Digital Commons Network^™

Dairy Consumption And The Colonic Mucosa-Associated Gut Microbiota In Humans-A Preliminary Investigation, Ellie Chen, Nadim J Ajami, Donna L White, Yanhong Liu, Shawn Gurwara, Kristi Hoffman, David Y Graham, Hashem B El-Serag, Joseph F Petrosino, Li Jiao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Dairy consumption has been associated with various health outcomes that may be mediated by changes in gut microbiota.

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the association between the colonic mucosa-associated gut microbiota and the self-reported intake of total dairy, milk, cheese, and yogurt. A total of 97 colonic mucosal biopsies collected from 34 polyp-free individuals were analyzed. Dairy consumption in the past year was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. The 16S rRNA gene V4 region was amplified and sequenced. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) classification was performed using the UPARSE and SILVA databases. OTU diversity and relative abundance were compared …

Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study Of Naproxen During Dental Implant Osseointegration, Hattanas Kumchai, Daniel Taub, Ryan Tomlinson

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often prescribed following the placement of dental implants, but the effects of these drugs on the osseointegration process are poorly understood. We designed a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study to quantitatively assess the effect of NSAIDs during early implant osseointegration.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects receiving a maxillary dental implant were randomized to take naproxen or placebo for 7 days after the surgery. Implant osseointegration was quantified using Resonance Frequency Analysis device. Implant-Stability-Quotient (ISQ) measurement was performed at the time of surgery and at follow-up visits 1, 4, and 16 weeks after surgery. Periapical radiographs were …

Association Between Early Immunosuppression Center Variability And One-Year Outcomes After Pediatric Liver Transplant., Vikram K. Raghu, Scott D. Rothenberger, James E. Squires, Elizabeth Eisenberg, Anna L. Peters, Jennifer Halma, Swati Antala, Irini D. Batsis, Ke-You Zhang, Amy G. Feldman, Daniel H. Leung, Steven J. Lobritto, John Bucuvalas, Simon P. Horslen, George V. Mazariegos, Emily R. Perito

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Despite the existence of institutional protocols, liver transplant centers often have variability in early immunosuppression practices. We aimed to measure within-center variability in early immunosuppression after pediatric liver transplant (LT) and examine its association with one-year outcomes.

METHODS: We analyzed pediatric LTs from 2013 to 2018 in the United Network for Organ Sharing registry, with data aggregated by center. We categorized induction regimen as corticosteroids only vs. T-cell depleting antibody vs. non-T-cell depleting antibody. Primary exposures were coefficient of immunosuppression variability (CIV) in (1) induction and (2) mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) use. Primary outcomes were one-year graft survival, patient survival, …

A Phase 2 Basket Study Of Talabostat, A Small-Molecule Inhibitor Of Dipeptidyl Peptidases, Administered In Combination With Pembrolizumab In Patients With Advanced Solid Cancers, Jibran Ahmed, Filip Janku, Daniel D Karp, Sarina A Piha-Paul, Apostolia M Tsimberidou, Timothy Anthony Yap, Bettzy Stephen, Yali Yang, Serdar Gurses, Qian Liu, Juhee Song, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Aung Naing

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Talabostat, an oral small molecule inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidases (DPP4 and DPP8/9), has shown synergistic activity with immune checkpoint inhibitors in preclinical studies. This open label, phase 2 basket trial assessed the antitumor activity of combining talabostat and pembrolizumab (anti-programmed death-1 antibody) in advanced solid tumor patients.

Methods: The primary objective was assessment of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) rates in the first six patients (lead-in stage) and response rate (efficacy stage; included cohort A [checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) naive] and cohort B [ICI pretreated]) for the study treatment using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 and immune RECIST …

A Phase Ib Trial Of Selinexor In Combination With Immune Checkpoint Blockade In Patients With Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma, Omar Alhalabi, Mohamed A Gouda, Denái R Milton, Hassan Ahmed Momin, Bulent Yilmaz, Bettzy Stephen, Chinenye Lynette Ejezie, Justin Tyler Moyers, Serdar A Gurses, Jeffrey How, Siqing Fu, Jordi Rodon, David S Hong, Sarina A Piha-Paul, Vivek Subbiah, Ecaterina Elena Dumbrava, Daniel D Karp, Filip Janku, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Nizar M Tannir, Aung Naing

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Selinexor (SEL) is a nuclear exportin 1 inhibitor that blocks the transport of nuclear proteins, including tumor suppressors, to the cytoplasm. Preclinical data suggest that the combination of SEL with checkpoint blockade may result in improved response to immunotherapy.

Methods: NCT02419495 was a multiarm phase IB study of SEL in combination with other standard regimens in patients with advanced malignancies. Arm M utilized twice weekly oral SEL and intravenous nivolumab (NIVO). Arm N utilized weekly oral SEL with NIVO plus ipilimumab (IPI). The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of SEL + NIVO and SEL …

Best Practices For Delivering Neoadjuvant Therapy In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Jordan M Cloyd, Angela Sarna, Matthew J Arango, Susan E Bates, Manoop S Bhutani, Mark Bloomston, Vincent Chung, Efrat Dotan, Cristina R Ferrone, Patricia F Gambino, Ajit H Goenka, Karyn A Goodman, William A Hall, Jin He, Melissa E Hogg, Shiva Jayaraman, Avinash Kambadakone, Matthew H G Katz, Alok A Khorana, Andrew H Ko, Eugene J Koay, David A Kooby, Somashekar G Krishna, Liliana K Larsson, Richard T Lee, Anirban Maitra, Nader N Massarweh, Sameh Mikhail, Mahvish Muzaffar, Eileen M O'Reilly, Manisha Palta, Maria Q B Petzel, Philip A Philip, Marsha Reyngold, Daniel Santa Mina, Davendra P S Sohal, Tilak K Sundaresan, Susan Tsai, Kea L Turner, Timothy J Vreeland, Steve Walston, M Kay Washington, Terence M Williams, Jennifer Y Wo, Rebecca A Snyder

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Neoadjuvant therapy (NT) is an increasingly used treatment strategy for patients with localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Little research has been conducted on cancer care delivery during NT, and the standards for optimal delivery of NT have not been defined.

Objective: To develop consensus best practices for delivering NT to patients with localized PDAC.

Design, setting, and participants: This study used a modified Delphi approach consisting of 2 rounds of voting, and a series of virtual conferences (from October to December 2023) to reach expert consensus on candidate best practice statements generated from a systematic review of the literature …

Effectiveness Of The Primary Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Vaccine Against The Risk Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection And Tuberculosis Disease: A Meta-Analysis Of Individual Participant Data, Puck T Pelzer, Logan Stuck, Leonardo Martinez, Alexandra S Richards, Carlos Acuña-Villaorduña, Naomi E Aronson, Maryline Bonnet, Anna C Carvalho, Pei-Chun Chan, Li-Min Huang, Chi-Tai Fang, Gavin Churchyard, Helena Del Corral-Londoño, Manjula Datta, Marcos A Espinal, Katherine Fielding, Andrew J Fiore-Gartland, Alberto Garcia-Basteiro, Willem Hanekom, Mark Hatherill, Phillip C Hill, Helena Huerga, Edward C Jones-López, Afranio Kritski, Anna M Mandalakas, Punam Mangtani, Eduardo Martins Netto, Harriet Mayanja, Rufaida Mazahir, Megan Murray, Molebogeng Rangaka, Thomas Scriba, Jitendra Singh, Sarman Singh, Catherine M Stein, Johan Vekemans, Lilly M Verhagen, Julian A Villalba, Anne Wajja, Basilea Watson, Richard G White, Frank G J Cobelens

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Tuberculosis vaccine trials using disease as the primary endpoint are large, time consuming, and expensive. An earlier immunological measure of the protection against disease would accelerate tuberculosis vaccine development. We aimed to assess whether the effectiveness of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for prevention of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection was consistent with that for prevention of tuberculosis disease.

Methods: We conducted an individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis on experimental and observational longitudinal studies before April 6, 2018, identified through systematic reviews, known to us through expert knowledge in the field, reporting on BCG vaccination status, M tuberculosis infection test (QuantiFERON …

Relationship Between Gestational Weight Gain With Fetal Body Composition And Organ Volumes In The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development (Nichd) Fetal Dimensional Study: A Prospective Pregnancy Cohort, Kathryn A Wagner, Zhen Chen, Stefanie N Hinkle, Jessica L Gleason, Wesley Lee, William A Grobman, John Owen, Roger B Newman, Daniel W Skupski, Dian He, Seth Sherman, Robert E Gore-Langton, Cuilin Zhang, Jagteshwar Grewal, Katherine L Grantz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Inadequate and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with increased risk of newborn small- and large-for-gestational-age, respectively, and future offspring adiposity. However, the relationship between GWG and three-dimensional (3D) measures of fetal body composition and organ volumes, which may provide greater insight into fetal growth via measurement of soft tissue, remains unknown.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between trimester-specific GWG and 3D fetal body composition and organ volume measurements.

Methods: In a diverse, US prospective pregnancy cohort, trimester-specific GWG was calculated as difference between maternal weight at beginning and end of each …

Resilience And Coping: A Qualitative Analysis Of Cognitive And Behavioral Factors In Adults With Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Hannah E Cho, Whitney S Shepherd, Gianna M Colombo, Andrew D Wiese, W Conor Rork, Kristin M Kostick, Dianne Nguyen, Members Of The Bbdc, Chaya N Murali, Marie-Eve Robinson, Sophie C Schneider, Justin H Qian, Brendan Lee, V Reid Sutton, Eric A Storch

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Purpose: The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate resilience among adults with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI).

Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 adults with OI. Transcripts were coded and subsequently abstracted, yielding themes specific to resilience and coping. Interview guides covered broad topics including pain challenges specific to OI, mental health issues related to OI, and priorities for future interventions for individuals with OI.

Results: Participants described resilience in the context of OI as the ability to grow from adversity, adapt to challenges resulting from OI-related injuries, and find identities apart from their condition. Psychological coping …

Prediction Models Of Basal Energy Expenditure In Children And Adolescents Across The Bmi Spectrum Based On Room Calorimetry: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study, Maurice Puyau, Roman Shypailo, Nancy F Butte, Salma Musaad, Fida Bacha

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Existing equations for prediction of basal energy expenditure (BEE) may not be accurate in children with overweight or obesity (OW/OB).

Objectives: We aimed to develop BEE prediction equations applicable to children and adolescents across a wide BMI spectrum using gold standard room calorimetry.

Methods: We measured weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, body composition (DXA), and BEE (whole room calorimetry) in a cross-sectional cohort of 1155 healthy children, 5-19 years of age. 67% of the males and 51% of the females were classified as OW/OB. We applied multiple linear regression analyses to develop BEE prediction models for each sex. …

Association Between Maternal Stress And Child Sleep Quality: A Nationwide Echo Prospective Cohort Study, Sarah Dee Geiger, Aruna Chandran, Marie L Churchill, Maxwell Mansolf, Cai Zhang, Salma Musaad, Courtney K Blackwell, Stephanie M Eick, Dana E Goin, Susan Korrick, Akram Alshawabkeh, Patricia A Brennan, Carrie V Breton, Jose F Cordero, Sean Deoni, Viren D'Sa, Anne L Dunlop, Amy J Elliott, Assiamira Ferrara, Arlene Keddie, Monique Lebourgeois, Kaja Z Lewinn, Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, Maristella Lucchini, Sara S Nozadi, Thomas O'Connor, Yeyi Zhu, Emily Zimmerman, Susan L Schantz

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Childhood sleep quality is associated with physical, cognitive, and behavioral health and predicts later sleep quality; it has many determinants, including developmental exposures.

Objectives: To examine associations between maternal stress during pregnancy and childhood sleep quality and determine whether postnatal stress mediates the association.

Method: Data from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes cohort were used. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) T-scores were the exposure measure. Outcome measures were preschool Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) sleep syndrome scale and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep Disturbance Parent Proxy short form 4a (PSD4a) T-scores at ages 4-8 years. Linear mixed-effects regression …

Association Of Serum Endocannabinoid Levels With Pancreatitis And Pancreatitis-Related Pain, Marc T Goodman, Christina Lombardi, Alexa Torrens, Catherine Bresee, Jami L Saloman, Liang Li, Yunlong Yang, William E Fisher, Evan L Fogel, Christopher E Forsmark, Darwin L Conwell, Phil A Hart, Walter G Park, Mark Topazian, Santhi S Vege, Stephen K Van Den Eeden, Melena D Bellin, Dana K Andersen, Jose Serrano, Dhiraj Yadav, Stephen J Pandol, Daniele Piomelli

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The World Health Organization's Hearts Model For Hypertension And Diabetes Management: A Pilot Implementation Study In Guatemala, Irmgardt Alicia Wellmann, Luis Fernando Ayala, Taryn M Valley, Vilma Irazola, Mark D Huffman, Michele Heisler, Peter Rohloff, Rocío Donis, Eduardo Palacios, Manuel Ramírez-Zea, David Flood

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization HEARTS Technical Package is a widely implemented global initiative to improve the primary care management of cardiovascular disease risk factors. The study's objective is to report outcomes from a pilot implementation trial of integrated hypertension and diabetes management based on the HEARTS model in Guatemala.

METHODS: We conducted a single-arm pilot implementation trial over six months from October 2023 to May 2024 in 11 Guatemalan Ministry of Health primary care facilities in two districts. The pilot evaluated a package of five HEARTS-aligned implementation strategies to improve the pharmacological treatment of hypertension and diabetes. The primary …

Examining Health Insurance And Non-Medical Challenges Among Vietnamese Americans In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alexander Le, Saba Siddiqi, Celine Nguyen, Ben King, Paul Gerardo Yeh, Jannette Diep, Lauren Gilbert, Bich-May Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

When COVID-19 data on Asian Americans are available, they are frequently aggregated, concealing community-specific concerns. Consequently, there is limited COVID-19 literature on Vietnamese Americans. In this study, we investigated the association between health insurance coverage and non-medical challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Vietnamese Americans in Texas. The NIH Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Common Survey 2 was administered electronically in English and Vietnamese and contained 23 questions about non-medical drivers of health, COVID-19 vaccination, and research participation. Vietnamese American adults in Texas were recruited between September 2021 and March 2022 via partnerships with community organizations. Responses were compared and analyzed …

Safety And Efficacy Of Iv Onasemnogene Abeparvovec For Pediatric Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy: The Phase 3b Smart Study, Hugh J. Mcmillan, Craig M. Zaidman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Safety and efficacy of IV onasemnogene abeparvovec has been demonstrated for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) weighing < 8.5 kg. SMART was the first clinical trial to evaluate onasemnogene abeparvovec for participants weighing 8.5-21 kg.

METHODS: SMART was an open-label, multicenter, phase 3b study conducted across 13 sites in 9 countries (NCT04851873). Symptomatic pediatric participants with SMA (any type; treatment-naïve or had discontinued prior treatment) were stratified into 3 weight cohorts (≥8.5-13, >13-17, and >17-21 kg), administered onasemnogene abeparvovec, and followed for 52 weeks. Corticosteroids were initiated 24 hours before infusion with dose increases in response to adverse events (AEs) and subsequent tapering at investigator discretion. The primary objective was safety. Secondary objective was …

Sex-Specific Astrocyte Regulation Of Spinal Motor Circuits By Nkx61, Navish A Bosquez Huerta, Zhung-Fu Lee, Eun-Ah Christine Song, Junsung Woo, Yi-Ting Cheng, Debosmita Sardar, Ozlem Sert, Ehson Maleki, Kwanha Yu, Ekin Su Akdemir, Kaitlyn Sanchez, Juyeon Jo, Matthew N Rasband, Hyun Kyoung Lee, Akdes Serin Harmanci, Benjamin Deneen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Astrocytes exhibit diverse cellular and molecular properties across the central nervous system (CNS). Recent studies identified region-specific transcription factors (TF) that oversee these diverse properties; how sex differences intersect with region-specific transcriptional programs to regulate astrocyte function is unknown. Here, we show that the TF Nkx6.1 is specifically expressed in ventral astrocytes of the spinal cord and that its deletion results in sex-specific effects on astrocyte morphology. Astrocytes from males exhibit enhanced morphological complexity, accompanied by increased motor function and cholinergic synapses. In contrast, female astrocytes exhibit reduced complexity and no changes in motor function. Mechanistically, we found that Nkx6.1 …

Early-Onset Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Idine Mousavi, John Suffredini, Salim S Virani, Christie M Ballantyne, Erin D Michos, Arunima Misra, Anum Saeed, Xiaoming Jia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Recent trends indicate a concerning increase in early-onset atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) among younger individuals (men aged < 55 years women aged < 65 years). These findings highlight the pathobiology of ASCVD as a disease process that begins early in life and underscores the need for more tailored screening methods and preventive strategies. Increasing attention has been placed on the growing burden of traditional cardiometabolic risk factors in young individuals while also recognizing unique factors that mediate risk of pre-mature atherosclerosis in this demographic such as substance use, socioeconomic disparities, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and chronic inflammatory states that contribute to the increasing incidence of early ASCVD. Additionally, mounting evidence has pointed out significant disparities in the diagnosis and management of early ASCVD and cardiovascular outcomes based on sex and race. Moving towards a more personalized approach, emerging data and technological developments using diverse tools such as polygenic risk scores and coronary artery calcium scans have shown potential in earlier detection of ASCVD risk. Thus, we review current evidence on causal risk factors that drive the increase in early ASCVD and highlight emerging tools to improve ASCVD risk assessment in young individuals.

Correlates Of Inaccuracy In Reporting Of Energy Intake Among Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Stephanie L Silveira, Brenda Jeng, Barbara A Gower, Gary R Cutter, Robert W Motl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) are interested in diet as a second-line approach for disease management. This study examined potential variables that correlate with inaccuracy of self-reported energy intake (EI) in adults with MS.

METHODS: Twenty-eight participants completed two assessment appointments within a 14-day period that included a standard doubly labeled water (DLW) protocol for estimating total energy expenditure (TEE). The participants reported their EI using the Automated Self-Administered 24 h (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool. The primary variables of interest for explaining the discrepancy between TEE and ASA24 EI (i.e., inaccuracy) included cognition (processing speed, visuospatial memory, and verbal …

Impact Of A Light Volleyball Intervention Among Older Chinese Adult Women, Ka-Man Carman Leung, Paul Lee, Wing Sze Alice Lai, Yanan Zhao, Lynda Ransdell

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Modified sports offer a strategic approach to promoting health in older adults. Light volleyball, which uses a larger, lighter ball than traditional volleyball, is more accessible for this population. This study investigated the effects of a 16-week light volleyball program on the functional fitness of older adults in Hong Kong. A total of 275 participants aged 60 years or older were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups: a light volleyball intervention group, a Tai Chi group, and a control group. Functional fitness was assessed at the pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up. Results revealed that the light volleyball group exhibited …

The Association Between Thyroid Differentiation Score And Survival Outcomes In Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, Jennifer R Wang, Mark E Zafereo, Maria E Cabanillas, Chia Chin Wu, Li Xu, Yaoyi Dai, Wenyi Wang, Stephen Y Lai, Ying Henderson, Lauren Erasmus, Michelle D Williams, Corinne Joshu, Debashree Ray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Context: Thyroid differentiation score (TDS), calculated based on mRNA expression levels of 16 genes controlling thyroid metabolism and function, has been proposed as a measure to quantify differentiation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine whether TDS is associated with survival outcomes across patient cohorts.

Methods: Two independent cohorts of patients with PTC were used: (1) The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) thyroid cancer study (N = 372), (2) MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) cohort (N = 111). The primary survival outcome of interest was progression-free interval (PFI). Association with overall survival (OS) was …

Improving Cooking Skills, Lifestyle Behaviors, And Clinical Outcomes For Adults At Risk For Cardiometabolic Disease: Protocol For A Randomized Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial (Tk-Mt), Jennifer Massa, Candace Sapp, Kate Janisch, Mopelola A Adeyemo, Auden Mcclure, Natalia I Heredia, Deanna M Hoelscher, Tannaz Moin, Shaista Malik, Wendelin Slusser, David M Eisenberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This protocol describes a study to investigate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a novel Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial (TK-MT) for adults with cardiometabolic abnormalities. The TK-MT protocol describes a hybrid lifestyle intervention combining in-person and virtual instruction in culinary skills, nutrition education, movement, and mindfulness with community support and behavior change strategies. This 18-month-long randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a 12-month, 24 class program, assess preliminary study efficacy, and identify barriers and facilitators to implementation.

METHODS: The intervention program includes 16 weeks of intensive hands-on culinary and lifestyle education classes followed by eight …

Sex Differences In Response To Diet Enriched With Glutathione Precursors In The Aging Heart, Aude Angelini, Grecia Garcia Marquez, Anna Malovannaya, Marta L Fiorotto, Alexander Saltzman, Antrix Jain, Joann Trial, George E Taffet, Katarzyna A Cieslik

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Common features of the aging heart are dysregulated metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis. Elevated oxidative stress is another hallmark of cardiac aging that can exacerbate each of these conditions. We hypothesize that by increasing natural antioxidant levels (glutathione), we will improve cardiac function. Twenty-one-month-old mice were fed glycine and N-acetyl cysteine (GlyNAC; glutathione precursors)-supplemented or control diets for 12 weeks. Heart function was monitored longitudinally, and the exercise performance was determined at the end of the study. We found that the GlyNAC diet was beneficial for old male but not old female mice, leading to an increase of Ndufb8 expression (a …

Associations Between Deficit Accumulation Frailty And Baseline Markers Of Lifestyle In The Us Pointer Trial, Mark A Espeland, Yitbarek N Demesie, Kayloni Olson, Samuel N Lockhart, Sarah E Tomaszewski Farias, Maryjo L Cleveland, Christy C Tangney, Lucia Crivelli, Heather M Snyder, Michele K York, Laura D Baker, Rachel A Whitmer, Rena R Wing, Katelyn R Garcia, Kathryn E Callahan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Multidomain lifestyle interventions may have the potential to slow biological aging as captured by deficit accumulation frailty indices. We describe the distribution and composition of the 49-component frailty index developed by the U.S. POINTER clinical trial team of investigators and assess its cross-sectional associations with sociodemographic factors and markers chosen to be representative of behaviors targeted by the trial's multidomain interventions.

METHODS: We draw baseline data from the 2 111 volunteers enrolled in U.S. POINTER who were ages 60-79 years and at increased risk for cognitive decline. Frailty components were grouped into 9 domains. Associations that frailty index scores …

Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Shared And Distinct Genetic Architecture Of Fatty Acids And Oxylipins In The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos, Carolina G Downie, Heather M Highland, Mona Alotaibi, Barrett M Welch, Annie Green Howard, Susan Cheng, Nick Miller, Mohit Jain, Robert C Kaplan, Adam G Lilly, Tao Long, Tamar Sofer, Bharat Thyagarajan, Bing Yu, Kari E North, Christy L Avery

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bioactive fatty acid-derived oxylipin molecules play key roles mediating inflammation and oxidative stress. Circulating levels of fatty acids and oxylipins are influenced by environmental and genetic factors; characterizing the genetic architecture of bioactive lipids could yield new insights into underlying biology. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 81 fatty acids and oxylipins in 11,584 Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) participants with genetic and lipidomic data measured at study baseline (58.6% female, mean age = 46.1 years (standard deviation 13.8)). Additionally, given the effects of central obesity on inflammation, we examined interactions with waist circumference using two-degree-of-freedom …

Nourishing Change In Houston, Texas: Exploring Grocery Shopping Behaviours And Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Among Low-Income Families In The Brighter Bites Program, Victoria Kwentua, Allison Marshall, Ru-Jye Chuang, Jessica Chen, Christine Markham, Mallika Mathur, Mike Pomeroy, Megan Hall, Shreela Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: We qualitatively examine the grocery shopping behaviours and fruit and vegetable consumption of low-income families participating in the Brighter Bites program in Houston, Texas.

DESIGN: We used a single-group observational study design. We used (1) purposive sampling of schools and (2) convenience sampling of parents/caregivers to recruit participants. Research staff conducted three face-to-face qualitative focus groups in Spanish and English. Transcripts were coded using deductive and inductive reasoning.

SETTING: Three elementary schools serving low-income families in Houston, Texas, in February-May of 2022.

PARTICIPANTS: Brighter Bites parents/caregivers from the 2021-2022 school year.

RESULTS: Three primary themes emerged: (1) child involvement …

Neoadjuvant Or Concurrent Atezolizumab With Chemoradiation For Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: A Randomized Phase I Trial, Jyoti Mayadev, Dmitriy Zamarin, Wei Deng, Heather A. Lankes, Giulio Pesci, Hayeon Kim, Junzo P. Chino, Barbara Banbury, Ned Sherry, Elad Sharon, Sharad A. Ghamande, Catherine Ferguson, Loren Mell, Laura Holman, Cara Mathews, David O'Malley, Alexander Olawaiye, Elizabeth Hopp, Charles Leath, Larry Copeland, Robert Mannel, Roisin O'Cearbhaill, Carol Aghajanian, Russell J. Schilder

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Combined immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and chemoradiation (CRT) is approved in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) but optimal sequencing of CRT and ICB is unknown. NRG-GY017 (NCT03738228) was a randomized phase I trial of atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) neoadjuvant and concurrent with CRT (Arm A) vs. concurrent with CRT (Arm B) in patients with high-risk node-positive LACC. The primary endpoint was the fraction of expanded tumor-associated T-cell receptor (TCR) clones in blood at day 21 as a surrogate measure of anti-tumor immune response. Secondary objectives were safety and feasibility, 2-year disease-free survival (DFS), and predictive value of PD-L1 expression. Forty …

Myo5b And The Polygenic Landscape Of Very Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease In An Ethnically Diverse Population, Ashleigh Watson, R Alan Harris, Amy C Engevik, Numan Oezguen, Maribeth R Nicholson, Sarah Dooley, Rachel Stubler, Lisa Forbes Satter, Lina B Karam, Richard Kellermayer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Genetic discovery in very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD) can elucidate not only the origins of VEO-IBD, but also later-onset inflammatory bowel disease. We aimed to investigate the polygenic origins of VEO-IBD in a cohort with a high proportion of Hispanic patients.

Methods: Patients with VEO-IBD who underwent whole exome sequencing at our center were included. Genes were categorized as genes of interest (GOIs) (129 genes previously described to be associated with VEO-IBD) or non-GOIs. VEO-IBD "susceptibility" single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were identified through enrichment compared with gnomAD (Genome Aggregation Database) and ALFA (Allele Frequency Aggregator) and were scored …

Couple-Based Lifestyle Intervention For Minority Prostate Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Feasibility Trial, Dalnim Cho, Yisheng Li, Karen Basen-Engquist, Chiara Acquati, Nga T T Nguyen, Hilary Ma, Curtis A Pettaway, Lorna H Mcneill

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Black and Hispanic prostate cancer (PCa) survivors, who face a high burden of comorbid conditions and often engage in low levels of physical activity and healthy eating, remain significantly underrepresented in lifestyle intervention studies.

Purpose: Given the significance of spousal influence, we developed a culturally tailored lifestyle intervention for these survivors and their spouses and assessed its feasibility, acceptability, and impact on behavioral change.

Methods: Survivor-spouse couples were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 22), which received 12 health-coaching calls over 6 months, or a usual-care control group (n = 9). Assessments were conducted at baseline (T1), …

Brain Age Modeling And Cognitive Outcomes In Young Adults With And Without Sickle Cell Anemia, Andria L Ford, Slim Fellah, Yan Wang, Kira Unger-Levinson, Maria Hagan, Martin N Reis, Amy Mirro, Josiah B Lewis, Chunwei Ying, Kristin P Guilliams, Melanie E Fields, Hongyu An, Allison A King, Yasheng Chen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Both sickle cell anemia (SCA) and socioeconomic status have been associated with altered brain structure and cognitive disability, yet precise mechanisms underlying these associations are unclear.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether brains of individuals with and without SCA appear older than chronological age and if brain age modeling using brain age gap (BAG) can estimate cognitive outcomes and mediate the association of socioeconomic status and disease with these outcomes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this cross-sectional study of 230 adults with and without SCA, individuals underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive assessment. Brain age was estimated using DeepBrainNet, …

Effect Of Praziquantel Treatment On The Nutritional Status Of Children Infected With Schistosoma Haematobium, Louis Fok, Hongying Dai, David Brett-Major, Abebe Animut, Berhanu Erko, John Linville, Yohannes Negash, Abraham Degarege

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

This quasi-experimental trial examined the relationship between Schistosoma haematobium infection and nutritional status, and the impact of single dose praziquantel (PZQ) therapy on undernutrition. A total of 353 children were examined, 112 of which were infected with S. haematobium and treated with PZQ. Children's heights, weights, and mid-upper arm circumferences (MUAC) were measured at baseline and one month post-treatment. Infected children had significantly smaller mean BMI-for-age z-scores (BAZ) (-1.16 vs. 0.11, p < 0.01) and weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ) (-0.61 vs. -0.31, p = 0.03) than the uninfected ones at baseline. S. haematobium infection was associated with underweight (adjusted OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.63-1.90). One month after treatment, BAZ, WAZ, …