Digital Commons Network^™

Gene By Environment Interaction And Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease In Mexican American Patients With Depression, Khalid Sheikh, Vincent P. Diego, Sandra L. Laston, Eron G. Manusov, Sarah Williams-Blangero, John Blangero

Research Colloquium

Knowledge of genetic and environmental (G x E) interaction effects on metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of G x E interaction effects on MAFLD in Mexican Americans in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). The environment examined was depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). We examined potential G x E interaction in the phenotypic expression of MAFLD, including hepatic steatosis and hepatic fibrosis, using variance component models and likelihood-based statistical inference. Significant G x E interactions were identified for hepatic fibrosis x BDI-II. These findings provide …

Utility And Precision Evidence Of Technology In The Treatment Of Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review, Laura M Jacobsen, Jennifer L Sherr, Elizabeth Considine, Angela Chen, Sarah M Peeling, Margo Hulsmans, Sara Charleer, Marzhan Urazbayeva, Mustafa Tosur, Selma Alamarie, Maria J Redondo, Korey K Hood, Peter A Gottlieb, Pieter Gillard, Jessie J Wong, Irl B Hirsch, Richard E Pratley, Lori M Laffel, Chantal Mathieu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The greatest change in the treatment of people living with type 1 diabetes in the last decade has been the explosion of technology assisting in all aspects of diabetes therapy, from glucose monitoring to insulin delivery and decision making. As such, the aim of our systematic review was to assess the utility of these technologies as well as identify any precision medicine-directed findings to personalize care.

METHODS: Screening of 835 peer-reviewed articles was followed by systematic review of 70 of them (focusing on randomized trials and extension studies with ≥50 participants from the past 10 years).

RESULTS: We find …

Global Effect Of Modifiable Risk Factors On Cardiovascular Disease And Mortality, Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium, Christina Magnussen, Francisco M Ojeda, Darryl P Leong, Jesus Alegre-Diaz, Philippe Amouyel, Larissa Aviles-Santa, Dirk De Bacquer, Christie M Ballantyne, Antonio Bernabé-Ortiz, Martin Bobak, Hermann Brenner, Rodrigo M Carrillo-Larco, James De Lemos, Annette Dobson, Marcus Dörr, Chiara Donfrancesco, Wojciech Drygas, Robin P Dullaart, Gunnar Engström, Marco M Ferrario, Jean Ferrières, Giovanni De Gaetano, Uri Goldbourt, Clicerio Gonzalez, Guido Grassi, Allison M Hodge, Kristian Hveem, Licia Iacoviello, M Kamran Ikram, Vilma Irazola, Modou Jobe, Pekka Jousilahti, Pontiano Kaleebu, Maryam Kavousi, Frank Kee, Davood Khalili, Wolfgang Koenig, Anna Kontsevaya, Kari Kuulasmaa, Karl J Lackner, David M Leistner, Lars Lind, Allan Linneberg, Thiess Lorenz, Magnus Nakrem Lyngbakken, Reza Malekzadeh, Sofia Malyutina, Ellisiv B Mathiesen, Olle Melander, Andres Metspalu, J Jaime Miranda, Marie Moitry, Joseph Mugisha, Mahdi Nalini, Vijay Nambi, Toshiharu Ninomiya, Karen Oppermann, Eleonora D'Orsi, Andrzej Pająk, Luigi Palmieri, Demosthenes Panagiotakos, Arokiasamy Perianayagam, Annette Peters, Hossein Poustchi, Andrew M Prentice, Eva Prescott, Ulf Risérus, Veikko Salomaa, Susana Sans, Satoko Sakata, Ben Schöttker, Aletta E Schutte, Sadaf G Sepanlou, Sanjib Kumar Sharma, Jonathan E Shaw, Leon A Simons, Stefan Söderberg, Abdonas Tamosiunas, Barbara Thorand, Hugh Tunstall-Pedoe, Raphael Twerenbold, Diego Vanuzzo, Giovanni Veronesi, Julia Waibel, S Goya Wannamethee, Masafumi Watanabe, Philipp S Wild, Yao Yao, Yi Zeng, Andreas Ziegler, Stefan Blankenberg

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Five modifiable risk factors are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. The regional and sex-specific prevalence of these modifiable risk factors and their impact on CVD and all-cause mortality have not been evaluated using individual-level data.

METHODS: The Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium harmonized individual-level data from 112 cohort studies conducted in 34 countries and 8 geographic regions. Associations between body-mass index, systolic blood pressure, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes with incident CVD and all-cause mortality were examined using Cox regression analyses and stratified by geographic region, age and sex. Population-attributable fractions were estimated for 10-year incident …

The Effects Of Herbal Products In Cartilage Healing And Reducing The Progression Of Osteoarthritis, Mariya Baig, Mir Saleem

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) includes symptom management with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, and acetaminophen. However, these drugs pose health risks for long-term use, such as contraindications and gastrointestinal/cardiovascular issues. This systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate the impact of the herbal products, turmeric and ginger, in cartilage healing and reducing the progression of OA. It was found that turmeric and ginger can aid in symptom management for OA and promote cartilage regeneration, with turmeric extract yielding greater evidence-based results. Turmeric reduces the amount of pain and stiffness experienced from OA and can restore cartilage by subduing …

Chronic Kidney Disease Promotes Atrial Fibrillation Via Inflammasome Pathway Activation, Jia Song, Jose Alberto Navarro-Garcia, Jiao Wu, Arnela Saljic, Issam Abu-Taha, Luge Li, Satadru K Lahiri, Joshua A Keefe, Yuriana Aguilar-Sanchez, Oliver M Moore, Yue Yuan, Xiaolei Wang, Markus Kamler, William E Mitch, Gema Ruiz-Hurtado, Zhaoyong Hu, Sandhya S Thomas, Dobromir Dobrev, Xander Ht Wehrens, Na Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The mechanistic link between CKD and AF remains elusive. IL-1β, a main effector of NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, is a key modulator of conditions associated with inflammation, such as AF and CKD. Circulating IL-1β levels were elevated in patients with CKD who had AF (versus patients with CKD in sinus rhythm). Moreover, NLRP3 activity was enhanced in atria of patients with CKD. To elucidate the role of NLRP3/IL-1β signaling in the pathogenesis of CKD-induced AF, Nlrp3-/- and WT mice were subjected to …

Safety And Immunogenicity Of Live Viral Vaccines In A Multicenter Cohort Of Pediatric Transplant Recipients, Amy G Feldman, Brenda L Beaty, Jose A Ferrolino, Gabriela Maron, Hillary K Weidner, Saira A Ali, Leandra Bitterfeld, Mary Alice Boulware, Kathleen M Campbell, Emily Carr, Shelley Chapman, Yeh-Chung Chang, Ryan Cunningham, Ronald H Dallas, Keerti L Dantuluri, Bryanna N Domenick, Noelle H Ebel, Scott Elisofon, Rima Fawaz, Marc Foca, Hayley A Gans, Vani V Gopalareddy, Cindy Gu, Nitika A Gupta, Katherine Harmann, Jessica Hollenbeck, Anna R Huppler, Catalina Jaramillo, Nagraj Kasi, Nanda Kerkar, Stacee Lerret, Steven J Lobritto, Maclovio J Lopez, Elizabeth Marini, Alisha Mavis, Sonia Mehra, Lynnette Moats, Sindhu Mohandas, Flor M Munoz, Krupa R Mysore, Ceren Onsan, Nadia Ovchinsky, Kerrigan Perkins, Stacy Postma, Lauren Pratscher, Elizabeth B Rand, Regina K Rowe, Danielle Schultz, Katherine Sear, Megan L Sell, Tanvi Sharma, Janis Stoll, Mychoua Vang, Dominique Villarin, Carly Weaver, Phoebe Wood, Olivia Woodford-Berry, George Yanni, Lara A Danziger-Isakov

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Live vaccines (measles-mumps-rubella [MMR] and varicella-zoster virus [VZV]) have not been recommended after solid organ transplant due to concern for inciting vaccine strain infection in an immunocompromised host. However, the rates of measles, mumps, and varicella are rising nationally and internationally, leaving susceptible immunocompromised children at risk for life-threating conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety and immunogenicity of live vaccines in pediatric liver and kidney transplant recipients.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study included select pediatric liver and kidney transplant recipients who had not completed their primary MMR and VZV vaccine series and/or who displayed nonprotective serum antibody …

Using Noninvasive Calibrated Cuff Plethysmography To Observe The Effects Of Cold-Water Immersion On Arterial Compliance, Rita M. Grigorian

Master's Theses

As the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases continues to exponentially grow in populations across the globe, the necessity of determining underlying factors, effective methods of diagnoses, and universally available preventive measures also grows. Early detection of endothelial dysfunction, a proven precursor of cardiovascular diseases, can be extremely impactful in encouraging preventative measures and early intervention before medical conditions become chronic. In recent years, ice plunging, a form of cryotherapy involving full body immersion in cold water, has gained popularity within circles of fitness and health practitioners, gaining the interest of people of all backgrounds. Certain parallels observed between the human physiological …

Lowering Of Circulating Sclerostin May Increase Risk Of Atherosclerosis And Its Risk Factors: Evidence From A Genome-Wide Association Meta-Analysis Followed By Mendelian Randomization, Jie Zheng, Eleanor Wheeler, Maik Pietzner, Till F M Andlauer, Michelle S Yau, April E Hartley, Ben Michael Brumpton, Humaira Rasheed, John P Kemp, Monika Frysz, Jamie Robinson, Sjur Reppe, Vid Prijatelj, Kaare M Gautvik, Louise Falk, Winfried Maerz, Ingrid Gergei, Patricia A Peyser, Maryam Kavousi, Paul S De Vries, Clint L Miller, Maxime Bos, Sander W Van Der Laan, Rajeev Malhotra, Markus Herrmann, Hubert Scharnagl, Marcus Kleber, George Dedoussis, Eleftheria Zeggini, Maria Nethander, Claes Ohlsson, Mattias Lorentzon, Nick Wareham, Claudia Langenberg, Michael V Holmes, George Davey Smith, Jonathan H Tobias

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to establish the causal effects of lowering sclerostin, target of the antiosteoporosis drug romosozumab, on atherosclerosis and its risk factors.

METHODS: A genome-wide association study meta-analysis was performed of circulating sclerostin levels in 33,961 European individuals. Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to predict the causal effects of sclerostin lowering on 15 atherosclerosis-related diseases and risk factors.

RESULTS: We found that 18 conditionally independent variants were associated with circulating sclerostin. Of these, 1 cis signal in SOST and 3 trans signals in B4GALNT3, RIN3, and SERPINA1 regions showed directionally opposite signals for sclerostin levels and …

Metabolomic Signatures Of Sedentary Behavior And Cardiometabolic Traits In Us Hispanics/Latinos: Results From Hchs/Sol, Jee-Young Moon, Jin Choul Chai, Bing Yu, Rebecca J Song, Guo-Chong Chen, Mariaelisa Graff, Martha L Daviglus, Queenie Chan, Bharat Thyagarajan, Sheila F Castaneda, Megan L Grove, Jianwen Cai, Xiaonan Xue, Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Ramachandran S Vasan, Eric Boerwinkle, Robert C Kaplan, Qibin Qi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to understand the serum metabolomic signatures of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior, and further associate their metabolomic signatures with incident cardiometabolic diseases.

METHODS: This analysis included 2711 US Hispanics/Latinos from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) aged 18-74 yr (2008-2011). An untargeted, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to profile the serum metabolome. The associations of metabolites with accelerometer-measured MVPA and sedentary time were examined using survey linear regressions adjusting for covariates. The weighted correlation network analysis identified modules of correlated metabolites in relation to sedentary time, and the modules …

Climate Change, Malnutrition, And Hiv: The Impact Of Food Insecurity On Hiv Response In Sub-Saharan Africa, Olivia Walshak

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Climate change is a key driver of an unprecedented global food crisis, exacerbated by rising temperatures and the vulnerability of crop yields. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly susceptible, and case studies demonstrate the fragility of food systems in the region, leading to severe food insecurity and famine in the face of climate shocks.

There are a variety of health implications, particularly the syndemic relationship between malnutrition and HIV. HIV interacts bidirectionally with malnutrition, creating a vicious cycle of poor clinical outcomes. Expanding access to antiretroviral therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa is hindered by rampant food insecurity, including inadequate food intake, reduced dietary …

Circulating Short Chain Fatty Acids And Fatigue In Patients With Head And Neck Cancer: A Longitudinal Prospective Study, Canhua Xiao, Veronika Fedirko, Henry Claussen, H Richard Johnston, Gang Peng, Sudeshna Paul, Kristal M Maner-Smith, Kristin A Higgins, Dong M Shin, Nabil F Saba, Evanthia C Wommack, Deborah W Bruner, Andrew H Miller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Fatigue among patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) has been associated with higher inflammation. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between SCFAs and fatigue among patients with HNC undergoing treatment with radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy. Plasma SCFAs and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 were collected prior to and one month after the completion of treatment in 59 HNC patients. The genome-wide gene expression profile was obtained from blood leukocytes prior to treatment. Lower butyrate concentrations were significantly associated with higher fatigue (p = …

Unveiling Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Fractures And Related Complications In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Concise Review, Palanikumar Balasundaram, Michelle H Lucena, Lan Jiang, Suhas Nafday

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) have become popular over tunneled catheters in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) due to their ease of use and convenience. Although rare, a PICC fracture can be a severe and potentially fatal complication. This narrative review aims to identify factors predisposing neonates to PICC fracture and related complications, such as catheter jamming, and explore strategies for preventing and detecting this complication. A thorough search of PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted using relevant keywords to identify articles discussing PICC fracture in neonates. The review encompassed English-language literature on PICC fracture in neonates, with additional pertinent …

The Role Of Alcohol Extract Of Cranberry In Improving Serum Indices Of Experimental Metaproterenol-Induced Heart Damage In Rats, Kimia Salmasi, Ali Hassanpour, Bahram Amouoghli Tabrizi, Sina Moghaddam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cranberry offers numerous cardiovascular benefits. According to several studies, this fruit promotes the oxidation of low‐density lipoprotein, enhances high‐density lipoprotein, reduces platelet coagulation, and improves vascular activity. Albino male rats were divided into five groups (n = 5 per group). The control group received intraperitoneal administration of normal saline. The second group was injected with metaproterenol (MET) 3 days a week for 4 weeks. The third, fourth, and fifth groups were given cranberry extract in doses of 75, 100, and 150, respectively, along with heart‐damaging drugs. Blood samples were collected and sent to the laboratory on the fourth weekend …

Bioimpedance Analysis Predicts The Etiology Of Cirrhosis In A Prospective Cohort Study, Hashem B El-Serag, Ghida Akhdar, Aaron P Thrift, Michelle Luster, Saira Khaderi, Abeer Alsarraj, Hao Duong, Fasiha Kanwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing cirrhosis. However, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) may not be indicative of body composition parameters that predispose to cirrhosis. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) is a noninvasive cost-efficient method for more detailed estimation of body composition.

METHODS: We examined patients with cirrhosis who underwent BIA as part of enrollment into a prospective cohort study. We examined the correlation between BIA variables, BMI, and WHR. We performed sex-adjusted and race-adjusted and race-specific multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine the association between anthropometric variables and risk factors [NAFLD, alcohol-associated liver disease …

Plasma Amino Acid Signatures Define Types Of Pediatric Diabetes, Mustafa Tosur, Jean W Hsu, Saima Deen, Xiaofan Huang, Danielle Guffey, Serife Uysal, Marcela Astudillo, Maria J Redondo, Farook Jahoor, Ashok Balasubramanyam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Metabolic biomarkers with pathophysiological relevance is lacking in pediatric diabetes. We aimed to identify novel metabolic biomarkers in pediatric type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). We hypothesized that (1) targeted plasma metabolomics, focused on plasma amino acid concentrations, could identify distinctively altered patterns in children with T1D or T2D, and (2) there are specific changes in concentrations of metabolites related to branch chain amino acids (BCAA) and arginine metabolism in children with T2D.

METHODS: In a pilot study, we enrolled children with T1D (n = 15) and T2D (n = 13), and healthy controls (n …

Guidelines On Cholangioscopy For Indeterminate Biliary Strictures: One Step Closer To Consensus, Fares Ayoub, Mohamed O Othman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia – Associated Pulmonary Hypertension: An Updated Review, Ahmed El-Saie, Nidhy P Varghese, Melissa K Webb, Natalie Villafranco, Bheru Gandhi, Milenka Cuevas Guaman, Binoy Shivanna

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the leading cause of chronic lung disease in infants and the commonest complication of prematurity. Advances in respiratory and overall neonatal care have increased the survival of extremely low gestational age newborns, leading to the continued high incidence of BPD. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) represents the severe form of the pulmonary vascular disease associated with BPD, and affects almost one-third of infants with moderate to severe BPD. PH responds suboptimally to pulmonary vasodilators and increases morbidity and mortality in BPD infants. An up-to-date knowledge of the pathogenesis, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of BPD-PH can be helpful …

Second International Consensus Report On Gaps And Opportunities For The Clinical Translation Of Precision Diabetes Medicine, Deirdre K Tobias, Jordi Merino, Abrar Ahmad, Catherine Aiken, Jamie L Benham, Dhanasekaran Bodhini, Amy L Clark, Kevin Colclough, Rosa Corcoy, Sara J Cromer, Daisy Duan, Jamie L Felton, Ellen C Francis, Pieter Gillard, Véronique Gingras, Romy Gaillard, Eram Haider, Alice Hughes, Jennifer M Ikle, Laura M Jacobsen, Anna R Kahkoska, Jarno L T Kettunen, Raymond J Kreienkamp, Lee-Ling Lim, Jonna M E Männistö, Robert Massey, Niamh-Maire Mclennan, Rachel G Miller, Mario Luca Morieri, Jasper Most, Rochelle N Naylor, Bige Ozkan, Kashyap Amratlal Patel, Scott J Pilla, Katsiaryna Prystupa, Sridharan Raghavan, Mary R Rooney, Martin Schön, Zhila Semnani-Azad, Magdalena Sevilla-Gonzalez, Pernille Svalastoga, Wubet Worku Takele, Claudia Ha-Ting Tam, Anne Cathrine B Thuesen, Mustafa Tosur, Amelia S Wallace, Caroline C Wang, Jessie J Wong, Jennifer M Yamamoto, Katherine Young, Chloé Amouyal, Mette K Andersen, Maxine P Bonham, Mingling Chen, Feifei Cheng, Tinashe Chikowore, Sian C Chivers, Christoffer Clemmensen, Dana Dabelea, Adem Y Dawed, Aaron J Deutsch, Laura T Dickens, Linda A Dimeglio, Monika Dudenhöffer-Pfeifer, Carmella Evans-Molina, María Mercè Fernández-Balsells, Hugo Fitipaldi, Stephanie L Fitzpatrick, Stephen E Gitelman, Mark O Goodarzi, Jessica A Grieger, Marta Guasch-Ferré, Nahal Habibi, Torben Hansen, Chuiguo Huang, Arianna Harris-Kawano, Heba M Ismail, Benjamin Hoag, Randi K Johnson, Angus G Jones, Robert W Koivula, Aaron Leong, Gloria K W Leung, Ingrid M Libman, Kai Liu, S Alice Long, William L Lowe, Robert W Morton, Ayesha A Motala, Suna Onengut-Gumuscu, James S Pankow, Maleesa Pathirana, Sofia Pazmino, Dianna Perez, John R Petrie, Camille E Powe, Alejandra Quinteros, Rashmi Jain, Debashree Ray, Mathias Ried-Larsen, Zeb Saeed, Vanessa Santhakumar, Sarah Kanbour, Sudipa Sarkar, Gabriela S F Monaco, Denise M Scholtens, Elizabeth Selvin, Wayne Huey-Herng Sheu, Cate Speake, Maggie A Stanislawski, Nele Steenackers, Andrea K Steck, Norbert Stefan, Julie Støy, Rachael Taylor, Sok Cin Tye, Gebresilasea Gendisha Ukke, Marzhan Urazbayeva, Bart Van Der Schueren, Camille Vatier, John M Wentworth, Wesley Hannah, Sara L White, Gechang Yu, Yingchai Zhang, Shao J Zhou, Jacques Beltrand, Michel Polak, Ingvild Aukrust, Elisa De Franco, Sarah E Flanagan, Kristin A Maloney, Andrew Mcgovern, Janne Molnes, Mariam Nakabuye, Pål Rasmus Njølstad, Hugo Pomares-Millan, Michele Provenzano, Cécile Saint-Martin, Cuilin Zhang, Yeyi Zhu, Sungyoung Auh, Russell De Souza, Andrea J Fawcett, Chandra Gruber, Eskedar Getie Mekonnen, Emily Mixter, Diana Sherifali, Robert H Eckel, John J Nolan, Louis H Philipson, Rebecca J Brown, Liana K Billings, Kristen Boyle, Tina Costacou, John M Dennis, Jose C Florez, Anna L Gloyn, Maria F Gomez, Peter A Gottlieb, Siri Atma W Greeley, Kurt Griffin, Andrew T Hattersley, Irl B Hirsch, Marie-France Hivert, Korey K Hood, Jami L Josefson, Soo Heon Kwak, Lori M Laffel, Siew S Lim, Ruth J F Loos, Ronald C W Ma, Chantal Mathieu, Nestoras Mathioudakis, James B Meigs, Shivani Misra, Viswanathan Mohan, Rinki Murphy, Richard Oram, Katharine R Owen, Susan E Ozanne, Ewan R Pearson, Wei Perng, Toni I Pollin, Rodica Pop-Busui, Richard E Pratley, Leanne M Redman, Maria J Redondo, Rebecca M Reynolds, Robert K Semple, Jennifer L Sherr, Emily K Sims, Arianne Sweeting, Tiinamaija Tuomi, Miriam S Udler, Kimberly K Vesco, Tina Vilsbøll, Robert Wagner, Stephen S Rich, Paul W Franks

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Precision medicine is part of the logical evolution of contemporary evidence-based medicine that seeks to reduce errors and optimize outcomes when making medical decisions and health recommendations. Diabetes affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, many of whom will develop life-threatening complications and die prematurely. Precision medicine can potentially address this enormous problem by accounting for heterogeneity in the etiology, clinical presentation and pathogenesis of common forms of diabetes and risks of complications. This second international consensus report on precision diabetes medicine summarizes the findings from a systematic evidence review across the key pillars of precision medicine (prevention, diagnosis, treatment, …

Type 1 Diabetes Genetic Risk Score Differentiates Subgroups Of Ketosis-Prone Diabetes, Deborah Osafehinti, Surya N Mulukutla, Christiane S Hampe, Ruchi Gaba, Nalini Ram, Michael N Weedon, Richard A Oram, Ashok Balasubramanyam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether genetic risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D) differentiates the four Aβ subgroups of ketosis-prone diabetes (KPD), where A+ and A- define the presence or absence of islet autoantibodies and β+ and β- define the presence or absence of β-cell function.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We compared T1D genetic risk scores (GRS) of patients with KPD across subgroups, race/ethnicity, β-cell function, and glycemia.

RESULTS: Among 426 patients with KPD (54% Hispanic, 31% African American, 11% White), rank order of GRS was A+β- > A+β+ = A-β- > A-β+. GRS of A+β- KPD was lower than that of a T1D …

Fat Distribution And Differential Effects On Metabolic Liver Fat Infiltration In Young Mexicans In Reynosa, Mexico: A Collaborative Study Across The U.S.-Mexico Border, Esperanza Milagros Garcia-Oropesa, Adriana Leticia Perales-Torres, Estrella Martinez-Lopez, Claudia Munguia-Cisneros, Edna Nava-Gonzalez, Monserrat Perez-Navarro, Marisol Rosas-Diaz, Neyla Baltazar, Alvaro Diaz-Badillo, Octelina Castillo-Ruiz, Joselin Hernandez-Ruiz, Srinivas Mummidi, Laura Yanneth Ramirez-Quintanilla, Carlos Ramirez-Pfeiffer, Juan Carlos Lopez-Alvarenga

Research Symposium

Introduction: Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a descriptive term for NAFLD (Non-alcoholic) physiopathology associated with obesity. The age of onset linked to body fat distribution is poorly studied. Therefore, we aimed to assess the body fat effect on liver fat infiltration and stiffness (LSt) mediated by insulin resistance (IR).

Methods: After obtaining informed consent, five hundred freshmen from two universities in Reynosa, Mexico (UMAN & UAT) were enrolled in the study. They completed a questionnaire focused on familial cardiometabolic risk and provided anthropometric measurements. In a subset of N=200, we obtained blood samples for biochemical measurements, body fat percentage …

Vitamin D Deficiency Among Children And Adolescents Living In Sunny South Texas, Yoscelina E. Martinez-Lopez, Margarita Faz, Beatriz Tapia, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Francisco J. Cervantes

Research Symposium

Background: Exposure to sunlight is essential to produce Vitamin D (ViD). Recent studies suggest obesity is associated with low ViD concentration. Living in South Texas with 220 sunny days a year should be enough to maintain adequate ViD levels. We aimed to analyze ViD levels and obesity in children and adolescents.

Methods: We included 1239 pediatric (1.5 to 18.8 years old) participants (primary care clinic from Laredo) with registered CDC percentiles of BMI (pBMI) and serum concentrations of ViD (Atellica™). Data are described as median (p25, p75), Loess correlation between pBMI and ViD, ANCOVA to adjust by age, sex, and …

Vadadustat For Treatment Of Anemia In Patients With Dialysis-Dependent Chronic Kidney Disease Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis, Mark J Sarnak, Rajiv Agarwal, Neil Boudville, Pradip C P Chowdhury, Kai-Uwe Eckardt, Carlos R Gonzalez, Laura A Kooienga, Mark J Koury, Kwabena A Ntoso, Wenli Luo, Patrick S Parfrey, Dennis L Vargo, Wolfgang C Winkelmayer, Zhiqun Zhang, Glenn M Chertow

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors such as vadadustat may provide an oral alternative to injectable erythropoiesis-stimulating agents for treating anemia in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis. In two randomized (1:1), global, phase 3, open-label, sponsor-blind, parallel-group, active-controlled noninferiority trials in patients with dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (INNO2VATE), vadadustat was noninferior to darbepoetin alfa with respect to cardiovascular safety and hematological efficacy. Vadadustat's effects in patients receiving only peritoneal dialysis is unclear.

METHODS: We conducted a post hoc analysis of patients in the INNO2VATE trials receiving peritoneal dialysis at baseline. The prespecified primary safety endpoint was time to first major cardiovascular …

Insulin Resistance And Insulin Handling In Chronic Kidney Disease, Vishnu P Parvathareddy, Jiao Wu, Sandhya S Thomas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Insulin regulates energy metabolism involving multiple organ systems. Insulin resistance (IR) occurs when organs exhibit reduced insulin sensitivity, leading to difficulties in maintaining glucose homeostasis. IR ensures decades prior to development of overt diabetes and can cause silent metabolic derangements. IR is typically seen very early in the course of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is evident even when the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is within the normal range and IR persists at various stages of kidney disease. In this article, we will discuss insulin handling by the kidneys, mechanisms responsible for IR in CKD, measurements and management of …

Inhibition Of Trap1 Accelerates The Dna Damage Response, Activation Of The Heat Shock Response And Metabolic Reprogramming In Colon Cancer Cells, Nobel Bhasin, Prerna Dabral, Lakmini Senavirathna, Sheng Pan, Ru Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the major causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The tumor microenvironment plays a significant role in CRC development, progression and metastasis. Oxidative stress in the colon is a major etiological factor impacting tumor progression. Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1) is a mitochondrial member of the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) family that is involved in modulating apoptosis in colon cancer cells under oxidative stress. We undertook this study to provide mechanistic insight into the role of TRAP1 under oxidative stress in colon cells.

METHODS: We first assessed the The Cancer Genome Atlas …

Tailoring The Gut Microbiome Through Diet To Target Short Chain Fatty Acids And Trimethylamine N-Oxide For Heart Failure Prevention, Julia M. Gabel

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

The number of people diagnosed with heart failure is on the rise—it’s becoming an epidemic. There are treatment options available for heart failure, but unfortunately there is not a cure. However, most cases of heart failure can be prevented. One mechanism that provides promise for preventing heart failure is the implementation of a heart healthy diet. However, not in the context that most are familiar with. In this case, a heart healthy diet is in reference to the ability of diet to tailor the gut microbiome in order to target specific metabolites that are associated with heart failure. Diet plays …

Dispensing With Reductionism And Dualism: Biological Anthropological Perspectives Towards Understanding Disease, Epidemics, And Pandemics, Anne Grauer

Anthropology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

At no time in recent history has the topic of disease, epidemics and pandemics been more at the forefront of public conversation than it is now. Previously, the threat of epidemics such as Ebola, the 1918 influenza epidemic, and the plague, were commonly framed as “back then” or “over there.” Perhaps COVID ended the public's delusion. For biological anthropologists, however, the perspective has differed appreciably. Pandemics and epidemics are viewed as integral and repeated aspects of human existence, and the kindling to start an outbreak of gargantuan proportion has been delicately stacked for centuries (if not millennia). If the public …

Association Between Alcohol Consumption And Ectopic Fat In The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Richard Kazibwe, Parag A Chevli, Joni K Evans, Matthew Allison, Erin D Michos, Alexis C Wood, Jingzhong Ding, Michael D Shapiro, Morgana Mongraw-Chaffin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background The relationship between alcohol consumption and ectopic fat distribution, both known factors for cardiovascular disease, remains understudied. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association between alcohol consumption and ectopic adiposity in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results In this cross-sectional analysis, we categorized alcohol intake among participants in MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) as follows (drinks/day): <1 >(light drinking), 1 to 2 (moderate drinking), >2 (heavy drinking), former drinking, and lifetime abstention. Binge drinking was defined as consuming ≥5 drinks on 1 occasion in the past month. Visceral, subcutaneous, and intermuscular fat area, pericardial fat volume, and …

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages And Artificially Sweetened Beverages Consumption And The Risk Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver (Nafld) And Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (Nash), Tung Sung Tseng, Wei Ting Lin, Peng Sheng Ting, Chiung Kuei Huang, Po Hung Chen, Gabrielle V. Gonzalez, Hui Yi Lin

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are fast becoming the most common chronic liver disease and are often preventable with healthy dietary habits and weight management. Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is associated with obesity and NAFLD. However, the impact of different types of SSBs, including artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs), is not clear after controlling for total sugar intake and total caloric intake. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the consumption of different SSBs and the risk of NAFLD and NASH in US adults. The representativeness of 3739 US adults aged ≥20 years …

Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (Shbg) Mitigates Er Stress And Improves Viability And Insulin Sensitivity In Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (Asc) Of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (Ems)-Affected Horses, Nabila Bourebaba, Mateusz Sikora, Badr Qasem, Lynda Bourebaba, Krzysztof Marycz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), which encompasses insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation and predisposition to laminitis is a critical endocrine disorder among the most prevalent conditions affecting horses from different breeds. According to the most recent research, low human sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) serum levels correlate with an increased risk of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, and may contribute to overall metabolic dysregulations. This study aimed to test whether exogenous SHBG could protect EMS affected adipose-derived stromal stem cells (EqASC

METHODS: EqASC

RESULTS: Obtained data demonstrated that exogenous SHBG treatment significantly promoted ASCs cells proliferation, cell cycle and survival with reduced …

Design, Analysis, And Interpretation Of Treatment Response Heterogeneity In Personalized Nutrition And Obesity Treatment Research, Roger S. Zoh, Bridget H. Esteves, Xiaoxin Yu, Amanda J. Fairchild, Ana I. Vazquez, Andrew G. Chapple, Andrew W. Brown, Brandon George, Derek Gordon, Douglas Landsittel, Gary L. Gadbury, Greg Pavela, Gustavo De Los Campos, Luis M. Mestre, David B. Allison

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

It is increasingly assumed that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dietary recommendations for the management and treatment of chronic diseases such as obesity. This phenomenon that not all individuals respond uniformly to a given treatment has become an area of research interest given the rise of personalized and precision medicine. To conduct, interpret, and disseminate this research rigorously and with scientific accuracy, however, requires an understanding of treatment response heterogeneity. Here, we define treatment response heterogeneity as it relates to clinical trials, provide statistical guidance for measuring treatment response heterogeneity, and highlight study designs that can quantify treatment response …