Public Health Commons^™

Toward Using National Cancer Surveillance Data For Preventing And Controlling Cervical And Other Human Papillomavirus-Associated Cancers In The Us, Mona Saraiya, Faruque Ahmed, Mary White, Herschel Lawson, Elizabeth R. Unger, Christie Eheman

United States Public Health Resources

This supplement, known as the ABHACUS (Assessing the Burden of HPV-Associated Cancers in the United States) supplement, contains 22 articles. Together, these articles provide a comprehensive snapshot of data related to the occurrence and control of multiple cancers that have been associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV). These analyses highlight the burden of HPV associated cancers in the US population as a whole and among vulnerable population subgroups. We anticipate that these findings will be an important resource for enhancing existing strategies for the prevention and control of HPV associated cancers.

HPV is estimated to be responsible for 5.2% of …

Incidence Of Cancers Of The Oral Cavity And Pharynx Among American Indians And Alaska Natives, 1999–2004, Marsha E. Reichman, Janet J. Kelly, Carol L. Kosary, Steven S. Coughlin, Melissa Jim, Anne P. Lanier

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. Previous studies identified disparities in incidence rates of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx between American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) and non-Hispanic whites (NHW) and differences between various AI/AN populations. Reporting among AI/AN has been hampered by: 1) heterogeneity among various anatomic sites of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers obscuring unique patterns of individual anatomic sites; 2) race misclassification and under-reporting of AI/AN; and 3) sparseness of data needed to identify regional variations.

METHODS. To improve race classification of AI/AN, data from US central cancer registries were linked with Indian Health Service (IHS) records. AI/AN incidence data …

Cancer In American Indian And Alaska Native Young Adults (Ages 20–44 Years): Us, 1999–2004, Hannah K. Weir, Melissa Jim, Loraine D. Marrett, Temeika L. Fairley

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. An examination of cancer incidence patterns in American Indians and Alaska Native (AI/AN) young adults may provide insight into their present and future cancer burden.

METHODS. To reduce racial misclassification, incidence data were linked with the Indian Health Service (IHS) patient services database. Age-adjusted cancer incidence rates per 100,000 (AAR) and corresponding rate ratios (RR) for young adults (ages 20-44 years) were compared across IHS regions and for selected cancers within Contract Health Service Delivery Area counties by race (AI/AN vs non-Hispanic whites [NHW]) and sex.

RESULTS. The all-sites cancer incidence rate was lower for AI/ANs …

Gastric Cancer Among American Indians And Alaska Natives In The United States, 1999–2004, Charles Wiggins, David G. Perdue, Jeffrey A. Henderson, Michael G. Bruce, Anne P. Lanier, Janet J. Kelly, Brenda F. Seals, David K. Espey

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. Gastric cancer incidence rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) historically have exceeded those for non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). Previous reports may have underestimated the true burden of gastric cancer in AI/AN populations because of misclassification of AI/AN race in cancer registries.

METHODS. Population-based cancer registry data from 1999 through 2004 were used to describe gastric cancer incidence in AI/ANs and NHWs in the US. To address misclassification of race, registry data were linked with Indian Health Service administrative records, and analyses were restricted to residents of Contract Health Service Delivery Areas (CHSDA). Disease patterns were assessed …

Shea/Apic Guideline: Infection Prevention And Control In The Long-Term Care Facility, Philip W. Smith, Gail Bennett, Suzanne Bradley, Paul Drinka, Ebbing Lautenbach, James Marx, Lona Mody, Lindsay Nicolle, Kurt Stevenson

United States Department of Veterans Affairs: Publications

Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) may be defined as institutions that provide health care to people who are unable to manage independently in the community.¹ This care may be chronic care management or short-term rehabilitative services. The term nursing home is defined as a facility licensed with an organized professional staff and inpatient beds that provides continuous nursing and other services to patients who are not in the acute phase of an illness. There is considerable overlap between the 2 terms.

More than 1.5 million residents reside in United States (US) nursing homes. In recent years, the acuity of illness …

Alcohol And Other Drugs, National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism

United States Public Health Resources

Addictive disorders represent a major health issue both in the United States and worldwide. Because alcohol and drug dependence are likely to co-occur, exploring how alcohol addiction may relate to and interact with other addictions is important. Current research is exploring the underlying causes of addiction, and why alcohol and other drug use disorders co-occur so frequently, as well as how behavioral and drug therapies can best treat these disorders. There is no “magic bullet” for treating addiction—no treatment will work for everyone in every situation. More research is needed to identify effective treatments for different populations, especially youth, older …

Systems Biology: The Solution To Understanding Alcohol-Induced Disorders?, National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism

United States Public Health Resources

With the decoding of the human genome, researchers gained access to extensive information about the molecules in the body, how they function in the healthy organism, and how they may contribute to certain diseases. However, despite this wealth of information, many questions remain about the ways in which these molecules interact to control more complex phenomena, including the development of many common disorders. Systems biology offers scientists a promising tool with which to deal with such complexities and may revolutionize the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of alcohol use disorders and other multifaceted disorders. These new approaches provide researchers with new …

Novel Relapsing Fever Spirochete In Bat Tick, James S. Gill, Amy J. Ullmann, Amanda D. Loftis, Tom G. Schwan, Sandra J. Raffel, Merry E. Schrumpf, Joseph Piesman

United States Public Health Resources

Tick-borne relapsing fever in western North America is a zoonosis caused by spirochetes in the genus Borrelia that are transmitted by argasid ticks of the genus Ornithodoros (1). Human disease occurs in many focal areas and is associated with infections of Borrelia hermsii, B. turicatae, and possibly B. parkeri (2,3). Although the ecologic parameters that maintain B. hermsii and B. turicatae differ, human infections usually occur in rustic cabins (B. hermsii) and caves (B. turicatae) inhabited by ticks and their terrestrial vertebrate hosts (1). Recently, Gill et al. (4) provided evidence that the argasid bat …

Review Of Animal Noroviruses, A. Scipioni, A. Mauroy, J. Vinje, E. Thiry

United States Public Health Resources

Among enteric caliciviruses, noroviruses belong to the genus Norovirus, one of the four accepted genera in the family Caliciviridae. These single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses are highly variable both genetically and antigenically. Several animal enteric caliciviruses that are morphologically indistinguishable and genetically closely related to human noroviruses have been identified. The first bovine enteric noroviruses were described in Great Britain and are known as Newbury Agent 2. At least three genetic clusters of porcine noroviruses join together within genogroup II noroviruses. Human noroviruses are the most important cause of acute gastroenteritis illness in people of all ages. In the …

Changes In Exposure To Secondhand Smoke Among Youth In Nebraska, 2002–2006, Lazarous Mbulo

United States Public Health Resources

Secondhand smoke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. It has been associated with serious health problems in both children and adults. Efforts to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in Nebraska have included programs to prevent tobacco use among young people and campaigns for smoke-free workplaces and homes. Despite these interventions, young people continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke at an unacceptably high rate. The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which Nebraska public middle and high school students were exposed to secondhand smoke in 2002 and 2006, to evaluate factors associated with this …

Tick [Genome Mapping], Amy J. Ullmann, Jeffrey J. Stuart, Catherine A. Hill

United States Public Health Resources

Ticks (subphylum Chelicerata: class Arachnida: subclass Acari: superorder Parasitiformes: order Ixodidae) are obligate blood-feeding ectoparasites of global medical and veterinary importance. Ticks live on all continents of the world (Steen et al. 2006). There are approximately 899 species of ticks; the majority are ectoparasites of wildlife and approximately 10% of these are recognized as disease vectors or for their ability to cause direct damage through blood feeding (Jongejan and Uilenberg 2004). Ticks transmit a greater variety of viruses, bacteria, and protozoa than any other blood-feeding arthropod (Dennis and Piesman 2005) and are second only to mosquitoes in terms of their …

Prostaglandin F2Α Increases Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase In The Periphery Of The Bovine Corpus Luteum: The Possible Regulation Of Blood Flow At An Early Stage Of Luteolysis, Koumei Shirasuna, Sho Watanabe, Takayuki Asahi, Missaka P. B. Wijayagunawardane, Kiemi Sasahara, Chao Jiang, Motozumi Matsui, Motoki Sasaki, Takashi Shimizu, John S. Davis, Akio Miyamoto

United States Public Health Resources

Prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α) released from the uterus causes alterations in luteal blood flow, reduces progesterone secretion, and induces luteolysis in the bovine corpus luteum (CL).We have recently discovered that luteal blood flow in the periphery of the mature CL acutely increases coincidently with pulsatile increases in a metabolite of PGF_2α (PGFM). In this study, we characterized changes in regional luteal blood flow together with regional alterations in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression during spontaneous luteolysis and in response to PGF_2α. Smooth muscle actin-positive blood vessels larger than 20 μm were observed mainly in …

Prediction Of Clinical Outcomes In Primary Biliary Cirrhosis By Serum Enhanced Liver Fibrosis Assay, Marlyn J. Mayo, Julie Parkes, Beverley Adams-Huet, Burton Combes, A. Mills, Rodney Markin, Raphael Rubin, Donald Wheeler, Melissa Contos, A B. West, Sandra Saldana, Yonas Getachew, Robert Butsch, Velimir Luketic, Adrian Di Bisceglie, Nathan Bass, John Lake, Thomas Boyer, Enrique Martinez, James Boyer, Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao, David Barnes, William Rosenberg

United States Public Health Resources

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is sometimes diagnosed based on a positive antimitochondrial antibody in the appropriate clinical setting without a liver biopsy. Although a liver biopsy can assess the extent of liver fibrosis and provide prognostic information, serum fibrosis markers avoid biopsy complications and sampling error and provide results as a continuous variable, which may be more precise than categorical histological stages. The current study was undertaken to evaluate serum fibrosis markers as predictors of clinical progression in a large cohort of PBCpatients. Serial liver biopsy specimens and serum samples were collected every 2 years in 161 PBC subjects for …

Regional Differences In Cervical Cancer Incidence Among American Indians And Alaska Natives, 1999–2004, Thomas M. Becker, David K. Espey, Herschel W. Lawson, Mona Saraiya, Melissa A. Jim, Alan G. Waxman

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. Reports from limited geographic regions indicate higher rates of cervical cancer incidence in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women than in women of other races. However, accurate determinations of cervical cancer incidence in AI/AN women have been hampered by racial misclassification in central cancer registries.

METHODS. The authors linked data from cancer registries participating in the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program with Indian Health Service (IHS) enrollment records to improve identification of AI/AN race. NPCR and SEER data were combined to estimate annualized age-adjusted rates (expressed …

Lung Cancer Incidence Among American Indians And Alaska Natives In The United States, 1999–2004, Anne Bliss, Nathaniel Cobb, Teshia Solomon, Kym Cravatt, Melissa A. Jim, Latisha Marshall, Janis Campbell

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. Lung cancer incidence rates among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in the United States have not been described well, primarily because of race misclassification and, until the 1990s, incomplete coverage of their population by cancer registries. Smoking, the predominant cause of lung cancer, is particularly prevalent among this population.

METHODS. Data from the National Program of Cancer Registries and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program were combined to estimate age adjusted incidence rates of lung cancer during 1999 through 2004. Cases were linked to Indian Health Service (IHS) registration databases to identify AI/ANs whose race …

Host And Vector Movement Affects Genetic Diversity And Spatial Structure Of Buggy Creek Virus (Togaviridae), Charles R. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown, Abinash Padhi, Jerome E. Foster, Amy T. Moore, Martin Pfeffer, Nicholas Komar

United States Public Health Resources

Determining the degree of genetic variability and spatial structure of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) may help in identifying where strains that potentially cause epidemics or epizootics occur. Genetic diversity in arboviruses is assumed to reflect relative mobility of their vertebrate hosts (and invertebrate vectors), with highly mobile hosts such as birds leading to genetic similarity of viruses over large areas. There are no empirical studies that have directly related host or vector movement to virus genetic diversity and spatial structure. Using the entire E2 glycoprotein-coding region of 377 Buggy Creek virus isolates taken from cimicid swallow bugs (Oeciacus vicarius), …

Methods For Improving Cancer Surveillance Data In American Indian And Alaska Native Populations, David K. Espey, Charles Wiggins, Melissa A. Jim, Barry A. Miller, Christopher J. Johnson, Tom M. Becker

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. The misclassification of race decreases the accuracy of cancer incidence data for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in some central cancer registries. This article describes the data sources and methods that were used to address this misclassification and to produce the cancer statistics used by most of the articles in this supplement.

METHODS. Records from United States cancer registries were linked with Indian Health Service (IHS) records to identify AI/AN cases that were misclassified as non-AI/AN. Data were available from 47 registries that linked their data with IHS, met quality criteria, and agreed to participate. Analyses …

Prostate Cancer Incidence Among American Indian And Alaska Native Men, Us, 1999–2004, Jeffrey A. Henderson, David K. Espey, Melissa Jim, Robert R. German, Kate M. Shaw, Richard M. Hoffman

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) men experience lower incidence of prostate cancer than other race/ethnic populations in the US, but racial misclassification of AI/AN men threatens the validity of these estimates. To the authors’ knowledge, little is known concerning prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in AI/AN men.

METHODS. The authors linked cancer registry data with Indian Health Service enrollment records to improve race classification. Analyses comparing cancer incidence rates and stage at diagnosis for AI/AN and non-Hispanic white (NHW) men for 6 geographic regions focused on counties known to have less race misclassification. The authors also used …

Primary Liver Cancer Incidence Among American Indians And Alaska Natives, Us, 1999–2004, Melissa Jim, David G. Perdue, Lisa C. Richardson, David K. Espey, John T. Redd, Howard J. Martin, Sandy L. Kwong, Janet J. Kelly, Jeffrey A. Henderson, Faruque Ahmed

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) experience higher morbidity and mortality from primary liver cancer than other United States (US) populations, but racial misclassification in medical records results in underestimates of disease burden.

METHODS. To reduce misclassification, National Program of Cancer Registries and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data were linked with Indian Health Service (IHS) enrollment records to compare primary liver cancer incidence and stage at diagnosis between AI/AN and non-Hispanic whites (NHW) living within the regionalized IHS Contract Health Service Delivery Area counties. Incidence rates are expressed per 100,000 persons and age-adjusted by 19 age …

Gallbladder Cancer Incidence Among American Indians And Alaska Natives, Us, 1999–2004, Shannon M. Lemrow, David G. Perdue, Sherri L. Stewart, Lisa C. Richardson, Melissa Jim, Helen T. French, Judith Swan, Brenda K. Edwards, Charles Wiggins, Lois Dickie, David K. Espey

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is rare; however, it disproportionately affects the American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) population. The purpose of the study was to characterize GBC among AI/AN in the US population.

METHODS. Cases of GBC diagnosed between 1999 and 2004 and collected by state-based cancer registries were included. Registry records were linked with Indian Health Service (IHS) administration records to decrease race misclassification of AI/AN. GBC rates and/or percent distributions for AI/AN and non-Hispanic whites (NHW) were calculated by sex, IHS region, age, and stage for all US counties and IHS Contract Health Service Delivery Area …

Regional Differences In Colorectal Cancer Incidence, Stage, And Subsite Among American Indians And Alaska Natives, 1999–2004, David G. Perdue, Carin Perkins, Jeannette Jackson-Thompson, Steven S. Coughlin, Faruque Ahmed, Donald S. Haverkamp, Melissa Jim

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs), but misclassification of race causes underestimates of disease burden.

METHODS. The authors compared regional differences in CRC incidence, stage at diagnosis, and anatomic distribution between AI/ANs and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). To reduce misclassification, data from the National Program of Cancer Registries; the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program; and the Indian Health Service (IHS) were linked. The analysis was limited to the 56% of AI/ AN who live in IHS Contract Health Service Delivery Areas.

RESULTS. From …

Trends In Esophageal Cancer Incidence By Histology, United States, 1998–2003, Katrina F. Trivers, Susan A. Sabatino, Sherri L. Stewart

United States Public Health Resources

Esophageal adenocarcinoma rates may be increasing, whereas, squamous cell carcinoma rates appear to be decreasing in the United States. Previous population-based research on esophageal cancer has only covered up to 68% of the country. Additional, updated research on a larger percentage of the country is needed to describe racial, ethnic and regional trends in histologic subtypes of esophageal cancer. Invasive esophageal cancer cases diagnosed between 1998 and 2003 (n = 65,926), collected by the National Program of Cancer Registries or the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program, were included. These data cover 83% of the US population. Esophageal squamous …

Surveillance For Health Behaviors Of American Indians And Alaska Natives—Findings From The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2000–2006, C. Brooke Steele, Cheryll J. Cardinez, Lisa C. Richardson, Lillian Tom-Orme, Kate M. Shaw

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. The authors compared estimates for cancer risk factors, use of cancer screening tests, health status indicators, and access to care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) in the US and for AI/ANs in 6 Indian Health Service regions.

METHODS. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were aggregated from the years 2000 through 2006 and were used to calculate weighted prevalence estimates by gender for key variables except demographic variables.

RESULTS. Compared with NHWs, AI/ANs had lower prevalence estimates for income, educational attainment, insurance coverage, and access to personal healthcare providers. AI/ANs …

Cancer Among American Indians And Alaska Natives In The United States, 1999–2004, Charles Wiggins, David K. Espey, Phyllis A. Wingo, Judith S. Kaur, Robin Taylor Wilson, Judith Swan, Barry A. Miller, Melissa Jim, Janet J. Kelly, Anne P. Lanier

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. Cancer incidence rates vary among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations and often differ from rates among non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). However, the misclassification of race for AI/AN cancer cases in central cancer registries may have led to underestimates of the AI/AN cancer burden in previous reports.

METHODS. Cases diagnosed during 1999 through 2004 were identified from population- based cancer registries in the United States. Age-adjusted rates were calculated for the 25 most common sites for AI/ANs and NHWs. To minimize the misclassification of race, cancer registry records were linked with patient registration files from the Indian …

Breast Cancer Incidence Among American Indian And Alaska Native Women: Us, 1999–2004, Phyllis A. Wingo, Jessica King, Judith Swan, Steven S. Coughlin, Judith S. Kaur, Julie A. Erb-Alvarez, Jeannette Jackson-Thompson, Teshia G. Arambula Solomon

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women. Although published studies have suggested that breast cancer rates among AI/AN women are lower than those among other racial and ethnic populations, accurate determinations of the breast cancer burden have been hampered by misclassification of AI/AN race.

METHODS. Cancer incidence data from the National Program of Cancer Registries and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program were combined to estimate age-adjusted rates for the diagnosis years 1999 through 2004. Several steps were taken to reduce the misclassification of …

Bilateral Claudication Results In Alterations In The Gait Biomechanics At The Hip And Ankle Joints, Shing-Jye Chen, Iraklis Pipinos, Jason Johanning, Matija Radovic, Jessie M. Huisinga, Sara A. Myers, Nikolaos Stergiou

United States Public Health Resources

Claudication is the most common symptomatic manifestation of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), producing significant ambulatory compromise. The purpose of this study was to use advanced biomechanical gait analysis to determine the gait alterations occurring in claudicating patients both before and after onset of claudication pain in their legs. Hip, knee, and ankle joint moments were measured in claudicating patients (age: 64.46±8.47 years; body mass: 80.70±12.64 kg; body height: 1.72±0.08 m) and were compared to gender–age–body mass–height-matched healthy controls (age 66.27±9.22 years; body mass: 77.89±10.65 kg; body height: 1.74±0.08 m). The claudicating patients were evaluated both before (pain-free (PF) condition) and …

Alcohol Research: A Lifespan Perspective, National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism

United States Public Health Resources

Contents:
The Embryo and Fetus: Focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
Midlife Focus on Detrimental Effects of Drinking and on Treatment Options
Senior Adults and Alcohol: A National Health Issue

Alcohol use and the risk for alcohol-related problems change over the lifespan. College students and young adults, who often drink large quantities of alcohol at one time, are more likely to experience problems such as alcohol poisoning, drunk-driving crashes, and assaults; whereas, older individuals who drink even moderately while taking certain medications run the risk of harmful drug interactions. Additionally, patterns of alcohol use …

First Administration To Humans Of A Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail Against Rabies Virus: Safety, Tolerability, And Neutralizing Activity, A.B.H. Bakker, C. Python, C.J. Kissling, P. Pandya, W.E. Marissen, M.F. Brink, F. Lagerwerf, S. Worst, E. Van Corven, S. Kostense, K. Hartmann, G.J. Weverling, F. Uytdehaag, C. Herzog, D.J. Briggs, C.E. Rupprecht, R. Grimaldi, J. Goudsmit

United States Public Health Resources

Immediate passive immune prophylaxis as part of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) often cannot be provided due to limited availability of human or equine rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG and ERIG, respectively). We report first clinical data from two phase I studies evaluating a monoclonal antibody cocktail CL184 against rabies.
The studies included healthy adult subjects in the USA and India and involved two parts. First, subjects received a single intramuscular dose of CL184 or placebo in a double blind, randomized, dose-escalation trial. Second, open-label CL184 (20 IU/kg)was co-administered with rabies vaccine. Safety was the primary objective and rabies virus neutralizing activity (RVNA) …

Toward Vocabulary Control For Chief Complaint, Stephanie W. Haas, Debbie Travers, Judith E. Tintinalli, Daniel Pollock, Anna Waller, Edward Barthell, Catharine Burt, Wendy Chapman, Kevin Coonan, Donald Kamens, James Mcclay

United States Public Health Resources

The chief complaint (CC) is the data element that documents the patient’s reason for visiting the emergency department (ED). The need for a CC vocabulary has been acknowledged at national meetings and in multiple publications, but to our knowledge no groups have specifically focused on the requirements and development plans for a CC vocabulary. The national consensus meeting ‘‘Towards Vocabulary Control for Chief Complaint’’ was convened to identify the potential uses for ED CC and to develop the framework for CC vocabulary control. The 10-point consensus recommendations for action were 1) begin to develop a controlled vocabulary for CC, 2) …

An In Vitro Method Of Alcoholic Liver Injury Using Precision-Cut Liver Slices From Rats, Lynell W. Klassen, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Michael J. Duryee, Courtney S. Schaffert, Amy L. Deveney, Carlos D. Hunter, Peter Olinga, Dean J. Tuma

United States Public Health Resources

Alcohol abuse results in liver injury, but investigations into the mechanism(s) for this injury have been hampered by the lack of appropriate in vitro culture models in which to conduct in depth and specific studies. In order to overcome these shortcomings, we have developed the use of precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) as an in vitro culture model in which to investigate how ethanol causes alcohol-induced liver injury. In these studies, it was shown that the PCLS retained excellent viability as determined by lactate dehydrogenase and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels over a 96-h period of incubation. More importantly, the major enzymes …