Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Bone Health Matters: A Closer Look At Osteoporosis Within The Rio Grande Valley, Ryan Bialaszewski, Philippe J. Dentino, John Ronnau

Research Colloquium

Background: Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by decreased bone mass and decreased bone quality, leading to increased bone fragility and risk of fractures. The number of fractures due to osteoporosis is projected to increase to over 3 million by the year 2025 and cost $25.3 billion annually. It ranks highly among diseases that cause patients to become bedridden with serious complications and reduced quality of life. Additionally, osteoporosis disproportionately affects Hispanics, which comprise most of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) population. We hypothesize individuals residing in the Rio Grande Valley have higher rates of Osteoporosis and lower rates of Osteoporosis …

The Covid-19 Impact On Physician Wellness In The Rio Grande Valley, Lauren A. Herrera, Ruth Escalera, Ericka Vazquez, Victoria Jacobsen

Research Colloquium

Background: Current research on physician burnout is not only scarce when looking at rural communities, but it is further limited when evaluating its prevalence in physicians caring for the medically underserved. This study aims to determine the rate of physician burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify effective coping interventions in an underserved mixed rural–urban region along the Texas–Mexico border.

Methods: We conducted a regional study in a small sample of US physicians from various specialties using a structured questionnaire. Participants were contacted using listed work emails within the UTHealth Rio Grande Valley system over a five week period …

Let’S Eat Healthy: Piloting A Brief Interactive Nutrition Session For High School Students – Role Of A Physician, Michaela Q. Ramirez Iglesia, Chelsea Chang

Research Colloquium

Background: 26.2% of Hispanic American children are obese, while 19.7% of children in the United States are obese. We developed and delivered a 30-minute interactive nutrition session for high school students including a nutrition knowledge assessment in the predominantly Hispanic region of South Texas, the Rio Grande Valley.

Methods: We designed the curriculum to teach high school students about the health impacts of sugar-sweetened beverages, the importance of eating whole foods, and tools for making healthy choices. We presented “Let’s Eat Healthy” to 70 high school students as part of a day-long interprofessional conference by University of Texas Rio Grande …

Utilization Of Palliative Care Service In Patients With Liver Cirrhosis In An Underserved Area, 2015-2019, Ismael Polo Perez, Dailis S. Corria Cedeno, Hari Movva, Hari Das, Giri Movva

Research Colloquium

Palliative care is a service with a very wide vision and potent tool. Palliative care applies early in the course of terminal illness in conjunction with therapies intended to prolong life; it is not limited to end-of-life care. Patients with liver cirrhosis only have one healing treatment, a liver transplant, but the limitation in the number of organ donors and eligibility criteria reduces the number of transplants. The MELD-Na score provides validated mortality prognostic for the next 90 days in patients with liver cirrhosis. This study aimed to determine if palliative care services are underutilized and could be more evident …

Takatsubo Cardiomyopathy In A Hispanic Female With Covid-19 Infection., Percy M. Thomas, Jose Rivera, Josenny Rodriguez-Paez, Arup Ganguly

Research Colloquium

Background: Takatsubo (tako- octopus, tsubo- a pot) Cardiomyopathy (TTS) colloquially known as broken heart syndrome is a left or right (in 1/3^rd patients) ventricular motion abnormality that extends even beyond the coronary artery supply areas, with non-obstructive coronaries. Most commonly due to emotional or physical stressors and in some cases in hospitalized patients (2). The Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a total death toll of 1.1 million in the United States of America so far, with cardiovascular complications such as heart failure (7.7%) and ischemic heart disease (10.9%) being significant contributors(1). TTS prevalence in the general population is …

The Influence Of Age And The Social Determinants Of Health On Frailty Among Older Adults, Lubna A. Nasr, Vincent P. Diego, Carolina Gomez De Ziegler, Gerardo Munoz-Monaco, Eron Manusov

Research Colloquium

Background: Frailty is an age-related phenotype characterized by physiological decline and increased vulnerability to stressors, leading to the risk of adverse events including falls, hospitalizations, re-admissions, and mortality. The prevalence of frailty depends on the setting (nursing home > hospital > ambulatory) and is higher in those with socioeconomic instability, lower education levels, unsafe environments, and poor healthcare access. Our two goals included identifying the prevalence of frailty in patients cared for at the UT Health Knapp Family Health Center (ambulatory) and assessing the relationship between frailty and the social determinants of health (SDoH).

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study from September …

Congenital Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus: A Case Report In A Hispanic Male, Percy M. Thomas, Gloria P. Rodriguez-Gomez, John Manllo Dieck

Research Colloquium

Background: Diabetes Insipidus (DI) is a rare condition that manifests with large volumes of diluted urine and plasma hyperosmolarity secondary to decreased production or response to antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin). Congenital forms represent

Case presentation: A 32 year-old-male with a history of long-standing polydipsia (10 L/day) and polyuria, with similar symptoms in his son and nephew, was admitted to the intensive care unit following a motor vehicle accident. The patient was initially sedated and intubated and his sodium level at admission was 140 mmol/L. He developed severe hypernatremia 6 hours after arrival (Na+ 163 mmol/L), with a serum hyperosmolarity …

A New Technique: Transposition Of Transverse Breast Mound Mastectomy Scars To The Inframammary Fold, Allison Podsednik Gardner, Annalisa Lopez, Aidee Nunez, Mauricio De La Garza

Research Colloquium

Background: Mastectomy scar appearance impacts patients’ perception of themselves following breast reconstruction. If a peri-elliptical approach for skin-sparing mastectomy is used the resultant mastectomy scar lies transversely across the center of the breast mound, causing patient dissatisfaction and emotional stress. The authors describe a surgical technique to avoid the presence of mastectomy scars across the breast mound by progressively lowering the mastectomy scar until it lies in a discrete position under the breast in patients undergoing implant-based reconstruction.

Methods: The authors first describe the operative technique in detail. A retrospective chart review of 26 patients from 2017-2022 who underwent the …

A Case Of Red Breast Syndrome, Allison Podsednik Gardner, Aidee Nunez, Mauricio De La Garza

Research Colloquium

Background: Increasingly popular for use in breast reconstruction, acellular dermal matrix (ADM) can provide support and protection to implants. However, use of ADM may be associated with infections and complications, including Red Breast Syndrome (RBS). RBS was first documented in 2009 and is reported to have a low mean incidence. The phenomenon is an inflammatory event which typically presents with cutaneous erythema over the domain of the surgically placed ADM.

Case Presentation: The authors present and describe a case of RBS resultant from ADM. As ADM is used with more frequency, presumably more cases of RBS will occur. …

Head And Neck Metastasis Of Colorectal Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report And Literature Review, Taha Al Hassan, Rachel A. Giese

Research Colloquium

Background: Colorectal Adenocarcinoma (CRC) metastasis is found in approximately 1 in 5 patients diagnosed with CRC and frequently spreads to the liver, lungs, peritoneum, bone, and nervous system. There are several subtypes of adenocarcinoma but the single most associated with distant metastasis, multiple sites of metastasis, and poorer survival is the signet-ring cell carcinoma variant. We present an unusual case of a head and neck mass demonstrating immunohistochemical staining specific for colorectal origin in a patient with a history of mucinous adenocarcinoma of the colon.

Case Presentation: A 53-year-old female was referred for a left cervical neck mass associated with …

Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis Secondary To Levofloxacin Use, Rukayat Akande, Johanne Chaglasian

Research Colloquium

Background We present a patient who developed pustular rash following levofloxacin use. Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis is a rare drug reaction. This abstract will review the patient’s symptoms, diagnosis and management.

Case presentation 25-year-old man presented with fever, facial swelling, and pruritic rash on face and body of a day duration. Two days prior, he had been prescribed levofloxacin for a sore throat. His symptoms developed within 24 hours of his first use of levofloxacin. He denied previous use of levofloxacin. His vital signs were T 101.7, RR 18, HR 114, BP 112/59, SPO2 100% on RA. On examination, he …

Acute Submassive Bilateral Pulmonary Embolism In Patient With Recent Covid-19 Pneumonia, Rukayat Akande, Nevin A. Varghese

Research Colloquium

Background A 37-year-old man with multiple comorbidities who developed pulmonary embolism after a recent COVID-19 pneumonia. Clinicians must have a high index of suspicion for pulmonary embolism in patients who are at risk. Supportive findings of pulmonary embolism on echocardiogram and ECG are reviewed.

Case Presentation A 37-year-old Hispanic man with class III obesity, diabetes, and COVID-19 pneumonia three weeks prior presented with progressive shortness of breath, subjective fevers, and cough of two days duration. Vitals were T 97.7F HR 118/’ BP 124/85 mmHg, RR 24/’, SPO2 95% on 4 L oxygen. He was lethargic, in respiratory distress, and had …

A Rare Case Of Paraneoplastic Autoimmune Encephalitis In A Hispanic Male With Gastric Adenocarcinoma., Percy M. Thomas, Gloria P. Rodriguez-Gomez, Jose Rivera, Brandon Cantazaro

Research Colloquium

Background: Paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS) with Gastric cancer is a rare occurrence with very few reported cases, literature review showed that only four prior cases have been reported of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma that developed PNS, the high-risk phenotypes described in these cases were paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis; opsoclonus-myoclonus; and Lambert- Eaton myasthenic syndrome. Our patient with gastric adenocarcinoma on chemotherapy presented with a sudden onset of altered mental status, a series of diagnostic tests concluded autoimmune encephalitis as the culprit. This article will increase awareness of autoimmune encephalitis as a paraneoplastic complication of Gastric adenocarcinoma.

Case Presentation: 40-year-old male patient with …

Subtotal Iliac Vein Occlusion Secondary To May-Thurner Syndrome, Myung-Jin Cha, Shyama Appareddy, Jennifer Rojas Huen, Usman Sheriff, Jose Ramos

Research Colloquium

Introduction May Thurner Syndrome (MTS), an anatomical variant present in over 20% of the population, can present with iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis (DVT) caused by compression of the common iliac vein by the adjacent iliac artery.

History of presentation An 86-year-old male with hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease status post remote drug-eluting stent placement, and a history of DVT presented with a three-week history of unilateral left lower extremity swelling. He had been increasingly sedentary over the past several months.

Investigations Whole-leg duplex ultrasonography was performed which showed extensive DVT from the knee to the ankle (Fig. 1a). Dense echoes …

Evaluating The Effects Of River Water Pollution On Hsp70, Michelle M. Pham, Jashandeep Bajaj, Zayu Yu

Research Colloquium

Background Corbicula fluminea is an invasive clam species that disturbs the balance of the ecosystem. This study was conducted to examine the environment of the American River and the different factors that could have contributed to the success of C. fluminea in their established habitat, as it was hypothesized that an increased presence of contaminants would deteriorate the health of the clams.

Methods Initially, the anatomical characteristics of the species were analyzed. The effects of both the changes in the concentration of zinc sulfate and pH level on the health of the clams and algae were respectively evaluated to simulate …

“Gait”-Ing The Effects Of Stooped Posture On Stride Length In Parkinson's Disease, Michelle M. Pham, Katherine Whitcome

Research Colloquium

Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders. Decreased stability may result from stooped posture in patients with Parkinson’s disease. As PD progresses, stooped posture becomes more severe.

Methods To determine how patients with PD counteract the increased instability of stooped posture, participants recreated three conditions of stoop: natural, slight, and acute. Participants walked at a comfortable speed on a motorized treadmill. The positional data of anatomical markers were measured using a 3D motion capture system. Data were filtered using a 4th order low pass Butterworth filter and statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA.

Results The results …

A Case Of Hepatopulmonary Syndrome As First Manifestation Of Liver Cirrhosis In Hypopituitarism., Laura Rincon-Rueda, Jose Gomez Casanovas, Sonya R. Montes, Alcibiades Fleires

Research Colloquium

Background: Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a vascular complication of liver cirrhosis and/or portal hypertension causing pulmonary microvascular dilatation and angiogenesis resulting in a ventilation-perfusion mismatch that induces hypoxia. The prevalence of HPS depends on the diagnostic criteria and methodology used ranging from 4% to 47% in patients with cirrhosis affecting 10 to 30% of patients with liver transplant indication. The pathophysiology is not completely understood however different physiological processes related to an increased production of nitric oxide and pro-angiogenic factors has been described. The association between the development of non-fatty liver disease (NFLD) secondary to the metabolic syndrome triggered by …

Unstoppable Growth: A Rare Case Of Metastatic Melanoma In A Patient With Acromegaly, Kalyana Mondreti, Khairiya Haj-Yahya, Diana Gavilanes, Uha Yalala, Brandon Cantazaro

Research Colloquium

Background: Acromegaly is a growth disorder characterized by overproduction of growth hormone and IGF-1. Such overproduction of growth factors has been linked to several types of malignancy, most commonly, thyroid, colorectal, and breast neoplasms. While research does favor the increased incidence of cancer in acromegaly patients, the association with malignant melanoma is not well understood. With present a unique case of metastatic melanoma in a patient with acromegaly, as such cases are exceedingly rare in the literature.

Case presentation: A 41-year-old male with a past medical history of acromegaly, status post pituitary tumor resection, presented to the emergency department with …

Hispanic Patient With Breast Cancer And Secondary Membranous Nephropathy With Rare Positive Anti-Pla2r Autoantibodies Which Changes The Management., Kalyana Mondreti, Diana Gavilanes, Yalala Uha, Andres Suarez Parraga

Research Colloquium

Introduction 10% of membranous nephropathy (MN) cases are linked to solid organ tumors, most commonly in Caucasians. Positive anti phospholipase-A2-receptor (PLA2R) autoantibodies are found in 75% of patients with primary MN but are rare in secondary MN such as from solid tumors. We present a case that is unique due to Hispanic ethnicity and antibody positivity in a secondary MN.

Case report A 57-year-old Hispanic woman with a history of HER-2 negative, grade 2 invasive lobular breast cancer presented to the office with lower extremity edema. She was found to have Nephrotic Range proteinuria (28 grams) with normal Creatinine and …

Bodyweight Changes During Covid-19 For Patients Diagnosed With Depression: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Elias Arellano Villanueva, Kimberly Fulda

Research Colloquium

Background: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and body weight have been well documented, however a possible direction of the causality of the relationship between depression and weight as affected by lockdown measures has not been studied. This study examined if depression was associated with changes in BMI during the COVID-19 lockdown. We hypothesized that depressed adults (DEP) would have a greater increase in BMI than non-depressed adults (NDEP), and that greater pre-post changes in BMI would be observed among younger DEP compared to middle-aged and older DEP and NDEP.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study design using EHR …

Collateral Damage: A Case Of Refractory Hyperparathyroidism In A Young Woman With End Stage Renal Disease, Ed Wong Alvarado, Valentine S. Alia, Henry Reinhart, Rachel A. Giese

Research Colloquium

Background: The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is a community with the highest incidence of ESRD in the USA. Hyperparathyroidism (HPT), defined as a serum PTH >65 pg/mL, HPT is a secondary complication of ESRD affecting 80% of individuals in this population. Although hyperparathyroidism may be asymptomatic, a severe form, refractory to medication can occur. Refractory HPT is defined as a PTH level 9 times the upper-limit or a serum level >800 pg/mL. This disease causes mutations in parathyroid cells causing parathyroid-gland hyperplasia. Once PTH levels increase to this extent, systemic issues including electrolyte derangements, weight loss, pathologic fractures, osteoporosis, and …

A Rare Case Of Endocarditis Caused By Streptococcus Anginosus, Cecilia Salinas Domene, Myung-Jin Cha, Ed Wong Alvarado, Simita Gaglani

Research Colloquium

Introduction: This is a 65-year-old male patient with infective endocarditis (IE) caused by Streptococcus anginosus. The patient presented with fever and chills. Past medical history included an aortic valve replacement after an episode of endocarditis. On physical examination, the patient had a new systolic murmur and poor dentition. Blood cultures on admission grew Streptococcus anginosus and a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) showed vegetation on the bioprosthetic valve.

Narrative: This is a 65-year-old male with a past medical history of bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement in 2014 due to IV drug use which reportedly ceased thereafter, who presented with multiple days …

Stroke In A Pregnant Female With A Pfo In The Absence Of A Clot., Arup Ganguly, Hector D. Preciado, Shravan Narmala

Research Colloquium

Background: Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a condition affecting about 25% of all adults. While the incidence of PFOs in pregnant women is unknown, there is an increased risk for stroke owing to major changes in hemocoagulative, hormonal, and cardiovascular parameters. Despite this, the incidence of a stroke is rare in pregnant women with a PFO. Furthermore, hemorrhagic strokes are far more common during pregnancy than ischemic strokes, as is the case here. In literature 80% of venous thromboembolisms in pregnancy are found to be associated with a DVT. In the case presented, there was no associated DVT and further …

Experiential Learning Lab Activity On Muscle Physiology In Undergraduate Md Pre-Clerkship Curriculum, Angela Martinez, Daniel Salinas, Amin Shah, Kelsey Baker

Research Colloquium

Background: Experiential learning is an important part of the medical education curriculum as it enhances knowledge gain and retention that can have long-term effects in improving provider skills and patient outcomes. Our goal was to establish an experiential learning muscle physiology lab activity that would improve undergraduate MD pre-clerkship students’ skill to collect muscle force measurements using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD), a popular tool for rehabilitative practice and understanding of the length-tension relationship of muscle.

Methods: The experiential learning muscle physiology lab activity was developed and incorporated in the Musculoskeletal and Dermatology (MSKD) Module in the undergraduate MD pre-clerkship year …

A Novel Nano Fluorescent Nir Probe For Cancer Cells Bioimaging And Targeting, Neeraj Chauhan, Marco A. Cabrera, Pallabita Chowdhury, Prashanth K. B. Nagesh, Anupam Dhasmana, Meena Jaggi, Subhash Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Colloquium

Background: Adequate bioimaging is crucial in cancer management in many ways including screening, detection, characterization, staging and grading, therapy response, surgical guidance, and margins assessment. Indocyanine green (ICG) is one of the FDA-approved near infra-red fluorescent (NIRF) probe for cancer imaging and image-guided surgery in clinical setting. However, limitations of ICG includes poor photostability, high concentration toxicity, short circulation time, and poor cancer cell specificity. To overcome these hurdles, we engineered a nanoconstruct composed of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP)-indocyanine green that is cloaked self-assembled with tannic acid (termed as ICG-Glow NPs) for the cancer cells/tissues specific targeting.

Methods: Pursuing the novel …

Epithelial Immunomodulation By Aerosolized Toll-Like Receptor Agonists Prevents Allergic Inflammation In Airway Mucosa In Mice, David Goldblatt, Gabriella Valverde Ha, Shradha Wali, Vikram V. Kulkarni, Michael K. Longmire, Ana M. Jaramillo, Rosha P. Chittuluru, Adrienne Fouts, Margarita Martinez-Moczygemba, Jonathan T. Lei

Research Colloquium

Background: Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease associated with eosinophilic infiltration, increased mucus production, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), and airway remodeling. Epidemiologic data has revealed that the prevalence of allergic sensitization and associated diseases has increased in the twentieth century. This has been hypothesized to be partly due to reduced contact with microbial organisms (the hygiene hypothesis) in industrialized society. Airway epithelial cells, once considered a static physical barrier between the body and the external world, are now widely recognized as immunologically active cells that can initiate, maintain, and restrain inflammatory responses, such as those that mediate allergic disease. …

Overexpression Of Rpa194 Is Associated With Mutant P53 In Advanced Human Liver Cancer, Haider Ahsan, Muhammad Bangash, Samuel Owusu-Mireku, Mudassier Ahmad, Sahir Alvi, Aun A. Bangash, Bilal B. B. Hafeez

Research Colloquium

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and in the United States alone, an estimated 42,000 adults were diagnosed with primary liver cancer in the year of 2022. Sorafenib is the first systemic therapy approved for patients with advanced-stage HCC, after a landmark study revealed an improvement in median overall survival from 8 to 11 months. New drugs — lenvatinib in the frontline and regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab in the second line — have also been demonstrated to improve clinical outcomes, although the median overall survival remains ~1 year. Therefore, discovery of new potential molecular targets …

Detection Of Caffeine For Consumers Utilizing Infrared Spectroscopy, Michelle M. Pham, Ethan Yang, Christopher Wostenberg

Research Colloquium

Background Caffeine is a stimulant that is often found in tea and coffee. Sometimes, when a person drinks caffeine in excess or too late into the day, there is a disturbance to the sleep cycle. A workaround would be to find out how much caffeine is in these drinks through caffeine extraction. Therefore, consumers can have an accurate awareness of the amount of caffeine they are consuming.

Methods Caffeine extraction is performed to determine the levels present in green tea. If the experiment does work, then the methodology can be used to find the amount of caffeine in other drinks …

Brain Microvessels From Dementia And No Dementia Subjects, Jiye A. Park, Mamatha Damodarasamy, Ali Mirzazadeh, Michelle Erickson, William A. Banks, C. Dirk Keene, May J. Reed

Research Colloquium

Background The brain microvasculature is the foundation of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), an interface that regulates passage between the circulatory system and the brain parenchyma. Tight junction (TJ) proteins function as cell-cell adhesion molecules at the BBB and have been shown to differ in subjects with dementia (D) versus those without dementia (ND), with most studies showing an overall decrease in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).

Methods We measured levels of TJ proteins (occludin, claudin-5) and protein markers of neurovascular unit cells (endothelial cell PECAM, pericyte PDGFR, astrocyte foot process GFAP, associated neuronal MAP2 and NeuN) in brain microvessels (MV) to determine …

Oxphos Inhibition Via Luc7l2 As A Target For Sf3b1-Mutant Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Carlos Cisneros, Anagha Inguva, Hunter Tolison, Maria Amaya, Craig Jordan

Research Colloquium

Background: SF3B1 gene mutations are the most common spliceosome mutations seen in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. Though it is well known SF3B1 mutations cause downstream changes in erythroid differentiation and the cell cycle, which leads to malignancy, metabolic changes arising from this mutation are unknown. Our preliminary data shows that patient samples harboring an SF3B1 mutation exhibit alternative splicing of the gene LUC7L2. Interestingly, this gene encodes for another protein of the spliceosome complex: U1 snRNP. The gene LUC7L2 has been shown to regulate metabolic processes by promoting glycolysis while repressing oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) via various downstream mechanisms. We therefore …