Diseases Commons^™

The Little Things That Are Really Big: Caregiving In Families With Huntington's Disease, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Therapeutic Effect Of Melatonin On Pediatric Functional Dyspepsia: A Pilot Study., Katherine Zybach, Craig A. Friesen, Jennifer V. Schurman

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

AIM: To study the effectiveness of melatonin vs placebo in children with functional dyspepsia (FD).

METHODS: The study was conducted as a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled crossover trial. Subjects were aged 8-17 years and diagnosed with FD based on Rome III criteria. All subjects had failed to respond to 4 wk of acid suppression. Subjects receive a continuous two weeks of placebo and a continuous two weeks of melatonin in an order blinded to the participant and the study team. A Global Clinical Score was obtained to assess changes in abdominal pain. Pain was self-reported to be worse (grade …

Role Of Serum Biomarkers In Early Detection Of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy In The West Virginian Population, Adam Shaver, Alexandra Nichols, Ellen A. Thompson, Amrita Mallick, Nandini Manne, Shanmuga Sundaram, Joseph I. Shapiro Md, Komal Sodhi

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Objectives: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an established complication of diabetes mellitus. In West Virginia, the especially high incidence of diabetes and heart failure validate the necessity of developing new strategies for earlier detection of DCM. Since most DCM patients remain asymptomatic until the later stages of the disease when the fibrotic complications become irreversible, we aimed to explore biomarkers that can identify early-stage DCM.

Methods: The patients were grouped into 4 categories based on clinical diabetic and cardiac parameters: Control, Diabetes (DM), Diastolic dysfunction (DD), and Diabetes with diastolic dysfunction (DM+DD), the last group being the preclinical DCM group.

Results: …

Targeting An Essential Gtpase Obg For The Development Of Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics, Josephine A. Bonventre, Ryszard A. Zielke, Konstantin V. Korotkov, Aleksandra E. Sikora

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

A promising new drug target for the development of novel broad-spectrum antibiotics is the highly conserved small GTPase Obg (YhbZ, CgtA), a protein essential for the survival of all bacteria including Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC). GC is the agent of gonorrhea, a prevalent sexually transmitted disease resulting in serious consequences on reproductive and neonatal health. A preventive anti-gonorrhea vaccine does not exist, and options for effective antibiotic treatments are increasingly limited. To address the dire need for alternative antimicrobial strategies, we have designed and optimized a 384-well GTPase assay to identify inhibitors of Obg using as a model Obg protein from …

Effectiveness Of Pharmacist-Led Amiodarone Monitoring Services On Improving Adherence To Amiodarone Monitoring Recommendations: A Systematic Review, Dave L. Dixon, Steven P. Dunn, Michael S. Kelly, Timothy R. Mcllarky, Roy E. Brown

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Amiodarone remains the mostly frequently used antiarrhythmic in clinical practice and is most often used to maintain normal sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation who have failed a rate control strategy. Amiodarone has superior efficacy over other antiarrhythmics, a lower risk of torsade de pointes, and a better cardiovascular safety profile in patients with structural heart disease. However, amiodarone is associated with notable noncardiac toxicities affecting the thyroid, lungs, eyes, liver, and central nervous system. Since 2000, clinicians have been advised to follow amiodarone monitoring guidelines provided by the Heart Rhythm Society. Adherence to these recommendations in clinical practice, …

A Model For Hiv Disclosure Of A Parent's And/Or A Child's Illness, Gary J. Burkholder Jr, Grace Gachanja

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

HIV prevalence in Kenya remains steady at 5.6% for adults 15 years and older, and 0.9% among children aged below 14 years. Parents and children are known to practice unprotected sex, which has implications for continued HIV spread within the country. Additionally, due to increased accessibility of antiretroviral therapy, more HIV-positive persons are living longer. Therefore, the need for HIV disclosure of a parent's and/or a child's HIV status within the country will continue for years to come. We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study to understand the entire process of disclosure from the time of initial HIV diagnosis of an …

Blockade Of Astrocytic Calcineurin/Nfat Signaling Helps To Normalize Hippocampal Synaptic Function And Plasticity In A Rat Model Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Jennifer L. Furman, Pradoldej Sompol, Susan D. Kraner, Melanie M. Pleiss, Esther J. Putman, Jacob Dunkerson, Hafiz Mohmmad Abdul, Kelly N. Roberts, Stephen William Scheff, Christopher M. Norris

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Increasing evidence suggests that the calcineurin (CN)-dependent transcription factor NFAT (Nuclear Factor of Activated T cells) mediates deleterious effects of astrocytes in progressive neurodegenerative conditions. However, the impact of astrocytic CN/NFAT signaling on neural function/recovery after acute injury has not been investigated extensively. Using a controlled cortical impact (CCI) procedure in rats, we show that traumatic brain injury is associated with an increase in the activities of NFATs 1 and 4 in the hippocampus at 7 d after injury. NFAT4, but not NFAT1, exhibited extensive labeling in astrocytes and was found throughout the axon/dendrite layers of CA1 and the dentate …

Stakeholder Perspectives On Changes In Hypertension Care Under The Patient-Centered Medical Home, Alison J. O'Donnell, Hillary R. Bogner, Peter F. Cronholm, Katherine Kellom, Michelle Miller-Day, Heather F. De Vries Mcclintock, Elise M. Kaye, Robert Gabbay

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction

Hypertension is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease, yet the proportion of adults whose hypertension is controlled is low. The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a model for care delivery that emphasizes patientcentered and team-based care and focuses on quality and safety. Our goal was to investigate changes in hypertension care under PCMH implementation in a large multipayer PCMH demonstration project that may have led to improvements in hypertension control.

Methods

The PCMH transformation initiative conducted 118 semistructured interviews at 17 primary care practices in southeastern Pennsylvania between January 2011 and January 2012. Clinicians (n …

Pitfalls Of Practicing Cancer Epidemiology In Resource-Limited Settings: The Case Of Survival And Loss To Follow-Up After A Diagnosis Of Kaposi’S Sarcoma In Five Countries Across Sub-Saharan Africa, Esther Freeman, Aggrey Semeere, Megan Wenger, Mwebesa B. Bwana, F. Chite Asirwa, Naftali Busakhala, Emmanuel Oga, Elima Jedy-Agba, Vivian Kwaghe, Kenneth Iregbu, Antoine Jaquet, Francois Dabis, Habakkuk Azinyui Yumo, Jean Claude Dusingize, David Bangsberg, Kathryn Anastos, Sam Phiri, Julia Bohlius, Matthias Egger, Constantin T. Yiannoutsos, Kara Wools-Kaloustian, Jeffrey Martin

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Survival after diagnosis is a fundamental concern in cancer epidemiology. In resource-rich settings, ambient clinical databases, municipal data and cancer registries make survival estimation in real-world populations relatively straightforward. In resource-poor settings, given the deficiencies in a variety of health-related data systems, it is less clear how well we can determine cancer survival from ambient data.

Methods: We addressed this issue in sub-Saharan Africa for Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), a cancer for which incidence has exploded with the HIV epidemic but for which survival in the region may be changing with the recent advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART). From 33 …

Multilevel Analysis Of Individual, Neighborhood, And Health Care Facility Characteristics Associated With Achievement And Maintenance Of Hiv Viral Suppression Among Persons Newly Diagnosed With Hiv In New York City, Ellen W. Wiewel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective

To investigate the effect of individual, health care facility, and neighborhood characteristics on achievement and maintenance of HIV viral suppression, among New York City residents aged 13 years and older diagnosed with HIV between 2006 and 2012.

Methods

I used individual-level data from the New York City HIV surveillance registry and Case Surveillance-Based Sampling, facility-level data from the surveillance registry, and neighborhood-level data from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey. The outcomes of interest were first viral suppression after diagnosis (Aims 1 and 3; ≤400 copies/mL) and virologic failure after first suppression among persons who achieved suppression (Aim …

Initial Benchmarking Of The Quality Of Medical Care In Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus., Rina Mina, Julia G. Harris, Marisa S. Klein-Gitelman, Simone Appenzeller, Maraisa Centeville, Diane Eskra, Jennifer L. Huggins, Anne L. Johnson, Raju Khubchandani, Prachi Khandekar, Jiha Lee, Hai Mei Liu, Joshua D. Pendl, Clovis A. Silva, Marco F. Silva, Ahmad I. Zaal, Esi Morgan Dewitt, Stacy P. Ardoin, Hermine I. Brunner

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of medical care in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at tertiary pediatric rheumatology centers as measured by observance of SLE quality indicators (SLE-QIs).

METHODS: International consensus has been achieved for childhood-onset SLE-QIs capturing medical care provision in 9 domains: diagnostic testing, education of cardiovascular (CV) risk and lifestyles, lupus nephritis (LN), medication management, bone health, ophthalmologic surveillance, transition, pregnancy, and vaccination. Using medical record information, the level of performance of these childhood-onset SLE-QIs was assessed in childhood-onset SLE populations treated at 4 tertiary pediatric rheumatology centers in the US, 2 in Brazil, and 1 center …

Alternative Surgical Approach To Repairing A Giant Sinus Of Valsalva Aneurysm, Vincenzo Giambruno, Cristina Cucchietti, Calogera Pisano, Jonathan Hyde

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We report our method of surgically repairing an unruptured giant aneurysm of the right coronary sinus of Valsalva, a lesion that caused moderate aortic regurgitation but no symptoms in a 61-year-old woman. We excised the aneurysm, reconstructed the right sinus of Valsalva with use of a patch, performed mechanical aortic valve replacement directly through the excised aneurysm's cavity, and constructed a single bypass graft to the right coronary artery. The patient was discharged from the hospital after 5 days. Twelve months postoperatively, her clinical and echocardiographic results were normal, and she was doing well. To our knowledge, our surgical approach …

The Mosaic Mitral Valve Bioprosthesis: A Long-Term Clinical And Hemodynamic Follow-Up, Michele Celiento, Stefania Blasi, Andrea De Martino, Stefano Pratali, Aldo D Milano, Uberto Bortolotti

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We reviewed the cases of 100 patients (mean age, 73 ± 10 yr; 64 men) who had mitral valve replacement with a Medtronic Mosaic porcine bioprosthesis from 1995 through 2011. The mean New York Heart Association (NYHA) class was 3 ± 0.7, and 52 patients were in atrial fibrillation. Prosthetic sizes were chiefly 27 mm (50 patients) and 29 mm (40 patients). Follow-up ended in December 2012 and is 97% complete, with a cumulative duration of 611 patient-years (mean duration, 6 ± 4.6 yr; maximum, 17.7 yr). The early mortality rate was 10% (6% in elective patients); late deaths occurred …

Durability Of The Starr-Edwards Heart Valve: Early Decisions Led To Successful Results, Albert Starr, Gary L Grunkemeier

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Cutting The Cost Of Health Care: The Physician's Role, Herbert L Fred

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Aortic Dissection Caused By Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: 2 New Case Reports And Detailed Analysis Of 86 Previous Cases, Priyank Shah, Sharad Bajaj, Fayez Shamoon

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Aortic dissection, a rare sequela of percutaneous coronary intervention, can be fatal when it is not recognized and treated promptly. Treatment varies from conservative management to invasive aortic repair and revascularization. We report the cases of 2 patients whose aortic dissection was caused by percutaneous coronary intervention. In addition, we present detailed analyses of 86 previously reported cases. Aortic dissection was most often seen during intervention to the right coronary artery (in 76.7% of instances). The 2 most frequently reported causes were catheter trauma (in 54% of cases) and balloon inflation (in 23.8%). The overall mortality rate was 7.1%. We …

Long-Term Velaglucerase Alfa Treatment In Children With Gaucher Disease Type 1 Naïve To Enzyme Replacement Therapy Or Previously Treated With Imiglucerase., Laurie Smith, William Rhead, Joel Charrow, Suma P. Shankar, Ashish Bavdekar, Nicola Longo, Rebecca Mardach, Paul Harmatz, Thomas Hangartner, Hak-Myung Lee, Eric Crombez, Gregory M. Pastores

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Gaucher Disease type 1 (GD1) often manifests in childhood. Early treatment with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) may prevent disease complications. We report the assessment of velaglucerase alfa ERT in pediatric GD1 patients who participated in a long-term extension study (HGT-GCB-044, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00635427).

METHODS: Safety and efficacy were evaluated in pediatric patients receiving velaglucerase alfa 30-60U/kg by intravenous infusion every other week. In addition to key hematological and visceral efficacy assessments, exploratory assessments conducted specifically in pediatric patients included evaluation of height, bone age, bone marrow burden, and Tanner stage of puberty.

RESULTS: The study included 24 pediatric patients. …

New Loci For Body Fat Percentage Reveal Link Between Adiposity And Cardiometabolic Disease Risk, Yingchang Lu, Felix R. Day, Stefan Gustafsson, Martin L. Buchkovich, Jianbo Na, Veronique Bataille, Diana L. Cousminer, Zari Dastani, Joanne E. Curran, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of adiposity and its links to cardiometabolic disease risk, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of body fat percentage (BF%) in up to 100,716 individuals. Twelve loci reached genome-wide significance (P<5 × 10−8), of which eight were previously associated with increased overall adiposity (BMI, BF%) and four (in or near COBLL1/GRB14, IGF2BP1, PLA2G6, CRTC1) were novel associations with BF%. Seven loci showed a larger effect on BF% than on BMI, suggestive of a primary association with adiposity, while five loci showed larger effects on BMI than on BF%, suggesting association with both fat and lean mass. In particular, the loci more strongly associated with BF% showed …

Species-Specific Adaptations Of Trypanosome Morphology And Motility To The Mammalian Host, Joel L. Bargul, Jamin Jung, Francis A. Mcodimba, Collins O. Omogo, Vincent O. Adung’A, Timothy Krüger, Daniel K. Masiga, Markus Engstler

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

African trypanosomes thrive in the bloodstream and tissue spaces of a wide range of mammalian hosts. Infections of cattle cause an enormous socio-economic burden in sub-Saharan Africa. A hallmark of the trypanosome lifestyle is the flagellate’s incessant motion. This work details the cell motility behavior of the four livestock-parasites Trypanosoma vivax, T. brucei, T. evansi and T. congolense. The trypanosomes feature distinct swimming patterns, speeds and flagellar wave frequencies, although the basic mechanism of flagellar propulsion is conserved, as is shown by extended single flagellar beat analyses. Three-dimensional analyses of the trypanosomes expose a high degree of dynamic pleomorphism, typified …

Your Heart And Diabetes, Rodney Richmond

Faculty Research ​and Publications

No abstract provided.

Human Igg1 Antibodies Suppress Angiogenesis In A Target-Independent Manner, Sasha Bogdanovich, Younghee Kim, Takeshi Mizutani, Reo Yasuma, Laura Tudisco, Valeria Cicatiello, Ana Bastos-Carvalho, Nagaraj Kerur, Yoshio Hirano, Judit Z. Baffi, Valeria Tarallo, Shengjian Li, Tetsuhiro Yasuma, Parthasarathy Arpitha, Benjamin James Fowler, Charles B. Wright, Ivana Apicella, Adelaide Greco, Arturo Brunetti, Menotti Ruvo, Annamaria Sandomenico, Miho Nozaki, Ryo Ijima, Hiroki Kaneko, Yuichiro Ogura, Hiroko Terasaki, Balamurali K. Ambati, Jeanette H. W. Leusen, Wallace Y. Langdon, Michael R. Clark, Bradley D. Gelfand, Jayakrishna Ambati

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

Aberrant angiogenesis is implicated in diseases affecting nearly 10% of the world’s population. The most widely used anti-angiogenic drug is bevacizumab, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that targets human VEGFA. Although bevacizumab does not recognize mouse Vegfa, it inhibits angiogenesis in mice. Here we show bevacizumab suppressed angiogenesis in three mouse models not via Vegfa blockade but rather Fc-mediated signaling through FcγRI (CD64) and c-Cbl, impairing macrophage migration. Other approved humanized or human IgG1 antibodies without mouse targets (adalimumab, alemtuzumab, ofatumumab, omalizumab, palivizumab and tocilizumab), mouse IgG2a, and overexpression of human IgG1-Fc or mouse IgG2a-Fc, also inhibited angiogenesis in wild-type …

The Emerging Zika Pandemic: Enhancing Preparedness, Lawrence O. Gostin, Daniel Lucey

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The Zika virus (ZIKV), a flavivirus related to yellow fever, dengue, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis, originated in the Zika forest in Uganda and was discovered in a rhesus monkey in 1947. The disease now has “explosive” pandemic potential, with outbreaks in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas. Since Brazil reported Zika virus in May 2015, infections have occurred in at least 20 countries in the Americas. Puerto Rico reported the first locally transmitted infection in December 2015, but Zika is likely to spread to the United States. The Aedes species mosquito (an aggressive daytime biter) that …

Neurocognitive Dysfunction In Brain Tumor Patients Following Radiation Therapy: A Review Of Biological Hypotheses, Current Treatment Outcomes, And Novel Therapeutic Strategies, Raj Singh

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Given the difficulty of surgical resection of brain neoplasms located adjacent to vital structures of the brain as well as the challenges posed by the blood-brain-barrier for the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents, whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are often turned to for patients with brain metastases as well as primary brain neoplasms. Though radiation therapy may be successful in local control of these tumors, many patients experience treatment-related neurocognitive issues later in life. In this review, we examine cognitive dysfunction in brain tumor patients following radiation therapy, with an emphasis on the pediatric population. Articles were …

Asking Questions, Seeking Improvements, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The author connects the rapid growth of scientific journals to the inquisitiveness of committed health professionals and their persistent efforts to improve patient care.

Racial Disparities In Outcomes Following Kidney Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience, Vani Nilakantan, Maharaj Singh, Ruth M. Perez, Yang Shi, Ahmed Dalmar, Brittany T. Last, Ajay Sahajpal

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Kidney transplantation remains the best treatment option for end-stage renal disease. However, despite overall improvements in patient and graft survival rates after kidney transplantation, differences in outcomes still exist among different racial and ethnic groups, with African-Americans having lower graft survival. Gaps continue to exist in the understanding of how demographic factors contribute to the varying outcomes among racial/ethnic groups.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated kidney transplant outcomes in four racial/ethnic groups over a 12-year period at a large tertiary care center. Primary and secondary study outcomes were patient and graft survival across groups. To determine factors that might predict …

Stinging Nettle: The Bad, The Good, The Unknown, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is native to most of the United States. It has a characteristic description and distribution in the environment. Physical contact with numerous tiny needlelike hairs present on leaves and stems of this plant may result in a contact urticarial dermatitis due to chemical and mechanical irritation triggered by skin penetration of the hairs. The manifestations are self-limited in humans and may be treated by washing the skin, topical preparations and oral antihistamines. Explanation of the natural history of these encounters to the patient is helpful in reducing the sometimes significant anxiety. Preparations and extracts …

The Value Of Contrast Echocardiography, Shannon C. Treiber, Bijoy K. Khandheria

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

There is much evidence-based research proving the effectiveness of contrast echocardiography, but there are still questions and concerns about its specific uses. This study tested the effectiveness of contrast echocardiography in defining the left ventricular endocardial border.

Methods

From 30 patients, a total of 60 echocardiograms –– 30 with and 30 without use of contrast –– were retrospectively reviewed by four blinded cardiologists with advanced training in echocardiography. No single cardiologist reviewed contrast and noncontrast images of the same patient. Each set of 30 echocardiograms was then studied for wall-motion scoring. Visualization of left ventricular wall segments and a …

Development And Validation Of A Preprocedural Risk Score To Predict Access Site Complications After Peripheral Vascular Interventions Based On The Vascular Quality Initiative Database, Daniel Ortiz, Maharaj Singh, Arshad Jahangir, Suhail Allaqaband, Anjan Gupta, Tanvir Bajwa, Mark W. Mewissen

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Access site complications following peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) are associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased mortality. Prediction of access site complication risk may optimize PVI care; however, there is no tool designed for this. We aimed to create a clinical scoring tool to stratify patients according to their risk of developing access site complications after PVI.

Methods

The Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Quality Initiative database yielded 27,997 patients who had undergone PVI at 131 North American centers. Clinically and statistically significant preprocedural risk factors associated with in-hospital, post-PVI access site complications were included in a multivariate logistic regression …

Models For Hsv Shedding Must Account For Two Levels Of Overdispersion, Amalia Magaret

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

We have frequently implemented crossover studies to evaluate new therapeutic interventions for genital herpes simplex virus infection. The outcome measured to assess the efficacy of interventions on herpes disease severity is the viral shedding rate, defined as the frequency of detection of HSV on the genital skin and mucosa. We performed a simulation study to ascertain whether our standard model, which we have used previously, was appropriately considering all the necessary features of the shedding data to provide correct inference. We simulated shedding data under our standard, validated assumptions and assessed the ability of 5 different models to reproduce the …

Pathological Tau Promotes Neuronal Damage By Impairing Ribosomal Function And Decreasing Protein Synthesis, Shelby Meier, Michelle Bell, Danielle N. Lyons, Jennifer Rodriguez-Rivera, Alexandria Ingram, Sarah N. Fontaine, Elizabeth Mechas, Jing Chen, Benjamin Wolozin, Harry Levine Iii, Haining Zhu, Jose F. Abisambra

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

One of the most common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies is memory loss. The exact mechanisms leading to memory loss in tauopathies are not yet known; however, decreased translation due to ribosomal dysfunction has been implicated as a part of this process. Here we use a proteomics approach that incorporates subcellular fractionation and coimmunoprecipitation of tau from human AD and non-demented control brains to identify novel interactions between tau and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We show that ribosomes associate more closely with tau in AD than with tau in control brains, and that this abnormal association leads …