Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Relative And Absolute Risk To Guide The Management Of Pulse Pressure, An Age-Related Cardiovascular Risk Factor, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Lutgarde Thijs, Dong-Mei Wei, Michael Bursztyn, Wen-Yi Yang, Yan Li, Kei Asayama, Tine W. Hansen, Masahiro Kikuya, Gladys E. Maestre, Benjamin Gavish

School of Medicine Publications

BACKGROUND Pulse pressure (PP) reflects the age-related stiffening of the central arteries, but no study addressed the management of the PP-related risk over the human lifespan.

METHODS In 4663 young (18-49 years) and 7185 older adults (≥50 years), brachial PP was recorded over 24-hour. Total mortality and all major cardiovascular events combined (MACE) were co-primary endpoints. Cardiovascular death, coronary events and stroke were secondary endpoints.

RESULTS In young adults (median follow-up, 14.1 years; mean PP, 45.1 mmHg), greater PP was not associated with absolute risk; the endpoint rates were ≤2.01 per 1000 person-years. The adjusted hazard ratios expressed per 10-mmHg …

There Is No Difference In Safety And Efficacy With Tirofiban Or Eptifibatide For Patients Undergoing Treatment Of Large Vessel Occlusion And Underlying Intracranial Atherosclerosis, Hari Movva, Rani Rabah, Wondwossen G. Tekle, Alexandros Georgiadis, Laurie Preston, Hari Kotta, Ameer E. Hassan

School of Medicine Publications

Background

Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) during mechanical thrombectomy (MT) and acute stenting and angioplasty is a topic consistently debated due to concerns over safety and efficacy. Tirofiban is a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa used throughout the world now more commonly used during MT. We report the analysis of all AIS patients treated with Eptifibatide + MT vs. Tirofiban + MT.

Methods

Using a prospectively collected endovascular database at a CSC between 2013 and 2019, workflow, and outcomes were recorded. Patients are given Tirofiban, and patients given Eptifibatide were analyzed to obtain baseline demographics, modified Ranking Scale (mRS) …

Starting Antihypertensive Drug Treatment With Combination Therapy: Controversies In Hypertension - Con Side Of The Argument, Zhen-Yu Zhang, Yu-Ling Yu, Kei Asayama, Tine W. Hansen, Gladys E. Maestre, Jan A. Staessen

School of Medicine Publications

The 2018 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension1 and the 2020 International Society of Hypertension2 guidelines for the management of hypertension proposed that initial combination therapy with 2 antihypertensive agents in a single-pill combination (SPC) is preferred in most patients in need of blood pressure (BP) lowering treatment and should replace the long-standing concept of starting treatment with a single agent, rotating through antihypertensive drug classes, and next moving towards combining drug classes. By moving SPCs forward as the initial BP-lowering strategy, the European1 and International2 Societies of Hypertension Guideline Committees overlooked several principles in …

Sars-Cov-2: Potencial Transmisión Feco-Oral E Implicaciones En La Propagación Y Gravedad Del Covid-19 En Venezuela. Mini-Revisión. [Sars-Cov-2: Potential Feco-Oral Transmission And Implications On The Spread And Severity Of Covid-19 In Venezuela. Mini-Review.], Leonor Chacin-Bonilla, Nathalie Chacon

School of Medicine Publications

The recognized human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is through respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces. However, the high transmissibility of the virus and the pattern of symptoms of COVID-19 suggest the likelihood of other forms of spread. Increasing evidence suggests that SARS‐CoV‐2 could be transmitted by the feco‐oral route. SARS-CoV-2 is known to infect gastrointestinal epithelial cells and a significant number of infected people have gastrointestinal symptoms. Viable viruses, viral RNA, and prolonged shedding of viral RNA have been detected in the feces of COVID-19 patients. The virus has been found in sewage and surface waters of several countries. The …

Outcome After Surgical Stabilization Of Rib Fractures Versus Nonoperative Treatment In Patients With Multiple Rib Fractures And Moderate To Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (Cwis-Tbi), Jonne T. H. Prins, Esther M. M. Van Lieshout, Francis Ali-Osman, Zachary M. Bauman, Eva-Corina Caragounis, Jeff Choi, D. Benjamin Christie Iii, Peter A. Cole, William B. Devoe, Julie Whitis

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Outcomes after surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) have not been studied in patients with multiple rib fractures and traumatic brain injury (TBI). We hypothesized that SSRF, as compared with nonoperative management, is associated with favorable outcomes in patients with TBI.

Methods: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was performed in patients with rib fractures and TBI between January 2012 and July 2019. Patients who underwent SSRF were compared to those managed nonoperatively. The primary outcome was mechanical ventilation-free days. Secondary outcomes were intensive care unit length of stay and hospital length of stay, tracheostomy, occurrence of complications, neurologic outcome, …

Transcriptomic Profiling Of Fibropapillomatosis In Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) From South Texas, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Ana C. Leandro, Nina Nahvi, Mariana A. Devlin, Marcelo Leandro, Ignacio Martinez Escobedo, Juan M. Peralta, Jeff George, Thomas W. Demaar, John Blangero, Megan Keniry, Joanne E. Curran

School of Medicine Publications

Sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a tumor promoting disease that is one of several threats globally to endangered sea turtle populations. The prevalence of FP is highest in green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) populations, and historically has shown considerable temporal growth. FP tumors can significantly affect the ability of turtles to forage for food and avoid predation and can grow to debilitating sizes. In the current study, based in South Texas, we have applied transcriptome sequencing to FP tumors and healthy control tissue to study the gene expression profiles of FP. By identifying differentially expressed turtle genes in …

Fargesin Inhibits Egf-Induced Cell Transformation And Colon Cancer Cell Growth By Suppression Of Cdk2/Cyclin E Signaling Pathway, Ga-Eun Lee, Cheol-Jung Lee, Hyun-Jung An, Han Chang Kang, Hye Suk Lee, Joo Young Lee, Sei-Ryang Oh, Sung-Jun Cho, Dae Joon Kim, Yong-Yeon Cho

School of Medicine Publications

Although the lignan compound fargesin is a major ingredient in Shin-Yi, the roles of fargesin in carcinogenesis and cancer cell growth have not been elucidated. In this study, we observed that fargesin inhibited cell proliferation and transformation by suppression of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated G₁/S-phase cell cycle transition in premalignant JB6 Cl41 and HaCaT cells. Unexpectedly, we found that signaling pathway analyses showed different regulation patterns in which fargesin inhibited phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT signaling without an alteration of or increase in mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) in JB6 Cl41 and HaCaT cells, while both signaling pathways were abrogated by …

An Oncolytic Adenovirus Encoding Sa-4-1bbl Adjuvant Fused To Hpv-16 E7 Antigen Produces A Specific Antitumor Effect In A Cancer Mouse Model, Alejandra G. Martinez-Perez, Jose J. Perez-Trujillo, Rodolfo Garza-Morales, Norma E. Ramirez-Avila, Maria J. Loera-Arias, Jorge G. Gomez-Gutierrez, Odila Saucedo-Cardenas, Aracely Garcia-Garcia, Humberto Rodriguez-Rocha, Roberto Montes-De-Oca-Luna

School of Medicine Publications

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are responsible for about 25% of cancer cases worldwide. HPV-16 E7 antigen is a tumor-associated antigen (TAA) commonly expressed in HPV-induced tumors; however, it has low immunogenicity. The interaction of 4-1BBL with its receptor induces pleiotropic effects on innate, adaptive, and regulatory immunity and, if fused to TAAs in DNA vaccines, can improve the antitumor response; however, there is low transfection and antitumor efficiency. Oncolytic virotherapy is promising for antitumor gene therapy as it can be selectively replicated in tumor cells, inducing cell lysis, and furthermore, tumor cell debris can be taken in by immune cells to …

Sequencing Of 53,831 Diverse Genomes From The Nhlbi Topmed Program, Daniel Taliun, Daniel N. Harris, Michael D. Kessler, Jedidiah Carlson, John Blangero, Joanne E. Curran, Michael C. Mahaney, Harald H. H. Goring, Ravindranath Duggirala, Juan M. Peralta

School of Medicine Publications

The Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) programme seeks to elucidate the genetic architecture and biology of heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders, with the ultimate goal of improving diagnosis, treatment and prevention of these diseases. The initial phases of the programme focused on whole-genome sequencing of individuals with rich phenotypic data and diverse backgrounds. Here we describe the TOPMed goals and design as well as the available resources and early insights obtained from the sequence data. The resources include a variant browser, a genotype imputation server, and genomic and phenotypic data that are available through dbGaP (Database of Genotypes and …

Endovascular Thrombectomy Time Metrics In The Era Of Covid-19: Observations From The Society Of Vascular And Interventional Neurology Multicenter Collaboration, Alexandra L. Czap, Alicia M. Zha, Jacob Sebaugh, Ameer E. Hassan

School of Medicine Publications

Background Unprecedented workflow shifts during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have contributed to delays in acute care delivery, but whether it adversely affected endovascular thrombectomy metrics in acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) is unknown.

Methods We performed a retrospective review of observational data from 14 comprehensive stroke centers in nine US states with acute LVO. EVT metrics were compared between March to July 2019 against March to July 2020 (primary analysis), and between statespecific pre-peak and peak COVID-19 months (secondary analysis), with multivariable adjustment.

Results Of the 1364 patients included in the primary analysis (51% female, median NIHSS 14 …

A Concise Review Of The Multimodality Imaging Features Of Renal Cell Carcinoma, Ali Morshid, Elif S. Duran, Woongsoon J. Choi, Cihan Duran

School of Medicine Publications

The evaluation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is routinely performed using the multimodality imaging approach, including ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET). Ultrasonography is the most frequently used imaging modality for the initial diagnosis of renal masses. The modality of choice for the characterization of the renal mass is multiphasic CT. Recent advances in CT technology have led to its widespread use as a powerful tool for preoperative planning, reducing the need for catheter angiography for the evaluation of vascular invasion. CT is also the standard imaging modality for staging and follow-up. MRI …

Comparing Neural Correlates Of Conditioned Inhibition Between Children With And Without Anxiety Disorders - A Preliminary Study, Anita Harrewijn, Elizabeth R. Kitt, Rany Abend, Chika Matsumoto, Paola Odriozola, Anderson M. Winkler, Ellen Leibenluft, Daniel S. Pine, Dylan G. Gee

School of Medicine Publications

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a first-line treatment for pediatric anxiety disorders, is based on principles of threat learning and extinction. However, CBT does not work sufficiently for up to 40% of clinically anxious youth. The neural and behavioral correlates of conditioned inhibition might provide promising targets for attempts to improve CBT response. During conditioned inhibition, threat and safety cues appear together, forming a safety compound. Here, we test whether this safety compound elicits a reduced fear response compared to pairing the threat cue with a novel cue (novel compound). The current pilot study compares behavioral, physiological, and neural correlates of conditioned …

Diastolic Left Ventricular Function In Relation To The Retinal Microvascular Fractal Dimension In A Flemish Population, Fang-Fei Wei, Lutgarde Thijs, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Nicholas Cauwenberghs, Zhen-Yu Zhang, Chen Liu, Tatiana Kuznetsova, Harry A. J. Struijker-Boudier, Peter Verhamme, Yu-Gang Dong

School of Medicine Publications

Fractal analysis provides a global assessment of vascular networks (e.g., geometric complexity). We examined the association of diastolic left ventricular (LV) function with the retinal microvascular fractal dimension. A lower fractal dimension signifies a sparser retinal microvascular network. In 628 randomly recruited Flemish individuals (51.3% women; mean age, 50.8 years), we measured diastolic LV function by echocardiography and the retinal microvascular fractal dimension by the box-counting method (Singapore I Vessel Assessment software, version 3.6). The left atrial volume index (LAVI), e′, E/e′ and retinal microvascular fractal dimension averaged (±SD) 24.3 ± 6.2 mL/m2, 10.9 ± 3.6 cm/s, 6.96 ± 2.2, …

Multimodal Imaging Brain Markers In Early Adolescence Are Linked With A Physically Active Lifestyle, Piergiorgio Salvan, Thomas Wassenaar, Catherine Wheatley, Nicholas Beale, Michiel Cottaar, Daniel Papp, Matteo Bastiani, Sean P. Fitzgibbon, Euguene Duff, Anderson M. Winkler

School of Medicine Publications

The World Health Organization promotes physical exercise and a healthy lifestyle as means to improve youth development. However, relationships between physical lifestyle and human brain development are not fully understood. Here, we asked whether a human brain-physical latent mode of covariation underpins the relationship between physical activity, fitness, and physical health measures with multimodal neuroimaging markers. In 50 12-year old school pupils (26 females), we acquired multimodal whole-brain MRI, characterizing brain structure, microstructure, function, myelin content, and blood perfusion. We also acquired physical variables measuring objective fitness levels, 7 d physical activity, body mass index, heart rate, and blood pressure. …

Genomic Variations In Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome And Karyotypes Without Numerical Or Structural Changes, Cristiano Luiz Ribeiro, Irene P. Pinto, Samara S. S. Pereira, Lysa B. Minasi, Fernanda De S. M. Kluthcouski, Adriano De M. Arantes, Aparecido D. Cruz, Marcio Almeida, Tom E. Howard

School of Medicine Publications

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is an onco-hematologic disease with distinct levels of peripheral blood cytopenias, dysplasias in cell differentiation and various forms of chromosomal and cytogenomic alterations. In this study, the Chromosomal Microarray Analysis (CMA) was performed in patients with primary MDS without numerical and/or structural chromosomal alterations in karyotypes. A total of 17 patients was evaluated by GTG banding and eight patients showed no numerical and/or structural alterations. Then, the CMA was carried out and identified gains and losses CNVs and long continuous stretches of homozygosity (LCSHs). They were mapped on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, …

Genetic Variants And Physical Activity Interact To Affect Bone Density In Hispanic Children, Ruixue Hou, Shelley A. Cole, Mariaelisa Griff, Yujie Wang, Karin Haack, Sandra Laston, Nitesh R. Mehta, Roman J. Shypailo, Margaret L. Gourlay, Anthony G. Comuzzie

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Our aim was to investigate if moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), calcium intake interacts with bone mineral density (BMD)-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to influence BMD in 750 Hispanic children (4-19y) of the cross-sectional Viva La Familia Study.

Methods: Physical activity and dietary intake were measured by accelerometers and multiple-pass 24 h dietary recalls, respectively. Total body and lumbar spine BMD were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. A polygenic risk score (PRS) was computed based on SNPs identified in published literature. Regression analysis was conducted with PRSs, MVPA and calcium intake with total body and lumbar spine …

Identification Of A Novel Pathogenic Rearrangement Variant Of The Apc Gene Associated With A Variable Spectrum Of Familial Cancer, María Lourdes Garza-Rodríguez, Víctor Treviño, Antonio Alí Pérez-Maya, Hazyadee Frecia Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, Moisés González-Escamilla, Miguel Ángel Elizondo-Riojas, Genaro A. Ramírez-Correa

School of Medicine Publications

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal-dominant condition characterized by the presence of multiple colorectal adenomas, caused by germline variants in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene. More than 300 germline variants have been characterized. The detection of novel variants is important to understand the mechanisms of pathophysiology. We identified a novel pathogenic germline variant using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in a proband patient. The variant is a complex rearrangement (c.422+1123_532-577 del ins 423-1933_423-1687 inv) that generates a complete deletion of exon 5 of the APC gene. To study the variant in other family members, we designed an endpoint PCR method …

Molecular Characterization Of A Marine Turtle Tumor Epizootic, Profiling External, Internal And Postsurgical Regrowth Tumors, Kelsey Yetsko, Jessica A. Farrell, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Liam Whitmore, Maximilian R. Stammnitz, Jenny Whilde, Catherine B. Eastman, Devon Rollinson Ramia, Ana C. Leandro

School of Medicine Publications

Sea turtle populations are under threat from an epizootic tumor disease (animal epidemic) known as fibropapillomatosis. Fibropapillomatosis continues to spread geographically, with prevalence of the disease also growing at many longer-affected sites globally. However, we do not yet understand the precise environmental, mutational and viral events driving fibropapillomatosis tumor formation and progression.

Here we perform transcriptomic and immunohistochemical profiling of five fibropapillomatosis tumor types: external new, established and postsurgical regrowth tumors, and internal lung and kidney tumors. We reveal that internal tumors are molecularly distinct from the more common external tumors. However, they have a small number of conserved potentially …

Estudio De Asociación Entre La Estirpe Histológica Y El Estadio Clínico De Los Tumores Testiculares Con Los Marcadores Tumorales [Correlation Study Of Histologic Pattern And Clinical Stage Of Testicular Tumors With Tumor Markers], Edson David Rodríguez-Valle, Miguel Maldonado-Ávila, Yunuen Rodríguez-Sánchez, Fabiola Arévalo-García, Jorge Jaspersen-Gastelum, Juan Carlos Lopez Alvarenga, Arturo Reading-Bernal, Joel Nava-Palacios, Eloy Rico-Frontana, Mario Silvino Almanza-González

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Testicular tumor is the most frequent solid tumor in men between 20 and 34 years of age. Testicular tumors can be histologically divided into germ cell tumors, which present in 90–95% of cases, and non-germ cell tumors, which present in around 5%. Tumor markers are crucial for the diagnosis, classification, and prognosis of testicular tumors, as well as for surveillance after treatment. Objective: To know the actual prevalence of testicular cancer at our service, determine the clinical and pathologic characteristics of testicular cancer, and correlate tumor marker levels with histologic pattern and clinical stage of the disease. Methodology: A …

Hyperglycemia And Dyslipidemia: Reduced Hla-Dr Expression In Monocyte Subpopulations From Diabetes Patients, Blanca I. Restrepo, Marcel Twahirwa, Chinnaswamy Jagannath

School of Medicine Publications

Immune dysfunction contributes to the higher risk of communicable and non-communicable diseases among diabetics. HLA-DR expression is a robust marker of immune competence in mononuclear cells, including antigen presentation to CD4 lymphocytes. Given the high prevalence of obesity among diabetics, we evaluated the independent association between hyperglycemia and dyslipidemias with respect to HLA-DR expression in blood monocytes from type 2 diabetes patients. The monocytes from individuals with (n=16) or without diabetes (n=25) were phenotyped by flow cytometry to assess the differential expression of HLA-DR on their three subpopulations (classical, intermediate and non-classical monocytes). Diabetes was independently associated with lower HLA-DR …

Further Evidence Supporting A Potential Role For Adh1b In Obesity, Liza D. Morales, Douglas T. Cromack, Devjit Tripathy, Marcel Fourcaudot, Satish Kumar, Joanne E. Curran, Melanie A. Carless, Harald H. H. Goring, Shirley L. Hu, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Päivi Pajukanta, Kerrin S. Small, Rector Arya, Srinivas Mummidi, John Blangero, Ravindranath Duggirala, Christopher P. Jenkinson

School of Medicine Publications

Insulin is an essential hormone that regulates glucose homeostasis and metabolism. Insulin resistance (IR) arises when tissues fail to respond to insulin, and it leads to serious health problems including Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Obesity is a major contributor to the development of IR and T2D. We previously showed that gene expression of alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) was inversely correlated with obesity and IR in subcutaneous adipose tissue of Mexican Americans. In the current study, a meta-analysis of the relationship between ADH1B expression and BMI in Mexican Americans, African Americans, Europeans, and Pima Indians verified that BMI was increased with …

Allocentric Representation In The Human Amygdala And Ventral Visual Stream, Hallvard Røe Evensmoen, Lars M. Rimol, Anderson M. Winkler, Richard Betzel, Tor Ivar Hansen

School of Medicine Publications

The hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex are considered the main brain structures for allocentric representation of the external environment. Here, we show that the amygdala and the ventral visual stream are involved in allocentric representation. Thirty-one young men explored 35 virtual environments during high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and were subsequently tested on recall of the allocentric pattern of the objects in each environment-in other words, the positions of the objects relative to each other and to the outer perimeter. We find increasingly unique brain activation patterns associated with increasing allocentric accuracy in …

Complications And Comorbidities In Hispanic Patients Who Develop Traumatic And Nontraumatic Acute Compartment Syndrome, Jorge Alejandro Bernal, Annelyn Torres-Reveron, Jose Andres Gonzales

School of Medicine Publications

Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a medical emergency that remains under-recognized and understudied. This study aimed to identify risk factors for the traumatic and non-traumatic presentation of ACS within a majority Hispanic population. A four-year retrospective analysis of medical records in a single institution revealed 26 with traumatic and 21 non-traumatic patients presenting with ACS. Traumatic ACS occurred in younger males following fractures, as previously described in the field. After controlling for age differences, non-traumatic ACS occurred in older patients with multiple comorbidities, increased use of statins, and anticoagulants as compared to the traumatic ACS group. A large proportion (80%) …

Serum Carotenoids And Pediatric Metabolic Index Predict Insulin Sensitivity In Mexican American Children, Srinivas Mummidi, Vidya S. Farook, Lavanya Reddivari, Joselin Hernandez-Ruiz, Alvaro Diaz-Badillo, Sharon P. Fowler, Roy G. Resendez, Feroz Akhtar, Donna M. Lehman, Christopher P. Jenkinson, Rector Arya, Jane L. Lynch, Jose A. Canas, Ralph A. Defronzo, Daniel E. Hale, John Blangero, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Ravindranath Duggirala, Jairam K. P. Vanamala

School of Medicine Publications

High concentrations of carotenoids are protective against cardiometabolic risk traits (CMTs) in adults and children. We recently showed in non-diabetic Mexican American (MA) children that serum α-carotene and β-carotene are inversely correlated with obesity measures and triglycerides and positively with HDL cholesterol and that they were under strong genetic influences. Additionally, we previously described a Pediatric Metabolic Index (PMI) that helps in the identification of children who are at risk for cardiometabolic diseases. Here, we quantified serum lycopene and β-cryptoxanthin concentrations in approximately 580 children from MA families using an ultraperformance liquid chromatography-photodiode array and determined their heritabilities and correlations …

Decline In Subarachnoid Haemorrhage Volumes Associated With The First Wave Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Than N. Nguyen, Diogo C. Haussen, Muhammad M. Qureshi, Hiroshi Yamagami, Toshiyuki Fujinaka, Ossama Y. Mansour, Mohamad Abdalkader, Michael Frankel, Zhongming Qiu, Ameer E. Hassan

School of Medicine Publications

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, decreased volumes of stroke admissions and mechanical thrombectomy were reported. The study’s objective was to examine whether subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions demonstrated similar declines.

Methods We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective, observational study across 6 continents, 37 countries and 140 comprehensive stroke centres. Patients with the diagnosis of SAH, aneurysmal SAH, ruptured aneurysm coiling interventions and COVID-19 were identified by prospective aneurysm databases or by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes. The 3-month cumulative volume, monthly volumes for SAH hospitalisations and ruptured aneurysm coiling procedures were compared for the period …

Age Differences In Early Onset Substance Use And Depression Symptoms Prior To Age 18 With Adult Major Depressive Disorder In The United States, Annu Karithara, K. Ozuna, Kesheng Wang, Chun Xu

School of Medicine Publications

Background:

Limited studies focus on the development of major depressive disorder (MDD) among individuals with early-onset substance use and the presence of depression symptoms prior to age 18. Although predicting the candidates for depression may not be possible, NIMH reports genetics, biological, psychological, and environmental factors produce an equal potential of contributing to the progression of MDD. The study primarily aims to evaluate the presence of depression symptoms prior to 18 and early-onset substance abuse to understand the development of adult major depressive disorder in the United States.

Methods:

The study extracted data from the 2018 National Survey on Drug …

Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophage Responses To M. Tuberculosis Differ By The Host’S Tuberculosis, Diabetes Or Obesity Status, And Are Enhanced By Rapamycin, Blanca I. Restrepo, Arshad Khan, Vipul K. Singh, Erica De Leon, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Eder Ledezma-Campos, David H. Canaday, Chinnaswamy Jagannath

School of Medicine Publications

Human macrophages play a major role in controlling tuberculosis (TB), but their anti-mycobacterial mechanisms remain unclear among individuals with metabolic alterations like obesity (TB protective) or diabetes (TB risk). To help discern this, we aimed to: i) Evaluate the impact of the host’s TB status or their comorbidities on the anti-mycobacterial responses of their monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), and ii) determine if the autophagy inducer rapamycin, can enhance these responses. We used MDMs from newly diagnosed TB patients, their close contacts and unexposed controls. The MDMs from TB patients had a reduced capacity to activate T cells (surrogate for antigen presentation) …

The Sglt2 Inhibitor Empagliflozin Attenuates Interleukin-17a-Induced Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation And Migration By Targeting Traf3ip2/Ros/Nlrp3/Caspase-1-Dependent Il-1Β And Il-18 Secretion, Sergiy Sukhanov, Yusuke Higashi, Tadashi Yoshida, Srinivas Mummidi, Annayya R. Aroor, Jacob Jeffrey Russell, Shawn B. Bender, Vincent G. Demarco, Bysani Chandrasekar

School of Medicine Publications

Chronic inflammation and persistent oxidative stress contribute to the development and progression of vascular proliferative diseases. We hypothesized that the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-17A induces oxidative stress and amplifies inflammatory signaling in human aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) via TRAF3IP2-mediated NLRP3/caspase-1-dependent mitogenic and migratory proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. Further, we hypothesized that these maladaptive changes are prevented by empagliflozin (EMPA), an SGLT2 (Sodium/Glucose Cotransporter 2) inhibitor. Supporting our hypotheses, exposure of cultured SMC to IL-17A promoted proliferation and migration via TRAF3IP2, TRAF3IP2-dependent superoxide and hydrogen peroxide production, NLRP3 expression, caspase-1 activation, and IL-1β and IL-18 secretion. Furthermore, NLRP3 knockdown, …

A White Matter Connection Of Schizophrenia And Alzheimer’S Disease, Peter Kochunov, Artemis Zavaliangos-Petropulu, Neda Jahanshad, Paul M. Thompson, Meghann C. Ryan, Joshua Chiappelli, Shuo Chen, Xiaoming Du, Kathryn Hatch, Bhim Adhikari, Joanne E. Curran, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe psychiatric illness associated with an elevated risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Both SZ and AD have white matter abnormalities and cognitive deficits as core disease features. We hypothesized that aging in SZ patients may be associated with the development of cerebral white matter deficit patterns similar to those observed in AD. We identified and replicated aging-related increases in the similarity between white matter deficit patterns in patients with SZ and AD. The white matter “regional vulnerability index” (RVI) for AD was significantly higher in SZ patients compared with healthy controls in both the independent …

2021 Research Symposium: International Conference On Cancer Health Disparities (Icchd-2021), The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley. School Of Medicine

School of Medicine Publications

No abstract provided.