Digital Commons Network^™

Guidelines For Pre-Clinical Assessment Of The Acetylcholine Receptor-Specific Passive Transfer Myasthenia Gravis Model - Recommendations For Methods And Experimental Designs., Linda L. Kusner, Mario Losen, Angela Vincent, Jon Lindstrom, Socrates Tzartos, Konstantinos Lazaridis, Pilar Martinez-Martinez

Pharmacology and Physiology Faculty Publications

Antibodies against the muscle acetylcholine receptor (AChR) are the most common cause of myasthenia gravis (MG). Passive transfer of AChR antibodies from MG patients into animals reproduces key features of human disease, including antigenic modulation of the AChR, complement-mediated damage of the neuromuscular junction, and muscle weakness. Similarly, AChR antibodies generated by active immunization in experimental autoimmune MG models can subsequently be passively transferred to other animals and induce weakness. The passive transfer model is useful to test therapeutic strategies aimed at the effector mechanism of the autoantibodies. Here we summarize published and unpublished experience using the AChR passive transfer …

Brain Blast 2015 Speakers Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Poster from UNE's Brain Blast 2015 listing the expected presenters at this event.*

Clinical Outcomes Of Splenectomy In Children: Report Of The Splenectomy In Congenital Hemolytic Anemia Registry., Henry E. Rice, Brian R. Englum, Jennifer Rothman, Sarah Leonard, Audra Reiter, Courtney Thornburg, Mary Brindle, Nicola Wright, Matthew M. Heeney, Charles Smithers, Rebeccah L. Brown, Theodosia Kalfa, Jacob C. Langer, Michaela Cada, Keith T. Oldham, J Paul Scott, Shawn D. St Peter, Mukta Sharma, Andrew M. Davidoff, Kerri Nottage, Kathryn Bernabe, David B. Wilson, Sanjeev Dutta, Bertil Glader, Shelley E. Crary, Melvin S. Dassinger, Levette Dunbar, Saleem Islam, Manjusha Kumar, Fred Rescorla, Steve Bruch, Andrew Campbell, Mary Austin, Robert Sidonio, Martin L Blakely, Splenectomy In Congenital Hemolytic Anemia (Sicha) Consortium

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The outcomes of children with congenital hemolytic anemia (CHA) undergoing total splenectomy (TS) or partial splenectomy (PS) remain unclear. In this study, we collected data from 100 children with CHA who underwent TS or PS from 2005 to 2013 at 16 sites in the Splenectomy in Congenital Hemolytic Anemia (SICHA) consortium using a patient registry. We analyzed demographics and baseline clinical status, operative details, and outcomes at 4, 24, and 52 weeks after surgery. Results were summarized as hematologic outcomes, short-term adverse events (AEs) (≤30 days after surgery), and long-term AEs (31-365 days after surgery). For children with hereditary spherocytosis, …

Changes In Speckle Tracking Echocardiography Measures Of Ventricular Function After Percutaneous Implantation Of The Edwards Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve In The Pulmonary Position., Shahryar M. Chowdhury, Ziyad M. Hijazi, John F. Rhodes, Saibal Kar, Raj Makkar, Michael Mullen, Qi-Ling Cao, Lazar Mandinov, Jason Buckley, Nicholas P. Pietris, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Patients with free pulmonary regurgitation or mixed pulmonary stenosis and regurgitation and severely dilated right ventricles (RV) show little improvement in ventricular function after pulmonary valve replacement when assessed by traditional echocardiographic markers. We evaluated changes in right and left ventricular (LV) function using speckle tracking echocardiography in patients after SAPIEN transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) placement.

METHODS: Echocardiograms were evaluated at baseline, discharge, 1 and 6 months after TPV placement in 24 patients from 4 centers. Speckle tracking measures of function included peak longitudinal strain, strain rate, and early diastolic strain rate. RV fractional area change, tricuspid annular plane …

Sociocultural And Structural Factors Contributing To Delays In Treatment For Children With Severe Malaria: A Qualitative Study In Southwestern Uganda, Radhika Sundararajan, Juliet Mwanga-Amumpaire, Harriet Adrama, Jackline Tumuhairwe, Sheilla Mbabazi, Kenneth Mworozi, Ryan W. Carroll, David Bangsberg, Yap Boum Ii, Norma C. Ware

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Malaria is a leading cause of pediatric mortality, and Uganda has among the highest incidences in the world. Increased morbidity and mortality are associated with delays to care. This qualitative study sought to characterize barriers to prompt allopathic care for children hospitalized with severe malaria in the endemic region of southwestern Uganda. Minimally structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with guardians of children admitted to a regional hospital with severe malaria. Using an inductive and content analytic approach, transcripts were analyzed to identify and define categories that explain delayed care. These categories represented two broad themes: sociocultural and structural factors. Sociocultural …

Know Your Audience: Predictors Of Success For A Patient-Centered Texting App To Augment Linkage To Hiv Care In Rural Uganda, Mark J. Siedner, Data Santorino, Jessica E. Haberer, David Bangsberg

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Despite investments in infrastructure and evidence for high acceptability, few mHealth interventions have been implemented in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: We sought to (1) identify predictors of uptake of an mHealth application for a low-literacy population of people living with HIV (PLWH) in rural Uganda and (2) evaluate the efficacy of various short message service (SMS) text message formats to optimize the balance between confidentiality and accessibility.

Methods: The trial evaluated the efficacy of a SMS text messaging app to notify PLWH of their laboratory results and request return to care for those with abnormal test results. Participants with a …

Assessing Usual Care In Clinical Trials, Judith A. Erlen, Lisa K. Tamres, Nancy Reynolds, Carol E. Golin, Marc I. Rosen, Robert H. Remien, Julie W. Banderas, Neil Schneiderman, Glenn Wagner, David Bangsberg, Honghu Liu

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Researchers designing clinical trials often specify usual care received by participants as the control condition expecting that all participants receive usual care regardless of group assignment. The assumption is that the groups in the study are affected similarly. We describe the assessment of usual care within the 16 studies in MACH 14, a multi-site collaboration on adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Only five of the studies in MACH 14 assessed usual care. Assessment protocols varied as did the timing and frequency of assessments. All usual care assessments addressed patient education focused on HIV, HIV medications, and medication adherence. Our findings support …

Gait Mechanics In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease., Jennifer M. Yentes, Kendra Schmid, Daniel Blanke, Debra J. Romberger, Stephen I. Rennard, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by the frequent association of disease outside the lung. The objective of this study was to determine the presence of biomechanical gait abnormalities in COPD patients compared to healthy controls while well rested and without rest.

METHODS: Patients with COPD (N = 17) and aged-matched, healthy controls (N = 21) walked at their self-selected pace down a 10-meter walkway while biomechanical gait variables were collected. A one-minute rest was given between each of the five collected trials to prevent tiredness (REST condition). Patients with COPD then walked at a self-selected pace on …

Old Dog, New Tricks - Usefulness Of The Ecg In Monitoring Acute Rejection Post Cardiac Transplantation, Paul Anaya, Samy-Claude Elayi

The VAD Journal

Electrocardiographic abnormalities have been described in the setting of acute rejection following orthotopic cardiac transplantation. The following is a brief commentary related to an interesting case report by Goldraich et al. which was recently published in the VAD Journal.

‘None Of Us Are Free Until We Are All Free’: Science And Solidarity At The 10th Annual Huntington's Disease Therapeutic Conference, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Statin Use And Risk Of Haemorrhagic Stroke In A Community-Based Cohort Of Postmenopausal Women: An Observational Study From The Women's Health Initiative, Elena Salmoriago-Blotcher, Kathleen M. Hovey, Christopher A. Andrews, Jennifer G. Robinson, Karen C. Johnson, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Sybil Crawford, Lisa W. Martin, Judith Ockene, Joann E. Manson

Medicine Faculty Publications

Objectives To determine whether statin treatment is associated with increased risk of haemorrhagic stroke (HS) in older women. A secondary objective was to evaluate HS risk in users of combined statin and antiplatelet treatment.

Design Observational study: secondary data analysis from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trials.

Setting Women were recruited from 40 participating sites.

Participants Cohort of 68 132 women followed through 2005 (parent study) and for an additional 5 years in the extension study.

Main outcome measures Statin use was assessed at baseline and at follow-up visits (1, 3, 6 and 9 years). Women brought medications in …

‘Darkness Replaced By Hope And Light’: Taking Stock Of Huntington's Disease Research, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

West Nile Virus, Sarene Smith, Preston Still

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

West Nile is a virus which means that West Nile is not a living organism and the only goal the virus has is to reproduce. The virus does this by taking over a host cell, attaching itself to the host cell and takes the cellular machinery needed to replicate itself. Once the virus is done and leaves, the host cell can also be used to infect other cells; therefore spreading the virus throughout the organism. (Campbell, Marfin, Lanciotti & Gubler, 2002).

Chagas Disease: “The Kiss Of Death”, Jessica Rogers, Stacy Castro

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

Chagas disease is a vector transmitted disease also known as American trypanosomiasis. Chagas disease is classified as a protist or protozoa, which is a simplified version of ‘animal-like single celled organism that is like a multicellular organism’. This is because of the trypanosoma cruzi which is the protist itself (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2012). This disease’s life cycle is complicated. The trypanosoma cruzi changes forms in its life cycle as it travels from hosts. The disease is first transmitted by the vector as it takes a blood meal. This is where the disease then takes over the cells near …

What Is Dysentery?, Rory Malek, Zach Hutchens

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

Dysentery is a disease that affects the digestive system and has many grotesque symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting. Dysentery is considered more of a set of symptoms instead of an actual organism, but it is almost always caused by a bacterium.

Yellow Fever, Harrison Gibbs, Emma Ward

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

Yellow Fever is a disease that is most common in Africa and South America that causes severe discomfort and has a high mortality rate, of the estimated over 200,000 cases of Yellow Fever, 30,000 cases end in death. Since it is so dangerous, it is important to know how to prevent and treat it if someone ever wanted to travel to either of those places. The disease is relatively easy to avoid, all someone really need to do is avoid mosquitoes either by wearing protective clothing or by avoiding high density mosquito areas. If one were get Yellow Fever, they …

H1n1 Influenza Virus, Kail Consford, Drew Patel

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

On April 17, 2009, two patients in the United States were found with Swine-Origin Influenza A (H1N1) virus. This virus was spread to Mexico, Canada, and many other countries. From April 15 through May 5, a total of 642 confirmed cases of H1N1 infection were identified in 41 states. The ages of the patients were from 3 months to 81 years, and 60% of the patients were 18 or younger. Most of these patients recently came from either Mexico or even from school outbreaks. The most common symptoms were fever, cough, and a sore throat. The H1N1 was determined to …

Lyme Disease, Marin Olson Beal

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

When asked to think of headlining diseases, many would choose bubonic plague, smallpox, Ebola, or leprosy. However, Lyme disease makes up for more confirmed diagnostic cases in the United States than all the aforementioned diseases combined. In 2014 alone, in the United States, 119 diagnostic cases were confirmed of bubonic plague, smallpox, Ebola, and leprosy altogether, while there were over 25,000 confirmed cases of Lyme disease (CDC, 2015). More information is needed to understand Lyme disease and how to treat it, before any more lives are lost.

Smallpox Infectious Disease, Miranda Allbee, Brandon Smith

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

Smallpox is a disease similar to chicken pox, but not exactly the same. Smallpox is caused by a virus called Variola and is a member of the genus orthopoxvirus. The virus is a large brick shaped DNA virus. Smallpox spreads by direct, face to face contact with an infected person or by contact with infected body fluids or contaminated objects such as clothing. Smallpox is rarely spread through airborne transmission and is not known to be transmitted by animals or insects. The incubation period lasts from 7 to 17 days, during which infected individuals often show no symptoms and are …

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, Reuben Ninan

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

The Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne infectious viral disease in the family Bunyaviridae. The disease was first characterized in the Crimea in 1944 and given the name Crimean hemorrhagic fever. CCHF was then later recognized in 1969 as the cause of illness in the Congo, thus resulting in the current name of the disease. CCHF causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks (CDC, 2014).

The Bubonic Plague, Matthew Morin, Ashton Westbrook

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

The bubonic plague is a very serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The plague is a zoonotic disease, which means it is usually transmitted to humans by animals. It is commonly transmitted through the bites of infected fleas or coming in direct contact with infected animal tissue (Schoenstadt, 2006). The bacterium can be found in fleas or small rodents such as chipmunks, squirrels, rats, or prairie dogs. The symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, and hemorrhages under the skin causing discoloration, are very harsh and unpleasant. This disease is infectious and extremely severe, and it is deadly if …

Typhoid Fever, Christian Nicholas

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

Typhoid fever is a waterborne disease. There are a reported 16 million illnesses and 600,000 deaths annually (Crump, 2010). Most cases occur in developing countries; however, citizens of developed countries who visit developing ones are at risk of catching this disease (CDC, 2013). The disease is caused by Salmonella typhi, which infects the lymph nodes, necessary for immune response. Basic symptoms include a prolonged fever, interruptions in proper bowel function (constipation and diarrhea), severe cough, and in some cases, rose-colored spots on the patient. Salmonella typhi is a gram-negative bacteria that can only be carried by humans. There is also …

African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness), Pedro Garcia, Austin Burton

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

No abstract provided.

Dengue Fever, Ashley Hernandez, Chris Harkness

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

In recent years, the transmission of dengue fever has increased surprisingly fast and has become a major international public health concern. As of today this disease has mainly affected large countries and has become a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children in the certain areas. The amount of people that have got this infection has dramatically increase in recent decades. Over 40% of the world’s population are currently at risk of getting Dengue Fever. There is now an estimate of 50-100 million people that catch this disease every year (World Health Organization, 2002).

A Look Into Tuberculosis, Adrian Vega, Brennan Heath

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

Tuberculosis is a Mycobacterium which is a genus classified in the phylum Actinobacteria. This genus is known to cause diseases in mammals. Tuberculosis' scientific name is Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Robert Koch discovered pathogenic bacterial species discovered in 1882 by. M. tuberculosis has a waxy coating on the cell's surface which makes it unable to be Gram stained.(Brennan, 2003). Gram staining is a method to differentiate bacterial species into two groups. This bacterium is Gram-negative because the waxy coating will not absorb the stain. When M. tuberculosis is in the lungs it is engulfed by macrophages trying to eradicate the disease, but …

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (Ebolavirus), Katie Mckee, Maria Hernandez

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

Without treatment, the Ebola Virus (also known as hemorrhagic fever) has up to a 90% fatality rate. Understanding this disease could help save a person’s life, especially if that person has recently traveled to Africa.

Cholera Research Poster, James Sowards, Mac Duffield

Infectious Diseases Project 2015

Cholera kills 142,000 on average a year, each of these lives being equally important. In Haiti a huge outbreak of cholera occurred. So many people died it made the population unable to recover from such an epidemic. Cholera might not be as important to people that do not live near the area affected but it has changed the lives of many people around the world (WebMD LLC, 1994-2015).

Is 2015 The Primetime Year For Prehypertension? Prehypertension: A Cardiovascular Risk Factor Or Simply A Risk Marker?, Gabriel B. Habib, Salim S. Virani, Hani Jneid

Office of the Provost

No abstract provided.

Anti-Tumoral Effects Of Mir-3189-3p In Glioblastoma, Duane Jeansonne, Mariacristina Deluca, Luis Marrero, Adam Lassak, Marco Pacifici, Dorota Wyczechowska, Anna Wilk, Krzysztof Reiss, Francesca Peruzzi

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive brain tumors. We have previously found up-regulation of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) in glioblastoma cells treated with the anticancer agent fenofibrate. Sequence analysis of GDF15 revealed the presence of a microRNA, miR-3189, in the single intron. We then asked whether miR-3189 was expressed in clinical samples and whether it was functional in glioblastoma cells. We found that expression of miR-3189-3p was down-regulated in astrocytoma and glioblastoma clinical samples compared with control brain tissue. In vitro, the functionality of miR-3189-3p was tested by RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation, and miR-3189-3p coimmunoprecipitated with Argonaute 2 together …

Protein Composition And Movements Of Membrane Swellings Associated With Primary Cilia, Ashraf M. Mohieldin, Hanan S. Haymour, Shao T. Lo, Wissam A. Aboualaiwi, Kimberly F. Atkinson, Christopher J. Ward, Min Gao, Oliver Wessely, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Dysfunction of many ciliary proteins has been linked to a list of diseases, from cystic kidney to obesity and from hypertension to mental retardation. We previously proposed that primary cilia are unique communication organelles that function as microsensory compartments that house mechanosensory molecules. Here we report that primary cilia exhibit membrane swellings, which based on their unique ultrastructure and motility, could be mechanically regulated by fluid-shear stress. Together with the ultrastructure analysis of the bulb, which contains monosialodihexosylganglioside (GM3), our results show that ciliary membrane swelling has a distinctive set of functional proteins, including GM3 synthase (GM3S), bicaudal-c1 (Bicc1) and …