Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Association Of Preoperative Lung Function With Complications After Lobectomy Using Race-Neutral And Race-Specific Normative Equations, Ajay Sheshadri, Ravi Rajaram, Aaron Baugh, Mario Castro, Arlene M Correa, Felipe Soto, Carrie R Daniel, Liang Li, Scott E Evans, Burton F Dickey, Ara A Vaporciyan, David E Ost

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rationale: Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is performed to aid patient selection before surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The interpretation of PFT data relies on normative equations, which vary by race, but the relative strength of association of lung function using race-specific or race-neutral normative equations with postoperative pulmonary complications is unknown. Objectives: To compare the strength of association of lung function, using race-neutral or race-specific equations, with surgical complications after lobectomy for NSCLC.

Methods: We studied 3,311 patients who underwent lobectomy for NSCLC and underwent preoperative PFT from 2001 to 2021. We used Global Lung Function Initiative …

A Case Of Kaposi's Sarcoma With Dyspnea, Claire Higgins, Md, Brinton Clark, Md, Mph

Poster Presentations

Introduction: Kaposi’s sarcoma is an AIDS-defining malignancy that is rare in era of widely accessible anti-retroviral therapy (ART), with an incidence of 481 per 100,000 person years. We present a case of a 43-year-old man with HIV/AIDS and disseminated Kaposi’s sarcoma who presented for evaluation of months of worsening dyspnea on exertion which had progressed to dyspnea at rest. Case Presentation: •43-year-old man with a 10 years history of HIV/AIDS, historically non-adherent to ART, who was diagnosed with extensive Kaposi's sarcoma involving the hard palate, airway, and bones one year prior. •He has been treated with ART and doxorubicin chemotherapy …

Champions To Enhance Implementation Of Clinical And Community-Based Interventions In Cancer: A Scoping Review, Joseph Astorino Nicola, M. Muska Nataliansyah, Maria A. Lopez‑Olivo, Adebola Adegboyega, Kelly A. Hirko, Lou‑Anne R. Chichester, Nora L. Nock, Pamela Ginex, Shannon M. Christy, Paul Levett

Nursing Faculty Publications

Background Champions are integral across research in cancer, yet studies exploring their roles are limited and have produced mixed results. The current review examines and synthesizes descriptions of how champions emerged and the types of activities they most often performed. By examining evidence from across the translational research continuum, this scoping review aims to characterize the role of champions and strategies that facilitate their involvement in the implementation of cancer care interventions in both clinical and community‑based settings.

Methods This scoping review was designed and implemented in compliance with PRISMA‑ScR. The review focused on peer‑reviewed articles in English‑language journals. We …

Usp22 Overexpression Fails To Augment Tumor Formatiaon In Mmtv-Erbb2 Mice But Loss Of Function Impacts Mmtv Promoter Activity, Xianghong Kuang, Andrew Salinger, Fernando Benavides, William J Muller, Sharon Y R Dent, Evangelia Koutelou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Ubiquitin Specific Peptidase 22 (USP22), a component of the Spt-Ada-Gcn5 Acetyltransferase (SAGA) histone modifying complex, is overexpressed in multiple human cancers, but how USP22 impacts tumorigenesis is not clear. We reported previously that Usp22 loss in mice impacts execution of several signaling pathways driven by growth factor receptors such as erythroblastic oncogene B b2 (ERBB2). To determine whether changes in USP22 expression affects ERBB2-driven tumorigenesis, we introduced conditional overexpression or deletion alleles of Usp22 into mice bearing the Mouse mammary tumor virus-Neu-Ires-Cre (MMTV-NIC) transgene, which drives both rat ERBB2/NEU expression and Cre recombinase activity from the MMTV promoter resulting …

Editorial: Emerging Anti-Cancer Compounds And Immunomodulators For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Kathleen E Delgiorno, Stephen Safe, Jennifer M Bailey-Lundberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Novel Perspectives - How To Teach An Old Dog New Tricks, Tamar Tadmor, Jan Burger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

First-In-Human Phase 1 Study Of The Arginase Inhibitor Incb001158 Alone Or Combined With Pembrolizumab In Patients With Advanced Or Metastatic Solid Tumours, Aung Naing, Kyriakos P Papadopoulos, Michael J Pishvaian, Osama Rahma, Glenn J Hanna, Elena Garralda, Omar Saavedra, Sven Gogov, Howard Kallender, Lulu Cheng, Michael Smith, Xuejun Chen, Emil Kuriakose, Todd Bauer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: The arginase inhibitor INCB001158 was evaluated for safety (primary endpoint) in locally advanced or metastatic solid tumours; pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and efficacy were also assessed.

Methods and analysis: In this non-randomised, open-label, three-part phase 1 study, INCB001158 was orally administered two times per day as monotherapy or in combination with intravenous pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks. Dose expansion was conducted in tumour-type cohorts (with or without prior anti-PD-1/PD-L1 (programmed death protein 1/programmed death ligand 1) therapy).

Results: A total of 107 patients received INCB001158 50-150 mg two times per day as monotherapy, and 153 patients, including 6 with moderate …

Tumor Treating Fields (Ttfields) For Spinal Metastasis–The Case For Bone Removal And Spinal Implants As Waveguides To Enhance Field Strength At The Target, Claudio E Tatsui, Kristen W Carlson, Chirag B Patel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Hypoxia-Adenosine Axis As Therapeutic Targets For Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Katherine Figarella, Jieun Kim, Wei Ruan, Tingting Mills, Holger Klaus Eltzschig, Xiaoyi Yuan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The human respiratory and circulatory systems collaborate intricately to ensure oxygen delivery to all cells, which is vital for ATP production and maintaining physiological functions and structures. During limited oxygen availability, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are stabilized and play a fundamental role in maintaining cellular processes for hypoxia adaptation. First discovered during investigations of erythropoietin production regulation, HIFs influence physiological and pathological processes, including development, inflammation, wound healing, and cancer. HIFs promote extracellular adenosine signaling by enhancing adenosine generation and receptor signaling, representing an endogenous feedback mechanism that curbs excessive inflammation, supports injury resolution, and enhances hypoxia tolerance. This is especially …

Development And Initial Validation Of A Hospital Stress Questionnaire, Daniel M Ford, Rebecca Lawton, Elizabeth Travis, Elizabeth A Teale, Daryl B O'Connor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Hospitalisation can be a traumatic experience, where inpatients are exposed to an abundance of physical and psychological stressors. Evidence suggests that these hospital-related stressors negatively impact health: a phenomenon known as post-hospital syndrome. The current study aimed to identify hospital-related stressors, and to develop and provide initial validation for a new measure of in-hospital stress.

METHODS: Measure development occurred in three stages: (i) semi-structured interviews, (ii) item generation, and (iii) pilot testing. Twenty-one patients were interviewed regarding their recent hospital experiences, and a list of hospital-related stressors was produced. These stressors were compiled into a questionnaire and piloted on …

Outcomes And Toxicities In Patients With Diffuse-Large B Cell Lymphoma Involving The Gastrointestinal Tract And Digestive Organs, Gohar S Manzar, Elaine E Cha, Kelsey L Corrigan, Alison K Yoder, Benjamin R Schrank, Lewis F Nasr, Dai Chihara, Luis Malpica Castillo, Ranjit Nair, Preetesh Jain, Sattva S Neelapu, Maria A Rodriguez, Paolo Strati, Loretta J Nastoupil, Jillian R Gunther, Bouthaina S Dabaja, Chelsea C Pinnix, Susan Y Wu, Penny Q Fang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) involving the gastrointestinal (GI) organs is rare, and real-world outcomes after combined modality therapy (CMT) with systemic therapy (ST) and radiotherapy (RT) are not well-characterized, particularly in the contemporary era. We characterized outcomes in a large cohort of GI-DLBCL patients treated with ST alone or CMT.

METHODS: Patients with GI-DLBCL treated at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models estimated survival. Multivariable analyses were conducted using the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS: Of 204 patients, gastric involvement was most common (63%). Most presented with early-stage disease (61%). All patients received …

Efficacy And Safety Of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan In Patients With Her2-Expressing Solid Tumors: Primary Results From The Destiny-Pantumor02 Phase Ii Trial, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Vicky Makker, Ana Oaknin, Do-Youn Oh, Susana Banerjee, Antonio González-Martín, Kyung Hae Jung, Iwona Ługowska, Luis Manso, Aránzazu Manzano, Bohuslav Melichar, Salvatore Siena, Daniil Stroyakovskiy, Anitra Fielding, Yan Ma, Soham Puvvada, Norah Shire, Jung-Yun Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is a human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-directed antibody-drug conjugate approved in HER2-expressing breast and gastric cancers and HER2-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer. Treatments are limited for other HER2-expressing solid tumors.

METHODS: This open-label phase II study evaluated T-DXd (5.4 mg/kg once every 3 weeks) for HER2-expressing (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+/2+ by local or central testing) locally advanced or metastatic disease after ≥1 systemic treatment or without alternative treatments. The primary end point was investigator-assessed confirmed objective response rate (ORR). Secondary end points included safety, duration of response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS: At primary …

First Evidence Of Microplastic Inhalation Among Free-Ranging Small Cetaceans, Miranda K Dziobak, Andreas Fahlman, Randall S Wells, Ryan Takeshita, Cynthia Smith, Austin Gray, John Weinstein, Leslie B Hart

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Plastic is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, resulting in widespread exposure across terrestrial and marine spaces. In the environment, plastics can degrade into microparticles where exposure has been documented in a variety of fauna at all trophic levels. Human epidemiological studies have found relationships between inhaled microplastics and oxidative stress and inflammation. Previous studies of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have reported prevalent exposure to plasticizing chemicals (e.g., phthalates) as well as particle loads in gastrointestinal tracts, but exposure from inhalation has not yet been studied. The objective of this study was to determine if inhalation is a viable route of microplastic …

Awareness And Interest In Cannabis Use For Cancer Management Among Cancer Survivors, Ikponmwosa Osaghae, Rajesh Talluri, Onyema Greg Chido-Amajuoyi, Kimberson Tanco, Dimpy P Shah, Mala Pande, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: We examined the awareness, interest, and information sources relating to cannabis use for cancer management (including management of cancer symptoms and treatment-related side effects) and determined factors associated with cancer survivors' awareness and interest in learning about cannabis use for cancer management.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of adult cancer survivors (N = 1886) receiving treatment at a comprehensive cancer center. Weighted prevalence and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS: Among cancer survivors, 88% were aware and 60% were interested in learning about cannabis use for cancer management. Common sources of information to learn about cannabis use …

Multiple Unfolded Protein Response Pathways Cooperate To Link Cytosolic Dsdna Release To Stimulator Of Interferon Gene Activation, Tiancheng Hu, Yiping Liu, Jeremy Fleck, Cason King, Elaine Schalk, Zhenyu Zhang, Andrew Mehle, Judith A Smith

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) sensor STING has been increasingly implicated in responses to "sterile" endogenous threats and pathogens without nominal DNA or cyclic di-nucleotide stimuli. Previous work showed an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), activates STING. Herein, we sought to determine if ER stress generated a STING ligand, and to identify the UPR pathways involved. Induction of IFN-β expression following stimulation with the UPR inducer thapsigargin (TPG) or oxygen glucose deprivation required both STING and the dsDNA-sensing cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS). Furthermore, TPG increased cytosolic mitochondrial DNA, and immunofluorescence visualized dsDNA punctae in …

Post-Covid-19 Cognitive Symptoms In Patients Assisted By A Teleassistance Service: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Lívia Paula Freire Bonfim, Thais Rotsen Correa, Bruno Cabaleiro Cortizo Freire, Thais Marques Pedroso, Daniella Nunes Pereira, Thalita Baptisteli Fernandes, Luciane Kopittke, Clara Rodrigues Alves De Oliveira, Antonio Lucio Teixeira, Milena Soriano Marcolino

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Four years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the frequency of long-term post-COVID-19 cognitive symptoms is a matter of concern given the impact it may have on the work and quality of life of affected people.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of post-acute COVID-19 cognitive symptoms, as well as the associated risk factors.

METHODS: Retrospective cohort, including outpatients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and who were assisted by a public telehealth service provided by the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais (TNMG), during the acute phase of the disease, between December/2020 and March/2022. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, applied …

Healthcare Resource Utilization, Costs And Treatment Associated With Myasthenia Gravis Exacerbations Among Patients With Myasthenia Gravis In The Usa: A Retrospective Analysis Of Claims Data, Julia Pisc, Angela Ting, Michelle Skornicki, Omar Sinno, Edward Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aim: There are limited data on the clinical and economic burden of exacerbations in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). We assessed patient clinical characteristics, treatments and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) associated with MG exacerbation. Patients & methods: This was a retrospective analysis of adult patients with MG identified by commercial, Medicare or Medicaid insurance claims from the IBM® MarketScan® database. Eligible patients had two or more MG diagnosis codes, without evidence of exacerbation or crisis in the baseline period (12 months prior to index [first eligible MG diagnosis]). Clinical characteristics were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks before each exacerbation. …

Voluntary Wheel Running Prevents Formation Of Membrane Attack Complexes And Myelin Degradation After Peripheral Nerve Injury, Suzanne M Green-Fulgham, Michael J Lacagnina, Kendal F Willcox, Jiahe Li, Michael E Harland, Adriano Polican Ciena, Igor R Correia Rocha, Jayson B Ball, Renee A Dreher, Younus A Zuberi, Joseph M Dragavon, Marucia Chacur, Steven F Maier, Linda R Watkins, Peter M Grace

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Regular aerobic activity is associated with a reduced risk of chronic pain in humans and rodents. Our previous studies in rodents have shown that prior voluntary wheel running can normalize redox signaling at the site of peripheral nerve injury, attenuating subsequent neuropathic pain. However, the full extent of neuroprotection offered by voluntary wheel running after peripheral nerve injury is unknown. Here, we show that six weeks of voluntary wheel running prior to chronic constriction injury (CCI) reduced the terminal complement membrane attack complex (MAC) at the sciatic nerve injury site. This was associated with increased expression of the MAC inhibitor …

Case Report: Early Acute Kidney Failure In An 11-Year-Old Boy With Dent Disease Type 1, Nicolette Murphey, Craig Authement, Paul Hillman, Samhar I Al-Akash, Kate Richardson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dent disease type 1 (Dent 1) is a rare X-linked genetic condition which impacts kidney function and is caused by pathogenic variants in CLCN5. Affected males typically develop low molecular weight proteinuria, hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis, nephrolithiasis, and other symptoms. Kidney failure often occurs between the third to fifth decade of life. Here, we report an 11-year-old boy with Dent 1 and a severe kidney disease phenotype. The patient presented with flank pain, nocturnal enuresis, foamy urine, and increased urinary frequency. He was found to have nephrotic-range proteinuria, without hypoalbuminemia, and a significantly decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate at presentation. Further, he …

Evaluation Of Ion Chamber Response For Applications In Electron Flash Radiotherapy, Kevin Liu, Shannon Holmes, Brian Hooten, Emil Schüler, Sam Beddar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Ion chambers are required for calibration and reference dosimetry applications in radiation therapy (RT). However, exposure of ion chambers in ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) conditions pertinent to FLASH-RT leads to severe saturation and ion recombination, which limits their performance and usability. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate a set of commonly used commercially available ion chambers in RT, all with different design characteristics, and use this information to produce a prototype ion chamber with improved performance in UHDR conditions as a first step toward ion chambers specific for FLASH-RT. The Advanced Markus and Exradin A10, A26, and …

Quantifying The Effect Of 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography-Based Deformable Dose Accumulation On Representing Radiation Damage For Patients With Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Standard-Fractionated Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy, Yulun He, Guillaume Cazoulat, Carol Wu, Stina Svensson, Lusmeralis Almodovar-Abreu, Bastien Rigaud, Emma Mccollum, Christine Peterson, Zachary Wooten, Dong Joo Rhee, Peter Balter, Julianne Pollard-Larkin, Carlos Cardenas, Laurence Court, Zhongxing Liao, Radhe Mohan, Kristy Brock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the dosimetric and clinical effects of 4-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT)-based longitudinal dose accumulation in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with standard-fractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Methods and materials: Sixty-seven patients were retrospectively selected from a randomized clinical trial. Their original IMRT plan, planning and verification 4DCTs, and ∼4-month posttreatment follow-up CTs were imported into a commercial treatment planning system. Two deformable image registration algorithms were implemented for dose accumulation, and their accuracies were assessed. The planned and accumulated doses computed using average-intensity images or phase images were …

Diet-Stimulated Marrow Adiposity Fails To Worsen Early, Age-Related Bone Loss, Cody Mcgrath, Sarah E Little-Letsinger, Gabriel M Pagnotti, Buer Sen, Zhihui Xie, Gunes Uzer, Guniz B Uzer, Xiaopeng Zong, Martin A Styner, Janet Rubin, Maya Styner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Longitudinal effect of diet-induced obesity on bone is uncertain. Prior work showed both no effect and a decrement in bone density or quality when obesity begins prior to skeletal maturity. We aimed to quantify long-term effects of obesity on bone and bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) in adulthood.

Methods: Skeletally mature, female C57BL/6 mice (n = 70) aged 12 weeks were randomly allocated to low-fat diet (LFD; 10% kcal fat; n = 30) or high-fat diet (HFD; 60% kcal fat; n = 30), with analyses at 12, 15, 18, and 24 weeks (n = 10/group). Tibial microarchitecture was analyzed …

Sustained Pain And Macrophage Infiltration In A Mouse Muscle Contusion Model, Ibdanelo Cortez, Caitlyn M Gaffney, Caitlin V Crelli, Eric Lee, James M Nichols, Hoang Vu Pham, Syed Mehdi, Jelena M Janjic, Andrew J Shepherd

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction/aims: Prior studies have emphasized the role of inflammation in the response to injury and muscle regeneration, but little emphasis has been placed on characterizing the relationship between innate inflammation, pain, and functional impairment. The aim of our study was to determine the contribution of innate immunity to prolonged pain following muscle contusion.

Methods: We developed a closed-impact mouse model of muscle contusion and a macrophage-targeted near-infrared fluorescent nanoemulsion. Closed-impact contusions were delivered to the lower left limb. Pain sensitivity, gait dysfunction, and inflammation were assessed in the days and weeks post-contusion. Macrophage accumulation was imaged in vivo by injecting …

Multi-Task Learning With High-Dimensional Noisy Images, Xin Ma, Suprateek Kundu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recent medical imaging studies have given rise to distinct but inter-related datasets corresponding to multiple experimental tasks or longitudinal visits. Standard scalar-on-image regression models that fit each dataset separately are not equipped to leverage information across inter-related images, and existing multi-task learning approaches are compromised by the inability to account for the noise that is often observed in images. We propose a novel joint scalar-on-image regression framework involving wavelet-based image representations with grouped penalties that are designed to pool information across inter-related images for joint learning, and which explicitly accounts for noise in high-dimensional images via a projection-based approach. In …

Single-Cell Rna Sequencing Analysis Identifies Acute Changes In The Tumor Microenvironment Induced By Interferon Α Gene Therapy In A Murine Bladder Cancer Model, Alexis R Steinmetz, Morgan Pierce, Alberto Martini, Come Tholomier, Ganiraju Manyam, Yan Chen, Akshay Sood, Jonathan J Duplisea, Burles A Johnson, Bogdan A Czerniak, Byron H Lee, Chinnaswamy Jagannath, Seppo Yla-Herttuala, Nigel R Parker, David J Mcconkey, Colin P Dinney, Sharada Mokkapati

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Nadofaragene firadenovec (Ad-IFNα/Syn3) is now approved for BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer (BLCA). IFNα is a pleiotropic cytokine that causes direct tumor cell killing via TRAIL-mediated apoptosis, angiogenesis inhibition, and activation of the innate and adaptive immune system. We established an immunocompetent murine BLCA model to study the effects of murine adenoviral IFNα (muAd-Ifnα) gene therapy on cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment using a novel murine equivalent of Nadofaragene firadenovec (muAd-Ifnα).

Methods: Tumors were induced by instilling MB49 cells into the bladders of mice; luciferase imaging confirmed tumor development. Mice were treated with adenovirus control (Ad-Ctrl; empty vector), or muAd-Ifnα …

Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Sheehan's Syndrome: A Case-Control Study, Mayur Agrawal, Subhash C Yadav, Swish K Singh, Sheo Kumar, Krishnarpan Chatterjee, Naveen K Garg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Obesity, dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance are associated with hypopituitarism. The association between these conditions and Sheehan's syndrome (SS) caused by post-partum pituitary gland necrosis is poorly understood. This study aimed to assess cardiovascular risk surrogate markers in SS patients, and we compared clinical, biochemical and radiological testing with healthy controls.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we studied 45 patients with SS on standard replacement therapy and compared them with healthy controls. All subjects underwent anthropometric, inflammatory marker and hormonal measurement (adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), stimulated cortisol, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), thyroxine (T4), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), oestradiol (E2), …

Screening For Food And Nutrition Insecurity In The Healthcare Setting: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Non-Medicaid Insured Adults In An Integrated Healthcare Delivery System, Carmen Byker Shanks, Nancy P Gordon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare screening identifies factors that impact patient health and well-being. Hunger as a Vital Sign (HVS) is widely applied as a screening tool to assess food security. However, there are no common practice screening questions to identify patients who are nutrition insecure or acquire free food from community-based organizations. This study used self-reported survey data from a non-Medicaid insured adult population approximately one year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (2021). The survey examined the extent to which the HVS measure might have under-estimated population-level food insecurity and/or nutrition insecurity, as well as under-identified food and nutrition insecurity …

Analysis Of B7-H4 Expression Across Salivary Gland Carcinomas Reveals Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma-Specific Prognostic Relevance, Juliana Mota Siqueira, Yoshitsugu Mitani, Camilla Oliveira Hoff, Flavia Bonini, Luana Guimaraes De Sousa, Mario L Marques-Piubelli, Anurag Purushothaman, Mutsumi Mitani, Hui Dai, Shiaw-Yih Lin, Michael T Spiotto, Ehab Y Hanna, Daniel J Mcgrail, Adel K El-Naggar, Renata Ferrarotto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

B7-H4 (VTCN1), a member of the B7 family, is overexpressed in several types of cancer. Here we investigated the pattern of expression of B7-H4 in salivary gland carcinomas (SGC) and assessed its potential as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses were performed in a cohort of 340 patient tumors, composed of 124 adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC), 107 salivary duct carcinomas (SDC), 64 acinic cell carcinomas, 36 mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC), 9 secretory carcinomas (SC), as well as 20 normal salivary glands (controls). B7-H4 expression was scored and categorized into negative (< 5% expression of any intensity), low (5%-70% expression of any intensity or >70% with weak intensity), or high ( …

Meta-Analysis Of The Vmp-Like Sequences Of Lyme Disease Borrelia: Evidence For The Evolution Of An Elaborate Antigenic Variation System, Steven J Norris, Kalvis Brangulis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

VMP-like sequence (vls) antigenic variation systems are present in every Lyme disease Borrelia strain with complete genome sequences. The linear plasmid-encoded vls system consists of a single expression site (vlsE) and contiguous array(s) of silent cassettes that have ~90% identity with the central cassette region of the cognate vlsE gene; antigenic variation occurs through random, segmental, and unidirectional recombination of vls silent cassette sequences into the vlsE expression site. Automated annotation programs do not accurately recognize vls silent cassette sequences, so these regions are not correctly annotated in most genomic sequences. In this study, the vls …

Best Practice Recommendations For The Management Of Anxiety During The Pegvaliase Journey, Kendra J Bjoraker, Caroline Eggerding, Elisheva Ellenberg, Suzanne Hollander, Brittany M Holmes, Kristin Lindstrom, Markey Mcnutt, Suzanne Miller, Hope Northrup, Meaghan Rogers, Sarah Rose, Mia Scott, Soo Shim, Bridget Wardley, Leah Wessenberg, Deborah A Bilder

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Pegvaliase, an enzyme substitution therapy, is a treatment option for phenylketonuria (PKU). Due to the neuropathophysiology and disease burden of PKU, individuals can experience baseline anxiety unrelated to pegvaliase therapy. In addition, there are aspects of pegvaliase therapy that may be anxiety-inducing for those considering or receiving treatment. The aim of this manuscript is to present best practice recommendations for the identification and management of anxiety symptoms that can occur along the pegvaliase journey.

Methods: A modified Delphi approach was used to seek consensus among a multidisciplinary panel of experts. To this end, an in-person meeting was held that …