Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Oncology Treatment Plan Updates In Epic-Beacon, Rose Dimarco, Pharmd, Bcps, Bcop, Gloria Espinosa, Mat, Pharmd, Bcop, Kelly Miskovsky, Pharmd, Bcop, Gina Hemmert, Pharmd

Kimmel Cancer Center Papers, Presentations, and Grand Rounds

Background

In Medical Oncology, the utilization of EPIC-Beacon Treatment Plans is integral for prescribing and administering cancer treatments. These treatment plans typically consist of anticancer infusion medications (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, etc.), supportive care medications, required laboratory orders, and other monitoring recommendations to ensure that patients receive safe and effective care. In 2017, TJUH transitioned from Varian’s Aria to EPIC’s electronic medical record system. Since then, there has not been a formal review of existing plans, and there are many inconsistencies between plans in different cancer types.

Problem Statement:

• Currently, there is not a formal process for review of existing treatment plans, …

Mcl-1 Mediates Intrinsic Resistance To Raf Inhibitors In Mutant Braf Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, Maria Cavallo, Jacob Yo, Kayla Gallant, Camille Cunanan, Amirali Amirfallah, Marzieh Daniali, Alyssa Sanders, Andrew Aplin, Edmund Pribitkin, Edward Hartsough

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most frequent form of thyroid cancer. PTC commonly presents with mutations of the serine/threonine kinase BRAF (BRAF^V600E), which drive ERK1/2 pathway activation to support growth and suppress apoptosis. PTC patients often undergo surgical resection; however, since the average age of PTC patients is under 50, adverse effects associated with prolonged maintenance therapy following total thyroidectomy are a concern. The development of mutant-selective BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi), like vemurafenib, has been efficacious in patients with metastatic melanoma, but the response rate is low for mutant BRAF PTC patients. Here, we assay the therapeutic response …

Discovery Of A Small-Molecule Inhibitor That Traps Polθ On Dna And Synergizes With Parp Inhibitors, William Fried, Mrityunjay Tyagi, Leonid Minakhin, Gurushankar Chandramouly, Taylor Tredinnick, Mercy Ramanjulu, William Auerbacher, Marissa L Calbert, Timur Rusanov, Trung Hoang, Nikita Borisonnik, Robert Betsch, John Krais, Yifan Wang, Umeshkumar Vekariya, John Gordon, George Morton, Tatiana Kent, Tomasz Skorski, Neil Johnson, Wayne Childers, Xiaojiang Chen, Richard Pomerantz

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

The DNA damage response (DDR) protein DNA Polymerase θ (Polθ) is synthetic lethal with homologous recombination (HR) factors and is therefore a promising drug target in BRCA1/2 mutant cancers. We discover an allosteric Polθ inhibitor (Polθi) class with 4-6 nM IC₅₀ that selectively kills HR-deficient cells and acts synergistically with PARP inhibitors (PARPi) in multiple genetic backgrounds. X-ray crystallography and biochemistry reveal that Polθi selectively inhibits Polθ polymerase (Polθ-pol) in the closed conformation on B-form DNA/DNA via an induced fit mechanism. In contrast, Polθi fails to inhibit Polθ-pol catalytic activity on A-form DNA/RNA in which the enzyme binds in …

Project Prevent: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Preoperative Vaginal Metronidazole To Decrease Patient Issues And Infections After Hysterectomy, Tana Pradhan, Helen Zhang, Amanda Kadesh, Ama Buskwofie, Sonali Patankar, Sharifa Menon, Timothy Ryntz, Cara Grimes

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if vaginal metronidazole for 5 days before hysterectomy decreases postoperative infections and patient issues.

DESIGN: This randomized trial compared vaginal metronidazole for 5 days before a scheduled hysterectomy to no intervention. Sample size calculation was based on a 20% difference in issues and infection (30% incidence and 10% in the intervention arm) with 80% power and an alpha error of 0.05 and indicated 62 subjects needed in each arm.

SETTING: Outpatient gynecology clinics at a single academic institution.

PARTICIPANTS: 154 subjects were screened for eligibility between July 2020 and September 2022. 133 underwent hysterectomy including 68 subjects …

Increased Cardiovascular Risk In Epilepsy, Mark Gaertner, Scott Mintzer, Christopher Degiorgio

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Epilepsy is associated with increased mortality. Cardiovascular disease confers a significant portion of this increased risk. Recently there is increased interest in the burden of cardiovascular mortality in people with epilepsy. This review discusses the most common cardiovascular risk factors and their association with epilepsy including obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemia related to the use of enzyme inducing anti-seizure medications is also discussed as a topic that is of particular importance to prescribers that have patients with comorbid cardiovascular risk and epilepsy. Heart rate variability (HRV) and its association with SUDEP is discussed as well as a contributor to …

Association Of Multiple Metabolic And Cardiovascular Markers With The Risk Of Cognitive Decline And Mortality In Adults With Alzheimer’S Disease And Ad-Related Dementia Or Cognitive Decline: A Prospective Cohort Study, Longjian Liu, Edward Gracely, Xiaopeng Zhao, Gediminas Gliebus, Nathalie May, Stella Volpe, Jingyi Shi, Rose Ann Dimaria-Ghalili, Howard Eisen

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There is a scarcity of data stemming from large-scale epidemiological longitudinal studies focusing on potentially preventable and controllable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementia (ADRD). This study aimed to examine the effect of multiple metabolic factors and cardiovascular disorders on the risk of cognitive decline and AD/ADRD.

METHODS: We analyzed a cohort of 6,440 participants aged 45-84 years at baseline. Multiple metabolic and cardiovascular disorder factors included the five components of the metabolic syndrome [waist circumference, high blood pressure (HBP), elevated glucose and triglyceride (TG) concentrations, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations], C-reactive …

The Design Of A Quality Improvement Dashboard For Monitoring Spinal Cord And Column Injuries, Zahra Azadmanjir, Mohsen Sadeghi-Naini, Mohammad Dashtkoohi, Maziar Moradi-Lakeh, Jalil Arabkheradmand, James Harrop, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Background: Interactive dashboards are a powerful tool for dynamic visualization and monitoring of patient performance and serve as a useful to for optimal decision-making. The National Spinal Column and Cord Injury Registry of Iran (NSCIR-IR) was designed to efficiently display and broadcast important patient care data. This has been achieved through an electronic dashboard display (graph and visual displays), rather than traditional static paper reports (text). Objectives: The objective of this study was to design and develop an electronic visual dashboard as a display system to monitor the quality of care in the NSCIR-IR collaborating centers. Methods: The indicators chosen …

Role Of Mechanoregulation In Mast Cell-Mediated Immune Inflammation Of The Smooth Muscle In The Pathophysiology Of Esophageal Motility Disorders, Raj Goyal, Satish Rattan

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Major esophageal disorders involve obstructive transport of bolus to the stomach, causing symptoms of dysphagia and impaired clearing of the refluxed gastric contents. These may occur due to mechanical constriction of the esophageal lumen or loss of relaxation associated with deglutitive inhibition, as in achalasia-like disorders. Recently, immune inflammation has been identified as an important cause of esophageal strictures and the loss of inhibitory neurotransmission. These disorders are also associated with smooth muscle hypertrophy and hypercontractility, whose cause is unknown. This review investigated immune inflammation in the causation of smooth muscle changes in obstructive esophageal bolus transport. Findings suggest that …

Delayed Onset Of Neonatal Compartment Syndrome Associated With Compound Fetal Presentation, Nicholas Manini, Hayato Unno

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Neonatal compartment syndrome, although rare, has a classic presentation with sentinel skin findings and development of swelling, erythema, and tenderness of the affected extremity. Neonatal compartment syndrome requires prompt surgical intervention to preserve the affected limb and ensure its normal growth and development. Our patient was born at term via vaginal delivery complicated by a compound presentation involving the left upper extremity. No physical exam abnormalities were noted at birth, but she developed signs of neonatal compartment syndrome by 15 h of life. She was surgically treated at 22 h of life and recovered well. At one year of age, …

Ic3d Classification Of Corneal Dystrophies-Edition 3, Jayne Weiss, Christopher Rapuano, Berthold Seitz, Massimo Busin, Tero Kivelä, Nacim Bouheraoua, Cecilie Bredrup, Ken Nischal, Harshvardhan Chawla, Vincent Borderie, Kenneth Kenyon, Eung Kweon Kim, Hans Ulrik Møller, Francis Munier, Tim Berger, Walter Lisch

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: The International Committee for the Classification of Corneal Dystrophies (IC3D) was created in 2005 to develop a new classification system integrating current information on phenotype, histopathology, and genetic analysis. This update is the third edition of the IC3D nomenclature.

METHODS: Peer-reviewed publications from 2014 to 2023 were evaluated. The new information was used to update the anatomic classification and each of the 22 standardized templates including the level of evidence for being a corneal dystrophy [from category 1 (most evidence) to category 4 (least evidence)].

RESULTS: Epithelial recurrent erosion dystrophies now include epithelial recurrent erosion dystrophy, category 1 ( …

Real World Clinical Experience Using Daily Intelligence-Assisted Online Adaptive Radiotherapy For Head And Neck Cancer, Philip Blumenfeld, Eduard Arbit, Robert Den, Ayman Salhab, Tal Falick Michaeli, Marc Wygoda, Yair Hillman, Raphael Pfeffer, Marcel Fang, Yael Misrati, Noam Weizman, Jon Feldman, Aron Popovtzer

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Cervical Pessary On Increasing Gestational Age At Delivery In Twin Pregnancies With Asymptomatic Short Cervix: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Amir Hossein Norooznezhad, Nikan Zargarzadeh, Ali Javinani, Seyedeh Maedeh Nabavian, Shohra Qaderi, Shayan Mostafaei, Vincenzo Berghella, Yinka Oyelese, Alireza A. Shamshirsaz

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of preterm delivery is much higher in twin pregnancies than in singletons and even higher if a short cervical length is detected in the second trimester. Studies are contradictory regarding the efficacy of a cervical pessary to decrease preterm birth in twin pregnancies and short cervical length. To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the efficacy of cervical pessary in prolonging gestation, preventing preterm birth, and reducing adverse neonatal outcomes in twin pregnancies with an asymptomatic short cervix.

DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.org were searched for randomized controlled trials from inception to …

The Psychological Burden Of Nmosd - A Mixed Method Study Of Patients And Caregivers, Darcy C. Esiason, Nicole Ciesinski, Chelsi N. Nurse, Wendy Erler, Tom Hattrich, Ankita Deshpande, C. Virginia O'Hayer

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system with common symptoms of rapid onset of eye pain, loss of vision, neck/back pain, paralysis, bowel and bladder dysfunction and heat sensitivity. The rare, unpredictable, and debilitating nature of NMOSD constitutes a unique psychological burden for patients and their caregivers, the specific nature and extent of which is not yet known. This mixed methods study, informed by both quantitative and qualitative data collected via self-report measures, focus groups, and in-depth interviews, aims to investigate and understand the psychological burden of patients with NMOSD and their caregiver/loved …

Non-Thermal Plasma Reduces Hsv-1 Infection Of And Replication In Hacat Keratinocytes In Vitro, Julia Sutter, Jascha Brettschneider, Brian Wigdahl, Peter Bruggeman, Fred Krebs, Vandana Miller

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a lifelong pathogen characterized by asymptomatic latent infection in the trigeminal ganglia (TG), with periodic outbreaks of cold sores caused by virus reactivation in the TG and subsequent replication in the oral mucosa. While antiviral therapies can provide relief from cold sores, they are unable to eliminate HSV-1. We provide experimental results that highlight non-thermal plasma (NTP) as a new alternative therapy for HSV-1 infection that would resolve cold sores faster and reduce the establishment of latent infection in the TG. Additionally, this study is the first to explore the use of NTP …

Sans-Cnn: An Automated Machine Learning Technique For Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome With Astronaut Imaging Data, Sharif Amit Kamran, Khondker Fariha Hossain, Joshua Ong, Nasif Zaman, Ethan Waisberg, Phani Paladugu, Andrew Lee, Alireza Tavakkoli

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) is one of the largest physiologic barriers to spaceflight and requires evaluation and mitigation for future planetary missions. As the spaceflight environment is a clinically limited environment, the purpose of this research is to provide automated, early detection and prognosis of SANS with a machine learning model trained and validated on astronaut SANS optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. In this study, we present a lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN) incorporating an EfficientNet encoder for detecting SANS from OCT images titled "SANS-CNN." We used 6303 OCT B-scan images for training/validation (80%/20% split) and 945 for testing …

S100a8/A9 As A Prognostic Biomarker With Causal Effects For Post-Acute Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure, Jie Ma, Yang Li, Ping Li, Xinying Yang, Shuolin Zhu, Ke Ma, Fei Gao, Hai Gao, Hui Zhang, Xin-Liang Ma, Jie Du, Yulin Li

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Heart failure is the prevalent complication of acute myocardial infarction. We aim to identify a biomarker for heart failure post-acute myocardial infarction. This observational study includes 1062 and 1043 patients with acute myocardial infarction in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively. The outcomes are in-hospital and long-term heart failure events. S100A8/A9 is screened out through proteomic analysis, and elevated circulating S100A8/A9 is independently associated with heart failure in discovery and validation cohorts. Furthermore, the predictive value of S100A8/A9 is superior to the traditional biomarkers, and the addition of S100A8/A9 improves the risk estimation using traditional risk factors. We finally report …

Novel Frameless Linac Radiosurgery Solution For Uveal Melanoma, Louis Cappelli, Mehak Khan, Sudheshna Vemula, Christina Hum, Haisong Lui, Yan Yu, Yingxuan Chen, Yechi Zhang, Muhammad Sharif, Wenyin Shi

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Radiation treatment has replaced enucleation as an organ-preservation treatment for patients with uveal melanoma (UM). We developed a novel non-invasive, frameless LINAC based solution for fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery (fSRS) treatment.

METHODS: We designed and constructed the a stereotactic ocular localization box that can be attached and indexed to a stereotactic LINAC tabletop. It contains adjustable LED lights as a gaze focus point and CCD camera for monitoring of the patient's eye position. The device also has 6 infrared spheres compatible with the ExacTRAC IGRT system. Treatment plans were developed using iPLAN Dose version 4.5, with conformal dynamic arcs and …

Temporal Considerations In Brain Metastases Radiation Therapy: The Intersection Of Chronobiology And Patient Profiles, Nicolas Nelson, Sara Burke, Louis Cappelli, Lauren Matlack, Alexandria Smith, Noelle Francois, Joseph Lombardo, Yash Shah, Kuang-Yi Wen, Ayesha A Shafi, Nicole Simone

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

The circadian system, a vital temporal regulator influencing physiological processes, has implications for cancer development and treatment response. Our study assessed circadian timing’s impact on whole-brain radiotherapy outcomes in brain metastases for personalized cancer therapy insights. The aim of the study was to evaluate circadian influence on radiation treatment timing and its correlation with clinical outcomes and to identify patient populations benefiting from interventions synchronizing circadian rhythms, considering subgroup differences and potential disparities. An IRB-approved retrospective analysis of 237 patients undergoing whole-brain radiotherapy for brain metastases (2017–2021), receiving over 80% of treatments in the morning or afternoon, was performed. Survival …

Design Of The Strive-Ipf Trial-Study Of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange, Rituximab, And Intravenous Immunoglobulin For Acute Exacerbations Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Tejaswini Kulkarni, Gerard Criner, Daniel Kass, Ivan Rosas, Mary Beth Scholand, Daniel Dilling, Ross Summer, Steven Duncan

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF) affect a significant proportion of patients with IPF. There are limited data to inform therapeutic strategies for AE-IPF, despite its high mortality. We discuss the rationale and design of STRIVE-IPF, a randomized, multi-center, open-label Phase IIb clinical trial to determine the efficacy of combined therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), rituximab, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), in comparison to treatment as usual (TAU), among patients with acute IPF exacerbations.

METHODS: The STRIVE-IPF trial will randomize 51 patients among five sites in the United States. The inclusion criteria have been designed to select a study population …

Antithrombotic Therapy In Cerebral Cavernous Malformations: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, And Network Meta-Analysis, Basel Musmar, Hamza Salim, Jihad Abdelgadir, Samantha Spellicy, Nimer Adeeb, Ali Zomorodi, Allan Friedman, Issam Awad, Pascal Jabbour, David Hasan

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Cerebral cavernous malformations are complex vascular anomalies in the central nervous system associated with a risk of intracranial hemorrhage. Traditional guidelines have been cautious about the use of antithrombotic therapy in this patient group, citing concerns about potential bleeding risk. However, recent research posits that antithrombotic therapy may actually be beneficial. This study aims to clarify the association between antithrombotic therapy, including antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications, and the risk of intracranial hemorrhage in patients with cerebral cavernous malformations.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, following Preferred Reporting Items …

Delayed Diagnosis Of Mycobacterium Bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Periprosthetic Joint Infection Following Total Knee Arthroplasty, Christopher E. Pelt, Salika Shakir, Michael J. Cahill, Jakrapun Pupaibool, Barbara C. Cahill

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) can present challenges in diagnosis and treatment, particularly in the setting of atypical causative organisms such as fungi and mycobacteria. Herein, we present a case and provide a review of the diagnosis and treatment of an unusual PJI caused by bacillus Calmette-Guérin, administered during the treatment of bladder cancer 3 years prior to total knee arthroplasty and subsequent PJI. Although the patient's history of bladder cancer was known, neither his Bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment nor its potential for distant site spread that could lead to PJI were appreciated, leading to a prolonged diagnostic evaluation and treatment course.

The Impact Of Robotic Assistance For Lumbar Fusion Surgery On 90-Day Surgical Outcomes And 1-Year Revisions, Jeremy Heard, Yunsoo Lee, Nicholas D D'Antonio, Rajkishen Narayanan, Mark Lambrechts, John Bodnar, Caroline Purtill, Joshua Pezzulo, Dominic Farronato, Pat Fitzgerald, Jose Canseco, Ian Kaye, Alan Hilibrand, Alex Vaccaro, Christopher Kepler, Gregory Schroeder

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Objectives: To evaluate the (1) 90-day surgical outcomes and (2) 1-year revision rate of robotic versus nonrobotic lumbar fusion surgery. Methods: Patients >18 years of age who underwent primary lumbar fusion surgery at our institution were identified and propensity-matched in a 1:1 fashion based on robotic assistance during surgery. Patient demographics, surgical characteristics, and surgical outcomes, including 90-day surgical complications and 1-year revisions, were collected. Multivariable regression analysis was performed. Significance was set to P < 0.05. Results: Four hundred and fifteen patients were identified as having robotic lumbar fusion and were matched to a control group. Bivariant analysis revealed no significant difference in total 90-day surgical complications (P = 0.193) or 1-year revisions (P = 0.178). The operative duration was longer in robotic surgery (287 + 123 vs. 205 + 88.3, P ≤ 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed that robotic fusion was not a significant predictor of 90-day surgical complications (odds ratio [OR] = 0.76 [0.32-1.67], P = 0.499) or 1-year revisions (OR = 0.58 [0.28-1.18], P = 0.142). Other variables identified as the positive predictors of 1-year revisions included levels fused (OR = 1.26 [1.08-1.48], P = 0.004) and current smokers (OR = 3.51 [1.46-8.15], P = 0.004). Conclusion: Our study suggests that robotic-assisted and nonrobotic-assisted lumbar fusions are associated with a similar risk of 90-day surgical complications and 1-year revision rates; however, robotic surgery does increase time under anesthesia.

Strabismus Management In Retinoblastoma Survivors, Babak Masoomian, Carol L. Shields, Hamid Riazi Esfahani, Atefeh Khalili, Fariba Ghassemi, Pukhraj Rishi, Mohammad Reza Akbari, Masoud Khorrami-Nejad

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To report the result of strabismus surgery in eye-salvaged retinoblastoma (Rb) patients.

METHODS: A retrospective case series including 18 patients with Rb and strabismus who underwent strabismus surgery after completing tumor treatment by a single pediatric ophthalmologist.

RESULTS: A total of 18 patients (10 females and 8 males) were included with a mean age of 13.3 ± 3.0 (range, 2-39) months at the time tumor presentation and 6.0 ± 1.5 (range, 4-9) years at the time of strabismus surgery. Ten (56%) patients had unilateral and 8(44%) had bilateral involvement and the most common worse eye tumor's group was D …

Microcurrent-Mediated Modulation Of Myofibroblasts For Cardiac Repair And Regeneration, Dipthi Bachamanda Somesh, Karsten Jürchott, Thomas Giesel, Thomas Töllner, Alexander Prehn, Jan-Peter Richters, Dragana Kosevic, J. Eduardo Rame, Peter Göttel, Johannes Müller

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Cardiovascular diseases are a significant cause of illness and death worldwide, often resulting in myofibroblast differentiation, pathological remodeling, and fibrosis, characterized by excessive extracellular matrix protein deposition. Treatment options for cardiac fibrosis that can effectively target myofibroblast activation and ECM deposition are limited, necessitating an unmet need for new therapeutic approaches. In recent years, microcurrent therapy has demonstrated promising therapeutic effects, showcasing its translational potential in cardiac care. This study therefore sought to investigate the effects of microcurrent therapy on cardiac myofibroblasts, aiming to unravel its potential as a treatment for cardiac fibrosis and heart failure. The experimental design involved …

Health Care Costs Among Patients With Hematologic Malignancies Receiving Allogeneic Transplants: A Us Payer Perspective, Richard Maziarz, Usama Gergis, Marie Louise Edwards, Yan Song, Qing Liu, Annika Anderson, James Signorovitch, Rocio Manghani, Ronit Simantov, Heayoung Shin, Smitha Sivaraman

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HCT) require extensive care. Using the Merative MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database (2016 Q1-2020 Q2), we quantified the costs of care and assessed real-world complication rates among commercially insured US patients diagnosed with a hematologic malignancy and aged between 12 and 64 years undergoing inpatient allo-HCT. Health care resource use and costs were assessed from 100 days before HCT to 100 days after HCT. Primary hospitalization was defined as the time from HCT until first discharge date. Incidence of complications was assessed using medical billing codes from HCT date to …

Safety And Tolerability Of Atogepant For The Preventive Treatment Of Migraine: A Post Hoc Analysis Of Pooled Data From Four Clinical Trials, Paul Rizzoli, Michael Marmura, Jennifer Robblee, Jennifer Mcvige, Sara Sacco, Stephanie Nahas, Jessica Ailani, Rosa De Abreu Ferreira, Julia Ma, Jonathan Smith, Brett Dabruzzo, Messoud Ashina

Department of Jefferson Headache Center papers and presentations

BACKGROUND: Conventional, non-specific preventive migraine treatments often demonstrate low rates of treatment persistence due to poor efficacy or tolerability. Effective, well-tolerated preventive treatments are needed to reduce migraine symptoms, improve function, and enhance quality of life. Atogepant is a migraine-specific oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist that is indicated for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults. This analysis evaluated the safety and tolerability profile of atogepant for the preventive treatment of migraine, including adverse events (AEs) of interest, such as constipation, nausea, hepatic safety, weight changes, and cardiac disorders.

METHODS: This post hoc analysis was performed using data pooled …

Nf-Κb As An Inducible Regulator Of Inflammation In The Central Nervous System, Sudha Anilkumar, Elizabeth Wright-Jin

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The NF-κB (nuclear factor K-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) transcription factor family is critical for modulating the immune proinflammatory response throughout the body. During the resting state, inactive NF-κB is sequestered by IκB in the cytoplasm. The proteasomal degradation of IκB activates NF-κB, mediating its translocation into the nucleus to act as a nuclear transcription factor in the upregulation of proinflammatory genes. Stimuli that initiate NF-κB activation are diverse but are canonically attributed to proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Downstream effects of NF-κB are cell type-specific and, in the majority of cases, result in the activation of pro-inflammatory cascades. Acting as …

Contemporary Approach To Narrow Angles, Wesam Shamseldin Shalaby, Rohit Reddy, Reza Razeghinejad, L. Jay Katz

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Among all glaucoma types, primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) affects approximately 23 million people worldwide, and is responsible for 50% of glaucoma-related blindness, highlighting the devastating consequences of this disease. The main mechanism of PACG is relative pupillary block. High-risk populations are female gender, Asian ethnicity, high hyperopia, short axial length, and a thick/anteriorly positioned lens. This review discusses the clinical diagnosis, classification, and management of patients with a narrow angle with and without intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation and glaucomatous optic nerve damage, including laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI), endocycloplasty (ECPL), lens …

Microvascular Vasoregulatory Dysfunction In African Americans - An Enhanced Opportunity For Early Prevention And Treatment Of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Renee Bullock-Palmer, Panithaya Chareonthaitawee, Ervin Fox, Garth Beache

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and its risk factors and precursors are a major driver of disparities in cardiovascular health. This review examines reported evidence that vascular endothelial dysfunction, and its manifestation as coronary microvascular dysfunction, underlies observed excess morbidity and mortality in African Americans. Advanced imaging insights that reveal patho-mechanisms, along with population evidence from the Jackson Heart Study, and the growing evidence emanating from national and international clinical trials and registries are presented. We examine a physiological framework that recognizes insulin-resistant cardiometabolic underpinnings of the conditions of the American Heart Associations' Life's Essential Eight construct of cardiovascular health as a …

Evaluation Of Perioperative Care And Drivers Of Cost In Geriatric Thoracolumbar Trauma, Omar Tarawneh, Rajkishen Narayanan, Michael Mccurdy, Tariq Issa, Yunsoo Lee, Olivia Opara, Nicholas Pohl, Alexa Tomlak, Matthew Sherman, Jose Canseco, Alan Hilibrand, Alex Vaccaro, Gregory Schroeder, Christopher Kepler

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: As the population of elderly patients continues to rise, the number of these individuals presenting with thoracolumbar trauma is expected to increase.

RESEARCH QUESTION: To investigate thoracolumbar fusion outcomes for patients with vertebral fractures as stratified by decade. Secondarily, we examined the variability of cost across age groups by identifying drivers of cost of care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We queried the United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample(NIS) for adult patients undergoing spinal fusion for thoracolumbar fractures between 2012 and 2017. Patients were stratified by decade 60-69(sexagenarians), 70-79(septuagenarians) and 80-89(octogenarians). Bivariable analysis followed by multivariable regression was performed to assess independent …