Translational Medical Research Commons^™

Comparison Of Ecg Features, Cardiac Biomarkers, And Clinical Outcomes In Three Waves Of Hospitalized Covid-19 Pneumonia Patients With Cardiovascular Events, Yuchen Han, Jahnavi Sunkara, Tshura S Ali, Harideep Samanapally, Vidyulata Salunkhe, Fnu Deepti, Emma C. Huang, Justin J. Huang, Maiying Kong, Jiapeng Huang

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a rapidly evolving virus that can severely impact the cardiovascular system. With new variants, it is important to characterize wave-specific (defined by dominant circulating variants) clinical changes.

Methods

A multi-center retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 community acquired pneumonia at eight adult acute-care hospitals in the city of Louisville, KY was conducted. Patients hospitalized with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) community acquired pneumonia who experienced a cardiovascular event between March 2020 and July 2022 were included in this analysis. Variant assignment was based on temporal prevalence rather than genomic confirmation, and …

Therapeutic Potential Of Sglt2 Inhibitors In A Repeated Love Dose Cisplatin Model., Dianet C. Sanchez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cisplatin is a potent chemotherapeutic, thirty percent of patients develop Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). These patients are ten times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2-inhibitors (SGLT2i), FDA approved for diabetes, has shown protection in multiple mouse models of AKI-CKD. We hypothesize SGLT2i can protect the kidney in a model of repeated low dose cisplatin with/without cancer. B6:129 mice with/without lung adenocarcinoma (Lung-adeno) were treated daily with SGLT2i dapagliflozin (10mg/kg)/vehicle control. After seven days, weekly cisplatin (7mg/kg)/vehicle control was initiated for 3-4 weeks. Following final cisplatin dose, kidney function, injury, fibrosis, inflammation was assessed. SGLT2i treatment attenuated alterations …

A Retrospective Study Of Pulmonary Function Tests In Bronchiectasis: An Infectious Disease Of The Respiratory System, Vinod Mutkule, Mahesh Shinde, Vidya Bapmare, Sangramsingh Dixit, Atharva Sharma, Kshitij Sarwey, Yogeshwari Patil, Sanket Jethlia, Aayushi Dwivedi, Disha Pardeshi, Anmol Rai, Kunal Shah, Vidhi Kalwar

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Bronchiectasis, currently being recognized worldwide, is an abnormal dilatation of the bronchi and bronchioles brought on by recurrent cycles of inflammation and airway infection. Impaired pulmonary function has a predictive significance in bronchiectasis. When treating patients with suspected or confirmed respiratory diseases, pulmonary function tests (PFT) are useful examinations. Very few studies have been done on PFTs in bronchiectasis. The main aim of this study is to study PFTs in bronchiectasis.

Method: This is a retrospective observational study done on 50 patients over two years at the tertiary care center. The previous records of patients were collected from the …

Characteristics And Outcomes Of Adults Hospitalized With Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Brian S. Shaw, Cara Slaton, Ian P. Murphy, Michael Mcalister, Daniel Egan, Kwabena Ayesu

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a negative sense single-stranded RNA virus (ssRNA) that primarily causes respiratory infections in both children and older adults. We examined clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized adult patients who tested positive for RSV.

Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, descriptive study that examined adult patients admitted with a positive RSV test over two years across eight hospitals in Orlando, Florida.

Results: A total of 120 patients were included, of which 88 (73%) were 60 years old and older. Overall, patients with RSV infection were caucasian (62%) with a median age of 70 years and …

Defining The Peripheral Plasticity Of Nociceptive Afferents Following Spinal Cord Injury And Physical Therapy Intervention., Morgan Julianna Forston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is to explore the peripheral plasticity of nociceptive afferents following spinal cord injury (SCI) and whether it is exacerbated or induced when physical therapy-based muscle stretching, a therapy we have shown to be detrimental to locomotor recovery in rodents, is implemented post-SCI. Chapter I provides a brief introduction on sensory afferents with particular emphasis on nociceptive afferents and their multifaceted role within the peripheral and central nervous systems. Chapter II describes SCI epidemiology and common sensory related complications that occur in patients as well and pharmaco- and physical therapies that are employed post-SCI. Chapter III …

Avaren-Fc, A Novel Immunotherapeutic, Recruits Nk Cells In B16f10 Melanoma Tumor Tissue, Sreevatsa Vemuri, Katarina L Mayer, Nobuyuki Matoba

The Cardinal Edge

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the US, with limited effective immunotherapeutic options available for patients. Avaren-Fc (AvFc) is a novel experimental immunotherapeutic agent with a unique “lectibody” property. It is capable of targeting cancer cells through the selective recognition of high mannose glycans, which are aberrantly overrepresented on the surface of malignant cells. Upon binding to cancer cells, AvFc can interact with circulating effector immune cells equipped with Fc receptors, such as natural killer (NK) cells to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and kill the cancer cells. Previous work has shown that AvFc effectively induces ADCC activity …

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 …

On The Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Immobilization And Its Effects On Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury., William H. Gregory

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Recovery, or rather the failure to recover, is a perplexing issue of spinal cord injury that is currently being investigated. This issue becomes more puzzling when investigating models in which spinal cord injury (SCI) is studied. There appears to be greater functional recovery experienced by animals within these models after injury as compared to patients in the clinical setting. While many things could contribute to this disparity, one difference that stands out when comparing the basic research model and clinical experience of SCI is the inactivity and limb disuse after the injury. This same level of immobility is rarely accounted …

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 …

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.

The Role Of Generative Adversarial Networks In Bioimage Analysis And Computational Diagnostics., Ahmed Naglah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computational technologies can contribute to the modeling and simulation of the biological environments and activities towards achieving better interpretations, analysis, and understanding. With the emergence of digital pathology, we can observe an increasing demand for more innovative, effective, and efficient computational models. Under the umbrella of artificial intelligence, deep learning mimics the brain’s way in learn complex relationships through data and experiences. In the field of bioimage analysis, models usually comprise discriminative approaches such as classification and segmentation tasks. In this thesis, we study how we can use generative AI models to improve bioimage analysis tasks using Generative Adversarial Networks …

What? Is Epstein–Barr Virus Infection Linked To Multiple Sclerosis?, Asha Mahajan, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Do You Know The Pathophysiology Of Cytokine Storm During Covid-19?, Shameera Shaik Masthan, Deekshitha Turaka, Ahmed Abdelhaleem, Mounica Vorla, Steven B. Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Respiratory Function Using Blood Gas Parameters In Yucatan Minipigs Following Spinal Cord Injury, Jackson Gallagher, Monique Morgan, Chase Knibbe, Destiny Gibson, Maxwell Boakye

The Cardinal Edge

There are approximately 17,810 new spinal cord injuries (SCI) in the U.S. each year [1]. Physical damage to the spinal cord has the potential to interfere with normal motor, sensory, and/or autonomic function, such as impairment of the respiratory system. In fact, respiratory insufficiency is the number one cause of mortality and morbidity after SCI. The more rostral the injury, the more likely there will be disruption to normal ventilation (generally rostral to T6) [2]. To conduct relevant preclinical research, it has been shown that large animal models, such as the Yucatan minipig, have a better success rate of translating …

Comparing Outcomes For Community-Acquired Pneumonia Between Females And Males: Results From The University Of Louisville Pneumonia Study, Pavani Nathala, Simrat Sarai, Vidyulata Salunkhe, Mahder A. Tella, Stephen P. Furmanek, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Male sex is currently considered to be a risk factor for worsened community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) outcomes compared to female sex; hence, female sex equates to a lower score on the Pneumonia Severity Index. There is no recent update on sex-based outcomes of patients with CAP. The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of CAP between females and males.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the University of Louisville Pneumonia Study database. It was a prospective population-based cohort study of all hospitalized adults with CAP who were residents of Jefferson County in the city of Louisville, …

Role Of Deep Learning Techniques In Non-Invasive Diagnosis Of Human Diseases., Hisham Abouelseoud Elsayem Abdeltawab

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Machine learning, a sub-discipline in the domain of artificial intelligence, concentrates on algorithms able to learn and/or adapt their structure (e.g., parameters) based on a set of observed data. The adaptation is performed by optimizing over a cost function. Machine learning obtained a great attention in the biomedical community because it offers a promise for improving sensitivity and/or specificity of detection and diagnosis of diseases. It also can increase objectivity of the decision making, decrease the time and effort on health care professionals during the process of disease detection and diagnosis. The potential impact of machine learning is greater than …

What About Anosmia From Covid-19 ?, Sharanya S E Santhi, Sara Elnour, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Treating Cytokine Storm In Patients With Covid-19, Ahmed Abdelhaleem, Deekshitha Turaka, Shameera Shaik Masthan, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Meets Transitions Of Care: Defining Length Of Therapy For Community-Acquired Pneumonia (Cap), Christopher Whitman, Sarah E. Moore, Matthew Song, Brian C. Bohn, Ashley M. Wilde

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Hospital-based antimicrobial stewardship efforts have traditionally focused on inpatient settings. Antibiotic prescribing at discharge is often an overlooked area of focus for antimicrobial stewardship programs. Discharge prescribing optimization is necessary to combat antibiotic overuse.

Methods: This was an observational, retrospective cohort study at a four–adult community hospital system. Four hundred adult patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia and discharged with antibiotics were included. The primary outcome was overall (inpatient and discharge) antibiotic length of therapy. The secondary outcome was percentage of patients discharged on a fluoroquinolone who had not received one in the hospital. Descriptive statistics were utilized.

Results: The …

Covid-19 Case Complicated With Organizing Pneumonia And Pneumothorax: Correspondence, Hammad A. Bhatti, Minh Q. Ho

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Covid-19, Vaccination, And Heart Transplantation, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Adipose-Derived Stromal Vascular Fraction Therapy Improves Age-Related Adrenergic Mediated Microvascular Dysfunction And Increases Revascularization Potential Following Injury., Gabrielle Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of the microcirculation is to balance blood flow and oxygen delivery to meet local metabolic and oxygen demands. With advancing age, the health of the endothelium declines leading to improper augmentation of the microcirculation; decreasing vasoreactivity and angiogenic potential which can further increase the risk of ischemia. The multiple contributing factors that drive the decline in endothelial health with age make traditional pharmacological interventions challenging whereas cell-based therapies can exert multifactorial gains. Adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is an emerging therapeutic for its easily accessible, autologous, anti-inflammatory, and angiogenic properties. It is a heterogenous population comprised of leukocyte …

Sotrovimab: Neutralizing Antibody To Combat Covid-19, Aya Allam, Steven Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Are Antipyretic Medications Compatible With Sars-Cov-2 Vaccines?, Sharanya S E Santhi, Niguma Rayamajhi, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Leptospirosis Presenting As Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage, Alejandra González, Paola Alvarez, Mariano Fielli, Analia Santos, Neil Gomez Querales, Elkin Rodriguez Arzuaga

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) syndrome has a mortality rate of 30 to 60%. A 15-year-old male patient presented with a seven-day abdominal pain, vomiting, non-dysenteric diarrhea, conjunctival injection, and fever. Chest radiography revealed bilateral interstitial infiltrates predominating in the lower left lobe. The patient’s condition worsened within hours, with the development of massive hemoptysis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), arterial hypotension, and hematocrit decline requiring mechanical ventilation. A chest computed tomography (CT) showed ground-glass opacities with consolidation areas in lower lobes, diffuse tree-in-bud opacities, and centrilobular nodules. A bronchoscopy was conducted without endoluminal lesions and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) consistent with …

Mucormycosis: Covid-19 And Corticosteroids, Mittal Savaliya, Nivedita Jha, Steven B Lippmann

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Pulmonary Post-Acute Sequelae Of Covid-19, Usman Akbar, Shivam Gulati, Johnny Zakhour Md, Alex Glynn, Jose Bordon

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Persistent symptoms have been observed in a substantial proportion of survivors of COVID-19 since relatively early in the pandemic. Among these post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), respiratory symptoms appear to be the most prevalent.

Methods: We conducted a literature review of peer-reviewed publications in English on the clinical and epidemiological features of respiratory PASC in cohorts of 100 or more patients with a follow-up of four weeks or more after acute infection. Included studies reported the prevalence of persistent respiratory symptoms and/or the results of follow-up pulmonary function tests.

Results: On our review included 14 studies across eight countries …

Compliance With Guidelines For Treatment Of Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia Is Associated With Decreased Mortality In Patients Hospitalized For Community-Acquired Pneumonia With Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia, Leslie Beavin, Vidyulata Salunkhe, Shashvin Singh, Ahmed Gana, Balaji Sekaran, Mahder A. Tella, Stephen P. Furmanek, Forest W. Arnold

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia has a minimum treatment duration of two weeks, while S. aureus community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) treatment is at least five days. Treatment failure, persistent bacteremia, and recurrence are common among patients with community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia. There is conflicting information in the current Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines for the treatment of S.aureus bacteremia patients with CAP. Therefore, the appropriate treatment duration and modality for S. aureus CAP with bacteremia is unclear. The objective of this study was to compare outcomes among patients with S. aureus CAP and bacteremia treated in compliance versus non-compliance with …