Internal Medicine Commons^™

Evaluation Of Serum Calcium Differences In Hypertensive Crises And Control Patients: A Randomly Matched Case-Control Study, Ifeanyi Chukwu O. Onor, Rose M. Duchane, Casey J. Payne, Hannah Naquin Lambert, De Maurian M. Mitchner, Robbie A. Beyl, Anh T. Nguyen, Sarah E. Bilbe, Andrea Arriaga White, Mariah W. Johnson, Amber I. Faciane, Emmanuel Kouagou, Stephanie A. Hymel, Bria M. Wates, Asia D. Sanders, Phillip C.B. Vo, Jordan D. Bates, Raven J. Spooner, Christopher J. Gillard, John I. Okogbaa, Daniel F. Sarpong, Rim M. Hadgu, Samuel C. Okpechi, Gabriel I. Onor, Michael C. Okoronkwo, Mihran V. Naljayan, Shane G. Guillory, Shane E. Sanne

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The role of calcium in blood pressure has been widely studied among hypertensive patients; however, no study has explored the role of calcium in hypertensive crises. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the differences in serum calcium levels between hypertensive crises patients and a 1:1 random matched controls (age-, sex-, race-, diabetes, and body mass index matched). This study is a single-center, retrospective, chart review, case-control study of patients with hypertensive crises (case group) and patients without hypertensive crises (control group). Patients were included in the case group if they were 18 years of age or older …

Takayasu Arteritis: A Rare Cause Of Chronic Headache, Linda Barasa, Adil Salyani, Jillo Bika, Fred Otieno, Dilraj Sokhi

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Chronic headache can be a presenting manifestation of Takayasu arteritis, although patients usually have other characteristic features. A thorough clinical assessment remains key in the evaluation of chronic headache.

Diabetes Detection And Prevention In Dermatology, Alexandra Ngo, Luise Froessl, John Wesley Mcwhorter, William Brett Perkison, Rajani Katta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We are currently in the midst of an international epidemic of diabetes mellitus (DM) and prediabetes. The prevalence of DM in the United States is estimated at 9.4% of the population across all ages, while an estimated 1 in 3 Americans (33.9%) has prediabetes. According to the WHO, about 60 million people suffer from diabetes in the European Region. Dermatologists may play an important role in tackling this epidemic via efforts to improve early detection of both diabetes and prediabetes. Dermatologists often treat patients with, or at risk of, diabetes. This includes patients who present with cutaneous manifestations such as …

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Rescue For Severe Aspiration Pneumonitis In Two Patients After Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass Procedure, Melissa M Felinski, Daniyal Abbas, Peter A Walker, John A Primomo, Tanyaradzwa M Kajese, Biswajit Kar, Igor D Gregoric, Igor Banjac, Lisa Janowiak, Sriram Nathan, Rahat Hussain, Sheilendra S Mehta, Kulvinder S Bajwa, Shinil K Shah, Bindu Akkanti

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Roux-en-y gastric bypass (RYGB) is one of the most common weight loss surgical procedures performed in the United States. Early post-operative small bowel obstruction is a rare but potentially morbid, complication of RYGB. We report two patients who underwent RYGB and required subsequent treatment for a post-operative small bowel obstruction. Their post-operative course was complicated by severe aspiration pneumonitis leading to hypoxemic respiratory failure requiring rescue with femoral veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO). Both patients were successfully extubated, weaned off V-V ECMO support, and discharged to home. These cases highlight the potential role of V-V ECMO for patients who …

Secondary Bacterial Pneumonias And Bloodstream Infections In Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19, Max W Adelman, Divya R Bhamidipati, Alfonso C Hernandez-Romieu, Ahmed Babiker, Michael H Woodworth, Chad Robichaux, David J Murphy, Sara C Auld, Colleen S Kraft, Jesse T Jacob

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Delirium In Frail Older Adults, Min Ji Kwak

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Delirium and frailty are prevalent geriatric syndromes and important public health issues among older adults. The prevalence of delirium among hospitalized older adults ranges from 15% to 75%, while that of frailty ranges from 12% to 24%. The exact pathophysiology of these two conditions has not been clearly identified, although several hypotheses have been proposed. However, these conditions are considered to be multifactorial in etiology and are associated with inflammation related to aging, alterations in vascular systems, genetics, and nutritional deficiency. Furthermore, clinically, they are significantly associated with frailty, which increases the risk of delirium by almost two- to three-fold …

Devastating Effect Of Untreated Facial Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Nasim Khalfe, Ya Xu, Elizabeth May Schuele, Doris Lin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Skin cancer develops primarily on areas of sun-exposed skin and can typically be treated if caught early. Here, we present a case of a 57-year-old man who presented with an extremely large facial squamous cell carcinoma with resulting perineural invasion and metastasis to parotid lymph nodes because he was unable to obtain timely treatment.

Utilization Of Patient-Controlled Analgesia Reduces Length Of Stay Of Sickle Cell Crisis Hospitalizations, Brett M. Prestia, Talha Ramzan, Catherine Waldron, Ameer Malik, Robert M. Pallay, Candace R. Murbach, Mike Flynn, Eric Shaw Phd, Abdullah Kutlar, Daniel Lowe

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Sickle cell crisis hospitalizations are emotionally and financially burdensome to patients and healthcare systems, and processes to decrease the frequency or length of stay of these crises should be examined.

Methods

This is a multicenter retrospective hospital record review of sickle cell crisis hospitalizations as defined by ICD-10 codes (D57.1-4), from January 2016 through December 2019, examining inpatient medication administration records and length of stay among admitted adults aged 18–65 years. Patient controlled analgesia orders using morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl and/or merperidine at any point of an admission (n=188) were compared to admissions without any patient-controlled analgesia orders (n=2,159). The …

Atypical Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Presenting As Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome: A Case Report, Nafee T Talukder, Amanda H Clorfeine, Moira K Black, Shade B Moody

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a disorder of increased intracranial pressure in the absence of cerebrospinal outflow obstruction, mass lesion, or other underlying cause. It is a rare phenomenon in prepubertal children and is most typically found in women of childbearing age. The classic presentation consists of headaches, nausea, vomiting, and visual changes; however, children present more atypically. We report a case of idiopathic intracranial hypertension in an otherwise healthy, 4-year-old child with atypical symptoms resembling those of cyclic vomiting syndrome.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 4-year-old Caucasian, otherwise healthy, male child presented to our emergency department with episodic intermittent early-morning vomiting …

Management Of Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma, Virginia Corbett, Susanne M. Arnold, Lowell B. Anthony, Aman Chauhan

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a rare, aggressive cancer with a dismal prognosis. The majority of cases occur in the lung and the gastrointestinal tract; however, it can occur throughout the body. Recently advances in the understanding of the molecular underpinnings of this disease have paved the way for additional novel promising therapies. This review will discuss the current best evidence for management of LCNEC and new directions in the classification and treatment of this rare disease.

Methods: We performed a PubMed search for “Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma” and “High grade neuroendocrine carcinoma.” All titles were screened for …

Infective Endocarditis Secondary To Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, Huzaifa Dawood, Saad Nasir, Reem M. Khair, Mustafa Dawood

Section of Internal Medicine

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a gram-positive bacterium most commonly associated with community-acquired pneumonia in adults. It can also involve other systems of the body. Cardiovascular complications include pericarditis, myocarditis, congestive cardiac failure, and, rarely, infective endocarditis. We report a case of infective endocarditis secondary to MP infection in an adult. We treated our patient with doxycycline, which showed significant improvement.

A Randomized Controlled Trial To Determine Whether Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate And/Or Eicosapentaenoic Acid Improves Diaphragm And Quadriceps Strength In Critically Ill Mechanically Ventilated Patients, Gerald S. Supinski, Paul F. Netzel, Philip M. Westgate, Elizabeth A. Schroder, Lin Wang, Leigh Ann Callahan

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit acquired weakness is a serious problem, contributing to respiratory failure and reductions in ambulation. Currently, there is no pharmacological therapy for this condition. Studies indicate, however, that both beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) increase muscle function in patients with cancer and in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine whether HMB and/or EPA administration would increase diaphragm and quadriceps strength in mechanically ventilated patients.

METHODS: Studies were performed on 83 mechanically ventilated patients who were recruited from the Medical Intensive Care Units at the University of Kentucky. Diaphragm strength was assessed as …

Why Should People Use Face Masks In The Time Of Covid? The Jri Position, Jose Bordon, Alex Glynn, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Intravesical Cd74 And Cxcr4, Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (Mif) Receptors, Mediate Bladder Pain, Shaojing Ye, Fei Ma, Dlovan F. D. Mahmood, Katherine L. Meyer-Siegler, Raymond E. Menard, David E. Hunt, Lin Leng, Richard Bucala, Pedro L. Vera

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Activation of intravesical protease activated receptor 4 (PAR4) leads to release of urothelial macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). MIF then binds to urothelial MIF receptors to release urothelial high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and elicit bladder hyperalgesia. Since MIF binds to multiple receptors, we investigated the contribution of individual urothelial MIF receptors to PAR4-induced HMGB1 release in vivo and in vitro and bladder pain in vivo.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We tested the effect of intravesical pre-treatment with individual MIF or MIF receptor (CD74, CXCR4, CXCR2) antagonists on PAR4-induced HMGB1 release in vivo (female C57/BL6 mice) and in vitro (primary …

Innate Immune Activation By Checkpoint Inhibition In Human Patient-Derived Lung Cancer Tissues, Teresa W. M. Fan, Richard M. Higashi, Huan Song, Saeed Daneshmandi, Angela L. Mahan, Matthew S. Purdom, Therese J. Bocklage, Thomas A. Pittman, Daheng He, Chi Wang, Andrew N. Lane

Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Although Pembrolizumab-based immunotherapy has significantly improved lung cancer patient survival, many patients show variable efficacy and resistance development. A better understanding of the drug’s action is needed to improve patient outcomes. Functional heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is crucial to modulating drug resistance; understanding of individual patients’ TME that impacts drug response is hampered by lack of appropriate models. Lung organotypic tissue slice cultures (OTC) with patients’ native TME procured from primary and brain-metastasized (BM) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were treated with Pembrolizumab and/or beta-glucan (WGP, an innate immune activator). Metabolic tracing with ¹³C₆-Glc/ …

Discrepancy Between Pcr Based Sars-Cov-2 Tests Suggests The Need To Re-Evaluate Diagnostic Assays, Zain Mushtaq, Sadia Shakoor, Akber Kanji, Najma Shaheen, Asghar Nasir, Zeeshan Ansar Ahmed, Imran Ahmed, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Rumina Hasan, Zahra Hasan

Section of Internal Medicine

Objective: We investigated the discrepancy between clinical and PCR-based diagnosis of COVID-19. We compared results of ten patients with mild to severe COVID-19. Respiratory samples from all cases were tested on the Roche SARS-CoV-2 (Cobas) assay, Filmarray RP2.1 (bioMereiux) and TaqPath™ COVID19 (Thermofisher) PCR assays.
Results: Laboratory records of ten patients with mild to severe COVID-19 were examined. Initially, respiratory samples from the patients were tested as negative on the SARS-CoV-2 Roche® assay. Further investigation using the BIOFIRE® Filmarray RP2.1 assay identified SARS-CoV-2 as the pathogen in all ten cases. To investigate possible discrepancies between PCR assays, additional testing was …

The Reel Deal: The Stacked Benefits Of A Reel Mower, John K. Hix, Simone Bailey

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

"Mow-lawning" is a colloquial term referred to actively cutting grass using a reel mower, typically at a faster than normal pace in order to maximize exercise benefit and minimize time, with the emphasis on the physical action of mowing and only secondarily on the resulting lawn care. While mow-lawning remains relatively uncommon in the United States, adoption of this practice by those healthy enough to engage in the level of exercise required can deliver a number of benefits that improve environmental, safety, and personal goals simultaneously. The stacking of so many benefits in one practice deserves more attention and promotion.

The Transitional Year Internship: Five Classes Of Former Interns Reflect On Their First Clinical Year, Hana L. Haver, Kush K. Patel, Robert Chow

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Objective:

The clinical internship (postgraduate year-1), which precedes many advanced residency training programs, are traditionally fulfilled by a transitional year (TY) or preliminary year of training in medicine or surgery. TY programs can take place in a variety of settings, ranging from community hospitals to large academic medical centers. In the present study, we sought to evaluate if resident physicians who completed a community hospital-based TY internship felt prepared for their subsequent specialty residency training.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey was adapted and distributed to resident physicians who completed their TY internship at a university-affiliated community hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, between …

Serum Renin And Major Adverse Kidney Events In Critically Ill Patients: A Multicenter Prospective Study, Alexander H. Flannery, Victor M. Ortiz-Soriano, Xilong Li, Fabiola G. Gianella, Robert D. Toto, Orson W. Moe, Prasad Devarajan, Stuart L. Goldstein, Javier A. Neyra

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Preliminary studies have suggested that the renin-angiotensin system is activated in critical illness and associated with mortality and kidney outcomes. We sought to assess in a larger, multicenter study the relationship between serum renin and Major Adverse Kidney Events (MAKE) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

METHODS: Prospective, multicenter study at two institutions of patients with and without acute kidney injury (AKI). Blood samples were collected for renin measurement a median of 2 days into the index ICU admission and 5-7 days later. The primary outcome was MAKE at hospital discharge, a composite of mortality, kidney replacement therapy, or …

Lung Transplantation In A Patient With Covid-19-Associated Acute Respiratory Failure, Fatima Sajid, Taha Ahmed, Maher A. Baz, Michael I. Anstead

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently a significant cause of acute respiratory failure worldwide, leading to irreversible fibrotic lung disease. In patients with persistent respiratory failure after acute COVID-19 infection, lung transplant is an emerging option. Here, we have presented a case where the patient required venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) support for 33 days until a bilateral lung transplant was performed on day 71 after the initial COVID-19 infection. The early outcomes have been favorable. Currently, no guidelines exist for an acceptable time period after initial COVID-19 infection, duration of negative COVID polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, or negative …

Cabotegravir For Hiv Prevention In Cisgender Men And Transgender Women, Raphael J Landovitz, Deborah Donnell, Meredith E Clement, Brett Hanscom, Leslie Cottle, Lara Coelho, Robinson Cabello, Suwat Chariyalertsak, Eileen F Dunne, Ian Frank, Jorge A Gallardo-Cartagena, Aditya H Gaur, Pedro Gonzales, Ha V Tran, Juan C Hinojosa, Esper G Kallas, Colleen F Kelley, Marcelo H Losso, J Valdez Madruga, Keren Middelkoop, Nittaya Phanuphak, Breno Santos, Omar Sued, Javier Valencia Huamaní, Edgar T Overton, Shobha Swaminathan, Carlos Del Rio, Roy M Gulick, Paul Richardson, Philip Sullivan, Estelle Piwowar-Manning, Mark Marzinke, Craig Hendrix, Maoji Li, Zhe Wang, Jeanne Marrazzo, Eric Daar, Aida Asmelash, Todd T Brown, Peter Anderson, Susan H Eshleman, Marcus Bryan, Cheryl Blanchette, Jonathan Lucas, Christina Psaros, Steven Safren, Jeremy Sugarman, Hyman Scott, Joseph J Eron, Sheldon D Fields, Nirupama D Sista, Kailazarid Gomez-Feliciano, Andrea Jennings, Ryan M Kofron, Timothy H Holtz, Katherine Shin, James F Rooney, Kimberly Y Smith, William Spreen, David Margolis, Alex Rinehart, Adeola Adeyeye, Myron S Cohen, Marybeth Mccauley, Beatriz Grinsztejn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Safe and effective long-acting injectable agents for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are needed to increase the options for preventing HIV infection.

METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, noninferiority trial to compare long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA, an integrase strand-transfer inhibitor [INSTI]) at a dose of 600 mg, given intramuscularly every 8 weeks, with daily oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-emtricitabine (TDF-FTC) for the prevention of HIV infection in at-risk cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and in at-risk transgender women who have sex with men. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive one of …

Kidney Recovery In Patients With Acute Kidney Injury Treated In Outpatient Hemodialysis Or Rehabilitation Facilities, Melissa Jordan, Victor M. Ortiz-Soriano, Aaron Pruitt, Lauren Chism, Lucas J. Liu, Nourhan Chaaban, Madona Elias, B. Peter Sawaya, Jin Chen, Javier A. Neyra

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Rationale & Objective: Since January 2017, patients with acute kidney injury requiring dialysis (AKI-D) can be discharged to outpatient dialysis centers for continued hemodialysis (HD) support. We aimed to examine the rate of kidney recovery, time to recovery, and hospitalization-related clinical parameters associated with kidney recovery in patients with AKI-D.

Study Design: Single-center prospective cohort study.

Setting & Participants: 111 adult patients who were admitted to the University of Kentucky Hospital, experienced AKI-D, and were discharged with need of outpatient HD.

Exposure: Hospitalization-related clinical parameters were evaluated.

Outcome: Kidney recovery as a composite of being alive and no longer requiring …

Biomarkers For Impending Risk Of Osteoporosis In Premenopausal Women, Rehana Rehman, Ali Usman, Aisha Sheikh, Rozeena Baig

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: To compare 'cytokines' and 'bone turnover markers' in pre- and post-menopausal women and identify their relationship with bone mineral density (BMD) in both groups. Study Design: A cross-sectional study.
Place and duration of study: Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan, from June 2017 to August 2019.
Methodology: Groups comprised of healthy premenopausal and postmenopausal women from the general population belonging to different ethnic groups and socio-economic status. Serum cytokines and bone turnover markers were assessed by solid-phase immunoassays, BMD (gm /cm2)] measurement was performed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the hip, lumbar spine, …

Smart Watch Detection Of Supraventricular Tachycardia (Svt): First Case From Tanzania, Nadeem Kassam, Omar Aziz, Eric Aghan, Samina Somji, Hanifa Mbithe, Mustaafa Bapumia, Robert Mvungi, Salim Surani

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Smartwatches like the Apple Watch have been on the rise worldwide and their use is gaining popularity in developing countries. Their ability to detect dysrhythmias is well documented. Present practice discourages the use of these devices as a diagnostic tool. Nevertheless, atypical findings from these devices should be clinically investigated. This case demonstrates an eventual diagnosis of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) based on an Apple watch alert which was subsequently confirmed by electrophysiological evaluation.

Factors Associated With Mortality Among Hospitalized Adults With Covid-19 Pneumonia At A Private Tertiary Hospital In Tanzania: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Nadeem Kassam, Eric Aghan, Omar Aziz, Hanifa Mbithe, Kamran Hamid, Reena Shah, Salim Surani, James Orwa, Samina Somji

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused millions of deaths worldwide. There has been paucity of data for hospitalized African patients suffering from COVID-19. This study aimed to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients suffering from COVID-19 in Tanzania.

Methods: This was a single center, retrospective, observational cohort study in adult patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Demographics, clinical pattern, laboratory and radiological investigations associated with increased odds of mortality were analyzed.

Results: Of the 157 patients, 107 (68.1%) patients survived and 50 (31.8%) died. Mortality was highest in patients …

Double-Blind Randomized Proof-Of-Concept Trial Of Canakinumab In Patients With Covid-19 Associated Cardiac Injury And Heightened Inflammation, Paul C Cremer, Calvin C Sheng, Debasis Sahoo, Siddharth Dugar, Robier Aguillon Prada, Tom Kai Ming Wang, Ossama K Abou Hassan, Jamie Hernandez-Montfort, David A Wolinsky, Daniel A Culver, Prabalini Rajendram, Abhijit Duggal, Danielle M Brennan, Katherine E Wolski, A Michael Lincoff, Steven E Nissen, Venu Menon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIMS: In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), myocardial injury is associated with systemic inflammation and higher mortality. Our aim was to perform a proof of concept trial with canakinumab, a monoclonal antibody to interleukin-1β, in patients with COVID-19, myocardial injury, and heightened inflammation.

METHODS AND RESULTS: This trial required hospitalization due to COVID-19, elevated troponin, and a C-reactive protein concentration more than 50 mg/L. The primary endpoint was time to clinical improvement at Day 14, defined as either an improvement of two points on a seven-category ordinal scale or discharge from the hospital. The secondary endpoint was mortality at Day 28. …

Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies: To Care Or Not To Care, Sara Shahid, Syed H Alam, Lillian Gaber, Salman Ahmed

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) associated vasculitis is a disease process with a wide range of presentations, from asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic disease with positive laboratory testing, to florid acute end-organ damage. Consensus has not been established as to the frequency and/or protocol by which ANCA testing should be repeated. We present the case of a 53-year-old woman who initially came to medical attention with persistent dyspnea and pulmonary infiltrates presumed to be due to acute exacerbation of chronic diastolic congestive heart failure. Extensive infectious disease testing was negative, but ANCA testing was positive. However, because antinuclear antibody (ANA) interference in …

A Distinct Difference Between Air And Mucosal Temperatures In Human Respiratory Tract, Mehdi Khosravi, Ruei-Lung Lin, Ashish P. Maskey, Subodh Pandey, An-Hsuan Lin, Lu-Yuan Lee

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

xtensive evidence indicates that several types of temperature-sensitive ion channels are abundantly expressed in the sensory nerves innervating airway mucosa. Indeed, airway temperature is known to play an important role in regulating respiratory functions. However, the actual airway mucosal temperature and its dynamic changes during the respiratory cycle have not been directly measured. In previous studies, airway tissue temperature was often estimated by indirect measurement of the peak exhaled breath temperature (PEBT). In view of the poor thermal conductivity of air, we believe that the airway tissue temperature cannot be accurately determined by the exhaled air temperature, and this study …

Integrated Single-Cell Atlas Of Endothelial Cells Of The Human Lung, Jonas C Schupp, Taylor S Adams, Carlos Cosme, Micha Sam Brickman Raredon, Yifan Yuan, Norihito Omote, Sergio Poli, Maurizio Chioccioli, Kadi-Ann Rose, Edward P Manning, Maor Sauler, Giuseppe Deiuliis, Farida Ahangari, Nir Neumark, Arun C Habermann, Austin J Gutierrez, Linh T Bui, Robert Lafyatis, Richard W Pierce, Kerstin B Meyer, Martijn C Nawijn, Sarah A Teichmann, Nicholas E Banovich, Jonathan A Kropski, Laura E Niklason, Dana Pe'er, Xiting Yan, Robert J Homer, Ivan O Rosas, Naftali Kaminski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Cellular diversity of the lung endothelium has not been systematically characterized in humans. We provide a reference atlas of human lung endothelial cells (ECs) to facilitate a better understanding of the phenotypic diversity and composition of cells comprising the lung endothelium.

METHODS: We reprocessed human control single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) data from 6 datasets. EC populations were characterized through iterative clustering with subsequent differential expression analysis. Marker genes were validated by fluorescent microscopy and in situ hybridization. scRNAseq of primary lung ECs cultured in vitro was performed. The signaling network between different lung cell types was studied. For cross-species …

Clinical Features And Outcomes Of Critically Ill Patients With Elizabethkingia Meningoseptica: An Emerging Pathogen, Abdullah Umair, Nosheen Nasir

Department of Medicine

Background: Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, formerly known as Chryseobacterium meningosepticum, is a non-motile, non-fastidious, catalase and oxidase-positive, aerobic, glucose-non-fermentative, Gram-negative bacillus that was first defined by Elizabeth O. King in 1959. It has emerged as an opportunistic pathogen that has infected patients in extreme age groups and immunocompromised individuals, especially in intensive care settings. There has been an increased interest in this pathogen due to its increasing occurrence around the world, ubiquitous nature, and inherent capacity for antimicrobial resistance.
Methods: We describe an observational study at a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan, based on patients admitted between January 2013 and December …