Medical Specialties Commons^™

The Effects Of Nicotine And Cigarette Smoking On Cardiac Electrophysiology., Affan B. Irfan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable disease and premature death worldwide. The adverse effects of cigarette smoking, including proarrhythmia, are related to the mixture of chemicals, including nicotine (which sustains tobacco addiction). However, it remains unclear which individual tobacco smoke constituents and biological pathways mediate this increased risk. The purpose of this research was to explore the chronic effects of cigarette smoking, as well as compare the acute effects of nicotine and cigarette smoking, and the possible role of β-adrenoreceptors, on human cardiac electrophysiology. Chapter 1 is a comprehensive literature review of (a) the ex vivo and in …

The Identification Of Long Non-Coding Rna Zfas1 Through An Exploratory Rna-Sequencing Analysis And Its Association With Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition In Colon Cancer Adenocarcinoma., Stephen J. O'Brien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Colorectal adenocarcinoma is the fourth most common cancer diagnosed worldwide and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. This dissertation performed an exploratory RNA-sequencing analysis comparing gene expression between colon adenocarcinoma tissue and paired normal colon epithelium. After identification of a number of lncRNAs that were increased in expression in colon adenocarcinoma compared to normal colon epithelium, we aimed to validate the expression and investigate their function in vitro. Specifically, we focused on the lncRNA ZFAS1 and its association with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. These studies found the following: 1. Seven candidate lncRNAs were identified from the exploratory RNA-sequencing analysis to …

Msto1 Mutations Cause Mtdna Depletion, Manifesting As Muscular Dystrophy With Cerebellar Involvement., S Donkervoort, R Sabouny, P Yun, L Gauquelin, K R Chao, Y Hu, I Al Khatib, A Töpf, P Mohassel, B B Cummings, R Kaur, D Saade, S A Moore, L B Waddell, M A Farrar, J K Goodrich, P Uapinyoying, S H S Chan, A Javed, M E Leach, P Karachunski, J Dalton, L Medne, A Harper, C Thompson, Isabelle Thiffault, S Specht, R E Lamont, Carol J. Saunders, H Racher, F P Bernier, D Mowat, N Witting, J Vissing, R Hanson, Keith A. Coffman, Meagan K. Hainlen, J S Parboosingh, A Carnevale, G Yoon, R E Schnur, Care4rare Canada Consortium, K M Boycott, J K Mah, V Straub, A Reghan Foley, A M Innes, C G Bönnemann, T E Shutt

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

MSTO1 encodes a cytosolic mitochondrial fusion protein, misato homolog 1 or MSTO1. While the full genotype-phenotype spectrum remains to be explored, pathogenic variants in MSTO1 have recently been reported in a small number of patients presenting with a phenotype of cerebellar ataxia, congenital muscle involvement with histologic findings ranging from myopathic to dystrophic and pigmentary retinopathy. The proposed underlying pathogenic mechanism of MSTO1-related disease is suggestive of impaired mitochondrial fusion secondary to a loss of function of MSTO1. Disorders of mitochondrial fusion and fission have been shown to also lead to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion, linking them to the mtDNA …

Genetic Screening For Breast Cancer In The Primary Care Setting, Michael Nick Gomez

Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this project was to increase adherence to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for breast cancer screening and genetic testing. Screening for breast cancer risk factors including genetic testing helps reduce the incidence of breast cancer. A protocol was developed based on national clinical guidelines to increase screening and genetic testing for breast cancer. Provider responsibilities included screening all patients 18 years of age and older for risks factors of breast cancer, referring patients with a significant risk based on the screening for genetic testing and providing referrals for genetic counseling …

Identification And Molecular Analysis Of Dna In Exosomes, Jena Tavormina

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Exosomes are heterogeneous nanoparticles 50-150nm in diameter. Exosomes contain many functional cargo components, such as protein, DNA, and RNA. While protein and RNA exosome content has been extensively studied, very little work has been done to characterize exosomal DNA. Here, we demonstrate that exosomal DNA is heterogeneous and its packaging into exosomes is dependent on the cell of origin. Furthermore, through a rigorous assessment of various isolation methods, we identify Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) as the best method for the isolation of exosomal DNA for downstream applications. Additionally, we evaluate the methylation status of exosomal DNA and demonstrate that exosomal …

The Acute Effect Of Water Intake On Glucose Regulation In Low Drinkers, Adam David Seal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous evidence suggests the hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) may be a modifiable factor contributing to hyperglycemia. Significant differences in urine concentration and copeptin, a marker for AVP, have been observed between low and high water drinkers. Purpose: The purpose was to investigate the acute effect of adequate water intake on glucose regulation in low drinkers. Methods: 7 healthy (5 males, 2 female) low drinkers were recruited using a water frequency questionnaire (WFQ), spot and 24-h urine sample (age 43±6 y, BMI 30.9±3, WFQ volume 823±403 mL∙d-1, 24 h Uosm 961±105 mmol∙kg-1, copeptin 8.17±3.05 pmol∙L-1). During two experimental protocols, participants remained …

Identification Of The Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (Kshv) Surface Glycoprotein Targets Of Human Kshv-Specific Neutralizing Antibody Responses, Yasaman Mortazavi

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), is the etiological agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), and is also associated with two B cell malignancies, primary effusion lymphoma and multicentric Castleman's disease. The distribution of KSHV varies globally with high prevalence in some areas of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where seroprevalence can be as high as 80%. It is estimated that nearly 44,000 new cases of KS emerge annually globally, with the highest incidents occurring in Africa, where KSHV is endemic. Currently, there is no prophylactic vaccine against KSHV, and efforts to develop prophylactic vaccines have been limited. …

Bipolar Fresh Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation And Joint Reconstruction For Patellar And Trochlear Cartilage Defects, Omid Jalali, Zachary Vredenburgh, John Prodromo, Neilen Benvegnu, George Frederick Rick Hatch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Patellar instability is a debilitating condition, and trauma due to the dislocations may severely damage the articular cartilage of the patellofemoral joint. The lack of healing capacity of cartilage makes treatment of such lesions challenging. In young patients, preservation of native bone and cartilage is a priority, and therefore arthroplasty procedures should be avoided even in relatively larger lesions. Fresh osteochondral allografting has been described for these difficult and complex cases, with recent studies showing promising results. In this surgical technique, we describe the use of bipolar osteochondral allografts of the patella and trochlea and patellofemoral joint reconstruction for large …

Gna11 Brain Somatic Pathogenic Variant In An Individual With Phacomatosis Pigmentovascularis, Joseph M Sliepka, Sarah C Mcgriff, Linda Z Rossetti, Peyman Bizargity, Haley Streff, Yi-Shan Lee, Hongzheng Dai, Satyamaanasa Polubothu, Grace Lee, Vicky Ren, Jill V Hunter, Daniel J Curry, Fernando Scaglia, Adekunle M Adesina, Irfan Ali, Veronica Kinsler, Lindsay C Burrage, Dana Marafi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: To describe the findings of histopathology and genotyping studies in affected brain tissue from an individual with phacomatosis pigmentovascularis (PPV).

METHODS: A retrospective chart review of a 2-year 10-month-old male with a clinical diagnosis of PPV cesiomarmorata (or type V) was performed. Clinical features, brain imaging and histopathology findings, and genotyping studies in his affected brain tissue are summarized.

RESULTS: The proband had a clinically severe neurologic phenotype characterized by global developmental delay, generalized hypotonia, and recurrent episodes of cardiac asystole in the setting of status epilepticus. A somatic pathogenic variant in

CONCLUSIONS: The finding of this variant in …

Structural Basis Of Amino Acid Surveillance By Higher-Order Trna-Mrna Interactions, Shuang Li, Zhaoming Su, Jean Lehmann, Vassiliki Stamatopoulou, Nikoleta Giarimoglou, Frances E Henderson, Lixin Fan, Grigore D Pintilie, Kaiming Zhang, Muyuan Chen, Steven J Ludtke, Yun-Xing Wang, Constantinos Stathopoulos, Wah Chiu, Jinwei Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Amino acid availability in Gram-positive bacteria is monitored by T-box riboswitches. T-boxes directly bind tRNAs, assess their aminoacylation state, and regulate the transcription or translation of downstream genes to maintain nutritional homeostasis. Here, we report cocrystal and cryo-EM structures of Geobacillus kaustophilus and Bacillus subtilis T-box-tRNA complexes, detailing their multivalent, exquisitely selective interactions. The T-box forms a U-shaped molecular vise that clamps the tRNA, captures its 3' end using an elaborate 'discriminator' structure, and interrogates its aminoacylation state using a steric filter fashioned from a wobble base pair. In the absence of aminoacylation, T-boxes clutch tRNAs and form a continuously …

Results Of A Phase 1 Multicentre Investigation Of Dexmedetomidine Bolus And Infusion In Corrective Infant Cardiac Surgery, Athena F Zuppa, Susan C Nicolson, Nicole S Wilder, Juan C Ibla, Erin A Gottlieb, Kristin M Burns, Mario Stylianou, Felicia Trachtenberg, Hua Ni, Tera H Skeen, Dean B Andropoulos

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is increasingly used intraoperatively in infants undergoing cardiac surgery. This phase 1 multicentre study sought to: (i) determine the safety of DEX for cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass; (ii) determine the pharmacokinetics (PK) of DEX; (iii) create a PK model and dosing for steady-state DEX plasma levels; and (iv) validate the PK model and dosing.

METHODS: We included 122 neonates and infants (0-180 days) with D-transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, or tetralogy of Fallot. Dose escalation was used to generate NONMEM® PK modelling, and then validation was performed to achieve low (200-300 pg ml …

Burnout, Job Dissatisfaction, And Mental Health Outcomes Among Medical Students And Health Care Professionals At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan: Protocol For A Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study, Syed Hamza Mufarrih, Aeman Naseer, Nada Qaisar Qureshi, Zohaib Anwar, Nida Zahid, Riaz Hussain Lakdawala, Shahryar Noordin

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Burnout, a state of vital exhaustion, has frequently been related to work-related stress and job dissatisfaction. Given the emotionally and physically challenging nature of their work, high rates of burnout have been reported among health care professionals. This may put them at a higher risk for of suffering from adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety and stress. In our study, we aim to assess the prevalence i of and associations among burnout and job dissatisfaction and adverse mental health outcomes in a developing country, where the challenges faced by the health care system are unique. Facilities are over-burdened and …

Cardiac Dysfunction In Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia, Ehab Elmelegy, El-Saied Shaheen, Wael Hossam El Din

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is still an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide especially in the elderly. Evidence shows a high correlation between acute respiratory infections and increased risk of cardiovascular events (CVEs). The occurrence of CVE in hospitalized patients with CAP may significantly affect the clinical status, and a severe CVE could be the primary cause of clinical failure. Aim To study the incidence of cardiac complications in patients with CAP. Patients and methods This clinical study was carried out on 120 patients (63 males and 57 females) hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of CAP. Patients with the …

Using Ondansetron As An Oral Premedication Drug For Prevention Of Postanesthesia Shivering, Ashraf A. M. Soliman

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Introduction Postanesthesia shivering (PAS) is one of the most common complications after surgeries. There are two methods to reduce the shivering, including pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods. Aim This study compared the efficacy and safety of 4-mg oral ondansetron premedication on preventing PAS, perioperative core body temperature changes, and hemodynamic stability. Patients and methods This prospective, observational study consisted of 100 adult patients scheduled for general surgery or interventional structural heart disease. The patients were randomized into two groups of 50 patients each. Group I received 4 mg of oral ondansetron, and group II received an oral placebo 60–90 min before …

Rare Presentation Of Typhoid Fever In An Immunocompetent Patient, Kumar Priyanka, Rajnish Kumar

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, is the most common cause of enteric fever, and presents classically with fever and other gastrointestinal symptoms. We report an interesting case of a 27-year-old Indian man who lives in a semiurban area of Haryana (northern India) and presented with a 3-day-long history of intermittent fever, chills, and rigor. He was misdiagnosed previously as having mumps fever in view of the clinical presentation, but later, with proper workup, it was found to be an atypical presentation of typhoid fever. He responded well to intravenous antibiotics and recovered completely from typhoid infection.

Relationship Between Dietary Intake And Obesity Among A Group Of Primary School‑Aged Children In Cairo Governorate, Mahmood D. Al‑Mendalawi

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Sir,
I read with interest the study by El‑Gazzar et al. [1] published in January–March 2019 issue of the Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research. Based on using WHO growth standard to measure various anthropometric indices as well as dietary assessment (24 h recall) and food consumption pattern, the authors studied the relationship between dietary pattern and obesity among a cohort of Egyptian primary school children. They found a positive correlation between obesity and the increased intake of high‑energy dense food (fat and sugar) in the studied cohort. Owing to the presence of the following methodological limitation, I presume that …

Endoscopic Band Ligation Versus Argon Plasma Coagulation In Management Of Bleeding From Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia In Patients With Portal Hypertension, Hala M. Abd El Maguid, Muhammad M. Abdel Ghaffar

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) may cause recurrent hemorrhage, and thus, chronic anemia, in patients with portal hypertension. Treatment with argon plasma coagulation (APC) is an effective and safe method in adults but requires multiple sessions of endoscopic therapy. Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) was found to be a good alternative for APC as a treatment for GAVE, especially in refractory cases. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EBL, as compared with APC, in treating nonvariceal upper GI bleeding GAVE in patients with portal hypertension. Patients and methods A total of 40 …

Role Of Triphasic Computed Tomography In Prediction Of Response To Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization In Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients, Ahmed A.E Hassan Desoky, Hala M. Maghraby, Mohammed K. Omar

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background The initial approach in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is to determine if either surgical resection or liver transplantation is feasible. Unfortunately, more than three-quarters of the patients are diagnosed during the intermediate or advanced stages of the disease and are considered ineligible for curative resection. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the current standard of therapy for patients with intermediate-stage HCC according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification. Aim This study aims to evaluate the role of triphasic computed tomography (CT) in the prediction of the prognosis of irresectable HCC patients, who had been locally treated with TACE …

Role Of Pomegranate Peel On Ameliorated Hyperglycemia And Hypercholesterolemia In Experimental Rats, Magda Ramzy

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Introduction Pomegranate peels (Punica granatum) (contain fiber and antioxidants, which are beneficial to our health. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of pomegranate peels on blood glucose, lipid profiles, and some physiological parameters, such as liver and kidney functions, in rats having diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. Methods Rats were divided into three main groups: the first main group was the negative control, the second main group was diabetic rats, and the third main group was hypercholesterolemic rats. Second and third main groups were divided into four subgroups (six rats/group) and fed with different diet levels …

Computerized Dynamic Posturography In School-Aged Children With Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Hanaa Fadel, Hoda Abu-Moussa Mina, Naema M. Ismail, Shereen Emad El Dein Abdel Moneim

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background According to embryological and anatomical connection between the cochlea and vestibular end-organs, children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) may exhibit abnormalities of vestibular and balance function. Documentation of vestibular dysfunction in children with SNHL has a long and rich history indicating that 20–70% of children with SNHL demonstrate an element of vestibular end-organ dysfunction. Vestibular dysfunction was proved to correlate with severity of cochlear loss in many research works. Aim of the work To assess normative data of sensory organization test (SOT) and head shaking (HS) test according to age, weight, and height of children in control group and …

Comparable Study Between Organic And Nonorganic Vegetables In Their Contents Of Some Nutritive Components, Hamdy A. El-Bassel, Hany H. El-Gazzar

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background There is no doubt that vegetables play an essential role in human growth as they provide the human body the necessary needs of vitamins and minerals. Several analytical methods have been set up and improved to determine the quantity of vitamins and minerals in different fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the quantities of vitamins and minerals in organic and nonorganic vegetables in Egyptian. The results showed that organic tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, squash, carrots, and cabbage had significantly higher content of vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotene, phosphorus, and calcium. However, nonorganic vegetables showed significantly …

Haptoglobin Genotyping And Risk Of Cerebral Vasospasm After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Ahmed M. Ateya, Ahmed A. El-Bassiouny, Islam El-Garwany, Khaled Gobbah, Mahmoud H. Ibrahim, Nagia A. Fahmy, Sobhy H. El-Nabi

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background Aneurysmal subarach noid hemorrhage (aSAH) represents roughly 6–8% of all stroke types. Almost 70% of patients develop angiographic vasospasm, and 30% of them will have delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). An 'omic signature' could combine genetic, proteomic, and metabolomic phenotypes into an accurate predictive model. Haptoglobin (Hp) genotypes could be used to stratify risk of resulting cerebral vasospasm (CV) and DCI, to give prognostic data dependent on distributed result probabilities, and to develop novel medications dependent on individual pathophysiological models. Objective This research intends to investigate the clinical and radiological factors as indicators for risk of development of CV after …

The Role Of Vitamin D Therapy In Patients With Fibromyalgia And Its Effect On Quality Of Life, Abeer H. Ismaiel, Aliaa El-Hady, Amal A. Mohsen, Mohamed A. Safy

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Objective To investigate the level of vitamin D and the effect of its therapy on quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia who had vitamin D deficiency. Patients and methods Sixty patients presenting with fibromyalgia and 30 healthy controls were studied. Patients were grouped as deficient (<20 ng/ml), inadequate (20–30 ng/ml), and sufficient (>30 ng/ml) according to the levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D replacement was performed for patients with deficiencies and inadequacies and they were assessed before and after vitamin D therapy using the following scales: visual analog scale, fibromyalgia impact questionnaire, short form-36, Arizona sexual life questionnaire, and Beck depression scale and correlation were …

Effect Of Liver Cirrhosis On Patient Outcomes From Open Heart Surgery, Ahmed A. Faragalla, Hossam B. Kashlan, Wael A. Elhakeem

Journal of Medicine in Scientific Research

Background We designed this prospective controlled study to evaluate the early postoperative outcomes in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) after open heart surgery (OHS). Patients and methods Between May 2011 and February 2017, 120 patients with elective OHS were included and categorized into a control group (50%) and patients with LC (50%), who were further subdivided according to Child–Turcotte–Pugh (CTP) score into group CTP A (49 patients) and CTP B (11 patients). All preoperative demographic and clinical data in addition to operative and postoperative data were evaluated. Patients with CTP (class C) were excluded. Results Overall, 48 (40%) patients experienced …

A Systematic Comparison Of Lipopolymers For Sirna Delivery To Multiple Breast Cancer Cell Lines: In Vitro Studies, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Remant Bahadur Kc, Emira Bousoik, Ashley Barbarino, Bindu Thapa, Melissa Coyle, Parvin Mahdipoor, Hasan Uludağ

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy is a promising approach for treatment of a wide range of cancers, including breast cancers that display variable phenotypic features. To explore the general utility of siRNA therapy to control aberrant expression of genes in breast cancer, we conducted a detailed analysis of siRNA delivery and silencing response in vitro in 6 separate breast cancer cell models (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-231-KRas-CRM, MCF-7, AU565, MDA-MB-435 and MDA-MB-468 cells). Using lipopolymers for siRNA complexation and delivery, we found a large variation in siRNA delivery efficiency depending on the specific lipopolymer used for siRNA complexation and delivery. Some lipopolymers were …

Defining The Layers Of A Sensory Cilium With Storm And Cryoelectron Nanoscopy, Michael A Robichaux, Valencia L Potter, Zhixian Zhang, Feng He, Jun Liu, Michael F Schmid, Theodore G Wensel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Primary cilia carry out numerous signaling and sensory functions, and defects in them, "ciliopathies," cause a range of symptoms, including blindness. Understanding of their nanometer-scale ciliary substructures and their disruptions in ciliopathies has been hindered by limitations of conventional microscopic techniques. We have combined cryoelectron tomography, enhanced by subtomogram averaging, with superresolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) to define subdomains within the light-sensing rod sensory cilium of mouse retinas and reveal previously unknown substructures formed by resident proteins. Domains are demarcated by structural features such as the axoneme and its connections to the ciliary membrane, and are correlated with molecular …

Interleukin 1 Alpha Administration Is Neuroprotective And Neuro-Restorative Following Experimental Ischemic Stroke, Kathleen E. Salmeron, Michael E. Maniskas, Danielle N. Edwards, Raymond Wong, Ivana Rajkovic, Amanda L. Trout, Abir A. Rahman, Samantha Hamilton, Justin F. Fraser, Emmanuel Pinteaux, Gregory J. Bix

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide despite recent treatment breakthroughs. A primary event in stroke pathogenesis is the development of a potent and deleterious local and peripheral inflammatory response regulated by the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1). While the role of IL-1β (main released isoform) has been well studied in stroke, the role of the IL-1α isoform remains largely unknown. With increasing utilization of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) or thrombectomy to pharmacologically or mechanically remove ischemic stroke causing blood clots, respectively, there is interest in pairing successful cerebrovascular recanalization with neurotherapeutic pharmacological interventions (Fraser et …

Method Of Predicting Obesity Comprising Measuring Neurotensin, B. Mark Evers, Jing Li, Paul Dobner, Olle Melander

Surgery Faculty Patents

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a method for predicting increased risk of obesity on a non-obese subject. More particularly, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to a method of predicting increased risk of obesity in a non-obese subject by determining a level of neurotensin expression in a biological sample from the subject and comparing the level of neurotensin expression in the sample with a control level. The presently disclosed subject matter further relates to a method of preventing and/or treating obesity in a subject in need thereof by administering to the subject an effective amount of an agent …

Genome-Wide Variation In Potyviruses, Deepti Nigam, Katherine Latourrette, Pedro F.N. Souza, Hernan Garcia Ruiz

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Potyviruses (family Potyviridae, genus Potyvirus) are the result of an initial radiation event that occurred 6,600 years ago. The genus currently consists of 167 species that infect monocots or dicots, including domesticated and wild plants. Potyviruses are transmitted in a non-persistent way by more than 200 species of aphids. As indicated by their wide host range, worldwide distribution, and diversity of their vectors, potyviruses have an outstanding capacity to adapt to new hosts and environments. However, factors that confer adaptability are poorly understood. Viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases introduce nucleotide substitutions that generate genetic diversity. We hypothesized that selection imposed by …

Mitochondrial Somatic Mutations And The Lack Of Viral Genomic Variation In Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis, Yuhan Hao, Ryan Ruiz, Liying Yang, Antonio Galvao Neto, Milan R Amin, Dervla Kelly, Stratos Achlatis, Scott Roof, Renjie Bing, Kasthuri Kannan, Stuart M Brown, Zhiheng Pei, Ryan C Branski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP) is a rare disease of the aerodigestive tract caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) that manifests as profoundly altered phonatory and upper respiratory anatomy. Current therapies are primarily symptomatic; enhanced insight regarding disease-specific biology of RRP is critical to improved therapeutics for this challenging population. Multiplex PCR was performed on oral rinses collected from twenty-three patients with adult-onset RRP every three months for one year. Twenty-two (95.6%) subjects had an initial HPV positive oral rinse. Of those subjects, 77.2% had an additional positive oral rinse over 12 months. A subset of rinses were then compared …