Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Papuloerythroderma Of Ofuji: A First Case Report From Indonesia, Graciella Regina, Listya Paramita, Sunard Radiono, Yohanes Widodo Wirohadidjojo, William R. Faber

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology & Venereology Indonesia

Papuloerythroderma (PE) is a rare skin disease which was first described by Ofuji et al. in 1984, with a typical sign that the lesions spare the large cutaneous folds, known as the deck chair sign. Due to its recent identification, this disease is still underrecognized and may lead to misdiagnosis. We reported the first case report of PE of Ofuji from Indonesia in which the diagnosis was delayed for two years. Besides the deck chair sign in the large cutaneous fold, we also found that the area between and above his eyebrows that was relatively spared in contrast to the …

Neural Leprosy: A Case Report, Alida Widiawaty, Emmy Soedarmi Sjamsoe-Daili, Taruli Olivia, Sri Linuwih Menaldi, Melani Marissa, Fitri Octaviana

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology & Venereology Indonesia

Neural leprosy is characterized by neurological deficit without skin lesions, with a prevalence ranging from 1% to 17.7%. Diagnosis might be difficult and need a multidisciplinary approach. This is a case of axonal type motor and sensory polyradiculoneuropathy of the peripheral facial nerve. A 26-year-old woman was referred from the neurology clinic with facial paralysis, suspected as leprosy. Physical examinations were as follows: no skin lesions, left eye lagophthalmos, thickening of right lateral peroneal and bilateral posterior tibial nerves, sensory impairment, peripheral bilateral facial palsy, and wasting of bilateral distal small muscles of the hands, with normal autonomic function. Nerve …

Occupational Skin Cancer And Precancerous Lesions, Fifinela Raissa, Githa Rahmayunita, Sri Linuwih Menaldi, Dewi Soemarko

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology & Venereology Indonesia

Occupational skin cancer and precancerous lesions are skin disorders caused by exposure to chemical carcinogens such as polycyclic hydrocarbons and arsenic, or radiation, such as ultraviolet light and ionizing light in the workplace. Annual increase in skin cancer incidence is believed to be related to various factors such as frequent intense sunlight exposure (i.e. at work, recreational activities, and sun-tanning habit), ozone depletion, an increase in number of geriatric population, and an increase of public awareness in skin cancer. The most common occupational skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Examples of occupational precancerous lesion of …

Vaginal Microbiota In Menopause, Martinus Martinus, Larisa Paramitha Wibawa, Evita Halim Effendi, Shannaz Nadia Yusharyahya, Hanny Nilasari, Wresti Indriatmi

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology & Venereology Indonesia

The human vagina together with its resident, microbiota, comprise a dynamic ecosystem. Normal microbiota is dominated by Lactobacillus species, and pathogen microbiota such as Gardnerella species and Bacteroides species can occur due to decrease in Lactobacillus domination. Lactobacillus plays an essential role in keeping normal vaginal microbiota in balance. Vaginal microbiota adapts to pH change and hormonal value. Changes in the vaginal microbiota over a woman’s lifespan will influence the colonization of pathogenic microbes. They include changes in child, puberty, reproductive state, menopause, and postmenopause. Estrogen levels change will affect the colonization of pathogenic microbium, leading to genitourinary syndrome of …

Pulsed-Dye Laser Efficacy In The Treatment Of Psoriasis In Adult Patients: An Evidence-Based Case Report, Made Ananda Krisna, Hanny Nilasari

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology & Venereology Indonesia

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease known to be highly responsive to phototherapy. Narrow-band UVB (NBUVB) phototherapy has been one of the standard treatments for its moderate to severe form. However, its lack of efficacy in treating stable psoriatic plaques on extremities has lead researchers to find alternative treatments, one of which is pulsed-dye laser (PDL). Laser has been known to be effective in treating vascular lesions; in psoriasis, elongation of rete ridge along with tortuous dermal capillaries are one of the first pathologies identified early in the disease progression. Several in vivo and preliminary studies have found the …

Suspected Resistance Of Mdt-Mb In Multibacillary Leprosy Of Hansen's Disease: Two Case Reports, Yudo Irawan, Sri Linuwih Menaldi, Emmy Soedarmi Sd, Melani Marissa, Erika Zoulba

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology & Venereology Indonesia

Resistance to multidrug therapy (MDT) is one of the complications in the treatment of Hansen’s disease/Morbus Hansen (MH). There are two types of resistancy, which are primary and secondary. MDT-multibacillary (MB) resistance must be suspected when no clinical improvement and the acid-fast bacilli (AFB) index is not reduced after 12 months of therapy. A 28-year-old woman with paresthesia on her face, arms and legs since 2.5 years ago, accompanied by thickening of the right posterior tibial nerve. The AFB examination showed a bacteriological index (BI) of 15/6 and morphological index (MI) of 0.50%. The second case, a 42-year-old man came …

Assessment Of Achieved Systolic Blood Pressure In Newly Treated Hypertensive Patients Aged 60-79 Years Before And After Eighth Joint National Committee Recommendations, Michael S. Kelly, Joseph J. Saseen, Joel C. Marrs

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective:

To determine whether patients who were newly prescribed antihypertensive therapy after the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8) update were treated to a relaxed systolic blood pressure (SBP) goal compared with patients treated before the update.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study approved by the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board. Patients aged 60–79 years, without diabetes or chronic kidney disease (CKD), newly treated for hypertension at a University of Colorado primary care clinics were included. The mean first-achieved and last-stable SBPs of patients newly prescribed antihypertensive medications from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 31 2013 (before cohort) were compared …

The Clinical Utility Of Concomitant Pten And Fas Deletion As An Early Indicator For Prostate Adenocarcinoma Subtypes That Lead To Extracapsular Metastasis, Brendan J. Coulter, Phillip Harries

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The utility of genes PTEN and FAS as prognostic markers for the identification of early and/or aggressive prostatic adenocarcinomas is seemingly validated in the study results we obtained using fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) of archived paraffin embedded surgical prostate core biopsy samples obtained from two CLIA and CAP licensed anatomical pathology labs (Bostwick Laboratories, Uniondale, NV and GoPath Laboratories, Buffalo Grove, IL). From early benign subsets of sample cases to aggressive extracapsular invasive tumors, the presence of random deletions evolves into clonal populations of co-deletion of both genes at question. We identify independent research that demonstrates the ability of these …

High Levels Of Iron Supplementation Prevents Neural Tube Defects In The Fpn1(Ffe) Mouse Model., Bethany A Stokes, Julia A Sabatino, Irene E. Zohn

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Periconception maternal nutrition and folate in particular are important factors influencing the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs). Many but not all NTDs are prevented by folic acid supplementation and there is a pressing need for additional strategies to prevent these birth defects. Other micronutrients such as iron are potential candidates, yet a clear role for iron deficiency in contributing to NTDs is lacking. Our previous studies with the flatiron (ffe) mouse model of Ferroportin1 (Fpn1) deficiency suggest that iron is required for neural tube closure and forebrain development raising the possibility that iron supplementation could prevent NTDs.

METHODS: …

Gps’ Insights Into Prostate Cancer Diagnosis And Care In Regional Victoria, Australia, Rasa Ruseckaite, Sue Evans, Jeremy Millar, Sara Holton, Danielle Mazza, Jane Fisher, Maggie Kirkman

The Qualitative Report

The aim of this research was to ascertain General Practitioners’ (GPs) perceptions and experiences of prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis, treatment, and care in metropolitan Melbourne and in a regional area of Victoria, Australia, associated with poorer PCa outcomes. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with GPs (N= 10) practising in the selected region and in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. GPs thought that most men wanted PSA testing and were willing to undergo rectal examination. Some GPs were troubled by inconsistent screening guidelines from different professional bodies. They identified a need for resources to support them in educating patients about PCa. GPs thought …

Myofilament Calcium Sensitivity: Consequences Of The Effective Concentration Of Troponin I, Jalal K. Siddiqui, Svetlana B. Tikunova, Shane D. Walton, Bin Liu, Meredith Meyer, Pieter P. De Tombe, Nathan Neilson, Peter M. Kekenes-Huskey, Hussam E. Salhi, Paul M.L. Janssen, Brandon J. Biesiadecki, Jonathan P. Davis

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Control of calcium binding to and dissociation from cardiac troponin C (TnC) is essential to healthy cardiac muscle contraction/relaxation. There are numerous aberrant post-translational modifications and mutations within a plethora of contractile, and even non-contractile, proteins that appear to imbalance this delicate relationship. The direction and extent of the resulting change in calcium sensitivity is thought to drive the heart toward one type of disease or another. There are a number of molecular mechanisms that may be responsible for the altered calcium binding properties of TnC, potentially the most significant being the ability of the regulatory domain of TnC to …

Vamorolone, A Dissociative Steroidal Compound, Reduces Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Expression In Glioma Cells And Increases Activity And Survival In A Murine Model Of Cortical Tumor., Elizabeth Wells, Madhuri Kambhampati, Jesse M Damsker, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Sridevi Yadavilli, Oren J Becher, Jamila Gittens, Mojca Stampar, Roger J. Packer, Javad Nazarian

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone, are routinely used as palliative care in neuro-oncology for their anti-inflammatory benefits, however many patients experience dose limiting side effects caused by glucocorticoid response element (GRE)-mediated transcription. The purpose of this study was to use a murine model to investigate a new steroid alternative, vamorolone, which promises to reduce side effects through dissociating GRE-mediated transcription and NF-κB -mediated anti-inflammatory actions. To compare vamorolone to dexamethasone in reducing pro-inflammatory signals in vitro, murine glioma cells were treated with dexamethasone, vamorolone or vehicle control. Changes in mRNA expression were assessed using the nanostring inflammatory platform. Furthermore, drug …

Comparative Genomic Analysis Of Two Serotype 1/2b Listeria Monocytogenes Isolates From Analogous Environmental Niches Demonstrates The Influence Of Hypervariable Hotspots In Defining Pathogenesis, Aidan Casey, Kieran Jordan, Aidan Coffey, Edward M. Fox, Olivia Mcauliffe

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The vast majority of clinical human listeriosis cases are caused by serotype 1/2a, 1/2b, 1/2c, and 4b isolates of Listeria monocytogenes. The ability of L. monocytogenes to establish a systemic listeriosis infection within a host organism relies on a combination of genes that are involved in cell recognition, internalization, evasion of host defenses, and in vitro survival and growth. Recently, whole genome sequencing and comparative genomic analysis have proven to be powerful tools for the identification of these virulence-associated genes in L. monocytogenes. In this study, two serotype 1/2b strains of L. monocytogenes with analogous isolation sources, but …

Hpv Vaccine Reminders At The Point Of Service: Efficacy And Missed Opportunities. A Claims Based Study Within One Health Plan, B. Dale Magee, Katherine G. Leung, Tiffany A. Moore Simas

B. Dale Magee

Introduction: Our objective is to assess HPV vaccine series completion rates, whether on-screen Point of Service reminders (POS) make a difference, and missed opportunities for reminders to have an effect. Methods: Retrospective, claims-based study of females aged 9-26 receiving an initial dose of HPV vaccine during 2 periods: before (period 1) and after (period 2) implementation of a POS reminder system in 1(“Change Group”) of 2 physician groups using EHRs for both periods. Completion rates, and missed opportunities during eligible periods were calculated for those with continuous enrollment in the health plan investigated. Results: Completion rates within 1 year of …

Tx-004hr Vaginal Estradiol Has Negligible To Very Low Systemic Absorption Of Estradiol., David F Archer, Ginger D Constantine, James A Simon, Harvey Kushner, Philip Mayer, Brian Bernick, Shelli Graham, Sebastian Mirkin, Rejoice Study Group.

Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of TX-004HR vaginal estradiol softgel capsules when used for treating moderate-to-severe dyspareunia in postmenopausal women with vulvar and vaginal atrophy.

METHODS: A substudy of the REJOICE trial (multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3) evaluated the pharmacokinetics of 4, 10, and 25-μg TX-004HR doses once/d for 2 weeks, followed by twice/wk for 10 weeks. Serum samples obtained at 2, 4, 6, 10, and 24 hours postdose on days 1 and 14, and once on day 84, were analyzed for area under the serum concentration-time curve, tmax, Cmin, Cavg, and Cmax for estradiol, estrone, and estrone conjugates.

RESULTS: …

Advances And Perspectives In Genetics Of Congenital Thyroid Disorders Associated With Thyroglobulin Gene Mutations, Héctor M. Targovnik, Cintia E. Citterio, Sofi Siffo, Carina M. Rivolta

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Dyshormonogenesis due to thyroglobulin (TG) gene mutations is a rare cause of congenital hypothyroidism with an estimated incidence of approximately 1 in 100,000 newborns. The TG gene is organized in 48 exons, spanning over 270 kb on human chromosome 8q24. The human TG mRNA is 8.5 Kb long and the preprotein monomer is composed of a 19 amino acids signal peptide followed by a 2749 residues polypeptide. Until now, one hundred seventeen deleterious mutations in the human TG gene have been identified and characterized, originating structural changes in the protein that alter the normal protein folding, assembly and …

Predicting Outcomes In Patients With Atrial Fibrillation And Acute Mesenteric Ischemia, Sanjay Bhandari, Geetanjali Dang, Muhammad Shahreyar, Ahmad Hanif, Vijayadershan Muppidi, Atul Bhatia, Jasbir Sra, A. Jamil Tajik, Arshad Jahangir

Atul Bhatia, MD, FACC

Purpose Outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation who develop acute mesenteric ischemia, and the impact of anticoagulation on complications, are not defined. Methods Patients admitted with acute mesenteric ischemia in the National Inpatient Sample from 2007, with and without atrial fibrillation, were compared for in-hospital outcomes using multivariate regression, and the impact of prior anticoagulation determined. Results Of 48,872 patients with acute mesenteric ischemia, 8,306 had atrial fibrillation, with 680 patients also on anticoagulation. Atrial fibrillation patients were more likely to be older and have hypertension, heart failure, or chronic lung or renal disease. After adjusting for potential confounders, atrial …

Geographical Incidence Of Antimicrobial Resistant Gonorrhea, Christofer A. Rodriguez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Evolving throughout the last century, Gonorrhea has become a superbug, becoming difficult to treat. As the second most commonly reported notifiable disease, gonorrhea rates have been increasing, despite efforts in prevention and treatment. Populations at risk are mainly MSM and FSW. In 2015, men’s gonorrhea rates in the United States were higher compared to women, at 140.9 and 107.2 per 100,000 population, respectively. Illinois has consecutively had higher rates of infection compared to the US, at 133.5 per 100,000 population compared to the US rate of 123.9 per 100,000 population. The surveillance of gonococcal isolate resistance to current antimicrobials began …

Concerns About Justification For Fetal Genome Sequencing, Leslie Francis

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

The proposal by Chen and Wasserman (2017) contributes to a long-standing debate about the scope of prenatal screening services. With realistic prospects of fetal genome-scale sequencing from noninvasive maternal blood sampling (NIPW), their framework is timely. However, we outline a number of concerns regarding this approach, ranging from the philosophical to the social and clinical. A key concern in this literature is that the framework lacks a clear philosophical foundation. Despite the long history of prenatal diagnosis (PND), a central question remains regarding the core justification for these services.

Predictors Of Mortality In Patients With Transient Severe Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction, Kanwar Y. Singh, Firas Zahwe, Bilal Omery, Crystal Platz, Wassim Ballany, Robyn Shearer, Tadele Mengesha, M. Eyman Mortada, Jasbir Sra, Indrajit Choudhuri

Aurora Electrophysiology Fellows

Background: About 20% of patients who develop left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction will have improvement in ejection fraction (LVEF) over time. This patient cohort is generally excluded from large sudden death trials and, hence, understudied. Purpose: To evaluate the predictors of mortality in patients with severe LV systolic dysfunction who have improvement in LVEF during follow-up. Methods: Patients who had transient LV systolic dysfunction from 2010 to 2014 within the Aurora Health Care system and who had LVEF improve to ≥ 40%, irrespective of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implant, were studied. Predictors of mortality were identified using Cox proportional hazards model. …

Selective Suppression Of The Α Isoform Of P38 Mapk Rescues Late-Stage Tau Pathology, Nicole Maphis, Shanya Jiang, Guixiang Xu, Olga N. Kokiko-Cochran, Saktimayee M. Roy, Linda J. Van Eldik, D. Martin Watterson, Bruce T. Lamb, Kiran Bhaskar

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Background: Hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau protein are the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies. We previously demonstrated that the microglial activation induces tau hyperphosphorylation and cognitive impairment via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) in the hTau mouse model of tauopathy that was deficient for microglial fractalkine receptor CX3CR1.

Method: We report an isoform-selective, brain-permeable, and orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of p38α MAPK (MW181) and its effects on tau phosphorylation in vitro and in hTau mice.

Results: First, pretreatment of mouse primary cortical neurons with MW181 completely blocked inflammation-induced p38α MAPK activation and AT8 …

Producing A Subunit Vaccine For Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, Zayn Khamis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) causes disease and mortality to piglets worldwide. Most vaccines used to combat the disease have been ineffective live attenuated virus vaccines. The goal of this project was to produce a plant-made subunit vaccine based off the membrane protein of the virus. This is the first time this protein has been produced in plants. An elastin-like polypeptide fusion membrane protein accumulated up to 0.8 mg/g of fresh leaf weight when transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. Virus-like particles were also produced for the first time for PEDv, and were able to form with just the membrane …

Aligning Asthma Education Across The Continuum Of Physician Education: Impact On Clinical Metrics, Lisa Sullivan Vedder, Deborah Simpson, Jacob L. Bidwell, John R. Brill, Theresa Frederick

Aurora Family Medicine Residents

Background: All trainees entering family medicine residency training programs after June 1, 2012, must complete the same American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements as practicing physicians. These shared requirements provide an opportunity to align physician education initiatives across the continuum focused around a clinical care topic to improve health care system metrics. Purpose: To assess the initial effectiveness of an ABFM Asthma Part IV approved MOC module, aligned to meet residency and medical student program accreditation requirements, on health care system metrics. Methods: An ABFM Asthma Part IV MOC module was implemented for family medicine …

Decade-Long Trends In The Timeliness Of Receipt Of A Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Han-Yang Chen, Joel M. Gore, Kate L. Lapane, Jorge L. Yarzebski, Sharina D. Person, Catarina I. Kiefe, Robert J. Goldberg

Catarina I. Kiefe

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine decade-long trends (2001-2011) in, and factors associated with, door-to-balloon time within 90 minutes of hospital presentation among patients hospitalized with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who received a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS: Residents of central Massachusetts hospitalized with STEMI who received a primary PCI at two major PCI-capable medical centers in central Massachusetts on a biennial basis between 2001 and 2011 comprised the study population (n=629). Multivariable regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with failing to receive a primary PCI within 90 minutes after emergency department (ED) …

Decade-Long Trends In The Timeliness Of Receipt Of A Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Han-Yang Chen, Joel M. Gore, Kate L. Lapane, Jorge L. Yarzebski, Sharina D. Person, Catarina I. Kiefe, Robert J. Goldberg

Jorge L. Yarzebski

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine decade-long trends (2001-2011) in, and factors associated with, door-to-balloon time within 90 minutes of hospital presentation among patients hospitalized with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who received a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: Residents of central Massachusetts hospitalized with STEMI who received a primary PCI at two major PCI-capable medical centers in central Massachusetts on a biennial basis between 2001 and 2011 comprised the study population (n=629). Multivariable regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with failing to receive a primary PCI within 90 minutes after emergency department (ED) …

Dna Methylation Signatures Of Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation Are Associated With Complex Diseases, Symen Ligthart, Carola Marzi, Stella Aslibekyan, Michael M. Mendelson, Karen N. Conneely, Toshiko Tanaka, Elena Colicino, Lindsay L. Waite, Roby Joehanes, Weihua Guan, Jennifer A. Brody, Cathy Elks, Riccardo Marioni, Min A. Jhun, Golareh Agha, Jan Bressler, Cavin K. Ward-Caviness, Brian H. Chen, Tianxiao Huan, Kelly Bakulski, Elias L. Salfati, Whi-Empc Investigators, Giovanni Fiorito, Charge Epigenetics Of Coronary Heart Disease, Simone Wahl, Katharina Schramm, Jin Sha, Dena G. Hernandez, Allan C. Just, Jennifer A. Smith, Donna K. Arnett

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Chronic low-grade inflammation reflects a subclinical immune response implicated in the pathogenesis of complex diseases. Identifying genetic loci where DNA methylation is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation may reveal novel pathways or therapeutic targets for inflammation.

Results: We performed a meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), which is a sensitive marker of low-grade inflammation, in a large European population (n = 8863) and trans-ethnic replication in African Americans (n = 4111). We found differential methylation at 218 CpG sites to be associated with CRP (P < 1.15 × 10^–7) in the discovery panel …

Behavioural Inflexibility And White Matter Inflammation In An Aged Happ Rat With Subcortical Stroke, Aaron M. Regis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The interactions between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and ischemic stroke pathology are of key interest in the development of post-stroke cognitive decline. While clinical and experimental studies have suggested an interaction, the mechanisms whereby these conditions interact to worsen cognition haven’t been fully revealed. This study aimed to combine rodent models of AD and stroke in an aged rat and assess the behavioural and histological outcomes. An injection of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor into the basal ganglia of a rat with human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) overexpression (F344Tg) was followed up 3 months later to assess behavioural flexibility, memory and …

Pharmacotherapeutic Considerations For Individuals With Down Syndrome, Erik Hefti

Harrisburg University Faculty Works

Down syndrome (DS; trisomy 21) is the most common survivable disorder due to aneuploidy. Individuals with DS may experience multiple comorbid health problems including congenital heart defects, endocrine abnormalities, skin and dental problems, seizure disorders, leukemia, dementia, and obesity. These associated conditions may necessitate pharmacotherapeutic management with various drugs. The complex pathobiology of DS may alter drug disposition and drug response in some individuals. For example, reports have documented increased rates of adverse drug reactions in patients with DS treated for leukemia and dementia. Intellectual disability resulting from DS may impact adherence to medication regimens. In this review, we highlight …

Inflammatory Gene Expression In Women Diagnosed With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Myles K. Taylor

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. The pathophysiology of PCOS has conventionally thought to originate from androgen excess. However, recent evidence suggests that androgen excess is a downstream consequence to inflammatory dysregulation and subsequent metabolic abnormalities. Inflammatory mRNA gene expression of TNFa and IL-1ß in mononuclear cells isolated from women diagnosed with PCOS was explored using qPCR. Additionally, the correlations between body mass index (BMI) and fasting glucose on mRNA expression of TNFa and IL-1ß were explored. mRNA expression of both TNFa and IL-1ß were found to be significantly higher in PCOS …

Microenvironment-Induced Pten Loss By Exosomal Microrna Primes Brain Metastasis Outgrowth, Lin Zhang

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Development of life-threatening cancer metastases at distant organs requires disseminated tumor cells’ adaptation to and co-evolution with the drastically different microenvironments of metastatic sites. Cancer cells of common origin manifest distinct gene expression patterns after metastasizing to different organs. Clearly, the dynamic interplay between metastatic tumor cells and extrinsic signals at individual metastatic organ sites critically impacts the subsequent metastatic outgrowth. Yet, it is unclear when and how disseminated tumor cells acquire the essential traits from the microenvironment of metastatic organs that prime their subsequent outgrowth. Here we show that primary tumor cells with normal expression of PTEN, an important …