Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Blood Levels Of S-100 Calcium-Binding Protein B, High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, And Interleukin-6 For Changes In Depressive Symptom Severity After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Prospective Cohort Nested Within A Randomized, Controlled Trial, Daniel M. Pearlman, Jeremiah R. R. Brown, Todd A. Mackenzie, Felix Hernandez, Souhel Najjar

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Cross-sectional and retrospective studies have associated major depressive disorder with glial activation and injury as well as blood–brain barrier disruption, but these associations have not been assessed prospectively. Here, we aimed to determine the relationship between changes in depressive symptom severity and in blood levels of S-100 calcium- binding protein B (S-100B), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6 following an inflammatory challenge.

Methods: Fifty unselected participants were recruited from a randomized, controlled trial comparing coronary artery bypass grafting procedures performed with versus without cardiopulmonary bypass for the risk of neurocognitive decline. Depressive symptom severity was measured at baseline, discharge, and …

Role Of A Genetic Variant On The 15q25.1 Lung Cancer Susceptibility Locus In Smoking-Associated Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Xuemei Ji, Weidong Zhang, Jiang Gui, Xia Fan, Weiwei Zhang, Yafang Li, Guangyu An, Dakai Zhu, Qiang Hu

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: The 15q25.1 lung cancer susceptibility locus, containing CHRNA5, could modify lung cancer susceptibility and multiple smoking related phenotypes. However, no studies have investigated the association between CHRNA5 rs3841324, which has been proven to have the highest association with CHRNA5 mRNA expression, and the risk of other smoking-associated cancers, except lung cancer. In the current study we examined the association between rs3841324 and susceptibility to smoking-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: In this case-control study we genotyped the CHRNA5 rs3841324 polymorphism with 400 NPC cases and 491 healthy controls who were Han Chinese and frequency-matched by age (±5 years), gender, and …

Calcium Supplementation Increases Blood Creatinine Concentration In A Randomized Controlled Trial, Elizabeth L. L. Barry, Leila A. A. Mott, Michal L. L. Melamed, Judith R. Rees, Anastasia Ivanova, Robert S. Sandler, Dennis J. Ahnen, Robert S. Bresalier, Robert W. Summers, Roberd M. Bostick, John A. Baron

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Calcium supplements are widely used among older adults for osteoporosis prevention and treatment. However, their effect on creatinine levels and kidney function has not been well studied.

Methods: We investigated the effect of calcium supplementation on blood creatinine concentration in a randomized controlled trial of colorectal adenoma chemoprevention conducted between 2004–2013 at 11 clinical centers in the United States. Healthy participants (N=1,675) aged 45–75 with a history of colorectal adenoma were assigned to daily supplementation with calcium (1200 mg, as carbonate), vitamin D3 (1000 IU), both, or placebo for three or five years. Changes in blood creatinine and total …

Successful Mdr-Tb Treatment Regimens Including Amikacin Are Associated With High Rates Of Hearing Loss, Chawangwa Modongo, Rafal S. Sobota, Boikobo Kesenogile, Ronald Ncube

Dartmouth Scholarship

Aminoglycosides are a critical component of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatment but data on their efficacy and adverse effects in Botswana is scarce. We determined the effect of amikacin on treatment outcomes and development of hearing loss in MDR-TB patients. Patients started on MDR-TB treatment between 2006 and 2012 were included. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the effect of amikacin on treatment outcomes and development of hearing loss.

The Impact Of Waist Circumference On Function And Physical Activity In Older Adults: Longitudinal Observational Data From The Osteoarthritis Initiative, John A. Batsis, Alicia J. Zbehlik, Laura K. Barre, Todd A. Mackenzie, Stephen J. Bartels

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: We previously demonstrated that BMI is associated with functional decline and reduced quality of life. While BMI in older adults is fraught with challenges, waist circumference (WC) is a marker of visceral adiposity that can also predict mortality. However, its association with function and quality of life in older adults is not well understood and hence we sought to examine the impact of WC on six-year outcomes.

Methods: We identified adults aged ≥60 years from the longitudinal Osteoarthritis Initiative and stratified the cohort into quartiles based on WC. Our primary outcome measures of function at six year follow-up included: …

Human And Helicobacter Pylori Coevolution Shapes The Risk Of Gastric Disease, Nuri Kodaman, Alvaro Pazos, Barbara G. Schneider, M. Blanca Piazuelo, Robertino Mera, Rafal S. Sobota

Dartmouth Scholarship

Helicobacter pylori is the principal cause of gastric cancer, the second leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. However, H. pylori prevalence generally does not predict cancer incidence. To determine whether coevolution between host and pathogen influences disease risk, we examined the association between the severity of gastric lesions and patterns of genomic variation in matched human and H. pylori samples. Patients were recruited from two geographically distinct Colombian populations with significantly different incidences of gastric cancer, but virtually identical prevalence of H. pylori infection. All H. pylori isolates contained the genetic signatures of multiple ancestries, with an ancestral African cluster …