Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Factors Contributing To Sars-Cov-2 Vaccine Hesitancy Of Hispanic Population In Rio Grande Valley, Athina Bikaki, Michael Machiorlatti, Loren Cliff Clark, Candace A. Robledo, Ioannis A. Kakadiaris

School of Medicine Publications

Hispanic communities have been disproportionately affected by economic disparities. These inequalities have put Hispanics at an increased risk for preventable health conditions. In addition, the CDC reports Hispanics to have 1.5× COVID-19 infection rates and low vaccination rates. This study aims to identify the driving factors for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy of Hispanic survey participants in the Rio Grande Valley. Our analysis used machine learning methods to identify significant associations between medical, economic, and social factors impacting the uptake and willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A combination of three classification methods (i.e., logistic regression, decision trees, and support vector machines) …

Impact Of Interhospital Transfer Vs. Direct Admission On Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients: A Subset Analysis Of The Complete Registry, Ameer E. Hassan, Osama O. Zaidat, Ashish Nanda, Benjamin Atchie, Keith Woodward, Arnd Doerfler, Alejandro Tomasello, Johanna T. Fifi

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Efficacy of thrombectomy treatment in acute ischemic stroke large vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO) patients is time dependent. Direct admission to thrombectomy centers (vs. interhospital transfer) may reduce time to treatment and improve outcomes. In this subset analysis of the COMPLETE registry, we compared outcomes between direct to thrombectomy center (Direct) vs. transfer from another hospital to thrombectomy center (Transfer) in AIS-LVO patients treated with aspiration thrombectomy.

Methods: COMPLETE was a prospective, international registry that enrolled patients from July 2018 to October 2019, with a 90-day follow-up period that was completed in January 2020. Imaging findings and safety events were adjudicated …

Hepatic Transcript Signatures Predict Atherosclerotic Lesion Burden Prior To A 2-Year High Cholesterol, High Fat Diet Challenge, Sobha Puppala, Kimberly D. Spradling-Reeves, Jeannie Chan, Shifra Birnbaum, Deborah E. Newman, Anthony G. Comuzzie, Michael Mahaney, John L. Vandeberg, Michael Olivier, Laura Cox

School of Medicine Publications

The purpose of this study was to identify molecular mechanisms by which the liver influences total lesion burden in a nonhuman primate model (NHP) of cardiovascular disease with acute and chronic feeding of a high cholesterol, high fat (HCHF) diet. Baboons (47 females, 64 males) were fed a HCHF diet for 2 years (y); liver biopsies were collected at baseline, 7 weeks (w) and 2y, and lesions were quantified in aortic arch, descending aorta, and common iliac at 2y. Unbiased weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed several modules of hepatic genes correlated with lesions at different time points of …

Rare Genetic Variants Explain Missing Heritability In Smoking, Seon-Kyeong Jang, Luke Evans, Allison Fialkowski, Donna K. Arnett, Allison E. Ashley-Koch, Kathleen C. Barnes, Diane M. Becker, Joshua C. Bis, John Blangero, Eugene R. Bleecker

School of Medicine Publications

Common genetic variants explain less variation in complex phenotypes than inferred from family-based studies, and there is a debate on the source of this ‘missing heritability’. We investigated the contribution of rare genetic variants to tobacco use with whole-genome sequences from up to 26,257 unrelated individuals of European ancestries and 11,743 individuals of African ancestries. Across four smoking traits, single-nucleotide-polymorphism-based heritability (h2SNP) was estimated from 0.13 to 0.28 (s.e., 0.10–0.13) in European ancestries, with 35–74% of it attributable to rare variants with minor allele frequencies between 0.01% and 1%. These heritability estimates are 1.5–4 times higher than past estimates based …

Psychiatric Comorbidities In Adults With Digeorge Syndrome, Hiren Patel, Ramu Vadukapuram, Zeeshan Mansuri, Chintan Trivedi, Kanwarjeet Singh Brar, Uzma Beg, Jigar Patel, Aalamgeer Ibrahim, Muhammad Khalid Zafar

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: DiGeorge Syndrome (DGS) is a common multisystem disorder associated with deletions on chromosome 22q11.2. Our objective is to evaluate the psychiatric comorbidities and demographics of patients suffering from DGS in a nationally representative dataset on inpatient hospitalizations.

Methods: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the year 2005-2017 was used for this study. Data on patients with DiGeorge syndrome were collected by using the International Classification of Diseases code. Univariate and multi- variate logistic regression analysis was performed.

Results: In our study, the average age was 30.4 years (n = 6,563), with 59.9% male, and 61.8% of patients were white. There …

A Rare Case Of Penile Mucosal Melanoma, Safiya-Hana Belbina, Sofia Gereta, Mia Rose Schmolze, James Mclain Bradford, Christopher Yang, Aaron A. Laviana

School of Medicine Publications

No abstract provided.

Insights From A Large-Scale Whole-Genome Sequencing Study Of Systolic Blood Pressure, Diastolic Blood Pressure, And Hypertension, Tanika N. Kelly, Xiao Sun, Karen Y. He, Michael R. Brown, Sarah A.Gagliano Taliun, Jacklyn N. Hellwege, Marguerite R. Irvin, Juan M. Peralta, John Blangero, Joanne E. Curran

School of Medicine Publications

Background: The availability of whole-genome sequencing data in large studies has enabled the assessment of coding and noncoding variants across the allele frequency spectrum for their associations with blood pressure.

Methods: We conducted a multiancestry whole-genome sequencing analysis of blood pressure among 51 456 Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine and Centers for Common Disease Genomics program participants (stage-1). Stage-2 analyses leveraged array data from UK Biobank (N=383 145), Million Veteran Program (N=318 891), and Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (N=10 643) participants, along with whole-exome sequencing data from UK Biobank (N=199 631) participants.

Results: Two blood pressure signals …

Genetic Determinants Of Metabolic Biomarkers And Their Associations With Cardiometabolic Traits In Hispanic/Latino Adolescents, Daeeun Kim, Anne E. Justice, Geetha Chittoor, Estela Blanco, Marcio Almeida, Juan M. Peralta, Donna M. Lehman, Joanne E. Curran, Anthony G. Comuzzie, Ravi Duggirala, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Metabolic regulation plays a significant role in energy homeostasis, and adolescence is a crucial life stage for the development of cardiometabolic disease (CMD). This study aims to investigate the genetic determinants of metabolic biomarkers-adiponectin, leptin, ghrelin, and orexin-and their associations with CMD risk factors.

Methods: We characterized the genetic determinants of the biomarkers among Hispanic/Latino adolescents of the Santiago Longitudinal Study (SLS) and identified the cumulative effects of genetic variants on adiponectin and leptin using biomarker polygenic risk scores (PRS). We further investigated the direct and indirect effect of the biomarker PRS on downstream body fat percent (BF%) and …

Giant Gastroduodenal Duplication Cyst With Juxta-Pancreatic Communication, Jhon F. Martinez Paredes, Daniel G. Plata-Diaz, Adriana Pinilla

School of Medicine Publications

Enteric duplication cysts are rare congenital malformations with a low incidence and there are only a few reports in the literature. Their clinical presentation varies according to the location and the type of duplication. T heir overall prognosis is good if early surgical intervention is provided. We report a 2-month-old boy who presented with a case of a giant gastroduodenal duplication cyst with a juxta-pancreatic communication and was successfully treated surgically. It is imperative to be aware of this rare congenital malformation that can present clinically with a wide range of non-specific symptoms that can cause significant morbidity and mortality …

Whole Genome Sequence Association Analysis Of Fasting Glucose And Fasting Insulin Levels In Diverse Cohorts From The Nhlbi Topmed Program, Daniel Dicorpo, Sheila M. Gaynor, Emily M. Russell, Kenneth E. Westerman, Laura M. Raffield, Marcio Almeida, Juan M. Peralta, John Blangero, Joanne E. Curran, Ravindranath Duggirala

School of Medicine Publications

The genetic determinants of fasting glucose (FG) and fasting insulin (FI) have been studied mostly through genome arrays, resulting in over 100 associated variants. We extended this work with high-coverage whole genome sequencing analyses from fifteen cohorts in NHLBI’s Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. Over 23,000 non-diabetic individuals from five race-ethnicities/populations (African, Asian, European, Hispanic and Samoan) were included. Eight variants were significantly associated with FG or FI across previously identified regions MTNR1B, G6PC2, GCK, GCKR and FOXA2. We additionally characterize suggestive associations with FG or FI near previously identified SLC30A8, TCF7L2, and ADCY5 regions as well …

The Virtual Peripheral Nerve Academy: Education For The Identification And Treatment Of Peripheral Nerve Disorders, Erica B. Lee, Allison Podsednik, Kimberly Khoo, Amal Cheema, Raysa Cabrejo, Chen Shen, Joseph Rosen, A Lee Dellon

School of Medicine Publications

Millions of people around the globe suffer peripheral nerve injuries caused by trauma and medical disorders. However, medical school curricula are profoundly deficient in peripheral nerve education. This lack of knowledge within the healthcare profession may cause inadequate patient care. We developed the Virtual Peripheral Nerve Academy (VPNA) as a reusable virtual learning environment to provide medical students with detailed education on the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Students are introduced to the PNS through virtual 3D rendering of the human body, wherein they visualize individual nerves through dissection and observe normal motor and sensory function associated with each nerve. PNS …

Endoscopic Outcomes In Patients With Aerd Treated With Topical Antibiotics And Intranasal Corticosteroids, Jhon F. Martinez Paredes, Garret Choby, Michael Marino, Devyani Lal, Osarenoma Olomu, Razan Alfakir, Janalee K. Stokken, Erin O’Brien, Angela M. Donaldson

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Identifying effective therapy for recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) is a major challenge; and subtypes such as aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) are even more difficult to treat. Evidence on topical antibiotics use in (CRSwNP) is lacking. Current consensus guidelines recommend against its routine use, but recent reviews show some benefit when managing recalcitrant disease after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

Objective: Evaluate the effect of culture-directed topical antibiotics on sinonasal outcomes in AERD patients with a positive perioperative sinonasal bacterial culture who have undergone ESS.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of AERD patients with positive sinonasal culture, who …

Urinary Matrix Gla Protein Is Associated With Mortality Risk In Flemish Population: A Prospective Study, Dongmei Wei, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Thomas Vanassche, Lucas Van Aelst, Stefan Janssens, Peter Verhamme, Zhen-Yu Zhang

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Vascular calcification is strongly related to the risk of mortality and cardiovascular (CV) diseases. In vascular calcification, matrix Gla protein (MGP), a small vitamin K-dependent protein, is an important mineralization inhibitor. Recent studies showed that circulating MGP is associated with mortality risk. However, the longitudinal association between urinary excretion of MGP and all-cause mortality was not established.

Materials and methods: Urinary MGP was measured in 776 randomly recruited Flemish population (mean age: 51.2 years; 50.9% women) at baseline (during 2005–2010) using capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry. Plasma inactive MGP [desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP)] levels were quantified in 646 individuals …

Collar-Button Abscess As A Complication Of Infected Hematoma In The Setting Of Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes, Jennifer Adams, Daniel Habenicht, Savvas Poulos

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction: Collar-button abscesses are deep space infections of the hand.

Case presentation: We present a case of a 66-year-old man who developed an acute collar-button abscess of the hand after a concrete bench fell onto the dorsal aspect of his hand. The hand abscess was managed successfully with intravenous antibiotics and operative intervention.

Discussion: While such infections comprise a small percentage of hand infections, insufficient or delayed treatment results in permanent hand disfiguration and dysfunction. This case highlights an uncommon dorsal-to-volar pattern of hand abscess extension.

Conclusion: Knowledge of the anatomy of the hand is essential to diagnosis and …

Psma As A Target For Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review, Safiya-Hana Belbina, Mia Rose Schmolze, Sofia Gereta, Aaron A. Laviana

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a cell-surface protein widely expressed on most prostate cancer cells that has rapidly emerging clinical utility in the realm of prostate cancer. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy as well as cost-effectiveness of PSMA in the roles of diagnosis and treatment in prostate cancer management.

Background: The use of PSMA in the initial staging of patients, early detection of recurrence, and response monitoring are critical to improving prostate cancer treatment. We performed a systematic review of the role of Gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ga)-PSMA in the initial detection of prostate cancer and detection …

Lipidomic Profiling In The Strong Heart Study Identified American Indians At Risk Of Chronic Kidney Disease, Wenjie Zeng, Habtamu B. Beyene, Mikko Kuokkanen, Guanhong Miao, Dianna J. Magliano, Jason G. Umans, Nora Franceschini, Joanne E. Curran, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Dyslipidemia associates with and usually precedes the onset of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but a comprehensive assessment of molecular lipid species associated with risk of CKD is lacking. Here, we sought to identify fasting plasma lipids associated with risk of CKD among American Indians in the Strong Heart Family Study, a large-scale community-dwelling of individuals, followed by replication in Mexican Americans from the San Antonio Family Heart Study and Caucasians from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study. We also performed repeated measurement analysis to examine the temporal relationship between the change in the lipidome and change in kidney function …

Emerging Roles And Potential Applications Of Non-Coding Rnas In Cervical Cancer, Deepak Parashar, Anupam Singh, Saurabh Gupta, Aishwarya Sharma, Manish K. Sharma, Kuldeep K. Roy, Subhash Chauhan, Vivek K. Kashyap

School of Medicine Publications

Cervical cancer (CC) is a preventable disease using proven interventions, specifically prophylactic vaccination, pervasive disease screening, and treatment, but it is still the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Patients with advanced or metastatic CC have a very dismal prognosis and current therapeutic options are very limited. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of metastasis and discovering new therapeutic targets are crucial. New sequencing tools have given a full visualization of the human transcriptome’s composition. Non-coding RNAs (NcRNAs) perform various functions in transcriptional, translational, and post-translational processes through their interactions with proteins, RNA, and even DNA. It has been suggested that …

Subclinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging Markers Of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease In Relation To Office And Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurements, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Gladys E. Maestre, Jose Gutierrez, Lutgarde Thijs, Luis J. Mena, Ciro Gaona, Reinier Leendertz, Joseph H. Lee, Carlos A. Chavez, Gustavo Calmon

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Twenty-four-hour and nighttime blood pressure (BP) levels are more strongly associated with cardiovascular risk than office or daytime BP measurements. However, it remains undocumented which of the office and ambulatory BP measurements have the strongest association and predictive information in relation to the presence of type I, or arteriolosclerosis type, cerebral small vessel diseases (CSVD).

Methods: A subset of 429 participants from the Maracaibo Aging Study [aged ≥40 years (women, 73.7%; mean age, 59.3 years)] underwent baseline brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize CSVD, which included log-transformed white matter hyperintensities (log-WMH) volume and the presence (yes/no) of lacunes, …

Tuberculosis Phenotypic And Genotypic Drug Susceptibility Testing And Immunodiagnostics: A Review, Kizil A. Yusoof, Juan Ignacio Garcia, Alyssa Schami, Andreu Garcia-Vilanova, Holden V. Kelley, Shu-Hua Wang, Adrian Rendon, Blanca I. Restrepo, Marcel Yotebieng, Jordi B. Torrelles

School of Medicine Publications

Tuberculosis (TB), considered an ancient disease, is still killing one person every 21 seconds. Diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) still has many challenges, especially in low and middle-income countries with high burden disease rates. Over the last two decades, the amount of drug-resistant (DR)-TB cases has been increasing, from mono-resistant (mainly for isoniazid or rifampicin resistance) to extremely drug resistant TB. DR-TB is problematic to diagnose and treat, and thus, needs more resources to manage it. Together with+ TB clinical symptoms, phenotypic and genotypic diagnosis of TB includes a series of tests that can be used on different specimens to …

Covid-19 Vaccination Drive In A Low-Volume Primary Care Clinic: Challenges & Lessons Learned In Using Homegrown Self-Scheduling Web-Based Mobile Platforms, Reita N. Agarwal, Rajesh Aggarwal, Pridhviraj Nandarapu, Hersheth Aggarwal, Ashmit Verma, Absarul Haque, Manish Tripathi

School of Medicine Publications

Background: The whole of humanity has suffered dire consequences related to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccination of the world base population is considered the most promising and challenging approach to achieving herd immunity. As healthcare organizations took on the extensive task of vaccinating the entire U.S. population, digital health companies expanded their automated health platforms in order to help ease the administrative burdens of mass inoculation. Although some software companies offer free applications to large organizations, there are prohibitive costs for small clinics such as the Good Health Associates Clinic (GHAC) for integrating and implementing new self-scheduling software …

Modelo De Predicción De La Demencia En Adultos Mayores De 60 Años [Dementia Prediction Model In Adults Over 60 Years Old], Maria Del Pilar Santacruz-Ortega, Maria Fernanda Cobo-Charry, Bertha Lucia Avendaño-Prieto, Silvia Mejia-Arango

School of Medicine Publications

In order to determine the contribution of the sociodemographic, psychosocial and health variables to a prediction model of dementia in the elderly population, a secondary analysis was carried out with the data from the “Health, Well-being and Aging. Bogotá, 2012”, with 2000 men and women over 60 years of age from urban and rural areas of Bogotá. To select the sample, a probabilistic, multistage, conglomerate and stratified sampling was carried out, based on the 2005 National Census. The SABE questionnaire adapted for Colombia was used. According to the level of measurement of each variable and the distribution of the data, …

Inflammation Subtypes In Psychosis And Their Relationships With Genetic Risk For Psychiatric And Cardiometabolic Disorders, Lusi Zhang, Paulo Lizano, Bin Guo, Yanxun Xu, Leah H. Rubin, S. Kristian Hill, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Adam M. Lee, Baolin Wu, Sarah K. Keedy

School of Medicine Publications

Cardiometabolic disorders have known inflammatory implications, and peripheral measures of inflammation and cardiometabolic disorders are common in persons with psychotic disorders. Inflammatory signatures are also related to neurobiological and behavioral changes in psychosis. Relationships between systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic genetic risk in persons with psychosis have not been examined. Thirteen peripheral inflammatory markers and genome-wide genotyping were assessed in 122 participants (n = 86 psychosis, n = 36 healthy controls) of European ancestry. Cluster analyses of inflammatory markers classified higher and lower inflammation subgroups. Single-trait genetic risk scores (GRS) were constructed for each participant using previously reported GWAS summary statistics …

Assessment Of A Comparative Bayesian-Enhanced Population-Based Decision Model For Covid-19 Critical Care Prediction In The Dominican Republic Social Security Affiliates, Amado A. Baez, Oscar J. Lopez, Maria Martinez, Colyn White, Pedro Ramirez-Slaibe, Leticia Martinez, Pedro L. Castellanos

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a major health concern worldwide. This study aims to develop a Bayesian model to predict critical outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: Sensitivity and specificity were obtained from previous meta-analysis studies. The complex vulnerability index (IVC-COV2 index for its abbreviation in Spanish) was used to set the pretest probability. Likelihood ratios were integrated into a Fagan nomogram for posttest probabilities, and IVC-COV2 + National Early Warning Score (NEWS) values and CURB-65 scores were generated. Absolute and relative diagnostic gains (RDGs) were calculated based on pretest and posttest differences.

Results: The IVC-COV2 …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Otolaryngology Literature, Yeshwant R. Chillakuru, Eleanor F. Gerhard, Timothy Shim, Samuel H. Selesnick, Lawrence R. Lustig, John H. Krouse, Ehab Y. Hanna, Timothy L. Smith, Edward W. Fisher, Joseph E. Kerschner, Ashkan Monfared

School of Medicine Publications

Objective

To understand the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volume, quality, and impact of otolaryngology publications.

Methods

Fifteen of the top peer-reviewed otolaryngology journals were queried on PubMed for COVID and non-COVID related articles from April 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021 (pandemic period) and pre-COVID articles from the year prior. Information on total number of submissions and rate of acceptance were collected from seven top-ranked journals.

Results

Our PubMed query returned 759 COVID articles, 4885 non-COVID articles, and 4200 pre-COVID articles, corresponding to a 34% increase in ENT publications during the pandemic period. Meta-analysis/reviews and miscellaneous publication …

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease And Depression: Evidence For Genotype × Environment Interaction In Mexican Americans, Eron G. Manusov, Vincent P. Diego, Khalid Sheikh, Sandra Laston, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

This study examines the impact of G × E interaction effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among Mexican Americans in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas. We examined potential G × E interaction using variance components models and likelihood-based statistical inference in the phenotypic expression of NAFLD, including hepatic steatosis and hepatic fibrosis (identified using vibration controlled transient elastography and controlled attenuation parameter measured by the FibroScan Device). We screened for depression using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). We identified significant G × E interactions for hepatic fibrosis × BDI-II. These findings provide evidence that genetic factors …

Tannic Acid Exhibits Antiangiogenesis Activity In Nonsmall-Cell Lung Cancer Cells, Elham Hatami, Prashanth K.B. Nagesh, Mohammed Sikander, Anupam Dhasmana, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Murali M. Yallapu

School of Medicine Publications

Nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer, with a dismal prognosis. NSCLC is a highly vascularized tumor, and chemotherapy is often hampered by the development of angiogenesis. Therefore, suppression of angiogenesis is considered a potential treatment approach. Tannic acid (TA), a natural polyphenol, has been demonstrated to have anticancer properties in a variety of cancers; however, its angiogenic properties have yet to be studied. Hence, in the current study, we investigated the antiproliferative and antiangiogenic effects of TA on NSCLC cells. The (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS) assay revealed that TA induced a dose- and time-dependent …

Primary Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization For A Chronic Subdural Hematoma After Non-Accidental Trauma In A Child: A Case Report, Saisree Ravi, Sohum Desai, Ameer E. Hassan, Wondwossen G. Tekle

School of Medicine Publications

Chronic subdural hematoma in children can be pathognomonic of abusive head trauma. Treatment options for these range from observation to surgical evacuation depending on clinical circumstance and presenting features, which can include mental status changes, headaches, focal neurologic deficits, or asymptomatic presentation. Standalone endovascular treatments represent an area of growing interest in the adult population as an effective treatment modality. However, embolization as a singular treatment approach has not been reported in the pediatric population. We report the first case of stand-alone middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization of a chronic subdural hematoma as a sequela of abusive head trauma in …

The Prevalence Of Glaucoma In The Jirel Ethnic Group Of Nepal, Sarah Miller, Nicholas B. Blackburn, Matthew Johnson, Sandra Laston, Janardan Subedi, Jac C. Charlesworth, John Blangero, Bradford Towne, Suman S. Thapa, Sarah Williams-Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide with individuals in Asia disproportionately affected. Using a cross-sectional study design as part of the Jiri Eye Study, we assessed the prevalence of glaucoma in the Jirel population of Nepal and provide new information on the occurrence of glaucoma in south central Asia. Over a four-year period, 2,042 members of the Jirel population, aged 18 years and older, underwent a detailed ocular examination. Glaucoma was diagnosed using the International Society of Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology criteria. The mean (SD) age at exam was 42.3 (16.7) years and 54.1% of the …

Identification Of Healthspan-Promoting Genes In Caenorhabditis Elegans Based On A Human Gwas Study, Nadine Saul, Ineke Dhondt, Mikko Kuokkanen, Markus Perola, Clara Verschuuren, Brecht Wouters, Henrik Von Chrzanowski, Winnok H. De Vos, Liesbet Temmerman, Walter Luyten

School of Medicine Publications

To find drivers of healthy ageing, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed in healthy and unhealthy older individuals. Healthy individuals were defined as free from cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart failure, major adverse cardiovascular event, diabetes, dementia, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, rheumatism, Crohn’s disease, malabsorption or kidney disease. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with unknown function associated with ten human genes were identified as candidate healthspan markers. Thirteen homologous or closely related genes were selected in the model organism C. elegans for evaluating healthspan after targeted RNAi-mediated knockdown using pathogen resistance, muscle integrity, chemotaxis index and the …

Multidrug Resistance In Cancer: Understanding Molecular Mechanisms, Immunoprevention And Therapeutic Approaches, Talha Bin Emran, Asif Shahriar, Aar Rafi Mahmud, Tanjilur Rahman, Mehedy Hasan Abir, Mohd Faijanur-Rob Siddiquee, Hossain Ahmed, Nova Rahman, Firzan Nainu, Elly Wahyudin

School of Medicine Publications

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Several treatments are available for cancer treatment, but many treatment methods are ineffective against multidrug-resistant cancer. Multidrug resistance (MDR) represents a major obstacle to effective therapeutic interventions against cancer. This review describes the known MDR mechanisms in cancer cells and discusses ongoing laboratory approaches and novel therapeutic strategies that aim to inhibit, circumvent, or reverse MDR development in various cancer types. In this review, we discuss both intrinsic and acquired drug resistance, in addition to highlighting hypoxia- and autophagy-mediated drug resistance mechanisms. Several factors, including individual genetic differences, such as …