objective

To identify psychological, demographic and residency program factors that associate with depression among interns and use medical internship as a model to study the moderating effects of this polymorphism using a prospective, within-subject design that addresses the …

Should The Concentration Of Vitamin D Be Measured In All Patients With Hypertension?, Angela Boldo, Patrick Campbell, Pooja Luthra, William B. White

UCHC Articles - Research

With mounting evidence indicating the direct effect of vitamin D on the vascular smooth muscle cell, endothelial function and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, it is clear that randomized trials of vitamin D replacement and renin and angiotensin inhibition in patients with hypertension and vitamin D deficiency are warranted. Preliminary research has shown an inverse relationship between BP and vitamin D levels, and supplementation appears promising. To that end, we have just initiated a randomized clinical trial evaluating the effects of vitamin D and/or a renin inhibitor on ambulatory and clinic BP in vitamin D deficient patients with hypertension (clinical trials.gov identifier …

Genetic Influences On The Dynamics Of Pain And Affect In Fibromyalgia, Howard A. Tennen, Jonathan Covault

UCHC Articles - Research

Objective The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if variation in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1) genes is associated with pain-related positive affective regulation in fibromyalgia (FM). Design Forty-six female FM patients completed an electronic diary that included daily assessments of positive affect and pain. Between- and within-person analyses were conducted with multilevel modeling. Main Outcome Measure Daily positive affect was the primary outcome measure. Results Analyses revealed a significant gene × experience interaction for COMT, such that individuals with met/met genotype experienced a greater decline in positive affect on days …

Feasibility Of Using Interactive Voice Response To Monitor Daily Drinking, Moods And Relationship Processes On A Daily Basis In Alcoholic Couples, Howard A. Tennen

UCHC Articles - Research

Background

Daily process research on alcohol involvement has used paper-and-pencil and electronic data collection methods, but no studies have yet tested the feasibility of using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology to monitor drinking, affective, and social interactional processes among alcoholic (ALC) couples. This study tested the feasibility of using IVR with n=54 ALC couples.

Methods

Participants were n=54 couples (probands who met criteria for a past one-year alcohol use disorder and their partners) recruited from a substance abuse treatment center and the local community. Probands and their partners reported on their daily drinking, marital interactions, and moods once a day …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Low Birth Weight Delivery Associated With Maternal Occupational Characteristics, John D. Meyer, Nicholas D. Warren, Susan T. Reisine

UCHC Articles - Research

Objectives

Work characteristics and maternal education have both been associated with low birth weight (LBW) delivery. We sought to examine the relative contribution of these two factors to LBW delivery and determine whether ethnic/racial differentials in educational attainment and work characteristics might play a role in well-described disparities in LBW.

Methods

Scores for work substantive complexity (SC) derived from the O*NET were imputed to maternal occupation for Connecticut singleton births in 2000. Risks for LBW were estimated separately for black, Hispanic, and white mothers using logistic regression controlling for maternal covariates.

Results

Using white mothers as a referent, working is …

White Matter Hyperintensities Predict Functional Decline In Voiding, Mobility And Cognition In Older Persons, Dorothy B. Wakefield, George A. Kuchel, Richard F. Kaplan, Leslie I. Wolfson

UCHC Articles - Research

Objective

To compare MRI data to functional assessments of mobility, urinary control, and cognition to determine common or distinctive features in the distribution of brain white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) associated with functional decline/impairment.

Design

Baseline data from subjects 75-89 years enrolled in a longitudinal study. Assessors and subjects were blinded to group assignment.

Participants

99 subjects were enrolled using a balanced 3×3 matrix stratified by age and mobility performance. Exclusion criteria included: medication, systemic conditions, and neurologic diseases which can compromise mobility.

Setting

Healthy community-dwelling volunteers.

Measurements

WMHs were identified using semi-automated segmentation method and regional burdens were assessed utilizing …

Stroke In Women: Disparities And Outcomes, Rebecca W. Persky, Lisa Christine Turtzo, Louise D. Mccullough

UCHC Articles - Research

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States and affects 15 million people worldwide. Studies performed in various parts of the world have found differences between sexes in stroke incidence, prevalence, mortality, and outcomes. Although men are at higher risk of stroke for most age groups below age 85 years, after this age the incidence reverses dramatically, with women being much more at risk. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that women have worse recovery than men post-stroke. Many aspects of recovery may influence this outcome, including sex-specific comorbidities, aggressiveness of acute treat-ment, prevention therapies, and varying degrees of …

Functional Polymorphisms In The Serotonin 1b Receptor Gene (Htr1b) Predict Self-Reported Anger And Hostility Among Young Men, Kevin P. Jensen, Henry M. Furneaux, Howard A. Tennen, Henry R. Kranzler, Jonathan Covault

UCHC Articles - Research

Objective To examine associations between haplotypes of the serotonin 1B receptor gene and individual differences in anger and hostility. Methods Data were analyzed from a study of 361 university students (47% male). Participants were genotyped at 5 polymorphisms in the HTR1B gene (rs11568817, rs130058, rs6296, rs6297, rs13212041), including promoter and 3′UTR polymorphisms with opposite functional effects on gene expression. Participants reported their emotional states across 30 consecutive days for up to four years. Haplotype pairs were constructed statistically and assigned to a level of HTR1B expression based on the presence of the functional polymorphisms. Results Six haplotypes accounted for >97% …