Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Healthcare Experience Impact On First-Year Physician Assistant Students’ Communication Self-Efficacy, Joseph Tocco, Sara Maher, Sara Lolar

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Healthcare experience (HCE) is required by most physician assistant (PA) programs for application, but it is not known what role HCE might play in the success of PA students. Communication skills are an important trait for a successful clinician, and previous HCE might lead to an improved ability to communicate with patients. This study examined the relationship between PA students’ healthcare experience (HCE) and their communication self-efficacy (SE). Methods: First-year PA students from Michigan PA programs were eligible to participate in an anonymous electronic survey. A previously validated survey to assess communication SE was used. HCE was assigned into …

The Role Of Emotional States And Mental Techniques In Dancesport: A Systematic Review, Sara Aliberti, Gaetano Raiola, Domenico Cherubini

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Psychological states during competition seem to be an important factor to determine successful performance. Therefore, the analysis of emotions is essential to understand how emotions can support sports performance. This systematic review aimed to summarize the studies examining the influence of emotional states on dancesport (DS) performance and the use of mental techniques to improve psychological preparation to face the competition. Material and methods. Web of Science, Scholar, Scopus and Pubmed databases were used to search studies. The screening process was summarized within the PRISMA 2020 flowchart. Results. Only 9 articles met our inclusion criteria. The results demonstrated that …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - September 21, 2023, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the September 21, 2023 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include:

• Distinguished scientists seminar returns Sept. 28
• Meet a Med Student: Caroline Howell
• Newly created endowment recognizes Omar for dedication, generosity, Scholarship

Coronavirus Update—What To Do If You Feel Sick 9-21-23, The Coronavirus Planning Team

University Briefings & Virtual Events

As we head into cold and flu season and as COVID cases continue to rise both on campus and around the country, we want to remind you that COVID is currently considered an endemic—like the flu—rather than the pandemic we experienced three years ago.

Role Of A Multidisciplinary Pulmonary Embolism Response Team And Impact Of Interventional Therapy In The Management Of Patients With Intermediate-High Risk Pulmonary Embolism, Juan N Pulido, Robert Fletcher, Michelle A. Poitevin, Kristina Pratt, Paul P Huang, Eric J Lehr, George P Pappas

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: Despite emerging interventional options for pulmonary embolism (PE), the mortality rate for intermediate high-risk PE (IHR-PE) remains high and the optimal therapeutic approach unclear due to a lack of robust outcomes data. We describe the outcomes of patients presenting with IHR-PE managed by a multidisciplinary PERT program with all available reperfusion options.

Methods: This single center retrospective study included EMR data from patients that were a part of the multidisciplinary PERT program from January 2012 to June 2023. PERT was activated if risk of death was intermediate or higher. The simplified pulmonary embolism severity index (sPESI) and Bova score …

Outcomes Of Patients With Intermediate Risk Pulmonary Embolism Treated With A Multidisciplinary Pulmonary Embolism Response Team. The Emergent Role Of Percutaneous Catheter Thrombectomy And The Importance Of Cardiac Surgery Engagement, Juan N Pulido, Robert Fletcher, Michelle A. Poitevin, Kristina Pratt, Paul P Huang, George P Pappas, Eric J Lehr

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Background: Management of Intermediate Risk Pulmonary Embolism (IRPE) remains controversial due to the dynamic nature of the disease and the lack of correlative outcomes with large clot burden. We describe the outcomes of patients presenting with IRPE managed by a multidisciplinary Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT).

Methods: This single center retrospective study included EMR data from patients that were a part of the multidisciplinary PERT program from January 2012 to June 2023. PERT was activated if risk of death was intermediate or higher. The simplified pulmonary embolism severity index (sPESI) and Bova score were used as risk stratification tools. Patients …

Amélioration Du Confort Des Harnais De Sécurité Pour Le Secteur De La Construction Par L’Évaluation Des Contraintes Physiques Et Physiologiques, Bertrand Galy, Chantal Gauvin, Denis Marchand, Jean Arteau, Yves Beauchamp, Antoine Archambault, Guillaume Montpetit

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les chutes au niveau inférieur sont parmi les 10 premières causes de lésions professionnelles sur la période 2010-2012 et représentent environ 5 000 lésions professionnelles par an, au Québec. Elles représentent également une cause importante de décès au travail (la troisième cause en 2019). La stratégie de protection contre les chutes de hauteur consiste dans un premier temps à éliminer le risque à la source : dans la mesure du possible, il faut éviter les travaux en hauteur. Si cela n’est pas possible, il faut empêcher la chute avec un garde-corps ou l’arrêter par une autre protection collective comme les …

18s Rrna Methyltransferases Dimt1 And Bud23 Drive Intergenerational Hormesis, Noa Liberman, Eric Lieberman Greer, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Heritable non-genetic information can regulate a variety of complex phenotypes. However, what specific non-genetic cues are transmitted from parents to their descendants are poorly understood. Here, we perform metabolic methyl-labeling experiments to track the heritable transmission of methylation from ancestors to their descendants in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). We find heritable methylation in DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids. We find that parental starvation elicits reduced fertility, increased heat stress resistance, and extended longevity in fed, naïve progeny. This intergenerational hormesis is accompanied by a heritable increase in N6'-dimethyl adenosine (m

Best Practices In Patient Education: Medical Students’ Perceptions And Implementations, Bridget Croniger, Mikaela Grudzien, Rubab Imtiaz, Dana Kabbani Md, Jennifer Mendez

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Effective patient education can help achieve better clinical outcomes, especially when a patient is managing a chronic illness. Despite patient education being an important skill in the professional formation of physicians, little is known about medical students’ perceptions and implementations of such strategies. After completing a chronic illness educational module, second-year medical students were asked to rate the importance of specific patient education strategies and to assess their use of said strategies in the module’s project assignment. Results indicated students utilized different patient education strategies from those they initially identified as most effective.

The Real Cost: Targeted Advertising And Health Outcomes With Nicotine Vaping, Lance Daley

D.U.Quark

Vaping has become a highly popular form of using nicotine in the last decade and is thought to be a less harmful alternative to smoking combustible cigarettes. As popularity continues to increase, especially among teens and young adults, there is still very little information regarding the long-term health effects of vaping. This review will analyze vaping’s fast rise to prominence, negative physiological effects, as well as targeted flavoring and advertising towards youth. Although data is limited, nicotine vaping has been associated with many acute health problems, including increased blood pressure, increased arterial stiffness, and excess free radical production, all of …

Global Outcomes For Microsurgical Clipping Of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Benchmark Analysis Of 2245 Cases, Richard Drexler, Thomas Sauvigny, Tobias F. Pantel, Franz L. Ricklefs, Joshua S. Catapano, John E. Wanebo, Michael T. Lawton, Aminaa Sanchin, Nils Hecht, Peter Vajkoczy, Kunal Raygor, Daniel Tonetti, Adib Abla, Kareem El Naamani, Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris, Pascal Jabbour, Brian T. Jankowitz, Mohamed M. Salem, Jan-Karl Burkhardt, Arthur Wagner, Maria Wostrack, Jens Gempt, Bernhard Meyer, Michael Gaub, Justin R. Mascitelli, Philippe Dodier, Gerhard Bavinzski, Karl Roessler, Nico Stroh, Matthias Gmeiner, Andreas Gruber, Eberval G. Figueiredo, Antonio Carlos Samaia Da Silva Coelho, Anatoliy V. Bervitskiy, Egor D. Anisimov, Jamil A. Rzaev, Harald Krenzlin, Naureen Keric, Florian Ringel, Dougho Park, Mun-Chul Kim, Eleonora Marcati, Marco Cenzato, Manfred Westphal, Lasse Dührsen

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Benchmarks represent the best possible outcome and help to improve outcomes for surgical procedures. However, global thresholds mirroring an optimal and reachable outcome for microsurgical clipping of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIA) are not available. This study aimed to define standardized outcome benchmarks in patients who underwent clipping of UIA.

METHODS: A total of 2245 microsurgically treated UIA from 15 centers were analyzed. Patients were categorized into low- ("benchmark") and high-risk ("nonbenchmark") patients based on known factors affecting outcome. The benchmark was defined as the 75th percentile of all centers' median scores for a given outcome. Benchmark outcomes …

Response Patterns And Impact Of Mrd In Patients With Idh1/2-Mutated Aml Treated With Venetoclax And Hypomethylating Agents, Danielle Hammond, Sanam Loghavi, Sa A Wang, Marina Y Konopleva, Tapan M Kadia, Naval G Daver, Maro Ohanian, Ghayas C Issa, Yesid Alvarado, Nicholas J Short, Koji Sasaki, Naveen Pemmaraju, Guillermo Montalban-Bravo, Curtis A Lachowiez, Abhishek Maiti, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Elias J Jabbour, Gautam Borthakur, Farhad Ravandi, Koichi Takahashi, Sherry R Pierce, Hagop M Kantarjian, Courtney D Dinardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Epichaperome Inhibition Targets Tp53-Mutant Aml And Aml Stem/Progenitor Cells, Bing Z Carter, Po Yee Mak, Muharrem Muftuoglu, Wenjing Tao, Baozhen Ke, Jingqi Pei, Andrea D Bedoy, Lauren B Ostermann, Yuki Nishida, Sevinj Isgandarova, Mary Sobieski, Nghi Nguyen, Reid T Powell, Margarita Martinez-Moczygemba, Clifford Stephan, Mahesh Basyal, Naveen Pemmaraju, Steffen Boettcher, Benjamin L Ebert, Elizabeth J Shpall, Barbara Wallner, Robert A Morgan, Georgios I Karras, Ute M Moll, Michael Andreeff

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

TP 53-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains the ultimate therapeutic challenge. Epichaperomes, formed in malignant cells, consist of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and associated proteins that support the maturation, activity, and stability of oncogenic kinases and transcription factors including mutant p53. High-throughput drug screening identified HSP90 inhibitors as top hits in isogenic TP53-wild-type (WT) and -mutant AML cells. We detected epichaperomes in AML cells and stem/progenitor cells with TP53 mutations but not in healthy bone marrow (BM) cells. Hence, we investigated the therapeutic potential of specifically targeting epichaperomes with PU-H71 in TP53-mutant AML based on its preferred binding to …

Methionine Biosynthesis Enzyme Momet2 Is Required For Rice Blast Fungus Pathogenicity By Promoting Virulence Gene Expression Via Reducing 5mc Modification, Huimin Li, Pengcheng Mo, Jun Zhang, Zhuoer Xie, Xinyu Liu, Han Chen, Leiyun Yang, Muxing Liu, Haifeng Zhang, Ping Wang, Zhengguang Zhang

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The emergence of fungicide resistance severely threatens crop production by limiting the availability and application of established fungicides. Therefore, it is urgent to identify new fungicidal targets for controlling plant diseases. Here, we characterized the function of a conserved homoserine O-acetyltransferase (HOA) from the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae that could serve as the candidate antifungal target. Deletion of the MoMET2 and MoCYS2 genes encoding HOAs perturbed the biosynthesis of methionine and S-adenyl methionine, a methyl group donor for epigenetic modifications, and severely attenuated the development and virulence of M. oryzae. The ΔMomet2 mutant is significantly increased in 5-methylcytosine (5mC) …

Researching The Future: Scenarios To Explore The Future Of Human Genome Editing, Cynthia Selin, Lauren Lambert, Stephanie Morain, John P Nelson, Dorit Barlevy, Mahmud Farooque, Haley Manley, Christopher T Scott

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Forward-looking, democratically oriented governance is needed to ensure that human genome editing serves rather than undercuts public values. Scientific, policy, and ethics communities have recognized this necessity but have demonstrated limited understanding of how to fulfill it. The field of bioethics has long attempted to grapple with the unintended consequences of emerging technologies, but too often such foresight has lacked adequate scientific grounding, overemphasized regulation to the exclusion of examining underlying values, and failed to adequately engage the public.

Methods: This research investigates the application of scenario planning, a tool developed in the high-stakes, uncertainty-ridden world of corporate strategy, …

Development And Evaluation Of A Wearable Peripheral Vascular Compensation Sensor In A Swine Model Of Hemorrhage, Francesca Bonetta-Misteli, Toi Collins, Todd Pavek, Madison Carlgren, Derek Bashe, Antonina Frolova, Leonid Shmuylovich, Christine M O'Brien

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading and most preventable cause of maternal mortality, particularly in low-resource settings. PPH is currently diagnosed through visual estimation of blood loss or monitoring of vital signs. Visual assessment routinely underestimates blood loss beyond the point of pharmaceutical intervention. Quantitative monitoring of hemorrhage-induced compensatory processes, such as the constriction of peripheral vessels, may provide an early alert for PPH. To this end, we developed a low-cost, wearable optical device that continuously monitors peripheral perfusion via laser speckle flow index (LSFI) to detect hemorrhage-induced peripheral vasoconstriction. The measured LSFI signal produced a linear response in phantom …

Boosting Glycolysis To Combat Fragile Bone In Type 1 Diabetes, Zixue Jin, Brendan Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have an increased risk of osteoporosis and fracture. In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Ji et al.1 show that impaired glucose metabolism in the bone-forming osteoblast drives diabetic osteoporosis in Akita mice, a mouse model of T1D.

The Level Of Functionality Of The Affected Upper Limb In Stroke Patients Depends On The Type Of Therapy Used And The Lateralization Of The Subjects' Body - A Randomized Observational Study., Anna Olczak, Marcin Dornowski

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Impairment of the functions of the upper limb and hand is a major problem in stroke patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate various therapies in terms of their influence on changes in the activity of the affected, dominant, and non-dominant upper limb in patients after ischemic stroke. Material/Methods: This is a randomized, double-blinded study. The research was carried out in a rehabilitation clinic on a group of 60 stroke patients who were randomly assigned to groups differing in the rehabilitation program. The study group had physiotherapy based on the NDT Bobath concept and the control group …

Progress Reimagined: A Generation Z Perspective On Belfast In Relation To The Unsdgs., Lucy Love Haman, Rebecca F. Macleod, Emilee E. Ernster, Camryn Moore, Erin Miller, Daron Baltazar, Ricardo Jackson

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

This research explores a contemporary outsider view of Belfast, through the eyes of Generation Z visiting college students, in relation to how three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are carried out (Good Health and Well-Being, Climate Action, and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). To learn through firsthand accounts, the researchers utilized ethnographic and phenomenological methods, as interacting with locals to gather community inputs, surveying different groups in the city, Abstract: recording quotes said by citizens and displayed at billboards, and For Peer Review applying personal sensory experiences. It was found that a political deadlock plays a major role in the …

Cobourg's Covid-19 Vaccination Effort: A Model Of Community Engagement For Crisis Response, Sayra Cristancho, Emily Field, Crystal Gaudet

Surgery Publications

For many community members, emergency planning occurs in the background. Community members are not usually engaged in the planning activities. But people see the effects of planning when an emergency strikes. And when responses don’t appear to be happening or appear slow, empowered communities take charge. That’s what happened in Cobourg, Ontario between 2021 and 2022 when the community drove the implementation of the Covid-19 mass vaccination clinic at the Cobourg Community Centre, known as the CCC initiative. In this report, we synthesize the results of a qualitative assessment of the CCC clinic, including lessons and recommendations that other communities …

Cytomegalovirus Esophagitis In An Immunocompromised Patient, Adya A. Ali, Sheela Anasseri, Jaafar Abou-Ghaida, Leslie Walker, Tye Barber

HPD Articles

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can present with end-organ disease (EOD), particularly in patients with a CD4 cell count <50/mm3. While EOD in immunocompromised patients commonly presents as CMV retinitis (30%) and CMV colitis (5-10%), CMV esophagitis is rare. CMV is the third most common infectious esophagitis following Candida and Herpes Simplex. CMV esophagitis presents with odynophagia, dysphagia, and abdominal pain. Endoscopic exam may reveal large, linear distal esophageal ulcers. Histopathology or serology studies are diagnostic, though serology may be unreliable in the extremely immunosuppressed. Current treatment consists of antivirals such as ganciclovir and valganciclovir. Esophageal disease due to CMV carries a poor prognosis in the immunocompromised. We present the case of a 56-year-old male with a medical history of HIV/AIDS and stage III rectal squamous cell cancer who presented with shortness of breath, weakness, and chronic diarrhea. His HIV was previously well-controlled on antiretroviral therapy. However, due to his malignancy, he was undergoing treatment with chemotherapy and radiation. Initial labs revealed a CD4 count of 42. His clinical course consisted of Escherichia coli septicemia, new-onset atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response, worsening pneumonia, possible metastasis, progressive diarrhea, and potential oropharyngeal candidiasis. Despite several broad-spectrum antimicrobial regimens, he remained symptomatic with new complaints of dysphagia and odynophagia. Eventually, the appearance of vesicular lesions on the lips and a repeat CD4 count of 13 garnered a suspicion of HSV or CMV. This complicated case highlights the necessity for a high index of suspicion of rare manifestations of CMV EOD in an immunocompromised patient presenting with confounding …

Improving Value In Colorectal Cancer Care: An Economic Analysis Of Enhanced Recovery Protocols At A Community Hospital, Lexi Frankel, Amalia D. Ardeljan, Ali Rashid, Abhishek Nair, Kazuaki Takabe, Omar M. Rashid

HPD Articles

Background: Enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) have been shown to improve the outcomes of gastrointestinal cancer care, leading to reduced morbidity of gastrointestinal treatment and reduced delays in systemic therapy. ERP implementation has also previously shown a reduction in length of stay (LOS) without changing the readmission rate; however, the economic cost associated with these measures has not yet been quantified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the economic costs of ERP implementation for colorectal cancer at a community hospital. Methods: The Diagnostic Related Group (DRG) codes were used to assess costs associated with the hospitalizations of cases in …

Why An Unusual Complication Of Daily Cannabis Use Is Hard To Accept For Many Patients, Jack Meltzer, Joseph Miller

URGENT Matters

No abstract provided.

Post-Hysteroscopy Ruptured Tubo-Ovarian Abscess With Atypical Bacteremia: A Case Report, Jillian H. Linck, Wanda I. Torres, Shailja T. Dayal

HPD Articles

Hysteroscopies are commonly performed in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with abnormal uterine bleeding. Current research suggests a low rate of all types of complications following hysteroscopies. The rate of infectious complications has been reported as exceptionally low. We present a case of tubo-ovarian abscess with Escherichia coli bacteremia and eventual abscess rupture in a 51-year-old gravida 3, para 2012 (G3P2) woman who underwent a hysteroscopy with concurrent polypectomy. The patient had no risk factors that have historically been attributed to the development of post-hysteroscopy infection, such as a history of pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis. The patient also …

Design, Molecular Modelling And Synthesis Of Novel Benzothiazole Derivatives As Bcl-2 Inhibitors, Amira Khalil, Hoda S. Ismail, Dalal A. Abou El Ella, Deena S. Lasheen, Rabah A. Taha

Pharmacy

Apoptosis plays a crucial role in cancer pathogenesis and drug resistance. BCL-2 family of enzymes is considered as one of the key enzymes which is involved in apoptosis. When there is disruption in the balance between anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic members of the BCL-2 family apoptosis is dysregulated in the affected cells. Herein, 33 novel benzothiazole-based molecules 7a-i, 8a-f, 9a-b, 12a-e, 13a-d, 14a,b, and 17a-j were designed, synthesized and tested for their BCL-2 inhibitory activity. Scaffold hopping strategy was applied in designing of the target compounds. Compounds 13c and 13d showed the highest activity with IC50 values equal to 0.471 and …

Systematic Investigation Of The Homology Sequences Around The Human Fusion Gene Breakpoints In Pan-Cancer – Bioinformatics Study For A Potential Link To Mmej, Pora Kim, Himansu Kumar, Chengyuan Yang, Ruihan Luo, Jiajia Liu, Xiaobo Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), an error-prone DNA damage repair mechanism, frequently leads to chromosomal rearrangements due to its ability to engage in promiscuous end joining of genomic instability and also leads to increasing mutational load at the sequences flanking the breakpoints (BPs). In this study, we systematically investigated the homology sequences around the genomic breakpoint area of human fusion genes, which were formed by the chromosomal rearrangements initiated by DNA double-strand breakage. Since the RNA-seq data is the typical data set to check the fusion genes, for the known exon junction fusion breakpoints identified from RNA-seq data, we have to …

The Discovery, Characterization, And Engineering Of Autolytic Enzymes As Antimicrobials, Jacob M. Furlon

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

In an age of rising levels of antibiotic resistance, we are quickly running out of tools to address some of the most virulent and widespread infectious bacteria. One group of enzymes that show significant potential for use as next-generation antibiotics are antimicrobial peptidoglycan hydrolases, often referred to as lysins. These enzymes are responsible for the breakdown of peptidoglycan within the bacterial cell wall, and, when exogenously applied, can result in dramatic destabilization of the cell wall leading to rapid lysis of the bacteria. While phage endolysins have been widely investigated as potential antimicrobials, the therapeutic potential of endogenous autolysins from …

Prospective Associations Of Neighborhood Healthy Food Access And Walkability With Weight Status In A Regional Pediatric Health System., Qianxia Jiang, Bethany Forseth, Lauren Fitzpatrick, Helena Laroche, Sarah Hampl, Ann M. Davis, Chelsea Steel, Jordan A. Carlson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Most neighborhood food and activity related environment research in children has been cross-sectional. A better understanding of prospective associations between these neighborhood environment factors and children's weight status can provide stronger evidence for informing interventions and policy. This study examined associations of baseline and changes in neighborhood healthy food access and walkability with changes in children's weight status over 5 years.

METHODS: Height, weight, and home address were obtained for 4,493 children (> 75% were Black or Latinx) from primary care visits within a large pediatric health system. Eligible participants were those who had measures collected during two time …

Disentangling Age, Gender, And Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Multiple Myeloma Burden: A Modeling Study, John H Huber, Mengmeng Ji, Yi-Hsuan Shih, Mei Wang, Graham Colditz, Su-Hsin Chang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy that is consistently preceded by an asymptomatic condition, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Disparities by age, gender, and race/ethnicity in both MGUS and MM are well-established. However, it remains unclear whether these disparities can be explained by increased incidence of MGUS and/or accelerated progression from MGUS to MM. Here, we fit a mathematical model to nationally representative data from the United States and showed that the difference in MM incidence can be explained by an increased incidence of MGUS among male and non-Hispanic Black populations. We did not find evidence showing differences …

Social And Psychological Adversity Are Associated With Distinct Mother And Infant Gut Microbiome Variations, Barbara B Warner, Bruce A Rosa, I Malick Ndao, Phillip I Tarr, J Philip Miller, Sarah K England, Joan L Luby, Cynthia E Rogers, Carla Hall-Moore, Renay E Bryant, Jacqueline D Wang, Laura A Linneman, Tara A Smyser, Christopher D Smyser, Deanna M Barch, John Martin, Makedonka Mitreva, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Health disparities are driven by underlying social disadvantage and psychosocial stressors. However, how social disadvantage and psychosocial stressors lead to adverse health outcomes is unclear, particularly when exposure begins prenatally. Variations in the gut microbiome and circulating proinflammatory cytokines offer potential mechanistic pathways. Here, we interrogate the gut microbiome of mother-child dyads to compare high-versus-low prenatal social disadvantage, psychosocial stressors and maternal circulating cytokine cohorts (prospective case-control study design using gut microbiomes from 121 dyads profiled with 16 S rRNA sequencing and 89 dyads with shotgun metagenomic sequencing). Gut microbiome characteristics significantly predictive of social disadvantage and psychosocial stressors in …