Digital Commons Network^™

Hsp47 Promotes Cancer Metastasis By Enhancing Collagen-Dependent Cancer Cell-Platelet Interaction, Gaofeng Xiong, Jie Chen, Guoying Zhang, Shike Wang, Kunito Kawasaki, Jieqing Zhu, Yan Zhang, Kazuhiro Nagata, Zhenyu Li, Binhua P. Zhou, Ren Xu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Increased expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) suggests potential function of cancer cell-produced ECM in initiation of cancer cell colonization. Here, we showed that collagen and heat shock protein 47 (Hsp47), a chaperone facilitating collagen secretion and deposition, were highly expressed during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and in CTCs. Hsp47 expression induced mesenchymal phenotypes in mammary epithelial cells (MECs), enhanced platelet recruitment, and promoted lung retention and colonization of cancer cells. Platelet depletion in vivo abolished Hsp47-induced cancer cell retention in the lung, suggesting that Hsp47 promotes cancer cell colonization by enhancing cancer cell–platelet interaction. …

Cancer Rehabilitation Publications (2008–2018) With A Focus On Physical Function: A Scoping Review, Shana Harrington, Nicole L. Stout, Elizabeth Hile, Mary Insana Fisher, Melissa Eden, Victoria Marchese, Lucinda Pfalzer

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: Cancer rehabilitation research has accelerated over the last decade. However, closer examination of the published literature reveals that the majority of this work has focused on psychological interventions and cognitive and behavioral therapies. Recent initiatives have aggregated expert consensus around research priorities, highlighting a dearth in research regarding measurement of and interventions for physical function. Increasingly loud calls for the need to address the myriad of physical functional impairments that develop in people living with and beyond cancer have been published in the literature. A detailed survey of the landscape of published research has not been reported to our …

Mandatory And Permissive Reporting Laws: Obligations, Challenges, Moral Dilemmas, And Opportunities, Joel M. Geiderman, Catherine A. Marco

Emergency Medicine Faculty Publications

The duty to report certain conditions to public health or law enforcement authorities is one that falls on all physicians and other health care workers as part of their duty to protect the public from harm. In an open society, others, such as teachers, clergy, police officers, or simply neighbors, share the responsibility of protecting individuals at risk, often by reporting them to authorities. The emergency physician and others in the emergency department are uniquely positioned to identify people at risk or who pose a risk, and to report them as required or allowed under the law. In some circumstances, …

Functional And Clinical Outcomes Of Open Versus Closed Radius And Ulna Shaft Fractures In Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study, Tashfeen Ahmad, Zehra Abdul Muhammad, Pervaiz Hashmi

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Objective: To compare functional and clinical outcomes of open versus closed radius ulna shaft fractures in adults treated by internal fixation.
Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted on patients presenting with traumatic radius and ulna shaft fractures to Aga Khan University and undergoing internal fixation between July 2015 to June 2019. Data was extracted from an ongoing orthopaedic trauma registry. Functional and clinical outcomes were assessed by Price et al. criteria at 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up. Outcome scores of open versus closed fractures were compared.
Results: Twenty-nine adult patients with isolated radius and ulna shaft …

Comparison Of Intraarticular Distal Humerus Fracture Outcomes Treated With Or Without Olecranon Osteotomy - A Case Series, Naveed Baloch, Tashfeen Ahmad, Zehra Abdul Muhammad

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

A case series was extracted from the trauma registry at Aga Khan University Hospital from the period June 2015 to June 2019. Included were 16 adult patients who presented with intra-articular distal humerus fracture type C2. The functional, clinical and radiological outcomes of fractures treated with or without olecranon osteotomy up to 12 months follow-up were compared. Outcomes were assessed at 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months re-visits. Among the 16 studied patients, 9 (56%) were males and 7 (44%) were females. In the group without osteotomy, there was a good functional and clinical outcome with a mean Quick …

Patient Outcomes Association With Patient Factors And Care Provided: Trauma Registry Derived Cohort Study, Tashfeen Ahmad, Zehra Abdul Muhammad

Section of Orthopaedic Surgery

Objective: To determine the association of delay in treatment with injury-specific patient outcomes.
Methods: This was a single-center, longitudinal cohort study on orthopaedic trauma registry. Data on patients enrolled between June 2015 and June 2018 were analyzed. Data was collected from admitted consenting patients' medical records. Definitive surgical care provided after 24 hours was considered as 'delayed surgical treatment'. Outcomes of patients were serially assessed on follow-up visits up to 12 months using injury-specific scoring system.
Results: A total of 789 patients, were enrolled with 856 upper or lower extremity injuries altogether; in 67 cases both extremities were involved. Surgery …

Interview With Dr. Geoffrey Krampitz, Colin Yost

Gibbon Surgical Review

Geoffrey Krampitz, MD, PhD is a hepatopancreaticobiliary surgeon with an extensive background in surgical oncology, stem cell science, and cancer immunotherapy research who recently joined the faculty here at Thomas Jefferson University as an Assistant Professor of Surgery. After earning his BSE in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University and before starting medical training, Dr. Krampitz worked in consulting in the San Francisco Bay Area and eventually helped launch two internet startup companies in Silicon Valley. He then went to UC San Francisco for his Master’s degree, where he investigated the role of HIF1-alpha in stem cell differentiation. Dr. Krampitz …

Methylation Signatures In Peripheral Blood Are Associated With Marked Age Acceleration And Disease Progression In Patients With Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis., Michael Trauner, Yevgeniy Gindin, Zhaoshi Jiang, Chuhan Chung, G Mani Subramanian, Robert P Myers, Aliya Gulamhusein, Kris V Kowdley, Cynthia Levy, Zachary Goodman, Michael P Manns, Andrew J Muir, Christopher L Bowlus

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background & Aims: A DNA methylation (DNAm) signature derived from 353 CpG sites (the Horvath clock) has been proposed as an epigenetic measure of chronological and biological age. This epigenetic signature is accelerated in diverse tissue types in various disorders, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and is associated with mortality. Here, we assayed whole blood DNAm to explore age acceleration in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

Methods: Using the MethylationEPIC BeadChip (850K) array, DNAm signatures in whole blood were analyzed in 36 patients with PSC enrolled in a 96-week trial of simtuzumab (Ishak F0-1, n = 13; F5-6, n = 23). …

Age Of Acquisition Impacts The Brain Differently Depending On Neuroanatomical Metric, Hannah Claussenius-Kalman, Kelly A Vaughn, Pilar Archila-Suerte, Arturo E Hernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although researchers generally agree that a certain set of brain areas underlie bilingual language processing, there is discrepancy regarding what effect timing of language acquisition has on these regions. We aimed to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of age of acquisition (AoA), which has been examined previously, but with inconsistent results, likely influenced by methodological differences across studies. We analyzed gray matter density, volume, and thickness using whole-brain linear models in 334 bilinguals and monolinguals. Neuroanatomical correlates of AoA differed depending on gray matter metric. Relative to early bilinguals, late bilinguals had thicker cortex in language processing and cognitive control regions, …

Proton Pump Inhibitor Use Affects Pseudarthrosis Rates And Influences Patient-Reported Outcomes., John J. Mangan, Srikanth N. Divi, James Mckenzie, Justin D. Stull, William Conaway, David S. Casper, Dhruv K.C. Goyal, Kristen J. Nicholson, Matthew S. Galetta, Scott C. Wagner, I. David Kaye, Mark Kurd, Barrett I. Woods, Kristen E. Radcliff, Jeffrey A. Rihn, D. Greg Anderson, Alan S. Hilibrand, Alex R. Vaccaro, Gregory D. Schroeder, Christopher K. Kepler

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Study Design: Retrospective cohort review.

Objectives: Cervical pseudarthrosis is a frequent cause of need for revision anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and may lead to worse patient-reported outcomes. The effect of proton pump inhibitors on cervical fusion rates are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine if patients taking PPIs have higher rates of nonunion after ACDF.

Methods: A retrospective cohort review was performed to compare patients who were taking PPIs preoperatively with those not taking PPIs prior to ACDF. Patients younger than 18 years of age, those with less than 1-year follow-up, and those undergoing surgery …

Losartan Rescues Inflammation-Related Mucociliary Dysfunction In Relevant Models Of Cystic Fibrosis, Michael D Kim, Nathalie Baumlin, Makoto Yoshida, Deepika Polineni, Sebastian F Salathe, Joseph K David, Charles A Peloquin, Adam Wanner, John S Dennis, Juliette Sailland, Philip Whitney, Frank T Horrigan, Juan R Sabater, William M Abraham, Matthias Salathe

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rationale: Despite therapeutic progress in treating cystic fibrosis (CF) airway disease, airway inflammation with associated mucociliary dysfunction remains largely unaddressed. Inflammation reduces the activity of apically expressed large-conductance Ca²⁺-activated and voltage-dependent K⁺ (BK) channels, critical for mucociliary function in the absence of CFTR (CF transmembrane conductance regulator).

Objectives: To test losartan as an antiinflammatory therapy in CF using CF human bronchial epithelial cells and an ovine model of CF-like airway disease.

Methods: Losartan’s antiinflammatory effectiveness to rescue BK activity and thus mucociliary function was tested in vitro using primary, fully redifferentiated human airway epithelial cells homozygous for …

The Effectiveness Of A Mindfulness-Based Intervention: A Neuropsychological Perspective Using An Electroencephalography, Elizabeth Mary Grace

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in mindfulness-related techniques. The willingness to experience emotions fully, just as they are, is a catalyst for psychological change to occur. Mindfulness has been used to alleviate stress and promote healthy living (Lagopoulos et al., 2009). The clinical utility of mindfulness has grown exponentially; however, the neuropsychological process of mindfulness is still being understood. The present study sought to examine the influence of a brief mindfulness intervention on brain activation in college students. A sample (n = 17) of undergraduate participants were randomly assigned into a prepost mindfulness intervention or control …

Orthograde Apical Plug In A Traumatized Tooth With Necrotic Pulp And Immature Apex Using Calcium Silicate Cement: A Case Report, Shizrah Jamal, Fahad Umer

Section of Dental-Oral Maxillofacial Surgery

This case report describes dental management of a 15- year-old boy, undergoing treatment for Thalassaemia Major and Acute Myeloid Leukaemia with bone marrow transplant and immuno-suppressants. During the course of his treatment the patient developed a swelling in anterior maxilla and therefore was referred by the primary physician for evaluation. This case report highlights the management of medically compromised patients in a tertiary care hospital in which apexification was carried out in a permanent immature tooth utilizing MTA as an immediate apical plug.

Ultra-Fast Conductive Media For Rna Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assays., Samantha Z Brown, Lebaron C Agostini, Henry L Thomsett, Jonathan R Brody

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

The use of RNA electrophoretic mobility shift assays (REMSAs) for analysis of RNA-protein interactions have been limited to lengthy assay time and qualitative assessment. To vastly improve assay efficiency, feasibility and quality of data procured from REMSAs, we combine here some of the best-known labeling and electrophoretic techniques. Nucleic acid fragments are end-labeled with fluorescent tags, as opposed to the radioactive or biotin tags. The fluorescent probes may be detected directly from the electrophoresis gel, eliminating the need for cumbersome membrane transfer and immunoblotting. Modifying the REMSA protocol to include low-molarity, lithium borate conductive media and near-infrared-labeled probes allows for …

Conventional And Contemporary Approaches Of Splinting Traumatized Teeth: A Review Article, Shizrah Jamal, Momina Motiwala, Rabia Ghafoor

Section of Dental-Oral Maxillofacial Surgery

Trauma moves a tooth from its original position which needs to be repositioned for optimum healing and better outcomes. To stabilize the traumatically displaced teeth, splinting is specified as the gold standard. In this article we have discussed about various old and modern techniques based on the type of material to splint teeth with dentoalveolar trauma. As per recommendation of IADT, providing flexible splint is beneficial for good healing. A biologically favourable splint should not just be user friendly but also should be convenient in terms of removal. Every technique has its merits and demerits. Iatrogenic trauma to the teeth …

Whole Exome Sequencing Of Highly Aggregated Lung Cancer Families Reveals Linked Loci For Increased Cancer Risk On Chromosomes 12q, 7p, And 4q, Anthony M Musolf, Bilal A Moiz, Haiming Sun, Claudio W Pikielny, Yohan Bossé, Diptasri Mandal, Mariza De Andrade, Colette Gaba, Ping Yang, Yafang Li, Ming You, Ramaswamy Govindan, Richard K Wilson, Elena Y Kupert, Marshall W Anderson, Ann G Schwartz, Susan M Pinney, Christopher I Amos, Joan E Bailey-Wilson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer in the United States. In addition to environmental factors, lung cancer has genetic risk factors as well, though the genetic etiology is still not well understood. We have performed whole exome sequencing on 262 individuals from 28 extended families with a family history of lung cancer.

METHODS: Parametric genetic linkage analysis was performed on these samples using two distinct analyses-the lung cancer only (LCO) analysis, where only patients with lung cancer were coded as affected, and the all aggregated cancers (AAC) analysis, where other cancers seen in the pedigree were …

Tumor Slice Culture As A Biologic Surrogate Of Human Cancer., Heidi L Kenerson, Kevin M Sullivan, Yongwoo D Seo, Kathryn M Stadeli, Cigdem Ussakli, Xiaowei Yan, Christopher G Lausted, Venu G Pillarisetty, James O Park, Kimberly J Riehle, Matthew Yeh, Qiang Tian, Raymond S Yeung

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: The tumor microenvironment (TME) is critical to every aspect of cancer biology. Organotypic tumor slice cultures (TSCs) preserve the original TME and have demonstrated utility in predicting drug sensitivity, but the association between clinicopathologic parameters and

Methods: One hundred and eight fresh tumor specimens from liver resections at a tertiary academic center were procured and precisely cut with a Vibratome to create 250 μm × 6 mm slices. These fixed-dimension TSCs were grown on polytetrafluoroethylene inserts, and their metabolic activities were determined by a colorimetric assay. Correlation between baseline activities and clinicopathologic parameters was assessed. Tissue CEA mRNA expression …

Color-Based Template Selection For Detection Of Gastric Abnormalities In Video Endoscopy, Hussam Ali, Muhammad Sharif, Mussarat Yasmin, Mubashir Husain Rehmani

Publications

Computer-aided diagnosis of gastric diseases from endoscopy frames is an important task. It facilitates both the patient and gastroenterologist in terms of time, money and most important health. Colors are the basic visual features of endoscopic images and also provide clues about abnormal regions in endoscopy frames. A variety of color spaces available for representation of color frames. However, we are not certain about which color space is more suitable for representing color features of gastric images. This paper presents a comparison of color features in different color spaces for detection of abnormal areas in chromoendoscopy (CH) frames. In addition, …

Lung Metastasis Postradioembolization Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Tumor In Vein, Harit Kapoor, Sreeja Sanampudi, Joseph W. Owen, Driss Raissi

Radiology Faculty Publications

Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is one of the few treatment options available for infiltrative hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor in vein. This is backed by the published data showing marginally favorable toxicity profile compared with other locoregional and systemic therapies. Although lung shunt fraction studies are performed to prevent radiation injury to the lungs, TARE-induced embolization/metastasis to the lungs has not been reported before. We report an intriguing case of new lung metastases within 1 month after TARE for infiltrative hepatocellular carcinoma with a tumor in the vein, with only a slightly elevated but acceptable lung shunt fraction. This report brings to …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Ceus Li-Rads For The Characterization Of Liver Nodules 20 Mm Or Smaller In Patients At Risk For Hepatocellular Carcinoma., Jia-Yan Huang, Jia-Wu Li, Qiang Lu, Yan Luo, Ling Lin, Yu-Jun Shi, Tao Li, Ji-Bin Liu, Andrej Lyshchik

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Background: American College of Radiology contrast agent–enhanced US Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (CEUS LI-RADS) was developed to improve the accuracy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis at contrast agent2enhanced US. However, to the knowledge of the authors, the diagnostic accuracy of the system in characterization of liver nodules 20 mm or smaller has not been fully evaluated.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CEUS LI-RADS in diagnosing HCC in liver nodules 20 mm or smaller in patients at risk for HCC.

Materials and Methods: Between January 2015 and February 2018, consecutive patients at risk for HCC presenting with …

Acoustic Parameters For Optimal Ultrasound-Triggered Release From Novel Spinal Hardware Devices., Lauren J. Delaney, Cemile Basgul, Daniel W Macdonald, Keith Fitzgerald, Noreen J. Hickok, Steven M Kurtz, Flemming Forsberg

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Post-operative infection is a catastrophic complication of spinal fusion surgery, with rates as high as 10%, and existing preventative measures (i.e., peri-operative antibiotics) are only partially successful. To combat this clinical problem, we have designed a drug delivery system around polyether ether ketone clips to be used for prophylactic post-surgical release of antibiotics upon application of ultrasound. The overall hypothesis is that antimicrobial release from this system will aggressively combat post-surgical bacterial survival. This study investigated a set of acoustic parameters optimized for in vitro ultrasound-triggered coating rupture and subsequent release of encapsulated prophylactic antibiotics. We determined that a transducer …

Risk Factors For Early Subsequent (Revision Or Contralateral) Acl Reconstruction: A Retrospective Database Study, Matthew C Gallo, Ioanna K Bolia, Omid Jalali, Santano Rosario, Alexis Rounds, Keemia Soraya Heidari, Nicholas A Trasolini, John P Prodromo, George Frederick Hatch, Alexander Evan Weber

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Many factors contribute to the risk for subsequent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) within 2 years from the index procedure.

PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was 2-fold: (1) to evaluate the incidence of subsequent (revision or contralateral) ACLR at 2 years in a large cohort and (2) to explore the association between patient-specific factors and early subsequent ACLR risk by age group. We hypothesize that 2-year subsequent (revision or contralateral) ACLR rates will be low and that risk factors for subsequent (revision or contralateral) ACLR will vary depending on a patient's age group.

STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study; Level …

Assessing Lymphatic Route Of Csf Outflow And Peripheral Lymphatic Contractile Activity During Head-Down Tilt Using Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging, John C Rasmussen, Sunkuk Kwon, Amanda Pinal, Alexander Bareis, Fred C Velasquez, Christopher F Janssen, John R Morrow, Caroline E Fife, Ron J Karni, Eva M Sevick-Muraca

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the lymphatics play a critical role in the clearance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the cranial space. Impairment of CSF outflow into the lymphatics is associated with a number of pathological conditions including spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS), a problem that limits long-duration spaceflight. We used near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging (NIRFLI) to dynamically visualize the deep lymphatic drainage pathways shared by CSF outflow and disrupted during head-down tilt (HDT), a method used to mimic the cephalad fluid shift that occurs in microgravity. After validating CSF clearance into the lymph nodes of the neck in swine, a pilot …

Knowledge Gain Of The Non-Vascular Surgeons After Attending A Course On Traumatic Vascular Emergencies, Zia Ur Rehman, Muhammad Asad Moosa, Qamar Riaz

Department of Surgery Docs

Objective: To measure the effectiveness of the workshop in enhancing the knowledge and skills of the non-vascular surgeons in dealing with traumatic vascular emergencies.
Methodology: It was a Quasi-experimental pre-post design study conducted at Section of Vascular Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi (Pakistan) in February 2019. One-day workshop was conducted to enhance the knowledge and operative skills of the non-vascular surgeons in managing traumatic vascular emergencies. A written test and course evaluation survey were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the course in achieving the desired objectives.
Results: Total of 21 participants attended the workshop with mean age of …

Toward Actionable Practice Parameters For "Dual Diagnosis": Principles Of Assessment And Management For Co-Occurring Psychiatric And Intellectual/Developmental Disability., John N. Constantino, Shae Strom, Michael Bunis, Cy Nadler, Teresa Rodgers, Julia Lepage, Connie Cahalan, Amber Stockreef, Lucas Evans, Rachel Jones, Alyssa Wilson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Although treatment algorithms and parameters for best practice are readily available for all major syndromes of psychiatric impairment, the occurrence of psychiatric syndromes in individuals with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) invokes serious contextual challenges for interpretation of symptoms, diagnosis, and optimization of treatment, both for clinicians and for the service sectors in which care and support of individuals with IDD are delivered. Recognizing that there exist very few definitive resources for best practice under the circumstance of this form of "dual diagnosis," the Missouri Department of Mental Health convened an expert panel to conduct a focused …

A Retrospective Matched-Cohort Study Of 3994 Lower Extremity Wounds Of Multiple Etiologies Across 644 Institutions Comparing A Bioactive Human Skin Allograft, Theraskin, Plus Standard Of Care, To Standard Of Care Alone, Geoff C Gurtner, Aimee D Garcia, Katie Bakewell, Jason B Alarcon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Most chronic wounds are related to comorbidities, for which no clinical trials are performed. This retrospective propensity matched-cohort study examined data from 2 074 000 lower extremity wounds across 644 institutions to determine the effectiveness of TheraSkin plus standard of care (SOC; n = 1997) versus SOC alone (n = 1997). Multivariate modelling comparing outcomes such as healing rates, percent area reductions (PARs), amputations, recidivism, treatment completion, and medical transfers were evaluated. A higher proportion of wounds in the treatment group compared with the controls were more likely to close (68.3% versus 60.3%), particularly wounds with exposed structures (64% versus …

Parental Deployment And Healthcare Utilization In Adolescents With Migraines And Other Somatic Symptoms, Charles Zimbrick-Rogers, Ashleigh R. Drake, Anne Peruski, Samuel Stinnette, Brian Adams

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

Somatic symptoms in adolescents are associated with psychosocial stress. Parental military deployment can function as a stressor for adolescents. A retrospective cohort study was developed exploring relationships between health care utilization, a proxy for symptomatology, and sponsor deployment in adolescents with somatic symptoms. Data was obtained from the Military Health System Data Repository. Migraine headaches was the most common somatic symptom diagnosis. Parental deployment was overall associated with a 27% decrease in visits for somatic symptoms. For adolescents whose sponsor was female, deployment was associated with a 34% decrease in visits. This pattern is inconsistent with prior research on somatic …

A Review Of Teen And Adolescent Attitudes Regarding E-Cigarettes And Their Relevance To Education, Maury Grebenau

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

Over the last ten years, while teenage use of cigarettes has diminished, their use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (e-cigarettes) has increased. Adolescent e-cigarette use includes risks and challenges which are unique and different from adolescent use of traditional cigarettes. Many of the risks of e-cigarettes are not well known or well understood, especially by the teen population. A robust understanding of what entices adolescents and teens to use e-cigarettes is critical for schools in crafting an effective response. This paper reviews the literature on teen and adolescent perspectives on e-cigarettes and provides suggestions for using this information to guide …

Solving The Sepsis Puzzle: Every Minute Counts, Jamie Roney, Amber Cline

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

SPEMS Pre-Conference Course Sepsis Class

Evaluation Of The Effect Of Gm-Csf Blocking On The Phenotype And Function Of Human Monocytes, Noushin Lotfi, Guang-Xian Zhang, Nafiseh Esmaeil, Mohamad Rostami

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a multipotent cytokine that prompts the proliferation of bone marrow-derived macrophages and granulocytes. In addition to its effects as a growth factor, GM-CSF plays an important role in chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Reports have identified monocytes as the primary target of GM-CSF; however, its effect on monocyte activation has been under-estimated. Here, using flow cytometry and ELISA we show that GM-CSF induces an inflammatory profile in human monocytes, which includes an upregulated expression of HLA-DR and CD86 molecules and increased production of TNF-α and IL-1β. Conversely, blockage of …