Diseases Commons^™

In Vivo Cardiac Electrophysiology In Mice: Determination Of Atrial And Ventricular Arrhythmic Substrates, Jose Alberto Navarro-Garcia, Florian Bruns, Oliver M Moore, Marcel A Tekook, Dobromir Dobrev, Christina Y Miyake, Xander H T Wehrens

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cardiac arrhythmias are a common cardiac condition that might lead to fatal outcomes. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of arrhythmia mechanisms is necessary for the development of better treatment modalities. To aid these efforts, various mouse models have been developed for studying cardiac arrhythmias. Both genetic and surgical mouse models are commonly used to assess the incidence and mechanisms of arrhythmias. Since spontaneous arrhythmias are uncommon in healthy young mice, intracardiac programmed electrical stimulation (PES) can be performed to assess the susceptibility to pacing-induced arrhythmias and uncover the possible presence of a proarrhythmogenic substrate. This procedure …

Host Gastric Corpus Microenvironment Facilitates Ascaris Suum Larval Hatching And Infection In A Murine Model, Yifan Wu, Grace Adeniyi-Ipadeola, Mahliyah Adkins-Threats, Matthew Seasock, Charlie Suarez-Reyes, Ricardo Fujiwara, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Lizhen Song, Jason C Mills, Jill E Weatherhead

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Ascariasis (roundworm) is the most common parasitic helminth infection globally and can lead to significant morbidity in children including chronic lung disease. Children become infected with Ascaris spp. via oral ingestion of eggs. It has long been assumed that Ascaris egg hatching and larval translocation across the gastrointestinal mucosa to initiate infection occurs in the small intestine. Here, we show that A. suum larvae hatched in the host stomach in a murine model. Larvae utilize acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase; acid chitinase; Chia) from chief cells and acid pumped by parietal cells to emerge from eggs on the surface of gastric …

Timely Delivery Of Port For Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma In A County Hospital, Ana Maria Rosas Herrera, Angela D Haskins, Alexander N Hanania, Pavan M Jhaveri, Christina H Chapman, Quillan Huang, David J Hernandez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare the rate of post-operative radiation therapy (PORT) initiation within 6 weeks for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients treated at a safety net, academic institutio between 2019 and 2021 versus those treated in 2022 after implementation of a new clinical pathway.

METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was performed at a single tertiary care, safety-net, academic institution. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, dates of surgery, and other treatment dates were collected from the electronic medical record. The time from surgery to PORT was calculated. Patients who started radiation treatment within 42 days …

Outcomes Of Minimally Invasive Isolated Tricuspid Valve Repair And Replacement Through Right Mini-Thoracotomy, Ahmed Alnajar, Subhasis Chatterjee, Jacqueline K Olive, Mahmut S Kaymakci, Lauren Gray, Zachary Gray, Joao R Breda, Joseph Lamelas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Isolated tricuspid valve surgery is uncommon and associated with high perioperative morbidity and mortality. We aimed to study the overall outcomes of patients who underwent minimally invasive right thoracotomy tricuspid valve surgery (Mini-TVS), consisting of either tricuspid valve repair (TVre) or replacement (TVR).

METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all Mini-TVS procedures (2017-2022), through which we identified isolated tricuspid valve surgeries. We examined in-hospital outcomes, survival analysis over a 4-year period, and competing risk analysis for reoperative surgery.

RESULTS: Among a total of 51 patients, the average age was 60 ± 16 years, and 67% (n = 34) …

Adverse Metabolic Phenotypes In Parenterally Fed Neonatal Pigs Do Not Persist Into Adolescence, Sarah K Elefson, Barbara Stoll, Teresa A Davis, Marta L Fiorotto, Samer W El-Kadi, Kenneth Genovese, Thomas Thymann, Per T Sangild, Douglas G Burrin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Nutrition during fetal and neonatal life is an important determinant for the risk of adult-onset diseases, especially type 2 diabetes and obesity.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine whether total parenteral nutrition (TPN) compared with enteral formula feeding [enteral nutrition (EN)] in term piglets during the first 2 wk after birth would increase the long-term (5-mo) development of metabolic syndrome phenotypes with adverse glucose homeostasis, fatty liver disease, and obesity.

METHODS: Neonatal female pigs were administered TPN (n = 12) or fed enterally with a liquid enteral milk-replacer formula (EN, n = 12) for 14 d. After transitioning TPN pigs …

Delays Starting Postoperative Radiotherapy Among Head And Neck Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Kelsey A Duckett, Mohamed Faisal Kassir, Shaun A Nguyen, Emily A Brennan, Bhishamjit S Chera, Katherine R Sterba, Chanita Hughes Halbert, Elizabeth G Hill, Jessica Mccay, Sidharth V Puram, Vlad C Sandulache, Russel Kahmke, Salma Ramadan, Brian Nussenbaum, Anthony J Alberg, Evan M Graboyes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Initiating postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) within 6 weeks (42 days) of surgery is the first and only Commission on Cancer (CoC) approved quality metric for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). No study has systematically reviewed nor synthesized the literature to establish national benchmarks for delays in starting PORT.

DATA SOURCES: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, we performed a systematic review of PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL.

REVIEW METHODS: Studies that described time-to-PORT or PORT delays in patients with HNSCC treated in the United States after 2003 were included. Meta-analysis of proportions and continuous measures …

The Curious Case Of A Painful Leg Ulcer, Jay R Patel, Rubi Montejano, Christina Hopkins, Hanna Siatecka, Theodore Rosen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Sickle cell disease is a condition that can involve numerous organ systems secondary to vascular occlusion. Herein, we present a case of a 21-year-old male with sickle cell disease requiring long-term hydroxyurea therapy. Upon migrating to the United States from Yemen, the patient developed a rapidly progressive, exquisitely painful ulcer on his right lower extremity. Given his country of origin, a broad differential, including select infectious diseases, was essential. Moreover, establishing the unequivocally correct diagnosis was crucial to determine proper and safe therapy. Ultimately, a lesional biopsy demonstrated numerous sickled red blood cells occluding blood vessels, leading to the diagnosis …

Endothelial Cells Adopt A Pro-Reparative Immune Responsive Signature During Cardiac Injury, Hali Long, Jeffrey D Steimle, Francisco Jose Grisanti Canozo, Jong Hwan Kim, Xiao Li, Yuka Morikawa, Minjun Park, Diwakar Turaga, Iki Adachi, Joshua D Wythe, Md Abul Hassan Samee, James F Martin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Modulation of the heart’s immune microenvironment is crucial for recovery after ischemic events such as myocardial infarction (MI). Endothelial cells (ECs) can have immune regulatory functions; however, interactions between ECs and the immune environment in the heart after MI remain poorly understood. We identified an EC-specific IFN responsive and immune regulatory gene signature in adult and pediatric heart failure (HF) tissues. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of murine hearts subjected to MI uncovered an EC population (IFN-ECs) with immunologic gene signatures similar to those in human HF. IFN-ECs were enriched in regenerative-stage mouse hearts and expressed genes encoding immune responsive transcription factors …

Anticoagulation With Osocimab In Patients With Kidney Failure Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Randomized Phase 2 Trial, Jeffrey I Weitz, László B Tankó, Jürgen Floege, Keith A A Fox, Deepak L Bhatt, Ravi Thadhani, James Hung, Ákos F Pap, Dagmar Kubitza, Wolfgang C Winkelmayer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Individuals with kidney failure undergoing hemodialysis are at elevated risk for thromboembolic events. Factor (F) XI, which is in the intrinsic pathway of coagulation, is emerging as an attractive target for new anticoagulants that may be safer than existing agents. Osocimab-an inhibitory FXIa antibody-is a potential treatment option for such patients. We conducted a phase 2b, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, in which 704 participants (448 male, 256 female) with kidney failure undergoing hemodialysis were randomized to receive lower- or higher-dose osocimab or placebo. In total, 686 participants (436 male, 250 female) received treatment for ≤18 months (planned minimal treatment period of …

The Future Of International Classification Of Diseases Coding In Steatotic Liver Disease: An Expert Panel Delphi Consensus Statement, Hannes Hagström, Leon A Adams, Alina M Allen, Christopher D Byrne, Yoosoo Chang, Ajay Duseja, Henning Grønbæk, Mona H Ismail, Peter Jepsen, Fasiha Kanwal, Jennifer Kramer, Rohit Loomba, Henry E Mark, Philip N Newsome, Mary E Rinella, Ian A Rowe, Seungho Ryu, Arun Sanyal, Jörn M Schattenberg, Marina Serper, Nick Sheron, Tracey G Simon, C Wendy Spearman, Elliot B Tapper, Marcela Villota-Rivas, Sarah H Wild, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Yusuf Yilmaz, Shira Zelber-Sagi, Fredrik Åberg, Jeffrey V Lazarus

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Following the adoption of new nomenclature for steatotic liver disease, we aimed to build consensus on the use of International Classification of Diseases codes and recommendations for future research and advocacy.

METHODS: Through a two-stage Delphi process, a core group (n = 20) reviewed draft statements and recommendations (n = 6), indicating levels of agreement. Following revisions, this process was repeated with a large expert panel (n = 243) from 73 countries.

RESULTS: Consensus ranged from 88.8% to 96.9% (mean = 92.3%).

CONCLUSIONS: This global consensus statement provides guidance on harmonizing the International Classification of Diseases coding for steatotic …

Rates, Patterns, And Predictors Of Specialty Palliative Care Consultation Among Patients With Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure, Arpan Patel, Anne Walling, Fasiha Kanwal, Marina Serper, Ruben Hernaez, Vinay Sundaram, David Kaplan, Tamar Taddei, Nadim Mahmud

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There is growing acceptance that principles of palliative care should be integrated into the management of serious illnesses affecting the liver, such as acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). However, rates, patterns, and predictors of specialty palliative care consultation among patients with ACLF have not been well-described.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalized with ACLF between 1/1/2008 and 12/31/2018 using the VOCAL cohort. Patients were followed until 6/2021. We used mixed-effects regression analyses to identify significant patient and facility factors associated with palliative care consultation. We examined timing of consultation, the influence of ACLF characteristics, …

Left Main Coronary Artery Disease: A Contemporary Review Of Diagnosis And Management, Muzamil Khawaja, Michael Britt, Muhammad Asad Khan, Uzair Munaf, Hassaan Arshad, Rehma Siddiqui, Hafeez Ul Hassan Virk, Mahboob Alam, Chayakrit Krittanawong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Significant left main coronary artery disease is a very high-risk subgroup of coronary artery disease that is a crucial indicator of heightened morbidity and mortality rates. Despite its clinical significance, uncertainties persist regarding the optimal management strategy for patients, particularly given its phenotypic variations. Existing evidence-based guidelines offer insights into revascularization options, yet questions remain regarding long-term prognoses and clinical outcomes when comparing percutaneous coronary intervention to coronary artery bypass grafting. This comprehensive review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of contemporary strategies for the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of left main coronary artery disease. By synthesizing current literature and …

Examining The Association Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Disruptions In Cortical Networks Identified Using Data-Driven Methods, Jin Yang, Ashley A Huggins, Delin Sun, C Lexi Baird, Courtney C Haswell, Jessie L Frijling, Miranda Olff, Mirjam Van Zuiden, Saskia B J Koch, Laura Nawijn, Dick J Veltman, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Xi Zhu, Yuval Neria, Anna R Hudson, Sven C Mueller, Justin T Baker, Lauren A M Lebois, Milissa L Kaufman, Rongfeng Qi, Guang Ming Lu, Pavel Říha, Ivan Rektor, Emily L Dennis, Christopher R K Ching, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Lauren E Salminen, Neda Jahanshad, Paul M Thompson, Dan J Stein, Sheri M Koopowitz, Jonathan C Ipser, Soraya Seedat, Stefan Du Plessis, Leigh L Van Den Heuvel, Li Wang, Ye Zhu, Gen Li, Anika Sierk, Antje Manthey, Henrik Walter, Judith K Daniels, Christian Schmahl, Julia I Herzog, Israel Liberzon, Anthony King, Mike Angstadt, Nicholas D Davenport, Scott R Sponheim, Seth G Disner, Thomas Straube, David Hofmann, Daniel W Grupe, Jack B Nitschke, Richard J Davidson, Christine L Larson, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Jennifer U Blackford, Bunmi O Olatunji, Evan M Gordon, Geoffrey May, Steven M Nelson, Chadi G Abdallah, Ifat Levy, Ilan Harpaz-Rotem, John H Krystal, Rajendra A Morey, Aristeidis Sotiras

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with lower cortical thickness (CT) in prefrontal, cingulate, and insular cortices in diverse trauma-affected samples. However, some studies have failed to detect differences between PTSD patients and healthy controls or reported that PTSD is associated with greater CT. Using data-driven dimensionality reduction, we sought to conduct a well-powered study to identify vulnerable networks without regard to neuroanatomic boundaries. Moreover, this approach enabled us to avoid the excessive burden of multiple comparison correction that plagues vertex-wise methods. We derived structural covariance networks (SCNs) by applying non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) to CT data from 961 PTSD …

Evolving Concepts In Helicobacter Pylori Management, Steven F Moss, Shailja C Shah, Mimi C Tan, Hashem B El-Serag

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Helicobacter pylori is the most common chronic bacterial infection worldwide and the most significant risk factor for gastric cancer, which remains a leading cause of cancer-related death globally. H pylori and gastric cancer continue to disproportionately impact racial and ethnic minority and immigrant groups in the United States. The approach to H pylori case-finding thus far has relied on opportunistic testing based on symptoms or high-risk indicators, such as racial or ethnic background and family history. However, this approach misses a substantial proportion of individuals infected with H pylori who remain at risk for gastric cancer because most infections remain …

Maternal Vaccine Effectiveness Against Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations And Emergency Department Visits In Infants, Leila C Sahni, Samantha M Olson, Natasha B Halasa, Laura S Stewart, Marian G Michaels, John V Williams, Janet A Englund, Eileen J Klein, Mary A Staat, Elizabeth P Schlaudecker, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Jennifer E Schuster, Geoffrey A Weinberg, Peter G Szilagyi, Julie A Boom, Manish M Patel, Flor M Muñoz, New Vaccine Surveillance Network Collaborators

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Influenza virus infection during pregnancy is associated with severe maternal disease and may be associated with adverse birth outcomes. Inactivated influenza vaccine during pregnancy is safe and effective and can protect young infants, but recent evidence, particularly after the 2009 novel influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, is limited.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of influenza vaccination during pregnancy against laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits in infants younger than 6 months.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a prospective, test-negative case-control study using data from the New Vaccine Surveillance Network from the 2016 to 2017 through 2019 to …

Generation Of Five Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines From Patients With Mecp2 Duplication Syndrome, Danielle Mendonca, Gerarda Cappuccio, Jennifer Sheppard, Magdalena Delacruz, Jesse Bengtsson, Claudia M B Carvalho, Aleksandar Bajic, Hyekyung Park, Jean J Kim, Paymaan Jafar-Nejad, Christine Coquery, Davut Pehlivan, Bernhard Suter, Mirjana Maletic-Savatic

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

MECP2 Duplication Syndrome (MDS) is a rare, severe neurodevelopmental disorder arising from duplications in the Xq28 region containing the MECP2 gene that predominantly affects males. We generated five human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from the fibroblasts of individuals carrying between 0.355 and 11.2 Mb size duplications in the chromosomal locus containing MECP2. All lines underwent extensive testing to confirm MECP2 duplication and iPSC-related features such as morphology, pluripotency markers, and trilineage differentiation potential. These lines are a valuable resource for molecular and functional studies of MDS as well as screening for a variety of therapeutic approaches.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Detection Of Progressive Graft Dysfunction In Pediatric Heart Transplantation, Kae Watanabe, Nicoleta C Arva, Joshua D Robinson, Cynthia Rigsby, Michael Markl, Melanie Sojka, Paul Tannous, Jennifer Arzu, Nazia Husain

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Chronic graft failure (CGF) in pediatric heart transplant (PHT) is multifactorial and may present with findings of fibrosis and microvessel disease (MVD) on endomyocardial biopsy (EMB). There is no optimal CGF surveillance method. We evaluated associations between cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and historical/EMB correlates of CGF to assess CMR's utility as a surveillance method.

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of PHT undergoing comprehensive CMR between September 2015 and January 2022 was performed. EMB within 6 months was graded for fibrosis (scale 0-5) and MVD (number of capillaries with stenotic wall thickening per field of view). Correlation analysis and logistic regression …

Number Of Children In The Household Influences Respiratory Morbidities In Children With Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia In The Outpatient Setting, Joseph M Collaco, Katharine R Tsukahara, Michael C Tracy, Catherine A Sheils, Jessica L Rice, Lawrence M Rhein, Antonia P Popova, Leif Nelin, Audrey N Miller, Winston M Manimtim, Jonathan C Levin, Khanh Lai, Jacob A Kaslow, Lystra P Hayden, Manvi Bansal, Eric D Austin, Brianna Aoyama, Gangaram Akangire, Amit Agarwal, Natalie Villafranco, Sharon A Mcgrath-Morrow

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a common complication of prematurity, is associated with outpatient morbidities, including respiratory exacerbations. Daycare attendance is associated with increased rates of acute and chronic morbidities in children with BPD. We sought to determine if additional children in the household conferred similar risks for children with BPD.

METHODS: The number of children in the household and clinical outcomes were obtained via validated instruments for 933 subjects recruited from 13 BPD specialty clinics in the United States. Clustered logistic regression models were used to test for associations.

RESULTS: The mean gestational age of the study population was 26.5 …

The Potential Epidemiologic, Clinical, And Economic Value Of A Universal Coronavirus Vaccine: A Modelling Study, Sarah M Bartsch, Kelly J O'Shea, Danielle C John, Ulrich Strych, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Marie F Martinez, Allan Ciciriello, Kevin L Chin, Colleen Weatherwax, Kavya Velmurugan, Jessie Heneghan, Sheryl A Scannell, Peter J Hotez, Bruce Y Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: With efforts underway to develop a universal coronavirus vaccine, otherwise known as a pan-coronavirus vaccine, this is the time to offer potential funders, researchers, and manufacturers guidance on the potential value of such a vaccine and how this value may change with differing vaccine and vaccination characteristics.

METHODS: Using a computational model representing the United States (U.S.) population, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the various clinical and economic outcomes of COVID-19 such as hospitalisations, deaths, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost, productivity losses, direct medical costs, and total societal costs, we explored the impact of a universal vaccine under different …

Proteome Analysis For Inflammation Related To Acute And Convalescent Infection, Tara K Sigdel, Swastika Sur, Patrick Boada, Suzanne M Mcdermott, Cecilia S Lindestam Arlehamn, Kristy O Murray, Linda K Bockenstedt, Maggie Kerwin, Elaine F Reed, Eva Harris, Ken Stuart, Bjoern Peters, Ana Sesma, Ruth R Montgomery, Minnie M Sarwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Infectious diseases are a significant burden in global healthcare. Pathogens engage with different host defense mechanisms. However, it is currently unknown if there are disease-specific immune signatures and/or if different pathogens elicit common immune-associated molecular entities to common therapeutic interventions. We studied patients enrolled through the Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC), which focuses on immune responses to various infections. Blood samples were collected and analyzed from patients during infection and follow-up time points at the convalescent stage. The study included samples from patients with Lyme disease (LD), tuberculosis (TB), malaria (MLA), dengue virus (DENV), and West Nile virus (WNV), as …

Quality Assurance For Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy For Gynecologic Malignancies, Samuel N Andersen, Mark D Bonnen, Michelle S Ludwig, Shraddha M Dalwadi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The use of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is not well studied or reported in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies, despite its success in the definitive management of other cancer sites. This report describes a rigorous quality assurance process for patients to undergo dose escalation to the pelvis via stereotactic photon beam irradiation. Patients who receive SBRT must be ineligible for conventional brachytherapy boost and undergo comprehensive informed consent. Fiducial placement, bowel prep, Foley catheter placement with standardized bladder filling, computerized tomography (CT) simulation with whole-body immobilization, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-assisted target delineation, planning aims based on the established brachytherapy …

Outcomes After Bioprosthetic Versus Mechanical Mitral Valve Replacement For Infective Endocarditis In The United States, Katie J Hogan, Christopher B Sylvester, Matthew J Wall, Todd K Rosengart, Joseph S Coselli, Marc R Moon, Subhasis Chatterjee, Ravi K Ghanta

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective

In patients who underwent mitral valve replacement for infectious endocarditis, we evaluated the association of prosthesis choice with readmission rates and causes (the primary outcomes), as well as with in-hospital mortality, cost, and length of stay (the secondary outcomes).

Methods

Patients with infectious endocarditis who underwent isolated mitral valve replacement from January 2016 to December 2018 were identified in the United States Nationwide Readmissions Database and stratified by valve type. Propensity score matching was used to compare adjusted outcomes.

Results

A weighted total of 4206 patients with infectious endocarditis underwent bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement (n = 3132) and mechanical …

Outcomes Of Minimally Invasive Isolated Tricuspid Valve Repair And Replacement Through Right Mini-Thoracotomy, Ahmed Alnajar, Subhasis Chatterjee, Jacqueline K Olive, Mahmut S Kaymakci, Lauren Gray, Zachary Gray, Joao R Breda, Joseph Lamelas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Isolated tricuspid valve surgery is uncommon and associated with high perioperative morbidity and mortality. We aimed to study the overall outcomes of patients who underwent minimally invasive right thoracotomy tricuspid valve surgery (Mini-TVS), consisting of either tricuspid valve repair (TVre) or replacement (TVR).

METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all Mini-TVS procedures (2017-2022), through which we identified isolated tricuspid valve surgeries. We examined in-hospital outcomes, survival analysis over a 4-year period, and competing risk analysis for reoperative surgery.

RESULTS: Among a total of 51 patients, the average age was 60 ± 16 years, and 67% (n = 34) …

Preparing Community Health Workers To Empower Latino(A)S With Diabetes: A Real-World Implementation Study, Laura Porterfield, Zuleica Santiago Delgado, Premal G Patel, Michael L Goodman, Kendall M Campbell, Elizabeth M Vaughan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the delivery of diabetes self-management education (DSME) to Latino(a) adults by community health workers (CHWs).

Methods: Investigators developed an evidence-based, bilingual (Spanish/English) diabetes education curriculum and trained 10 CHWs on its content. CHWs then implemented the curriculum in 6-month diabetes group visit programs for low-income Latino(a)s with type 2 diabetes in nonacademic 501(c)3 community clinics. Investigators evaluated efficacy of the training through successful implementation, measured by participant group visit acceptance and attendance.

Results: Participants (n = 70) reported high levels of program satisfaction (3.8/4.0), improvement in quality of life (9.7/10), meeting …

Comparison Of Perioperative And Postoperative Outcomes Among 3 Left Atrial Incisions: Conventional Direct, Transseptal, And Superior Septal Left Atriotomy, Estelle Démoulin, Dionysios Adamopoulos, Tornike Sologashvili, Mathieu Van Steenberghe, Jalal Jolou, Haran Burri, Christoph Huber, Mustafa Cikirikcioglu

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

BACKGROUND: Achieving optimal exposure of the mitral valve during surgical intervention poses a significant challenge. This study aimed to compare perioperative and postoperative outcomes associated with 3 left atriotomy techniques in mitral valve surgery-the conventional direct, transseptal, and superior septal approaches-and assess differences during the surgical procedure and the postoperative period.

METHODS: Inclusion criteria were patients undergoing mitral valve surgery from January 2010 to December 2020, categorized into 3 cohorts: group 1 (conventional direct; n = 115), group 2 (transseptal; n = 33), and group 3 (superior septal; n = 59). To bolster sample size, the study included patients undergoing …

Surgical Outcome Of Postinfarction Left Ventricular Free Wall Rupture, Chan-Young Na

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR) is a rare and fatal complication after acute myocardial infarction. Early recognition and aggressive treatment are recommended.

METHODS: Between August 1999 and February 2023, 11 patients aged between 64 and 79 years developed LVFWR after acute myocardial infarction (mean interval, 3.5 days). Three patients had active bleeding (blowout-type LVFWR), and the other 8 patients experienced the oozing or sealed state. Eight patients were treated using a sutureless technique with Teflon felt and glue, 2 patients were treated using the primary suture closure technique, and 1 was treated using both the primary suture and …

Association Between Regulatory T Cells And Ischemic Heart Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study, Yucheng Hou, Ke Si, Jingyue Yang, Tan Liu, Basel Abdelazeem, Nonthikorn Theerasuwipakorn, Jingwei Zhao, Zhenya Shen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: An imbalance of innate and acquired immune responses is significantly involved in the pathophysiology of coronary atherosclerosis and the occurrence of ischemic heart disease (IHD). Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an essential regulatory role in atherosclerotic plaque formation and maintenance; therefore, dysfunction of Tregs triggers the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and accelerates their progression. However, due to the inherent limitations of observational research, clinical evidence is limited concerning the relationship between the variation in peripheral Tregs and the risk of IHD, and the cause-and-effect relationship between these factors is unclear. Mendelian randomization (MR) uses genetic variation as a proxy …

Cardiometabolic Health: Actionable Prevention Strategies And New Care Models, Omar Leonards, David Aguilar

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

It's Not That We Care Less: Insights Into Health Care Utilization For Comorbid Diabetes And Depression Among Latinos, Sharon Borja, Miriam G Valdovinos, Kenia M Rivera, Natalia Giraldo-Santiago, Robin E Gearing, Luis R Torres

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite robust knowledge regarding the socio-economic and cultural factors affecting Latino* access to healthcare, limited research has explored service utilization in the context of comorbid conditions like diabetes and depression. This qualitative study, embedded in a larger mixed-methods project, aimed to investigate perceptions held by Latinos and their social support systems (i.e., family members) regarding comorbid diabetes and depression and to identify barriers and facilitators to their help-seeking behaviors and treatment engagement. Bilingual and bicultural researchers conducted eight focus groups with 94 participants in a large U.S. metropolitan area and were primarily conducted in Spanish. The participants either had a …

The Role Of Family Support In The Self-Rated Health Of Older Adults In Eastern Nepal: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study, Ivan Fumagalli, Stefano Pagani, Christian Vergara, Luca Dede', Dilachew A Adebo, Maurizio Del Greco, Antonio Frontera, Giovanni Battista Luciani, Gianluca Pontone, Roberto Scrofani, Alfio Quarteroni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Computational models of the cardiovascular system allow for a detailed and quantitative investigation of both physiological and pathological conditions, thanks to their ability to combine clinical-possibly patient-specific-data with physical knowledge of the processes underlying the heart function. These models have been increasingly employed in clinical practice to understand pathological mechanisms and their progression, design medical devices, support clinicians in improving therapies. Hinging upon a long-year experience in cardiovascular modeling, we have recently constructed a computational multi-physics and multi-scale integrated model of the heart for the investigation of its physiological function, the analysis of pathological conditions, and to …