Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Influence Of The X-Chromosome On Neuroanatomy: Evidence From Turner And Klinefelter Syndromes., David S Hong, Fumiko Hoeft, Matthew J Marzelli, Jean-Francois Lepage, David Roeltgen, Judith L. Ross, Allan L Reiss

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Studies of sex effects on neurodevelopment have traditionally focused on animal models investigating hormonal influences on brain anatomy. However, more recent evidence suggests that sex chromosomes may also have direct upstream effects that act independently of hormones. Sex chromosome aneuploidies provide ideal models to examine this framework in humans, including Turner syndrome (TS), where females are missing one X-chromosome (45X), and Klinefelter syndrome (KS), where males have an additional X-chromosome (47XXY). As these disorders essentially represent copy number variants of the sex chromosomes, investigation of brain structure across these disorders allows us to determine whether sex chromosome gene dosage effects …

Cell-Mediated Immunity And Vaccines, Jaya Kumari, Senthamil R. Selvan, Stéphane Bécart, Subhasis Chattopadhyay, Roy Ambli Dalmo

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Complementary And Alternative Medicine Use In Women During Pregnancy: Do Their Healthcare Providers Know?, Lisa Strouss, Amy Mackley, Ursula Guillen, David A Paul, Robert Locke

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND: The National Institutes of Health reported in 2007 that approximately 38% of United States adults have used at least one type of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). There are no studies available that assess general CAM use in US pregnant women.The objectives of our study were to determine the prevalence and type of CAM use during pregnancy at one medical center; understand who is using CAM and why they are using it; and assess the state of patients' CAM use disclosure to their obstetrical providers.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study of post-partum women was done to assess self-reported CAM …

Anterior Talofibular Ligament Abnormality On Routine Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of The Ankle, Patrick Kane, Md, David Pedowitz, Md, Adam C C. Zoga, Md, Steven M. Raikin, Md

Rothman Institute Conference Posters

The anterior talo­fibular ligament (ATFL) extends from the anteroinferior border of the ­fibula to the talar neck. Primary restraint to ankle inversion in plantar‑exion. Injury (acute or chronic) can be diagnosed with physical exam, stress X-Rays, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Purpose:

MRI abnormalities in asymptomatic individuals known in other areas of orthopaedics (shoulder and spine). Purpose of our study: determine the prevalence of ATFL abnormalities found on MRI in asymptomatic individuals. Asymptomatic individuals - those undergoing MRI for pathology unrelated to lateral ankle trauma, instability, or inversion injuries.

A Clinical Decision Support Tool To Predict The Risk Of Failure In Patients With Femoroacetabular Impingement Undergoing Hip Preservation Surgery, Claudio Diaz-Ledezma, Md, Mitchell Maltenfort, Phd, Lesley Walinchus, Bs, Benjamin Hendy, Bs, Thomas Novack, Bs, Javad Parvizi, Md, Frcs

Rothman Institute Conference Posters

In modern orthopaedics, risk prediction scores can help discriminate between ideal and poor candidates for a specifi­c therapeutic intervention. We consider these tools useful during the process of shared medical decision-making1. To our knowledge, such a strategy has never been explored in the ­field of hip preservation surgery.

The aim of our study is to generate a clinical decision support tool to predict risk of failure after hip preservation surgery among patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI).

The Neuroscientific Study Of Spiritual Practices., Andrew B. Newberg, Md

Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Faculty Papers

The purpose of this paper will be to provide a perspective on the current state of the research evaluating the neurobiological correlates of spiritual practices and review the methodological issues that confront this research field. There are many types of spiritual practices that might be studied including prayer and meditation, as well as unusual practices such as mediumistic trance states, speaking in tongues, and also drug-induced experiences. Current studies have utilized neuroimaging techniques including functional magnetic resonance imaging, single photon emission computed tomography, and positron emission tomography. These studies have helped elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms associated with spiritual practices. Such …

Cost Benefit Analysis Of Athletic Team Coverage By An Orthopaedic Practice, Brandon Eck, Bs, Fotios Tjoumakaris, Md, Matthew Pepe, Md, Kevin Freedman, Md, Katherine Bagnato, Atc, Bradford Tucker, Md

Rothman Institute Conference Posters

Introduction

- Coverage of high school football by an orthopaedic practice is considered standard of care in many localities.

- Taking time away from an orthopaedic practice to provide on ­field athletic care has potential advantages and disadvantages.

- To this date, the economic value of this endeavor has never been investigated.

- Purpose: to perform a cost/benefi­t analysis of local high school sports coverage by an orthopaedic sports medicine practice.

Mary H. Gibbon: Teamwork Of The Heart., Alexandra Columbus, Ba, Scott W. Cowan, Md, Charles J. Yeo, Md, Stacey A. Milan, Md

Department of Surgery Gibbon Society Historical Profiles

Mary "Maly" Hopkinson Gibbon was born on September 25, 1903, to an affluent New England family who encouraged her to embrace her intelligence and to follow that by which she was intrigued. In doing this, Maly pursued work in scientific research, where she ultimately met her first husband, Dr. John ‘‘Jack’’ H. Gibbon. Jack and Maly were partners in every sense of the word. Their collaboration, both within and beyond the walls of the research laboratory, made it possible for the Gibbon dream of the heart–lung machine to be realized.

Is Further Treatment Necessary For Patellar Crepitus After Total Knee Arthroplasty?, Bo-Hyun Hwang, Md, Chang-Hyun Nam, Md, Kwang-Am Jung, Md, Alvin Ong, Md, Su-Chan Lee, Md

Rothman Institute Conference Posters

Introduction:

• Posterior-stabilized (PS) TKA that sacrifice the cruciate ligaments improves pain and function in patients with advanced osteoarthritis.
• Patellar crepitus appears to be due to a spectrum of peripatellar fibrosynovial formations and is usually encountered after PS-TKA, which uniquely has an intercondylar box to accept the tibial post.
• Symptoms of patellar crepitus occur most commonly during terminal knee extension and occur usually from 3 to 9 months after PS-TKA, and in some cases, this phenomenon is symptomatic enough to warrant an arthroscopic procedure or open arthrotomy.
• The development of patellar crepitus after PS-TKA appears related to many factors such as …

Threshold For Synovial Cell Count And Neutrophil Differential In Diagnosis Of Periprosthetic Knee Infection: A Multi-Institutional Study, Benjamin Zmistowski, Bs, Carlos Higuera, Md, Jane Liu, Ba, Wael Barsoum, Md, Joseph Mendelis, Ba, Craig Della Valle, Md, Javad Parvizi, Md

Rothman Institute Conference Posters

Introduction:

Synovial fl­uid analysis is an important tool in the work-up of suspected periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Yet, there is confl­icting guidance for the analysis of synovial fl­uid aspiration, including a lack of uniform thresholds for white blood cell (WBC) count and neutrophil percentage (PMN%)1-3. Therefore, a multi-institutional study was undertaken to reassess these thresholds, compare preoperative versus intraoperative sample collection, and assess variation in results between institutions.

Risk Factors For Surgical Site Infection Following Total Joint Arthroplasty, Mohammad Rasouli, Md, Camilo Restrepo, Md, Mitchell Maltenfort, Phd, James J. Purtill, Md, Javad Parvizi, Md

Rothman Institute Conference Posters

Surgical Site Infection (SSI) after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is a rare but devastating complication1. In spite of improvement in the prevention of SSI, these infections are still a signi­ficant cause of morbidity in surgical patients2. Management of Hospital Acquired infections (HAI) including SSI poses a huge economic burden on healthcare3. As part of the mission to reduce the burden of HAI, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidelines for the prevention of SSI that are currently being updated4. In addition, CDC requires all hospitals to report HAI through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) surveillance …

Depletion Of Pre-Mrna Splicing Factor Cdc5l Inhibits Mitotic Progression And Triggers Mitotic Catastrophe., R Mu, Y-B Wang, M Wu, Y Yang, W Song, T Li, W-N Zhang, B Tan, A-L Li, N Wang, Q Xia, W-L Gong, Chenguang Wang, T Zhou, N Guo, Z-H Sang, H-Y Li

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Disturbing mitotic progression via targeted anti-mitotic therapy is an attractive strategy for cancer treatment. Therefore, the exploration and elucidation of molecular targets and pathways in mitosis are critical for the development of anti-mitotic drugs. Here, we show that cell division cycle 5-like (Cdc5L), a pre-mRNA splicing factor, is a regulator of mitotic progression. Depletion of Cdc5L causes dramatic mitotic arrest, chromosome misalignments and sustained activation of spindle assembly checkpoint, eventually leading to mitotic catastrophe. Moreover, these defects result from severe impairment of kinetochore-microtubule attachment and serious DNA damage. Genome-wide gene expression analysis reveals that Cdc5L modulates the expression of a …

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Of Srebf-1 Gene Associated With An Increased Risk Of Endometrial Cancer In Chinese Women., Chun-Ping Qiu, Qing-Tao Lv, Samina Dongol, Chenguang Wang, Jie Jiang

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

AIM: Elevated levels of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) have been found in endometrial cancer (EC), suggesting that it is essential to the development of EC. Obesity and diabetes have been established as known risk factors of EC, while SREBF-1 gene polymorphisms have also been found to be associated with obesity and type II diabetes. Therefore, we hypothesize that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in SREBF-1 gene may be associated with increased risk of EC.

METHOD: We analyzed the sequence of SREBF-1 in tissue samples from 30 EC cases and 6 benign controls using high throughput method. Based on the primary …

Postoperative Urinary Retention (Pour): What Are The Risk Factors?, Eric H. Tischler, Ba, Camilo Restrepo, Md, Jennifer Oh, Ba, Mitchell Maltenfort, Phd, Javad Parvizi, Md, Frcs

Rothman Institute Conference Posters

Introduction

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a successful procedure alleviating pain in patients with debilitating arthritis. Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is a common complication following surgery and is managed with intermittent or continued urinary catheterization. POUR has been estimated in retrospective literature to be on the order of 5% – 70% of surgical cases with early catheter removal or without a catheter. At our institution, and based on a Level 1 study here, urinary catheter is not used routinely in patients undergoing THA under regional anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of POUR and risk …

Myd88-Dependent Immunity To A Natural Model Of Vaccinia Virus Infection Does Not Involve Toll-Like Receptor 2., Michael L Davies, Janet J Sei, Nicholas A Siciliano, Ren-Huan Xu, Felicia Roscoe, Luis J Sigal, Laurence C. Eisenlohr, Christopher C Norbury

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

UNLABELLED: Although the pattern recognition receptor Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is typically thought to recognize bacterial components, it has been described to alter the induction of both innate and adaptive immunity to a number of viruses, including vaccinia virus (VACV). However, many pathogens that reportedly encode TLR2 agonists may actually be artifactually contaminated during preparation, possibly with cellular debris or merely with molecules that sensitize cells to be activated by authentic TLR2 agonists. In both humans and mice, the most relevant natural route of infection with VACV is through intradermal infection of the skin. Therefore, we examined the requirement for …

The Hand In Art: Hand Of Hope, John S. Taras, Md

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

The “Hand of Hope” (Fig. 1) statue was commissioned for display in the street-level lobby of my practice, The Philadelphia Hand Center, by its founders, James M. Hunter, MD, and Lawrence H. Schneider, MD. The work became a hallmark of the practice’s former Walnut Street location as well as a recognizable feature of its neighborhood.

After a sojourn of several years residing next to Thomas Eakins’ portrait of the operative theatre in “The Gross Clinic,” at Thomas Jefferson University, the sculpture has returned to grace our office’s lobby in the historic Benjamin Franklin Hotel.

Stress Sonography Of The Ulnar Collateral Ligament Of The Elbow In Professional Baseball Pitchers: A 10-Year Study., Michael G Ciccotti, Alfred Atanda, Levon N. Nazarian, Christopher C Dodson, Laurens Holmes, Steven B. Cohen

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: An injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the elbow is potentially career threatening for elite baseball pitchers. Stress ultrasound (US) of the elbow allows for evaluation of both the UCL and the ulnohumeral joint space at rest and with stress.

HYPOTHESIS: Stress US can identify morphological and functional UCL changes and may predict the risk of a UCL injury in elite pitchers.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: A total of 368 asymptomatic professional baseball pitchers underwent preseason stress US of their dominant and nondominant elbows over a 10-year period (2002-2012). Stress US examinations …

High Variability In Outcomes Of Two-Stage Exchange To Treat Periprosthetic Joint Infection, Benjamin Zmistowski, Bs, Paul Lichstein, Md, Aaron H Carter, Md, Joshua J. Minori, Do, Javad Parvizi, Md

Rothman Institute Conference Posters

Introduction:

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a challenging condition to manage with sobering morbidity and mortality.1,2 Treatment options range from simple irrigation and debridement with prosthetic retention to explantation and placement of a temporary cement spacer. Indictations for each option are unclear and non-uniform despite signi­cant efforts to understand the management outcomes. Until recently, a uniform de­nition of success was unavailable, thus clouding the discussion of treatment options. Two-stage exchange is currently considered the “gold-standard” in North America, yet an appropriate understanding of the actual success and ancillary effects of treatment is needed. With the advantage of an expert opinion …

Tachycardia Mediated Cardiomyopathy: Pathophysiology, Mechanisms, Clinical Features And Management., Shuchita Gupta, Vincent M. Figueredo, M.D.

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Tachycardia mediated cardiomyopathy (TMC) is a reversible form of dilated cardiomyopathy that can occur with most supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. Despite the plethora of literature describing this entity in animal models, as well as humans, it remains poorly understood. Over the last decade, new etiologies of TMC, such as frequent premature ventricular complexes in normal hearts, have been identified. Recent advances in catheter-based ablation therapies, particularly for atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias, have added a new dimension to the treatment of this condition. This review describes the pathophysiology, proposed mechanisms, clinical features and management in various arrhythmic conditions.

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy And Surgery Selectively Alter The Dorsal, Not The Ventral, Default-Mode Network., Gaelle Eve Doucet, Christopher T Skidmore, James J. Evans, Ashwini Sharan Md, Michael R Sperling, Dorian Pustina, Joseph I Tracy

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

The default-mode network (DMN) is a major resting-state network. It can be divided in two distinct networks: one is composed of dorsal and anterior regions [referred to as the dorsal DMN (dDMN)], while the other involves the more posterior regions [referred to as the ventral DMN (vDMN)]. To date, no studies have investigated the potentially distinct impact of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) on these networks. In this context, we explored the effect of TLE and anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) on the dDMN and vDMN. We utilized two resting-state fMRI sessions from left, right TLE patients (pre-/post-surgery) and normal controls (sessions …

Developing The Value Proposition For The Role Of The Registered Nurse In Care Coordination And Transition Management In Ambulatory Care Settings, Sheila A. Haas, Beth Ann Swan

Department of Nursing papers and presentations

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) established clear provisions for Patient-Centered Medical Homes and Accountable Care Organizations. In both, care coordination and transition management are methods to provide safe, high quality care to at-risk populations such as patients with multiple chronic conditions. The emphasis on care coordination and transition management offers opportunities for nurses to work at their full potential as an integral part of the interprofessional team. Development of a model for the registered nurse in care coordination and transition management provides nurses the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be a resource to …

High-Speed Optical Coherence Tomography As A Reliable Adjuvant Tool To Grade Ocular Anterior Chamber Inflammation., Ann O. Igbre, Mario C. Rico, Sunir Garg

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate the high-speed anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) grading of the AS inflammation in patients with ocular inflammation.

METHODS: A retrospective consecutive case series study. Patients with clinically visible AS inflammation in at least one eye underwent AS-OCT (Visante; Zeiss Meditec) with three to eight line scans per eye, performed by a trained masked examiner. The images were reviewed for hyperreflective spots, noise, and artifact, and these were correlated to clinical examination.

RESULTS: Seventy-eight eyes of 41 patients were imaged. Forty-seven eyes had anterior chamber cells on clinical examination, and 68 had hyperreflective spots visible on AS-OCT. …

Variability Of Patient Spine Education By Internet Search Engine., George M. Ghobrial, Md, Angud Mehdi, Mitchell Maltenfort, Phd, Ashwini D Sharan, Md, James Harrop, Md

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Patients are increasingly reliant upon the Internet as a primary source of medical information. The educational experience varies by search engine, search term, and changes daily. There are no tools for critical evaluation of spinal surgery websites.

PURPOSE: To highlight the variability between common search engines for the same search terms. To detect bias, by prevalence of specific kinds of websites for certain spinal disorders. Demonstrate a simple scoring system of spinal disorder website for patient use, to maximize the quality of information exposed to the patient.

STUDY DESIGN: Ten common search terms were used to query three of …

Therapeutic Implications Of Estrogen For Cerebral Vasospasm And Delayed Cerebral Ischemia Induced By Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage., Dale Ding, Robert M Starke, Aaron S Dumont, Gary K Owens, David M Hasan, Nohra Chalouhi, Md, Ricky Medel, Chih-Lung Lin

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Cerebral vasospasm (CV) remains the leading cause of delayed morbidity and mortality following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, increasing evidence supports etiologies of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) other than CV. Estrogen, specifically 17 β -estradiol (E2), has potential therapeutic implications for ameliorating the delayed neurological deterioration which follows aneurysmal SAH. We review the causes of CV and DCI and examine the evidence for E2-mediated vasodilation and neuroprotection. E2 potentiates vasodilation by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), preventing increased inducible NOS (iNOS) activity caused by SAH, and decreasing endothelin-1 production. E2 provides neuroprotection by increasing thioredoxin expression, decreasing c-Jun N-terminal …

Chronic Arsenic Exposure And Angiogenesis In Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Via The Ros/Mir-199a-5p/Hif-1Α/Cox-2 Pathway., Jun He, Min Wang, Yue Jiang, Qiudan Chen, Shaohua Xu, Qing Xu, Bing-Hua Jiang, Ling-Zhi Liu

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Background: Environmental and occupational exposure to arsenic is a major public health concern. Although it has been identified as a human carcinogen, the molecular mechanism underlying the arsenic-induced carcinogenesis is not well understood.Objectives: We aimed to determine the role and mechanisms of miRNAs in arsenic-induced tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth.Methods: We utilized an in vitro model in which human lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells were transformed through long-term exposure to arsenic. A human xenograft tumor model was established to assess tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth in vivo. Tube formation assay and chorioallantoic membranes assay were used to assess tumor angiogenesis.Results: We …

Adiponectin Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor-Α-Induced Vascular Inflammatory Response Via Caveolin-Mediated Ceramidase Recruitment And Activation., Yajing Wang, Xiaoliang Wang, Wayne Bond Lau, Yuexing Yuan, David Booth, Jing-Jing Li, Rosario Scalia, Kyle Preston, Erhe Gao, Walter Koch, Xin-Liang Ma

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

RATIONALE: Anti-inflammatory and vascular protective actions of adiponectin are well recognized. However, many fundamental questions remain unanswered.

OBJECTIVE: The current study attempted to identify the adiponectin receptor subtype responsible for adiponectin's vascular protective action and investigate the role of ceramidase activation in adiponectin anti-inflammatory signaling.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Adiponectin significantly reduced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression and attenuated TNFα-induced oxidative/nitrative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. These anti-inflammatory actions were virtually abolished by adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1-), but not AdipoR2-, knockdown (KD). Treatment with adiponectin significantly increased neutral ceramidase (nCDase) activity (3.7-fold; P87% of adiponectin-induced nCDase …

Flow-Diversion Panacea Or Poison?, Mario Zanaty, Nohra Chalouhi, Md, Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris, Robert H. Rosenwasswer Md, L. Fernando Gonzalez, Pascal Jabbour Md

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Endovascular therapy is now the treatment of choice for intracranial aneurysms (IAs) for its efficacy and safety profile. The use of flow diversion (FD) has recently expanded to cover many types of IAs in various locations. Some institutions even attempt FD as first line treatment for unruptured IAs. The most widely used devices are the pipeline embolization device (PED), the SILK flow diverter (SFD), the flow redirection endoluminal device (FRED), and Surpass. Many questions were raised regarding the long-term complications, the optimal regimen of dual antiplatelet therapy, and the durability of treatment effect. We reviewed the literature to address these …

Basic Concepts In Stem Cells: Integrative Medicine Grand Rounds, Daniel G. Kipnis, Msi

Jefferson Digital Commons News

Please join us for Integrative Medicine Grand Rounds on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 in 925 Chestnut Street, 2nd floor conference room from 8:00-9:00 am. Please note the venue for this exciting program. Anthony J. Bazzan, MD, ABIHM. is presenting and the title of his presentation is: “Basic Concepts in Stem Cells”

A Randomized Trial Of Bevacizumab For Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma., Mark R Gilbert, James J Dignam, Terri S Armstrong, Jeffrey S Wefel, Deborah T Blumenthal, Michael A Vogelbaum, Howard Colman, Arnab Chakravarti, Stephanie Pugh, Minhee Won, Robert Jeraj, Paul D Brown, Kurt A Jaeckle, David Schiff, Volker W Stieber, David G Brachman, Maria Werner-Wasik, Ivo W Tremont-Lukats, Erik P Sulman, Kenneth D Aldape, Walter J Curran, Minesh P Mehta

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Concurrent treatment with temozolomide and radiotherapy followed by maintenance temozolomide is the standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor A, is currently approved for recurrent glioblastoma. Whether the addition of bevacizumab would improve survival among patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma is not known.

METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we treated adults who had centrally confirmed glioblastoma with radiotherapy (60 Gy) and daily temozolomide. Treatment with bevacizumab or placebo began during week 4 of radiotherapy and was continued for up to 12 cycles of maintenance chemotherapy. …

Mouse Models For Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum: Genetic And Dietary Modulation Of The Ectopic Mineralization Phenotypes., Qiaoli Li, Haitao Guo, David W Chou, Annerose Berndt, John P Sundberg, Jouni Uitto

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), a heritable ectopic mineralization disorder, is caused by mutations in the ABCC6 gene. Null mice (Abcc6(-/-) ) recapitulate the genetic, histopathologic and ultrastructural features of PXE, and they demonstrate early and progressive mineralization of vibrissae dermal sheath, which serves as a biomarker of the overall mineralization process. Recently, as part of a mouse aging study at The Jackson Laboratory, 31 inbred mouse strains were necropsied, and two of them, KK/HlJ and 129S1/SvImJ, were noted to have vibrissae dermal mineralization similar to Abcc6(-/-) mice. These two strains were shown to harbor a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs32756904) in the …