Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

T-Cell Responses To The M3 Immune Evasion Protein Of Murid Gammaherpesvirus 68 Are Partially Protective And Induced With Lytic Antigen Kinetics, Joshua J. Obar, Douglas C. Donovan, Sarah G. Crist, Ondine Silvia, James P. Stewart, Edward J. Usherwood

Dartmouth Scholarship

DNA vaccination with the M3 gene, encoding an immune evasion molecule expressed during both the acute lytic and persistent phases of murid gammaherpesvirus 68 infection, yielded a significantly lower titer of virus in the lung than controls. The protection seen was dependent on T cells, and we mapped an epitope recognized by CD8 T cells. The immune response to this epitope follows the same kinetics as lytic cycle antigens, despite the fact that this gene is expressed in both lytic and persistent stages of infection. This has important implications for our understanding of T-cell responses to putative latency-associated gammaherpesvirus proteins …

Lower Extremity Muscle Strength And Risk Of Self-Reported Hip Or Knee Osteoarthritis, Jennifer M. Hootman, Shannon J. Fitzgerald, Carol A. Macera, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender-specific longitudinal association between quadriceps strength and self-reported, physician-diagnosed hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Subjects were 3081 community-dwelling adults who were free of OA, joint symptoms and injuries, completed a maximum treadmill exercise test, had isokinetic knee extension and flexion and isotonic leg press strength measurements taken at baseline and returned at least one written follow-up survey. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results: Women with moderate or high isokinetic quadriceps strength had a significantly reduced risk (55% to 64%) of hip …

Botulinum Toxin And Other New Approaches To Migraine Therapy, Avi Ashkenazi, Stephen Silberstein

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

The number of migraine treatments and our understanding of migraine pathophysiology are both increasing. Newer treatments are focusing on migraine prevention. Botulinum toxin (BTX) is a potent neurotoxin that has been used primarily for diseases associated with increased muscle activity. Recently the toxin was found to have antinociceptive effects that are probably independent of its muscle-relaxant action. Recent clinical trials support the efficacy of BTX type-A (and possibly also type-B) in the treatment of migraine. The anticonvulsant topiramate was recently shown to be effective for migraine prevention. With the low doses used for this indication, cognitive side effects are less …

Muscular Fitness And All-Cause Mortality: Prospective Observations, Shannon J. Fitzgerald, Carolyn E. Barlow, James B. Kampert, James R. Morrow Jr., Allen W. Jackson, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Background: The beneficial effects of cardiorespiratory fitness on mortality are well known; however, the relation of muscular fitness, specifically muscular strength and endurance, to mortality risk has not been thoroughly examined. The purpose of the current study is to determine if a dose-response relation exists between muscular fitness and mortality after controlling for factors such as age and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Methods: The study included 9105 men and women, 20-82 years of age, in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study who have completed at least one medical examination at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, TX between 1981 and 1989. The exam included …