Digital Commons Network^™

Global Burden Of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis In Children: A Systematic Analysis For The Global Burden Of Disease Study, Xuhui Liu, Peierdun Mijiti, Lu Xia, Sylvia M Lacourse, Wulan Talafuhan, Alexander W Kay, Yang Yang, Huarui Liu, Dan Ye, Leonardo Martinez, Shuihua Lu, Adong Shen, Anna M Mandalakas, Feng Li, Christoph Lange, Zhen Huang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Paediatric tuberculosis (TB), particularly drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), is associated with significant mortality. However, the global burden of childhood TB remains poorly understood.

Methods: We analysed incident cases, deaths, and age-standardised incidence and mortality rates among children (0-14 years) with multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 database. Data were stratified by age, sex, region, country, and HIV/AIDS status. Annual and average annual percentage changes were assessed using joinpoint regression analysis. Secondary analyses compared adult and paediatric TB trends in the End TB era and evaluated the potential impact of the …

Cytosine Base Editing Of Lpa In Transgenic Mice Averts Large Deletions, Marcel A Chuecos, So Hyun Park, Madhvi M Bhakta, Usosa Too-Chiobi, Daniel Betancourth, Mingming Cao, Marco De Giorgi, Christopher J Walkey, Anjana Tiwari, Biana Godin, Julia M Assini, Donna J Palmer, Philip Ng, Michael B Boffa, Marlys L Koschinsky, Gang Bao, William R Lagor

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a genetically determined causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease, with approximately 20% of the population exhibiting elevated levels. While there are promising drugs in development, there are currently no approved therapies specifically designed to lower Lp(a) levels. For high-risk individuals with extreme levels of Lp(a), liver-directed genome editing could be an effective one-time solution. Genome editing approaches such as CRISPR and TALENs can reduce Lp(a) in LPA-transgenic mouse models, but they frequently induce large and potentially harmful genomic deletions. Here, we report the first application of TadA-derived cytosine base editing (CBE), delivered via helper-dependent adenovirus (HDAdV) and …

Impact (Immune Monitoring And Phenotype Assessment Of Clinical Trajectory) For Patients With Inborn Errors Of Immunity From The Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (Pidtc), Danielle E Arnold, Hesham Eissa, Elizabeth Dunn, Geoffrey D E Cuvelier, Nicola A M Wright, Rebecca A Marsh, Suhag Parikh, Blachy Davila Saldana, Mark T Vander Lugt, Rosa Bacchetta, Lisa Forbes Satter, Shanmuganathan Chandrakasan, Erinn Kellner, Eric J Allenspach, Erica G Schmitt, Brent Logan, Lauri Burroughs, Morton J Cowan, Linda M Griffith, Luigi Notarangelo, Sung-Yun Pai, Michael A Pulsipher, Christopher C Dvorak, Elie Haddad, Jennifer M Puck, Troy R Torgerson, Jennifer W Leiding, Jennifer Heimall, Alice Y Chan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Evaluating natural history and outcomes of rare inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) has been challenging due to the diverse disease manifestations and lack of standardized data.

Objective: To develop a set of standardized, quantitative, generalizable data collection modules to measure organ dysfunction in IEIs, modeled on the previously validated Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event system for grading treatment toxicity.

Methods: Disease conditions were organized by organ system. Experts from the Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium identified essential features of severe combined immunodeficiency, chronic granulomatous disease, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, and primary immune regulatory disorders and compared these to Common Terminology …

The Relationship Between Psychological Stress And Sars-Cov-2 Nucleocapsid-Antibody Response Following Natural Infection: Longitudinal Findings From The Aegis Study, Erika T Beidelman, Ashley Judge, David B Allison, Stephanie Dickinson, Lilian Golzarri Arroyo, Anna L M Macagno, Michael J Ricciardi, Jon Macy, Stanley Perlman, Christina Ludema, Kevin C Maki, Molly Rosenberg

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Psychological stress can cause diminished immune response to infectious challenges. The extent this holds true during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the modifying effect of vaccination status is untested. We explored these relationships in a non-random sample standardized to the US adult population. Across 2178 participants in the Aegis study (2021-2022), we identified 507 eligible laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections. We estimated the natural log of nucleocapsid-binding antibody absorbance (N-antibody) at study visits up to 225 days following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. Linear mixed effects models were fit to estimate the association of baseline perceived stress and, separately, …

Nmda Receptor Subunit Nmr-2 Regulates Pathogen-Induced Immune Responses Via The Nervous System In C. Elegans, Benson Otarigho, Jonathan Lalsiamthara, Alejandro Aballay

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neural control of innate immunity must balance restraint of basal immune activity with rapid activation upon pathogen encounter. Glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, has been implicated in several neurological disorders associated with inflammation, suggesting a potential link to immune regulation. However, how glutamatergic signaling contributes to immune balance remains unknown. Here, we demonstrated that the NMDA-type ionotropic glutamate receptor subunit NMR-2, a component of the NMDA receptor complex, acts in the

Rare Variants In Prkci Cause Van Der Woude Syndrome And Other Features Of Peridermopathy, Huai-Wei Huang, Michal Tyrlik, Po-Wen Huang, Adam I Yeo, Ah-Ram Kim, Norbert Perrimon, Chen-Yuan Tseng, Hugo J Bellen, Hyung Don Ryoo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by lower lip pits and orofacial clefts (OFCs). With a prevalence of ∼1 in 35,000 live births, it is the most common form of syndromic clefting. Most VWS is attributed to variants in IRF6 (∼70%) or GRHL3 (∼5%), leaving up to 25% of individuals without a molecular diagnosis. Both IRF6 and GRHL3 function in a transcriptional regulatory network (TRN) governing differentiation of periderm, a single epithelial cell layer preventing pathological adhesions during palatogenesis. Periderm disruption can elicit a spectrum of phenotypes, including lip pits and OFCs, pterygia, and severe …

Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Obesity: An Unexpected But Welcome Fourier Transformation, Layla A Abushamat, Arsalan Hamid, Vijay Nambi, Huaizhu Wu, Christie M Ballantyne

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Ethics For An Era Of Trusted Computational Tools, Kristin M Kostick-Quenet, Meghan Hurley, John Herrington, Eric A Storch

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Computer perception (CP) technologies are poised to deliver near real-time behavioral insights with high precision. As technical barriers recede, our field's ethical focus must shift from "Can we trust the data?" to "Should we use it here, and how?" We propose a contextual ethics framework that: (1) defines the appropriate scope of CP integration; (2) advocates codesigned roadmaps to manage expectations and epistemic conflict; (3) expands evaluation beyond performance metrics to humanistic outcomes; and (4) anticipates future high performance systems to safeguard dignity, empathy, and shared decision-making in clinical care.

Exploring Racial And Ethnic Diversity Trajectories And Diabetes Prevalence In The United States, Jiue-An Yang, Calvin P Tribby, Anna Dmowska, Qian Xiao, Marta M Jankowska

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study investigates whether long-term changes in neighborhood racial and ethnic diversity are associated with adult diabetes prevalence across the contiguous United States. We calculated diversity indexes for US census tracts (n = 72,033) using decennial census data from 1990 to 2020. Five diversity trajectory clusters were identified using K-means clustering. Diabetes prevalence in 2019 was obtained from the CDC's PLACES dataset. Linear mixed models (LMMs) assessed global associations between diversity trajectories and diabetes prevalence, adjusting for age, sex, poverty, marital status, and public insurance. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) examined local variations in these associations. Compared to the reference group …

Bridging The Diagnostic Gap: Expanding Dementia Care Navigation For Timely Diagnosis, Lucille Carriere, Morgan Minyo, David Bass, Katherine L Possin, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Joel Salinas, Nicole Deaner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Over half of dementia cases remain undiagnosed, with persistent disparities across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Dementia care navigation (DCN) has demonstrated value in post-diagnosis settings. If implemented earlier, DCN could address diagnostic delays and care gaps. We define the diagnostic window as the period from initial symptom awareness through diagnosis and early care planning. Drawing on deliberations from the Alzheimer's Association Dementia Care Navigation Roundtable, we present a pre-diagnosis DCN framework organized across six domains and describe navigator roles across three phases: pre-evaluation, diagnostic assessment, and immediate post-diagnosis and transition. We address special considerations, including people without a care …

Barriers And Facilitators To The Implementation Of The Diabetes Prevention Program (Dpp) In Health Settings: Protocol For A Mixed Methods Systematic Review, Miquel Colom-Rosselló, Manuela Abbate, Laura Capitán-Moyano, Elena Pastor-Ramon, Maria E Fernández, Aina M Yañez, Miquel Bennasar-Veny

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This is the protocol of a Campbell Systematic Review. The objectives are as follows: to identify implementation determinants from the perspectives of both participants and implementers, and to assess their influence on specific implementation outcomes, thereby clarifying why certain aspects of the implementation process succeed or fail. If sufficient data is available, variations in perceived barriers or facilitators related to individuals and program characteristics will also be explored.

Evaluation Of A Novel Antegrade-To-Retrograde Femoral Sheath Conversion System: A Preclinical, Cadaveric Study, Ramakrishnan Ranganath, Kerry K Gilbert, Randy Hickle, Anuva Iyer, Ryan Um, Rex Johnson, Randall Torrence, Daniel I Sessler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Peripheral arterial disease often affects the lower extremities, is frequently bilateral, and typically involves multiple leg segments. Symptomatic disease is usually treated endovascularly. Antegrade access may be necessary in some cases and can be challenging compared with retrograde common femoral artery access. The ability to convert a conventional retrograde access to antegrade access would thus be valuable. We developed and tested a novel system, named as antegrade-to-retrograde converter. Our aim was to establish antegrade superficial femoral artery access from initial retrograde entry and reconvert to retrograde access.

Methods: We tested the antegrade-to-retrograde converter bilaterally in 15 fresh (unembalmed) human …

Dental Care Utilization Among Sexual And Gender Minority Individuals, Ishita Singh, Oladipo Afolayan, Sarah S Jackson, Irene Tamí-Maury

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals can experience notable health disparities, including higher HIV prevalence, social isolation, substance abuse, lack of culturally competent providers, and poorer health outcomes compared to heterosexuals due to stigma and discrimination. This study aims to identify predictors of dental care utilization across sexual minorities using the 2023 TEXAS PRIDE Survey.

Methods: We analyzed data from 517 SGM individuals, assessing sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and recent medical and dental visits. Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of dental care utilization (i.e., a dental visit in the past year).

Results: Among sexual orientation groups, reported dental care …

Hematochezia In A Patient With End-Stage Renal Disease, Brennan Gioe, Conrad Fernandes, E Celia Marginean, Stalin Subramanian

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Association Of Insulin Resistance And Fracture Risk In The Osteoporotic Fractures In Men (Mros) Cohort, Jeonghoon Ha, Li-Yung Lui, Kristine Ensrud, Qian Xiao, Andrew R Hoffman, Joy Y Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Context: Insulin resistance (IR) is more prevalent in men than in women, but evidence directly linking IR to fracture risk in older men remains limited.

Objective: To evaluate the association between insulin resistance (IR), estimated using the Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, and fracture risk in older men.

Methods: Data from 5994 men (≥65 years) in the MrOS cohort were analyzed. A total of 5416 participants were included in the HOMA-IR analysis and 5384 in the TyG index analysis. Fractures were self-reported and confirmed radiographically. Participants were grouped into quartiles based on IR …

Age And Sex Affect The Prevalence And Severity Of Periodontal Conditions In An Academic Setting, Karo Parsegian, Nikolaos Soldatos, Tonia C Carter, Nikola Angelov, Neel Shimpi, Krishna Kumar Kookal, David K Okano, Effie Ioannidou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The aim of the present study was to examine whether age and sex affected the prevalence and severity of periodontal conditions in patients attending an academic dental clinic.

Methods: Electronic health record (EHR) data on the demographic characteristics and periodontal conditions of patients presented for a comprehensive periodontal evaluation were extracted from the institutional dental EHR database. Retrospective analysis of independent associations of age, sex, and other subject characteristics with periodontal conditions was determined using multinomial logistic regression. The null hypothesis stating that age and sex were not associated with the increased prevalence and/or severity of periodontal conditions was …

Mitf Gain-Of-Function Mutation In Metastatic Prostate Cancer: A Rare Finding With Potential Therapeutic Significance, Paul J Pecorin, Nyembezi Dhliwayo, Matthew Demetrious, Ludimila Cavalcante, Veronica Rodriguez-Bravo, Josep Domingo-Domenech, Thomas Westbrook

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy in men and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, particularly in aggressive variants. These tumors are usually associated with alterations in TP53, RB1, and PTEN. The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) has been implicated in several malignancies, but its role in prostate cancer is less defined.

Case: We report the first case of metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma harboring a gain-of-function MITF E318K mutation. The patient presented with high tumor burden, rapid progression, and evidence of tumor heterogeneity. The E318K mutation, previously linked to melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, enhances MITF transcriptional activity …

Anterior Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome From Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Injection, Neha Singh, Elisa Chaparro, Jordan Michael Shapiro, Emanuel Narcis Husu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) is an underdiagnosed cause of abdominal pain. We report the first documented ACNES case following subcutaneous administration of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. A 44-year-old man developed focal, neuropathic abdominal pain coinciding with initiation of tirzepatide injections. Clinical examination confirmed ACNES diagnosis, and pain improved after relocating injections away from the abdomen and initiating multimodal pharmacotherapy. This case emphasizes the need to consider ACNES in patients endorsing focal abdominal pain with concurrent use of glucagon-like peptide-1 therapy and highlights injection site modification as a simple, effective management strategy while exercising self-restraint with respect to workup.

Letter To The Editor Regarding “Questionable Indication For Postoperative Radiotherapy After Surgery For Metastases Of The Major Long Bones”: A Cautionary Note On Methodology And Analysis, Shing Fung Lee, Joel A Finkelstein, Peter J Hoskin, Dirk Rades, Eva Oldenburger, Tracy A Balboni, Daniel E Roos, Hans Kreder, Eric L Chang, Samuel Ryu, Amal Khoury, Kristopher Dennis, Candice Johnstone, Sara R Alcorn, Charles B Simone, Stephanie Brown, Jonas Willmann, Joanne M Van Der Velden, Mateusz Spałek, Yvette M Van Der Linden, Joanna Kazmierska, Nicolaus Andratschke, Emily J Martin, Michael Chao, Hany Soliman, Kenny Kwan, Raymond C H Yau, Shengji Yu, Zhenfeng Li, Albert Yee, Ningning Lu, Xinxin Zhang, Gavin P Jones, W L Chan, Adrian W Chan, Chung Ming Chan, Agata Rembielak, Gustavo N Marta, Vassilios Vassiliou, Saverio Caini, Edward Chow, Henry C Y Wong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparison Of Acoltremon Ophthalmic Solution 0.003% And Cyclosporine 0.05% Ophthalmic Emulsion For Increased Tear Production In Patients With Dry Eye Disease, Stephen Pflugfelder, Tony Okoro, Margaret Ainslie-Garcia, Anja Haltner, Emily K Prentiss, Elizabeth M Salvo-Halloran, Nikethana Srikanth, Michelle Senchyna, Esen K Akpek

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Prognostic Value Of Stress Perfusion Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Kawasaki Disease With Coronary Artery Aneurysms: A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study, Alexander J Kiener, S Kristen Sexson Tejtel, Aimee Liou, Carolyn A Altman, Tam T Doan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) with coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) places patients at risk for myocardial ischemia and major cardiac events (MCE). While stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (spCMR) is used for surveillance, its prognostic value has not been established.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of KD patients (AHA risk levels 3-5) who underwent clinically indicated vasodilator spCMR at a tertiary pediatric center between October 2014 and December 2024. We evaluated inducible perfusion defects, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), ventricular function, and MCE (myocardial infarction, ventricular dysfunction, arrhythmia, revascularization, transplant, or death). We performed Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses …

Hospice Enrollments From The Emergency Department Feature Short Admissions And High-Acuity Hospice Care, Helen P Knight, Kourosh Ravvaz, Alexander Fiksdal, Lin Shen, Isaac S Chua, Claire K Ankuda, Haiden A Huskamp, Hojjat Salmasian, Joan M Teno, David W Bates

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Medicare beneficiaries frequently visit the emergency department (ED) at the end of life, but little is known about the epidemiology of patients admitted to hospice from the ED. We used 100 percent Medicare fee-for-service claims from the period 2018-20 to describe the frequency of direct ED-to-hospice enrollments, associated patient and hospice agency characteristics, and patient outcomes. In this sample, 4.3 percent of initial enrollments in hospice originated from the ED. ED-to-hospice admissions featured short lengths-of-stay (21.7 percent were two days or less) and high rates of general inpatient level of care at the time of enrollment (23.6 percent). The 10 …

Structural Determinants Of Ligand Response Specificity In The Mast Cell Activating Gpcr, Mrgprx2, Abiodun Adefola R Adeosun, Melina A Agosto, Olivier Lichtarge, Theodore G Wensel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The mast cell-specific G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) MRGPRX2 (Mas-Related G Protein-coupled Receptor X2) has roles in itch and pain, and it mediates clinically relevant allergy-like responses to a diverse assortment of drugs. The varied responses of individuals to MRGPRX2 agonists, leading to drug hypersensitivity reactions in some cases, suggests the presence of consequential variants in the population. However, genetic associations with drug responses are poorly understood. We used heterologously-expressed MRGPRX2 to investigate the effect of 18 naturally occurring non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms on activation by representative compounds from several classes, including neuropeptides, opioid agonists, antibiotics, neuromuscular blocking agents, and polycationic aromatic …

Disease-Specific Growth Charts Capture Characteristic Growth Patterns In Children With Pmm2 – Cdg, Kyriakie Sarafoglou, Christina Lam, Andrew C Edmondson, Andrea Miller, Rodrigo T Starosta, Aziza Zeighami, Seishu Horikoshi, Hayden Vreugdenhil, Fernando Scaglia, Tamas Kozicz, Queenie K G Tan, Bradley S Miller, Iván Martínez-Duncker, Gerard T Berry, Peter Mcwilliams, Eva Morava, Yaw Addo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Growth faltering is prevalent in 96% of children with Phosphomannomutase-2 congenital disorder of glycosylation (PMM2-CDG). Published long-term growth data is extremely limited. Growth and weight patterns of PMM2-CDG children differ from the general population limiting the utility of existing normative growth charts to track development trajectory in comparison to peers with PMM2-CDG.

Objective: Create PMM2-CDG disease-specific height-, weight-, and BMI-for-age reference growth charts (0-20 years).

Methods: De-identified growth data was provided by Frontiers in Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation Consortium, CDG Care, Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, and Glycomine, Inc. Semi-parametric modeling techniques were used to develop PMM2-CDG-specific …

Hematologic Markers And Machine Learning In Predicting Placenta Accreta: A Case-Control Study, Michael D Jochum, Kelly D Albrecht, Yamely Mendez Martinez, Victoria Zhang, Sanmay Sarada, Brian Burnett, Christina C Reed, Karin A Fox, Amir A Shamshirsaz, Michael A Belfort, Jessian L Munoz, Hennie A Lombaard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: This study aims to enhance antenatal detection of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) and predict severe hemorrhage at delivery using machine learning by evaluating the association between antenatal hematologic index trends across trimesters, imaging markers, and patient history.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 2017-2023 data from a PAS referral center, including demographics, laboratory results, ultrasounds, and outcomes. Patients with confirmed PAS (cases) were compared to those with antenatal risk but no histopathologic evidence of PAS (controls). Statistical analyses and machine learning models were developed to predict PAS. We also used machine learning to predict severe hemorrhage (>1500 mL) in the …

Fetal Instability And Resuscitative Management During Fetal Intervention: A Retrospective, Descriptive Analysis Of 245 Fetal Cardiac And Spina Bifida Procedures, Claire A Naus, Betul Yilmaz Furtun, Jessian L Munoz, Rebecca M Johnson, Carolyn A Altman, Michael A Belfort, Luc Joyeux, Alice King, David G Mann, Shaine Morris, Athar M Qureshi, Magdalena Sanz Cortes, William E Whitehead, Caitlin D Sutton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: The heterogeneity of fetal surgery has led to variability in the nature and frequency of fetal instability. Understanding these differences is critical for optimizing management.

Methods: We reviewed all fetal atrial septal interventions (FASI) and fetoscopic myelomeningocele (fMMC) repairs with fetal instability performed at our institution between March 2012 and April 2025. We described and compared the frequency, timing, etiology, and management of fetal instability.

Results: During the study period, 28 unique patients underwent 35 FASI procedures, and 210 patients underwent fMMC repair. Fetal instability occurred in 51 of 245 cases (20.8%), with rates varying significantly by procedure type …

A Trans-Omics Gene-Smoking Interaction Study Of Lung Cancer Based On Consortium Data, Ning Xie, Xiaowen Xu, Yanru Wang, Aoxuan Wang, Xiang Wang, Xuan Wang, Mengsheng Zhao, Jiacheng Zhou, Yongyue Wei, Manel Esteller, Zhibin Hu, Hongbing Shen, Rayjean J Hung, Christopher I Amos, Yi Li, David C Christiani, Feng Chen, Yang Zhao, Ruyang Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rationale: Genetically predicted molecular traits provide a cost-effective approach for identifying biomarkers and uncovering underlying biological mechanisms. We extended this framework to investigate gene-smoking interactions in lung cancer susceptibility.

Objectives: To identify trans-omics gene-smoking interactions affecting lung cancer risk and to assess how biomarkers modify effect of smoking.

Methods: We conducted the first trans-omics gene-smoking interaction study of lung cancer by integrating consortium-scale individual genotype data (27 737 cases vs 449 910 noncases) from the International Lung Cancer OncoArray Consortium (ILCCO-OncoArray), Transdisciplinary Research Into Cancer of the Lung (TRICL), Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO), and the …

Barrett’S Esophagus-Associated Genetic Loci In African Americans: A Case-Control Study Using The All Of Us Research Program, Ashwin Rao, Jinyoung Byun, Aaron P Thrift, Hashem B El-Serag

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and aims: Barrett's esophagus is the only known precursor lesion to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Barrett's esophagus and EAC are less common in African Americans than in non-Hispanic Whites. Studies in European populations have identified Barrett's esophagus-associated risk loci; however, none have examined loci in African Americans cohorts. We conducted a case-control targeted replication study to investigate previously identified Barrett's esophagus risk loci in an African Americans cohort in the All of Us (AoU) Research Program.

Methods: We abstracted phenomic and genomic data from 108 African Americans with Barrett's esophagus and 778 African Americans controls in the AoU database. We …

Use Of Plozasiran Across A Spectrum Of Hypertriglyceridemia: Long-Term Efficacy And Safety Data From The Open-Label Extension Period Of Shasta-2 And Muir Trials, Christie M Ballantyne, Alexis Baass, Robert S Rosenson, Robert A Hegele, Stephen J Nicholls, Szilard Vasas, Peter Clifton, Kathryn J Lucas, Denes Pall, Rong Zhou, Nicholas J Leeper, Jennifer Hellawell, Lalitha Aiyer, Gerald F Watts, Daniel Gaudet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Plozasiran, a hepatocyte-targeted siRNA against apolipoprotein C-III, has demonstrated substantial reductions in triglycerides (TGs) and related atherogenic lipoproteins across a spectrum of hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), leading to its approval for familial chylomicronemia syndrome in the United States, and subsequently in Canada and China. Long-term data suggest maintenance of these effects beyond the blinded treatment periods, supporting further evaluation of plozasiran across a broad spectrum of HTG.

Methods: Safety and efficacy were assessed in this open-label extension (OLE) of two phase 2b, randomized, double-blind trials, SHASTA-2 (n = 229) including patients with severe HTG (TG >500 mg/dL) and MUIR ( …

The Soft Cluster Score As A Multifaceted Predictive Model For Postoperative Outcomes, Gwendolyn B Henry, Spoorthi Kamepalli, Carter J Burns, Jeremy Birkmire, George Cholankeril, Avegail Flores, John A Goss, Abbas Rana

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Consideration of both donor and recipient factors at the time of an organ offer is crucial in achieving the most optimal outcome given the shortage of available donor organs and waitlist mortality risk. Our aim was to achieve a comprehensive risk assessment for liver transplant patients by creating a series of independent risk index equations for 6 distinct posttransplant endpoints in the transplant continuum of care.

Methods: The Survival Outcomes Following Liver Transplantation (SOFT) Cluster score includes risk indices for patient mortality at 90 d, 1 y, 3 y, and 5 y posttransplant, graft failure at 1 y after …