Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Association Of Polygenic Risk Scores With Aortic Valve Calcium: The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Seamus P Whelton, Jie Yao, Clary Clish, Alexis C Wood, Kent D Taylor, Michael J Blaha, Matthew Budoff, Natalie Marrero, George Thanassoulis, Wendy S Post, Xiuqing Guo, Jerome I Rotter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Aortic valve calcification (AVC) is the primary process leading to aortic stenosis. We examined whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) are associated with AVC beyond traditional atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Methods: We included 6812 participants in MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) with computed tomography-measured AVC at Visit 1. Using previously published PRS we calculated weighted PRS, standardized within each ancestry group. The cross-sectional association per 1 SD higher PRS with AVC >0 was examined using multivariable logistic regression modeling with Bonferroni correction. The mean age was 62 years old, 53% were female, and 913 (13.4%) had AVC >0 at …

Use Of Tyrx Antibacterial Envelope In Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Surgery: A Prospective Pilot Study., Jack T. Rifkin, Julia A. Baran, Brian H. Im, Tej J. Desai, Jordan Dehoratius, Oleksandr Kolesnikov, Paul Chung

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Infection remains a major concern in inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) surgery. Medtronic's TYRX Absorbable Antibacterial Envelope is a polypropylene mesh pocket delivering minocycline and rifampin for 7 days and fully absorbing in 9 weeks. It is currently FDA-approved for use with cardiac pacemakers and neuromodulation devices. There is no indication for use in IPP surgeries, particularly for enveloping the scrotal pump during implantation.

AIM: This pilot study evaluates the feasibility, safety, and early patient-reported outcomes with the use of the absorbable antibacterial envelope during IPP surgery.

METHODS: Fifteen men who underwent primary or revision IPP placement by a single …

Pneumomlpred: Innovating Pneumonia Management With Guideline Adherence Review And Explainable Machine Learning-Based Mortality Prediction - A Single-Centre Retrospective Study, Kamel A. Samara, Hiba Jawdat Barqawi, Saryia Adra, Batool Aldaher, Drishti D. Kampani, Enad Haddad, Hebah Soudan, Islam Ibrahim Anwar, Mohamad Besher Adi, Omar Hamadi, Yumna Almour, Mohamed Nassef, Zaher Al Aghbari, Eman Abu-Gharbieh

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the leading causes of death globally. Changing antibiotic resistance profiles, paucity of reliable CAP mortality prediction models, and ageing populations will increase its burden. This study aims to evaluate adherence to CAP management guidelines as well as develop an ML-based mortality prediction model.

Methods: This retrospective, chart review included all CAP cases between 2016 and 2021. Variables collected included patients' demographics, comorbidities, vitals, laboratory, imaging, and culture findings, as well as initial and targeted antibiotic regimens. Data was pre-processed and analysed in python-3. Adherence to the American thoracic society/infectious diseases society of America …

Longitudinal Changes In Cognition And Brain Imaging In Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus, James Kennedy, Sarah A Cooley, June Roman Fox, Kalen J Petersen, Elizabeth Westerhaus, Pat Reid, Linet Lopez, Beau M Ances

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: As persons with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) live longer, interactions between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), aging, and structural brain integrity become increasingly vital for understanding cognitive disorders. This study analyzed the effects of aging, HIV serostatus, and viral load on cognition and brain volumes in a large cohort of persons without HIV (PWOH), PWH with undetectable virus (PWHU) (HIV RNA ≤50 copies/mL), and PWH with detectable virus (PHWD) (HIV RNA >50 copies/mL). Cross-sectional and longitudinal data were included.

METHODS: Cognitive composites (NPZ4) and brain volumes were obtained from 259 PWOH, 264 PWHU, and 84 PWHD with a total of …

Vaccination-Related Applications And Health Care Professionals' Observed Changes In Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Hesitancy: Cross-Sectional Survey, Manali Desai, Shreela Sharma, Joel Fokom-Domgue, Robert Yu, Wenyaw Chan, Onyema G Chido-Amajuoyi, Charles Darkoh, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Digital tools are known to promote public health interventions such as vaccine delivery. The recommendation that health care professionals (HCPs) use vaccination-related mobile apps or web-based applications has contributed to improving vaccine awareness and acceptance in the United States. The state of Texas, which has one of the lowest human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates, has seen a significant increase in HPV vaccine hesitancy, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between changes in HPV vaccine hesitancy observed by HCPs among patients in Texas and promotion of vaccination-related applications at the health care facilities …

Postapproval Study For Brain-Responsive Neurostimulation For Drug-Resistant Focal Epilepsy: Three-Year Efficacy And Interim Safety Results, Dawn Eliashiv, Vikram R. Rao, Barbara C. Jobst, Jerzy P. Szaflarski, John D. Rolston, Lesley C. Kaye, Taneeta Mindy Ganguly, Katie Bullinger, Patricia C. Dugan, David E. Burdette, Angela Y. Peters, Atif Sheikh, Kevin F. Haas, Dileep R. Nair, Lilit Mnatsakanyan, Imran H. Quraishi, Meriem K. Bensalem-Owen, Michael J. Doherty, Babak Razavi, Tiffany L. Fisher, Christopher T. Skidmore, Pradeep N. Modur, Tawnya M. Constantino, Vicenta Salanova, Andrew J. Cole, Olga Taraschenko, Angelica Rivera-Cruz, James W. Wheless, Nitin Tandon, Antoaneta Balabanov, Sami Aboumatar, Itzhak Fried, Cornelia Drees, Hae Won Shin, Zeenat Jaisani, Stephanie E. Maciver, Sanjay E. Patra, Edward F. Chang, Jon T. Willie, Ryder Gwinn, Travis Stoub, John M. Stern, Tami Crabtree, Cairn G. Seale, Sharon C. Mcfadden, Jacob F. Norman, Lise Johnson, Martha J. Morrell

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Neuromodulation therapies are approved for the treatment of focal epilepsy based on data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). After approval of a responsive direct brain stimulation device (The RNS System for focal epilepsy), the Food and Drug Administration required a prospective study to evaluate whether real-world safety and effectiveness differed from outcomes in the RCT.

METHODS: This open-labeled study enrolled adult participants who met the RNS System-approved indication for use. The primary effectiveness end point was median percent change in seizure frequency at 3 years of treatment. Interim safety is presented; the primary safety endpoint analysis will …

Postapproval Study For Brain-Responsive Neurostimulation For Drug-Resistant Focal Epilepsy: Three-Year Efficacy And Interim Safety Results, Dawn Eliashiv, Vikram R Rao, Barbara C Jobst, Jerzy P Szaflarski, John D Rolston, Lesley C Kaye, Taneeta Mindy Ganguly, Katie Bullinger, Patricia C Dugan, David E Burdette, Angela Y Peters, Atif Sheikh, Kevin F Haas, Dileep R Nair, Lilit Mnatsakanyan, Imran H Quraishi, Meriem K Bensalem-Owen, Rns System Pas Study, Michael J Doherty, Babak Razavi, Tiffany L Fisher, Christopher Skidmore, Pradeep N Modur, Tawnya M Constantino, Vicenta Salanova, Andrew J Cole, Olga Taraschenko, Angelica Rivera-Cruz, James W Wheless, Nitin Tandon, Antoaneta Balabanov, Sami Aboumatar, Itzhak Fried, Cornelia Drees, Hae Won Shin, Zeenat Jaisani, Stephanie E Maciver, Sanjay E Patra, Edward F Chang, Jon T Willie, Ryder Gwinn, Travis Stoub, John M Stern, Tami Crabtree, Cairn G Seale, Sharon C Mcfadden, Jacob F Norman, Lise Johnson, Martha J Morrell

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and objectives: Neuromodulation therapies are approved for the treatment of focal epilepsy based on data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). After approval of a responsive direct brain stimulation device (The RNS System for focal epilepsy), the Food and Drug Administration required a prospective study to evaluate whether real-world safety and effectiveness differed from outcomes in the RCT.

Methods: This open-labeled study enrolled adult participants who met the RNS System-approved indication for use. The primary effectiveness end point was median percent change in seizure frequency at 3 years of treatment. Interim safety is presented; the primary safety endpoint analysis will …

Mosunetuzumab Monotherapy Is Active And Tolerable In Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Richter Transformation, Katharine L Lewis, Nancy L Bartlett, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Richter transformation (RT) to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is an aggressive lymphoma that arises from underlying chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma. RT is often chemorefractory, resulting in poor clinical outcomes with standard chemoimmunotherapy. Mosunetuzumab, a bispecific CD20/CD3 T-cell-engaging antibody, was investigated in a cohort of 20 patients with relapsed/refractory RT. Cytokine release syndrome occurred in 65% of patients, almost exclusively grade 1 (20%) or grade 2 (40%), and occurring during the first treatment cycle. Other adverse events included infections, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, tumor flare, and low-grade neurotoxicity, with no adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation. Mosunetuzumab resulted in an …

Simultaneous Multielectrode Recordings Along The Human Scala Tympani: Evidence For Level-Dependent Place Coding, Amit Walia, Matthew A Shew, Shannon M Lefler, Amanda J Ortmann, Patrick Ioerger, Jordan Varghese, Jacques A Herzog, Craig A Buchman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The cochlea systematically encodes sound frequency and intensity via a precisely organized tonotopic map, in which traveling waves peak at specific cochlear locations. A fundamental but incompletely understood aspect of auditory coding involves how stimulus intensity shapes this tonotopic organization. In animal models, increasing intensity shifts the cochlear traveling wave peak basally; however, physiological evidence for such intensity-dependent shifts in human cochlear processing is limited. Here, we performed simultaneous multielectrode electrocochleography recordings along the human scala tympani to characterize how cochlear place coding varies as a function of stimulus intensity. In subjects with preserved cochlear mechanics, including individuals with auditory …

Inflammatory Markers In The Emergency Department And Ptsd Symptoms In The Aurora Study: A Longitudinal Cohort Study, Kristen Nishimi, Sarah Linnstaedt, Thomas Neylan, Lauren Mckibben, Liz Marie Albertorio-Sáez, Ying Zhao, Stacey House, Francesca Beaudoin, Xinming An, Jennifer Stevens, Gari Clifford, Tanja Jovanovic, Laura Germine, Scott Rauch, John Haran, Alan Storrow, Paul Musey, Phyllis Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Brittany Punches, Robert Swor, Jose Pascual, Mark Seamon, Elizabeth M Datner, Claire Pearson, David Peak, Roland Merchant, Robert Domeier, Niels Rathlev, Brian O'Neil, Paulina Sergot, Leon Sanchez, Steven Bruce, Steven Harte, Ronald Kessler, Karestan Koenen, Kerry Ressler, Samuel Mclean, Aoife O'Donovan

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation is hypothesized to contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) vulnerability. Few studies have examined inflammation shortly after trauma as a predictor of later PTSD symptoms. We examined whether inflammation from the emergency department (ED) post-trauma is associated with PTSD symptom severity over the following 6 months.

METHODS: Our sample included 742 AURORA participants, a longitudinal cohort of patients in 29 EDs across the United States after a traumatic stressor, followed up to 6 months. Plasma cytokines were assessed from a study blood draw in the ED: an inflammatory index (standardized sum of generally pro-inflammatory markers interleukin [IL]-6, …

Inflammatory Markers In The Emergency Department And Ptsd Symptoms In The Aurora Study: A Longitudinal Cohort Study, Kristen Nishimi, Stacey L House, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation is hypothesized to contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) vulnerability. Few studies have examined inflammation shortly after trauma as a predictor of later PTSD symptoms. We examined whether inflammation from the emergency department (ED) post-trauma is associated with PTSD symptom severity over the following 6 months.

METHODS: Our sample included 742 AURORA participants, a longitudinal cohort of patients in 29 EDs across the United States after a traumatic stressor, followed up to 6 months. Plasma cytokines were assessed from a study blood draw in the ED: an inflammatory index (standardized sum of generally pro-inflammatory markers interleukin [IL]-6, …

Systemic Α₂-Agonist Use And Lower Hazard Of Glaucoma Compared With Β-Blockers: A Cohort Study, Ibrahim Abboud, Amin Z. Khudari, Abdelaziz Abdelaal, Amr Almobayed, Subhi J. Al'aref, Jonathan S. Myers, Richard K. Lee, Abdelrahman M. Elhusseiny

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

OBJECTIVE: Systemic antihypertensive medications may influence glaucoma-related outcomes through intraocular pressure-dependent and vascular mechanisms. While topical α₂-agonists are established glaucoma therapies, the association between systemic α₂-agonists and glaucoma hazard remains unexamined; we compared their hazard with systemic β-blockers in adults with hypertension.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We conducted a multicentre retrospective cohort study using deidentified electronic health records. Adults aged ≥40 years with hypertension and chronic exposure to systemic α₂-agonists or β-blockers were included. Patients with pre-existing ocular hypertension (OHT), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), concomitant comparator use, or inadequate ophthalmic follow-up were excluded. We balanced cohorts using propensity score matching (PSM) …

Pharmacogenomic-Guided Prescribing And Polypharmacy Across Age Groups In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Retrospective Study, Sheldon R Garrison, Matthew W Boyer, Anthony W Zoghbi, Rachel A Schwartz, Nicolette Weisensel, Martin E Franklin, Madeline M Hartig, Maharaj Singh, Sreya Vadapalli

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: This study evaluated medication utilization in children, adolescents, and adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a chronic psychiatric condition characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors. Although first-line treatments include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the heterogeneous biological underpinnings contribute to suboptimal outcomes, with 40-60% of individuals not responding to SSRIs. This complex phenotype often leads to psychotropic polypharmacy, which may be mitigated by incorporating combinatorial pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing into protocol-based care to identify potential gene-drug interactions.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of individuals with OCD aged 8 to 65 years who received either …

Apathy, Effort-Based Decisions And Brain Integrity In Alzheimer’S And Parkinson’S Diseases, Lee-Anne Morris, Hideo Suzuki, Seonjoo Lee, Zekai Jin, Bryan B Chen, Ana Marin, Edward D Huey, Yunglin Gazes, Sarah R Heilbronner, Campbell J Le Heron, Nora Vanegas-Arroyave

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Apathy, or loss of motivation, is a prominent syndrome accompanying both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, in addition to other disorders. One approach to understanding motivational loss is to examine the processes underlying goal-directed behaviour. Weighing up rewarding outcomes against the effort costs required to obtain them (effort-based decision-making) is a core computation when deciding to act for outcomes. Although a growing body of evidence points to disruption of this computation in people with apathy, which underlying decision parameters drive this disruption, their neural associations and whether these would generalize or differ across brain disorders have not been examined. People with …

Large-Scale Genetic Characterization Of Parkinson’S Disease In The African And African Admixed Populations, Fulya Akçimen, Kimberly Paquette, Peter Wild Crea, Kathryn Step, Emily Waldo, Mathew J Koretsky, Paula Saffie-Awad, Charles Achoru, Funmilola Taiwo, Simon Ozomma, Gerald Onwuegbuzie, Marzieh Khani, Spencer Grant, Lukman Owolabi, Chiamaka Okereke, Olajumoke Oshinaike, Emmanuel Iwuozo, Suleyman Can Akerman, Paul Suhwan Lee, Shyngle Oyakhire, Nosakhare Osemwegie, Kensuke Daida, Sani Abubakar, Adedunni Olusanya, Mariam Isayan, Christiane Alvarez, Rami Traurig, Adebimpe Ogunmodede, Sarah Samuel, Mary B Makarious, Fadimatu Sa'ad, Rashidat Olanigan, Kristin Levine, Ewere Marie Ogbimi, Dan Vitale, Francis Odiase, Francis Ojini, Olanike Odeniyi, Zih-Hua Fang, Nkechi Obianozie, Deborah A Hall, Ernest Nwazor, Tao Xie, Francesca Nwaokorie, Mahesh Padmanaban, Paul Nwani, Ejaz A Shamim, Alero Nnama, David Standaert, Morenikeji Komolafe, Marissa Dean, Godwin Osaigbovo, Elizabeth Disbrow, Ismaila Ishola, Ashley Rawls, Frank Imarhiagbe, Shivika Chandra, Cyril Erameh, Vanessa Hinson, Naomi Louie, Ahmed Idowu, J Solle, Scott A Norris, Abdullahi Ibrahim, Camilla Kilbane, Gauthaman Sukumar, Lisa M Shulman, Daniel Ezuduemoih, Julia Staisch, Sarah Breaux, Clifton Dalgard, Erin R Foster, Abiodun Bello, Andrew Ameri, Raquel Real, Erica Ikwenu, Huw R Morris, Roosevelt Anyanwu, Erin Furr Stimming, Kimberley Billingsley, Wemimo Alaofin, Pilar Alvarez Jerez, Osigwe Agabi, Dena G Hernandez, Rufus Akinyemi, Sampath Arepalli, Laksh Malik, Raymond Owolabi, Yakub Nyandaiti, Hampton L Leonard, Kolawole Wahab, Oladunni Abiodun, Carlos F Hernandez, Fatima Abdulai, Hirotaka Iwaki, Soraya Bardien, Christine Klein, John Hardy, Henry Houlden, Kamalini Ghosh Galvelis, Mike A Nalls, Nabila Dahodwala, Whitley Aamodt, Emily Hill, Alberto Espay, Stewart Factor, Chantale Branson, Cornelis Blauwendraat, Andrew B Singleton, Oluwadamilola Ojo, Lana M Chahine, Njideka Okubadejo, Sara Bandres-Ciga

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Elucidating the genetic contributions to Parkinson's disease aetiology across diverse ancestries is a critical priority for the development of targeted therapies in a global context. We conducted the largest sequencing characterization of potentially disease-causing, protein-altering and splicing mutations in 710 cases and 11 827 controls from genetically predicted African or African admixed ancestries. We explored copy number variants (CNVs) and runs of homozygosity in prioritized early onset and familial cases. Our study identified rare GBA1 coding variants to be the most frequent mutations among patients with Parkinson's disease, with a frequency of 4% in our case cohort. Of the 18 …

Transcriptome Predictors Of Second Breast Events In Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: A Case‒Control Study Including Black And White Women, Aditi Hazra, Emma Berdan, Thomas Walsh, Sarah Humble, Jen Tappenden, Katherine Deschryver, Deborah Veis, Kiran Vij, Shannan Ho Sui, Graham A Colditz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Black women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) experience disproportionately higher risk of second breast cancer events (SBEs), including both ipsilateral and contralateral recurrences, yet remain underrepresented in molecular biomarker studies compared to non-Hispanic White women.

METHODS: We performed RNA sequencing on 200 archival DCIS samples from the Resource of Archival Breast Tissue cohort, including 33% self-reported Black women. We correlated transcriptomic and clinical data to identify predictors of SBEs. Cases (n = 100) who developed SBEs between 1999 and 2019 were matched 1:1 to controls (n = 100) on age, race, and margin status, who remained event-free …

Large-Scale Genetic Characterization Of Parkinson's Disease In The African And African Admixed Populations, Fulya Akçimen, Scott A Norris, Erin R Foster, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Elucidating the genetic contributions to Parkinson's disease aetiology across diverse ancestries is a critical priority for the development of targeted therapies in a global context. We conducted the largest sequencing characterization of potentially disease-causing, protein-altering and splicing mutations in 710 cases and 11 827 controls from genetically predicted African or African admixed ancestries. We explored copy number variants (CNVs) and runs of homozygosity in prioritized early onset and familial cases. Our study identified rare GBA1 coding variants to be the most frequent mutations among patients with Parkinson's disease, with a frequency of 4% in our case cohort. Of the 18 …

Plasma Constituents Promote Endothelial Thromboinflammatory Dysfunction After Hemorrhagic Shock, Kelly E Sanders, Marissa D Pokharel, Baron K Osborn, Yao-Wei Wang, Charles E Wade, Lucy Z Kornblith, Mitchell J Cohen, Jessica C Cardenas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Hemorrhagic shock (HS) following traumatic injury is hallmarked by innate immune activation, hypercoagulability, and thromboinflammatory complications. To date, the direct link between HS, injury severity, and endothelial cell (EC) contributions to thromboinflammation remains poorly understood. The goals of this study were to determine the impact of injury severity and HS on endothelial-mediated thromboinflammation and examine whether these changes increase the propensity for thrombosis.

Methods: Plasma from 89 male trauma patients, stratified by HS and injury severity, and 10 healthy subjects were assessed for inflammatory mediators by BioPlex. Human lung microvascular endothelial cells were exposed to patient plasma for 4 …

Eptinezumab In Treatment-Resistant Chronic Migraine: Four-Year Real-World Effectiveness And Treatment Persistence, Wan-Jen Hsieh, Kelly Nicol, Chai Ching Ng, Tsung-Wei Hou, Phillip Phan, Scott W. Keith, Brittany Heckel, Michael J. Marmura, Hsiangkuo Yuan

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

AimTo evaluate 48-month real-world outcomes of eptinezumab users in chronic migraine (CM), including longitudinal effectiveness, treatment persistence, reasons for discontinuation, and post-discontinuation anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) treatment patterns.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of 112 CM subjects initiating eptinezumab at a tertiary headache center between 2019 and 2021. Monthly headache days (MHD), migraine disability assessment (MIDAS), and average pain intensity (API) were extracted at baseline and every 6 months for up to 48 months using a predefined outcome form at each visit. Longitudinal changes were analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEE) with an unstructured correlation matrix, adjusting for age, sex, …

Protecting Minors From Medical Malpractice Act: Implications For Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Shiven Sharma, Margo K Mckenna, Julina Ongkasuwan, Michael J Brenner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Seroprevalence Of Helicobacter Pylori Infection Among Asymptomatic Patients Served By A Safety-Net Healthcare System, Aaron P Thrift, Peyman Dinarvand, Luis Juarez, Jourdan Brown, Daniel Avila, Jennifer Mistica Zafiro Garcia-Villanueva, Lisa C Danek, Hammad Mahmood, Thomas Porter, Ann Gotschall, Noreen F Pirzada, Jaime J Rueda, Lee B Lu, Afroze Ali, Ijeoma Anyakorah, Sanjana J Bhattarai, Anees Fatima, Jessica Garcia, Hung V Nguyen, Bharat Joshi, Malvika Juneja, Misba S Lateef, Najda Mujtaba, Preethi V Nambi, Jay S Orr, Huma Rahman, Stephanie Nguyen, Amna Waqar, Yanyan Chen, David Y Graham, Hashem B El-Serag, Mimi C Tan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background & aims: Helicobacter pylori screening and eradication is a cost-effective strategy for primary gastric cancer prevention in high-risk populations outside the United States. There is a paucity of population-based H pylori seroprevalence data available in high-risk U.S. groups, particularly data for low-income, uninsured patient populations.

Methods: We used data from a cross-sectional study of a largely underserved, immigrant, and minority patient population. Inclusion criteria included asymptomatic individuals 30-65 years of age without prior H pylori testing or treatment. Consented patients completed a study survey and a blood draw to screen for H pylori using IgG serology. We calculated seroprevalence …

Robot-Assisted Resection Of Diaphragmatic And Hepatorenal Recess Peritoneal Endometriosis: Two Cases And A Narrative Review, Xiaoming Guan, Qiannan Yang, Daniel Y Lovell, Chunhua Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In this report, we describe two cases of diaphragmatic endometriosis with concurrent hepatorenal recess peritoneal involvement managed using robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery with the da Vinci Xi platform. In both patients, diaphragmatic implants and hepatorenal recess peritoneal lesions were excised en bloc, followed by resection of additional pelvic and abdominal lesions. Case 1 involved a 45-year-old woman whose pathology confirmed endometriosis in 28 of 46 sites, including the diaphragm, umbilicus, bowel, hepatorenal recess peritoneum, and pelvic peritoneum. Case 2 involved a 32-year-old woman with histopathologic evidence of endometriosis in 26 of 34 resected sites, including the appendix, diaphragm, hepatorenal recess peritoneum, …

Screening For Hypertension And Diabetes In Laundromats In The Largest Hispanic-Majority City In The U.S, Nicholas A Mccann, Vanessa Schick, Jack Tsai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes among laundromat users in San Antonio, Texas, and explore laundromats as a novel setting for health interventions regarding these 2 conditions.

Design: This descriptive, cross-sectional study involved demographic, blood pressure and HbA1c screenings to assess the health status of laundromat users.

Setting: The study took place in 7 laundromats in low-income areas of San Antonio.

Subjects: A total of 150 adults aged 18 and older who regularly used the laundromats and spoke either English or Spanish were eligible to participate.

>Measures: Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP …

Associations Of Blood Biomarkers Of Glial Cell Dysfunction And Neuronal Injury With Future Cognitive Decline And Incident Dementia, Srishti Shrestha, Xiaoqian Zhu, B Gwen Windham, Kevin J Sullivan, Priya Palta, Rebecca F Gottesman, Russell P Tracy, Clifford R Jack, Petrice M Cogswell, Prashanthi Vemuri, Sudha Seshadri, Thomas H Mosley, Michael E Griswold, Myriam Fornage

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Prospective studies of blood-based biomarkers reflecting pathogenic processes, other than Alzheimer-specific pathologies, that contribute to dementia in diverse cohorts are lacking.

Methods: We jointly fitted linear mixed-effect models and proportional hazards models to examine associations of midlife glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40), soluble cluster of differentiation-14 (sCD14), neurofilament light chain (NfL), total tau (t-tau), and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) levels in serum (collected in 1993 to 1995) with cognitive decline and incident dementia (ascertained over 29 years through 2022) in the community-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. sCD14 and YKL-40 were measured in 3082 …

Perceived Neighborhood Environment And Objectively Assessed, Habitual Physical Activity Among Us Adults: An All Of Us Research Program Study, Natalia I Heredia, Michael C Robertson, Christopher D Pfledderer, Ethan T Hunt, Timothy J Walker, Deborah Salvo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between perceived socioenvironmental neighborhood attributes and objectively assessed habitual physical activity among US adults as well as whether associations vary by sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: We used data from the All of Us research program, a longitudinal cohort study of a diverse sample of Americans. Perceived neighborhood social cohesion, physical and social disorder, walkability, and sociodemographic characteristics were self-reported. Habitual physical activity was ascertained using Fitbit-derived step counts over ≥24 weeks. Generalized additive mixed-effects models were used to test the associations between perceived socioenvironmental neighborhood attributes and daily step counts. …

2-Aminobutyrate Mediates The Impact Of Air Pollution On Blood Biomarkers Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Anum Saeed, Chris Mckennan, Jane E Clougherty, Peidi Zhou, Sheila Tripathy, Ellen J Kinnee, Jiaxuan Duan, Kevin Kip, Xuemei Zeng, Victor Villemagne, Tharick Pascoal, Mark Mapstone, Eric A Whitsel, Oscar I Lopez, Christie Ballantyne, Thomas K Karikari, Bing Yu, Steven Reis, Annie Cohen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: We examined the impact of mid-life metabolites on late-life Alzheimer's disease (AD) plasma biomarkers and whether these metabolites mediate air pollution effects.

Methods: In the Heart Strategies Concentrating on Risk Evaluation (Heart SCORE) cohort, we applied high-dimensional regression and meditation models, adjusting for observed and latent confounders, with replication in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Exposures included mid-life fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon, metals, and metabolites. Outcomes were: late-life plasma p-tau(181, 217, and 231) and amyloid beta 42/40 (Simoa assays).

Results: In the Heart SCORE study, seven lipid- and amnio acid-pathway metabolites measured in mid-life were …

A Smoking-Related Plasma Protein Score And Smoking-Related Cancer Risk And Mortality In The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Meng Ru, Christopher Douville, Aghiles Guenoun, Hana Zahed, Christie M Ballantyne, Kenneth R Butler, Josef Coresh, David J Couper, Panagis Galiatsatos, Marc J Gunter, Ron C Hoogeveen, Mattias Johansson, Corinne E Joshu, P Martijn Kolijn, Christina M Lill, Jiayun Lu, Michael T Marrone, Giovanna Masala, David C Muller, Anna E Prizment, Raul Zamora-Ros, Nilanjan Chatterjee, Adrienne Tin, Elizabeth A Platz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Self-reported smoking may not fully capture individualized risk of smoking-related cancer, but circulating proteins may reflect biological consequences of smoking. Thus, we developed a score based on smoking-related proteins and evaluated its association with smoking-related cancer.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 10 563 participants aged 47-70 years in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Plasma proteins were measured using the SomaScan Platform (SomaLogic Operating Co, Inc). The score was constructed from proteins associated with current smoking, pack-years, or recent quitting identified by linear regression and elastic net regression. Cox regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios and …

Plasma Proteins Associated With Psychosocial Factors And Heart Disease: The Jackson Heart Study, Sara N O'Brien, Madeline G Gillman, Michael D Green, Daniel E Cruz, James S Floyd, Susan Hankinson, Daniel H Katz, Xiaojuan Liu, Michelle C Odden, Bruce M Psaty, Alexander P Reiner, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Robert E Gerszten, Amil Shah, Mario Sims, Usman A Tahir, Lesley F Tinker, Alexis C Wood, Bing Yu, Anthony S Zannas, Laura M Raffield, Láshauntá M Glover

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Knowledge of proteomic mechanisms explaining the link between psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease is limited. This study aimed to (1) identify plasma proteins associated with psychosocial factors and (2) assess associational pathways between psychosocial factors, identified proteins, and incident cardiovascular disease events in a discovery cohort, JHS (Jackson Heart Study), and 2 replication cohorts, the CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study), and the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

Methods: JHS participants from exam 1 (2000-2004) with SomaScan 1.3k platform proteomics data were included (n=2143, mean age=55.3). Depressive symptoms and perceived stress scores were measured via the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies …

Assessment Of Skin In Patients With Systemic Sclerosis Using High-Frequency Ultrasound And Shear Wave Elastography: A Comparative Study With Histology, Molecular, And Clinical Parameters, Ruhani Desai, Filemon Tan, Minghua Wu, Jeffery L Browning, Samuel Theodore, Meng Zhang, Brian Skaug, Harshdeep Singh Chawla, Manmohan Singh, Salavat Aglyamov, Kirill V Larin, Maureen Mayes, Shervin Assassi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Ultrasound (US) has been proposed as a potential tool for assessing skin fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc). However, a large-scale comparison of US-based assessment with histologic markers of skin fibrosis has not been reported. We evaluated US-based skin assessments for their face validity (differentiation between involved SSc and healthy control [HC] skin), construct validity (comparison to modified Rodnan skin score [mRSS]), and criterion validity (comparison to histologic and gene expression fibrosis markers).

Methods: Twenty HCs and 52 patients with SSc underwent clinical and US assessment followed by a forearm skin biopsy. Predefined areas were assessed on the finger, hand, …

Brief Report: Hepatitis B Vaccination Histories In Persons With Hiv Needing Revaccination, Minhee Kang, Triin Umbleja, Anchalee Avihingsanon, Sandra W Cardoso, Josphat Kosgei, Karen J Vigil, Ta Thi Dieu Ngan, Unoda Chakalisa, Stephanie Caruso, Kenneth E Sherman, Kristen M Marks

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Past studies of hepatitis B vaccines in people with HIV (PWH) have shown mixed results about improving responses with increases in dose or dose frequency, leading to inconsistent guidelines and practice. We examined vaccine series completion and revaccinations in PWH lacking a seroprotective response.

Methods: Hepatitis B vaccination histories were evaluated as a retrospective study in 561 participants of A5379 trial (NCT04193189). Individuals in 41 sites in Africa, Asia, South America, and the United States qualified for the trial with antibody titers below the seroprotective level (< 10 mIU/mL) despite past hepatitis B vaccinations. The primary measure of interest was the number of vaccines in the past vaccination records.

Results: Of the 1098 trial candidates, 561 (51%) did not …