Diseases Commons^™

Exploring Post-Covid-19 Health Effects And Features With Advanced Machine Learning Techniques, Muhammad N. Islam, Md S. Islam, Nahid H. Shourav, Iftiaqur Rahman, Faiz A. Faisal, Md M. Islam, Iqbal H. Sarker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

COVID-19 is an infectious respiratory disease that has had a significant impact, resulting in a range of outcomes including recovery, continued health issues, and the loss of life. Among those who have recovered, many experience negative health effects, particularly influenced by demographic factors such as gender and age, as well as physiological and neurological factors like sleep patterns, emotional states, anxiety, and memory. This research aims to explore various health factors affecting different demographic profiles and establish significant correlations among physiological and neurological factors in the post-COVID-19 state. To achieve these objectives, we have identified the post-COVID-19 health factors and …

Crosstalk Between Cytokines And Igg N-Glycosylation: Bidirectional Effects And Relevance To Clinical Innovation For Inflammatory Diseases, Zhixian Chen, Xiaojia Xu, Manshu Song, Ling Lin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The crosstalk between cytokines and immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycosylation forms a bidirectional regulatory network that significantly impacts inflammation and immune function. This review examines how various cytokines, both pro- and anti-inflammatory, modulate IgG N-glycosylation, shaping antibody activity and influencing inflammatory responses. In addition, we explore how altered IgG N-glycosylation patterns affect cytokine production and immune signaling, either promoting or reducing inflammation. Through a comprehensive analysis of current studies, this review underscores the dynamic relationship between cytokines and IgG N-glycosylation. These insights enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying inflammatory diseases and contribute to improved strategies for disease prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, …

Association Between Inflammatory Bowel Disease And Cancer Risk: Evidence Triangulation From Genetic Correlation, Mendelian Randomization, And Colocalization Analyses Across East Asian And European Populations, Di Liu, Meiling Cao, Haotian Wang, Weijie Cao, Chenguang Zheng, Yun Li, Youxin Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), has been associated with several cancer risks in observational studies, but the observed associations have been inconsistent and may face the bias of confounding and reverse causality. The potential causal relationships between IBD and the risk of cancers remain largely unclear. Methods: We performed genome-wide linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC), standard two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), and colocalization analyses using summary genome-wide association study (GWAS) data across East Asian and European populations to evaluate the causal relationships between IBD and cancers. Sensitivity analyses for the MR approach …

Experiences In Providing A Community Educational Resource For The All Of Us Researcher Workbench, Deborah I Ritter, Jinyoung Byun, Jun Wang, Stephen Richards, Pamela N Luna, Laterrica Williams, Julie R Coleman, Jasmine N Baker, Shamika Ketkar, Ashley M Butler, Latanya Hammonds-Odie, Elizabeth G Atkinson, Kim C Worley, Debra D Murray, Brendan Lee, Steven E Scherer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Educational offerings to fill the bioinformatics knowledge gap are a key component to enhancing access and use of health data from the All of Us Research Program. We developed a Train the Trainer-based, innovative training series including project-based learning, modular on-demand demonstrations, and unstructured tutorial time as a model for educational engagement in the All of Us community.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We highlight our training modules and content, with training survey data informing cycles of development in the creation of a 6-module training series with modular demonstrations.

RESULTS: We have conducted 2 public iterations of the Train the Trainer …

Medical School Ranking And Provider Outpatient Medicare Part D Claims For Antibiotics Among Older Patients In The Usa, Mayar Al Mohajer, David Slusky, David Nix, Catia Nicodemo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Our study aimed to assess whether there was a relationship between graduating from higher-ranked medical schools and the rate of prescribing antibiotics among Medicare Part D providers in the USA.

METHODS: The study obtained data from the Medicare Part D Prescribers (FY2013-2021) and the Doctor and Clinicians National repositories. A regression model was fitted to assess the relationship between provider medical school ranking and the rate of antibiotic days supplied per 100 beneficiaries at the provider level.

RESULTS: A total of 197 540 providers were included. No association was found between the medical school ranking and the rate of …

Responding To The Workforce Crisis: Consensus Recommendations From The Second Workforce Summit Of The American Society Of Pediatric Nephrology, Danielle E Soranno, Sandra Amaral, Isa Ashoor, Meredith A Atkinson, Gina-Marie Barletta, Michael C Braun, Joann Carlson, Caitlin Carter, Annabelle Chua, Vikas R Dharnidharka, Keri Drake, Elif Erkan, Dan Feig, Stuart L Goldstein, David Hains, Lyndsay A Harshman, Elizabeth Ingulli, Alexander J Kula, Mary Leonard, Sudha Mannemuddhu, Shina Menon, Zubin J Modi, Marva Moxey-Mims, Arwa Nada, Victoria Norwood, Michelle C Starr, Priya S Verghese, Darcy Weidemann, Adam Weinstein, Jodi Smith

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Pediatric patients with complex medical problems benefit from pediatric sub-specialty care; however, a significant proportion of children live greater than 80 mi. away from pediatric sub-specialty care.

OBJECTIVE: To identify current knowledge gaps and outline concrete next steps to make progress on issues that have persistently challenged the pediatric nephrology workforce.

EVIDENCE REVIEW: Workforce Summit 2.0 employed the round table format and methodology for consensus building using adapted Delphi principles. Content domains were identified via input from the ASPN Workforce Committee, the ASPN's 2023 Strategic Plan survey, the ASPN's Pediatric Nephrology Division Directors survey, and ongoing feedback from ASPN …

Randomized, Observer-Blind, Controlled Phase 1 Study Of The Safety And Immunogenicity Of The Na-Gst-1/Alhydrogel Hookworm Vaccine With Or Without A Cpg Odn Adjuvant In Hookworm-Naïve Adults, David J Diemert, Maria Zumer, Mark Bova, Christina Gibbs-Tewary, Elissa M Malkin, Doreen Campbell, Lara Hoeweler, Guangzhao Li, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez, Jeffrey M Bethony

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Recombinant Necator americanus Glutathione-S-Transferase-1 (Na-GST-1) formulated on Alhydrogel (Na-GST-1/Alhydrogel) is being developed to prevent anemia and other complications of N. americanus infection. Antibodies induced by vaccination with recombinant Na-GST-1 are hypothesized to interfere with the blood digestion pathway of adult hookworms in the host. Phase 1 trials have demonstrated the safety of Na-GST-1 formulated on Alhydrogel, but further optimization of the vaccine adjuvant formulation may improve humoral immune responses, thereby increasing the likelihood of vaccine efficacy.

METHODS: A randomized, observer-blind, dose escalation Phase 1 trial was conducted in 24 healthy, hookworm-naïve adults. In each cohort of 12 participants, 4 …

Comparison Of Predicted And Actual Dermatitis Generated From Computed Tomography Images And Dose Distribution Maps, Yasuhide Miyabe, Saori Oshiro, Hiroto Seki, Yusuke Muroi, Eriko Kawashima, Megumi Hosoda, Kento Ohashi, Hiromu Yamanaka, Mingliang Shao, Hiromi Sugawara, Jyunetsu Mizoe, Ritsuko Komaki

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Anticipating the onset, location and severity of radiation dermatitis before radiotherapy can aid in dermatological care. This study developed a method for creation of a prediction diagram for dermatitis and conducted a comparative verification between the prediction diagram and actual patient condition. The prediction diagram involved converting skin doses into 2 Gy fractionated equivalent doses using α/β of 10.0, defining regions of interest (ROIs) from 20-50 Gy at 10 Gy intervals. Overlaps between these ROIs at each dose level and the skin (external) was sequentially color-coded as blue, yellow, red, and purple. The study included four patients: two underwent head …

Safety And Clinical Outcomes Of Endovascular Therapy Versus Medical Management In Late Presentation Of Large Ischemic Stroke, Adnan Mujanovic, Daniel Strbian, Jelle Demeestere, João Pedro Marto, Volker Puetz, Raul G Nogueira, Mohamad Abdalkader, Simon Nagel, Jean Raymond, Marc Ribo, Patrik Michel, Shinichi Yoshimura, Osama O Zaidat, Simon Winzer, Santiago Ortega-Gutierrez, Sunil A Sheth, James E Siegler, Anne Dusart, Diogo C Haussen, Hilde Henon, Bettina L Serrallach, Mahmoud H Mohammaden, Markus A Möhlenbruch, Marta Olive-Gadea, Ajit S Puri, Nobuyuki Sakai, Piers Klein, Liisa Tomppo, Francois Caparros, João Nuno Ramos, Mouhammad Jumaa, Syed Zaidi, Tomas Dobrocky, Nicolas Martinez-Majander, Stefania Nannoni, Flavio Bellante, Aaron Rodriguez-Calienes, Sergio Salazar-Marioni, Pekka Virtanen, Daniel Po Kaiser, Rita Ventura, Jessica Jesser, Alicia C Castonguay, Muhammad M Qureshi, Hesham E Masoud, Milagros Galecio-Castillo, Manuel Requena, Riikka Lauha, Wei Hu, Eugene Lin, Zhongrong Miao, Daniel Roy, Hiroshi Yamagami, David J Seiffge, Davide Strambo, Peter A Ringleb, Robin Lemmens, Urs Fischer, Thanh N Nguyen, Johannes Kaesmacher

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The benefit of endovascular therapy (EVT) among stroke patients with large ischemic core (ASPECTS 0-5) in the extended time window outside of trial settings remains unclear. We analyzed the effect of EVT among these stroke patients in real-world settings.

Patients and methods: The CT for Late Endovascular Reperfusion (CLEAR) study recruited patients from 66 centers in 10 countries between 01/2014 and 05/2022. The extended time-window was defined as 6-24 h from last-seen-well to treatment. The primary outcome was shift of the 3-month modified Rankin scale (mRS) score. Safety outcomes included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and mortality. Outcomes were analyzed …

A Shared Mechanism For Tnp-Atp Recognition By Members Of The P2x Receptor Family, Xiao-Bo Ma, Chen-Xi Yue, Yan Liu, Yang Yang, Jin Wang, Xiao-Na Yang, Li-Dong Huang, Michael X Zhu, Motoyuki Hattori, Chang-Zhu Li, Ye Yu, Chang-Run Guo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

P2X receptors (P2X1-7) are non-selective cation channels involved in many physiological activities such as synaptic transmission, immunological modulation, and cardiovascular function. These receptors share a conserved mechanism to sense extracellular ATP. TNP-ATP is an ATP derivative acting as a nonselective competitive P2X antagonist. Understanding how it occupies the orthosteric site in the absence of agonism may help reveal the key allostery during P2X gating. However, TNP-ATP/P2X complexes (TNP-ATP/human P2X3 (hP2X3) and TNP-ATP/chicken P2X7 (ckP2X7)) with distinct conformations and different mechanisms of action have been proposed. Whether these represent species and subtype variations or experimental differences remains unclear. Here, we show …

Telehealth In Emergency Medicine Residency Training: A Model Curriculum, Laura Oh, Rahul Bhat, Michael J Carr, Aditi U Joshi, Bruce M Lo, Ashley C Rider, Lulu Wang, Michael C Wadman, Samuel D Luber

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Emergency physicians are well‐positioned to take a leadership role in telehealth, particularly in emerging categories such as triage, direct acute unscheduled care, and virtual observation. However, the growth of telehealth has outpaced curricular development in emergency medicine (EM) residency programs. This manuscript presents a model longitudinal telehealth curriculum, developed by the consensus of education experts, including representatives from the telehealth interest groups from EM's two primary specialty societies: the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. The curriculum describes overarching goals and components that may serve as a foundation for individual institutions seeking to train …

Skin Cancer Risk In Patients With Brca Mutations, Lucy J Navsaria, Allen M Haas, Jessica L Corredor, Banu K Arun, Sharon H Giordano, Kevin T Nead, Mackenzie R Wehner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

The Life And Discoveries Of Yellapragada Subbarow, Nikhil R, Varuni Pragya, Subramanian Ramaswamy, Shiva Prasad B N, Mahabaleshwar Mamadapur

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Dr. Yellapragada Subbarow was a researcher, teacher, and a wizard of wonder drugs who constantly made efforts in the discoveries/ inventions such as vitamins, anti-vitamins, antibiotics, and many more by disentangling the mysteries of nature for the betterment of the people. He inspired the youngsters to take up the challenges and to stand up above mediocrity. The reward for his achievement was delayed. The article describes a true humanist's journey, discoveries, and his achievements that are largely unknown to date.

Systemic Sirolimus Therapy Is Associated With Reduced Intervention Frequency In Pulmonary Vein Stenosis, Alyssa B Kalustian, Joseph L Hagan, Paige E Brlecic, Ionela Iacobas, Rachel D Vanderlaan, Joseph Burns, Thao T Wu, Ravi Birla, Sharada Gowda, Manish Bansal, Srinath T Gowda, Lindsay F Eilers, Asra Khan, Juan Pablo Sandoval-Jones, Michiaki Imamura, Yishay Orr, Christopher A Caldarone, Athar M Qureshi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Early clinical outcomes data for adjunctive systemic sirolimus therapy (SST) for moderate to severe pediatric pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) are promising but limited.

OBJECTIVES: The authors aimed to characterize a cohort of patients treated with SST to determine if SST was associated with a reduction in frequency of PVS interventions.

METHODS: Medical records of 45 patients with PVS treated with SST for ≥1 month from 2015 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. PVS intervention rates pre-SST and on-SST were compared using generalized Poisson mixed models, accounting for paired intervals within each patient. In addition to an unadjusted model, an adjusted …

Lenvatinib Plus Ifosfamide And Etoposide In Children And Young Adults With Relapsed Osteosarcoma: A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial, Nathalie Gaspar, Giun-Yi Hung, Sandra J Strauss, Quentin Campbell-Hewson, Filemon S Dela Cruz, Julia L Glade Bender, Kyung-Nam Koh, Sarah B Whittle, Godfrey Chi-Fung Chan, Nicolas U Gerber, Sauli Palmu, Daniel A Morgenstern, Alessandra Longhi, Fredrik Baecklund, Jun Ah Lee, Franco Locatelli, Catalina Márquez Vega, Katherine A Janeway, Geoffrey Mccowage, Martin G Mccabe, Behzad Bidadi, Jie Huang, Jodi Mckenzie, Chinyere E Okpara, Francisco Bautista, Olie Study Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: The combination of ifosfamide and etoposide (IE) is commonly used to treat relapsed or refractory osteosarcoma; however, second-line treatment recommendations vary across guidelines.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the addition of lenvatinib to IE (LEN-IE) improves outcomes in children and young adults with relapsed or refractory osteosarcoma.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The OLIE phase II, open-label, randomized clinical trial was conducted globally across Europe, Asia and the Pacific, and North America. From March 22, 2020, through November 11, 2021, the trial enrolled patients aged 2 to 25 years with high-grade osteosarcoma, measurable or evaluable disease per Response Evaluation Criteria in …

American Society For Metabolic And Bariatric Surgery Review Of Body Composition, Jonathan Carter, Farah Husain, Pavlos Papasavas, Salvatore Docimo, Vance Albaugh, Laura Aylward, Cynthia Blalock, Sue Benson-Davies

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Although the body mass index (BMI) has been used as a measure of obesity for decades, it is now possible to measure adiposity more directly with technologies that can quantitate body fat and other tissues. The purpose of this review is to understand body composition, describe the different ways to measure it, review changes in body composition after metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS), and provide guidance on how providers can introduce measurements of body composition into their everyday practice.

American Society For Metabolic And Bariatric Surgery Review Of The Body Mass Index, Jonathan Carter, Farah Husain, Pavlos Papasavas, Salvatore Docimo, Vance Albaugh, Laura Aylward, Cynthia Blalock, Sue Benson-Davies

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The body mass index was first described almost 200 years ago and has since been used as a measure of obesity. This review describes the history, advantages, disadvantages, and alternatives to the body mass index in the care of the metabolic and bariatric surgical patient.

Association Of Acute Rejection And De Novo Renal Cell Carcinoma In Kidney Transplant Patients: An Optn Data Analysis, Molly Casey, Emmalie Yanacek, Hitesh Kaul, John Knorr, Kamran Khanmoradi, Afshin Parsikia, Nikolaos Chandolias, Kevin Zarrabi, Radi Zaki

Einstein Health Papers

Background: Kidney Transplant Recipients (KTRs) are at risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The risk of RCC in KTRs is approximated to be 5–10 times higher compared with the general population. A relation between kidney rejection and renal malignancy has been described and relates to the effect of immunosuppression at the genomic level. We decided to investigate any suggestive clinical evidence of this in the OPTN database. Methods: KTRs with de novo RCC between July 2004 and June 2022 were identified. Demographics, baseline characteristics, virology, and immunology data were compared between patients with and without RCC. Our follow-up period was …

Strategies To Enhance Diagnostic Capabilities For The New Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (Dr-Tb) Drugs, Antonia Morita Iswari Saktiawati, Anca Vasiliu, Francesca Saluzzo, Onno W Akkerman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The global burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) continues to challenge healthcare systems worldwide. There is a critical need to tackle DR-TB by enhancing diagnostics and drug susceptibility testing (DST) capabilities, particularly for emerging DR-TB drugs. This endeavor is crucial to optimize the efficacy of new therapeutic regimens and prevent the resistance and overuse of these invaluable weapons. Despite this urgency, there remains a lack of comprehensive review of public health measures aimed at improving the diagnostics and DST capabilities. In this review, we outline strategies to enhance the capabilities, especially tailored to address the challenges posed by resistance to new …

A Virtual Scalable Model Of The Hepatic Lobule For Acetaminophen Hepatotoxicity Prediction, Stelian Camara Dit Pinto, Jalal Cherkaoui, Debarshi Ghosh, Valentine Cazaubon, Kenza E Benzeroual, Steven M Levine, Mohammed Cherkaoui, Gagan K Sood, Sharmila Anandasabapathy, Sadhna Dhingra, John M Vierling, Nicolas R Gallo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Addressing drug-induced liver injury is crucial in drug development, often causing Phase III trial failures and market withdrawals. Traditional animal models fail to predict human liver toxicity accurately. Virtual twins of human organs present a promising solution. We introduce the Virtual Hepatic Lobule, a foundational element of the Living Liver, a multi-scale liver virtual twin. This model integrates blood flow dynamics and an acetaminophen-induced injury model to predict hepatocyte injury patterns specific to patients. By incorporating metabolic zonation, our predictions align with clinical zonal hepatotoxicity observations. This methodology advances the development of a human liver virtual twin, aiding in the …

Etanercept, Methotrexate, Or Combined Therapy For Improving Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms, Ajith Dupati

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report using:

van der Heijde D, Klareskog L, Rodriguez-Valverde V, et al. Comparison of etanercept and methotrexate, alone and combined, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: two-year clinical and radiographic results from the TEMPO study, a double-blind, randomized trial. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54(4):1063-1074. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.21655

for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

Use Of Empagliflozin As An Adjuvant Treatment For Obstructive Sleep Apnea For A Patient Who Has Not Seen A Physician In Over 40 Years, Andrew Demko

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report using:

Neeland IJ, Eliasson B, Kasai T, et al. The Impact of Empagliflozin on Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular and Renal Outcomes: An Exploratory Analysis of the EMPA-REG OUTCOME Trial. Diabetes Care. 2020;43(12):3007-3015. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc20-1096

for a patient with obstructive sleep apnea who has not seen a physician in over 40 years.

Discordance Between Balance Ability And Perception Is Associated With Falls In Parkinson’S Disease: A Coordinated Analysis, Jason K. Longhurst, Andrew Hooyman, Merrill R. Landers, Martina Mancini, Erika Franzén, Breiffni Leavy, Hanna Johansson, Daniel Peterson

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: The congruence or discordance between actual and perceived balance ability has been proposed to be linked to functional outcomes such as falls. However, gaps remain in our ability to quantify discordance, and its relationship to relevant outcomes.

Objective: To investigate a novel quantification of concordance/discordance between balance performance and perception and determine the relationship to falls among people with Parkinson’s disease (PwPD).

Methods: Data from 244 PwPD were aggregated from 5 previously conducted studies. Variables extracted included age, sex, Activities-Specific Balance Confidence scale (ABC; perceived balance), Timed Up and Go (TUG; balance performance), Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson Disease …

Functions Of Tam Receptors And Ligands Protein S And Gas6 In Atherosclerosis And Cardiovascular Disease, Teagan Prouse, Samarpan Majumder, Rinku Majumder

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease are associated with high morbidity and mortality in industrialized nations. The Tyro3, Axl, and Mer (TAM) family of receptor tyrosine kinases is involved in the amplification or resolution of atherosclerosis pathology and other cardiovascular pathology. The ligands of these receptors, Protein S (PS) and growth arrest specific protein 6 (Gas6), are essential for TAM receptor functions in the amplification and resolution of atherosclerosis. The Axl-Gas6 interaction has various effects on cardiovascular disease. Mer and PS dampen inflammation, thereby protecting against atherosclerosis progression. Tyro3, the least studied TAM receptor in cardiovascular disease, appears to protect against fibrosis …

Pediatric Renal Cell Carcinoma (Prcc) Subpopulation Environmental Differentials In Survival Disadvantage Of Black/African American Children In The United States: Large-Cohort Evidence, Laurens Holmes, Phatismo Masire, Arieanna Eaton, Robert Mason, Mackenzie Holmes, Justin William, Maura Poleon, Michael Enwere

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare but severe and aggressive pediatric malignancy. While incidence is uncommon, survival is relatively low with respect to acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), AML, lymphoma, ependymoma, glioblastoma, and Wilms Tumor. The pediatric renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) incidence, cumulative incidence (period prevalence), and mortality vary by health disparities' indicators, namely sex, race, ethnicity, age at tumor diagnosis, and social determinants of health (SDHs) as well as Epigenomic Determinants of Health (EDHs). However, studies are unavailable on some pRCC risk determinants, such as area of residence and socio-economic status (SES). The current study aimed at assessing …

Targeted Variant Assessments Of Human Endogenous Retroviral Regions In Whole Genome Sequencing Data Reveal Retroviral Variants Associated With Papillary Thyroid Cancer, Erik Stricker, Erin C Peckham-Gregory, Stephen Y Lai, Vlad C Sandulache, Michael E Scheurer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is one of the fastest-growing cancers worldwide, lacking established causal factors or validated early diagnostics. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), comprising 8% of human genomes, have potential as PTC biomarkers due to their comparably high baseline expression in healthy thyroid tissues, indicating homeostatic roles. However, HERV regions are often overlooked in genome-wide association studies because of their highly repetitive nature, low sequence coverage, and decreased sequencing quality. Using targeted whole-genome sequence analysis in conjunction with high sequencing depth to overcome methodological limitations, we identified associations of specific HERV variants with PTC. Analyzing WGS data from 138 patients …

Atypical Presentation Of Spindle Cell Lipoma In A Young Male With A History Of Malignant Melanoma, Ty Theriot, John David Cattar, Lacey Falgout, Nicholas Culotta, Christopher Haas

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Spindle cell lipoma (SCL) is a benign adipocytic tumor usually found in the subcutis of the posterior neck, upper back, and shoulder, predominantly in middle-aged males. This case report describes an atypical presentation of SCL in a 26-year-old male with a history of malignant melanoma. The patient presented with an erythematous plaque with central hyperpigmentation on the right upper arm, an uncommon location and presentation for SCL. Histopathological examination revealed an atypical myxoid spindle cell neoplasm with CD34 positivity and an overlying mildly atypical compound melanocytic nevus. The unusual clinical and histological features, combined with the patient's melanoma history, complicated …

Gut Microbiota Profiling In Injection Drug Users With And Without Hiv-1 Infection In Puerto Rico, Nirosh Aluthge, Seidu Adams, Carmen A. Davila, Nova R. Gocchi Carrasco, Kathy S. Chiou, Roberto Abadie, Sydney J. Bennett, Kirk Dombrowski, Angel M. Major, Aníbal Valentín-Acevedo, John T. West, Charles Wood, Samodha C. Fernando

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The full extent of interactions between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, injection drug use, and the human microbiome is unclear. In this study, we examined the microbiomes of HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals, both drug-injecting and non-injecting, to identify bacterial community changes in response to HIV and drug use. We utilized a well-established cohort of people who inject drugs in Puerto Rico, a region with historically high levels of injection drug use and an HIV incidence rate disproportionately associated with drug use. METHODS: Using amplicon-based 16S rDNA sequencing, we identified amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) that demonstrated significant variations in the …

Enhancing Immune Response And Survival In Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Novel Oncolytic Jurona Virus And Immune Checkpoint Blockade, Mulu Z. Tesfay, Yuguo Zhang, Khandoker U. Ferdous, Mika A. Taylor, Aleksandra Cios, Randal S. Shelton, Camila C. Simoes, Chelsae R. Watters, Oumar Barro, Natalie M. Elliott, Bahaa Mustafa, Jean Christopher Chamcheu, Alicia L. Graham, Charity L. Washam, Duah Alkam, Allen Gies, Stephanie D. Byrum, Emmanouil Giorgakis, Steven R. Post, Thomas Kelly, Jun Ying, Omeed Moaven, Chiswili Y. Chabu, Martin E. Fernandez-Zapico, Dan G. Duda, Lewis R. Roberts, Rang Govindarajan, Mitesh J. Borad, Martin J. Cannon, Et Al

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Members of the Vesiculovirus genus including Jurona virus (JURV) have emerged as promising immunotherapeutic agents, characterized by their tumor selectivity, fast kinetics, low seroprevalence, and minimal toxicity in humans. Here, we demonstrate that the administration of JURV leads to tumor regression in both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) xenograft and syngeneic models. Furthermore, our findings indicate that combining JURV and anti-PD-1 therapy reduced tumor burden and improved survival rates over JURV or anti-PD-1 alone in an orthotopic HCC model. Proteogenomic analysis of JURV-treated, murine HCC tumors demonstrates that the therapeutic effects of the combination of JURV and anti-PD-1 are predominantly driven by …

Antithrombotic Efficacy And Bleeding Risks Of Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Treatments, Halina H.L. Leung, Zohra Ahmadi, Brendan Lee, John Casey, Sumita Ratnasingam, Steven E. Mckenzie, Jose Perdomo, Beng H. Chong

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Current guidelines for treating vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) recommend nonheparin anticoagulants and IV immunoglobulin (IVIg). However, the efficacy of these treatments remains uncertain due to case studies involving small patient numbers, confounding factors (eg, concurrent treatments), and a lack of animal studies. A recent study proposed danaparoid and heparin as potential VITT therapies because of their ability to disrupt VITT IgG-platelet factor 4 (PF4) binding. Here, we examined the effects of various anticoagulants (including unfractionated [UF] heparin, danaparoid, bivalirudin, fondaparinux, and argatroban), IVIg, and the FcγRIIa receptor-blocking antibody, IV.3. Our investigation focused on VITT IgG-PF4 binding, platelet activation, thrombocytopenia, …