Digital Commons Network^™

Mesenchymal Stem Cells And Fibroblasts Contribute To Microvascular Proliferation In Glioblastoma And Are Correlated With Immunosuppression And Poor Outcome, Candice C Poon, Shelley M Herbrich, Yulong Chen, Anwar Hossain, Gregory N Fuller, Sonali Jindal, Sreyashi Basu, Daniel Ledbetter, Marc Macaluso, Lynnette M Phillips, Joy Gumin, Zhong He, Brittany C Parker Kerrigan, Sanjay K Singh, Pratishtha Singh, Mohammed Fayyad Zaman, Derek Ng Tang, Sangeeta Goswami, Frederick F Lang, Padmanee Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Microvascular proliferation (MVP) is a disease-defining hallmark of glioblastoma and other World Health Organization grade 4 gliomas. MVP also serves as a poor prognostic marker in various solid tumors. Despite its clinical significance, the mechanisms and biological consequences of MVP are controversial and remain unclear. In this study, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on paired CD45-CD105+ vascular/perivascular stromal cells (PVSC) and CD45+CD105± immune cells from 16 primary glioma patient samples, both with and without MVP. This analysis revealed the presence of developmentally related mesenchymal stem cells alongside cancer-associated fibroblasts, pericytes, fibromyocytes, and smooth muscle cells within the CD45-CD105+ compartment. RNA …

Impact Of Sociodemographic Determinants On Enrollment Into Contemporary Lymphoma Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review, Jun Yang Jiang, Ang Li, Alexis Romero, Christopher R Flowers, Chijioke Nze

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

While the incidence and survival associated with lymphoma have improved in recent years, outcome disparities related to sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and other social determinants of health (SDOH) remain prevalent in the modern era. Clinical trials are crucial for further improving outcomes, yet not all sociodemographic groups are equally represented in contemporary lymphoma trials. We conducted a systematic review of the literature evaluating the impact of SDOH on enrollment into clinical trials in the United States and identified 21 relevant studies. We confirmed that Black and Hispanic individuals are underrepresented in lymphoma clinical …

Career Impact Of The National Interprofessional Fellowship In Patient Safety: An Alumni Evaluation, Bradley V Watts, Kathleen Carluzzo, Blake F Webb, Kelley Arredondo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: There has been a proliferation of health professions training programmes focused on quality and patient safety, but little information regarding the outcomes of these programmes. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an interprofessional quality and patient safety curriculum on career outcomes of interprofessional healthcare learners for the Veterans Affairs Patient Safety Fellowship.

Method: We conducted a survey-based assessment of 117 alumni of the Interprofessional Fellowship in Patient Safety assessing their satisfaction with the training program and career impacts.

Results: 84 of 117 alumni were located and participated in the assessment. Fellows entered the training …

Prediction Of Methotrexate Neurotoxicity Using Clinical, Sociodemographic, And Area-Based Information In Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Rachel D Harris, Olga A Taylor, Maria Monica Gramatges, Amy E Hughes, Mark Zobeck, Sandi Pruitt, M Brooke Bernhardt, Ashley Chavana, Van Huynh, Kathleen Ludwig, Laura Klesse, Kenneth Heym, Timothy Griffin, Rodrigo Erana, Juan Carlos Bernini, Ashley Choi, Yuu Ohno, Melissa A Richard, Alanna C Morrison, Han Chen, Bing Yu, Philip J Lupo, Karen R Rabin, Michael E Scheurer, Austin L Brown

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Methotrexate is a critical component of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy that can result in neurotoxicity which has been associated with an increased risk of relapse. We leveraged machine learning to develop a neurotoxicity risk prediction model in a diverse cohort of children with ALL.

Methods: We included children (age 2-20 years) diagnosed with ALL (2005-2019) and treated in Texas without pre-existing neurologic disease. Clinical information was obtained by medical record review. Neurotoxicity occurring post-induction and prior to maintenance therapy was defined as neurologic episodes occurring within 21 days of methotrexate. Suspected cases were independently confirmed by 2 …

Linking Dna Methylation In Brain Regions To Alzheimer’S Disease Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study, Hua Zhong, Jingjing Zhu, Shuai Liu, Dan Zhou, Quan Long, Chong Wu, Bingxin Zhao, Chao Cheng, Yaohua Yang, Qing Wu, Yong Wu, Changwei Li, Zhaoming Wang, Jianyong Wu, Xingyi Guo, Degui Zhi, Youping Deng, Lang Wu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aim: DNA methylation in brain regions represents a potential mechanism linking genetic variation to Alzheimer's disease (ad) risk, yet most studies have focused on blood-derived methylation markers. In this study, we conducted a systematic Mendelian randomization (MR) study to evaluate associations between predicted brain region-specific DNA methylation levels and ad risk, using methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTL) as genetic instruments.

Methods: We analyzed mQTLs from five human brain regions: cerebellum (CRBLM), frontal cortex (FCTX), causal pons (PONS), and temporal cortex (TCTX) from 600 individuals in Gibbs et al's study, as well as mQTLs from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of 543 …

Plasma Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein-7 Is Positively Associated With Age, Obesity, Mortality, And Cancer In Postmenopausal Women, Melissa C Orenduff, Carl F Pieper, Emma H Allott, Michael F Coleman, Su Yon Jung, Mara Z Vitolins, Jenifer I Fenton, Chu Chen, Candyce H Kroenke, Fred K Tabung, Ana Barac, Electra D Paskett, Michael N Pollak, Jennifer Hays-Grudo, Shine Chang, Stephen D Hursting

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Predictors of premature death and cancer development are needed to more precisely identify individuals who may warrant preventive intervention. Circulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein-7 (IGFBP7) and, to a lesser extent, the IGFBP7/IGF-1 ratio are emerging biomarkers of renal and cardiovascular morbidity. However, their relationships with aging, obesity, mortality, and cancer risk remain unclear.

Methods: This hypothesis-generating study investigated plasma IGFBP7, IGF-1, and their ratio as predictors of all-cause mortality and the incidence of any cancer (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer), obesity-related cancer (composite of 13 cancer types), and breast cancer in a large longitudinal cohort of postmenopausal women. We …

Comparison Of Open And Laparo-Endoscopic Repair Techniques For Patients With Bilateral Inguinal Hernias, Divyansh Agarwal, Tina Bharani, Nora Fullington, Lauren Ott, Kortney Hodgson, Daelyn Mcclain, Kaela Blake, Michael Reinhorn

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: For primary bilateral inguinal hernias, international guidelines favor a laparoscopic posterior mesh repair due to relatively lower risk of acute and chronic pain, faster recovery, and favorable biomechanical properties compared to open anterior approaches (Lichtenstein, plug and patch, etc.). However, studies comparing open mesh-based bilateral inguinal hernia repairs to bilateral laparoscopic and robotic mesh-based approaches are limited. The Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative (ACHQC) registry includes longitudinal data on bilateral inguinal hernia repairs performed via open as well as laparo-endoscopic approaches. We hypothesize that outcomes for bilateral inguinal hernia repair are similar between open and laparo-endoscopic approaches in the …

Lipoprotein(A) And Heart Failure Among Black And White Participants In Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Framingham Offspring Study, And Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis: The Pooling Project, Sarah Nomura, Weihua Guan, Yixin Zhang, Geoffrey H Tison, Hiroaki Ikezaki, Margaret R Diffenderfer, Ching-Ti Liu, Ron C Hoogeveen, Christie M Ballantyne, Ernst J Schaefer, Michael Y Tsai

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: This study investigated Lp(a) (lipoprotein(a)) levels with heart failure (HF) incidence overall and ejection fraction (EF) subtypes among Black and White participants in a pooled analysis of MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis), FOS (Framingham Offspring Study), and ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study).

Methods: This study was conducted among 16 771 White and Black participants in ARIC (N=10 347), MESA (N=4150), and FOS (N=2274). Baseline was time of Lp(a) measurement (ARIC Visit 4: 1996-1998; MESA Visit 1: 2000-2002; FOS Cycle 6: 1995-1998). HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) was defined as EF < 50% and ≥50% as HF with preserved EF (HFpEF). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate associations between Lp(a) (log-transformed continuous, dichotomized at ≥30 mg/dL and ≥50 mg/dL, and quartiles) and HF (overall, HFpEF, HFrEF) in the overall population and stratified by race. Analyses were replicated excluding prior history of myocardial infarction.

Results: There were 2759 HF cases (HFpEF N=859; …

Maternal Loss Of Mouse Nlrp2 Alters The Transcriptome And Dna Methylome In Gv Oocytes And Impairs Zygotic Genome Activation In Embryos, Zahra Anvar, Michael D Jochum, Imen Chakchouk, Momal Sharif, Hannah Demond, Alvin K To, Daniel C Kraushaar, Ying-Wooi Wan, Michael C Mari, Simon Andrews, Gavin Kelsey, Ignatia B Van Den Veyver

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: NLRP2 is a subcortical maternal complex (SCMC) protein of mammalian oocytes and preimplantation embryos. SCMC proteins are encoded by maternal effect genes and play a pivotal role in the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT), early embryogenesis, and epigenetic (re)programming. Maternal inactivation of genes encoding SCMC proteins has been linked to infertility and subfertility in mice and humans, but the underlying molecular mechanisms for the diverse functions of SCMC proteins, and specifically the role of NLRP2, are incompletely understood.

Results: We profiled the DNA methylome of pre-ovulatory germinal-vesicle (GV) oocytes from Nlrp2-null, heterozygous (Het), and wild-type (WT) female mice and assessed the …

A Novel Cardiomyopathy Phenotype Linked To A Chd7 Missense Variant, In Young Park, Chih-Wei Hsu, Karim Bouazoune, Christina E Espindola, Madeline Hannah Mclaughlin Armond, Cristian Coarfa, Sandra L Grimm, James F Martin, Donna M Martin, Cheryl Lyn Walker

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Loss of function in the chromatin remodeler CHD7 causes CHARGE syndrome, characterized by variable penetrance and diverse abnormalities. However, establishing genotype-phenotype correlations has been challenging, as most CHD7 inactivating mutations are null alleles. Through CHD7 missense variant analysis at potential phosphorylation sites, we identified T730 (T720 in mice) as a critical residue associated with pathogenesis. Using a CHD7 T730 missense variant (Chd7T720A) and a frameshift null allele (Chd7fs) in a mouse model, we found that Chd7fs/fs mice were non-viable, while Chd7fs/+ mice exhibited haploinsufficiency-related circling behavior. Notably, Chd7fs/T720A mice died before postnatal …

Correlations Within And Between Highly Multiplexed Proteomic Assays Of Human Plasma, Mary R Rooney, Jingsha Chen, Christie M Ballantyne, Ron C Hoogeveen, Eric Boerwinkle, Bing Yu, Keenan A Walker, Pascal Schlosser, Elizabeth Selvin, Nilanjan Chatterjee, David Couper, Morgan E Grams, Josef Coresh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: The number of assays on proteomic platforms has grown rapidly. The leading platforms, SomaScan and Olink, have strengths and limitations. Comparisons of precision on the latest platforms-SomaScan 11k and Olink Explore HT-have not yet been established.

Methods: Among 102 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (mean age 74 years, 53% women, 47% Black), we used split plasma samples to measure platform precision. CV and Spearman correlations were calculated for each assay. Cross-platform agreement was assessed for overlapping proteins.

Results: SomaScan 11k demonstrated a median correlation of 0.85 for the 10 778 assays and a median CV of …

An Antibody Biomarker Associated With Onchocerca Volvulus Microfilariae Identified By Proteomic Analysis Of Parasite Tissues Isolated From Paraffin Embedded O. Volvulus Nodules By Laser Capture Microdissection, Sarah E Greene, Kerstin Fischer, Lucia S Di Maggio, Bruce A Rosa, Yuefang Huang, Irina Diekmann, Byoung-Kyu Cho, Jessica Lukowski, Young A Goo, Makedonka Mitreva, Nicholas Opoku, Gary J Weil, Peter U Fischer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Onchocerciasis (river blindness), a neglected tropical disease caused by the filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus, impacts millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. The WHO coordinates global efforts to eliminate onchocerciasis and has prioritized development of improved diagnostic tests to aid these efforts. To find new microfilarial-associated diagnostic targets to help identify active infections, we used laser capture microdissection to isolate embryonic stages from histologic sections of O. volvulus worms in subcutaneous nodules excised from onchocerciasis patients. Proteomic analysis identified 2,512 O. volvulus proteins in those tissues, including 264 found only in the microfilariae (Mf). From this pool of diagnostic candidates, we …

Three Dimensional Multiscalar Neurovascular Nephron Connectivity Map Of The Human Kidney Across The Lifespan, Liam Mclaughlin, Bo Zhang, Siddharth Sharma, Amanda L Knoten, Madhurima Kaushal, Jeffrey M Purkerson, Heidie L Huyck, Gloria S Pryhuber, Joseph P Gaut, Sanjay Jain

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The human kidney maintains homeostasis through a complex network of up to a million nephrons, its fundamental tissue units. Using innovative tissue processing and light sheet fluorescence microscopy, we mapped the 3D neurovascular connectivity of nephrons to understand how their structural organization enables coordinated functions like filtration, absorption, and blood pressure regulation. Our analysis revealed developmental changes in glomerular orientation, density, volume, and innervation from birth through aging. We discovered an extensive nerve network connecting different nephron segments and organizing glomeruli into distinct communities. These communities are linked through "mother glomeruli" that serve as control centers, creating a repeating pattern …

Impact Of An Adapted Diabetes Prevention Program In A Spanish Primary Care Setting: Protocol For A Type Ii Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Cluster-Randomized Trial (Aladim), Miquel Bennasar-Veny, Manuela Abbate, Miquel Colom-Rosselló, Laura Capitán-Moyano, Ivonne C Hernández-Bermúdez, Ignacio Ricci-Cabello, Aina M Yañez, Maria E Fernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a global health concern affecting 10.5% of the adult population and is projected to rise significantly in the coming decades. Lifestyle modification programs, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), can effectively reduce T2D risk among individuals with prediabetes. However, their implementation in real-world healthcare settings remains poor, particularly in Spain, where T2D prevalence is the highest in Europe. The ALADIM study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of an adapted DPP in Spanish Primary Care Centers (PCCs). The primary effectiveness outcome is weight, the co-primary implementation outcome is implementation fidelity. We will …

Longitudinal Outcomes Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Youth Physical Fitness, Andjelka Pavlovic, David Leonard, Timothy J Walker, Derek W Craig, Jizyah Injil, Laura F Defina

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decline in physical activity levels among youths, which could have a negative impact on their fitness.

Objective: To examine longitudinal changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and musculoskeletal fitness (MSF) among students at schools participating in a school-based physical activity program during fall 2019 through spring 2023.

Design, setting, and participants: This longitudinal cohort study included US schools reporting CRF and MSF data at least once during the pandemic (fall 2020 to fall 2021) and at least 1 additional time before or after. In a subset of schools for which learning modality data was …

Cytarabine Pharmacogenomics And Outcomes Among Children And Young Adults With Acute Myeloid Leukemia., Richard J. Marrero, Vivek M. Shastri, Deedra Nicolet, Krzysztof Mrózek, Christopher J. Walker, William G. Blum, Bayard L. Powell, Jonathan E. Kolitz, Joseph O. Moore, Geoffrey L. Uy, Wendy Stock, Andrew J. Carroll, John C. Byrd, Richard Aplenc, Todd M. Cooper, Alan S. Gamis, Huiyun Wu, Stanley Pounds, Yi-Cheng Wang, Todd A. Alonzo, Soheil Meshinchi, Ann-Kathrin Eisfeld, Edward A. Kolb, Jatinder K. Lamba

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Therapeutic responses in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) demonstrate considerable variability both across and within established risk stratifications and age groups. Moreover, significant racial disparities persist, with Black patients experiencing inferior survival outcomes compared with their White counterparts.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the association of the previously reported 10 single nucleotide variant (SNV)-based ara-C pharmacogenomics score (ACS10) with survival outcomes in a large cohort of pediatric AML patients; to evaluate whether ACS10 remains relevant in an adolescent and young adult (AYA) population of patients with AML treated with similar intensive induction chemotherapy protocols; and to assess the association of ACS10 with …

A Comprehensive, Multi-Center, Immunogenomic Analysis Of Melanoma Brain Metastases, Lucy Boyce Kennedy, Amanda E D Van Swearingen, Marissa R Lee, Layne W Rogers, Alexander B Sibley, Jeff Sheng, Dadong Zhang, Xiaodi Qin, Eric S Lipp, Swaminathan Kumar, Aron Joon, Pixu Shi, Michael A Davies, Kouros Owzar, Carey K Anders, April K S Salama

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Melanoma brain metastases (MBM) have a unique molecular profile compared to extracranial metastases (ECM). Description of the biological features and clinical outcomes of MBM will facilitate the design of rational therapies.

Methods: We examined the mutational landscape and gene expression profiles of MBM (74 patients) and ECM (34 patients) in paired patient samples from a previously published dataset with whole-exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing (RNAseq) data from MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC). We also present findings from MBM from a new cohort of 14 patients from Duke University to strengthen investigation of somatic mutations and gene expression profiles. …

Social, Microbial, And Immune Factors Linking Bacterial Vaginosis And Infectious Diseases, Nicole M. Gilbert, Luis A. Ramirez Hernandez, Daniela Berman, Sydney Morrill, Pascal Gagneux, Amanda L. Lewis

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a polymicrobial condition of the vaginal microbiota associated with a variety of sexually transmitted infections, infections of maternal and fetal tissues during pregnancy, and even some infections outside of the reproductive tract, including the urinary tract and mouth. BV has also been associated with conditions in which the body generates prominent inflammatory reactions to microbes, including infections of the cervix and other upper genital tract tissues. For reasons still not understood, BV is a highly recurrent and often difficult-to-treat condition, complicating attempts to prevent these associated infections. An additional layer of complexity arises from the increasing …

Iron Deficiency Without Anemia And Reduced Basal Ganglia Iron Content In Youths, Dimitri Fiani, Joo-Won Kim, Mianzhi Hu, Ramiro Salas, Sarah Heilbronner, Jacquelyn Powers, Muhammad Haque, Stephanie Dinh, Xiaofan Huang, Darrell Worthy, Sridevi Devaraj, Junqian Xu, Chadi Calarge

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Although brain iron is necessary for neurogenesis, myelination, and neurotransmitter synthesis, iron deficiency (ID) is defined solely based on hematological outcomes.

Objective: To examine the association of ID without anemia with basal ganglia (BG) iron content and its structural and functional sequelae in adolescents.

Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional study enrolled participants using the electronic medical record system from a large network of pediatrics clinics between December 2020 and April 2024. Otherwise healthy, unmedicated participants aged 10 to 17 years with a depressive or anxiety disorder or with no psychopathology were consecutively enrolled. Anemia and acute inflammation led …

Intraosseous Vs Intravenous Access For Epinephrine In Pediatric Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Masashi Okubo, Sho Komukai, Junichi Izawa, Sunhee Chung, Cameron Dezfulian, Francis X Guyette, Joshua R Lupton, Christian Martin-Gill, Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, Sriram Ramgopal, Clifton W Callaway

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: While epinephrine is commonly administered in children with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) via an intraosseous (IO) or intravenous (IV) route, the optimal route of epinephrine delivery is unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the association between the route of epinephrine administration (IO or IV) and patient outcomes after pediatric OHCA.

Design, setting, and participants: Retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients (aged < 18 years) with nontraumatic OHCA treated by emergency medical services who received prehospital epinephrine either via an IO or IV route. Patients were included in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Epidemiologic Registry, a prospective OHCA registry at 10 sites in the US and Canada from April 2011 to June 2015. Data analysis was performed from May 2024 to April 2025.

Exposure: Epinephrine administration route: IO or IV route.

Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. The secondary outcome was return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) before hospital arrival. Propensity scores were calculated and inverse probability of …

Deriving A Mammogram-Based Risk Score From Screening Digital Breast Tomosynthesis For 5-Year Breast Cancer Risk Prediction, Shu Jiang, Debbie L Bennett, Graham A Colditz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Screening digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) aims to identify breast cancer early when treatment is most effective, leading to reduced mortality. In addition to early detection, the information contained within DBT images may also inform subsequent risk stratification and guide risk-reducing management. Using transfer learning, we refined a model in the Joanne Knight Breast Health Cohort at Washington University, a cohort of 5,066 women with DBT screening (mean age, 54.6), among whom 105 were diagnosed with breast cancer (26 ductal carcinoma in situ). We applied the model to external data from the Emory Breast Imaging Dataset, a cohort of 7,017 women …

Validation Of A Dynamic Risk Prediction Model Incorporating Prior Mammograms In A Diverse Population, Shu Jiang, Debbie L Bennett, Graham A Colditz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: For breast cancer risk prediction to be clinically useful, it must be accurate and applicable to diverse groups of women across multiple settings.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether a dynamic risk prediction model incorporating prior mammograms, previously validated in Black and White women, could predict future risk of breast cancer across a racially and ethnically diverse population in a population-based screening program.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prognostic study included women aged 40 to 74 years with 1 or more screening mammograms drawn from the British Columbia Breast Screening Program from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2019, with follow-up …

Identification Of A Seasonal Influenza Vaccine-Induced Broadly Protective Neuraminidase Antibody, Anders Madsen, Nisreen M A Okba, Tossapol Pholcharee, Hanover C Matz, Huibin Lv, Maria Ibanez Trullen, Julian Q Zhou, Jackson S Turner, Aaron J Schmitz, Fangjie Han, Stephen C Horvath, Sameer Kumar Malladi, Florian Krammer, Nicholas C Wu, Ali H Ellebedy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Seasonal influenza viruses cause significant global illness and death annually, and the potential spillover of avian H5N1 poses a serious pandemic threat. Traditional influenza vaccines target the variable hemagglutinin (HA) protein, necessitating annual vaccine updates, while the slower-evolving neuraminidase (NA) presents a promising target for broader protection. We investigated the breadth of anti-NA B cell responses to seasonal influenza vaccination in humans. We screened plasmablast-derived monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from three donors, identifying 11 clonally distinct NA mAbs from 268 vaccine-specific mAbs. Among these, mAb-297 showed exceptionally broad NA inhibition, effectively protecting mice against lethal doses of influenza A and B …

Estimated Burden Of Coccidioidomycosis, Samantha L Williams, Andrej Spec, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Coccidioidomycosis is an underrecognized fungal infection that can cause serious illness and constitutes a considerable public health burden. The number of cases is likely substantially higher than the nationally reported total, as surveillance does not capture patients who do not seek medical care or who are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Coccidioidomycosis is not reportable in all states, and cases not reported to public health entities are likewise missed. A systematic estimate of coccidioidomycosis burden is needed to raise awareness and inform public health interventions and policy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the annual burden of symptomatic coccidioidomycosis in the US.

DESIGN, SETTING, …

Phenotypes Of Atopic Dermatitis And Development Of Allergic Diseases, Alexandra R Sitarik, Katherine Rivera-Spoljaric, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory disease in childhood, and children with AD are more likely to develop other allergic diseases, including food allergy, allergic rhinitis, and asthma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the phenotypes of AD expression across 12 US birth cohorts and identify factors associated with phenotype and development of allergic diseases.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study compiled longitudinal data from 12 observational US birth cohorts across decades (children born from April 1980 to June 2019) in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Children's Respiratory and Environmental Workgroup with follow-up to September 2022. …

Virtual Patient-Pcp-Hospitalist Care Transition Meeting Before Hospital Discharge, Jing Li, Matthew D Reuter, Jennifer M Schmidt, Nathan Moore, Nickole Forget, Jennifer Carron, Janice K Ernest, Mark V Williams

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: The fragmented health care system presents significant challenges to promoting trust with hospitalized patients.

OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility and perceptions of a digital connection tool for communication among patients, hospitalists, and primary care practitioners (PCPs).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This quality improvement study was conducted as a feasibility pilot study from September 2022 to June 2023 on medical floors across 3 hospitals. Participants included adult inpatients, the hospitalists who managed their care, and the patients' PCPs. Data were analyzed from September 2023 to April 2025.

EXPOSURE: Structured, video-mediated interaction among the patient, family caregiver (if available), hospitalist, and …

Cytarabine Pharmacogenomics And Outcomes Among Children And Young Adults With Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Richard J Marrero, Geoffrey L Uy, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Therapeutic responses in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) demonstrate considerable variability both across and within established risk stratifications and age groups. Moreover, significant racial disparities persist, with Black patients experiencing inferior survival outcomes compared with their White counterparts.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the association of the previously reported 10 single nucleotide variant (SNV)-based ara-C pharmacogenomics score (ACS10) with survival outcomes in a large cohort of pediatric AML patients; to evaluate whether ACS10 remains relevant in an adolescent and young adult (AYA) population of patients with AML treated with similar intensive induction chemotherapy protocols; and to assess the association of ACS10 with …

Multicenter Validation Of A Machine Learning Model For Surgical Transfusion Risk At 45 Us Hospitals, Sunny S Lou, Sayantan Kumar, Charles W Goss, Michael S Avidan, Sachin Kheterpal, Thomas Kannampallil, Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Accurate estimation of surgical transfusion risk is important for perioperative planning and effective resource allocation. Most machine learning models in health care are not validated or perform poorly in external settings.

OBJECTIVE: To externally validate a publicly available machine learning algorithm (Surgical Personalized Anticipation of Transfusion Hazard [S-PATH]) to estimate red cell transfusion during surgery within a national sample of hospitals.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study evaluated all surgical cases performed in 2020 or 2021 at 45 US hospitals participating in the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group. Obstetric and nonoperative cases were excluded. Data analysis was performed …

Workplace Perk Or Pitfall? A Qualitative Study Of Genetic Counselors' Perspectives And Experiences With Workplace Genetic Testing., Elizabeth Charnysh, Katherine Hendy, Kerry Ryan, Anya E R Prince, W Gregory Feero, Alyx Vogle, Sarah Mccain, Alexandra Truhlar, J Scott Roberts, Charles Lee, Kunal Sanghavi, Wendy R Uhlmann, The Insight @ Work Consortium

Faculty Research 2025

Some employers offer genetic testing for increased cancer and cardiovascular disease risk, as well as pharmacogenetic variants, as a wellness benefit, which presents unique considerations for genetic counseling. Our ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genomics study, positioned in a post-positivist paradigm, aimed to qualitatively assess the perspectives and experiences of genetic counselors (GCs) who had counseled on workplace genetic testing (wGT). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 US GCs who either worked in the wGT industry (i.e., role-directed wGT experience) or provided post-test counseling in a clinical setting (i.e., patient-directed wGT experience). Interviews were analyzed following the principles …

Placental And Cord Blood Dna Methylation Changes Associated With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus In A Marginalized Population: The Untold Role Of Saturated Fats., Fatima Ahmad, Sidra Aftab Uzair, Arun P Lakshmanan, Shaikha Alabduljabbar, Salma H Ahmed, Basirudeen Syed Ahamed Kabeer, Alexandra Katharina Marr, Tomoshige Kino, Tobias Brummaier, Rose Mcgready, François Nosten, Damien Chaussabel, Souhaila Al Khodor, Annalisa Terranegra

Faculty Research 2025

The role of DNA methylation (DNAm) and its modulation by dietary factors in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains underexplored, particularly in marginalized populations. This study investigates DNAm alterations in GDM-exposed cord blood and placenta and their association with maternal dietary quality and single nutrient intake in a low-income population from the Myanmar-Thailand border. A matched case-control design (GDM: n = 38, controls: n = 34) was selected from a Myanmar-Thailand pregnancy cohort. Dietary intake was assessed via 24-h recalls and analyzed using Nutritionist Pro, with dietary quality evaluated by the healthy eating index (HEI). DNAm was profiled in 72 cord …