Diseases | Open Access Articles | Digital Commons Network™

Acute Neutrophilic Vasculitis (Leukocytoclasia) In 36 Covid-19 Autopsy Brains, Roy H. Rhodes, Gordon L. Love, Fernanda Da Silva Lameira, Maryam Sadough Shahmirzadi, Sharon E. Fox, Richard S. Vander Heide

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Hypercytokinemia, the renin-angiotensin system, hypoxia, immune dysregulation, and vasculopathy with evidence of immune-related damage are implicated in brain morbidity in COVID-19 along with a wide variety of genomic and environmental influences. There is relatively little evidence of direct SARS-CoV-2 brain infection in COVID-19 patients. Methods: Brain histopathology of 36 consecutive autopsies of patients who were RT-PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2 was studied along with findings from contemporary and pre-pandemic historical control groups. Immunostaining for serum and blood cell proteins and for complement components was employed. Microcirculatory wall complement deposition in the COVID-19 cohort was compared to historical control cases. Comparisons …

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Effectiveness Of A Bivalent Mrna Vaccine Dose Against Symptomatic Sars-Cov-2 Infection Among U.S. Healthcare Personnel, September 2022–May 2023, Ian D. Plumb, Melissa Briggs Hagen, Ryan Wiegand, Ghinwa Dumyati, Christopher Myers, Karisa K. Harland, Anusha Krishnadasan, Jade James Gist, Glen Abedi, Katherine E. Fleming-Dutra, Nora Chea, Jane E. Lee, Melissa Kellogg, Alexandra Edmundson, Amber Britton, Lucy E. Wilson, Sara A. Lovett, Valerie Ocampo, Tiffanie M. Markus, Howard A. Smithline, Peter C. Hou, Lilly C. Lee, William Mower, Fernand Rwamwejo, Mark T. Steele, Stephen C. Lim, Walter A. Schrading, Brian Chinnock

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Bivalent mRNA vaccines were recommended since September 2022. However, coverage with a recent vaccine dose has been limited, and there are few robust estimates of bivalent VE against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). We estimated VE of a bivalent mRNA vaccine dose against COVID-19 among eligible U.S. healthcare personnel who had previously received monovalent mRNA vaccine doses. Methods: We conducted a case-control study in 22 U.S. states, and enrolled healthcare personnel with COVID-19 (case-participants) or without COVID-19 (control-participants) during September 2022–May 2023. Participants were considered eligible for a bivalent mRNA dose if they had received 2–4 monovalent (ancestral-strain) mRNA vaccine …

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Unmet Needs And Coping Strategies Of Older Underserved Veterans During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Trenton M. Haltom, Joyce Tiong, Tracy L. Evans, Nipa Kamdar, Gala True, Mark E. Kunik

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on people with diabetes, a group with high morbidity and mortality. Factors like race, age, income, Veteran-status, and limited or interrupted resources early in the COVID-19 pandemic compounded risks for negative health outcomes. Our objective was to characterize the experiences and needs of under-resourced Veterans with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews (March through September 2021) with U.S. military Veterans with diabetes. Transcripts were analyzed using a team-based, iterative process of summarizing and coding to identify key themes. Participants included Veterans (n = 25) who …

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Nailfold Videocapillaroscopic Alterations As Markers Of Microangiopathy In Covid-19 Patients, Roberta Gualtierotti, Sharon E. Fox, Fernanda Da Silva Lameira, Andrea Giachi, Luca Valenti, Maria Orietta Borghi, Pier Luigi Meroni, Massimo Cugno, Flora Peyvandi

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Nailfold videocapillaroscopic alterations have been described in COVID-19, but their correlations with biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation and endothelial perturbation are still unclear, and no information is available on nailfold histopathology. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy was performed on fifteen patients with COVID-19 in Milan, Italy and the signs of microangiopathy were correlated with plasma biomarkers of inflammation (C reactive protein [CRP], ferritin), coagulation (D-dimer, fibrinogen), endothelial perturbation (Von Willebrand factor [VWF]) and angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]) along with genetic drivers of COVID-19 susceptibility. Histopathological analysis of autoptic nailfold excisions was performed on fifteen patients who died for COVID-19 in New Orleans, …

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Tocilizumab For Severe Covid-19 Infection And Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Adults And Children, Amber N. Edinoff, Edward Sanders Alpaugh, Olivia Newgaard, Irza Wajid, Rachel J. Klapper, Elyse M. Cornett, Adam M. Kaye, Praneet Iyer, Alan D. Kaye

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapidly emerged as a global pandemic, placing imminent stress and burden on healthcare resources and workers worldwide. Many patients who present with a severe COVID-19 infection are at high risk of developing severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), leading to a vast number of patients requiring mechanical ventilation and a high mortality rate. Similar to Middle East respiratory syndrome, COVID-19 demonstrates an initial viral replication phase that manifests as a variety of symptoms typically flu-like in nature, followed by a profound inflammatory response leading to rapid production of cytokines and uncontrolled inflammation. There have also been …

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Endogenous Mirna-Based Innate-Immunity Against Sars-Cov-2 Invasion Of The Brain, Walter J. Lukiw, Aileen I. Pogue

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, possesses an unusually large positive-sense, single-stranded viral RNA (ssvRNA) genome of about ~29,903 nucleotides (nt). In many respects, this ssvRNA resembles a very large, polycistronic messenger RNA (mRNA) possessing a 5′-methyl cap (m7GpppN), a 3′- and 5′-untranslated region (3′-UTR, 5′-UTR), and a poly-adenylated (poly-A+) tail. As such, the SARS-CoV-2 ssvRNA is susceptible to targeting by small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) and/or microRNA (miRNA), as well as neutralization and/or inhibition of its infectivity via the human body’s natural complement of about ~2650 miRNA species. Depending on host cell and tissue …

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Implementation Of Mrsa Nasal Swabs As An Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention To Decrease Anti-Mrsa Therapy In Covid-19 Infection, Alaina Dekerlegand, Emily Johnston, Britney Mellor, Melanie Rae Schrack, Catherine O’Neal

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

In the early stages of treating patients with SARS-CoV-2, limited information was available to guide antimicrobial stewardship interventions. The COVID-19 Task Force and Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, at a 988-bed academic medical center, implemented the use of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to assist with the de-escalation of anti-MRSA therapy in patients with suspected superimposed bacterial pneumonia in COVID-19. A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the impact of MRSA nasal swab PCR testing on the rate of anti-MRSA therapy between 13 April 2020 and 26 July 2020. A total of 122 patients were included …

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Microrna, The Innate-Immune System And Sars-Cov-2, James M. Hill, Walter J. Lukiw

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The single-stranded viral RNA (ssvRNA) known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 can be effectively inactivated by a number of natural ribonucleic acid-based host cell defenses. One of the most important of these defenses includes the actions of a class of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) known as microRNAs (miRNAs). Via base-pair complementarity miRNAs are capable of specifically targeting ssvRNA sequences such as SARS-CoV-2 promoting its inactivation and neutralization. RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicate that multiple naturally-occurring human miRNAs have extensive complementarity to the SARS-CoV-2 ssvRNA genome. Since miRNA abundance, speciation, and complexity vary significantly …

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Ulnar Nerve Palsy As Covid-19 Sequelae In 3 Patients, Cristina Terhoeve, Ryan Bliss, Rasheed Ahmad

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The pathophysiology and treatment of COVID-19 have been at the forefront of medical research this past year. While great strides have been made in our knowledge of the disease, there is still much that is unknown. More than one-third of patients with COVID-19 present with symptoms involving the nervous system. The reason for this is unclear, although several theories have been postulated. In this case study, we present 3 patients with severe ulnar nerve dysfunction following treatment for COVID-19 in the intensive care unit. We discuss reasons why this may have occurred, the etiology of which is likely multifactorial. We …

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Endocrine Significance Of Sars-Cov-2'S Reliance On Ace2, Eric Lazartigues, Mirza Muhammad Fahd Qadir, Franck Mauvais-Jarvis

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The current COVID-19 pandemic is the most disruptive event in the past 50 years, with a global impact on health care and world economies. It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a coronavirus that uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as an entry point to the cells. ACE2 is a transmembrane carboxypeptidase and member of the renin-angiotensin system. This mini-review summarizes the main findings regarding ACE2 expression and function in endocrine tissues. We discuss rapidly evolving knowledge on the potential role of ACE2 and SARS coronaviruses in endocrinology and the development of diabetes mellitus, hypogonadism, and pituitary and …

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Full-Text Articles in Diseases

Acute Neutrophilic Vasculitis (Leukocytoclasia) In 36 Covid-19 Autopsy Brains, Roy H. Rhodes, Gordon L. Love, Fernanda Da Silva Lameira, Maryam Sadough Shahmirzadi, Sharon E. Fox, Richard S. Vander Heide

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Unmet Needs And Coping Strategies Of Older Underserved Veterans During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Trenton M. Haltom, Joyce Tiong, Tracy L. Evans, Nipa Kamdar, Gala True, Mark E. Kunik

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Nailfold Videocapillaroscopic Alterations As Markers Of Microangiopathy In Covid-19 Patients, Roberta Gualtierotti, Sharon E. Fox, Fernanda Da Silva Lameira, Andrea Giachi, Luca Valenti, Maria Orietta Borghi, Pier Luigi Meroni, Massimo Cugno, Flora Peyvandi

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Tocilizumab For Severe Covid-19 Infection And Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Adults And Children, Amber N. Edinoff, Edward Sanders Alpaugh, Olivia Newgaard, Irza Wajid, Rachel J. Klapper, Elyse M. Cornett, Adam M. Kaye, Praneet Iyer, Alan D. Kaye

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Endogenous Mirna-Based Innate-Immunity Against Sars-Cov-2 Invasion Of The Brain, Walter J. Lukiw, Aileen I. Pogue

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Implementation Of Mrsa Nasal Swabs As An Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention To Decrease Anti-Mrsa Therapy In Covid-19 Infection, Alaina Dekerlegand, Emily Johnston, Britney Mellor, Melanie Rae Schrack, Catherine O’Neal

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Microrna, The Innate-Immune System And Sars-Cov-2, James M. Hill, Walter J. Lukiw

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Ulnar Nerve Palsy As Covid-19 Sequelae In 3 Patients, Cristina Terhoeve, Ryan Bliss, Rasheed Ahmad

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Endocrine Significance Of Sars-Cov-2'S Reliance On Ace2, Eric Lazartigues, Mirza Muhammad Fahd Qadir, Franck Mauvais-Jarvis

School of Medicine Faculty Publications