Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Predictors And Outcomes Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Bacteremia Among Patients With Hiv And Tuberculosis Co-Infection Enrolled In The Actg A5221 Stride Study., John A. Crump, Xingye Wu, Michelle A. Kendall, Prudence D. Ive, Johnstone J. Kumwenda, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Ute Jentsch, Susan Swindells

Journal Articles: Infectious Diseases

BACKGROUND: We evaluated predictors and outcomes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteremia among participants undergoing baseline mycobacterial blood culture in the ACTG A5221 STRIDE study, a randomized clinical trial comparing earlier with later ART among HIV-infected patients suspected of having tuberculosis with CD4-positive T-lymphocyte counts (CD4 counts)/mm(3). We conducted a secondary analysis comparing participants with respect to presence or absence of M. tuberculosis bacteremia.

METHODS: Participants with a baseline mycobacterial blood culture were compared with respect to the presence or absence of M. tuberculosis bacteremia. Baseline predictors of M. tuberculosis bacteremia were identified and participant outcomes were compared by mycobacteremia status.

RESULTS: …

Cohort Of Birth Modifies The Association Between Fto Genotype And Bmi, James Niels Rosenquist, Steven F. Lehrer, A. James O'Malley, Alan M. Zaslavsky, Jordan W. Smoller, Nicholas A. Christakis

Dartmouth Scholarship

A substantial body of research has explored the relative roles of genetic and environmental factors on phenotype expression in humans. Recent research has also sought to identify gene-environment (or g-by-e) interactions, with mixed success. One potential reason for these mixed results may relate to the fact that genetic effects might be modified by changes in the environment over time. For example, the noted rise of obesity in the United States in the latter part of the 20th century might reflect an interaction between genetic variation and changing environmental conditions that together affect the penetrance of genetic influences. To evaluate this …

Systems Level Analysis Of Systemic Sclerosis Shows A Network Of Immune And Profibrotic Pathways Connected With Genetic Polymorphisms, J. Matthew Mahoney, Jaclyn Taroni, Viktor Martyanov, Tammara A. A. Wood, Casey S. Greene, Patricia A. Pioli, Monique E. Hinchcliff, Michael L. Whitfield

Dartmouth Scholarship

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare systemic autoimmune disease characterized by skin and organ fibrosis. The pathogenesis of SSc and its progression are poorly understood. The SSc intrinsic gene expression subsets (inflammatory, fibroproliferative, normal-like, and limited) are observed in multiple clinical cohorts of patients with SSc. Analysis of longitudinal skin biopsies suggests that a patient's subset assignment is stable over 6-12 months. Genetically, SSc is multi-factorial with many genetic risk loci for SSc generally and for specific clinical manifestations. Here we identify the genes consistently associated with the intrinsic subsets across three independent cohorts, show the relationship between these genes …

Early Toxicity Predicts Long-Term Survival In High-Grade Glioma., Y. R. Lawrence, M Wang, Adam Dicker, David W Andrews, Walter J Curran, J M Michalski, L Souhami, W-Ka Yung, M Mehta

Yaacov R. Lawrence

BACKGROUND: Patients with high-grade gliomas are treated with surgery followed by chemoradiation. The risk factors and implications of neurological side effects are not known.

METHODS: Acute and late ≥ grade 3 neurological toxicities (NTs) were analysed among 2761 patients from 14 RTOG trials accrued from 1983 to 2003. The association between acute and late toxicity was analysed using a stepwise logistic regression model. The association between the occurrence of acute NT and survival was analysed as an independent variable.

RESULTS: There were 2610 analysable patients (86% glioblastoma, 10% anaplastic astrocytoma). All received a systemic agent during radiation (83% chemotherapy, 17% …

Splenic Infarction: An Update On William Osler's Observations., Yaacov R Lawrence, Ma Mbbs Mrcp, Russell Pokroy, Mb Bch, Daniel Berlowitz, Mb Bch, Dvora Aharoni, Md, Daniel Hain, Md, Gabriel S Breuer, Md

Yaacov R. Lawrence

BACKGROUND: Osler taught that splenic infarction presents with left upper abdominal quadrant pain, tenderness and swelling accompanied by a peritoneal friction rub. Splenic infarction is classically associated with bacterial endocarditis and sickle cell disease. OBJECTIVES: To describe the contemporary experience of splenic infarction. METHODS: We conducted a chart review of inpatients diagnosed with splenic infarction in a Jerusalem hospital between 1990 and 2003. RESULTS: We identified 26 cases with a mean age of 52 years. Common causes were hematologic malignancy (six cases) and intracardiac thrombus (five cases). Only three cases were associated with bacterial endocarditis. In 21 cases the splenic …

Factors Supporting And Inhibiting Adherence To Hiv Medication Regimen In Women: A Qualitative Analysis Of Patient Interviews., Oluwakemi Fagbami, Adetokunbo Oluwasanjo, Carrie Fitzpatrick, Rebecca Fairchild, Ann Shin, Anthony Donato

Reading Hospital Internal Medicine Residency

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy reduces morbidity and mortality; however rates of non-adherence are variable among women for unclear reasons. This study was a single-center qualitative analysis of interviews with 18 female HIV-positive non-adherent patients (defined by virologic failure) to explore psychosocial factors impacting adherence. Factors identified were categorized as promoting, inhibiting or having no effect on adherence. Three themes, characterized as social factors, illness factors and other societal pressures, were identified. Medical systems support, family support and compliance for children were most commonly identified as promoting adherence, while psychiatric comorbidities, lack of medical systems support and side effects were identified …

Does Motor Competence Affect Self-Perceptions Differently For Adolescent Males And Females?, Elizabeth Rose, Dawne Larkin, Helen Parker, Beth Hands

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Little is understood about the impact of level of motor competence on self-perceptions in adolescence, in particular how this may differentially affect girls and boys. A sample of 1,568 14-year-old participants (766 girls and 802 boys) were grouped into four motor competence levels (very low to high) based on the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND). Self-perceptions were assessed using the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Boys had higher self-perceptions of global self-worth, athletic competence, and physical appearance, whereas girls had higher scores for close friendships and behavioral conduct. Main effects in the predicted direction were found for motor competence for …

Clinical Significance Of A Point Mutation In Dna Polymerase Beta (Polb) Gene In Gastric Cancer., Xiaohui Tan, Hongyi Wang, Guangbin Luo, Shuyang Ren, Wenmei Li, Jiantao Cui, Harindarpal S. Gill, Sidney W. Fu, Youyong Lu

Medicine Faculty Publications

Gastric cancer (GC) is a major cause of global cancer mortality. Genetic variations in DNA repair genes can modulate DNA repair capability and, consequently, have been associated with risk of developing cancer. We have previously identified a T to C point mutation at nucleotide 889 (T889C) in DNA polymerase beta (POLB) gene, a key enzyme involved in base excision repair in primary GCs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mutation and expression of POLB in a larger cohort and to identify possible prognostic roles of the POLB alterations in GC. Primary GC specimens and their matched normal …

Cd8+ T-Cells Count In Acute Myocardial Infarction In Hiv Disease In A Predominantly Male Cohort., Oluwatosin A Badejo, Chung-Chou Chang, Kaku A So-Armah, Russell P Tracy, Jason V Baker, David Rimland, Adeel A Butt, Adam J Gordon, Charles R Rinaldo, Kevin Kraemer, Jeffrey H Samet, Hilary A Tindle, Matthew B Goetz, Maria C Rodriguez-Barradas, Roger Bedimo, Cynthia L Gibert, David A Leaf, Lewis H Kuller, Steven G Deeks, Amy C Justice, Matthew S Freiberg

Medicine Faculty Publications

Human Immunodeficiency Virus- (HIV-) infected persons have a higher risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) than HIV-uninfected persons. Earlier studies suggest that HIV viral load, CD4+ T-cell count, and antiretroviral therapy are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Whether CD8+ T-cell count is associated with CVD risk is not clear. We investigated the association between CD8+ T-cell count and incident AMI in a cohort of 73,398 people (of which 97.3% were men) enrolled in the U.S. Veterans Aging Cohort Study-Virtual Cohort (VACS-VC). Compared to uninfected people, HIV-infected people with high baseline CD8+ T-cell counts (>1065 cells/mm3) had increased AMI …

Stability Of Self-Referent Encoding Task Performance And Associations With Change In Depressive Symptoms From Early To Middle Childhood., Brandon L Goldstein, Elizabeth P Hayden, Daniel N Klein

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Depressed individuals exhibit memory biases on the self-referent encoding task (SRET), such that those with depression exhibit poorer recall of positive, and enhanced recall of negative, trait adjectives (referred to as positive and negative processing biases). However, it is unclear when SRET biases emerge, whether they are stable, and if biases predict, or are predicted by, depressive symptoms. To address this, a community sample of 434 children completed the SRET and a depressive symptoms measure at ages 6 and 9. Negative and positive processing exhibited low, but significant, stability. At ages 6 and 9, depressive symptoms correlated with higher negative, …

Functional Local Renin-Angiotensin System In Human And Rat Periodontal Tissue, Carlos Ferreira Santos, Ana Carolina Morandini, Thiago José Dionísio, Flávio A. Faria, Marta C. Lima, Caio M. Figueiredo, Bella L. Colombini-Ishikiriama, Carla Renata Sipert, Rubens P. Maciel, Ana P. Akashi, Gabriela P. Souza, Gustavo P. Garlet, Camila O. Rodini, Sandra L. Amaral, Christiane Becari, Maria C. Salgado, Eduardo B. Oliveira, Isaac Matus, Daniela N. Didier, Andrew S. Greene

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

The initiation or progression of periodontitis might involve a local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in periodontal tissue. The aim of this study was to further characterize the local RAS in human and rat periodontal tissues between healthy and periodontally-affected tissue. Components of the RAS were investigated using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo experiments involving both human and Wistar rat periodontium. Although not upregulated when challenged with P. gingivalis-lipopolysaccharide, human gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblasts expressed RAS components. Likewise, healthy and inflamed human gingiva expressed RAS components, some of which were shown to be functional, yet no differences in expression …

Risk Factors Of Myopic Shift Among Primary School Children In Beijing, China: A Prospective Study, L.-J. Wu, Y.-X. Yang, Q.-S. You, J.-L. Duan, Y.-X. Luo, L.-J. Liu, X. Li, Q. Gao, H.-P. Zhu, Y. He, L. Xu, M.-S. Song, J.B. Jonas, X.-H. Guo, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: To evaluate factors associated with myopic shift among primary school children. Methods: In a one-year prospective school-based study, 5052 children from ten schools were enrolled using a multi-stage random cluster approach. The baseline examination included non-cycloplegic auto-refractometry and questionnaire interview. Measurements were repeated at the follow-up. Results: Among 5052 students at baseline investigated, 4292 students (85.0%) returned for the follow-up examination. The mean refractive error (-1.13±1.57 diopters) had changed -0.52±0.73 diopters from the baseline to the follow-up examination. 2170 (51.0%) had a rate of significant myopic shift (significant myopic shift is defined as the change of spherical equivalent of …

Circulating Tumor Dna To Monitor Treatment Response And Detect Acquired Resistance In Patients With Metastatic Melanoma, Elin S. Gray, Helen Rizos, Anna L. Reid, Suzanah Boyd, Michelle Pereira, Johnny Lo, Varsha Tembe, James Freeman, Jenny Lee, Richard Scolyer, Kelvin Siew, Chris Lomma, Adam Cooper, Muhammad Khattak, Tarek Meniawy, Georgina Long, Matteo Carlino, Michael Millward, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Repeat tumor biopsies to study genomic changes during therapy are difficult, invasive and data are confounded by tumoral heterogeneity. The analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can provide a non-invasive approach to assess prognosis and the genetic evolution of tumors in response to therapy. Mutation-specific droplet digital PCR was used to measure plasma concentrations of oncogenic BRAF and NRAS variants in 48 patients with advanced metastatic melanoma prior to treatment with targeted therapies (vemurafenib, dabrafenib or dabrafenib/trametinib combination) or immunotherapies (ipilimumab, nivolumab or pembrolizumab). Baseline ctDNA levels were evaluated relative to treatment response and progression-free survival (PFS). Tumor-associated ctDNA was …

The Effect Of Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation On Brain Structure And Cognition In Huntington's Disease: An Exploratory Study, Travis M. Cruickshank, Jennifer A. Thompson, Juan F. Dominguez D, Alvaro P. Reyes, Mike Bynevelt, Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis, Roger A. Barker, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: There is a wealth of evidence detailing gray matter degeneration and loss of cognitive function over time in individuals with Huntington's disease (HD). Efforts to attenuate disease-related brain and cognitive changes have been unsuccessful to date. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation, comprising motor and cognitive intervention, has been shown to positively impact on functional capacity, depression, quality of life and some aspects of cognition in individuals with HD. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, whether multidisciplinary rehabilitation can slow further deterioration of disease-related brain changes and related cognitive deficits in individuals with manifest HD. Methods: Fifteen participants who …

Evaluation Of A Mobile Phone Image-Based Dietary Assessment Method In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Megan E. Rollo, Susan Ash, Philipa Lyons-Wall, Anthony W. Russell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Image-based dietary records have limited evidence evaluating their performance and use among adults with a chronic disease. This study evaluated the performance of a 3-day mobile phone image-based dietary record, the Nutricam Dietary Assessment Method (NuDAM), in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Criterion validity was determined by comparing energy intake (EI) with total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by the doubly-labelled water technique. Relative validity was established by comparison to a weighed food record (WFR). Inter-rater reliability was assessed by comparing estimates of intake from three dietitians. Ten adults (6 males, age: 61.2 ± 6.9 years old, BMI: 31.0 …

Acute Kidney Injury Risk Prediction In Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography In A National Veterans Health Administration Cohort With External Validation, Jeremiah R. Brown, Todd A. Mackenzie, Thomas M. Maddox, James Fly, Thomas T. Tsai, Mary E. Plomondon, Christopher D. Nielson, Edward D. Siew, Frederic S. Resnic, Clifton R. Baker, John S. Rumsfeld, Michael E. Matheny

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background:

Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs frequently after cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention. Although a clinical risk model exists for percutaneous coronary intervention, no models exist for both procedures, nor do existing models account for risk factors prior to the index admission. We aimed to develop such a model for use in prospective automated surveillance programs in the Veterans Health Administration.

Methods and Results:

We collected data on all patients undergoing cardiac catheterization or percutaneous coronary intervention in the Veterans Health Administration from January 01, 2009 to September 30, 2013, excluding patients with chronic dialysis, end‐stage renal disease, renal …

A Coding Variant In Tmc8 (Ever2) Is Associated With High Risk Hpv Infection And Head And Neck Cancer Risk, Caihua Liang, Karl T. Kelsey, Michael D. Mcclean, Brock C. Christensen, Carmen J. Marsit

Dartmouth Scholarship

HPV infection is a causal agent in many epithelial cancers, yet our understanding of genetic susceptibility to HPV infection and resultant cancer risk is limited. Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis is a rare condition of extreme susceptibility to cutaneous HPV infection primarily attributable to mutations in TMC6 and TMC8. Genetic variation in the TMC6/TMC8 region has been linked to beta-type HPV infection and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, cervical cancer, HPV persistence and progression to cervical cancer. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that the common TMC8 SNP rs7208422 is associated with high-risk HPV infection and risk of head and neck …

Reassessment Of Risk Genotypes (Grn, Tmem106b, And Abcc9 Variants) Associated With Hippocampal Sclerosis Of Aging Pathology, Peter T. Nelson, Wang-Xia Wang, Amanda B. Partch, Sarah E. Monsell, Otto Valladares, Sally R. Ellingson, Bernard R. Wilfred, Adam C. Naj, Li-San Wang, Walter A. Kukull, David W. Fardo

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging) is a common high-morbidity neurodegenerative condition in elderly persons. To understand the risk factors for HS-Aging, we analyzed data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium and correlated the data with clinical and pathologic information from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center database. Overall, 268 research volunteers with HS-Aging and 2,957 controls were included; detailed neuropathologic data were available for all. The study focused on single-nucleotide polymorphisms previously associated with HS-Aging risk: rs5848 ( GRN ), rs1990622 ( TMEM106B ), and rs704180 ( ABCC9 ). Analyses of a subsample that was not previously evaluated (51 HS-Aging cases …

Fusion Analysis Of First Episode Depression: Where Brain Shape Deformations Meet Local Composition Of Tissue., Mahdi Ramezani, Purang Abolmaesumi, Amir Tahmasebi, Rachael Bosma, Ryan Tong, Tom Hollenstein, Kate Harkness, Ingrid Johnsrude

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Computational neuroanatomical techniques that are used to evaluate the structural correlates of disorders in the brain typically measure regional differences in gray matter or white matter, or measure regional differences in the deformation fields required to warp individual datasets to a standard space. Our aim in this study was to combine measurements of regional tissue composition and of deformations in order to characterize a particular brain disorder (here, major depressive disorder). We use structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data from young adults in a first episode of depression, and from an age- and sex-matched group of non-depressed individuals, and create …

Deficits In Audiovisual Speech Perception In Normal Aging Emerge At The Level Of Whole-Word Recognition., Ryan A Stevenson, Caitlin E Nelms, Sarah H Baum, Lilia Zurkovsky, Morgan D Barense, Paul A Newhouse, Mark T Wallace

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Over the next 2 decades, a dramatic shift in the demographics of society will take place, with a rapid growth in the population of older adults. One of the most common complaints with healthy aging is a decreased ability to successfully perceive speech, particularly in noisy environments. In such noisy environments, the presence of visual speech cues (i.e., lip movements) provide striking benefits for speech perception and comprehension, but previous research suggests that older adults gain less from such audiovisual integration than their younger peers. To determine at what processing level these behavioral differences arise in healthy-aging populations, we administered …

Automatic Segmentation Of The Hippocampus For Preterm Neonates From Early-In-Life To Term-Equivalent Age., Ting Guo, Julie L Winterburn, Jon Pipitone, Emma G Duerden, Min Tae M Park, Vann Chau, Kenneth J Poskitt, Ruth E Grunau, Anne Synnes, Steven P Miller, M Mallar Chakravarty

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

INTRODUCTION: The hippocampus, a medial temporal lobe structure central to learning and memory, is particularly vulnerable in preterm-born neonates. To date, segmentation of the hippocampus for preterm-born neonates has not yet been performed early-in-life (shortly after birth when clinically stable). The present study focuses on the development and validation of an automatic segmentation protocol that is based on the MAGeT-Brain (Multiple Automatically Generated Templates) algorithm to delineate the hippocampi of preterm neonates on their brain MRIs acquired at not only term-equivalent age but also early-in-life.

METHODS: First, we present a three-step manual segmentation protocol to delineate the hippocampus for preterm …

Stratification Of The Impact Of Inappropriate Empirical Antimicrobial Therapy For Gram-Negative Bloodstream Infections By Predicted Prognosis, Sarah E. Cain, Joseph Kohn, P. Brandon Bookstaver, Helmut Albrecht, Majdi N. Al-Hasan

Faculty Publications

The bloodstream infection mortality risk score (BSIMRS) predicts the outcome of patients with Gram-negative bloodstream infections (BSI) with high discrimination. This retrospective cohort study examined the impact of inappropriate antimicrobial therapy on mortality in adult patients with Gram-negative BSI admitted to Palmetto Health Hospitals in Columbia, SC, USA, from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2012 after stratification by predicted prognosis at initial presentation using BSIMRS. A multivariate Cox regression model was used to identify independent risk factors for 28-day mortality overall and within each predefined BSIMRS category (<5, 5 to 9, and ≥10). Relative risk reduction (RRR), absolute risk reduction (ARR), and number needed to treat (NNT) were calculated from a predictive logistic regression model of mortality. Overall, 390 unique patients with first episodes of Gram-negative BSI were identified. The median age was 66 years, and 229 (59%) were women. There was significant association between inappropriate antimicrobial therapy and mortality in patients with BSIMRS of 5 to 9 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 3.55; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.22 to 8.31; P = 0.02) and BSIMRS of ≥10 (aHR, 4.99; 95% CI, 1.09 to 22.87; P = 0.04) but not in those with BSIMRS of <5 (aHR, 3.34; 95% CI, 0.17 to 22.77; P = 0.34). RRR, ARR, and NNT were 0.25, 0.02, and 63 for BSIMRS of <5; 0.56, 0.32, and 3 for BSIMRS of 5 to 9; and 0.39, 0.39, and 3 for BSIMRS of ≥10, respectively. There is a significant benefit from appropriate antimicrobial therapy in patients with Gram-negative BSI with guarded (BSIMRS of 5 to 9) and poor (BSIMRS of ≥10) predicted prognosis. Survival difference remains unclear among those with good predicted prognosis (BSIMRS of <5) at initial presentation.

Gene Expression Changes Reflect Clinical Response In A Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial Of Abatacept In Patients With Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis, Eliza F. Chakravarty, Viktor Martyanov, David Fiorentino, Tammara A. Wood, David J. Haddon, Justin A. Jarrell, Paul Utz, Mark Genovese, Michael Whitfield, Lorinda Chung

Dartmouth Scholarship

Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. We sought to assess the clinical and molecular effects associated with response to intravenous abatacept in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic.

The Interdependence Of Long And Short-Term Components In Unmasked Repetition Priming: An Indication Of Shared Resources, Matt R. Merema, Craig P. Speelman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

It has been suggested that unmasked repetition priming is composed of distinct long-and short-term priming components. The current study sought to clarify the relationship between these components by examining the relationship between them. A total of 60 people (45 females, 15 males) participated in a computer-based lexical decision task designed to measure levels of short-term priming across different levels of long-term priming. The results revealed an interdependent relationship between the two components, whereby an increase in long-term priming prompted a decrease in short-term priming. Both long-term and short-term priming were accurately captured by a single power function over seven minutes …

Amyloid-Related Memory Decline In Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease In Dependent On Apoe Ε4 And Is Detectable Over 18-Months, Christine Thai, Yen Ying Lim, Victor L. Villemagne, Simon Laws, David Ames, Kathryn A. Ellis, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Ralph Martins, Colin L. Masters, Christopher C. Rowe, Paul Maruff, Australian Imaging, Biomarkers And Lifestyle (Aibl) Research Group

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

High levels of β-amyloid (Aβ) in the brain and carriage of the APOE ε4 allele have each been linked to cognitive impairment in cognitively normal (CN) older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cerebral Aβ level, APOE ε4 carrier status, and cognitive decline over 18 monthes, in 317 cognitively healthy (CN) older adults (47% males, 52.4% females) aged between 60 and 89 years (Mean = 69.9, SC = 6.8). Cognition was assessed using the Cogstate Brief Battery (CBB) and the California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II). Planned comparisons indicated that CN older adults …

Follow-Up Plasma Apolipoprotein E Levels In The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers And Lifestyle Flagship Study Of Ageing (Aibl) Cohort, Veer B. Gupta, V.B, Andrea C. Wilson, Samantha Burnham, Eugene Hone, Steve Pedrini, Simon M. Laws, Wei L.F. Lim, Alan Rembach, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, David Ames, Lynne Cobiac, S L. Macaulay, Colin L. Masters, Christopher C. Rowe, Ashley I. Bush, Ralph Martins, Aibl Research Group

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a growing socioeconomic problem worldwide. Early diagnosis and prevention of this devastating disease have become a research priority. Consequently, the identification of clinically significant and sensitive blood biomarkers for its early detection is very important. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is a well-known and established genetic risk factor for late-onset AD; however, the impact of the protein level on AD risk is unclear. We assessed the utility of plasma ApoE protein as a potential biomarker of AD in the large, well-characterised Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of Ageing (AIBL) cohort. Methods: Total plasma ApoE levels were …

Support After Brain Tumor Means Different Things: Family Caregivers' Experiences Of Support And Relationship Changes, T. Ownsworth, E. Goadby, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Shorter hospital stays and greater emphasis on outpatient care means that family members have the primary responsibility for supporting a person with brain tumor to manage the physical, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional effects of the illness and its treatment. Given the integral role of family caregivers, it is essential to understand their experience of the impact of brain tumor and their own support needs. Accordingly, this qualitative study aimed to investigate family caregivers' experiences of support and relationship changes in the context of brain tumor. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 family caregivers (8 spouse/partner, 3 parents) of people with …

Effective, Clinically Feasible And Sustainable: Key Design Features Of Psycho-Educational And Supportive Care Interventions To Promote Individualised Self-Management In Cancer Care, P. Schofield, Suzanne Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

As the global burden of cancer increases healthcare services will face increasing challenges in meet the complex needs of these patients, their families and the communities in which they live. This raises the question of how to meet patient need where direct clinical contact may be constrained or not readily available. Patients and families require resources and skills to manage their illness outside of the hospital setting within their own communities. Aim. To propose a framework for the development and delivery of psycho-educational and supportive care interventions drawing on theoretical principles of behaviour change and evidence-based interventions, and based on …

Infant Feeding Practices Of Emirati Women In The Rapidly Developing City Of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Hazel Gardner, Katherine Green, Andrew Gardner

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Rapid economic and cultural transition in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been accompanied by new challenges to public health; most notably a rapid rise in chronic disease. Breastfeeding is known to improve health outcomes in adulthood, is associated with reduced risk of developing chronic disease, and is therefore an important public health issue for this rapidly increasing population. Factors associated with infant feeding practices were examined in a cohort of 125 Emirati women and their infants, with data collected at birth and 3, 6 and 15 months postpartum by questionnaires and interviews. Participants were recruited in the Corniche Hospital, …

Effects Of Ambient Coarse, Fine, And Ultrafine Particles And Their Biological Constituents On Systemic Biomarkers: A Controlled Human Exposure Study, Ling Liu, Bruce Urch, Raymond Poon, Mieczyslaw Szyszkowicz, Mary Speck, Diane R. Gold, Amanda J. Wheeler, James A. Scott, Jeffrey R. Brook, Peter S. Thorne, Frances S. Silverman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Ambient coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles have been associated with mortality and morbidity. Few studies have compared how various particle size fractions affect systemic biomarkers. Objectives: We examined changes of blood and urinary biomarkers following exposures to three particle sizes. Methods: Fifty healthy nonsmoking volunteers, mean age of 28 years, were exposed to coarse (2.5–10 μm; mean, 213 μg/m3) and fine (0.15–2.5 μm; mean, 238 μg/m3) concentrated ambient particles (CAPs), and filtered ambient and/or medical air. Twenty-five participants were exposed to ultrafine CAP (< 0.3 μm; mean, 136 μg/m3) and filtered medical air. Exposures lasted 130 min, separated by ≥ 2 weeks. Blood/urine samples were collected preexposure and 1 hr and 21 hr postexposure to determine blood interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (inflammation), endothelin-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; vascular mediators), and malondialdehyde (lipid peroxidation); as well as urinary VEGF, 8-hydroxy-deoxy-guanosine (DNA oxidation), and malondialdehyde. Mixed-model regressions assessed pre- and postexposure differences. results: One hour postexposure, for every 100-μg/m3 increase, coarse CAP was associated with increased blood VEGF (2.41 pg/mL; 95% CI: 0.41, 4.40) in models adjusted for O3, fine CAP with increased urinary malondialdehyde in single- (0.31 nmol/mg creatinine; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.60) and two-pollutant models, and ultrafine CAP with increased urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in single- (0.69 ng/mg creatinine; 95% CI: 0.09, 1.29) and two-pollutant models, lasting < 21 hr. Endotoxin was significantly associated with biomarker changes similar to those found with CAPs. conclusions: Ambient particles with various sizes/constituents may influence systemic biomarkers differently. Endotoxin in ambient particles may contribute to vascular mediator changes and oxidative stress.