Internal Medicine Commons^™

A Retrospective Study Of Procalcitonin Utilization In Clinical Practice, Tanner Norris, Matthew Yurkewicz, Patrick Jenkins, Beth Hicks, Dmitriy Scherbak

Continental, MidAmerica, & Mountain Divisions GME Research Day 2024

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Muscle: A Case Presentation On Interstitial Lung Disease In The Setting Of Dermatomyositis, Monique Shamoon, Daria Tarighy, Alejandro Hernandez, Mohamad Saad

East Florida Division GME Research Day 2024

No abstract provided.

Successful Implementation Of Pulmonary Embolism Response Team At Oak Hill Hospital, Shaikh Afaq, Michael Cox, Jaafar Hamdan, Hayder Abidali

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2024

No abstract provided.

Case Of Metastatic Eshophageal Adenocarcinoma Presenting As Multiple Cavitary Lung Lesions, Michael L. Ahrens, Mala Goyal, Shivangi A. Gohil, Shruti Verma, Pratima K. Singh

Continental, MidAmerica, & Mountain Divisions GME Research Day 2024

No abstract provided.

Flash Pulmonary Edema Secondary To Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava, Jack Demirjian, Rohan Divecha, Emmanuel Garrastegui-Mercado, Oscar Garcia

Central & West Texas GME Research Day 2024

No abstract provided.

A Case Of Mediastinitis From Esophageal Perforation Presenting As Gastric Volvulus/Para-Esophageal Hernia, Anam Zara, Bushra Bangash, Renu Thomas, Asad Rehman, Karthik Vadamalai, Zuhair Ali, Mishal Mazhar

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Symposium 2024

No abstract provided.

Plasma Metabolomics And Quantitative Interstitial Abnormalities In Ever-Smokers, Bina Choi, Raúl San José Estépar, Suneeta Godbole, Jeffrey L Curtis, Jennifer M Wang, Rubén San José Estépar, Ivan O Rosas, Jared R Mayers, Brian D Hobbs, Craig P Hersh, Samuel Y Ash, Meilan K Han, Russell P Bowler, Kathleen A Stringer, George R Washko, Wassim W Labaki

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Quantitative interstitial abnormalities (QIA) are an automated computed tomography (CT) finding of early parenchymal lung disease, associated with worse lung function, reduced exercise capacity, increased respiratory symptoms, and death. The metabolomic perturbations associated with QIA are not well known. We sought to identify plasma metabolites associated with QIA in smokers. We also sought to identify shared and differentiating metabolomics features between QIA and emphysema, another smoking-related advanced radiographic abnormality.

METHODS: In 928 former and current smokers in the Genetic Epidemiology of COPD cohort, we measured QIA and emphysema using an automated local density histogram method and generated metabolite profiles …

Revisiting Asthma Obstructive Sleep Apnea Overlap: Current Knowledge And Future Needs, Damini Saxena, Ikuyo Imayama, Muhammad Adrish

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Asthma and obstructive sleep apnea are highly prevalent conditions with a high cost burden. In addition to shared risk factors, existing data suggest a bidirectional relationship between asthma and OSA, where each condition can impact the other. Patients with asthma often complain of sleep fragmentation, nocturnal asthma symptoms, daytime sleepiness, and snoring. The prevalence of OSA increases with asthma severity, as evidenced by multiple large studies. Asthma may lower the threshold for arousal in OSA, resulting in the hypopnea with arousal phenotype. Epidemiologic studies in adults have shown that OSA is associated with worse asthma severity, increased frequency of exacerbation, …

E-Cigarette Or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury (Evali) In A Hispanic Male During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Juan C. Naranjo, Muhammad Jamal, Aramide Tijani, Fatimah Bello

Research Colloquium

Background: Electronic cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury established the relationship between vaping products and lung injury. Overlapping clinical manifestations may mimic those of other respiratory conditions including COVID-19. Multiple radiographic findings including diffuse, bilateral, ground-glass infiltrates with lower-lobe predominance, eosinophilic pneumonia, and diffuse alveolar damage have been described. It is important to consider this as an alternative diagnosis, particularly in patients with respiratory symptoms and a history of vaping in the last 90 days due to increased risk of COVID-19 infection and worse outcomes.

Case presentation: A 25-year-old male with a history of polysubstance abuse and frequent E-cigarette …

Associations Between Telomere Attrition, Genetic Variants In Telomere Maintenance Genes, And Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Risk In The Jammu And Kashmir Population Of North India, Gh Rasool Bhat, Rajeshwer Singh Jamwal, Itty Sethi, Amrita Bhat, Ruchi Shah, Sonali Verma, Minerva Sharma, Hana Q Sadida, Sara K Al-Marzooqi, Tariq Masoodi, Sameer Mirza, Mohammad Haris, Muzafar A Macha, Ammira S Alshabeeb Akil, Ajaz A Bhat, Rakesh Kumar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences located at the ends of chromosomes, playing a vital role in maintaining chromosomal integrity and stability. Dysregulation of telomeres has been implicated in the development of various cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is the most common type of lung cancer. Genetic variations within telomere maintenance genes may influence the risk of developing NSCLC. The present study aimed to evaluate the genetic associations of select variants within telomere maintenance genes in a population from Jammu and Kashmir, North India, and to investigate the relationship between telomere length and NSCLC risk.

METHODS: We …

Neurotropic Manifestations As A Potential Risk Factor For Schizophrenia Following In Utero Exposure To Sars-Cov-2, Mir Ali R Talpur, Omar H. Elsayed, Rif S. El-Mallakh

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: COVID-19 infection is associated with neurologic and psychiatric morbidity that suggests a direct effect of the virus or secondary effect of an inflammatory process. These neuropsychiatric consequences may increase the likelihood of schizophrenia in the offspring of women who become infected with COVID-19 during their pregnancy.

Methods: We performed a directed narrative review of the literature focusing on the proposed pathophysiological processes that lead to schizophrenia and known pathological consequences of COVID-19 infection.

Results: Schizophrenia in adult offspring has been associated with maternal infections during pregnancy by a wide range of respiratory and neurotropic pathogens. Spikes in the incidence …

Plasma Extracellular Vesicle Proteins As Promising Noninvasive Biomarkers For Diagnosis Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Raju S R Adduri, Kai Cai, Karen Velasco-Alzate, Ravikiran Vasireddy, Jeffrey W Miller, Sergio Poli De Frías, Fernando Poli De Frías, Yasushi Horimasu, Hiroshi Iwamoto, Noboru Hattori, Yingze Zhang, Kevin F Gibson, Anoop K Pal, Zhe Chen, Daniela Nicastro, Li Li, Sujith Cherian, Lynette M Sholl, Sreerama Shetty, Harrison Ndetan, Anthony H Maeda, Maria A Planchart Ferretto, Gary M Hunninghake, David A Schwartz, Daniel J Kass, Ivan O Rosas, Nagarjun V Konduru

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) imaging is critical for diagnostic evaluation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). However, several other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) often exhibit radiologic pattern similar to IPF on HRCT making the diagnosis of the disease difficult. Therefore, biomarkers that distinguish IPF from other ILDs can be a valuable aid in diagnosis. Using mass spectrometry, we performed proteomic analysis of plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) in patients diagnosed with IPF, chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis, and healthy subjects. A five-protein signature was identified by lasso regression and was validated in an independent cohort using ELISA. The five-protein signature derived …

On The Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Molecular Markers Associated With Copd In Non-Smokers And Smokers: A Bioinformatics Analysis, Agede O. Ayodele, Isa M. Wasagu, Ademola E. Fawibe, Alakija K. Salami

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background

Even though the proportional burden of COPD among never-smokers is significant in both developing and developed nations, accounting for around 30% of all COPD in the community, there is little awareness of the prevalence of COPD in this population. Understanding the molecular processes that underlie COPD in nonsmokers is essential.

Methods

Dataset (GSE146560) was acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The limma and clusterProfiler software tools were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and conduct a functional enrichment analysis respectively.

Results

In all, 10,583 DEGs were found, of which 1,065 were up-regulated and 9,518 were down-regulated. The …

A Case Of Viral Pneumonia And Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mark Cheneler, Khizir Qureshi, Carlos Bahrami

North Texas GME Research Forum 2023

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the ICU setting and a continued source for investigation to improve outcomes. It is characterized by acute respiratory failure with an identifiable insult, bilateral infiltrates on imaging, and a PaO2/FiO2 ratio (PF ratio) of less than 300 mmHg. It can be further classified into mild, moderate, and severe ARDS with a PF ratio of less than 300, 200, and 100 mmHg respectfully. Treatment requires elucidation of the underlying insult to the pulmonary system and prompt treatment. Presented here is a case of ARDS secondary to herpes …

Rapid Escape Of New Sars-Cov-2 Omicron Variants From Ba2-Directed Antibody Responses, Aiste Dijokaite-Guraliuc, Raksha Das, Daming Zhou, Helen M Ginn, Chang Liu, Helen M E Duyvesteyn, Jiandong Huo, Rungtiwa Nutalai, Piyada Supasa, Muneeswaran Selvaraj, Thushan I De Silva, Megan Plowright, Thomas A H Newman, Hailey Hornsby, Alexander J Mentzer, Donal Skelly, Thomas G Ritter, Nigel Temperton, Paul Klenerman, Eleanor Barnes, Susanna J Dunachie, Optic Consortium, Cornelius Roemer, Thomas P Peacock, Neil G Paterson, Mark A Williams, David R Hall, Elizabeth E Fry, Juthathip Mongkolsapaya, Jingshan Ren, David I Stuart, Gavin R Screaton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In November 2021, Omicron BA.1, containing a raft of new spike mutations, emerged and quickly spread globally. Intense selection pressure to escape the antibody response produced by vaccines or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection then led to a rapid succession of Omicron sub-lineages with waves of BA.2 and then BA.4/5 infection. Recently, many variants have emerged such as BQ.1 and XBB, which carry up to 8 additional receptor-binding domain (RBD) amino acid substitutions compared with BA.2. We describe a panel of 25 potent monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) generated from vaccinees suffering BA.2 breakthrough infections. Epitope mapping shows potent …

Covid-19 Related Biliary Injury: A Review Of Recent Literature, Sujani Yadlapati, Simone A. Jarrett, Daniel Baik, Adib Chaaya

COVID-19 Papers, Posters, and Presentations

Since its emergence in 2019, it has become apparent that coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection can result in multi systemic involvement. In addition to pulmonary symptoms, hepatobiliary involvement has been widely reported. Extent of hepatic involvement ranges from minor elevation in liver function tests (LFTs) to significant hepatocellular or cholestatic injury. In majority of cases, resolution of hepatic injury or improvement in LFTs is noted as patients recover from COVID-19 infection. However, severe biliary tract injury progressing to liver failure has been reported in patients requiring prolonged intensive care unit stay or mechanical ventilation. Due to the timing of its presentation, …

Performance Of A Sars-Cov-2 Rt-Pcr Assay With Non-Traditional Specimen Types, Subathra Marimuthu, Holly Aliesky, Heather Ness, Daniya Sheikh, Sathya Rashmit, Dawn Balcom, Leslie A. Wolf

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

During the first two years of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, nasopharyngeal (NP) specimens were the gold standard for clinical diagnostic testing. As information about the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing the pandemic continued to be shared, it was clear that the virus could be detected in other specimen types during an active infection. The University of Louisville Infectious Diseases Laboratory accepted non-traditional specimen types, most without a paired, positive NP result, for research purposes only to support local epidemiology efforts. A real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay originally validated for NP specimens was used …

What? Now A Respiratory Syncytial Virus Epidemic, Aya Allam, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

A Delicate Balance Between Antibody Evasion And Ace2 Affinity For Omicron Ba275, Jiandong Huo, Aiste Dijokaite-Guraliuc, Chang Liu, Daming Zhou, Helen M Ginn, Raksha Das, Piyada Supasa, Muneeswaran Selvaraj, Rungtiwa Nutalai, Aekkachai Tuekprakhon, Helen M E Duyvesteyn, Alexander J Mentzer, Donal Skelly, Thomas G Ritter, Ali Amini, Sagida Bibi, Sandra Adele, Sile Ann Johnson, Neil G Paterson, Mark A Williams, David R Hall, Megan Plowright, Thomas A H Newman, Hailey Hornsby, Thushan I De Silva, Nigel Temperton, Paul Klenerman, Eleanor Barnes, Susanna J Dunachie, Andrew J Pollard, Teresa Lambe, Philip Goulder, Optic Consortium, Isaric4c Consortium, Elizabeth E Fry, Juthathip Mongkolsapaya, Jingshan Ren, David I Stuart, Gavin R Screaton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have caused successive global waves of infection. These variants, with multiple mutations in the spike protein, are thought to facilitate escape from natural and vaccine-induced immunity and often increase in affinity for ACE2. The latest variant to cause concern is BA.2.75, identified in India where it is now the dominant strain, with evidence of wider dissemination. BA.2.75 is derived from BA.2 and contains four additional mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD). Here, we perform an antigenic and biophysical characterization of BA.2.75, revealing an interesting balance between humoral evasion and ACE2 receptor …

Lungs Of A Chronic Smoker: The Case Of Heroin Induced Emphysema In A 35-Year-Old Male, Neil Gerts, George Ishak, Ian Joel, Jasprit Takher

Far West Division GME Research Day 2023

No abstract provided.

Metastatic Anterior Mediastinal Mass Causing Simultaneous Chylothorax And Svc Syndrome, Kelly Schulte, Kavanya Feustel, Jeffrey Ramsey, Elizabeth Hicks

Continental, MidAmerica, & Mountain Divisions GME Research Day 2023

No abstract provided.

Interstitial Lung Disease And Heart Failure In A 75 Year Old Guitar Maker, Andrew Kim, Elizabeth Benge, Cristian Valdez, Tony Alarcon, Yema Jalal

Far West Division GME Research Day 2023

No abstract provided.

Managing Recurrent Delayed Pleural Effusion Post Rib Fracture In An Elderly Female, Yaseen Ramadan, Fnu Swatisikta, Mushfeka Baker Golawala

East Florida Division GME Research Day 2023

INTRODUCTION Delayed pleural effusion (DPL) post rib fracture is a lesser known and not adequately studied entity. DPL is associated with increased hospital/ICU length of stay (LOS) and poorer disposition at discharge. Some case series have reported incidence as high as 40.8 % making it a clinically significant complication to watch for.

CASE An elderly female presented to the ED after a mechanical fall leading to right side fractured ribs (5th to 9th rib posteriorly) and pneumothorax. Patient was hypoxic in ER and an ICD was placed. Trauma series showed right pulmonary contusion but no hemothorax or any other injury. …

Spontaneous Intercostal Artery Bleeding With Hemothorax, Raafia Sajjad, Legesse Tebeje

Central & West Texas GME Research Day 2023

No abstract provided.

O. Anthropi: An Unusual Cause Of Pneumonia And Bacteremia, Zefr Chao, Anaam Fayyaz, Suresh Antony

Central & West Texas GME Research Day 2023

No abstract provided.

A Retrospective Mortality Study Of Montelukast In Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19 Pneumonia, George Matus, Mina Bhatnagar, Mitalie Gupta, Blane Alost, Raafia Sajjad, Karen Luo, Kim Vickery, Asha Kurian

Central & West Texas GME Research Day 2023

No abstract provided.

Cannabis Consumption And The Emergence Of Giant Lung Bullae: A Case Report And Clinical Analysis, Rafael Miret, Jose Rodriguez Castro, Armando Cabrera, Mauricio Danckers, Raiko Diaz, Nikhil Bhardwaj

East Florida Division GME Research Day 2023

Please see supplemental content for full abstract with figures and references.

Introduction: Vanishing Lung Syndrome (VLS), also known as idiopathic giant bullous emphysema, is a rare pulmonary condition characterized by the development of large, thin-walled bullae within the lung parenchyma. While the exact etiology of VLS remains unclear, there is growing interest in exploring a potential association between VLS and cannabis use. This case report aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by presenting a case of VLS in a patient with a history of chronic cannabis consumption in prior years.

Clinical Presentation: A 44-year-old former smoker male …

Distinct Temporal Trajectories And Risk Factors For Post-Acute Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Chen Chen, Sairam Parthasarathy, Jacqueline M Leung, Michelle J Wu, Katherine A Drake, Vanessa K Ridaura, Howard C Zisser, William A Conrad, Victor F Tapson, James N Moy, Christopher R Defilippi, Ivan O Rosas, Bellur S Prabhakar, Mujeeb Basit, Mirella Salvatore, Jerry A Krishnan, Charles C Kim

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The understanding of Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) can be improved by longitudinal assessment of symptoms encompassing the acute illness period. To gain insight into the various disease trajectories of PASC, we assessed symptom evolution and clinical factors associated with the development of PASC over 3 months, starting with the acute illness period.

METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study to identify parameters associated with PASC. We performed cluster and case control analyses of clinical data, including symptomatology collected over 3 months following infection.

RESULTS: We identified three phenotypic clusters associated with PASC that could be characterized as …

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: Circulating Levels Of Fgf23 And Pulmonary Diffusion, Anthony J Esposito, Jewel Imani, Shikshya Shrestha, Shefali Bagwe, Anthony M Lamattina, Marina Vivero, Hilary J Goldberg, Ivan O Rosas, Elizabeth P Henske, Souheil Y El-Chemaly

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare, destructive disease of the lungs with a limited number of determinants of disease activity, which are a critical need for clinical trials. FGF23 has been implicated in several chronic pulmonary diseases. We aimed to determine the association between serum FGF23 levels and pulmonary function in a cohort of patients with LAM.

METHODS: This was a descriptive single-center study in which subjects with LAM and controls with unreported lung disease were recruited. Serum FGF23 levels were measured in all subjects. Clinical data, including pulmonary function testing, were retrospectively obtained from electronic medical records of LAM …