Public Health Commons^™

Early Resveratrol Treatment Mitigates Joint Degeneration And Dampens Pain In A Mouse Model Of Pseudoachondroplasia (Psach), Jacqueline T Hecht, Alka C Veerisetty, Debabrata Patra, Mohammad G Hossain, Frankie Chiu, Claire Mobed, Francis H Gannon, Karen L Posey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH), a severe dwarfing condition associated with early-onset joint degeneration and lifelong joint pain, is caused by mutations in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP). The mechanisms underlying the mutant-COMP pathology have been defined using the MT-COMP mouse model of PSACH that has the common D469del mutation. Mutant-COMP protein does not fold properly, and it is retained in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) of chondrocytes rather than being exported to the extracellular matrix (ECM), driving ER stress that stimulates oxidative stress and inflammation, driving a self-perpetuating cycle. CHOP (ER stress signaling protein) and TNFα inflammation drive high levels of mTORC1 …

Depression By Gender And Associated Factors Among Older Adults In India: Implications For Age-Friendly Policies, Ronak Paul, T. Muhammad, Rashmi Rashmi, Palak Sharma, Shobhit Srivastava, Preeti Zanwar

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Inspite of implementing policies to control mental health problems, depression remains a severe health concern among older adults in India. We examined self-reported differences in the depression among older men and women in India and examined associated factors for gender differences in depression at the population level. We utilized nationally representative data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) wave I, for years 2017-2019. Our analytical sample comprised of 30,637 older adults ages 60 years and above (14,682 men and 15,655 women). We conducted descriptive statistics and Chi-Square tests followed by binary logistic regression and multivariate decomposition analyses to …

Adapting An Evidence-Based Mindfulness-Based Intervention For Sheltered Youth Experiencing Homelessness, Diane Santa Maria, Paula Cuccaro, Kimberly Bender, Erica Sibinga, Natalie Guerrero, Najiba Keshwani, Jennifer Jones, Micki Fine

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) face challenges that impact their physical, mental, and social wellbeing, emotion regulation, and coping. Mindfulness reduces stress and improves resilience, emotion regulation, and executive functioning. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) teach the practice of mindfulness to foster present-moment attention without judgement and enhance self-observation and self-regulation, resulting in greater awareness of thoughts and emotions and improved interpersonal relationships. One such intervention, .b, has been shown to lower stress among youth. While a pilot study of .b among sheltered youth found the intervention to be feasible, the need for modifications was identified to improve its relevance, accessibility, and …

Us Adolescent Rest-Activity Patterns: Insights From Functional Principal Component Analysis (Nhanes 2011-2014), Chris Ho Ching Yeung, Jiachen Lu, Erica G Soltero, Cici Bauer, Qian Xiao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal rest-activity patterns in adolescence are associated with worse health outcomes in adulthood. Understanding sociodemographic factors associated with rest-activity rhythms may help identify subgroups who may benefit from interventions. This study aimed to investigate the association of rest-activity rhythm with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics in adolescents.

METHODS: Using cross-sectional data from the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 adolescents (N = 1814), this study derived rest-activity profiles from 7-day 24-hour accelerometer data using functional principal component analysis. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the association between participant characteristics and rest-activity profiles. Weekday and weekend …

Project Inclusive Genetics: Protecting Reproductive Autonomy From Bias Via Prenatal Patient-Centered Counseling, Apolline Jungels, Lindsay Demers, Eric Ford, Blair K Stevens, Maya Sabatello, Shoumita Dasgupta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clinician bias negatively impacts the healthcare received by marginalized communities. In this study, we explored factors that influence clinician and trainee bias against individuals with intellectual disabilities and its impact on clinical judgment in prenatal genetic testing settings. Specifically, we examined bias toward a fetus with a higher chance of developing a disability. We compared genetics specialists with their non-expert counterparts. This web-based study included clinical vignettes, implicit association tests (IATs), and an educational module. 595 participants were recruited via their institution or professional society. We conducted statistical analyses, including regression models controlling for key demographic characteristics, to analyze recommendation …

Outcomes Of Breakthrough Covid-19 Infections In Patients With Hematologic Malignancies, Kelly S Chien, Christine B Peterson, Elliana Young, Dai Chihara, Elizabet E Manasanch, Jeremy L Ramdial, Philip A Thompson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Patients with hematologic malignancies have both an increased risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and higher morbidity/mortality. They have lower seroconversion rates after vaccination, potentially leading to inferior coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes, despite vaccination. We consequently evaluated the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infections in 243 vaccinated and 175 unvaccinated patients with hematologic malignancies. Hospitalization rates were lower in the vaccinated group when compared with the unvaccinated group (31.3% vs 52.6%). However, the rates of COVID-19-associated death were similar at 7.0% and 8.6% in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, respectively. By univariate logistic regression, females, older patients, …

In-Utero Exposure To Antibiotics And Risk Of Colorectal Cancer In A Prospective Cohort Of 18 000 Adult Offspring, Caitlin C Murphy, Piera M Cirillo, Nickilou Y Krigbaum, Amit G Singal, Dean P Jones, Timothy Zaki, Barbara A Cohn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Incidence rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) are increasing among younger adults and in mid-life, implicating exposures in early life as risk factors. We examined the association between in-utero exposure to antibiotics and risk of CRC in adult offspring.

METHODS: The Child Health and Development Studies is a prospective cohort of women receiving prenatal care between 1959 and 1966 in Oakland, California, with deliveries through June 1967. Diagnosed conditions and all prescribed medications were abstracted from mothers' medical records beginning 6 months prior to pregnancy through delivery. We identified mothers who received antibiotics in pregnancy, including penicillins, tetracyclines, short-acting sulfonamides …

Global Effect Of Modifiable Risk Factors On Cardiovascular Disease And Mortality, Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium, Christina Magnussen, Francisco M Ojeda, Darryl P Leong, Jesus Alegre-Diaz, Philippe Amouyel, Larissa Aviles-Santa, Dirk De Bacquer, Christie M Ballantyne, Antonio Bernabé-Ortiz, Martin Bobak, Hermann Brenner, Rodrigo M Carrillo-Larco, James De Lemos, Annette Dobson, Marcus Dörr, Chiara Donfrancesco, Wojciech Drygas, Robin P Dullaart, Gunnar Engström, Marco M Ferrario, Jean Ferrières, Giovanni De Gaetano, Uri Goldbourt, Clicerio Gonzalez, Guido Grassi, Allison M Hodge, Kristian Hveem, Licia Iacoviello, M Kamran Ikram, Vilma Irazola, Modou Jobe, Pekka Jousilahti, Pontiano Kaleebu, Maryam Kavousi, Frank Kee, Davood Khalili, Wolfgang Koenig, Anna Kontsevaya, Kari Kuulasmaa, Karl J Lackner, David M Leistner, Lars Lind, Allan Linneberg, Thiess Lorenz, Magnus Nakrem Lyngbakken, Reza Malekzadeh, Sofia Malyutina, Ellisiv B Mathiesen, Olle Melander, Andres Metspalu, J Jaime Miranda, Marie Moitry, Joseph Mugisha, Mahdi Nalini, Vijay Nambi, Toshiharu Ninomiya, Karen Oppermann, Eleonora D'Orsi, Andrzej Pająk, Luigi Palmieri, Demosthenes Panagiotakos, Arokiasamy Perianayagam, Annette Peters, Hossein Poustchi, Andrew M Prentice, Eva Prescott, Ulf Risérus, Veikko Salomaa, Susana Sans, Satoko Sakata, Ben Schöttker, Aletta E Schutte, Sadaf G Sepanlou, Sanjib Kumar Sharma, Jonathan E Shaw, Leon A Simons, Stefan Söderberg, Abdonas Tamosiunas, Barbara Thorand, Hugh Tunstall-Pedoe, Raphael Twerenbold, Diego Vanuzzo, Giovanni Veronesi, Julia Waibel, S Goya Wannamethee, Masafumi Watanabe, Philipp S Wild, Yao Yao, Yi Zeng, Andreas Ziegler, Stefan Blankenberg

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Five modifiable risk factors are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. The regional and sex-specific prevalence of these modifiable risk factors and their impact on CVD and all-cause mortality have not been evaluated using individual-level data.

METHODS: The Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium harmonized individual-level data from 112 cohort studies conducted in 34 countries and 8 geographic regions. Associations between body-mass index, systolic blood pressure, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes with incident CVD and all-cause mortality were examined using Cox regression analyses and stratified by geographic region, age and sex. Population-attributable fractions were estimated for 10-year incident …

Association Of Parental Status And Gender With Burden Of Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards Among Oncology Physicians, Brittney L Chau, Jonnby S Laguardia, Sungjin Kim, Samuel C Zhang, Eric Pletcher, Nina N Sanford, Ann C Raldow, Lisa Singer, Jun Gong, Sukhmani K Padda, Mitchell Kamrava, Tara Cohen, Devarati Mitra, Katelyn M Atkins

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Tumor boards are integral to the care of patients with cancer. However, data investigating the burden of tumor boards on physicians are limited.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate what physician-related and tumor board-related factors are associated with higher tumor board burden among oncology physicians.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Tumor board burden was assessed by a cross-sectional convenience survey posted on social media and by email to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center cancer physicians between March 3 and April 3, 2022. Tumor board start times were independently collected by email from 22 top cancer centers.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Tumor board burden was measured …

Multilevel Community Engagement To Inform A Randomized Clinical Trial, Kirby L. Wycoff, Jabina G. Coleman, Christine M. Santoro, Leah L. Zullig, Niesha Darden, Porsche M. Holland, Jane F. Cruice, Shukriyyah Mitchell, Michelle Smith, Saleemah J. Mcneil, Sharon J. Herring

Counseling and Behavioral Health Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To explore how patients, community-based perinatal support professionals, and health system clinicians and staff perceived facilitators and barriers to implementation of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) designed to optimize Black maternal heart health.

METHODS: This article describes the formative work that we believed needed to occur before the start of the Change of H.E.A.R.T (Here for Equity, Advocacy, Reflection and Transformation) RCT. We used a qualitative, descriptive design and community-based, participatory approach, the latter of which allowed our team to intentionally focus on avoiding harm and equalizing power dynamics throughout the research process. Data were collected between November 2021 …

Does Spasticity Correlate With Motor Impairment In The Upper And Lower Limbs In Ambulatory Chronic Stroke Survivors??, Sheng Li, Jaskiran Ghuman, Javier Gonzalez-Buonomo, Xinran Huang, Aila Malik, Nuray Yozbatiran, Gerard E Francisco, Hulin Wu, Walter R Frontera

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore correlations between spasticity and motor impairments in the upper and lower limbs in ambulatory chronic stroke survivors.

DESIGN: We performed clinical assessments in 28 ambulatory chronic stroke survivors with spastic hemiplegia (female: 12; male: 16; mean ages = 57.8 ± 11.8 yrs; 76 ± 45 mos after stroke).

RESULTS: In the upper limb, spasticity index and Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment showed a significant correlation. Spasticity index for the upper limb showed a significant negative correlation with handgrip strength of the affected side ( r = -0.4, P = 0.035) while Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment for the …

The Median Doses Of Beta-Blockers Among Older Adults With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction, Min Ji Kwak, Caroline Schaefer, Trudy Millard Krause, Parag Goyal, Dae Hyun Kim, Abhijeet Dhoble, Michael Johnson, Rajender Aparasu, Holly M Holmes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Lotions, Creams, Gels And Ointments For The Treatment Of Childhood Eczema: The Bee Rct, Matthew J Ridd, Sian Wells, Stephanie J Macneill, Emily Sanderson, Douglas Webb, Jonathan Banks, Eileen Sutton, Alison Rg Shaw, Zoe Wilkins, Julie Clayton, Amanda Roberts, Kirsty Garfield, Lyn Liddiard, Tiffany J Barrett, J Athene Lane, Helen Baxter, Laura Howells, Jodi Taylor, Alastair D Hay, Hywel C Williams, Kim S Thomas, Miriam Santer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Emollients are recommended for children with eczema (atopic eczema/dermatitis). A lack of head-to-head comparisons of the effectiveness and acceptability of the different types of emollients has resulted in a 'trial and error' approach to prescribing.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness and acceptability of four commonly used types of emollients for the treatment of childhood eczema.

DESIGN: Four group, parallel, individually randomised, superiority randomised clinical trials with a nested qualitative study, completed in 2021. A purposeful sample of parents/children was interviewed at ≈ 4 and ≈ 16 weeks.

SETTING: Primary care (78 general practitioner surgeries) in England.

PARTICIPANTS: Children aged …

Diabetes Risk During Pregnancy Among Second-Generation Immigrants: A National Cohort Study In Sweden, Per Wändell, Xinjun Li, Nouha Saleh Stattin, Axel C Carlsson, Jan Sundquist, Casey Crump, Kristina Sundquist

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Gestational diabetes is more common in many first-generation immigrant women in Europe and other Western countries. Less is known about second-generation immigrant women; such knowledge is needed to understand generational influences on diabetes risk. We aimed to study second-generation immigrant women regarding the presence of all types of diabetes during pregnancy.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A cohort study was conducted using the Swedish National Birth Register, the National Patient Register, and the total Population Register. We used Cox regression analysis to compute hazard ratios (HRs) and 99% confidence intervals (99% CI) for any diabetes during pregnancy and specific …

Quality Improvement Initiative To Improve Time And Adherence To Revaccination After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Implementation Of A Revaccination Clinic Within The Transplantation Program, Caitlin Elgarten, Anne Wohlschlaeger, Ellen Levy, Katharine Tadley, Lei Wang, Megan Atkinson, Houston Roberson, Timothy Olson, Nancy Bunin, Jennifer Heimall, Brian Fisher, Stephan Grupp, Jason Freedman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background:

Revaccination after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is critical to prevent morbidity and mortality from vaccine preventable illnesses. While earlier re-vaccination after HCT is desirable, they may be ineffective if deployed before partial reconstitution of adaptive immunity. Increasingly, personalized approaches to re-vaccination after HCT have replaced time-based protocols in order to minimize unvaccinated time and enhance vaccine effectiveness. Furthermore, for revaccination to be maximally beneficial, compliance with, and timely delivery of the complete revaccination schedule is imperative, but rare, and there is little data on strategies to optimize vaccine delivery.

Objectives:

The global aim of our quality improvement initiative was …

Associations Between Metabolomic Biomarkers Of Avocado Intake And Glycemia In The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Alexis C Wood, Mark O Goodarzi, Mackenzie K Senn, Meghana D Gadgil, Goncalo Graca, Matthew A Allison, Ioanna Tzoulaki, Michael Y Mi, Philip Greenland, Timothy Ebbels, Paul Elliott, Russell P Tracy, David M Herrington, Jerome I Rotter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Avocado consumption is linked to better glucose homeostasis, but small associations suggest potential population heterogeneity. Metabolomic data capture the effects of food intake after digestion and metabolism, thus accounting for individual differences in these processes.

OBJECTIVES: To identify metabolomic biomarkers of avocado intake and to examine their associations with glycemia.

METHODS: Baseline data from 6224 multi-ethnic older adults (62% female) included self-reported avocado intake, fasting glucose and insulin, and untargeted plasma proton nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomic features (metabolomic data were available for a randomly selected subset; N = 3438). Subsequently, incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) was assessed over an …

Association Between Alcohol Consumption And Ectopic Fat In The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Richard Kazibwe, Parag A Chevli, Joni K Evans, Matthew Allison, Erin D Michos, Alexis C Wood, Jingzhong Ding, Michael D Shapiro, Morgana Mongraw-Chaffin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background The relationship between alcohol consumption and ectopic fat distribution, both known factors for cardiovascular disease, remains understudied. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association between alcohol consumption and ectopic adiposity in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results In this cross-sectional analysis, we categorized alcohol intake among participants in MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) as follows (drinks/day): <1 >(light drinking), 1 to 2 (moderate drinking), >2 (heavy drinking), former drinking, and lifetime abstention. Binge drinking was defined as consuming ≥5 drinks on 1 occasion in the past month. Visceral, subcutaneous, and intermuscular fat area, pericardial fat volume, and …

Location And Extent Of Cavernous Transformation Of The Portal Vein Dictates Different Visceral Side Revascularization In Meso-Rex Bypass, Rui Tang, Guangdong Wu, Qiang Yu, Xuan Tong, Xiangfei Meng, Yucheng Hou, Xin Huang, Abudusalamu Aini, Lihan Yu, Weidong Duan, Qian Lu, Jun Yan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: As an emerging standard of care for portal vein cavernous transformation (PVCT), Meso-Rex bypass (MRB) has been complicated and variated. The study aim was to propose a new classification of PVCT to guide MRB operations.

METHODS: Demographic data, the extent of extrahepatic PVCT, surgical methods for visceral side revascularization, intraoperative blood loss, operating time, changes in visceral venous pressure before and after MRB, postoperative complications and the condition of bypass vessels after MRB were extracted retrospectively from the medical records of 19 patients.

RESULTS: The median age of the patients (13 males and 6 females) was 32.5 years, while …

Sars-Cov-2 Niches In Human Placenta Revealed By Spatial Transcriptomics, Enrico R Barrozo, Maxim D Seferovic, Eumenia C C Castro, Angela M Major, David N Moorshead, Michael D Jochum, Ricardo Ferral Rojas, Cynthia D Shope, Kjersti M Aagaard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Functional placental niches are presumed to spatially separate maternal-fetal antigens and restrict the vertical transmission of pathogens. We hypothesized a high-resolution map of placental transcription could provide direct evidence for niche microenvironments with unique functions and transcription profiles.

METHODS: We utilized Visium Spatial Transcriptomics paired with H&E staining to generate 17,927 spatial transcriptomes. By integrating these spatial transcriptomes with 273,944 placental single-cell and single-nuclei transcriptomes, we generated an atlas composed of at least 22 subpopulations in the maternal decidua, fetal chorionic villi, and chorioamniotic membranes.

FINDINGS: Comparisons of placentae from uninfected healthy controls (n = 4) with COVID-19 asymptomatic …

Development Of A Culturally Adapted Dietary Intervention To Reduce Alzheimer's Disease Risk Among Older Black Adults, Ashley R Shaw, Mickeal N Key, Samantha Fikru, Saria Lofton, Debra K Sullivan, Jannette Berkley-Patton, Crystal M Glover, Jeffrey M Burns, Eric D Vidoni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The objective of this study is to identify and understand knowledge and attitudes that influence dietary practices among older Black adults using a community-engaged approach. This is a non-interventional mixed methods study designed to inform the development of an adapted brain-healthy soul food diet intervention. A purposive sampling approach was used to conduct seven semi-structured focus group discussions and an online quantitative survey. In total, 39 participants who self-identified as Black, aged 55 years and older, English speaking, and who were cognitively normal with an AD8 < 2; (25.6% men; 74.4% women) participated in the online survey and one of the seven 60 min virtual focus group discussions (5-7 per focus group). Quantitative frequency data from the online surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative focus group data were analyzed using a 6-step thematic analysis process. Five themes emerged: dementia awareness; practices shaping food choices and consumption; barriers to eating healthy; instrumental support; and elements of a culturally adapted brain-healthy dietary intervention. Older Black adults perceived an adapted MIND dietary model as the most acceptable with the incorporation of salient cultural characteristics and strategies within both the design and delivery phases.

Evaluation Of Field Sobriety Tests For Identifying Drivers Under The Influence Of Cannabis: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Thomas D Marcotte, Anya Umlauf, David J Grelotti, Emily G Sones, Kyle F Mastropietro, Raymond T Suhandynata, Marilyn A. Huestis, Igor Grant, Robert L Fitzgerald

Institute of Emerging Health Professions Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: With increasing medicinal and recreational cannabis legalization, there is a public health need for effective and unbiased evaluations for determining whether a driver is impaired due to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure. Field sobriety tests (FSTs) are a key component of the gold standard law enforcement officer-based evaluations, yet controlled studies are inconclusive regarding their efficacy in detecting whether a person is under the influence of THC.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the classification accuracy of FSTs with respect to cannabis exposure and driving impairment (as determined via a driving simulation).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel randomized clinical trial was …

Association Between Duration Of Smoking Abstinence Before Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Diagnosis And Survival: A Retrospective, Pooled Analysis Of Cohort Studies, Aline F Fares, Yao Li, Mei Jiang, M Catherine Brown, Andrew C L Lam, Reenika Aggarwal, Sabine Schmid, Natasha B Leighl, Frances A Shepherd, Zhichao Wang, Nancy Diao, Angela S Wenzlaff, Juntao Xie, Takashi Kohno, Neil E Caporaso, Curtis Harris, Hongxia Ma, Matthew J Barnett, Leticia Ferro Leal, G Fernandez-Tardon, Mónica Pérez-Ríos, Michael P A Davies, Fiona Taylor, Ben Schöttker, Paul Brennan, David Zaridze, Ivana Holcatova, Jolanta Lissowska, Beata Świątkowska, Dana Mates, Milan Savic, Hermann Brenner, Angeline Andrew, Angela Cox, John K Field, Alberto Ruano-Ravina, Sanjay S Shete, Adonina Tardon, Ying Wang, Loic Le Marchand, Rui Manuel Reis, Matthew B Schabath, Chu Chen, Hongbing Shen, Brid M Ryan, Maria Teresa Landi, Kouya Shiraishi, Jie Zhang, Ann G Schwartz, Ming S Tsao, David C Christiani, Ping Yang, Rayjean J Hung, Wei Xu, Geoffrey Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The association between duration of smoking abstinence before non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis and subsequent survival can influence public health messaging delivered in lung-cancer screening. We aimed to assess whether the duration of smoking abstinence before diagnosis of NSCLC is associated with improved survival.

METHODS: In this retrospective, pooled analysis of cohort studies, we used 26 cohorts participating in Clinical Outcomes Studies of the International Lung Cancer Consortium (COS-ILCCO) at 23 hospitals. 16 (62%) were from North America, six (23%) were from Europe, three (12%) were from Asia, and one (4%) was from South America. Patients enrolled were diagnosed …

Emotional Distress And Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Participants Enrolled In The Glycemia Reduction Approaches In Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness (Grade) Study, Gladys Crespo-Ramos, Ionut Bebu, Heidi Krause-Steinrauf, Claire J Hoogendoorn, Ran Fang, Dominic Ehrmann, Caroline Presley, Aanand D Naik, Aimee Katona, Elizabeth A Walker, Andrea Cherrington, Jeffrey S Gonzalez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIMS: People with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined depressive symptoms (DS) and diabetes distress (DD) in relation to the estimated 10-year risk of CVD in adults with T2DM enrolled in the GRADE Emotional Distress Substudy.

METHODS: Linear regression models examined the associations of baseline DS and DD with estimated 10-year risk of CVD using the Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk score, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, diabetes duration, diabetes-related complications, and HbA1c.

RESULTS: A total of 1,605 GRADE participants were included: 54% Non-Latino (NL) White, 18% Latino, 19% NL-Black, …

Epigenome-Wide Dna Methylation Association Study Of Circulating Ige Levels Identifies Novel Targets For Asthma, Kathryn Recto, Priyadarshini Kachroo, Tianxiao Huan, David Van Den Berg, Gha Young Lee, Helena Bui, Dong Heon Lee, Jessica Gereige, Chen Yao, Shih-Jen Hwang, Roby Joehanes, Scott T Weiss, George T O'Connor, Daniel Levy, Dawn L Demeo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Identifying novel epigenetic signatures associated with serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) may improve our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying asthma and IgE-mediated diseases.

METHODS: We performed an epigenome-wide association study using whole blood from Framingham Heart Study (FHS; n = 3,471, 46% females) participants and validated results using the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP; n = 674, 39% females) and the Genetic Epidemiology of Asthma in Costa Rica Study (CRA; n = 787, 41% females). Using the closest gene to each IgE-associated CpG, we highlighted biologically plausible pathways underlying IgE regulation and analyzed the transcription patterns linked to IgE-associated CpGs …

Tepotinib Treatment In Patients With Met Exon 14-Skipping Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Long-Term Follow-Up Of The Vision Phase 2 Nonrandomized Clinical Trial, Julien Mazieres, Paul K Paik, Marina C Garassino, Xiuning Le, Hiroshi Sakai, Remi Veillon, Egbert F Smit, Alexis B Cortot, Jo Raskin, Santiago Viteri, Yi-Long Wu, James C H Yang, Myung-Ju Ahn, Rui Ma, Jun Zhao, Aurora O'Brate, Karin Berghoff, Rolf Bruns, Gordon Otto, Andreas Johne, Enriqueta Felip, Michael Thomas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: MET inhibitors have recently demonstrated clinical activity in patients with MET exon 14 (METex14)-skipping non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, data with longer follow-up and in larger populations are needed to further optimize therapeutic approaches.

Objective: To assess the long-term efficacy and safety of tepotinib, a potent and highly selective MET inhibitor, in patients with METex14-skipping NSCLC in the VISION study.

Design, setting, and participants: The VISION phase 2 nonrandomized clinical trial was a multicohort, open-label, multicenter study that enrolled patients with METex14-skipping advanced/metastatic NSCLC (cohorts A and C) from September 2016 to May 2021. Cohort C (>18 …

Cancer Patients' Preferences And Perceptions Of Advantages And Disadvantages Of Telehealth Visits During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Deepika Kumar, Nancy Gordon, Constanza Zamani, Tammy Sheehan, Ernesto Martin, Olga Egorova, Jessica Payne, Tatjana Kolevska, Elad Neeman, Raymond Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: We aimed to ascertain oncology patients' perceptions of telehealth versus in-person (IP) visits for different types of clinical encounters.

METHODS: We surveyed adults undergoing cancer treatment at Kaiser Permanente Northern California infusion centers between November 2021 and May 2022 using a self-administered questionnaire. Patients were asked about visit modality preferences (video, phone, and IP) for six types of clinical discussions, overall advantages and disadvantages of telehealth (video or phone) versus IP modalities, and barriers to video visit use.

RESULTS: The 839 patients who completed surveys in English were 63% female; median age 63 years; 64% White; and 73% college-educated …

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus In Person Living With Hiv, Connecticut, Usa, 2021, Jonathan Dyal, Shiv Gandhi, Caitlin M Cossaboom, Austin Leach, Ketan Patel, Marjorie Golden, Joseph Canterino, Marie-Louise Landry, Debi Cannon, Mary Choi, Inna Krapiunaya, John D Klena, Trevor Shoemaker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus is an underreported cause of miscarriage and neurologic disease. Surveillance remains challenging because of nonspecific symptomatology, inconsistent case reporting, and difficulties with diagnostic testing. We describe a case of acute lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus disease in a person living with HIV in Connecticut, USA, identified by using quantitative reverse transcription PCR.

Feasibility And Clinical Acceptability Of Automation-Assisted 3d Conformal Radiotherapy Planning For Patients With Cervical Cancer In A Resource-Constrained Setting, Sikudhani Muya, Jerry Ndumbalo, Sarah Kutika Nyagabona, Shaid Yusuf, Dong Joo Rhee, Beatrice Paul Mushi, Benjamin Li, Li Zhang, Surbhi Grover, Mary Feng, I-Chow Hsu, Elia Mmbaga, Katherine Van Loon, Laurence Court, Melody Xu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: The Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Tanzania began offering 3D conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) in 2018. Steep learning curves, high patient volume, and a limited workforce resulted in long radiation therapy (RT) planning workflows. We aimed to establish the feasibility of implementing an automation-assisted cervical cancer 3DCRT planning system.

Materials and methods: We performed chart abstractions on 30 patients with cervical cancer treated with 3DCRT at ORCI. The Radiation Planning Assistant (RPA) generated a new automated set of contours and plans on the basis of anonymized computed tomography images. Each were assessed for edit time requirements, dose-volume safety …

Epigenome-Wide Association Study Using Peripheral Blood Leukocytes Identifies Genomic Regions Associated With Periodontal Disease And Edentulism In The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Naisi Zhao, Flavia Teles, Jiayun Lu, Devin C Koestler, James Beck, Eric Boerwinkle, Jan Bressler, Karl T Kelsey, Elizabeth A Platz, Dominique S Michaud

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIM: To investigate individual susceptibility to periodontitis by conducting an epigenome-wide association study using peripheral blood.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 1077 African American and 457 European American participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study who had completed a dental examination or reported being edentulous at Visit 4 and had available data on DNA methylation from Visit 2 or 3. DNA methylation levels were compared by periodontal disease severity and edentulism through discovery analyses and subsequent testing of individual CpGs.

RESULTS: Our discovery analysis replicated findings from a previous study reporting a region in gene ZFP57 (6p22.1) that …

Dynamics Of Inflammatory Responses After Sars-Cov-2 Infection By Vaccination Status In The Usa: A Prospective Cohort Study, Xianming Zhu, Kelly A Gebo, Alison G Abraham, Feben Habtehyimer, Eshan U Patel, Oliver Laeyendecker, Thomas J Gniadek, Reinaldo E Fernandez, Owen R Baker, Malathi Ram, Edward R Cachay, Judith S Currier, Yuriko Fukuta, Jonathan M Gerber, Sonya L Heath, Barry Meisenberg, Moises A Huaman, Adam C Levine, Aarthi Shenoy, Shweta Anjan, Janis E Blair, Daniel Cruser, Donald N Forthal, Laura L Hammitt, Seble Kassaye, Giselle S Mosnaim, Bela Patel, James H Paxton, Jay S Raval, Catherine G Sutcliffe, Matthew Abinante, Patrick Broderick, Valerie Cluzet, Marie Elena Cordisco, Benjamin Greenblatt, Joann Petrini, William Rausch, David Shade, Karen Lane, Amy L Gawad, Sabra L Klein, Andrew Pekosz, Shmuel Shoham, Arturo Casadevall, Evan M Bloch, Daniel Hanley, David J Sullivan, Aaron A R Tobian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Cytokines and chemokines play a critical role in the response to infection and vaccination. We aimed to assess the longitudinal association of COVID-19 vaccination with cytokine and chemokine concentrations and trajectories among people with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

METHODS: In this longitudinal, prospective cohort study, blood samples were used from participants enrolled in a multi-centre randomised trial assessing the efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy for ambulatory COVID-19. The trial was conducted in 23 outpatient sites in the USA. In this study, participants (aged ≥18 years) were restricted to those with COVID-19 before vaccination or with breakthrough infections who had blood samples …