Digital Commons Network^™

Diminished Long-Term Vaccine Antibody Persistence In Perinatally Youth Living With Hiv On Cart, German A Contreras, Morouge M Alramadhan, Gloria P Heresi, Abel Castro, James R Murphy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Optimal Head-Of-Bed Positioning Before Thrombectomy In Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Anne W Alexandrov, Anne J Shearin, Pitchaiah Mandava, Gabriel Torrealba-Acosta, Cheran Elangovan, Balaji Krishnaiah, Katherine Nearing, Elizabeth Robinson, Cara Guthrie-Chu, Matthew Holzmann, Bryan Fill, Dharti R Trivedi, Alicia Richardson, Sandy Middleton, Barbara B Brewer, David S Liebeskind, Nitin Goyal, James C Grotta, Andrei V Alexandrov

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Small studies show that 0° head positioning of patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke improves penumbral blood flow and clinical stability. Understanding whether 0° head position maintains clinical stability would allow for optimal patient positioning before thrombectomy.

Objective: To determine superiority of 0° over 30° head positioning at maintaining clinical stability in patients with LVO before thrombectomy.

Design, setting, and participants: This was a prospective randomized clinical trial with blinding to study enrollment/end points conducted from May 2018 to November 2023. There were 3 planned interim analyses, and the study was conducted at certified thrombectomy hospitals in the …

A Fascination With Gastrointestinal Viruses, Mary Kolb Estes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

My arrival into this world came quickly, according to my mother, and it feels like my life has mirrored that rapid beginning. I have enjoyed a rich, varied, and stimulating life and career that have gone through several phases. I credit genetics, my family, technological advances, and many environmental factors for shaping my career. Being a virologist allowed me to be curious and creative and to make several unexpected discoveries. This has been a fun and rewarding journey, but it wasn't always easy. I am not accustomed to talking about myself, but I am happy to share some scientific achievements …

Intracranial Rhizomucor Pusillus Mucormycosis In An Adolescent Triggering A Stroke Alert: A Case Report And A Systematic Review Of Pediatric Cases, Rima El Atrache, Melissa Mizerik, Joaquin Francisco Ruiz Lopez, Eric Engstrom, Karla Patricia Salazar, Mikael C Guzman-Karlsson, Daniel Davila-Williams, Sonali Sen, Kristen S Fisher, Jennifer C Erklauer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mucormycosis is a rare, life-threatening opportunistic infection primarily affecting immunocompromised patients. The available literature on Rhizomucor pusillus (R pusillus) infections of the central nervous system (CNS) in children is very limited. We present the case of an immunocompromised adolescent with intracranial mucormycosis due to R pusillus manifesting with stroke-like symptoms. This case highlights this rare condition's diagnostic complexity and management challenges. We include a review of the available literature on pediatric R pusillus CNS infections to increase awareness among health care providers.

Postoperative Staphylococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome In A Patient Following Right Knee Fracture Repair: A Case Report, Nicole Nyamongo, James Garritano, Daniel Rosen, Theodore Rosen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but life-threatening multisystem disorder most commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus. It is characterized by the acute onset of high fever, hypotension, a diffuse macular rash, and multiorgan involvement. We report the case of a male in his late 30s who sustained a patellar fracture with associated retinacular injury following trauma and subsequently underwent open reduction and internal fixation. Several days after discharge, he developed fever, chills, hypotension, and a pruritic, erythematous rash. He was readmitted and initially evaluated by the orthopedic service, which did not recommend additional imaging or surgical intervention, as …

Evaluation Of A Novel Tc-24 Recombinant Antigen Elisa For Serologic Detection Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection In Dogs: A Pilot Study, Rojelio Mejia, Guilherme G Verocai, Ilana A Mosley, Ashley B Saunders, Bin Zhan, Lindsey Vongthavaravat, Rachel E Busselman, Sarah A Hamer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a significant challenge for canine health, with limited diagnostic tools. This study assessed the performance of a novel Tc-24 recombinant antigen ELISA compared to three commercial diagnostic tests on 70 serum samples from kennel dogs in Texas. The Tc-24 ELISA demonstrated high sensitivity (87.5%) and specificity (91.2%) compared to Indirect Fluorescent Antibody (IFA) testing, with significant differences in Tc-24 optical density (OD) between positives and negatives (0.607 vs. 0.089, p < 0.001). When compared to Chagas Stat-Pak (SP), Tc-24 ELISA showed sensitivity and specificity values of 82.1% and 86.7%, respectively (p < 0.001). For Chagas Detect Plus (IB), the assay achieved a sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 93.1% (p < 0.001). Spearman correlation analysis revealed significant associations between Tc-24 OD and SP (r = 1.0, p = 0.0167), IB (r = 0.9, p = 0.0833) and IFA (r = 0.6273, p = 0.044). Elevated immunochromatographic values in commercial kits (SP or IB) correlated with Tc-24 OD (1.17 vs. 0.039, p < 0.001), achieving 100% sensitivity and 95.8% specificity based on positive results from commercial kits. These findings suggest that Tc-24 ELISA is a reliable and accurate serological tool for diagnosing T. cruzi infection in dogs, with the potential to enhance diagnostic capabilities in veterinary medicine.

Microbiome Signatures And Inflammatory Biomarkers In Culture-Negative Neonatal Sepsis, Morcos Hanna, Shixia Huang, Matthew Ross, Anaid Reyes, Dimuthu Perera, Anil Surathu, Sara Javornik Cregeen, Joseph Hagan, Mohan Pammi

Faculty and Staff Publications

Overuse of antibiotics is a concern in 'culture-negative sepsis' but it is unclear whether this is due to infection with viruses, fungi or other microbes that are not easily cultured, or whether it results from inflammatory processes. In a prospective study, we enrolled 50 preterm neonates with culture-positive sepsis (CP), culture-negative sepsis (CN), and asymptomatic preterm controls (CO). The microbiome of stool, skin, and blood, including bacterial, viral and fungal components and serum cytokine profiles were evaluated. The microbiome alpha or beta diversity did not differ between CN and CO groups. A MaAsLin analysis revealed increased relative abundances of specific …

C-C Motif Chemokine Receptor-Like 2 Promotes The Interferon-Γ Signaling Response In Myeloid Neoplasms With Erythroid Differentiation And Mutated Tp53, Nour Sabiha Naji, Sergiu Pasca, Theodora Chatzilygeroudi, Pablo Toledano-Sanz, Joseph Rimando, Yuju An, Yashvi Hemani, Brandy Perkins, Xinghan Zeng, Conover Talbot, Bogdan Paun, Abdulmuez Abdulmalik, Chen Lossos, Tatianna R Boronina, Ilias Sinanidis, Panagiotis Tsakiroglou, Priyanka Fernandes, Christopher Esteb, Alexander J Ambinder, Robert N Cole, Rena Xian, Ivana Gojo, Suman Paul, Mark J Levis, Amy E Dezern, Leo Luznik, Styliani Karanika, Linda S Resar, Richard J Jones, Frederick Bunz, Lukasz Gondek, Marios Arvanitis, Theodoros Karantanos

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Patients with myeloid neoplasms with loss-of-function TP53 mutations and erythroid differentiation have poor outcomes, and a better understanding of disease biology is required. Upregulation of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) signaling has been associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) progression, selection of TP53 mutated clones and chemotherapy resistance, but its drivers remain unclear. In this study, we found that the surface receptor C-C motif chemokine receptor-like 2 (CCRL2) is overexpressed in AML with erythroid differentiation and TP53 mutations compared to other AML subtypes and healthy hematopoietic cells. CCRL2 knockout (KO) suppressed erythroleukemia growth in vitro and in vivo. Further proteomics and transcriptomics analysis …

Heterozygous Variants In Plcg1 Affect Hearing, Vision, Cardiac, And Immune Function, Mengqi Ma, Yiming Zheng, Mingxi Deng, Shenzhao Lu, Xueyang Pan, Xi Luo, Michelle Etoundi, David Li-Kroeger, Kim C Worley, Lindsay C Burrage, Lauren S Blieden, Aimee Allworth, Wei-Liang Chen, Giuseppe Merla, Barbara Mandriani, Catherine E Otten, Pierre Blanc, Jill A Rosenfeld, Debdeep Dutta, Shinya Yamamoto, Michael F Wangler, Ian A Glass, Jingheng Chen, Elizabeth Blue, Paolo Prontera, Jeremie Rosain, Sandrine Marlin, Seema R Lalani, Hugo J Bellen, Undiagnosed Diseases Network

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Phospholipase C isozymes (PLCs) hydrolyze phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂) into inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃) and diacylglycerol (DAG), important signaling molecules involved in many cellular processes including Ca²⁺ release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). PLCG1 encodes the PLCγ1 isozyme that is broadly expressed. Hyperactive somatic mutations of PLCG1 are observed in multiple cancers, but only one germline variant has been reported. Here, we describe seven individuals with heterozygous missense variants in PLCG1 [p.(Asp1019Gly), p.(His380Arg), p.(Asp1165Gly), and p.(Leu597Phe)] who present with hearing impairment (5/7), ocular pathology (4/7), cardiac septal defects (3/6), and various immunological issues (5/7). To model these …

Influenza-Associated Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy In Us Children, Andrew Silverman, Rachel Walsh, Jonathan D Santoro, Katherine Thomas, Elizabeth Ballinger, Kristen S Fisher, Ajay X Thomas, Brian Appavu, Michael C Kruer, Derek Neilson, Jasmine Knoll, April N Sharp, Hannah E Edelman, Scott Otallah, Alexandra Morgan, Aniela Grzezulkowska, John Nguyen, Lekha M Rao, Shaina M Hecht, Laura Catalano, Hunter Daigle, Catherine Kronfol, Jessica Wharton, David Adams, Adam Z Kalawi, Michael Kung, Janetta L Arellano, Lauren Smith, Devorah Segal, Kristina Feja, Eileen Broomall, Anuj Jayakar, Sandra R Arnold, Hanna Retallack, Craig A Press, Grace Gombolay, Madeleine H Mclaughlin, Varun Kannan, Kavita Thakkar, Tasmia Rezwan, Erin Hulfish, Dalia Eid, Jennifer Meylor, Diane Peng, Ryan Hurtado, Taylor Nickerson, Iris Mandell, Abigail U Carbonell, Mallory Kerner-Rossi, Divya Jayaraman, Mallory Davis, Rosemary Olivero, Neel Shah, Christina M Osborne, Bo Zhang, Christopher Cortina, Adrienne G Randolph, Suchitra Rao, Thomas Larocca, Keith P Van Haren, Molly Wilson-Murphy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) is a rare, but severe, neurologic condition for which epidemiologic and management data remain limited. During the 2024-2025 US influenza season, clinicians at large pediatric centers anecdotally reported an increased number of children with influenza-associated ANE, prompting this national investigation.

Objective: To understand the clinical presentation, interventions, and outcomes among US children diagnosed with influenza-associated ANE.

Design, setting, and participants: This study was a multicenter case series of children diagnosed with ANE with longitudinal follow-up. A call for cases was issued via academic societies, public health agencies, and by directly contacting pediatric specialists at 76 …

Causes Of Symptoms And Symptom Persistence In Long Covid And Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Anthony L Komaroff, Robert Dantzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Debilitating symptoms for many years can follow acute COVID-19 ("long COVID"), myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and various post-acute infection syndromes (PAISs). Together, long COVID and ME/CFS affect 60-400 million individuals, globally. Many similar underlying biological abnormalities have been identified in both conditions including autoantibodies against neural targets, endothelial dysfunction, acquired mitochondrial dysfunction, and a pro-inflammatory gut microbiome. Each of these abnormalities may directly cause some of the symptoms. In addition, the symptoms also may be caused by ancient, evolutionarily conserved symptomatic and metabolic responses to vital threats-sickness behavior and torpor-responses mediated by specific, recently discovered neural circuits. These neural …

Changes In Self-Reported Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Are Associated With 5-Year All-Cause Mortality Risk Among Veterans, Katherine G Bay, Arash Maghsoudi, Amin Ramezani, Drew A Helmer, Amir Sharafkhaneh, Javad Razjouyan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is linked to adverse clinical outcomes. This study evaluated changes in a validated tool to assess EDS, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and mortality risk. This retrospective cohort study included Veterans receiving sleep-related services in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from October 4, 1999 to August 18, 2018, with two qualifying ESS measures. ESS values were extracted from patient notes using a validated natural language processing (NLP) pipeline (96% accuracy). ESS scores were categorised as Normal (0-10) or Abnormal (11-24). Patients were grouped based on ESS changes: Normal-Normal, Normal-Abnormal, Abnormal-Abnormal and Abnormal-Normal. Cox proportional hazards …

The Association Of Adult Medicaid Beneficiaries’ Characteristics And Their Experience During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Frank R. Tortorella

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the United States’ safety net program, Medicaid, for low-income individuals affecting access to care, increasing enrollment, and requiring new approaches to care delivery. The literature shows that beneficiaries’ personal characteristics influence their healthcare experience. This study investigated the association between Medicaid beneficiary characteristics and experience with their Medicaid health plan, examined if COVID-19 negatively impacted experience, and tested if COVID-19 moderated the relationship between beneficiary characteristics and experience.

Methods: The research sample was 76,976 adult Medicaid beneficiaries who voluntarily completed the annual Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) health plan surveys in 2018 …

Lipidomic And Proteomic Insights From Extracellular Vesicles In The Postmortem Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Reveal Substance Use Disorder-Induced Brain Changes, Chioma M Okeoma, Wasifa Naushad, Bryson C Okeoma, Carlos Gartner, Yulica Santos-Ortega, Calvin Vary, Savio Lima-Bastos, Victor Corasolla Carregari, Martin R Larsen, Alessio Noghero, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Substance use disorder (SUD) significantly increases the risk of neurotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired neuroplasticity. The activation of inflammatory pathways by substances may lead to reactive astrogliosis and chronic neuroinflammation, potentially mediated by the release of extracellular particles (EPs), such as extracellular condensates (ECs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs). These particles, which reflect the physiological, pathophysiological, and metabolic states of their cells of origin, might carry molecular signatures indicative of SUD. In particular, our study investigated neuroinflammatory signatures in SUD patients by isolating EVs from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) Brodmann's area 9 (BA9) from postmortem subjects. We isolated BA9-derived …

Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial Of Oral Hymecromone In Adults With Pulmonary Hypertension, Kathryn Czepiel, Nadine Nagy, Tamera Panjalingam, Anissa Kalinowski, Adam R Frymoyer, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Bo Gu, Haley Hedlin, Gernot Kaber, Sylvie Dobrota Lai, Joelle I Rosser, Paul L Bollyky, Vinicio De Jesus Perez, Roham T Zamanian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive cardiopulmonary condition associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The extracellular matrix component hyaluronan (HA) is linked to vascular remodelling and interstitial fibrosis in PH. We hypothesised that inhibition of HA synthesis with hymecromone could serve as a reverse-remodelling therapy in PH.

Methods: We performed a proof-of-concept phase IIa randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension and PH associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). Patients were randomised to a 5:3 ratio and stratified by PH group to receive oral hymecromone or placebo two times per day over 24 weeks. The primary …

Dalbavancin For Treatment Of Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia: The Dots Randomized Clinical Trial, Nicholas A Turner, Toshimitsu Hamasaki, Sarah B Doernberg, Thomas P Lodise, Heather A King, Varduhi Ghazaryan, Sara E Cosgrove, Timothy C Jenkins, Catherine Liu, Shrabani Sharma, Smitha Zaharoff, Lana Wahid, Valerie J Renard, Paul Cook, Issam Raad, Ray Hachem, Anne-Marie Chaftari, Matthew Sims, Carmen Demarco, Loren G Miller, Matthew W Mccarthy, Caryn G Morse, Chris Lucasti, Graeme N Forrest, Kartikeya Cherabuddi, Christopher Polk, Tasaduq Fazili, Mark E Rupp, George R Thompson, Kami Kim, Luke Strnad, Amanda E Schnee, James A Mckinnell, Mayur Ramesh, Fernanda P Silveira, Todd P Mccarty, Todd C Lee, Emily G Mcdonald, Kristopher Paolino, Katie Wiegand, Alison Wall, Todd Riccobene, Rinal Patel, Urania Rappo, Scott Evans, Henry F Chambers, Vance G Fowler, Thomas L Holland

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Dalbavancin is a long-acting intravenous lipoglycopeptide that may be effective for treatment of complicated Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia without requiring long-term intravenous access.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dalbavancin vs standard therapy for completion of treatment of complicated S aureus bacteremia.

Design, setting, and participants: Open-label, assessor-masked, randomized clinical trial conducted from April 2021 to December 2023 at 23 medical centers in the US (n = 22) and Canada (n = 1). Participant follow-up lasted 70 days (180 days for participants with osteomyelitis); date of final follow-up was December 1, 2023. Hospitalized adults with complicated S aureus …

An Exciting Future For Microbial Molecular Biology And Physiology, Andrew A Bridges, Leah Guthrie, Mckenzie Lehman, Elizabeth H Kellogg, Samantha Wellington Miranda, Andrew Pountain, Anthony L Shiver, Andrew Varble, Molecular Biology And Physiology Community Of The Council On Microbial Sciences, Heidi B Kaplan, Elizabeth A Shank, Gisela Storz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Continuous advances in technologies ranging from deep sequencing and genetic manipulation to mass spectrometry, single cell imaging, and structural biology have led to previously unimaginable advances in our understanding of microbial physiology and the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial responses in a multitude of environments. Simultaneously, these advances are revealing how much more there is to learn. At the 2024 virtual retreat of the Molecular Biology and Physiology (MBP) Community of the Council on Microbial Sciences (COMS) of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), eight early-career investigators, along with retreat attendees, discussed some of these astounding advances, as well as the …

Tracing Sars-Cov-2 Clusters Across Local Scales Using Genomic Data, Leke Lyu, Mandev Gill, Guppy Stott, Sachin Subedi, Cody Dailey, Gabriella Veytsel, Magdy Alabady, Kayo Fujimoto, Ryker Penn, Pamela Brown, Roger Sealy, Justin Bahl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A quantitative understanding of local transmission dynamics is essential for designing effective prevention strategies. In this study, we developed a computational workflow to identify viral introductions and trace locally circulating clusters. We analyzed over 26,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes and their associated metadata, collected between January and October 2021, to explore introduction and local dispersal patterns in Greater Houston, a major metropolitan area known for its demographic diversity. Our analysis identified more than 1,000 independent introduction events, resulting in clusters of varying sizes. The majority of introductions originated from domestic sources, while international introductions occurred earlier and were associated with larger cluster …

Extracellular Vesicles For Clinical Diagnostics: From Bulk Measurements To Single-Vesicle Analysis, Hai Linh Tran, Wenshu Zheng, David A Issadore, Hyungsoon Im, Yoon-Kyoung Cho, Yuanqing Zhang, Dingbin Liu, Yang Liu, Bo Li, Fei Liu, David Tai Wai Wong, Jiashu Sun, Kun Qian, Mei He, Meihua Wan, Yong Zeng, Ke Cheng, Tony Jun Huang, Daniel T Chiu, Luke P Lee, Lei Zheng, Andrew K Godwin, Raghu Kalluri, Steven A Soper, Tony Y Hu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in intercellular communication, signaling pathways, and disease pathogenesis by transporting biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids derived from their cells of origin, and they have demonstrated substantial potential in clinical applications. Their clinical significance underscores the need for sensitive methods to fully harness their diagnostic potential. In this comprehensive review, we explore EV heterogeneity related to biogenesis, structure, content, origin, sample type, and function roles; the use of EVs as disease biomarkers; and the evolving landscape of EV measurement for clinical diagnostics, highlighting the progression from bulk measurement to single vesicle …

Chlorhexidine Bath Procedures To Increase Clabsi Maintenance Bundle Compliance And Decrease Clabsi And Clambi Incidence Rates., Michael Jabituk

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the quality improvement (QI) project was to increase the Chlorhexidine (CHG) bath compliance, to decrease Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI and Central Line-Associated Mucosal Barrier Injury Infections (CLAMBI) rates in a transplant oncology unit.

Background

CLABSI and CLAMBI are hospital-acquired infections causing morbidity and mortality worldwide. A project targeting CHG bath compliance was developed to address the increased rates of these infections at a 32-bed transplant oncology unit at a hospital in Dallas, Texas.

Methodology

Two simulation-based videos were created on the importance of CHG baths and demonstration of CHG wipe application at bedside and administered …

Micbg406a Polymorphism Reduces Risk Of Mechanical Ventilation And Death During Viral Acute Lung Injury, Harry Pickering, Narges Alipanah-Lechner, Ernie Chen, Dylan Duchen, Holden T Maecker, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Ruth R Montgomery, Chris Cotsapas, Hanno Steen, Florian Krammer, Charles R Langelier, Ofer Levy, Lindsey R Baden, Esther Melamed, Lauren Ir Ehrlich, Grace A Mccomsey, Rafick P Sekaly, Charles B Cairns, Elias K Haddad, Albert C Shaw, David A Hafler, David B Corry, Farrah Kheradmand, Mark A Atkinson, Scott C Brakenridge, Nelson I Agudelo Higuita, Jordan P Metcalf, Catherine L Hough, William B Messer, Bali Pulendran, Kari C Nadeau, Mark M Davis, Ana Fernandez Sesma, Viviana Simon, Monica Kraft, Chris Bime, David J Erle, Joanna Schaenmann, Al Ozonoff, Bjoern Peters, Steven H Kleinstein, Alison D Augustine, Joann Diray-Arce, Patrice M Becker, Nadine Rouphael, Matthew C Altman, Steve Bosinger, Walter Eckalbar, Carolyn S Calfee, Oscar A Aguilar, Elaine F Reed, John R Greenland, Daniel R Calabrese

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

MHC class I polypeptide-related sequence B (MICB) is a ligand for NKG2D. We have shown NK cells are central to lung transplant acute lung injury (ALI) via NKG2D activation, and increased MICB in bronchoalveolar lavage predicts ALI severity. Separately, we found a MICB polymorphism (MICBG406A) is associated with decreased ALI risk. We hypothesized this polymorphism would protect against severe SARS-CoV-2 respiratory disease. We analyzed 1,036 patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection from IMPACC. Associations between MICBG406A and outcomes were determined by linear regression or Cox proportional hazards models. We also measured immune profiles of peripheral blood and the upper and lower …

Examining The Associations Between Racial Identity And Suicidal Ideation Among Black Youth, Aashna Shah, Kennedy Balzen, Ryan M. Hill Phd, Danielle Busby, Jennifer Brown, Estefania Fernandez, Ntsoaki F. Tadi, Carla Sharp

Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk

Against the background of increasing rates of suicide among Black youth, researchers have identified the relation Black youth have to their identity as an important factor that may provide insight into the risk of suicide in this population. Preliminary work suggests that racial identity might serve as protective factor for psychological distress, though the literature is somewhat mixed, especially when suicidality is an outcome. Moreover, this research has predominantly concentrated on adults and/or community samples of youth. As yet, the extent to which Black youth’s attitudes and beliefs regarding their Black identity associate with current or past suicide ideation (SI) …

Histologic And Immune Characterization Of Cutaneous Immune-Related Adverse Events Induced By Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Omar Pacha, Anisha B Patel, Jonathan L Curry, Cara L Haymaker, Nejla Ozirmak Lermi, Dzifa Yawa Duose, Ken Chen, Joud Hajjar, Aung Naing

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are efficacious, they often cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs), most commonly cutaneous irAEs (CirAEs). The mechanisms underlying CirAEs remain unclear.

Methods: Attempting to better understand their mechanisms and histology we conducted a prospective study of 15 patients with advanced cancers treated with ICIs who developed grade 2 or higher CirAEs. Clinical and histologic characterization of biopsy specimens of CirAEs was performed. Histologic analysis of patient biopsy specimens were subdivided by epidermal reaction patterns that included spongiotic, lichenoid, and interface dermatitis patterns. A targeted RNA expression assay was used to identify immune markers in CirAE …

Urinary Pneumococcal Serotype Detection Among Children With And Without Community-Acquired Pneumonia, Lilliam Ambroggio, Lindsay R Grant, Jillian M Cotter, Samuel R Dominguez, Daniel Olson, Sara R Saporta-Keating, Cody Bender, Mohammad Ali, Kathleen Grice, Gonzalo Lerner, Michael W Pride, Ashley Miller, Maria J Tort, Annaellis Vaughan, Elizabeth Temte, Alec Edid, Alejandro Cané, Kristina G Hulten, Jill Stein, Bradford D Gessner, Edwin J Asturias

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Urinary antigen detection (UAD) assays can address diagnostic challenges with culture-based identification of S. pneumoniae. We aimed to evaluate the utility of Pfizer's UAD1 and UAD2 assays for pneumococcal serotype surveillance in children with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) or upper respiratory tract infections (URI).

Methods: From March 2021-December 2023, children 3 months to 5 years who presented to the Children's Hospital Colorado Emergency Department with respiratory symptoms were enrolled as CAP or URI; healthy children served as controls. Nasal swabs were tested for pneumococcus by PCR. UAD assays identified pneumococcal serotypes from urine. Groups were compared using descriptive statistics. …

Tet2-Mutant Myeloid Cells Mitigate Alzheimer’S Disease Progression Via Cns Infiltration And Enhanced Phagocytosis In Mice, Katie A Matatall, Trisha K Wathan, Minh Nguyen, Hu Chen, Alexandra Mcdonald, Guantong Qi, Julia A Belk, Marcus A Florez, Duy T Le, Temitope Olarinde, Caitlyn Vlasschaert, Marco M Buttigieg, Chih-Wei Fan, Saul Carcamo, Ruoqiong Cao, Daniel E Kennedy, Arushana A Maknojia, Apoorva Thatavarty, Josaura V Fernandez Sanchez, Hind Bouzid, Surabi Veeraragavan, Susan Crocker, Margaret A Goodell, Antony Rodriguez, Siddhartha Jaiswal, Michael J Rauh, Eirini P Papapetrou, Samuele G Marro, Katherine Y King

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is associated with many age-related diseases, but its interaction with Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear. Here, we show that TET2-mutant CH is associated with a 47% reduced risk of late-onset AD (LOAD) in the UK Biobank, whereas other drivers of CH do not confer protection. In a mouse model of AD, transplantation of Tet2-mutant bone marrow reduced cognitive decline and β-amyloid plaque formation, effects not observed with Dnmt3a-mutant marrow. Bone-marrow-derived microglia-like cells were detected at an increased rate in Tet2-mutant marrow recipients, and TET2-mutant human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived microglia were more phagocytic and hyperinflammatory than …

Immunomodulatory Effects Of Gold Nanoparticles: Impacts On Immune Cells And Mechanisms Of Action, Khadijeh Koushki, Prapannajeet Biswal, Geraldine Vidhya Vijay, Mahvash Sadeghi, Sajad Dehnavi, Ngoc Tuyet Tra, Sai Kumar Samala, Mahdieh Yousefi Taba, Arjun Balaji Vasan, Emily Han, Yuri Mackeyev, Sunil Krishnan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Traditional anti-inflammatory medications-such as corticosteroids, biological agents, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-are commonly employed to mitigate inflammation, despite their potential for debilitating side effects. There is a growing need for alternative next-generation therapies for symptomatic, unchecked, and/or detrimental inflammation with more favorable adverse effect profiles. The long history of use of gold salts as anti-inflammatory agents and the more recent exploration of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) formulations for clinical indications suggest that the targeted delivery of nanoparticles to inflammatory sites may be a promising approach worth investigating. Coupled with peptides that specifically target immune cells, AuNPs could potently counteract inflammation. Here, we …

Hand Hygiene Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, And Hand Dirtiness Of Primary School Students Before And After A Behavioral Change Intervention During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Belize 2022-2023, Anh N Ly, Christina Craig, Kelsey Mcdavid, Dian Maheia, Yolanda Gongora, Francis Morey, Russell Manzanero, Alexandra Medley, Allison Stewart, Allison Lino, Ramiro Quezada, Rosalva Blanco, Vickie Romero, Gerhaldine Morazan, Ella Hawes, Oluwadara Okeremi, Kanako Ishida, Matthew Lozier, Kristy O Murray

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Hand hygiene (HH) can prevent the spread of infectious diseases and school absenteeism. However, limited data exist on HH practices at schools. Our study assesses the impact of a pilot HH intervention in 12 schools in Belize during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. After a national assessment of existing water, sanitation, and hygiene resources (December 2021-January 2022), 12 pilot schools were selected to evaluate an HH intervention, which included environmental nudges and HH education. Baseline assessments occurred in March 2022, the HH intervention was implemented during October 2022-May 2023, and follow-up assessments were conducted in June 2023. Student knowledge, …

Leishmania In Texas: A Contemporary One Health Scoping Review Of Vectors, Reservoirs, And Human Health, Morgan H Jibowu, Richard Chung, Nina L Tang, Sarah Guo, Leigh-Anne Lawton, Brendan J Sullivan, Dawn M Wetzel, Sarah M Gunter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne neglected tropical disease, affects over 6.2 million people globally. Case acquisition is increasingly recognized in the United States, and in Texas, most reported cases are locally acquired and speciated to Leishmania mexicana. We conducted a scoping literature review to systematically assess contemporary research on Leishmania in humans, animals, reservoir hosts, or vectors in Texas after 2000. Out of 22 eligible studies, the most prevalent themes were case reports, followed by studies on domestic animals, reservoirs, and vectors, with several studies bridging multiple disciplines. Climate change, urbanization, and habitat encroachment appear to be driving the northward expansion …

Three Things We Can Do Now To Reduce The Risk Of Avian Influenza Spillovers, Kenneth B Yeh, William P Bahnfleth, Elaine Bradford, Carol Cardona, Kristen K Coleman, Peter J Hudson, Bernadeta Dadonaite, Rebecca J Hutchins, Anthony Maresso, C Raina Macintyre, Matthew Scotch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Increased Fungal Burden In The Gastrointestinal Tract Of Brain-Dead Organ Donors, Erika J Nachman, Colleen K Ardis, A Kyle B Ardis, Javier Nieto, Madeline M Bresson, Clare M Robertson, Maggie N Seale, Nora M Villafuerte, Zhe Lyu, Eva C Preisner, Heather A Danhof, Sara C Di Rienzi, Yolanda T Becker, Robert A Britton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Approximately 3% of organ transplant recipients will be diagnosed with an invasive fungal infection (IFI), with 10%-47% being fatal. The source of IFI is typically not known, but Candida spp. cause the majority of IFI cases. We obtained intestines from two types of organ donors, brain-dead (BD) (n = 7) and donation after circulatory death (DCD) (n = 5), to sample microbes from the mucosal surface and the lumen. BD donors were parenterally fed and treated with corticosteroids in the days before procurement, whereas DCD donors were enterally fed and not given corticosteroids. We found fungi present in …