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The Role Of Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier 1 (Mpc1) In Heart Failure And Its Implications For Cardiac Recovery, Obadiah Issachar Kirk

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Heart failure (HF) is a complex syndrome with high mortality rates around the world. HF also has diverse etiology as many things contribute such as hypertension, obesity, coronary artery disease, inflammation, and cardiac arrhythmias. Studies have shown that unloading of a failing heart with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) can lead to cardiac recovery in a subpopulation of individuals with advanced HF. RNA-sequencing and protein expression analysis of myocardial tissue from HF patients who underwent the LVAD implant and heart transplant indicated that subpopulation of HF patients who responded to LVAD unloading had significantly lower levels of mitochondrial pyruvate …

Graduate Medical Education Annual Report 2019-2020, Children's Mercy Hospital

GME Annual Reports

Annual report of the Children's Mercy Hospital Graduate Medical Education department, including pediatric residency, internal medicine/pediatrics residency, fellowship programs, medical students, continuing medical education, and library services.

Blood Eosinophil Counts In Clinical Trials For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Dave Singh, Mona Bafadhel, Christopher E. Brightling, Frank C. Sciurba, Jeffrey L. Curtis, Fernando J. Martinez, Cara B. Pasquale, Debora D. Merrill, Norbert Metzdorf, Stefano Petruzzelli, Ruth Tal-Singer, Christopher Compton, Stephen I. Rennard, Ubaldo J. Martin

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

No abstract provided.

Heme Metabolism Genes Downregulated In Copd Cachexia, Ava C. Wilson, Preeti L. Kumar, Sool Lee, Margaret M. Parker, Itika Arora, Jarrett D. Morrow, Emiel F.M. Wouters, Richard Casaburi, Stephen I. Rennard, David A. Lomas, Alvar Agusti, Ruth Tal-Singer, Mark T. Dransfield, J. Michael Wells, Surya P. Bhatt, George Washko, Victor J. Thannickal, Hemant K. Tiwari, Craig P. Hersh, Peter J. Castaldi, Edwin K. Silverman, Merry-Lynn N. Mcdonald

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

INTRODUCTION: Cachexia contributes to increased mortality and reduced quality of life in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and may be associated with underlying gene expression changes. Our goal was to identify differential gene expression signatures associated with COPD cachexia in current and former smokers.

METHODS: We analyzed whole-blood gene expression data from participants with COPD in a discovery cohort (COPDGene, N = 400) and assessed replication (ECLIPSE, N = 114). To approximate the consensus definition using available criteria, cachexia was defined as weight-loss > 5% in the past 12 months or low body mass index (BMI) (<  20 kg/m

RESULTS: The prevalence of …

Agonist-Specific Desensitization Of Pge2-Stimulated Camp Signaling Due To Upregulated Phosphodiesterase Expression In Human Lung Fibroblasts, Francisco J. Nunez, Nancy Schulte, David M. Fogel, Joel Michalski, Stephen I. Rennard, Raymond B. Penn, Myron L. Toews, Rennolds S. Ostrom

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by fibroblasts persisting in an activated form, producing excessive fibrous material that destroys alveolar structure. The second messenger molecule cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) has antifibrotic properties, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can stimulate cAMP production through prostaglandin E (EP)2 and EP4 receptors. Although EP receptors are attractive therapeutic targets, the effects of long-term exposure to PGE2 have not been characterized. To determine the effects of long-term exposure of lung fibroblasts to PGE2, human fetal lung (HFL)-1 cells were treated for 24 h with 100 nM PGE2 or other cAMP-elevating agents. cAMP levels stimulated by acute exposure to …

Role Of Helicobacter Pylori Infection In Development Of Gastrointestinal Malignancy, Zilola Khashimova

Physician Assistant Studies | Faculty Scholarship

Introduction. Helicobacter Pylori (HP) infection has been associated with chronic inflammation of the stomach and may also be associated with the development of gastrointestinal malignancy.

Purpose of Study: This study will examine the literature related to HP infection associated with the cancers of the stomach.

Materials and Methods: A literature review was conducted on the reported research of HP infection associated with gastric cancer cases.

Results and Discussions: Helicobacter pylori is a gastric pathogen that colonizes approximately 50% of the world’s population. Infection with H. pylori causes chronic inflammation and significantly increases the risk of developing …

Mtorc1 Transcriptional Regulation Of Ribosome Subunits, Protein Synthesis, And Molecular Transport In Primary Human Trophoblast Cells., Fredrick J Rosario, Theresa L Powell, Madhulika B Gupta, Laura Cox, Thomas Jansson

Paediatrics Publications

Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) serves as positive regulator of placental nutrient transport and mitochondrial respiration. The role of mTORC1 signaling in modulating other placental functions is largely unexplored. We used gene array following silencing of raptor to identify genes regulated by mTORC1 in primary human trophoblast (PHT) cells. Seven hundred and thirty-nine genes were differentially expressed; 487 genes were down-regulated and 252 up-regulated. Bioinformatic analyses demonstrated that inhibition of mTORC1 resulted in decreased expression of genes encoding ribosomal proteins in the 60S and 40S ribosome subunits. Furthermore, down-regulated genes were functionally enriched in genes involved in eIF2, …

Office Of Equity Diversity Report Annual Report Fy2020, Children's Mercy Hospital

Equity & Diversity Annual Reports

A report on equity and diversity at Children's Mercy Hospitals & Clinics, in the care it provides, the people it serves, and in its workforce. Specifically discusses the Equity & Diversity Leadership Structure, Employee Demographics, Patient Demographics, lasting impressions from FY20, and the future of healthcare providers.

Alteration Of The Gut Microbiome In Normal And Overweight School Children From Selangor With Lactobacillus Fermented Milk Administration, Narcisse Joseph, Jonathan B. Clayton, Susan L. Hoops, Carter A. Linhardt, Amalia Mohd Hashim, Barakatun Nisak Mohd Yusof, Suresh Kumar, Syafinaz Amin Nordin

Food for Health: Publications

Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem worldwide. Perturbations in the gut microbiota composition have been associated with the development of obesity in both children and adults. Probiotics, on the other hand, are proven to restore the composition of the gut microbiome which helps reduce the development of obesity. However, data on the effect of probiotics on gut microbiota and its association with childhood obesity is limited. This study aims to determine the effect of probiotics supplement intervention on gut microbiota profiles in obese and normal-weight children. A total of 37 children, 17 normal weight, and 20 overweight school …

Machine Learning Prediction Of Glioblastoma Patient One-Year Survival, Andrew Du '20, Warren Mcgee, Jane Y. Wu

Student Publications & Research

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a grade IV astrocytoma formed primarily from cancerous astrocytes and sustained by intense angiogenesis. GBM often causes non-specific symptoms, creating difficulty for diagnosis. This study aimed to utilize machine learning techniques to provide an accurate one-year survival prognosis for GBM patients using clinical and genomic data from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas. Logistic regression (LR), support vector machines (SVM), random forest (RF), and ensemble models were used to identify and select predictors for GBM survival and to classify patients into those with an overall survival (OS) of less than one year and one year or greater. With …

Helicobacter Pylori Infection And Its Importance In The Development Of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, Zilola Khashimova

Physician Assistant Studies | Faculty Scholarship

Helicobacter Pylori (HP) infection has been associated with chronic inflammation of the stomach and may also be associated with Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). A literature review was conducted on the reported research of HP infection associated with ITP.

The Clinicodemographic Profile Of Multiple Sclerosis At Aga Khan University Hospital (Nairobi), Imran Jamal

Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the leading cause of nontraumatic disability in young adults and is the most common immune-mediated inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS. MS was initially considered to be rare in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, there have been reports of rising trends of MS in regions with previously low prevalence. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of MS patients at AKUHN. Methods: Medical records of patients with MS at the AKUHN were obtained using the ICD 10 code search at the medical records section of the hospital between …

Covid-19, Serendipity, And Strange Interlude: Gloria In Absurdicum With An Apology To Ovid, Lawrence Charles Parish, W Clark Lambert

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

The absurd edicts initially issued by several governors, including those of Michigan and New York, prohibiting physicians from ordering hydroxychloroquine for patients suspected of or diagnosed with COV-19 are reprehensible. Their reasoning is beyond the pale.

Hydroxychloroquine was first approved by the FDA in 1955 and has a remarkable safety record in its use as a preventative for malaria and in the treatment of several immunologic and/or light induced diseases. Its use came about serendipitously, and its mechanism of action is unclear, but the fact remains that it seems to work.

Mirna- And Cytokine-Associated Extracellular Vesicles Mediate Squamous Cell Carcinomas, Joseph P. Flemming, Brianna L. Hill, Mohammed W. Haque, Jessica Raad, Claudine S. Bonder, Larry A. Harshyne, Ulrich Rodeck, Adam J. Luginbuhl, James K. Wall, Iii, Kenneth Y. Tsai, Peter J Wermuth, Andrew M. Overmiller, Mỹ G. Mahoney

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

First-Time Characterization Of Viable But Non-Culturable Proteus Mirabilis: Induction And Resuscitation, Reham Wasfi, G. R. Abdellatif, H. M. Elshishtawy, Hossam M. Ashour

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Pathogenic bacteria can enter into a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state under unfavourable conditions. Proteus mirabilis is responsible for dire clinical consequences including septicaemia, urinary tract infections and pneumonia, but is not a species previously known to enter VBNC state. We suggested that stress-induced P. mirabilis can enter a VBNC state in which it retains virulence. P. mirabilis isolates were incubated in extreme osmotic pressure, starvation, low temperature and low pH to induce a VBNC state. Resuscitation was induced by temperature upshift and inoculation in tryptone soy broth with Tween 20 and brain heart infusion broth. Cellular ultrastructure and gene …

Determination Of N-Linked Glycosylation Changes In Hepatocellular Carcinoma And The Associated Glycoproteins For Enhanced Biomarker Discovery And Therapeutic Targets, Connor Allen West

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

With hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remaining as the fifth most common cancer in the world, causing more than 700,000 deaths annually, the need for reliable, early stage diagnoses and preventive treatments is crucial. While serum glycoproteins are hepatic in origin, making them excellent targets for HCC biomarkers, they can originate from both cancerous and non-cancerous regions and direct analysis of cancerous tissue itself is lacking. To counteract this, I hypothesized that direct tissue analysis combined with proteomic analysis could be utilized to identify more potential targets specific to HCC for early detection. This was done with a primary focus on glycosylation—as …

Inhibition Of Penicillin-Binding Protein 2: Toward New Therapeutics For Antimicrobial-Resistant Gonorrhea, Jonathan M. Turner

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the United States, with nearly 600,000 cases reported in 2018 by the Centers for Disease Control. Alarmingly, the causative agent Neisseria gonorrhoeae has developed resistance to a number of antimicrobials over the last century. With limited options remaining, the CDC now recommends dual therapy with ceftriaxone and azithromycin to decrease the likelihood of resistance development. However, strains with combined cephalosporin and macrolide resistance have now emerged, raising concerns of a post-antibiotic future in which untreatable gonorrhea would impose enormous human and economic cost. The discovery and development of novel …

Confirmation And Identification Of Biomarkers Implicating Environmental Triggers In The Pathogenesis Of Type 1 Diabetes, Robert Z. Harms, Katie R. Ostlund, Monina S. Cabrera, Earline Edwards, Marisa Fisher, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Surgery

Multiple environmental triggers have been proposed to explain the increased incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D). These include viral infections, microbiome disturbances, metabolic disorders, and vitamin D deficiency. Here, we used ELISA to examine blood plasma from juvenile T1D subjects and age-matched controls for the abundance of several circulating factors relevant to these hypotheses. We screened plasma for sCD14, mannose binding lectin (MBL), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), c-reactive protein (CRP), fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2), human growth hormone, leptin, total adiponectin, high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin, total IgG, total IgA, total IgM, endotoxin core antibodies (EndoCAbs), 25(OH) vitamin D, …

Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Challenges In Clinical Applications, Austin Gowen, Farah Shahjin, Subhash Chand, Katherine E. Odegaard, Sowmya V. Yelamanchili

Journal Articles: Anesthesiology

Stem cell therapy has garnered much attention and application in the past decades for the treatment of diseases and injuries. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are studied most extensively for their therapeutic roles, which appear to be derived from their paracrine activity. Recent studies suggest a critical therapeutic role for extracellular vesicles (EV) secreted by MSCs. EV are nano-sized membrane-bound vesicles that shuttle important biomolecules between cells to maintain physiological homeostasis. Studies show that EV from MSCs (MSC-EV) have regenerative and anti-inflammatory properties. The use of MSC-EV, as an alternative to MSCs, confers several advantages, such as higher safety profile, lower …

Manipulation Of Genome Integrity Signaling Axes Contributing To Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness, Frank Duan, Veronica Rodriguez-Bravo, Phd

Phase 1

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of death in men, and despite current treatment options patients can develop aggressive disease that spreads to other parts of the body. Little research has focused to date on the effect of centrosome biology in the pathogenesis of PC.

Methods: Two metastatic PC cell lines, DU145 and 22Rv1, as well as highly aggressive derivatives generated in Dr. Rodriguez-Bravo lab (docetaxel-resistant; (DR) variants) were compared through various experiments to determine differences in centrosome proteins expression and functionality. All cells (DU145 /DR and 22Rv1 /DR) underwent electroporations with siRNAs to knockout …

Caring For Children In Child Welfare Systems: A Trauma-Informed Model Of Integrated Primary Care, Jill Mcleigh, Laura Lamminen, Heidi Roman

Integrated, Trauma-Informed Care

Children involved with the child welfare system have high rates of behavioral health concerns, chronic health conditions, and developmental disabilities. Further, as a result of the complicated relationships among the court system, child protective services, and caregivers (i.e., biological, kinship, and/or foster caregivers) and the high volume of health-, behavior-, and development-related services children in care need, the services they receive tend to be fragmented and problem driven. On top of these challenges, children involved with the child welfare system have been exposed to trauma, and often more than one form of trauma. Taken together, these factors point to the …

Aml Risk Stratification Models Utilizing Eln-2017 Guidelines And Additional Prognostic Factors: A Swog Report., Era L Pogosova-Agadjanyan, Anna Moseley, Megan Othus, Frederick R Appelbaum, Thomas R Chauncey, I-Ming L Chen, Harry P Erba, John E Godwin, Isaac C Jenkins, Min Fang, Mike Huynh, Kenneth J Kopecky, Alan F List, Jasmine Naru, Jerald P Radich, Emily Stevens, Brooke E Willborg, Cheryl L Willman, Brent L Wood, Qing Zhang, Soheil Meshinchi, Derek L Stirewalt

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: The recently updated European LeukemiaNet risk stratification guidelines combine cytogenetic abnormalities and genetic mutations to provide the means to triage patients with acute myeloid leukemia for optimal therapies. Despite the identification of many prognostic factors, relatively few have made their way into clinical practice.

Methods: In order to assess and improve the performance of the European LeukemiaNet guidelines, we developed novel prognostic models using the biomarkers from the guidelines, age, performance status and select transcript biomarkers. The models were developed separately for mononuclear cells and viable leukemic blasts from previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia patients (discovery cohort,

Results: Models …

Transcriptional And Immunohistological Assessment Of Immune Infiltration In Pancreatic Cancer., Brady Bernard, Venkatesh Rajamanickam, Christopher Dubay, Brian D. Piening, Emilio Alonso, Zeljka Jutric, Ephraim Tang, Pippa Newell, Paul D Hansen, Terry R Medler, Andrew J Gunderson, Kristina H Young, Carlo Bifulco, Joanna Pucilowska, Marka R Crittenden, Michael J. Gough

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is characterized by a complex tumor environment with a wide diversity of infiltrating stromal and immune cell types that impact the tumor response to conventional treatments. However, even in this poorly responsive tumor the extent of T cell infiltration as determined by quantitative immunohistology is a candidate prognostic factor for patient outcome. As such, even more comprehensive immunophenotyping of the tumor environment, such as immune cell type deconvolution via inference models based on gene expression profiling, holds significant promise. We hypothesized that RNA-Seq can provide a comprehensive alternative to quantitative immunohistology for immunophenotyping pancreatic cancer. We performed RNA-Seq …

A Head-To-Head Comparison Of The Efficacy And Safety Of Ixekizumab And Adalimumab In Biological-Naïve Patients With Active Psoriatic Arthritis: 24-Week Results Of A Randomised, Open-Label, Blinded-Assessor Trial., Philip Mease, Josef S Smolen, Frank Behrens, Peter Nash, Soyi Liu Leage, Lingnan Li, Hasan Tahir, Melinda Gooderham, Eswar Krishnan, Hong Liu-Seifert, Paul Emery, Sreekumar G Pillai, Philip S Helliwell

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

OBJECTIVES: To compare efficacy and safety of ixekizumab (IXE) to adalimumab (ADA) in biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug-naïve patients with both active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and skin disease and inadequate response to conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (csDMARDs).

METHODS: Patients with active PsA were randomised (1:1) to approved dosing of IXE or ADA in an open-label, head-to-head, blinded assessor clinical trial. The primary objective was to evaluate whether IXE was superior to ADA at week 24 for simultaneous achievement of a ≥50% improvement from baseline in the American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR50) and a 100% improvement from baseline in the …

Simultaneous Isolation Of Circulating Nucleic Acids And Ev-Associated Protein Biomarkers From Unprocessed Plasma Using An Ac Electrokinetics-Based Platform., Juan Pablo Hinestrosa, David J Searson, Jean M Lewis, Alfred Kinana, Orlando Perrera, Irina Dobrovolskaia, Kevin Tran, Robert Turner, Heath I Balcer, Iryna Clark, David Bodkin, Dave Hoon, Rajaram Krishnan

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The power of personalized medicine is based on a deep understanding of cellular and molecular processes underlying disease pathogenesis. Accurately characterizing and analyzing connections between these processes is dependent on our ability to access multiple classes of biomarkers (DNA, RNA, and proteins)-ideally, in a minimally processed state. Here, we characterize a biomarker isolation platform that enables simultaneous isolation and on-chip detection of cell-free DNA (cfDNA), extracellular vesicle RNA (EV-RNA), and EV-associated proteins in unprocessed biological fluids using AC Electrokinetics (ACE). Human biofluid samples were flowed over the ACE microelectrode array (ACE chip) on the Verita platform while an electrical signal …

Intravenous Lidocaine As A Non-Opioid Adjunct Analgesic For Traumatic Rib Fractures., Jeff Choi, Kirellos Zamary, Nicolas B Barreto, Lakshika Tennakoon, Kristen M Davis, Amber W Trickey, David A Spain

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

INTRODUCTION: Pain management is the pillar of caring for patients with traumatic rib fractures. Intravenous lidocaine (IVL) is a well-established non-opioid analgesic for post-operative pain, yet its efficacy has yet to be investigated in trauma patients. We hypothesized that IVL is associated with decreased inpatient opioid requirements among patients with rib fractures.

METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated adult patients presenting to our Level 1 trauma center with isolated chest wall injuries. After 1:1 propensity score matching patients who received vs did not receive IVL, we compared the two groups' average daily opioid use, opioid use in the last 24 hours of …

Unmet Need In Rheumatology: Reports From The Targeted Therapies Meeting 2019., Kevin L Winthrop, Michael E Weinblatt, Joan Bathon, Gerd R Burmester, Philip Mease, Leslie Crofford, Vivian Bykerk, Maxime Dougados, James Todd Rosenbaum, Xavier Mariette, Joachim Sieper, Fritz Melchers, Bruce N Cronstein, Ferry C Breedveld, Joachim Kalden, Josef S Smolen, Daniel Furst

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

OBJECTIVES: To detail the greatest areas of unmet scientific and clinical needs in rheumatology.

METHODS: The 21st annual international Advances in Targeted Therapies meeting brought together more than 100 leading basic scientists and clinical researchers in rheumatology, immunology, epidemiology, molecular biology and other specialties. During the meeting, breakout sessions were convened, consisting of 5 disease-specific groups with 20-30 experts assigned to each group based on expertise. Specific groups included: rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. In each group, experts were asked to identify unmet clinical and translational research needs in general …

Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: Treating Depression And Anxiety With Mushrooms, Sofia Beck

Physician Assistant Studies | Student Authored Articles

Depression and anxiety are debilitating mental health conditions that affect a large portion of the United States. Current pharmacological treatments for these disorders require daily administration, are associated with a number of side effects, and can be ineffective for some. Emerging evidence in novel treatment options may necessitate a shift toward how we treat these psychiatric disorders.

Studies involving the psychedelic serotonin agonist, psilocybin, are currently experiencing a resurgence as an alternative for patients who are unresponsive to traditional treatments. Clinical trials using psilocybin in combination with psychotherapy have demonstrated sustained reductions in depression and/or anxiety symptoms. When used in …

Lack Of Cd8+ T-Cell Co-Localization With Kaposi’S Sarcoma- Associated Herpesvirus Infected Cells In Kaposi’S Sarcoma Tumors, Salum J. Lidenge, For Yue Tso, Owen Ngalamika, Jaydeep Kolape, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Despite the close association between Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and immune dysfunction, it remains unclear whether tumor infiltrating immune cells (TIIC), by their absence, presence, or dysfunction, are mechanistically correlated with KS pathogenesis. Therefore, their potential capacity to serve as prognostic biomarkers of KS disease progression or control is unclear. Because epidemic-KS (EpKS) occurs with HIV-1 co-infection, it is particularly important to compare TIIC between EpKS and HIV-negative African endemic-KS (EnKS) to dissect the roles of HIV-1 and Kaposi Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in KS pathogenesis. This cross-sectional study of 13 advanced KS (4 EnKS, 9 EpKS) patients and 3 healthy controls …

Prevalence Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus And Transfusion-Transmissible Infections In Tanzanian Blood Donors, Salum J. Lidenge, Tara Tran, For Yue Tso, John R. Ngowi, Danielle M. Shea, Julius Mwaiselage, Charles Wood, John T. West

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), one of the most common cancers in Tanzania. We have investigated KSHV prevalence and factors associated with KSHV infection in Tanzania.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of voluntary blood-donors from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Plasma was screened for KSHV, HIV-1, HBV, HCV and Treponema pallidum (syphilis). Associations between KSHV sero-status and risk factors were analyzed. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported to evaluate risk factors of KSHV infection. All tests were 2-tailed, and P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: The overall KSHV seroprevalence was 56.9%. Significantly …