Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Camptothecin-Based Dendrimersomes For Gene Delivery And Redox-Responsive Drug Delivery To Cancer Cells, Partha Laskar, Sukrut Somani, Sarah Jane Campbell, Margaret Mullin, Patricia Keating, Rothwelle J. Tate, Craig Irving, Hing Y. Leung, Christine Dufès

School of Medicine Publications

Combination therapy involving chemotherapeutic drugs and genes is emerging as a promising strategy to provide a synergistic therapeutic effect, to overcome drug resistance while reducing the severe side effects associated with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. However, the lack of nanomedicines able to simultaneously carry anti-cancer drugs and nucleic acids limits the application of this therapeutic strategy. To overcome this issue, we proposed to synthesize a pro-drug dendrimer by conjugating the PEGylated, positively charged generation 3-diaminobutyric polypropylenimine dendrimer to the anti-cancer drug camptothecin with a redox-sensitive disulphide linkage, and evaluate its efficacy to co-deliver the complexed DNA and camptothecin to cancer cells. …

Advanced Glycation End Products: Formation, Role In Diabetic Complications, And Potential In Clinical Application, Rujman Khan, Xin Yee Ooi, Matthew N. Parvus, Laura Valdez, Andrew Tsin

School of Medicine Publications

Hyperglycemic conditions and disruptions to glucose-regulating pathways lead to increased formation of highly reactive aldehydes, methylglyoxal and glyoxal, which react with certain arginine and lysine residues in proteins to form advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These AGEs damage the integrity of the retinal vasculature predominantly through two mechanisms: non-receptor-mediated damage, which pertains to the interaction with extracellular matrix and its functional properties, and receptor-mediated damage through AGE interactions with their receptors (RAGE) on pericytes and Muller cells. Damage occurring between AGE and RAGE potentially generates reactive oxygen species, inflammatory cytokines, and growth factors. Both mechanisms result in increased permeability of …

Coughing Up Casts: An Adult Case Of Plastic Bronchitis, Michael Lapelusa, Ayesha Hamid, Dayan Ojeda-Damas, Rehan Ansari, Supraja Thunuguntla, Daniella Concha, Carlos Ramos, Laura Garcia, James Hanley

School of Medicine Publications

Plastic bronchitis is characterized by the formation of bronchial casts that form in airways with the potential to cause obstruction. It is most commonly seen in pediatric patients with cyanotic heart disease. It is rare in adults, especially those without chronic lung or rheumatologic disease.

Keratoconus In A Patient With Alport Syndrome: A Case Report, Majid Moshirfar, David F. Skanchy, Aaron T. Gomez, Yasmyne C. Ronquillo, Benjamin Buckner, Phillip C. Hoopes

School of Medicine Publications

BACKGROUND Known ocular manifestations of Alport syndrome include features such as anterior lenticonus and fleck retinopathy. Reports of keratoconus in such patients are limited. We report tomographic findings consistent with keratoconus in a patient with Alport syndrome.

CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old female was referred to our ophthalmology clinic with decreased vision and increased tearing. She was diagnosed with stage III Alport syndrome two years prior. Upon examination she was found to have average keratometries of 48 D bilaterally with tomographic evidence of keratoconus.

CONCLUSION Although a rare presentation, concurrent Alport syndrome and keratoconus should be considered when reviewing the ocular …

Short-Interval Intracortical Inhibition Is Decreased In Restless Legs Syndrome Across A Range Of Severity, Samir Câmara Magalhães, Joselisa Péres Queiroz De Paiva, Alain Kaelin-Lang, Annette Sterr, Alan Luiz Eckeli, Anderson M. Winkler, Gilmar Fernandes Do Prado, Edson Amaro Jr

School of Medicine Publications

Background

Decreased short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the primary motor cortexwas described in subjects with restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease (RLS/WED). It remained to be determined whether the magnitude of SICI decrease would be similar across levels of RLS/WED severity. Moreover, it was unknown whether, in addition to decreases in SICI, changes in cortical thickness or area could be detected in subjects with RLS/WED compared to controls. The objective of this study was to compare SICI, cortical thickness, and cortical area in subjects with idiopathic mild to moderate RLS/WED, severe to very severe RLS/WED, and …

Gender-Specific Differences In Clinical And Metabolic Variables Associated With Nafld In A Mexican Pediatric Population, Eréndira Villanueva-Ortega, María José Garcés-Hernández, Arturo Herrera-Rosas, Juan Carlos Lopez Alvarenga, Estibalitz Laresgoiti-Servitje, Galileo Escobedo, Gloria Queipo, Sergio Cuevas-Covarrubias, Guadalupe Nayely Garibay-Nieto

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction and objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in children and it is more prevalent in Hispanic males. The gender differences can be explained by body fat distribution, lifestyle, or sex hormone metabolism. We evaluated anthropometric and metabolic differences by gender in children with and without NAFLD.

Methods: We included 194 participants (eutrophic, overweight, and individuals with obesity). The presence of NAFLD was determined using ultrasonography, and we evaluated the association between this disease with metabolic and anthropometric variables by gender.

Results: The mean age was 10.64±2.54 years. The frequency of NAFLD in boys …

End Tidal Carbon Dioxide Monitoring (Capnography) In The Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Madeline Elaine Huff, Kenneth T. Shelton

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Carbon dioxide levels can be monitored throughout the respiratory cycle via capnography. In this way, capnography allows healthcare professionals to follow several respiratory factors in real-time, including respiratory depression, apnea, and hypercapnia. Postoperative patients are subjected to significant harm while receiving sedating medications without appropriate monitoring and intervention. Earlier detection of alterations to ventilation status will better enable providers to more accurately dose medications during procedures, especially in high-risk patient populations.

Methods: Patient selection included post-operative patients in the intensive care unit that were receiving sedation/analgesia, high dose or high frequency opioids, epidural or intrathecal pain management, patients that …

Ormeloxifene Nanotherapy For Cervical Cancer Treatment, Neeraj Chauhan, Diane M. Maher, Bilal B. Hafeez, Hassan Mandil, Man M. Singh, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Cervical cancer (CxCa) ranks as the fourth most prevalent women-related cancer worldwide. Therefore, there is a crucial need to develop newer treatment modalities. Ormeloxifene (ORM) is a non-steroidal, selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that is used as an oral contraceptive in humans. Recent investigations suggest that ORM exhibits potent anti-cancer activity against various types of cancers. Nanoparticulates offer targeted delivery of anti-cancer drugs with minimal toxicity and promise newer approaches for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, the nanotherapy approach is superior compared to traditional chemotherapy, which is not site-specific and is often associated with various side effects.

Methods: Pursuing …

Obese Mice Exposed To Psychosocial Stress Display Cardiac And Hippocampal Dysfunction Associated With Local Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Depletion, Jacopo Agrimi, Cristina Spalletti, Carlotta Baroni, Gizem Keceli, Guangshuo Zhu, Angela Caragnano, Marco Matteucci, Stephen Chelko, Genaro A. Ramirez-Correa

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction: Obesity and psychosocial stress (PS) co-exist in individuals of Western society. Nevertheless, how PS impacts cardiac and hippocampal phenotype in obese subjects is still unknown. Nor is it clear whether changes in local brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) account, at least in part, for myocardial and behavioral abnormalities in obese experiencing PS.

Methods: In adult male WT mice, obesity was induced via a high-fat diet (HFD). The resident-intruder paradigm was superimposed to trigger PS. In vivo left ventricular (LV) performance was evaluated by echocardiography and pressure-volume loops. Behaviour was indagated by elevated plus maze (EPM) and Y-maze. LV myocardium was …

Rare Degs1 Variant Significantly Alters De Novo Ceramide Synthesis Pathway, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Juan M. Peralta, Satish Kumar, Ana C. Leandro, Marcio Almeida, Michael C. Mahaney, Thomas D. Dyer, Laura Almasy, John L. Vandeberg, Sarah Williams-Blangero, Ravindranath Duggirala, John Blangero, Joanne E. Curran

School of Medicine Publications

The de novo ceramide synthesis pathway is essential to human biology and health but genetic influences remain unexplored. The core function of this pathway is the generation of biologically active ceramide from its precursor, dihydroceramide. Dihydroceramides have diverse, often protective, biological roles; conversely, increased ceramide levels are biomarkers of complex disease. To explore the genetics of the ceramide synthesis pathway, we searched for deleterious nonsynonymous variants in the genomes of 1,020 Mexican Americans from extended pedigrees. We identified a Hispanic ancestry−specific rare functional variant, L175Q, in DEGS1, a key enzyme in the pathway that converts dihydroceramide to ceramide. This amino …

Research Symposium 2019 - Health Disparities: Community Engagement, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley. School Of Medicine

School of Medicine Publications

With the theme of “Health Disparities: Community Engagement,” this symposium aims to showcase the work done by researchers here in the Valley and beyond toward improving the health and well-being of the communities they serve and society as a whole.

Association Of Crebrf Variants With Obesity And Diabetes In Pacific Islanders From Guam And Saipan, Robert L. Hanson, Saied Safabakhsh, Jeffrey M. Curtis, Wen-Chi Hsueh, Lois I. Jones, Tanisha F. Aflague, Jenny Duenas Sarmiento, Satish Kumar, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Joanne E. Curran

School of Medicine Publications

Aims hypothesis

Variants in CREBRF (rs12513649 and rs373863828) have been strongly associated with increased BMI and decreased risk of type 2 diabetes in Polynesian populations; the A allele at rs373863828 is common in Polynesians but rare in most other global populations. The aim of the present study was to assess the association of CREBRF variants with obesity and diabetes in Pacific Islander (largely Marianas and Micronesian) populations from Guam and Saipan.

Methods

CREBRF rs12513649 and rs373863828 were genotyped in 2022 participants in a community-based cross-sectional study designed to identify determinants of diabetes and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Associations were analysed …

Observing Growth Effects Of Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor On Human Retinal Pericytes In Vitro, Anjalee Choudhury, Andrew Tsin, Zachary Perez, Fransisco Elisarraras

School of Medicine Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate and determine the role of PEDF in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy as induced by advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). Human retinal pericytes were isolated from donors and will be measured for cell proliferation under the influence of PEDF both in the presence and absence of AGEs. Expected outcomes involve both the maintenance and increased survival of HRPs after treatment with PEDF under stimulated hyperglycemic conditions.

Regulatory Mechanisms Mediated By Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-Β/Δ (Pparβ/Δ) In Skin Cancer, Jeffrey M. Peters, Dae Joon Kim, Moses T. Bility, Michael G. Borland, Bokai Zhu, Frank J. Gonzalez

School of Medicine Publications

Considerable progress has been made during the past twenty years towards elucidating the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β/δ (PPARβ/δ) in skin cancer. In 1999, the original notion that PPARβ/δ was involved with epithelial cell function was postulated based on a correlation between PPARβ/δ expression and the induction of mRNAs encoding proteins that mediate terminal differentiation in keratinocytes. Subsequent studies definitively revealed that PPARβ/δ could induce terminal differentiation and inhibit proliferation of keratinocytes. Molecular mechanisms have since been discovered to explain how this nuclear receptor can be targeted for preventing and treating skin cancer. This includes the regulation of terminal differentiation, …

Obstetric And Neonatal Complications Among Women With Autoimmune Disease, Andrew Williams, Katherine Grantz, Indulaxmi Seeni, Candace Robledo, Shanshan Li, Marion Ouidir, Carrie Nobles, Pauline Mendola

School of Medicine Publications

Background: The impact of autoimmune diseases on pregnancy remains understudied on a population level. Examination of obstetric and neonatal outcomes among women with autoimmune disease and their infants can provide important insights for clinical management.

Methods: Autoimmune diseases and outcomes were identified using medical records. Cesarean delivery, preterm birth, preeclampsia, small for gestational age (SGA), neonatal intensive care (NICU) admission, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and perinatal mortality risk was assessed. Poisson regression with robust standard errors estimated relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) with adjustment for maternal characteristics and other chronic conditions.

Results: Women with …

Effects Of Environmental Enrichment In Maternally Separated Rats: Age And Sex-Specific Outcomes, Raura J. Doreste-Mendez, Efraín J. Ríos-Ruiz, Leslie L. Rivera-Lopez, Alfredo Gutierrez

School of Medicine Publications

Maternal separation (MS) early in life is related to an increase in anxiety and depressive-like behaviors and neurobiological alterations mostly related to alterations in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been used to ameliorate the effects of MS. However, the outcomes of this intervention at different developmental periods after MS have not been studied. We subjected male and female Sprague-Dawley pups to MS and subsequently compared the effects of EE started either in the pre-pubertal period [postnatal day (PND) 22] or adulthood (PND 78). Anxiety and depressive-like behaviors as well as in hippocampal synaptic density and …

Influence Of Biological Sex On Social Behavior, Individual Recognition, And Non-Associative Learning In The Adult Gray Short-Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis Domestica), Mario Gil, Annelyn Torres-Reveron, Ana C. Ramirez, Oscar Maldonado, John L. Vandeberg, Gabriel A. De Erausquin

School of Medicine Publications

Social behavior is critical for relationship formation and is influenced by myriad environmental and individual factors. Basic and preclinical research typically relies on rodent models to identify the mechanisms that underlie behavior; however, it is important to use non-rodent models as well. A major objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that biological sex and social experience modulate the expression of social behavior in the adult gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica), a non-traditional model. We also investigated the non-associative learning abilities of these animals. Following a period of social isolation, animals of both sexes were …

Microrna And Mrna Interactions In Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Reprogramming Of Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines, Satish Kumar, Erika C. Espinosa, Ana C. Leandro, Joanne E. Curran, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

A large number of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) have been generated and maintained in genetic/epidemiological studies as a perpetual source of DNA and as a surrogate in vitro cell model. Recent successes in reprograming LCLs into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has paved the way to generate more relevant in vitro disease models using this existing bioresource. However, the latent EBV infection in the LCLs make them a unique cell type by altering expression of many cellular genes and miRNAs. These EBV induced changes in the LCL miRNome and transcriptome are reversed upon reprogramming into …

Accelerated Estimation And Permutation Inference For Ace Modeling, Xu Chen, Elia Formisano, Gabriëlla A. Blokland, Lachlan T. Strike, Katie L. Mcmahon, Greig I. De Zubicaray, Paul M. Thompson, Margaret J. Wright, Anderson M. Winkler, Tian Ge

School of Medicine Publications

There are a wealth of tools for fitting linear models at each location in the brain in neuroimaging analysis, and a wealth of genetic tools for estimating heritability for a small number of phenotypes. But there remains a need for computationally efficient neuroimaging genetic tools that can conduct analyses at the brain-wide scale. Here we present a simple method for heritability estimation on twins that replaces a variance component model-which requires iterative optimisation-with a (noniterative) linear regression model, by transforming data to squared twin-pair differences. We demonstrate that the method has comparable bias, mean squared error, false positive risk, and …

There Is No Association Between The Number Of Stent Retriever Passes And The Incidence Of Hemorrhagic Transformation For Patients Undergoing Mechanical Thrombectomy, Ameer E. Hassan, Hari Kotta, Umar Shariff, Laurie Preston, Wondwossen G. Tekle, Adnan Qureshi

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Previous research has focused on the association between hemorrhagic transformation (HT) incidence and pre-procedural variables (i.e., baseline variables) rather than the association between HT incidence and endovascular treatment (EVT) procedural variables (e.g., stent retriever passes).

Objective: To assess the association, if any, that exists between the number of stent retriever passes per procedure and the incidence of HT for patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy.

Methods: An endovascular database from a comprehensive stroke center was used to collect data on EVT patients treated with Trevo, Solitaire, or Penumbra stent retrievers from the years 2012 to 2017. Statistical analyses were conducted on …

Outcome-Driven Thresholds For Ambulatory Blood Pressure Based On The New Acc/Aha Classification Of Hypertension, Yi-Bang Cheng, Lutgarde Thijs, Zhen-Yu Zhang, Masahiro Kikuya, Wen-Yi Yang, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Gladys E. Maestre

School of Medicine Publications

The new ACC/AHA guideline reclassified office blood pressure (OBP) and proposed thresholds for ambulatory blood pressure (ABP). We derived outcome-driven ABP thresholds corresponding with the new OBP categories. We performed 24-h ABP monitoring in 11,152 participants (48.9% women; mean age 53.0 years) representative of 13 populations. We determined ABP thresholds resulting in multivariable-adjusted 10-year risks similar to those associated with elevated OBP (120/80 mm Hg) and stages 1 and 2 of office hypertension (130/80 and 140/90 mm Hg). Over 13.9 years (median), 2728 (rate per 1000 person-years, 17.9) people died, 1033 (6.8) from cardiovascular disease; furthermore, 1988 (13.8), 893 (6.0) …

The Effectiveness Of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors For Treatment Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder In Adolescents And Children: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Vijaya P. Kotapati, Ali M. Khan, Sara Dar, Gulshan Begum, Ramya Bachu, Mahwish Adnan, Aarij Zubair, Rizwan A. Ahmed

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common behavioral disorder among adolescents and children. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the first pharmacological choice for this condition due to mild adverse effect profile.

Objective: This systematic review was performed to evaluate the efficacy of SSRI for OCD in adolescents and children.

Methods: Search terms were entered into PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. The included studies were randomized, placebo-controlled trials of SSRIs conducted in populations of children and adolescents younger than 18 years. Change from baseline Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), end-treatment CY-BOCS with respective SD, and response and …

Association Of Office And Ambulatory Blood Pressure With Mortality And Cardiovascular Outcomes, Wen-Yi Yang, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Lutgarde Thijs, Zhen-Yu Zhang, José Boggia, Fang-Fei Wei, Tine W. Hansen, Kei Asayama, Gladys E. Maestre, Takayoshi Ohkubo

School of Medicine Publications

Importance Blood pressure (BP) is a known risk factor for overall mortality and cardiovascular (CV)-specific fatal and nonfatal outcomes. It is uncertain which BP index is most strongly associated with these outcomes.

Objective To evaluate the association of BP indexes with death and a composite CV event.

Design, Setting, and Participants Longitudinal population-based cohort study of 11 135 adults from Europe, Asia, and South America with baseline observations collected from May 1988 to May 2010 (last follow-ups, August 2006-October 2016).

Exposures Blood pressure measured by an observer or an automated office machine; measured for 24 hours, during the day or …

Unimóvil: A Mobile Health Clinic Providing Primary Care To The Colonias Of The Rio Grande Valley, South Texas, Eron G. Manuosv, Vincent P. Diego, Jacob Smith, Jesus R. Garza Ii, John Lowdermilk, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero, Francisco Fernandez

School of Medicine Publications

Background: We describe a mobile unit (UniMóvil) designed to improve poor healthcare access delivery to residents in two South Texas underserved Colonias. The interprofessional team measured seven clinical outcomes [obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and depression], and using the Duke Health Profile, assessed the health-related quality of life (HrQoL).

Methods: The investigators used previously reported disease prevalence, an implementation model, and community needs-assessments to design an outreach healthcare delivery model. A retrospective review of the cohort provides data used to determine potential predictors of clinical variables, 11 domains of HrQOL, and inter/intra Colonia …

Family-Based Analyses Reveal Novel Genetic Overlap Between Cytokine Interleukin-8 And Risk For Suicide Attempt, Emma M. Knowles, Joanne E. Curran, Harald Hh Goring, Samuel R. Mathias, Josephine Mollon, Amanda L. Rodrigue, Rene L. Olvera, Ana C. Leandro, Ravi Duggirala, Laura Almasy, John Blangero, David C. Glahn

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Suicide is major public health concern. It is imperative to find robust biomarkers so that at-risk individuals can be identified in a timely and reliable manner. Previous work suggests mechanistic links between increased cytokines and risk for suicide, but questions remain regarding the etiology of this association, as well as the roles of sex and BMI.

Methods: Analyses were conducted using a randomly-ascertained extended-pedigree sample of 1882 Mexican-American individuals (60% female, mean age = 42.04, range = 18-97). Genetic correlations were calculated using a variance components approach between the cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8, and Lifetime Suicide Attempt and …

Next-Generation Paclitaxel-Nanoparticle Formulation For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Andrew Massey, Mohammed Sikander, Neeraj Chauhan, Sonam Kumari, Saini Setua, Advait B. Shetty, Hassan Mandil, Vivek K. Kashyap, Sheema Khan, Meena Jaggi, Murali M. Yallapu, Bilal B. Hafeez, Subhash C. Chauhan

School of Medicine Publications

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is a major cause of cancer-related death due to limited therapeutic options. As pancreatic tumors are highly desmoplastic, they prevent appropriate uptake of therapeutic payloads. Thus, our objective is to develop a next-generation nanoparticle system for treating PanCa. We generated a multi-layered Pluronic F127 and polyvinyl alcohol stabilized and poly-L-lysine coated paclitaxel loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticle formulation (PPNPs). This formulation exhibited optimal size (~160 nm) and negative Zeta potential (−6.02 mV), efficient lipid raft mediated internalization, pronounced inhibition in growth and metastasis in vitro, and in chemo-naive and chemo-exposed orthotopic xenograft mouse models. Additionally, PPNPs altered nanomechanical …

Computed Tomography Imaging Findings Of Acute Aortic Pathologies, Elif S. Duran, Farhan Ahmad, Mohamed Elshikh, Irfan Masood, Cihan Duran

School of Medicine Publications

Acute aortic syndromes (AAS) encompass a spectrum of life-threatening conditions characterized by acute aortic pain. AAS include acute aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, and aneurysm rupture. The prognosis of AAS is clearly related to prompt diagnosis and appropriate management. The different types of AAS cannot be reliably differentiated solely based on clinical presentation since the clinical features are indistinguishable. Multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) with electrocardiographic gating (ECG-gated MDCT) has been used in the acute emergency setting as a powerful clinical tool, which enables rapid and specific diagnosis of aortic pathologies. ECG-gated MDCT significantly reduces motion artifact and avoids …

Periodontal Pathogens Are A Risk Factor Of Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Independent Of Tobacco And Alcohol And Human Papillomavirus, Ian Ganly, Liying Yang, Rachel Giese, Yuhan Hao, Carlos W. Nossa, Luc G. T. Morris, Matthew Rosenthal, Jocelyn Migliacci, Dervla Kelly, Wenzhi Tseng

School of Medicine Publications

Over the past decade, there has been a change in the epidemiology of oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OC-SCC). Many new cases of OC-SCC lack the recognized risk factors of smoking, alcohol and human papilloma virus. The aim of this study was to determine if the oral microbiome may be associated with OC-SCC in nonsmoking HPV negative patients. We compared the oral microbiome of HPV-negative nonsmoker OC-SCC(n = 18), premalignant lesions(PML) (n = 8) and normal control patients (n = 12). Their oral microbiome was sampled by oral wash and defined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We report that the …

Role Of Naltrexone In Improving Compulsive Drinking In Psychogenic Polydipsia, Sukaina Rizvi, Jeffery Gold, Ali M. Khan

School of Medicine Publications

Psychogenic polydipsia or self-induced water intoxication is a potentially lethal condition seen in many chronic psychiatric patients. This is a literature review based on therapeutic significance of Naltrexone in improving compulsive water drinking behavior in chronic psychiatrically ill patients with psychogenic polydipsia. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist approved by FDA for alcohol dependence. Extensive literature search provides a line of evidence that suggests correlation of opioid receptor with compulsive water ingestion in animals. However, there is limited data regarding clinical utility of naltrexone in improving psychogenic polydipsia in human species. This review highlights the necessity for further research and trials …

Astigmatic Correction With Implantation Of A Light Adjustable Vs Monofocal Lens: A Single Site Analysis Of A Randomized Controlled Trial, Majid Moshirfar, William D. Wagner, Steven H. Linn, David F. Skanchy, Tanner W. Brown, Aaron T. Gomez, Jackson L. Goldberg, Yasmyne C. Ronquillo, Phillip C. Hoopes

School of Medicine Publications

AIM

To evaluate the light adjustable lens (LAL) vs a standard monofocal lens in achieving target astigmatic refraction and improving postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA).

METHODS

This randomized controlled clinical trial included 40 patients with pre-existing astigmatism and visually significant cataract. Twenty-eight patients received the LAL and 12 control patients received a monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) after cataract extraction at a single institution. The patients with the LAL underwent adjustment by ultraviolet (UV) light postoperatively plus subsequent lock-in procedures and all patients returned to clinic for follow up of study parameters at 6, 9, and 12mo. Manifest refraction, distance …