Digital Commons Network^™

Effectiveness And Feasibility Of The Workout On Wheels Internet Intervention (Wowii) For Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Katherine Froehlich-Grobe, Jaehoon Lee, Christa Ochoa, Amber Lopez, Erina Sarker, Simon Driver, Ross Shegog, Suh-Jen Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized-controlled trial (RCT) with immediate intervention (IMM) and wait-list control (WLC) groups; WLC participants received the intervention during delivery to subsequent cohorts.

OBJECTIVES: Investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of a virtually-delivered exercise intervention.

SETTING: Home and community.

METHODS: A total of 168 middle-aged (49.6 [12.3] years old) men (57%) and women (43%) who lived an average 15.5 (12.3) years with spinal cord injury (SCI) participated. The 16-week program provides users (a) website access with exercise information, resources, and 16 skill-building modules; (b) virtual 60-minute, group-based weekly meetings; and (c) a starter package of exercise equipment. Primary outcomes included …

T1 Signal Intensity Ratio Of The Pancreas As An Imaging Biomarker For The Staging Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Temel Tirkes, Anil K Dasyam, Zarine K Shah, Evan L Fogel, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Liang Li, Shuang Li, Stephanie T Chang, Carlos A Farinas, Joseph R Grajo, Kareem Mawad, Naoki Takahashi, Sudhakar K Venkatesh, Ashley Wachsman, William E Fisher, Christopher E Forsmark, Phil A Hart, Stephen J Pandol, Walter G Park, Stephen K Van Den Eeden, Yunlong Yang, Mark Topazian, Dana K Andersen, Jose Serrano, Darwin L Conwell, Dhiraj Yadav, Consortium For The Study Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes, Pancreatic Cancer (Cpdpc)

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Our purpose was to validate the T1 SIR (T1 score) as an imaging biomarker for the staging of CP in a large, multi-institutional, prospective study.

Methods: The prospective study population included 820 participants enrolled in the PROCEED study from nine clinical centers between June 2017 and December 2021. A radiologist at each institution used a standardized method to measure the T1 signal intensity of the pancreas and the reference organs (spleen, paraspinal muscle, liver), which was used to derive respective T1 scores. Participants were stratified according to the seven mechanistic stages of chronic pancreatitis (MSCP 0-6) based on their …

Adhering To Eat And Exercise Status During Radiotherapy For Oropharyngeal Cancer For Prevention And Mitigation Of Radiotherapy-Associated Dysphagia, Carly E A Barbon, Christine B Peterson, Amy C Moreno, Stephen Y Lai, Jay P Reddy, Ariana Sahli, Rosemary Martino, Faye M Johnson, Clifton David Fuller, Katherine A Hutcheson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Previously published work reported independent benefit of maintenance of oral intake (eat) and swallowing exercise adherence (exercise) during radiotherapy (RT) on diet and functional outcomes. The current study seeks to validate the authors' previously published findings in a large contemporary cohort of patients with oropharynx cancer (OPC) and address limitations of the prior retrospective study using prospective, validated outcome measures.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the longitudinal association of oral intake and swallowing exercise using validated, clinician-graded and patient-reported outcomes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Secondary analysis of a prospective OPC registry including patients who underwent primary RT/chemoradiotherapy (CRT) or primary transoral …

Artificial Intelligence For Radiation Oncology Applications Using Public Datasets, Kareem A Wahid, Enrico Glerean, Jaakko Sahlsten, Joel Jaskari, Kimmo Kaski, Mohamed A Naser, Renjie He, Abdallah S R Mohamed, Clifton D Fuller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Artificial intelligence (AI) has exceptional potential to positively impact the field of radiation oncology. However, large curated datasets - often involving imaging data and corresponding annotations - are required to develop radiation oncology AI models. Importantly, the recent establishment of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) principles for scientific data management have enabled an increasing number of radiation oncology related datasets to be disseminated through data repositories, thereby acting as a rich source of data for AI model building. This manuscript reviews the current and future state of radiation oncology data dissemination, with a particular emphasis on published imaging datasets, AI …

T1 Signal Intensity Ratio Of The Pancreas As An Imaging Biomarker For The Staging Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Temel Tirkes, Anil K Dasyam, Zarine K Shah, Evan L Fogel, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Liang Li, Shuang Li, Stephanie T Chang, Carlos A Farinas, Joseph R Grajo, Kareem Mawad, Naoki Takahashi, Sudhakar K Venkatesh, Ashley Wachsman, William E Fisher, Christopher E Forsmark, Phil A Hart, Stephen J Pandol, Walter G Park, Stephen K Van Den Eeden, Yunlong Yang, Mark Topazian, Dana K Andersen, Jose Serrano, Darwin L Conwell, Dhiraj Yadav, Consortium For The Study Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes, Pancreatic Cancer (Cpdpc)

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Purpose: Our purpose was to validate the T1 SIR (T1 score) as an imaging biomarker for the staging of CP in a large, multi-institutional, prospective study.

Methods: The prospective study population included 820 participants enrolled in the PROCEED study from nine clinical centers between June 2017 and December 2021. A radiologist at each institution used a standardized method to measure the T1 signal intensity of the pancreas and the reference organs (spleen, paraspinal muscle, liver), which was used to derive respective T1 scores. Participants were stratified according to the seven mechanistic stages of chronic pancreatitis (MSCP 0-6) based on their …

Residence In A Latinx Enclave And End-Induction Minimal Residual Disease Positivity Among Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Joshua P Muñiz, John P Woodhouse, Amy E Hughes, Sandi L Pruitt, Karen R Rabin, Michael E Scheurer, Philip J Lupo, Jeremy M Schraw

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Racial and ethnic inequities in survival persist for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In the US, there are strong associations between SES, race/ethnicity, and place of residence. This is evidenced by ethnic enclaves: neighborhoods with high concentrations of ethnic residents, immigrants, and language isolation. The Latinx enclave index (LEI) can be used to investigate how residence in a Latinx enclave is associated with health outcomes. We studied the association between LEI score and minimal residual disease (MRD) in 142 pediatric ALL patients treated at Texas Children's Hospital. LEI score was associated with end-induction MRD positivity (OR per unit increase …

First Steps: Primary Outcomes Of A Randomized, Stepped-Care Behavioral Clinical Trial For Parents Of Young Children With New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes, Marisa E Hilliard, Carrie Tully, Maureen Monaghan, Tom Hildebrandt, Christine H Wang, John R Barber, Lauren Clary, Katherine Gallagher, Wendy Levy, Fran Cogen, Celia Henderson, Lefkothea Karaviti, Randi Streisand

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Despite the emotional challenges of parental adjustment to a child's type 1 diabetes diagnosis and the unique complexities of early childhood, there are few programs designed to meet the needs of parents of young children at new onset. This study evaluated First STEPS (Study of Type 1 in Early childhood and Parenting Support), a stepped-care behavioral intervention designed to support parents' psychosocial functioning and promote children's glycemic outcomes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using a two-site randomized clinical trial design, parents (n = 157) of children aged 1-6 years completed baseline data within 2 months of diabetes diagnosis and were …

Radiotherapy For Elderly Patients With Glioblastoma: An Assessment Of Hypofractionation And Modern Treatment Techniques, Jennifer K. Matsui, Jiayi Huang, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a disease with a poor prognosis. For decades, radiotherapy has played a critical role in the management of GBM. The standard of care radiation prescription is 60 Gy in 30 fractions, but landmark trials have historically excluded patients older than 70 years. Currently, there is considerable variation in the management of elderly patients with GBM. Shortened radiation treatment (hypofractionated) regimens have been explored since conventional treatment schedules are lengthy and many elderly patients have functional, cognitive, and social limitations. Clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of hypofractionated radiotherapy (40 Gy in 15 fractions) to treat elderly or …

Comparative Safety And Effectiveness Of Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass And Sleeve Gastrectomy For Weight Loss And Type 2 Diabetes Across Race And Ethnicity In The Pcornet Bariatric Study Cohort, Karen J Coleman, Robert Wellman, Stephanie L Fitzpatrick, Molly B Conroy, Callie Hlavin, Kristina H Lewis, R Yates Coley, Kathleen M Mctigue, Jonathan N Tobin, Corrigan L Mcbride, Jay R Desai, Jeanne M Clark, Sengwee Toh, Jessica L Sturtevant, Casie E Horgan, Meredith C Duke, Neely Williams, Jane Anau, Michael A Horberg, Marc P Michalsky, Andrea J Cook, David E Arterburn, Caroline M Apovian, Pcornet Bariatric Study Collaborative

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe obesity; yet it is unclear whether the long-term safety and comparative effectiveness of these operations differ across racial and ethnic groups.

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) across racial and ethnic groups in the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet) Bariatric Study.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a retrospective, observational, comparative effectiveness cohort study that comprised 25 health care systems in the PCORnet Bariatric Study. Patients were adults and adolescents aged 12 to 79 years who underwent a primary (first nonrevisional) RYGB …

American Association Of Endocrine Surgeons Guidelines For Adrenalectomy: Executive Summary, Linwah Yip, Quan-Yang Duh, Heather Wachtel, Camilo Jimenez, Cord Sturgeon, Cortney Lee, David Velázquez-Fernández, Eren Berber, Gary D Hammer, Irina Bancos, James A Lee, Jamie Marko, Lilah F Morris-Wiseman, Marybeth S Hughes, Masha J Livhits, Mi-Ah Han, Philip W Smith, Scott Wilhelm, Sylvia L Asa, Thomas J Fahey, Travis J Mckenzie, Vivian E Strong, Nancy D Perrier

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Adrenalectomy is the definitive treatment for multiple adrenal abnormalities. Advances in technology and genomics and an improved understanding of adrenal pathophysiology have altered operative techniques and indications.

OBJECTIVE: To develop evidence-based recommendations to enhance the appropriate, safe, and effective approaches to adrenalectomy.

EVIDENCE REVIEW: A multidisciplinary panel identified and investigated 7 categories of relevant clinical concern to practicing surgeons. Questions were structured in the framework Population, Intervention/Exposure, Comparison, and Outcome, and a guided review of medical literature from PubMed and/or Embase from 1980 to 2021 was performed. Recommendations were developed using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology …

Wellness In The Face Of Frailty Among Older Adults In First Nations Communities, Morgan Slater, Gabrielle Bruser, Roseanne Sutherland, Melissa K Andrew, Wayne Warry, Kristen M Jacklin, Jennifer D Walker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: First Nations people report high levels of wellness despite high rates of chronic illness. Our goal was to understand the factors associated with wellness among First Nations adults in Ontario who were considered frail.

METHODS: Using the First Nations Regional Health Survey, we created a profile of First Nations adults (aged 45+) who were categorized as "frail" (weighted sample size = 8121). We used multivariate logistic regression to determine associations between wellness (as measured by self-reported physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual balance) and determinants of health.

RESULTS: Rates of reported wellness were high among those who were frail, ranging …

Crucial Nuances In Understanding (Mis)Associations Between The Neonatal Microbiome And Cesarean Delivery, Alexa M Sassin, Grace J Johnson, Alison N Goulding, Kjersti M Aagaard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

As rates of Cesarean delivery and common non-communicable disorders (NCDs), such as obesity, metabolic disease, and atopy/asthma, have concomitantly increased in recent decades, investigators have attempted to discern a causal link. One line of research has led to a hypothesis that Cesarean birth disrupts the presumed normal process of colonization of the neonatal microbiome with vaginal microbes, yielding NCDs later in life. However, a direct link between a disrupted microbiota transfer at time of delivery and acute and/or chronic illness in infants born via Cesarean has not been causally established. Microbiota seeding from maternal vaginal or stool sources has been …

Children With Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders Successfully Decrease Fodmap Food Intake On A Low Fodmap Diet With Modest Improvements In Nutritional Intake And Diet Quality, Vishnu Narayana, Ann R Mcmeans, Rona L Levy, Robert J Shulman, Bruno P Chumpitazi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine how a low fermentable oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide, and polyol (FODMAP) diet (LFD) affected high FODMAP food intake, nutrient intake, and diet quality in children with functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD).

METHODS: Children (ages 7-13 years) with Rome IV FAPD began a dietitian-guided LFD. Three-day food records were captured at baseline and 2-3 weeks into the LFD. Intake of high FODMAP foods, energy, macronutrients, micronutrients, food groups, and ultra-processed foods were determined.

KEY RESULTS: Median age of participants was 11 years, and 19/31 (61%) were female. Twenty-eight (90%) decreased high FODMAP food intake on the LFD: …

Heart Failure-Type Symptom Scores In Chronic Kidney Disease: The Importance Of Body Mass Index, Carl P Walther, Julia S Benoit, L Parker Gregg, Nisha Bansal, Vijay Nambi, Harold I Feldman, Michael G Shlipak, Sankar D Navaneethan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: This analysis sought to determine factors (including adiposity-related factors) most associated with HF-type symptoms (fatigue, shortness of breath, and edema) in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Background: Symptom burden impairs quality of life in CKD, especially symptoms that overlap with HF. These symptoms are common regardless of clinical HF diagnosis, and may be affected by subtle cardiac dysfunction, kidney dysfunction, and other factors. We used machine learning to investigate cross-sectional relationships of clinical variables with symptom scores in a CKD cohort.

Methods: Participants in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) with a baseline modified Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire …

Mixed Random And Nonrandom Allocation, And Group Randomization Have Been Mislabeled And Misanalysed, Necessitating Reanalysis Comment On Conner Et Al Kiwic For Vitality: Results Of A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial Testing The Effects Of Kiwifruit Or Vitamin C Tablets On Vitality In Adults With Low Vitamin C Levels, Colby J Vorland, Yasaman Jamshidi-Naeini, Lilian Golzarri-Arroyo, Andrew W Brown, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

We read the report by Conner and colleagues that tested whether kiwifruit or vitamin C affected measures of vitality [...].

Sequencing Individual Genomes With Recurrent Genomic Disorder Deletions: An Approach To Characterize Genes For Autosomal Recessive Rare Disease Traits, Bo Yuan, Katharina V Schulze, Nurit Assia Batzir, Jefferson Sinson, Hongzheng Dai, Wenmiao Zhu, Francia Bocanegra, Chin-To Fong, Jimmy Holder, Joanne Nguyen, Christian P Schaaf, Yaping Yang, Weimin Bi, Christine Eng, Chad Shaw, James R Lupski, Pengfei Liu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: In medical genetics, discovery and characterization of disease trait contributory genes and alleles depends on genetic reasoning, study design, and patient ascertainment; we suggest a segmental haploid genetics approach to enhance gene discovery and molecular diagnostics.

Methods: We constructed a genome-wide map for nonallelic homologous recombination (NAHR)-mediated recurrent genomic deletions and used this map to estimate population frequencies of NAHR deletions based on large-scale population cohorts and region-specific studies. We calculated recessive disease carrier burden using high-quality pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants from ClinVar and gnomAD. We developed a NIRD (NAHR deletion Impact to Recessive Disease) score for recessive …

Sex-Specific Epigenetic Development In The Mouse Hypothalamic Arcuate Nucleus Pinpoints Human Genomic Regions Associated With Body Mass Index, Harry Mackay, Chathura J Gunasekara, Kit-Yi Yam, Dollada Srisai, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Yumei Li, Rui Chen, Cristian Coarfa, Robert A Waterland

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Recent genome-wide association studies corroborate classical research on developmental programming indicating that obesity is primarily a neurodevelopmental disease strongly influenced by nutrition during critical ontogenic windows. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate neurodevelopment; however, little is known about their role in establishing and maintaining the brain's energy balance circuitry. We generated neuron and glia methylomes and transcriptomes from male and female mouse hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, a key site for energy balance regulation, at time points spanning the closure of an established critical window for developmental programming of obesity risk. We find that postnatal epigenetic maturation is markedly cell type and sex specific and …

Identification Of An Early Survival Prognostic Gene Signature For Localized Osteosarcoma Patients, Harry Mackay, Chathura J Gunasekara, Kit-Yi Yam, Dollada Srisai, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Yumei Li, Rui Chen, Cristian Coarfa, Robert A Waterland

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Recent genome-wide association studies corroborate classical research on developmental programming indicating that obesity is primarily a neurodevelopmental disease strongly influenced by nutrition during critical ontogenic windows. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate neurodevelopment; however, little is known about their role in establishing and maintaining the brain's energy balance circuitry. We generated neuron and glia methylomes and transcriptomes from male and female mouse hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, a key site for energy balance regulation, at time points spanning the closure of an established critical window for developmental programming of obesity risk. We find that postnatal epigenetic maturation is markedly cell type and sex specific and …

Study Protocol For An Adapted Personal Project Analysis To Measure Vertical Inter-Goal Relations On Physical Activity And Diet, Sara Kassas, Catherine Culot, Geert Crombez, Annique Smeding, Christophe Leys, Debbe Thompson, Ann Desmet

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: The promotion of multiple healthy lifestyles has been implemented as part of public health efforts to prevent and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases. However, these interventions have shown a heterogeneity in their effectiveness. The pursuit of multiple daily goals may influence overall progress in achieving health goals. Horizontal inter-goal relations can be conflicting (due to time constraints) or facilitating (due to goal compatibility) and impact progress towards goal achievement. Personal values also play an important role in health promotion. Personal values direct attention towards accomplishing a higher-level goal through goal setting. Identifying the conflicting or facilitating relationships between …

Glycemia Reduction In Type 2 Diabetes - Glycemic Outcomes, David M Nathan, John M Lachin, Ashok Balasubramanyam, Henry B Burch, John B Buse, Nicole M Butera, Robert M Cohen, Jill P Crandall, Steven E Kahn, Heidi Krause-Steinrauf, Mary E Larkin, Neda Rasouli, Margaret Tiktin, Deborah J Wexler, Naji Younes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The comparative effectiveness of glucose-lowering medications for use with metformin to maintain target glycated hemoglobin levels in persons with type 2 diabetes is uncertain.

METHODS: In this trial involving participants with type 2 diabetes of less than 10 years' duration who were receiving metformin and had glycated hemoglobin levels of 6.8 to 8.5%, we compared the effectiveness of four commonly used glucose-lowering medications. We randomly assigned participants to receive insulin glargine U-100 (hereafter, glargine), the sulfonylurea glimepiride, the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide, or sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor. The primary metabolic outcome was a glycated hemoglobin level, …

Predictive Value Of The Advanced Lipoprotein Profile And Glycated Proteins On Diabetic Retinopathy, Josep Julve, Joana Rossell, Eudald Correig, Marina Idalia Rojo-Lopez, Nuria Amigó, Marta Hernández, Alicia Traveset, Marc Carbonell, Nuria Alonso, Didac Mauricio, Esmeralda Castelblanco

2020-Current year OA Pubs

This study aimed to assess whether the advanced characteristics of serum lipoprotein subclasses could better predict the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy (DR) and its severity compared to other established risk factors in subjects with type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D) diabetes. This observational, cross-sectional substudy analyzed DR-related data from 309 T1D and 264 T2D subjects. The advanced lipoprotein and glycoprotein profile was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (Liposcale test). NMR analysis of lipoproteins revealed that T1D subjects with DR showed standard non-HDL particles, despite higher IDL lipid concentrations. Notably, IDL lipids were elevated in T1D subjects …

High Prevalence Of Chronic Viral Hepatitis B And C In Minnesota Somalis Contributes To Rising Hepatocellular Carcinoma Incidence, Essa A Mohamed, Joyce E Balls-Berry, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are known risk factors for liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There is substantial global variation in HBV and HCV prevalence resulting in variations in cirrhosis and HCC. We previously reported high prevalence of HBV and HCV infections in Somali immigrants seen at an academic medical center in Minnesota.

AIM: To determine the prevalence of chronic viral hepatitis in Somali immigrants in Minnesota through a community-based screening program.

METHODS: We conducted a prospective community-based participatory research study in the Somali community in Minnesota in partnership with community …

External Validation Of A Prediction Model For Estimating Fat Mass In Children And Adolescents In 19 Countries: Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis, Mohammed T Hudda, Jonathan C K Wells, Linda S Adair, Jose R A Alvero-Cruz, Maxine N Ashby-Thompson, Martha N Ballesteros-Vásquez, Jesus Barrera-Exposito, Benjamin Caballero, Elvis A Carnero, Geoff J Cleghorn, Peter S W Davies, Malgorzata Desmond, Delan Devakumar, Dympna Gallagher, Elvia V Guerrero-Alcocer, Ferdinand Haschke, Mary Horlick, Houda Ben Jemaa, Ashraful I Khan, Amani Mankai, Makama A Monyeki, Hilde L Nashandi, Luis Ortiz-Hernandez, Guy Plasqui, Felipe F Reichert, Alma E Robles-Sardin, Elaine Rush, Roman J Shypailo, Jakub G Sobiecki, Gill A Ten Hoor, Jesús Valdés, V Pujitha Wickramasinghe, William W Wong, Richard D Riley, Christopher G Owen, Peter H Whincup, Claire M Nightingale

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objective: To evaluate the performance of a UK based prediction model for estimating fat-free mass (and indirectly fat mass) in children and adolescents in non-UK settings.

Design: Individual participant data meta-analysis.

Setting: 19 countries.

Participants: 5693 children and adolescents (49.7% boys) aged 4 to 15 years with complete data on the predictors included in the UK based model (weight, height, age, sex, and ethnicity) and on the independently assessed outcome measure (fat-free mass determined by deuterium dilution assessment).

Main outcome measures: The outcome of the UK based prediction model was natural log transformed fat-free mass (lnFFM). Predictive performance statistics of …

Serologic Versus Molecular Testing For Screening For Hepatitis C Virus Infection In Patients With Hematologic Malignancies, Harrys A Torres, Georgios Angelidakis, Ying Jiang, Minas Economides, Khalis Mustafayev, Marcel Yibirin, Robert Orlowski, Richard Champlin, Srdan Verstovsek, Issam Raad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Testing for antibody against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) is a low-cost diagnostic method worldwide; however, an optimal screening test for HCV in patients with cancer has not been established. We sought to identify an appropriate screening test for HCV infection in patients with hematologic malignancies and/or hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT). Patients in our center were simultaneously screened using serological (anti-HCV) and molecular (HCV RNA) assays (February 2019-November 2019). In total, 214 patients were enrolled in this study. Three patients (1.4%) were positive for anti-HCV, and 2 (0.9%) were positive for HCV RNA. The overall percentage agreement was 99.5% (95% CI: …

Dietary Risk Factors And Eating Behaviors In Peripheral Arterial Disease (Pad), Andrea Leonardo Cecchini, Federico Biscetti, Maria Margherita Rando, Elisabetta Nardella, Giovanni Pecorini, Luis H. Eraso, Paul J. Dimuzio, Antonio Gasbarrini, Massimo Massetti, Andrea Flex

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Dietary risk factors play a fundamental role in the prevention and progression of atherosclerosis and PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease). The impact of nutrition, however, defined as the process of taking in food and using it for growth, metabolism and repair, remains undefined with regard to PAD. This article describes the interplay between nutrition and the development/progression of PAD. We reviewed 688 articles, including key articles, narrative and systematic reviews, meta-analyses and clinical studies. We analyzed the interaction between nutrition and PAD predictors, and subsequently created four descriptive tables to summarize the relationship between PAD, dietary risk factors and outcomes. We …

Clinical Activity Of Checkpoint Inhibitors In Angiosarcoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Vinod Ravi, Aparna Subramaniam, Jing Zheng, Behrang Amini, Van A Trinh, Jocelyn Joseph, Robert G Mennel, Andrew J Bishop, Erich M Sturgis, Ryan P Goepfert, Sudha Yalamanchili, Gilberto Botello, Bettzy Stephen, Sarina A Piha-Paul, Anisha B Patel, Alexander J Lazar, Anthony P Conley, Robert S Benjamin, Shreyaskumar R Patel, Phillip A Futreal, Neeta Somaiah, Aung Naing

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Systemic treatments for angiosarcoma remains an area of unmet clinical need. The authors conducted this retrospective study to assess the clinical activity of checkpoint inhibitors in patients with angiosarcoma. The primary objective was to assess the objective response rate, and the secondary objective was to assess the progression-free and overall survival durations and disease control rate.

Methods: Patient data were obtained using The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Tumor Registry database. The final study population was refined to only include patients who had undergone pembrolizumab monotherapy. The objective response rate was evaluated using RECIST/irRECIST version 1.1. Progression-free …

How Did The Dietary Habits Of Patients With Chronic Medical Conditions Change During Covid-19?, Sahil K. Patel, Adarsh Gupta

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

CONTEXT: Previous studies have examined the changes in the dietary habits of general populations during the COVID-19 pandemic but have not focused on specific populations such as those with chronic medical conditions (CMCs). Prior to major vaccination efforts, 96.1% of deaths were attributed to patients with preexisting CMCs, thus it is important to examine how this population has endured changes.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in dietary habits, lifestyle habits, and food attitudes between those with CMCs compared to the populations without chronic medical conditions (non-CMCs) since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: An …

Whole-Exome Sequencing Of 14 389 Individuals From The Esp And Charge Consortia Identifies Novel Rare Variation Associated With Hemostatic Factors, Nathan Pankratz, Peng Wei, Jennifer A Brody, Ming-Huei Chen, Paul S De Vries, Jennifer E Huffman, Mary Rachel Stimson, Paul L Auer, Eric Boerwinkle, Mary Cushman, Moniek P M De Maat, Aaron R Folsom, Oscar H Franco, Richard A Gibbs, Kelly K Haagenson, Albert Hofman, Jill M Johnsen, Christie L Kovar, Robert Kraaij, Barbara Mcknight, Ginger A Metcalf, Donna Muzny, Bruce M Psaty, Weihong Tang, André G Uitterlinden, Jeroen G J Van Rooij, Abbas Dehghan, Christopher J O'Donnell, Alex P Reiner, Alanna C Morrison, Nicholas L Smith

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Plasma levels of fibrinogen, coagulation factors VII and VIII and von Willebrand factor (vWF) are four intermediate phenotypes that are heritable and have been associated with the risk of clinical thrombotic events. To identify rare and low-frequency variants associated with these hemostatic factors, we conducted whole-exome sequencing in 10 860 individuals of European ancestry (EA) and 3529 African Americans (AAs) from the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology Consortium and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Exome Sequencing Project. Gene-based tests demonstrated significant associations with rare variation (minor allele frequency < 5%) in fibrinogen gamma chain (FGG) (with fibrinogen, P = 9.1 × 10-13), coagulation factor VII (F7) (with factor VII, P = 1.3 × 10-72; seven novel variants) and VWF (with factor VIII and vWF; P = 3.2 × 10-14; one novel variant). These eight novel rare variant associations were independent of the known common variants at these loci and tended to have much larger effect sizes. In addition, one of the rare novel variants in F7 was significantly associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism in AAs (Ile200Ser; rs141219108; P = 4.2 × 10-5). After restricting gene-based analyses to only loss-of-function variants, a novel significant association was detected and replicated between factor VIII levels and a stop-gain mutation exclusive to AAs (rs3211938) in CD36 molecule (CD36). This variant has previously been linked to dyslipidemia but not with the levels of a hemostatic factor. These efforts represent the largest integration of whole-exome sequence data from two national projects to identify genetic variation associated with plasma hemostatic factors.

Body Size At Different Ages And Risk Of 6 Cancers: A Mendelian Randomization And Prospective Cohort Study, Daniela Mariosa, Karl Smith-Byrne, Tom G Richardson, Pietro Ferrari, Marc J Gunter, Nikos Papadimitriou, Neil Murphy, Sofia Christakoudi, Konstantinos K Tsilidis, Elio Riboli, David Muller, Mark P Purdue, Stephen J Chanock, Rayjean J Hung, Christopher I Amos, Tracy A O'Mara, Pilar Amiano, Fabrizio Pasanisi, Miguel Rodriguez-Barranco, Vittorio Krogh, Anne Tjønneland, Jytte Halkjær, Aurora Perez-Cornago, María-Dolores Chirlaque, Guri Skeie, Charlotta Rylander, Kristin Benjaminsen Borch, Dagfinn Aune, Alicia K Heath, Heather A Ward, Matthias Schulze, Catalina Bonet, Elisabete Weiderpass, George Davey Smith, Paul Brennan, Mattias Johansson

Staff and Researcher Publications

It is unclear if body weight in early life affects cancer risk independently of adult body weight. To investigate this question for 6 obesity-related cancers, we performed univariable and multivariable analyses using 1) Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis and 2) longitudinal analyses in prospective cohorts. Both the MR and longitudinal analyses indicated that larger early life body size was associated with higher risk of endometrial (odds ratioMR = 1.61, 95% confidence interval = 1.23 to 2.11) and kidney (odds ratioMR = 1.40, 95% confidence interval = 1.09 to 1.80) cancer. These associations were attenuated after accounting for adult body size in …

Xpert Mtb/Rif Ultra Assay For Tuberculosis Disease And Rifampicin Resistance In Children, Alexander W Kay, Tara Ness, Sabine E Verkuijl, Kerri Viney, Annemieke Brands, Tiziana Masini, Lucia González Fernández, Michael Eisenhut, Anne K Detjen, Anna M Mandalakas, Karen R Steingart, Yemisi Takwoingi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Every year, an estimated one million children and young adolescents become ill with tuberculosis, and around 226,000 of those children die. Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra) is a molecular World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended rapid diagnostic test that simultaneously detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and rifampicin resistance. We previously published a Cochrane Review 'Xpert MTB/RIF and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assays for tuberculosis disease and rifampicin resistance in children'. The current review updates evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of Xpert Ultra in children presumed to have tuberculosis disease. Parts of this review update informed the 2022 WHO updated guidance on management of …