Medical Specialties Commons^™

Cd33 Expression And Its Association With Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin Response: Results From The Randomized Phase Iii Children's Oncology Group Trial Aaml0531., Jessica A. Pollard, Michael Loken, Robert B. Gerbing, Susana C. Raimondi, Betsy A. Hirsch, Richard Aplenc, Irwin D. Bernstein, Alan S. Gamis, Todd A. Alonzo, Soheil Meshinchi

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: CD33 is variably expressed on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts and is targeted by gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO). GO has shown benefit in both adult and pediatric AML trials, yet limited data exist about whether GO response correlates with CD33 expression level.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: CD33 expression levels were prospectively quantified by multidimensional flow cytometry in 825 patients enrolled in Children's Oncology Group AAML0531 and correlated with response to GO.

RESULTS: Patients with low CD33 expression (lowest quartile of expression [Q1]) had no benefit with the addition of GO to conventional chemotherapy (relapse risk [RR]: GO 36% v No-GO 34%, …

Caregiver Opinion Of In-Hospital Screening For Unmet Social Needs By Pediatric Residents., Jeffrey D. Colvin, Jessica L. Bettenhausen, Kaston D. Anderson-Carpenter, Vicki Collie-Akers, Paul J. Chung

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: Child health is strongly influenced by social determinants. Little is known about the opinions of primary caregivers regarding the physicians' role in addressing social needs. Our objective was to examine caregivers' opinions about that role and any associations between those opinions, previous exposure to screening for needs by pediatric residents, and socioeconomic status (SES).

METHODS: Cross-sectional survey study of caregivers of hospitalized children. The survey collected information on caregiver opinion regarding their ability to ask physicians for help with social needs, whether physicians know how to help with those needs, and whether physicians should ask about social needs. The …

Antimicrobial Stewardship Barriers And Goals In Pediatric Oncology And Bone Marrow Transplantation: A Survey Of Antimicrobial Stewardship Practitioners., Joshua Wolf, Yilun Sun, Li Tang, Jason G. Newland, Jeffrey S. Gerber, Christie J. Van Dyke, Saul R. Hymes, Diana Yu, Delia C. Carias, Penelope A. Bryant, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Antimicrobial Stewardship Interest Group

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

We undertook a cross-sectional survey of antimicrobial stewardship clinicians in North America and Australasia regarding practices, goals, and barriers to implementation of stewardship for pediatric oncology patients. Goals and barriers were similar regardless of clinician or institutional characteristics and geographic location. Strategies addressing these factors could help optimize antimicrobial use.

Multi-Level Correlates Of Safer Conception Methods Awareness And Attitudes Among Ugandan Hiv Clients With Fertility Intentions., Glenn J. Wagner, Mahlet A. Woldetsadik, Jolly Beyeza-Kashesya, Kathy Goggin, Deborah Mindry, Sarah Finocchario-Kessler, Sarah Khanakwa, Rhoda K. Wanyenze

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Many people living with HIV desire childbearing, but low cost safer conception methods (SCM) such as timed unprotected intercourse (TUI) and manual self-insemination (MSI) are rarely used. We examined awareness and attitudes towards SCM, and the correlates of these constructs among 400 HIV clients with fertility intentions in Uganda. Measures included awareness, self-efficacy, and motivation regarding SCM, as well as demographics, health management, partner and provider characteristics. Just over half knew that MSI (53%) and TUI (51%) reduced transmission risk during conception, and 15% knew of sperm washing and pre-exposure prophylaxis. In separate regression models for SCM awareness, motivation, and …

Is Whole-Exome Sequencing An Ethically Disruptive Technology? Perspectives Of Pediatric Oncologists And Parents Of Pediatric Patients With Solid Tumors, Laurence B Mccullough, Melody J Slashinski, Amy L Mcguire, Richard L Street, Christine M Eng, Richard A Gibbs, D William Parsons, Sharon E Plon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: It has been anticipated that physician and parents will be ill prepared or unprepared for the clinical introduction of genome sequencing, making it ethically disruptive.

PROCEDURE: As a part of the Baylor Advancing Sequencing in Childhood Cancer Care study, we conducted semistructured interviews with 16 pediatric oncologists and 40 parents of pediatric patients with cancer prior to the return of sequencing results. We elicited expectations and attitudes concerning the impact of sequencing on clinical decision making, clinical utility, and treatment expectations from both groups. Using accepted methods of qualitative research to analyze interview transcripts, we completed a thematic analysis …

Mri Signal Intensity Differentiation Of Brainstem Encephalitis Induced By Enterovirus 71: A Classification Approach For Acute And Convalescence Stages, Hongwu Zeng, Wenxian Huang, Feiqiu Wen, Yonker Wang, Yungen Gan, Weibin Zeng, Ranran Chen, Yanxia He, Zaiyi Liu, Changhong Liang, Kelvin K. L. Wong

Radiology Faculty Publications

Background: The objective of this study is to assess standardized histograms of signal intensities of T1 signal and T2 signal on sagittal view without enhancement during (1) acute stage, and (2) convalescence stage of pediatric patients with Enterovirus 71 related brainstem encephalitis (BE), and with respect to (3) healthy normal.

Methods: Our subjects were hospitalized between March 2010 and October 2012, and underwent pre- and post-contrast MRI studies. The research question to be answered is whether the comparison of the MRI image intensity histograms and relevant statistical quantification can add new knowledge to the diagnosis of BE patients. So, both …

Development Of A Spirometry T-Score In The General Population, Sei Won Lee, Hyun Kuk Kim, Seunghee Baek, Ji-Ye Jung, Young Sam Kim, Jae Seung Lee, Sang-Do Lee, David M. Mannino, Yeon-Mok Oh

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background and objective: Spirometry values may be expressed as T-scores in standard deviation units relative to a reference in a young, normal population as an analogy to the T-score for bone mineral density. This study was performed to develop the spirometry T-score.

Methods: T-scores were calculated from lambda-mu-sigma-derived Z-scores using a young, normal age reference. Three outcomes of all-cause death, respiratory death, and COPD death were evaluated in 9,101 US subjects followed for 10 years; an outcome of COPD-related health care utilization (COPD utilization) was evaluated in 1,894 Korean subjects followed for 4 years.

Results: The …

Colorectal Cancer Prevention: Perspectives Of Key Players From Social Networks In A Low-Income Rural Us Region, Nancy E. Schoenberg, Kathryn Eddens, Adam Jonas, Claire Snell-Rood, Christina R. Studts, Benjamin Broder-Oldach, Mira L. Katz

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Social networks influence health behavior and health status. Within social networks, “key players” often influence those around them, particularly in traditionally underserved areas like the Appalachian region in the USA. From a total sample of 787 Appalachian residents, we identified and interviewed 10 key players in complex networks, asking them what comprises a key player, their role in their network and community, and ideas to overcome and increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Key players emphasized their communication skills, resourcefulness, and special occupational and educational status in the community. Barriers to CRC screening included negative perceptions of the colonoscopy screening procedure, …

Differential Expression Of Pancreatic Protein And Chemosensing Receptor Mrnas In Nkcc1-Null Intestine, Emily M. Bradford, Kanimozhi Vairamani, Gary E. Shull

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

AIM: To investigate the intestinal functions of the NKCC1 Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl cotransporter (SLC12a2 gene), differential mRNA expression changes in NKCC1-null intestine were analyzed.

METHODS: Microarray analysis of mRNA from intestines of adult wild-type mice and gene-targeted NKCC1-null mice (n = 6 of each genotype) was performed to identify patterns of differential gene expression changes. Differential expression patterns were further examined by Gene Ontology analysis using the online Gorilla program, and expression changes of selected genes were verified using northern blot analysis and quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction. Histological staining and immunofluorescence were performed …

Molecular Evolution And Intraclade Recombination Of Enterovirus D68 During The 2014 Outbreak In The United States., Yi Tan, Ferdaus Hassan, Jennifer E. Schuster, Ari Simenauer, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Rebecca A. Halpin, Xudong Lin, Nadia Fedorova, Timothy B. Stockwell, Tommy Tsan-Yuk Lam, James D. Chappell, Tina V. Hartert, Edward C. Holmes, Suman R. Das

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

In August 2014, an outbreak of enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) occurred in North America, causing severe respiratory disease in children. Due to a lack of complete genome sequence data, there is only a limited understanding of the molecular evolution and epidemiology of EV-D68 during this outbreak, and it is uncertain whether the differing clinical manifestations of EV-D68 infection are associated with specific viral lineages. We developed a high-throughput complete genome sequencing pipeline for EV-D68 that produced a total of 59 complete genomes from respiratory samples with a 95% success rate, including 57 genomes from Kansas City, MO, collected during the 2014 …

Hydroxycarbamide Versus Chronic Transfusion For Maintenance Of Transcranial Doppler Flow Velocities In Children With Sickle Cell Anaemia-Tcd With Transfusions Changing To Hydroxyurea (Twitch): A Multicentre, Open-Label, Phase 3, Non-Inferiority Trial., Russell E Ware, Barry R Davis, William H Schultz, R Clark Brown, Banu Aygun, Sharada Sarnaik, Lori Luchtman-Jones, +Several Additional Authors

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: For children with sickle cell anaemia and high transcranial doppler (TCD) flow velocities, regular blood transfusions can effectively prevent primary stroke, but must be continued indefinitely. The efficacy of hydroxycarbamide (hydroxyurea) in this setting is unknown; we performed the TWiTCH trial to compare hydroxyurea with standard transfusions.

METHODS: TWiTCH was a multicentre, phase 3, randomised, open-label, non-inferiority trial done at 26 paediatric hospitals and health centres in the USA and Canada. We enrolled children with sickle cell anaemia who were aged 4-16 years and had abnormal TCD flow velocities (≥ 200 cm/s) but no severe vasculopathy. After screening, eligible …

Elevated Transpulmonary Gradient And Cardiac Magnetic Resonance-Derived Right Ventricular Remodeling Predict Poor Outcomes In Sickle Cell Disease, Kim-Lien Nguyen, Xin Tian, Shoaib Alam, Alem Mehari, Steve W. Leung, Catherine Seamon, Darlene Allen, Caterina P. Minniti, Vandana Sachdev, Andrew E. Arai, Gregory J. Kato

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Tough Decisions For Premature Triplets., Ashley Hurst, Scott And Emily (Parents), Brooke D. Vergales, Alix Paget-Brown, Mark Mercurio, John Lantos

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

When infants are born at the borderline of viability, doctors and parents have to make tough decisions about whether to institute intensive care or provide only palliative care. Often, these decisions are made in moments of profound emotional turmoil, and parents receive different information from different health professionals. Communication can become garbled. It may be difficult to tell when and whether the patient's clinical condition has changed enough so that certain choices that had once been permissible become impermissible. In this "Ethics Rounds," we present a case of triplets born at the borderline of viability. We sought comments from the …

Physical Examination Findings Among Children And Adolescents With Obesity: An Evidence-Based Review., Sarah Armstrong, Suzanne Lazorick, Sarah Hampl, Joseph A. Skelton, Charles Wood, David Collier, Eliana M. Perrin

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Overweight and obesity affects 1 in 3 US children and adolescents. Clinical recommendations have largely focused on screening guidelines and counseling strategies. However, the physical examination of the child or adolescent with obesity can provide the clinician with additional information to guide management decisions. This expert-based review focuses on physical examination findings specific to children and adolescents with obesity. For each physical examination element, the authors define the finding and its prevalence among pediatric patients with obesity, discuss the importance and relevance of the finding, describe known techniques to assess severity, and review evidence regarding the need for additional evaluation. …

A Quality Improvement Collaborative To Improve Pediatric Primary Care Genetic Services., Michael L. Rinke, Amy Driscoll, Natalie Mikat-Stevens, Jill Healy, Elizabeth Colantuoni, Abdallah F. Elias, Beth A. Pletcher, Ruth S. Gubernick, Ingrid Larson, Wendy K. Chung, Beth A. Tarini

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if a national pediatric primary care quality improvement collaborative (QIC) could improve and sustain adherence with process measures related to diagnosis and management of children with genetic disorders.

METHODS: Thirteen practices in 11 states from the American Academy of Pediatrics' Quality Improvement Innovation Networks participated in a 6-month QIC that included regular educational opportunities, access to genetic professionals, and performance feedback. The QIC identified 11 aims related to improving diagnosis and management of children with genetic disorders. The practices evaluated adherence by reviewing patient records at baseline, monthly for 6 months (active improvement period), and then once …

Safety And Immunogenicity Of Sequential Rotavirus Vaccine Schedules., Romina Libster, Monica Mcneal, Emmanuel B. Walter, Andi L. Shane, Patricia Winokur, Gretchen Cress, Andrea A. Berry, Karen L. Kotloff, Kwabena Sarpong, Christine B. Turley, Christopher J. Harrison, Barbara A. Pahud, Jyothi Marbin, John Dunn, Jill El-Khorazaty, Jill Barrett, Kathryn M. Edwards, Vteu Rotavirus Vaccine Study Work Group

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although both licensed rotavirus vaccines are safe and effective, it is often not possible to complete the schedule by using the same vaccine formulation. The goal of this study was to investigate the noninferiority of the immune responses to the 2 licensed rotavirus vaccines when administered as a mixed schedule compared with administering a single vaccine formulation alone.

METHODS: Randomized, multicenter, open-label study. Healthy infants (6-14 weeks of age) were randomized to receive rotavirus vaccines in 1 of 5 different schedules (2 using a single vaccine for all doses, and 3 using mixed schedules). The group receiving …

Differences And Similarities In The Clinicopathological Features Of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors In China And The United States: A Multicenter Study, Li-Ming Zhu, Laura Tang, Xin-Wei Qiao, Edward M. Wolin, Nicholas N. Nissen, Deepti Dhall, Jie Chen, Lin Shen, Yihebali Chi, Yao-Zong Yuan, Qi-Wen Ben, Bin Lv, Ya-Ru Zhou, Chun-Mei Bai, Jie Chen, Yu-Li Song, Tian-Tian Song, Chong-Mei Lu, Run Yu, Yuan-Jia Chen

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The presentation, pathology, and prognosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) in Asian patients have not been studied in large cohorts. We hypothesized that the clinicopathological features of PNETs of Chinese patients might be different from those of US patients. The objectives of this study were to address whether PNETs in Chinese patients exhibit unique clinicopathological features and natural history, and can be graded and staged using the WHO/ENETS criteria.

This is a retrospective review of medical records of patients with PNETs in multiple academic medical centers in China (7) and the United States (2). Tumor grading and staging were based …

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 …

Fracture Burden And Risk Factors In Childhood Ckd: Results From The Ckid Cohort Study., Michelle R. Denburg, Juhi Kumar, Thomas Jemielita, Ellen R. Brooks, Amy Skversky, Anthony A. Portale, Isidro B. Salusky, Bradley A. Warady, Susan L. Furth, Mary B. Leonard

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Childhood chronic kidney disease (CHD) poses multiple threats to bone accrual; however, the associated fracture risk is not well characterized. This prospective cohort study included 537 CKD in Children (CKiD) participants. Fracture histories were obtained at baseline, at years 1, 3, and 5 through November 1, 2009, and annually thereafter. We used Cox regression analysis of first incident fracture to evaluate potential correlates of fracture risk. At enrollment, median age was 11 years, and 16% of patients reported a prior fracture. Over a median of 3.9 years, 43 males and 24 females sustained incident fractures, corresponding to 395 (95% confidence …

Genetic Loci Associated With Renal Function Measures And Chronic Kidney Disease In Children: The Pediatric Investigation For Genetic Factors Linked With Renal Progression Consortium., Matthias Wuttke, Craig S. Wong, Elke Wühl, Daniel Epting, Li Luo, Anselm Hoppmann, Anke Doyon, Yong Li, Gkdgen Consortium, Betül Sözeri, Daniela Thurn, Martin Helmstädter, Tobias B. Huber, Tom D. Blydt-Hansen, Albrecht Kramer-Zucker, Otto Mehls, Anette Melk, Uwe Querfeld, Susan L. Furth, Bradley A. Warady, Franz Schaefer, Anna Köttgen

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children is characterized by rapid progression and a high incidence of end-stage renal disease and therefore constitutes an important health problem. While unbiased genetic screens have identified common risk variants influencing renal function and CKD in adults, the presence and identity of such variants in pediatric CKD are unknown.

METHODS: The international Pediatric Investigation for Genetic Factors Linked with Renal Progression (PediGFR) Consortium comprises three pediatric CKD cohorts: Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD), Effect of Strict Blood Pressure Control and ACE Inhibition on the Progression of CRF in Pediatric Patients (ESCAPE) and Cardiovascular …

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 …

Down-Regulation Of Placental Neuropilin-1 In Fetal Growth Restriction., Dev Maulik, Alok De, Louis Ragolia, Jodi Evans, Dmitry Grigoryev, Kamani Lankachandra, David Mundy, Jolene Muscat, Mary M. Gerkovich, Shui Qing Ye

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with adverse outcomes extending from fetal to adult life, and thus, constitutes a major health care challenge. Fetuses with progressive growth restriction show increasing impedance in the umbilical artery flow, which may become absent during end-diastole. Absent end-diastolic flow (AEDF) is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes including stillbirths and perinatal asphyxia. Placentas from such pregnancies demonstrate deficient fetoplacental vascular branching. Current evidence, moreover, indicates an antiangiogenic state in maternal circulation in several pregnancy complications including preeclampsia, small-for-gestational-age births, fetal death, and preterm labor. The angiogenic mediators in maternal circulation are predominantly of placental …

Factors Associated With Interest In Same-Day Contraception Initiation Among Females In The Pediatric Emergency Department., Melissa K. Miller, Kimberly A. Randell, Romina Barral, Ashley K. Sherman, Elizabeth Miller

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: The purposes were to describe interest in hormonal contraception initiation among female adolescent in the emergency department (ED) and to assess for associations with factors known to increase pregnancy risk such as violence victimization.

METHODS: We used a computerized survey to assess sexual and dating practices, pregnancy history/likelihood, contraception use (including long-acting reversible contraception [LARC]) and concerns, contraception initiation interest, violence victimization, medical utilization, and demographics among sexually experienced females aged 14-19 years in our ED. The primary outcome was interest in contraception initiation. We compared responses between subgroups using the chi-square test.

RESULTS: A total of 168 adolescents …

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. …

Endosteal Biologic Augmentation For Surgical Fixation Of Displaced Femoral Neck Fractures, Lionel E Lazaro, Jacqueline F Birnbaum, Nadja A Farshad-Amacker, David L Helfet, Hollis G Potter, Dean G Lorich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: To report outcomes of a cohort with displaced femoral neck fractures (FNFs) treated with a length/angle-stable construct augmented with an endosteal fibular allograft serving as a biologic dowel.

DESIGN: Prospective.

SETTING: Level I Trauma Center.

PATIENTS: The study group consists of 27 patients with isolated FNF surgically treated by a single surgeon.

INTERVENTION: Open reduction of the femoral neck, fixed with a length- and angle-stable construct of 2 fully threaded cannulated screws augmented with an endosteal fibular allograft serving as a biologic dowel.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Clinical and radiographic outcomes of the fixation construct and the viability of both …

Gap Junction Mediated Mirna Intercellular Transfer And Gene Regulation: A Novel Mechanism For Intercellular Genetic Communication, Liang Zong, Yan Zhu, Ruqiang Liang, Hong-Bo Zhao

Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery Faculty Publications

Intercellular genetic communication is an essential requirement for coordination of cell proliferation and differentiation and has an important role in many cellular processes. Gap junction channels possess large pore allowing passage of ions and small molecules between cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that can regulate gene expression broadly. Here, we report that miRNAs can pass through gap junction channels in a connexin-dependent manner. Connexin43 (Cx43) had higher permeability, whereas Cx30 showed little permeability to miRNAs. In the tested connexin cell lines, the permeability to miRNAs demonstrated: Cx43 > Cx26/30 > Cx26 > Cx31 > Cx30 = Cx-null. However, consistent with a uniform …