Diseases Commons^™

Micronutrient Supplementation In Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Examining Predictors And Outcomes Of Supplement Adherence, Kaila A. Stephens '13

Senior Theses

Objective: To summarize rates of supplement adherence in youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to identify predictors and outcomes of supplement adherence.

Methods: 49 adolescents (ages 11-18) participated. Youth completed six monthly assessments of adherence and supplement knowledge. Youth and parents completed questionnaires. Medical record reviews provided medical and laboratory data.

Results: Mean supplement adherence rates ranged from 32% to 44%. Predictors of supplement adherence included higher knowledge (for multivitamin, iron, and calcium adherence) higher family involvement (for iron and calcium adherence), and greater inflammation (via a hematological index) for multivitamin adherence. Few relationships between supplement adherence and inflammation ...

What Are The Risks Of Oral Contraceptives In Patients With Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors?, Kaitlin M. Love, Michelle D. Miller, Kenisha Pemberton, José E. Rodríguez Md

Family Medicine and Rural Health Faculty Publications

Women who smoke, have hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or factor V Leiden deficiency and take oral contraception (OC) are at increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Third-generation OCs and low-dose OCs are not associated with increased MI risk in women with or without other cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (SOR B, systematic review of cohort studies). OCs are contraindicated in women with preexisting congestive heart failure or CV disease, but may be used in otherwise healthy women with diabetes, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia (SOR C, evidence-based guidelines derived from consensus and expert opinion).

Should Coenzyme Q10 Be Used To Lower Blood Pressure In Asymptomatic Patients?, Daniella Barker, José E. Rodríguez Md

Family Medicine and Rural Health Faculty Publications

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures in patients with primary hypertension, but is not recommended as an antihypertensive treatment (SOR: C, systematic review of low-quality RCTs using disease-oriented outcomes).

Is Uterine Artery Embolization (Uae) Safe And Effective For Treatment Of Uterine Fibroids?, Laura Davis, Bridgette Provost, José E. Rodríguez Md

Family Medicine and Rural Health Faculty Publications

Compared with hysterectomy or myomectomy, UAE for treating fibroids results in similar patient satisfaction. UAE is associated with fewer blood transfusions, shorter hospital stays, and quicker resumption of normal activities than surgical treatment. However, patients undergoing UAE are more likely to require further intervention at 2 and 5 years and are more likely to have minor complications than patients treated surgically (SOR: A, systematic review of RCTs).

Multi-Modal Approach For Investigating Brain And Behavior Changes In An Animal Model Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Meghan E. Heffernan, Wei Huang, Kenneth M. Sicard, Bernt T. Bratane, Nanyin Zhang, Marc Fisher, Jean A. King, Elif M. Sikoglu

Psychiatry Publications and Presentations

Utilization of novel approaches in imaging modalities are needed for enhancing diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes of persons suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study explored the feasibility of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in conjunction with behavioral measures to target dynamic changes in specific neural circuitries in an animal model of traumatic brain injury. Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of two groups (traumatic brain injury / sham operation). TBI rats were subjected to the closed head injury (CHI) model. Any observable motor deficits and cognitive deficits associated with the injury were measured using Beam Walk and Morris ...

Expression Of Itgb8 In Epicardial Adipose Tissue Is Highly And Directly Correlated With The Severity Of Coronary Atherosclerosis, Nancy Lee, Sarah M. Nicoloro, Juerg R. Straubhaar, Melinda Darrigo, Stanley Tam, Michael P. Czech, Timothy P. Fitzgibbons

Senior Scholars Program

Background: In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been shown to express increased levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, MCP-1, TNFα) and decreased levels of anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective adipokines. However, it is not known whether or not inflammation in EAT is a primary cause or a secondary response to atherosclerosis. In order to better understand this pathophysiology, we tested the hypothesis that expression of certain genes in EAT would correlate with the degree of coronary atherosclerosis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in gene expression in epicardial ...

Improved Survival After Heart Failure: A Community-Based Perspective, Kristy T. Webster, Samuel W. Joffe, David D. Mcmanus, Michael S. Kiernan, Darleen M. Lessard, Jorge L. Yarzebski, Chad E. Darling, Joel M. Gore, Robert J. Goldberg

Senior Scholars Program

Background: Heart failure is a highly prevalent, morbid, and costly disease with a poor long-term prognosis. Evidence-based therapies utilized over the past 2 decades hold the promise of improved outcomes, yet few contemporary studies have examined survival trends in patients with acute heart failure.

Objectives: The primary objective of this population-based study was to describe trends in short and long-term survival in patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). A secondary objective was to examine patient characteristics associated with decreased long-term survival.

Methods and Results: We reviewed the medical records of 9,748 patients hospitalized with ADHF at all ...

Sp728: Hpv - What Teens Should Know, Barbara Bobbi Clarke, Laura L. Jones

Family

No abstract provided.

Sp526-A Do You Know How To Lower Your Risk For Cancer?, Bobbi P. Clarke

Health, and Fitness

No abstract provided.

Double Diabetes: The Search For A Treatment Paradigm In Children And Adolescents, Benjamin U. Nwosu

Endocrinology/Diabetes

Discusses double diabetes -- the coexistence of features of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in the same individual -- with a comprehensive discussion of the various aspects of this disorder and a focus on the search for a treatment paradigm in children and adolescents.

Association Of Acculturation And Country Of Origin With Self-Reported Hypertension And Diabetes In A Heterogeneous Hispanic Population, Fatima Rodriguez, Leroi S. Hicks, Lenny Lopez

Open Access Articles

BACKGROUND: Hispanics are the fasting growing population in the U.S. and disproportionately suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Little is known about the complex interplay between acculturation and chronic disease prevalence in the growing and increasingly diverse Hispanic population. We explored the association between diabetes and hypertension prevalence among distinct U.S. Hispanic subgroups by country of origin and by degree of acculturation.

METHODS: We examined the adult participants in the 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Using weighted logistic regression stratified by nativity, we measured the association between country of origin ...

Health Effects Of The Federal Bureau Of Prisons Tobacco Ban, Stephen A. Martin, Bartolome R. Celli, Joseph R. Difranza, Stephen J. Krinzman, Jennifer G. Clarke, Herbert Beam, Sandra Howard, Melissa Foster, Robert J. Goldberg

Open Access Articles

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in America, claiming 450,000 lives annually. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, caused by smoking in the vast majority of cases, became the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2008. The burden of asthma, often exacerbated by tobacco exposure, has widespread clinical and public health impact. Despite this considerable harm, we know relatively little about the natural history of lung disease and respiratory impairment in adults, especially after smoking cessation.

METHODS/DESIGN: Our paper describes the design and rationale for using the 2004 Federal Bureau of Prisons ...

Treatment Of Multiple System Atrophy Using Intravenous Immunoglobulin, Peter Novak, Arlene Williams, Paula D. Ravin, Omar Zurkiya, Amir Abduljalil, Vera Novak

Open Access Articles

BACKGROUND: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of unknown etiology, manifesting as combination of parkinsonism, cerebellar syndrome and dysautonomia. Disease-modifying therapies are unavailable. Activation of microglia and production of toxic cytokines suggest a role of neuroinflammation in MSA pathogenesis. This pilot clinical trial evaluated safety and tolerability of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in MSA.

METHODS: This was a single-arm interventional, single-center, open-label pilot study. Interventions included monthly infusions of the IVIG preparation Privigen(R), dose 0.4 gram/kg, for 6 months. Primary outcome measures evaluated safety and secondary outcome measures evaluated preliminary efficacy of IVIG. Unified MSA ...

Widespread Aggregation Of Mutant Vapb Associated With Als Does Not Cause Motor Neuron Degeneration Or Modulate Mutant Sod1 Aggregation And Toxicity In Mice, Linghua Qiu, Tao Qiao, Melissa Beers, Weijia Tan, Hongyan Wang, Bin Yang, Zuoshang Xu

Open Access Articles

BACKGROUND: A proline-to-serine substitution at position-56 (P56S) of vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B (VAPB) causes a form of dominantly inherited motor neuron disease (MND), including typical and atypical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a mild late-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). VAPB is an integral endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein and has been implicated in various cellular processes, including ER stress, the unfolded protein response (UPR) and Ca2+ homeostasis. However, it is unclear how the P56S mutation leads to neurodegeneration and muscle atrophy in patients. The formation of abnormal VAPB-positive inclusions by mutant VAPB suggests a possible toxic gain of function as ...

Characterization Of Differentiation And Prognostic Biomarkers On Cd8+ Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes In Metastatic Melanoma, Richard C. Wu

UT GSBS Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

CD8⁺ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) frequently infiltrate tumors, yet most melanoma patients fail to undergo tumor regression. We studied the differentiation of the CD8⁺ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) from 44 metastatic melanoma patients using known T-cell differentiation markers. We also compared CD8⁺ TIL against the T cells from matched melanoma patients’ peripheral blood. We discovered a novel subset of CD8⁺ TIL co-expressing early-differentiation markers, CD27, CD28, and a late/senescent CTL differentiation marker, CD57. This CD8⁺CD57⁺ TIL expressed a cytolytic enzyme, granzyme B (GB), yet did not express another cytolytic pore-forming molecule, perforin (Perf). In contrast, the CD8⁺CD57⁺ T ...

Stimulation Through Tlr4 Increases Fviii Inhibitor Formation In A Mouse Model Of Hemophilia A, Claire K. Holley

UT GSBS Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Hemophilia A is a clotting disorder caused by functional factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. About 25% of patients treated with therapeutic recombinant FVIII develop antibodies (inhibitors) that render subsequent FVIII treatments ineffective. The immune mechanisms of inhibitor formation are not entirely understood, but circumstantial evidence indicates a role for increased inflammatory response, possibly via stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), at the time of FVIII immunization. I hypothesized that stimulation through TLR4 in conjunction with FVIII treatments would increase the formation of FVIII inhibitors. To test this hypothesis, FVIII K.O. mice were injected with recombinant human FVIII with or without concomitant ...

Characterizing Stomatin-Like Protein 2 And Its Role In Neuron Survival, Lisa A. Foris

University of Western Ontario - Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Stomatin-like Protein 2 (SLP-2) has been identified as a stress-inducible transcript and has been shown to interact with and stabilize mitochondrial proteins. Since mitochondria are critical for neuronal function, we hypothesized that SLP-2 regulates neuron survival in response to stressful stimuli. A conditional SLP-2 knockout mouse (deletion) and the SN56 cell line (upregulation) were employed to study the role of SLP-2 in mitochondrial dynamics and neuron survival. SLP-2 deficient primary cortical neurons displayed significantly decreased levels of various mitochondrial respiratory chain proteins, indicating SLP-2 contributes to maintenance of mitochondrial membrane integrity. SLP-2 was up-regulated in response to oxidative stress and ...

Eastern Equine Encephalitis: An Assessment Of Vermont’S Treatment Plan And The Lack Of Preventative Treatment, Lauren E. Bierman

WAC Prize Winners

When an avian host and the Culiseta melanura mosquito meet in fresh water hardwood swamps, the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEE) is spread to the bird community. When that same bird is bitten by a mosquito that feeds on humans, such as the Aedes, Coquillettidia, and Culex species, the EEE virus has found its bridge vector. EEE is a rare disease in humans; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in 2010 that the virus affects an average of 6 people per year (Epidemiology & Geographic Distribution section, para 2). In 2010, blood collected from deer and moose tested ...

Cystic Fibrosis: Cftr, Complications, And Prospective Therapies, Rachel L. Rose

University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects

No abstract provided.

Internal Models Of Motor Control: Reach Adaptation And Task Autism, Laura Zuccaro

The Meducator

The internal models theory is one of many hypotheses that aim to explain the mechanism of motor control in humans. The theory proposes that the central nervous system (CNS) forms neural representations of the external world, which are used to predict and adjust movements.^1,2 Internal models have been well-studied, and this paper provides a general insight into the internal models theory before examining how subjects adapt during a reaching task.³ This reaching task, as explained via the internal models theory, will be compared between normal and disease states, specifically autism, a disorder of neural development. Through this ...