Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

An Evaluation Of Exercise-Related Self-Efficacy Metrics Following A Resistance Training Program In Individuals Treated For Cancer, Kayla S. Adler

Senior Theses

As the number of cancer survivors grows, managing treatment side effects and promoting healthy behaviors like physical activity is crucial. Low exercise self-efficacy, an individual's belief in their capability to perform exercise, is a significant barrier to physical activity adherence. This study assessed if an 8-week supervised resistance training program could improve self-efficacy for exercise (SEE) and outcome expectations of exercise (OEE) in individuals treated for cancer. Participants (n=25) attended twice-weekly, one-hour sessions. SEE and OEE scales were administered pre- and post-intervention. Results indicated a significant increase in SEE scores (mean difference = 8.96 ± 19.87, p = 0.041), demonstrating …

Examining Racial Disparities In Cancer Incidence And Mortality Across South Carolina Regions, William Stokes, Swann Arp Adams, Kara M Montgomery

Senior Theses

Purpose: To provide updated cancer mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) data across South Carolina (SC).

Methods: State and national incidence and mortality data were collected from the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry (SCCCR) and the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER). MIRs (mortality rate/incidence rate) were calculated for all cancer sites, cervical, colon, female breast, lung and bronchus, oral cancers, and prostate cancers from the years 2016-2021, excluding 2020.

Results: Major racial disparities in MIR were found in SC, with the largest discrepancies seen in cervical, colon, and prostate cancers. Of note, each SC region had white cervical …

The Effect Of Grape Seed Extract Against The Formation Of S.Aureus Biofilms In A Clinical Setting, Srestha Samaddar

Senior Theses

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, particularly those caused by Staphylococcus aureus, poses a serious threat to public health and clinical care. A major contributor to the persistence of these infections is the formation of bacterial biofilms, structured communities that protect S. aureus from antibiotics and immune responses, especially on surgical sites and medical devices. As conventional treatments become less effective, interest in alternative, natural antimicrobial agents has increased, due to public dissatisfaction with conventional medicine and a growing trust in complementary and alternative medicine. Grape seed extract (GSE), a polyphenol-rich byproduct of winemaking, has emerged as a promising candidate …

Addressing Gaps In Access: Examining Language Barrier Accommodations In Medicaid Member Handbooks, 2015-2019, Sanskruti Patel

Senior Theses

Objective: This study examines the linguistic accessibility of Medicaid Managed Care Organization (MCO) handbooks from 2015 to 2019 by analyzing the instructions provided to access interpreter and written translation services. Trends were compared over time, considering state and plan-level factors that impact equitable healthcare access for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) enrollees.

Methods: A systematic search using manual efforts and FOIA requests located all publicly available Medicaid handbooks from 2015-2019 (N=657) across 39 states with comprehensive MCO plans. These handbooks were coded by independent reviewers to assess the study outcome variables. Random mixed-effects logistic and linear regression models were conducted to …

Impacts On College-Aged Asian American Mental Health, Zahra Soherwardy

Senior Theses

This study explores the relationship between different forms of racial harassment and mental health issues in Asian American college students. Asian American mental health is a growing concern in the field of public health. Asian Americans have the lowest treatment rates and some of the highest stigma levels of any demographic. They are also impacted by the model minority myth and discrimination, further alienating them from getting help. The topics of subtle racism, blatant racism, and current racial discrimination were compared to depressive symptoms, anxiety, self-esteem, and four domains of aggression using survey data. Subtle racism was found to be …

Estimation Of Therapeutic Threshold For Tuberculosis Using Adapted Nominal Group Technique And Clinical Vignettes In Clinical And Community Settings In Southern Africa, Alfred Kipyegon Keter, Alastair Van Heerden, Tom Decroo, Tom Boyles, Shannon Bosman, Thandanani Madonsela, Lindani Innocent Msimango, Lenika Naiken, Carlos Kiyan, Mashaete Kamele

Population Health, East Africa

Background: When confronted with diagnostic uncertainty and a decision on whether to start treatment or not, clinicians consider the potential harm and benefit of offering versus withholding treatment. Treatment can be offered if the probability of tuberculosis (TB) in the patient is above the “therapeutic threshold” (ThT): the probability of disease at which the expected utility of treating and not treating is the same. We estimated ThT for TB in clinical and community settings in Southern Africa using two methods: an adapted nominal group technique (aNGT), and decisions made based on clinical vignettes (CVs).

Methods: We enrolled health …

Emergence Of Transferable Daptomycin Resistance In Gram-Positive Bacteria, Tessa Marciniak, Lukas Kirchner, Silver A. Wolf, Birgit Walther, Thorsten Bischler, Justin Nyasinga, R Gunturu, Torsten Semmler, Tom Gräfenhan, Andrew Whitelaw

Pathology, East Africa

Daptomycin (DAP) is a last-resort antibiotic to treat infections by multiresistant Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. DAP resistance and clinical treatment failure has been associated with adaptive chromosomal mutations, but so far not with transmissible resistance traits. Here we report for the first time an acquired DAP-R determinant (named drc) that we detected in a livestock-associated Mammaliicoccus sciuri isolate. drc consists of a two-gene operon (drcAB) that is controlled by an adjacent two-component system (drcRS). The DrcAB proteins, which mediate DAP inactivation, are similar to BceAB-like antimicrobial peptide transporters of Gram-positives, but are distinct from …

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Expression In Merkel Cell Carcinoma Is Associated With Clinical And Histopathologic Parameters, Christopher R Cunningham, Yiannis P Dimopoulos, Ian M García-Quiñones, Denái R Milton, Manuel Delgado-Vélez, Woo Cheal Cho, Victor G Prieto, José A Lasalde-Dominicci, Leomar Y Ballester, Phyu P Aung

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive cutaneous malignancy with neuroendocrine differentiation. Several molecular pathways have been implicated in MCC development and multiple cell-of-origin candidates have been proposed, including neural crest cells, which express acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). The role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in MCC has not been explored. In this study, we investigated if MCC expresses nAChRs and if nAChR expression correlates with patient characteristics.

Methods: The study included 71 MCC cases diagnosed with sufficient tissue available to perform immunohistochemical analysis. The median follow-up was 29.8 months (range, 2.7-234.1). We performed immunohistochemistry using antibodies against the …

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Expression In Merkel Cell Carcinoma Is Associated With Clinical And Histopathologic Parameters, Christopher R Cunningham, Yiannis P Dimopoulos, Ian M García-Quiñones, Denái R Milton, Manuel Delgado-Vélez, Woo Cheal Cho, Victor G Prieto, José A Lasalde-Dominicci, Leomar Y Ballester, Phyu P Aung

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive cutaneous malignancy with neuroendocrine differentiation. Several molecular pathways have been implicated in MCC development and multiple cell-of-origin candidates have been proposed, including neural crest cells, which express acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). The role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in MCC has not been explored. In this study, we investigated if MCC expresses nAChRs and if nAChR expression correlates with patient characteristics.

Methods: The study included 71 MCC cases diagnosed with sufficient tissue available to perform immunohistochemical analysis. The median follow-up was 29.8 months (range, 2.7-234.1). We performed immunohistochemistry using antibodies against the …

Adoptively Transferred Tumor-Specific Il-9-Producing Cytotoxic Cd8+ T Cells Activate Host Cd4+ T Cells To Control Tumors With Antigen Loss, Liuling Xiao, Rui Duan, Wendao Liu, Chuanchao Zhang, Xingzhe Ma, Miao Xian, Qiang Wang, Qi Guo, Wei Xiong, Pan Su, Lingqun Ye, Yabo Li, Ling Zhong, Jianfei Qian, Yong Lu, Zhongming Zhao, Qing Yi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Host effector CD4+ T cells emerge as critical mediators for tumor regression but whether they can be activated by adoptively transferred CD8+ T cells remains unknown. We previously reported that adoptive transfer of interleukin 9 (IL-9)-producing cytotoxic CD8+ T (Tc9) cells achieved long-term control of tumor growth. Here, we demonstrate that murine tumor-specific Tc9 cells control the outgrowth of antigen-loss relapsed tumors by recruiting and activating host effector CD4+ T cells. Tc9 cells secreted IL-24 and recruited CCR7-expressing conventional type 2 dendritic cells (cDC2 cells) into tumor-draining lymph nodes to prime host CD4+ T cells against relapsed tumors. Host CD4+ …

Pulmonary Disease Caused By Mycobacterium Marseillense In Colombia, Darío Sebastián López-Delgado, Gabriel Alonso Rodríguez-Caicedo, Diego Fernando Taramuel-Gómez, Peter Houck, Martha Isabel Murcia-Aranguren, Roberto C Arduino, Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Fungal Infections In People Who Use Drugs, Jose Portugal Gonzales, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Illicit drug use in the United States continues to rise, alongside an increasing number of severe infections associated with drug use. Surveillance studies report that 28%–34% of candidemia cases are linked to intravenous drug use, with Candida albicans being the most commonly isolated species, followed by Candida parapsilosis and Candida glabrata. Marijuana use is associated with lung infections caused by Aspergillus and the Mucorales, showing a 3.5-fold increased risk of mold infections and a 2.2-fold increased risk for other fungal infections. Intravenous drug use also presents a recognized risk factor for Aspergillus and Mucorales infections. Additionally, substances like …

Uric Acid Stroke Cerebroprotection Transcended Sex, Age, And Comorbidities In A Multicenter Preclinical Trial, Rakesh B Patel, Mariia Kumskova, Hanish Kodali, Ivan Budnik, Vitalii Kuznetsov, Aditi Jain, Abhishek Jha, Daniel Thedens, Nirav Dhanesha, Brijesh Sutariya, Karisma A Nagarkatti, Jessica Lamb, Pradip Kamat, Yanrong Shi, Brooklyn Avery, Takahiko Imai, Xuyan Jin, Anjali Chauhan, Ligia S B Boisserand, Mohammad B Khan, Krishnan Dhandapani, Basavaraju G Sanganahalli, Lauren H Sansing, David C Hess, Raymond C Koehler, Louise D Mccullough, Jaroslaw Aronowski, Cenk Ayata, Márcio A Diniz, Patrick D Lyden, Anna M Planas, Angel Chamorro, Anil K Chauhan, Enrique C Leira, Span Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Past failures in translating stroke cerebroprotection provoked calls for a more rigorous methodological approach, leading to the stroke preclinical assessment network SPAN (Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network), where uric acid (UA) treatment exceeded a prespecified efficacy boundary for the primary functional outcome. Still, successful translation to humans requires confirmation of the effect of UA across key biological variables relevant to patients with stroke.

Methods: We measured the effects of intravenous UA treatment (16 mg/kg) versus intravenous saline in groups of animals enrolled in the SPAN network with diverse comorbidities, sex, and age. The masked study drug or placebo was administered …

Opportunities In Stroke Care At Safety Net Hospitals: A Socioecological Perspective, Anjail Sharrief, Joshua Wollen, Maha Almohamad, M Carter Denny, Erica Jones, Aardhra M Venkatachalam, Digvijaya Navalkele, Shivika Chandra, Mariam Ahmed, Robert Pratt, Bradley D Shy, John Mcmenamy, Chigozirim Izeogu, Lesli E Skolarus, Nneka L Ifejika, Nicole R Gonzales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Safety net hospitals (SNHs) provide care to patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay, serving populations at the highest risk for poor stroke outcomes. These include historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups, and individuals disproportionately affected by adverse social drivers of health, including lower socioeconomic status, housing instability, and limited access to preventive care. Improving stroke care at SNHs presents a critical opportunity to strengthen care delivery for individuals with the greatest need. However, such efforts require a clear understanding of the barriers across all levels of the healthcare system. In this Perspective, the authors adopt a …

Safety Outcomes Of Antiplatelet Therapy During Endovascular Treatment Of Tandem Lesions In Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients, Mudassir Farooqui, Afshin A Divani, Milagros Galecio-Castillo, Ameer E Hassan, Mouhammad A Jumaa, Marc Ribo, Michael Abraham, Nils Petersen, Johanna Fifi, Waldo R Guerrero, Amer M Malik, James E Siegler, Thanh N Nguyen, Sunil A Sheth, Albert J Yoo, Guillermo Linares, Nazli Janjua, Darko Quispe-Orozco, Asad Ikram, Wondewossen G Tekle, Syed F Zaidi, Cynthia B Zevallos, Federica Rizzo, Tiffany Barkley, Reade De Leacy, Jane Khalife, Mohamad Abdalkader, Sergio Salazar-Marioni, Jazba Soomro, Weston Gordon, Aaron Rodriguez-Calienes, Juan Vivanco-Suarez, Charoskhon Turabova, Maxim Mokin, Dileep R Yavagal, Santiago Ortega-Gutierrez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Risk of hemorrhage remains with antiplatelet medications required with carotid stenting during endovascular therapy (EVT) for tandem lesion (TLs). We evaluated the safety of antiplatelet regimens in EVT of TLs. This multicenter study included anterior circulation TL patients from 2015 to 2020, stratified by periprocedural EVT antiplatelet strategy: (1) no antiplatelets, (2) single oral, (3) dual oral, and (4) intravenous IV (in combination with single or dual oral). Primary outcome was symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). Secondary outcomes were any hemorrhage, favorable functional status (mRS 0-2) at 90 days, successful reperfusion (mTICI score ≥ 2b), in-stent thrombosis, and mortality at 90 …

Lysyl Hydroxylase 2 Glucosylates Collagen Vi To Drive Lung Cancer Progression, Shike Wang, Houfu Guo, Reo Fukushima, Masahiko Terajima, Min Liu, Guan-Yu Xiao, Lenka Koudelková, Chao Wu, Xin Liu, Jiang Yu, Emma Burris, Jun Xu, Alvise Schiavinato, William K Russell, Mitsuo Yamauchi, Xiaochao Tan, Jonathan M Kurie

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lysyl hydroxylase 2 (LH2) is highly expressed in multiple tumor types and accelerates disease progression by hydroxylating lysine residues on fibrillar collagen telopeptides to generate stable collagen cross links in tumor stroma. Here, we show that a galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase (GGT) domain on LH2-modified type-VI collagen (Col6) to promote lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) growth and metastasis. In tumors generated by LUAD cells lacking LH2 GGT domain activity, stroma was less stiff, and stable types of collagen cross links were reduced. Mass spectrometric analysis of total and glycosylated peptides in parental and GGT-inactive tumor samples identified Col6 chain α3 (Col6a3), a component of …

Symptom Documentation In Unstructured Palliative Care Notes Of Children And Adolescents With Cancer., Katherine Bernier Carney, Jacob Wilkes, Tumilara Aderibigbe, Kristin Stegenga, Holly Spraker-Perlman, Lauri A. Linder

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

CONTEXT: Children and adolescents with cancer experiencing complex symptoms can benefit from subspeciality palliative care. However, standardized methods of symptom documentation by pediatric palliative care teams are lacking. Understanding current approaches to symptom documentation will inform next steps to optimize symptom support.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the documentation of symptom prevalence and characteristics in unstructured clinical notes by pediatric palliative care clinicians caring for children and adolescents with cancer.

METHODS: We reviewed unstructured clinical notes documented by the pediatric palliative care team for 115 children and adolescents with cancer. Symptom-related data were abstracted and evaluated using content analysis based on the …

Genetic Testing Utilization In The U.S. Registry For Childhood Interstitial And Diffuse Lung Diseases., Laura A. Voss, Rebekah J. Nevel, Jennifer A. Wambach, Lawrence M. Nogee, Robin R. Deterding, Alicia M. Casey, Michael G. O'Connor, Daniel I. Craven, Jane B. Taylor, Gail H. Deutsch, Jade B. Tam-Williams, Lea C. Steffes, Steven K. Brennan, Maria T. Santiago, Sara C. Sadreameli, Andrea F. Heras, Michael R. Powers, Antonia P. Popova, Manvi Bansal, Aaron Hamvas, William A. Gower, Fernando Urrego, Lisa R. Young, Child Registry Collaborative

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: Childhood interstitial and diffuse lung diseases (chILD) comprise a diverse group of rare disorders. Identifying the underlying cause is crucial for treatment, prognosis, and estimating recurrence risk. The objective of this study was to assess the utilization of genetic testing for subjects enrolled in the United States National Registry for ChILD, a multicenter observational study.

METHODS: Genetic data from participating sites were reviewed and analyzed in relationship to clinical characteristics.

RESULTS: Of 609 children enrolled from 22 centers, genetic testing was performed for 55.5% (n = 338). Genetic testing results were positive (diagnostic) for 22.8% (n = 77), negative …

The Cgas-Sting1 Pathway As A Mediator Of Innate Immune Response In Cardiovascular Disease, Leila Rouhi, Priyatansh Gurha, Ali J Marian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The innate immune response, a rapid and cell-autonomous response of the cell to the pathogens, recognizes the external as well as the internal pathogens, such as self-DNA, released from the damaged cells. The response activates a set of molecules that induce the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and leads to inflammation, fibrosis, and cell death. The innate immune response comprised of DNA-sensing protein cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase (CGAS) and its downstream molecules, the stimulator of interferon genes 1 (STING1), TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB), are activated in several …

Prediction Of Hepatitis C Virus Perinatal Transmission In Pregnant Individuals With Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Grecio J Sandoval, George R Saade, Brenna L Hughes, Rebecca G Clifton, Uma M Reddy, Anna Bartholomew, Ashley Salazar, Edward K Chien, Alan T N Tita, John M Thorp, Torri D Metz, Ronald J Wapner, Vishakha Sabharwal, Hyagriv N Simhan, Geeta K Swamy, Kent D Heyborne, Baha M Sibai, William A Grobman, Yasser Y El-Sayed, Brian M Casey, Samuel Parry, George A Macones, Mona Prasad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Our objective was to develop a prediction model for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection perinatal transmission to improve triage for neonatal follow-up. This was a secondary analysis of HCV antibody-positive participants who were enrolled in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network multicenter observational study of HCV infection in pregnancy. Among 432 participants, the perinatal transmission rate was 6.0% (95% CI, 4.0-8.7%). The prediction model was developed and included two factors: maternal HCV RNA titer greater than 10 6 international units/mL and having had any antepartum bleeding. Using this model, the …

Importance Of Postreduction Ct Scans In Posterior And Transverse Posterior Wall Acetabular Fracture-Dislocations, Samantha R Gardner, Douglas R Haase, Nikhil Gattu, Stephen J Warner, Milton L Chip Routt, Patrick Kellam, Jonathan G Eastman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: To report the frequency of patients with pre-reduction and postreduction computed tomography (CT) scans associated with acetabular fracture-dislocations and the change in position of associated intra-articular fragments occurring with joint reduction.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: Regional Level 1 trauma center.

Patient selection criteria: Patients who sustained Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopedic Trauma Association 62A1 and 62B1 posterior wall or transverse posterior wall acetabular fracture-dislocations with pre-reduction and postreduction CT imaging from February 2020 to July 2023.

Outcome measures and comparisons: Intra-articular fragments were identified, and change in position (fossa to cranial, intra-articular to extra-articular, etc.) was noted from pre-reduction to …

Acute Pain Trajectories In Elderly Patients With Fragility Hip Fractures, Paul Potnuru, Christina Goehl, Katherine S Becker, Alejandro Juul, Madison Aycock, Johanna Blair De Haan, Sudipta Sen, Michelle Ge, Stephen J Warner, Nadia Hernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Pain management for hospitalized elderly patients with fragility hip fractures (FHF) remains challenging. This study aims to distinguish acute pain trajectories in FHF patients that can inform personalized analgesia management.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of patients aged 65 and older with FHF at a Level I trauma center. The primary outcome was daily average pain assessed for five days post-injury using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). We used group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) to distinguish acute pain trajectories. Then, factors and secondary outcomes (opioid use and hospital length of stay [LOS]) associated with more severe pain trajectories …

Cell-Free Dna Results Indicating Mosaic Monosomy X Of Likely Maternal Origin: Impact On Genetic Counseling Practices And Patient Experiences, Audrey Mcbride, Ashley Cannon, Siddharth Prakash, Aaron W Roberts, Angela Seasely, Anna C E Hurst, Laura Hendon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To investigate the current genetic counseling practices involving a cfDNA result indicating mosaic monosomy X of likely maternal origin, and to better understand the perspectives of patients who have received this result.

Method: A total of 60 prenatal genetic counselors completed surveys about their experiences with this result, cfDNA consenting practices, and management practices. In addition, qualitative interviews were conducted with 5 patients to gain insight into their experiences with result disclosure and follow-up care.

Results: 95% of genetic counselors reported feeling prepared to counsel on these results. However, responses to current practices varied. Of the genetic counselors surveyed, …

Thrombotic Complications Associated With Right Atrial Lines In Neonates And Infants Undergoing Cardiac Surgery. Is Calcium Chloride A Culprit?, Vy A Tran, Evelyn M Griffin, Jehan D Elliott, Rebecca L Scholl, Robert B Hill, Kelbie Kerr, Hala Khan, Jonathan Bates, Xu Zhang, Sepideh Saroukhani, Jorge Salazar, Olga I Pawelek

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: To determine if a change from calcium chloride to calcium gluconate infusion resulted in a decreased incidence of atrial thrombi and thrombotic events in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery.

Design: A single-center, retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting: A single center in Houston, TX.

Participants: 135 neonates undergoing cardiac surgery who had either a central venous catheter or tunneled atrial catheter placed and received infusions of either calcium chloride or calcium gluconate in the perioperative period.

Interventions: Patients either received a calcium chloride or calcium gluconate infusion in the perioperative period.

Measurements and main results: The study cohort consisted of 93 procedures …

Role Of Peripheral Amyloid-Β Aggregates In Alzheimer's Disease: Mechanistic, Diagnostic, And Therapeutic Implications, Nazaret Gamez, Rodrigo Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

In Vivo Antibody Labeling Route And Fluorophore Dictate Labeling Efficiency, Sensitivity, And Longevity, Natalie B Hagan, Charles Inaku, Nikesh Kunder, Tayleur White, Thierry Iraguha, Anna Meyer, Kristen E Pauken, Jason M Schenkel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Leukocytes migrate through the blood and extravasate into organs to surveil the host for infection or cancer. Recently, we demonstrated that intravenous (IV) anti-CD45.2 antibody labeling allowed for precise tracking of leukocyte migration. However, the narrow labeling window can make this approach challenging for tracking rare migration events. Here, we show that altering antibody administration route and fluorophore can significantly extend the antibody active labeling time. We found that while both IV and intraperitoneal (IP) anti-CD45.2 antibody labeled circulating leukocytes after injection, they had different kinetic properties that impacted labeling time and intensity. Quantification of circulating antibody revealed that while …

Unleashing The Power Of Multiomics: Unraveling The Molecular Landscape Of Peripheral Neuropathy, Julie Choi, Zitian Tang, Wendy Dong, Jenna Ulibarri, Elvisa Mehinovic, Simone Thomas, Ahmet Höke, Sheng Chih Jin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Peripheral neuropathies (PNs) affect over 20 million individuals in the United States, manifesting as a wide range of sensory, motor, and autonomic nerve symptoms. While various conditions such as diabetes, metabolic disorders, trauma, autoimmune disease, and chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity have been linked to PN, approximately one-third of PN cases remain idiopathic, underscoring a critical gap in our understanding of these disorders. Over the years, considerable efforts have focused on unraveling the complex molecular pathways underlying PN to advance diagnosis and treatment. Traditional methods such as linkage analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, and Sanger sequencing identified initial genetic variants …

The Placenta Regulates Intrauterine Fetal Growth Via Exosomal Pparγ, Xiaofang Luo, Biao Huang, Ping Xu, Hao Wang, Baozhen Zhang, Li Lin, Jiujiang Liao, Mingyu Hu, Xiyao Liu, Jiayu Huang, Yong Fu, Mark D Kilby, Rodney E Kellems, Xiujun Fan, Yang Xia, Philip N Baker, Hongbo Qi, Chao Tong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Abnormal adipogenesis is a major contributor to fetal growth restriction (FGR) and its associated complications. However, the underlying etiology remains unclear. Here, it is reported that the placentas of women with pregnancies complicated with FGR exhibit peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) inactivation. In mice, trophoblast-specific ablation of murine PPARγ reproduces the phenotype of human fetuses with FGR and defective adipogenesis. Coculture of trophoblasts with preadipocytes significantly improves preadipocyte commitment and differentiation and increases the transcription of a series of adipogenic genes via intercellular transfer of exosomal PPARγ proteins. Moreover, nanoparticle-mediated placenta-specific delivery of rosiglitazone (RGZ) significantly rescues adipogenesis defects in …

Calcium-Sensing Receptor As A Novel Target For The Treatment Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Kasope Wolffs, Renjiao Li, Bethan Mansfield, Daniel A Pass, Richard T Bruce, Ping Huang, Rachel Paes De Araújo, Bahareh Sadat Haddadi, Luis A J Mur, Jordanna Dally, Ryan Moseley, Rupert Ecker, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Keir E Lewis, A John Simpson, Jeremy P T Ward, Christopher J Corrigan, Renata Z Jurkowska, Benjamin D Hope-Gill, Daniela Riccardi, Polina L Yarova

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease with a poor prognosis and no curative therapies. Fibroblast activation by transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) and disrupted metabolic pathways, including the arginine-polyamine pathway, play crucial roles in IPF development. Polyamines are agonists of the calcium/cation-sensing receptor (CaSR), activation of which is detrimental for asthma and pulmonary hypertension, but its role in IPF is unknown. To address this question, we evaluated polyamine abundance using metabolomic analysis of IPF patient saliva. Furthermore, we examined CaSR functional expression in human lung fibroblasts (HLFs), assessed the anti-fibrotic effects of a CaSR antagonist, NPS2143, in TGFβ1-activated normal …

Unraveling Heart Failure Phenotypes: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Peak Oxygen Uptake And Its Determinants, Corey R Tomczak, Stephen J Foulkes, Christopher Weinkauf, Devyn Walesiak, Jing Wang, Veronika Schmid, Sarah Paterson, Wesley J Tucker, Michael D Nelson, Simon Wernhart, Jan Vontobel, David Niederseer, Mark J Haykowsky

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Understanding the impact of heart failure (HF) phenotype on peak oxygen uptake (peak ˙V O2) is essential for advancing personalized treatment strategies and enhancing patient outcomes. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence examining differences in peak ˙V O2 (primary objective) and its determinants (secondary objectives) between patients with HF with reduced (HFrEF) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Methods: Studies comparing peak ˙V O2 in HFrEF vs HFpEF were found through PubMed (1967-2024), Scopus (1981-2024), and Web of Science (1985-2024). Data extraction and methodologic quality assessment were completed by 2 independent coders. Differences between HFrEF …