Immunopathology Commons^™

Identification And Preclinical Assessment Of Novel Therapeutic Modalities In Environmental Exposure-Induced Lung Disease, Aaron D. Schwab

Theses & Dissertations

Environmental lung diseases are preventable respiratory conditions either caused or made worse by inhaled environmental exposures. Contemporarily, environmental lung diseases are most associated with workplace exposures given specific occupational processes aerosolize inflammatory agents that can be inhaled at high concentrations. Although a considerable amount is known regarding immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated responses to environmental exposures, little is known about non-IgE mediated respiratory conditions resulting from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-enriched organic dust exposure(s). Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis have all been identified as environmental lung diseases caused or exacerbated by such environmental dusts. Therapeutic …

Excess Fructose In High-Fructose Corn Syrup Reduces Cell Viability & Promotes Nitric Oxide Release In Raw 264.7 Macrophages, Renzo F. Galarza, Edward L. Villegas

Research and Creativity Symposium

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an artificial sweetener that contains slightly higher concentrations of fructose compared to standard sucrose. It has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease. While both HFCS and sucrose are widely used sweeteners, growing evidence suggests they may differ in their inflammatory potential. We sought to understand the effects of elevated fructose on RAW 264.7 macrophages. To investigate these effects, we treated the cells with either a sucrose solution or a
solution designed to mimic high-fructose corn syrup. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation was used to model innate …

Mage-A4 Induces Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer And Tumor-Promoting Plasma Cell Accumulation, Dominique Armstrong, Cheng-Yen Chang, Monica J Hong, Linda Green, Yichao Shen, William Hudson, Kelsey E Mauk, Li-Zhen Song, Sheetal Jammi, Benjamin Casal, Brianna Burns, Chad J Creighton, Alexandre Carisey, Xiang H-F Zhang, Neil J Mckenna, Sung Wook Kang, Hyun-Sung Lee, William Decker, David B Corry, Farrah Kheradmand

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Adaptive immunity is critical in eliminating tumors, but cancer-intrinsic factors can subvert this function. Melanoma antigen-A4 (MAGE-A4), a cancer-testis antigen, is expressed in solid tumors and correlates with poor survival, but its role in tumorigenesis and antitumor immunity remains unclear. We found that expression of MAGE-A4 was highly associated with the loss of PTEN, a tumor suppressor, in human non–small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Here, we show that constitutive expression of human MAGE-A4 with Pten loss in mouse airway epithelia results in metastatic adenocarcinoma. Tumors showed distinct enrichment in IgA+ CD138+ CXCR4+ plasma cells (PCs) and increased expression of …

Inflammatory Hyperplastic Mass Mimicking Local Recurrence Following Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection Of A Colonic Adenoma, Isiah Gonzalez, Linda K Green, Salmaan Jawaid, Wasseem Skef

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This case presents a hyperplastic inflammatory mass at the resection site of a colorectal tubular adenoma. A 65-year-old man with a history of alcohol-associated liver cirrhosis, >10 lifetime polyps, and a CHEK2 mutation underwent hybrid endoscopic submucosal dissection of a 3 cm lateral spreading tumor, nongranular, Paris 0-IIa polyp in the ascending colon. Postresection pathology confirmed tubular adenoma with negative margins (R0). Six-month surveillance colonoscopy in the community identified a mass at the resection site, initially suspected to be local recurrence. Repeat colonoscopy demonstrated a mass which appeared inflammatory, with a Kudo type II hyperplastic pit pattern on narrow-band imaging …

Thromboelastography Versus Thromboelastometry For Unfractionated Heparin Monitoring In Adult Patients On Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, Ellen B Yin, Arthur W Bracey, Subhasis Chatterjee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Monitoring the anticoagulant effect of unfractionated heparin (UFH) in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients is complex but critically important to balance the risks of treatment related bleeding and circuit thrombosis. While guidelines recommend using more than one method to monitor UFH activity, the use of thromboelastometry (ROTEM) to monitor UFH in ECMO patients has not been investigated in detail.

Methods: This is an observational, single-center retrospective study looking at adult ECMO patients on UFH that had ROTEM and thromboelastography (TEG) tests obtained concurrently. A total of 20 samples were obtained from nine patients during the study period, …

The Role Of The Triglyceride-Glucose Index As A Biomarker Of Cardio-Metabolic Syndromes, Verena Gounden, Sridevi Devaraj, Ishwarlal Jialal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index represents a simple, cost-effective, and valid proxy for insulin resistance. This surrogate marker has also been proposed as a predictor of metabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this descriptive review, we aimed to assess the utility of the TyG index as a predictive biomarker of cardiometabolic diseases.

METHODS: A search was conducted in PubMed, and Web of Science to identify cross-sectional and more importantly prospective studies examining the use of the TyG index as a predictive biomarker. The following terms were utilized in addition to the TyG index: "insulin resistance", "metabolic syndrome", "diabetes"; "cardiovascular diseases". …

Prenatal Identification Of Intracardiac Mass Expedites Surgical Management Of Capillary-Venous Malformation, Derek M Norton, Mounica Y Rao, Jianhong Zhang, M John Hicks, Anitha Parthiban, S Kristen Sexson Tejtel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Fetal and neonatal cardiac tumors are rare and often benign. Clinical presentation is primarily related to mass effect, pericardial effusion or arrhythmia. Prenatal detection can assist with risk assessment and inform optimal delivery plan and postnatal management. We report a fetus with a right atrial mass discovered in the third trimester. After successful surgical resection, pathology confirmed the mass to be a capillary-venous malformation, which are rare and challenging to diagnose. The true incidence of these vascular malformations within cardiac spaces is difficult to discern given the historic classification of numerous different vascular malformations under the umbrella term hemangioma.

Alternatively Spliced Map4 Isoforms Have Key Roles In Maintaining Microtubule Organization And Skeletal Muscle Function, Lathan Lucas, Larissa Nitschke, Brandon Nguyen, James A Loehr, George G Rodney, Thomas A Cooper

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Skeletal muscle cells (myofibers) are elongated non-mitotic, multinucleated syncytia that have adapted a microtubule lattice. Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) play roles in regulating microtubule architecture. The most abundant MAP in skeletal muscle is MAP4. MAP4 consists of a ubiquitous MAP4 isoform (uMAP4), expressed in most tissues, and a striated-muscle-specific alternatively spliced isoform (mMAP4) that includes a 3,180-nucleotide exon (exon 8). To determine the role of mMAP4 in skeletal muscle, we generated mice that lack mMAP4 and express only uMAP4 due to genomic deletion of exon 8. We demonstrate that loss of mMAP4 leads to disorganized microtubule architecture and intrinsic loss of …

Combination Therapy Of Ido1 Inhibition And Anti-Pd1 Mediates Anti-Tumor Immunity By Promoting Memory Immunity Development And Cytotoxicity Of Γδ T And Nk Cells Via Il-2 Signaling And By Overcoming Pro-Tumor Effects Of Tgf-Β Signaling, Hyuk Jee

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer even though it takes only about 1% of all skin cancers. Even among all cutaneous melanomas, NRAS-mutant melanoma is more aggressive than any other, and about 10-25% of all cutaneous melanoma cases have mutations in NRAS. NRAS is a member of the RAS family of proto-oncogenic GTPase proteins, and it plays a key role in signal transduction pathways responsible for cellular survival, proliferation, and metabolism. Immunotherapy is the first line of defense against NRAS-mutant melanoma because, despite tremendous efforts made for decades, it has not been successful to develop small …

A Machine Learning Model For Risk Stratification Of Postdiagnosis Diabetic Ketoacidosis Hospitalization In Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes: Retrospective Study, Devika Subramanian, Rona Sonabend, Ila Singh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D), occurring in approximately 20% of patients, with an economic cost of $5.1 billion/year in the United States. Despite multiple risk factors for postdiagnosis DKA, there is still a need for explainable, clinic-ready models that accurately predict DKA hospitalization in established patients with pediatric T1D.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop an interpretable machine learning model to predict the risk of postdiagnosis DKA hospitalization in children with T1D using routinely collected time-series of electronic health record (EHR) data.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case-control …

Promoting Resilience In Stress Management For Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Joyce P Yi-Frazier, Marisa E Hilliard, Maeve B O'Donnell, Chuan Zhou, Britney M Ellisor, Samantha Garcia Perez, Brenda Duran, Yuliana Rojas, Faisal S Malik, Daniel J Desalvo, Catherine Pihoker, Miranda C Bradford, Samantha Scott, Sridevi Devaraj, Abby R Rosenberg

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) requires demanding self-management health behaviors, and adolescents with T1D are at risk for poor psychosocial and medical outcomes. Developing resilience skills may help adolescents with T1D and elevated distress navigate common stressors and achieve positive outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of the Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) intervention on levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), diabetes distress, self-management behaviors, resilience, and quality of life among adolescents.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This phase 3, parallel, 1:1 randomized clinical trial that followed up 172 participants for 12 months was conducted from January 1, 2020, to November …

Crohn's Disease-Associated Granulomatous Pancreatitis With Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, Anthony A Xu, Sara Vincent, Samuel Ma, Vanessa Catania, Neda Zarrin-Khameh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease occur commonly and can lead to considerable morbidity. Pancreatic manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease have been reported to be more common in Crohn's disease (CD) than ulcerative colitis. We report a case of granulomatous inflammation in the body of the pancreas with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, which prompted a diagnosis switch from ulcerative colitis to CD. This is of interest to readers to remind them that pancreatic manifestations can occur and are more common in CD.

Clinical Features And Outcomes Of Pediatric And Adult Patients Hospitalized For Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Comparison Across Age Strata, Grace X Li, Komal Gopchandani, Noah Brazer, Ashley Tippett, Chris Choi, Hui-Mien Hsiao, Miriam Oseguera, Abiodun Foresythe, Sanchita Bhattacharya, Venice Servellita, Alicia Sotomayor Gonzalez, Jennifer K Spinler, Mark D Gonzalez, Dalia Gulick, Colleen Kraft, Vyjayanti Kasinathan, Yun F Wayne Wang, Jennifer Dien Bard, Pei Ying Chen, Jessica Flores-Vazquez, Audrey R Odom John, Paul J Planet, Sridevi Devaraj, Ananth V Annapragada, Ruth Ann Luna, Charles Y Chiu, Christina A Rostad

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to cause hospitalizations and severe disease in children and adults.

METHODS: This study compared the risk factors, symptoms, and outcomes of children and adults hospitalized for COVID-19 from March 2020 to May 2023 across age strata at 5 US sites participating in the Predicting Viral-Associated Inflammatory Disease Severity in Children with Laboratory Diagnostics and Artificial Intelligence consortium. Eligible patients had an upper respiratory swab that tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by nucleic acid amplification. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of clinical outcomes were determined for children versus adults, for pediatric age …

Anticoagulant Medications: The Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Anticoagulation Collaborative Consensus Conference, Katherine Cashen, Arun Saini, Leonardo R Brandão, Jennifer Le, Paul Monagle, Katie M Moynihan, Lindsay M Ryerson, Alison Gehred, Elizabeth Lyman, Jennifer A Muszynski, Peta M A Alexander, Heidi J Dalton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: To derive systematic-review informed, modified Delphi consensus regarding the medications used for anticoagulation for pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for the Pediatric ECMO Anticoagulation CollaborativE (PEACE).

DATA SOURCES: A structured literature search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) databases from January 1988 to May 2021.

STUDY SELECTION: Included studies assessed anticoagulation used in pediatric ECMO.

DATA EXTRACTION: Two authors reviewed all citations independently, with a third reviewer adjudicating any conflicts. Eighteen references were used for data extraction as well as for creation of recommendations. Evidence tables were constructed using a standardized data extraction form.

DATA SYNTHESIS: …

Management Of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Anticoagulation In The Perioperative Period: The Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Anticoagulation Collaborative Consensus Conference, Ariane Willems, Marc M Anders, Alejandro V Garcia, Adam M Vogel, Andrew R Yates, Jennifer A Muszynski, Peta M A Alexander, Katherine Steffen, Sitaram Emani, Alison Gehred, Elizabeth Lyman, Lakshmi Raman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: To derive systematic review-informed, modified Delphi consensus regarding the management of children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) undergoing invasive procedures or interventions developed by the Pediatric Anticoagulation on ECMO CollaborativE (PEACE) Consensus Conference.

DATA SOURCES: A structured literature search was performed using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) databases from January 1988 to May 2021.

STUDY SELECTION: ECMO anticoagulation and hemostasis management in the perioperative period and during procedures.

DATA EXTRACTION: Two authors reviewed all citations independently, with a third independent reviewer resolving any conflicts. Seventeen references were used for data extraction and informed recommendations. Evidence tables were constructed …

Priorities For Clinical Research In Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Anticoagulation From The Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Anticoagulation Collaborative Consensus Conference, Jennifer A Muszynski, Melania M Bembea, Alison Gehred, Elizabeth Lyman, Katherine Cashen, Ira M Cheifetz, Heidi J Dalton, Adam S Himebauch, Oliver Karam, Katie M Moynihan, Marianne E Nellis, Caroline Ozment, Lakshmi Raman, Natalie E Rintoul, Ahmed Said, Arun Saini, Marie E Steiner, Ravi R Thiagarajan, Kevin Watt, Ariane Willems, Nicole D Zantek, Ryan P Barbaro, Katherine Steffen, Adam M Vogel, Peta M A Alexander

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: To identify and prioritize research questions for anticoagulation and hemostasis management of neonates and children supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) from the Pediatric ECMO Anticoagulation CollaborativE (PEACE) consensus.

DATA SOURCES: Systematic review was performed using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) databases from January 1988 to May 2021, followed by serial consensus conferences of international, interprofessional experts in the management of ECMO for critically ill neonates and children.

STUDY SELECTION: The management of ECMO anticoagulation for critically ill neonates and children.

DATA EXTRACTION: Within each of the eight subgroups, two authors reviewed all citations independently, with a third …

Executive Summary: The Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Anticoagulation Collaborative (Peace) Consensus Conference, Peta M A Alexander, Melania M Bembea, Katherine Cashen, Ira M Cheifetz, Heidi J Dalton, Adam S Himebauch, Oliver Karam, Katie M Moynihan, Marianne E Nellis, Caroline Ozment, Lakshmi Raman, Natalie E Rintoul, Ahmed S Said, Arun Saini, Marie E Steiner, Ravi R Thiagarajan, Kevin Watt, Ariane Willems, Nicole D Zantek, Ryan P Barbaro, Katherine Steffen, Adam M Vogel, Christopher Almond, Marc M Anders, Gail M Annich, Leonardo R Brandão, Wayne Chandler, Megan Delaney, Robert Digeronimo, Sitaram Emani, Samir K Gadepalli, Alejandro V Garcia, Bereketeab Haileselassie, Robert Hyslop, Martin C J Kneyber, Lisa Baumann Kreuziger, Jennifer Le, Laura Loftis, Ali B V Mcmichael, D Michael Mcmullan, Paul Monagle, Kathleen Nicol, Matthew L Paden, Jason Patregnani, John Priest, Leslie Raffini, Lindsay M Ryerson, Steven R Sloan, Jun Teruya, Andrew R Yates, Alison Gehred, Elizabeth Lyman, Jennifer A Muszynski

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: To present recommendations and consensus statements with supporting literature for the clinical management of neonates and children supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) from the Pediatric ECMO Anticoagulation CollaborativE (PEACE) consensus conference.

DATA SOURCES: Systematic review was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL) databases from January 1988 to May 2021, followed by serial meetings of international, interprofessional experts in the management ECMO for critically ill children.

STUDY SELECTION: The management of ECMO anticoagulation for critically ill children.

DATA EXTRACTION: Within each of eight subgroup, two authors reviewed all citations independently, with a third independent reviewer resolving any …

Reversible Male Contraception By Targeted Inhibition Of Serine/Threonine Kinase 33, Angela F Ku, Kiran L Sharma, Hai Minh Ta, Courtney M Sutton, Kurt M Bohren, Yong Wang, Srinivas Chamakuri, Ruihong Chen, John M Hakenjos, Ravikumar Jimmidi, Katarzyna Kent, Feng Li, Jian-Yuan Li, Lang Ma, Chandrashekhar Madasu, Murugesan Palaniappan, Stephen S Palmer, Xuan Qin, Matthew B Robers, Banumathi Sankaran, Zhi Tan, Yasmin M Vasquez, Jian Wang, Jennifer Wilkinson, Zhifeng Yu, Qiuji Ye, Damian W Young, Mingxing Teng, Choel Kim, Martin M Matzuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Men or mice with homozygous serine/threonine kinase 33 (STK33) mutations are sterile owing to defective sperm morphology and motility. To chemically evaluate STK33 for male contraception with STK33-specific inhibitors, we screened our multibillion-compound collection of DNA-encoded chemical libraries, uncovered potent STK33-specific inhibitors, determined the STK33 kinase domain structure bound with a truncated hit CDD-2211, and generated an optimized hit CDD-2807 that demonstrates nanomolar cellular potency (half-maximal inhibitory concentration = 9.2 nanomolar) and favorable metabolic stability. In mice, CDD-2807 exhibited no toxicity, efficiently crossed the blood-testis barrier, did not accumulate in brain, and induced a reversible contraceptive effect that …

Effectiveness Of Cord Blood As A Strategy To Rule Out Conjugated Hyperbilirubinemia, Miray Kurtca, Sanjiv Harpavat, Sridevi Devaraj

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Early detection of biliary atresia is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes in infants with elevated conjugated bilirubin levels. This study aims to investigate the viability of cord blood gas analysis as a novel method for assessing conjugated bilirubin levels. Infants with high heel stick levels also showed elevated cord blood bilirubin levels, indicating that cord blood testing could replace the need for repeat heel stick tests, especially benefiting low birth weight infants. Ongoing research, including larger cohorts and alternative bilirubin measurement methods, will further validate this innovative screening approach. Infants with biliary atresia have high conjugated bilirubin levels …

Treatment Outcomes With Standard Of Care In Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Real-World Data Analysis, Andrew Ip, Alex Mutebi, Tongsheng Wang, Monika Jun, Anupama Kalsekar, Fernando Rivas Navarro, Anthony Wang, Rajesh Kamalakar, Mariana Sacchi, Brian Elliott

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Despite new therapies for relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), treatments with chemotherapy, single-agent rituximab/obinutuzumab, single-agent lenalidomide, or combinations of these agents continue to be commonly used.

METHODS: This retrospective study utilized longitudinal data from 4226 real-world electronic health records to characterize outcomes in patients with R/R DLBCL. Eligible patients were diagnosed with DLBCL between January 2010 and March 2022 and had R/R disease treated with ≥ 1 prior systemic line of therapy (LOT), including ≥ 1 anti-CD20-containing regimen.

RESULTS: A total of 573 patients treated with ≥ 1 prior LOT were included (31.2% and 13.4% …

Validation Of A Whole Blood Machine Learning Strategy For Distinguishing Between Bacterial And Viral Infection In A Pediatric Hospital Setting, Ridwan B Ibrahim, Herda Ona, Anil K Chokkalla, Estella Tam, Sridevi Devaraj

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Similar symptoms between viral and bacterial diseases often make diagnosis difficult. This study assessed the clinical performance of the newly cleared whole-blood Bacterial versus Viral Score assay in our pediatric cohort to the previously validated serum assay and emergency department physician diagnosis. This assay shows excellent agreement (R = 0.997) with the serum assay and has great diagnostic accuracy when compared to physician diagnosis.

Dawn-To-Dusk Dry Fasting Decreases Circulating Inflammatory Cytokines In Subjects With Increased Body Mass Index, Zahraa Al Lami, Miray Kurtca, Moin Uddin Atique, Antone R Opekun, Mohamad S Siam, Prasun K Jalal, Bijan Najafi, Sridevi Devaraj, Ayse L Mindikoglu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background

The circadian rhythm involves numerous metabolic processes, including sleep/awakening, body temperature regulation, hormone secretion, hepatic function, cellular plasticity, and cytokine release (inflammation), that appear to have a dynamic relationship with all the processes above. Studies have linked various cytokines to the chronic state of low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress in obesity. Dawn-to-dusk dry fasting (DDDF) could alleviate the adverse effects of obesity by decreasing inflammation. This study examined the effects of DDDF on circulating inflammatory cytokines in subjects with increased body mass index (BMI).

Methods

The current observational prospective study included adult subjects with a BMI equal to or …

Genomic Data In The All Of Us Research Program, All Of Us Research Program Genomics Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Comprehensively mapping the genetic basis of human disease across diverse individuals is a long-standing goal for the field of human genetics1–4. The All of Us Research Program is a longitudinal cohort study aiming to enrol a diverse group of at least one million individuals across the USA to accelerate biomedical research and improve human health5,6. Here we describe the programme’s genomics data release of 245,388 clinical-grade genome sequences. This resource is unique in its diversity as 77% of participants are from communities that are historically under-represented in biomedical research and 46% are …

Invasive Group A Streptococcus In Infants Less Than 1-Year Of Age From 2012 To 2022: A Single-Center Experience, Taylor Nack, Jesus G Vallejo, James Dunn, Anthony R Flores, J Chase Mcneil

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The incidence of invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) has varied throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed iGAS infections in infants ≤1 year from 2012 to 2022. Twenty-five percent of cases occurred in the last quarter of 2022. Pneumonia (21.8%) was the most common presentation. Twenty-one patients (65.6%) were successfully transitioned to oral antibiotics.

Combinatorial Effects Of Ion Channel Mis-Splicing As A Cause Of Myopathy In Myotonic Dystrophy, Larissa Nitschke, Thomas A Cooper

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by an unstable expanded CTG repeat located in the 3'-UTR of the DM1 protein kinase (DMPK) gene. The pathogenic mechanism results in misregulated alternative splicing of hundreds of genes, creating the dilemma of establishing which genes contribute to the mechanism of DM1 skeletal muscle pathology. In this issue of the JCI, Cisco and colleagues systematically tested the combinatorial effects of DM1-relevant mis-splicing patterns in vivo and identified the synergistic effects of mis-spliced calcium and chloride channels as a major contributor to DM1 skeletal muscle impairment. The authors further demonstrated …

Structure And Funding Of Clinical Informatics Fellowships: A National Survey Of Program Directors, Tushar N Patel, Aaron J Chaise, John J Hanna, Kunal P Patel, Karl M Kochendorfer, Richard J Medford, Dara E Mize, Edward R Melnick, Jonathan D Hron, Kenneth Youens, Deepti Pandita, Michael G Leu, Gregory A Ator, Feliciano Yu, Nicholas Genes, Carrie K Baker, Douglas S Bell, Joshua M Pevnick, Steven A Conrad, Aarti R Chandawarkar, Kendall M Rogers, David C Kaelber, Ila R Singh, Bruce P Levy, John T Finnell, Joseph Kannry, Natalie M Pageler, Vishnu Mohan, Christoph U Lehmann

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: In 2011, the American Board of Medical Specialties established clinical informatics (CI) as a subspecialty in medicine, jointly administered by the American Board of Pathology and the American Board of Preventive Medicine. Subsequently, many institutions created CI fellowship training programs to meet the growing need for informaticists. Although many programs share similar features, there is considerable variation in program funding and administrative structures.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to characterize CI fellowship program features, including governance structures, funding sources, and expenses.

METHODS: We created a cross-sectional online REDCap survey with 44 items requesting information on program administration, …

Bridging The Gap: Assessing Cmv Dnaemia In Kidney Transplant Recipients With Previous Solid Organ Transplants, Goni Katz-Greenberg, Julie M Steinbrink, Krishna Shah, Jennifer S Byrns

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection poses a significant threat to solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients and can lead to various complications and adverse outcomes. In an effort to prevent CMV infection, it is common to utilize prophylactic strategies, including antiviral medications such as valganciclovir, especially for high-risk patients. Risk factors for CMV infection in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) include CMV mismatch between donor and recipient (i.e., donor positive, recipient negative), and intensity of immunosuppression, such as the use of T-cell depleting agents. However, little attention has been given to KTRs with a history of prior SOTs, despite their prolonged exposure to immunosuppressive …

Translational And Oncologic Significance Of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures In Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, Zachary Gao, Joseph Azar, Huili Zhu, Sophia Williams-Perez, Sung Wook Kang, Celia Marginean, Mark P Rubinstein, Shalini Makawita, Hyun-Sung Lee, E Ramsay Camp

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive tumor with poor survival and limited treatment options. PDAC resistance to immunotherapeutic strategies is multifactorial, but partially owed to an immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment (TiME). However, the PDAC TiME is heterogeneous and harbors favorable tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) populations. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are organized aggregates of immune cells that develop within non-lymphoid tissue under chronic inflammation in multiple contexts, including cancers. Our current understanding of their role within the PDAC TiME remains limited; TLS are complex structures with multiple anatomic features such as location, density, and maturity that may impact clinical outcomes such as …

Childhood And Adolescent Relapsed/Refractory Aggressive B-Cell Lymphomas With T(8;14) And Bcl2 Expression, Burkitt Lymphoma Versus Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Diagnostic Challenge, Fouad El Dana, Sofia Alexandra Garces Narvaez, Nader K El-Mallawany, Jennifer E Agrusa, Zoann E Dreyer, Andrea N Marcogliese, Mohamed Tarek Elghetany, Jyotinder N Punia, Chi Young Ok, Keyur P Patel, Dolores H Lopez-Terrada, Kevin E Fisher, Choladda V Curry

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We present 2 diagnostically challenging cases of pediatric/adolescent relapsed/refractory aggressive mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) within the spectrum of Burkitt lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and illustrate the different therapeutic regimens that are employed for pediatric and adult cancer centers. Both cases displayed varying-sized lymphoma cells with occasional single prominent nucleoli and heterogeneous BCL2 expression. Cytogenetics revealed complex karyotypes with t(8:14)(q24.2;q32) and IGH::MYC rearrangement by FISH. Next generation sequencing revealed deleterious TP53 and MYC mutations. We concluded that both could be diagnosed as “DLBCL-NOS with MYC rearrangement” using the current pathologic classifications, 2022 International Consensus Classification (ICC) and World …

Highly Invasive Biliary Cancer Presenting As Multiple Extrabiliary Lesions Masquerading As Abscesses, Alexander Lu, Alireza Mojtahedi, Lukman Cheraghvandi, David Wynne, Neda Zarrin-Khameh, Mohammad Ghasemi Rad

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Carcinosarcomas of the biliary tract are an extremely rare type of malignancy and may be low on a differential when presenting as multiple metastatic masses. In this case report, we report a case of a female who presented with an aggressive late-stage disease whose initial workup did not indicate a malignant process. Further complicating her care, biopsy samples taken from extra-hepatic masses were culture-positive for Lactobacillus rhamnosu. Given the late stage of the patient’s disease, hospice care was initiated. The patient passed away four months after the initial presentation.