Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Adenovirus 40/41, Astrovirus, and Sapovirus in Children with Acute Gastroenteritis in Kansas City 2011-2016.

BACKGROUND: Most U.S. acute gastroenteritis (AGE) episodes in children are attributed to norovirus, whereas very little information is available on adenovirus 40/41 (AdV40/41), astrovirus or sapovirus. The New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN) conducted prospective, active, population-based AGE surveillance in young children. METHODS: We tested and typed stool specimens collected between December 2011 to June 2016 from one NVSN site in Kansas City for the three viruses, and calculated hospitalization and emergency department (ED) detection rate. RESULTS: Of 3,205 collected specimens, 2,453 (76.5%) were from AGE patients (339 inpatients and 2,114 ED patients) and 752 (23.5%) were from healthy controls (HC). In AGE patients, astrovirus was detected in 94 (3.8%), sapovirus in 252 (10.3%) and AdV40/41 in 101 (4.5%) of 2249 patients. In HC, astrovirus was detected in 13 (1.7%) and sapovirus in 15 (2.0%) specimens. Astrovirus type 1 (37.7%) and genogroup I sapoviruses (59.3%) were most prevalent.Hospitalization rates were 5 (AdV40/41), 4 (astrovirus) and 8 (sapovirus) per 100,000 children <11 years old, whereas ED rates were 2.4 (AdV40/41), 1.9 (astrovirus) and 5.3 (sapovirus) per 1000 children <5 years old. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, AdV40/41, astrovirus, and sapovirus were detected in 18.6% of AGE in a large pediatric hospital in Kansas City.

Mutation burden analysis of six common mental disorders in African Americans by whole genome sequencing.

Mental disorders present a global health concern and have limited treatment options. In today's medical practice, medications such as antidepressants are prescribed not only for depression but also for conditions such as anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Therefore, identifying gene targets for specific disorders is important and offers improved precision. In this study, we performed a genetic analysis of six common mental disorders-ADHD, anxiety, depression, delays in mental development, intellectual disabilities (IDs) and speech/language disorder-in the ethnic minority of African Americans (AAs) using whole genome sequencing (WGS). WGS data were generated from blood-derived DNA from 4178 AA individuals, including 1384 patients with the diagnosis of at least one mental disorder. Mutation burden analysis was applied based on rare and deleterious mutations in the AA population between cases and controls, and further analyzed in the context of patients with single mental disorder diagnosis. Certain genes uncovered demonstrated significant P-values in mutation burden analysis. In addition, exclusive recurrences in specific type of disorder were scanned through gene-drug interaction databases to assess for availability of potential medications. We uncovered 15 genes harboring deleterious mutations, including 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-CoA Reductase (HMGCR) and Uronyl 2-Sulfotransferase (UST) for ADHD; Farnesyltransferase, CAAX Box, Beta (FNTB) for anxiety; Xin Actin Binding Repeat Containing 2 (XIRP2), Natriuretic Peptide C (NPPC), Serine/Threonine Kinase 33 (STK33), Pannexin 1 (PANX1) and Neurotensin (NTS) for depression; RUNX Family Transcription Factor 3 (RUNX3), Tachykinin Receptor 1 (TACR1) and NADH:Ubiquinone Oxidoreductase Core Subunit S7 (NDUFS7) for delays in mental development; Hepsin (HPN) for ID and Collagen Type VI Alpha 3 Chain (COL6A3), Damage Specific DNA Binding Protein 1 (DDB1) and NADH:Ubiquinone Oxidoreductase Subunit A11 (NDUFA11) for speech/language disorder. Taken together, we have established critical insights into the development of new precision medicine approaches for mental disorders in AAs.

Treatment of Organophosphorus Poisoning with 6-Alkoxypyridin-3-ol Quinone Methide Precursors: Resurrection of Methylphosphonate-Aged Acetylcholinesterase.

Organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), creating a cholinergic crisis in which death can occur. The phosphylated serine residue spontaneously dealkylates to the OP-aged form, which current therapeutics cannot reverse. Soman's aging half-life is 4.2 min, so immediate recovery (resurrection) of OP-aged AChE is needed. In 2018, we showed pyridin-3-ol-based quinone methide precursors (QMPs) can resurrect OP-aged electric eel AChE in vitro, achieving 2% resurrection after 24 h of incubation (pH 7, 4 mM). We prepared 50 unique 6-alkoxypyridin-3-ol QMPs with 10 alkoxy groups and five amine leaving groups to improve AChE resurrection. These compounds are predicted in silico to cross the blood-brain barrier and treat AChE in the central nervous system. This library resurrected 7.9% activity of OP-aged recombinant human AChE after 24 h at 250 µM, a 4-fold increase from our 2018 report. The best QMP (1b), with a 6-methoxypyridin-3-ol core and a diethylamine leaving group, recovered 20.8% (1 mM), 34% (4 mM), and 42.5% (predicted maximum) of methylphosphonate-aged AChE activity over 24 h. Seven QMPs recovered activity from AChE aged with Soman and a VX degradation product (EA-2192). We hypothesize that QMPs form the quinone methide (QM) to realkylate the phosphylated serine residue as the first step of resurrection. We calculated thermodynamic energetics for QM formation, but there was no trend with the experimental biochemical data. Molecular docking studies revealed that QMP binding to OP-aged AChE is not the determining factor for the observed biochemical trends; thus, QM formation may be enzyme-mediated.

Development and Validation of an Enzyme Immunoassay for Detection and Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 Salivary IgA and IgG.

Oral fluids offer a noninvasive sampling method for the detection of Abs. Quantification of IgA and IgG Abs in saliva allows studies of the mucosal and systemic immune response after natural infection or vaccination. We developed and validated an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect and quantify salivary IgA and IgG Abs against the prefusion-stabilized form of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein expressed in suspension-adapted HEK-293 cells. Normalization against total Ab isotype was performed to account for specimen differences, such as collection time and sample volume. Saliva samples collected from 187 SARS-CoV-2 confirmed cases enrolled in 2 cohorts and 373 prepandemic saliva samples were tested. The sensitivity of both EIAs was high (IgA, 95.5%; IgG, 89.7%) without compromising specificity (IgA, 99%; IgG, 97%). No cross-reactivity with endemic coronaviruses was observed. The limit of detection for SARS-CoV-2 salivary IgA and IgG assays were 1.98 ng/ml and 0.30 ng/ml, respectively. Salivary IgA and IgG Abs were detected earlier in patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms than in severe cases. However, severe cases showed higher salivary Ab titers than those with a mild infection. Salivary IgA titers quickly decreased after 6 wk in mild cases but remained detectable until at least week 10 in severe cases. Salivary IgG titers remained high for all patients, regardless of disease severity. In conclusion, EIAs for both IgA and IgG had high specificity and sensitivity for the confirmation of current or recent SARS-CoV-2 infections and evaluation of the IgA and IgG immune response.

Application of deep learning algorithm on whole genome sequencing data uncovers structural variants associated with multiple mental disorders in African American patients.

Mental disorders present a global health concern, while the diagnosis of mental disorders can be challenging. The diagnosis is even harder for patients who have more than one type of mental disorder, especially for young toddlers who are not able to complete questionnaires or standardized rating scales for diagnosis. In the past decade, multiple genomic association signals have been reported for mental disorders, some of which present attractive drug targets. Concurrently, machine learning algorithms, especially deep learning algorithms, have been successful in the diagnosis and/or labeling of complex diseases, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or cancer. In this study, we focused on eight common mental disorders, including ADHD, depression, anxiety, autism, intellectual disabilities, speech/language disorder, delays in developments, and oppositional defiant disorder in the ethnic minority of African Americans. Blood-derived whole genome sequencing data from 4179 individuals were generated, including 1384 patients with the diagnosis of at least one mental disorder. The burden of genomic variants in coding/non-coding regions was applied as feature vectors in the deep learning algorithm. Our model showed ~65% accuracy in differentiating patients from controls. Ability to label patients with multiple disorders was similarly successful, with a hamming loss score less than 0.3, while exact diagnostic matches are around 10%. Genes in genomic regions with the highest weights showed enrichment of biological pathways involved in immune responses, antigen/nucleic acid binding, chemokine signaling pathway, and G-protein receptor activities. A noticeable fact is that variants in non-coding regions (e.g., ncRNA, intronic, and intergenic) performed equally well as variants in coding regions; however, unlike coding region variants, variants in non-coding regions do not express genomic hotspots whereas they carry much more narrow standard deviations, indicating they probably serve as alternative markers.

A genome-wide association meta-analysis identifies new eosinophilic esophagitis loci.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the esophagus marked by eosinophilic infiltration. Cumulative evidence indicates that the risk of EoE involves the complex interplay of both genetic and environmental factors. Because only a few genetic loci have been identified in EoE, the genetic underpinning of EoE remains largely elusive. OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify genetic loci associated with EoE. METHODS: Four EoE cohorts were genotyped using the Illumina single nucleotide polymorphism array platform, totaling 1,930 cases and 13,634 controls of European ancestry. Genotype imputation was performed with the Michigan Imputation Server using the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine reference panel including whole-genome sequencing data from more than 100,000 individuals. Meta-analysis was conducted to identify potential novel genetic loci associated with EoE. RESULTS: Our study identified 11 new genome-wide significant loci, of which 6 are common variant loci, including 5q31.1 (rs2106984, P = 4.16 × 10-8; odds ratio [OR], 1.26, RAD50), 15q22.2 (rs2279293, P = 1.23 × 10-10; OR, 0.69, RORA), and 15q23 (rs56062135, P = 2.91 × 10-11; OR, 1.29, SMAD3), which have been previously associated with allergic conditions. Interestingly, a low-frequency synonymous mutation within the MATN2 gene was identified as the most significant single nucleotide polymorphism at the 8q22.1 locus. We also identified 5 sex-specific loci in the EoE cases, including an inflammatory bowel disease-associated locus at 9p24.1 (rs62541556, P = 4.4 × 10-8; OR, 1.11, JAK2). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate shared genetic underpinnings between EoE and other immune-mediated diseases and provide novel candidate genes for therapeutic target identification and prioritization.

Allergic airway inflammation induces upregulation of the expression of IL-23R by macrophages and not in CD3 + T cells and CD11c+F4/80- dendritic cells of the lung.

Interleukin 23 and the interleukin 23 receptor (IL-23-IL23R) are described as the major enhancing factors for Interleukin 17 (IL-17) in allergic airway inflammation. IL-17 is considered to induce neutrophilic inflammation in the lung, which is often observed in severe, steroid-resistant asthma-phenotypes. For that reason, understanding of IL-23 and IL-17 axis is very important for future therapy strategies, targeting neutrophil pathway of bronchial asthma.This study aimed to investigate the distribution and expression of IL-23R under physiological and inflammatory conditions. Therefore, a house dust mite (HDM) model of allergic airway inflammation was performed by treating mice with HDM intranasally. Immunofluorescence staining with panel of antibodies was performed in lung tissues to examine the macrophage, dendritic cell, and T cell subpopulations. The allergic airway inflammation was quantified by histopathological analysis, ELISA measurements, and airway function.HDM-treated mice exhibited a significant allergic airway inflammation including higher amounts of NE+ cells in lung parenchyma. We found only a small amount of IL-23R positives, out of total CD3+T cells, and no upregulation in HDM-treated animals. In contrast, the populations of F4/80+ macrophages and CD11c+F4/80- dendritic cells (DCs) with IL-23R expression were found to be higher. But HDM treatment leads to a significant increase of IL-23R+ macrophages, only. IL-23R was expressed by every examined macrophage subpopulation, whereas only Mϕ1 and hybrids between Mϕ1 and Mϕ2 phenotype and not Mϕ2 were found to upregulate IL-23R. Co-localization of IL-23R and IL-17 was only observed in F4/80+ macrophages, suggesting F4/80+ macrophages express IL-23R along with IL-17 in lung tissue.The study revealed that macrophages involving the IL-23 and IL-17 pathway may provide a potential interesting therapeutic target in neutrophilic bronchial asthma.

Genetic analysis for type 1 diabetes genes in juvenile dermatomyositis unveils genetic disease overlap.

OBJECTIVES: JDM is a serious autoimmune and complex genetic disease. Another autoimmune genetic disease, type 1 diabetes (T1D), has been observed for significantly increased prevalence in families with JDM, while increased JDM risk has also been observed in T1D cases. This study aimed to study whether these two autoimmune diseases, JDM and T1D, share common genetic susceptibility. METHODS: From 169 JDM families, 121 unrelated cases with European ancestry (EA) were identified by genome-wide genotyping, principal component analysis and identical-by-descent (IBD) analysis. T1D genetic risk score (GRS) were calculated in these cases and were compared with 361 EA T1D cases and 1943 non-diabetes EA controls. A total of 113 cases of the 121 unrelated European cases were sequenced by whole exome sequencing. RESULTS: We observed increased T1D GRS in JDM cases (P = 9.42E-05). Using whole exome sequencing, we uncovered the T1D genes, phospholipase B1, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, tyrosine hydroxylase, CD6 molecule, perforin 1 and dynein axonemal heavy chain 2, potentially associated with JDM by the burden test of rare functional coding variants. CONCLUSION: Novel mechanisms of JDM related to these T1D genes are suggested by this study, which may imply novel therapeutic targets for JDM and warrant further study.

Burden of rare coding variants reveals genetic heterogeneity between obese and non-obese asthma patients in the African American population.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a complex condition largely attributed to the interactions among genes and environments as a heterogeneous phenotype. Obesity is significantly associated with asthma development, and genetic studies on obese vs. non-obese asthma are warranted. METHODS: To investigate asthma in the minority African American (AA) population with or without obesity, we performed a whole genome sequencing (WGS) study on blood-derived DNA of 4289 AA individuals, included 2226 asthma patients (1364 with obesity and 862 without obesity) and 2006 controls without asthma. The burden analysis of functional rare coding variants was performed by comparing asthma vs. controls and by stratified analysis of obese vs. non-obese asthma, respectively. RESULTS: Among the top 66 genes with P < 0.01 in the asthma vs. control analysis, stratified analysis by obesity showed inverse correlation of natural logarithm (LN) of P value between obese and non-obese asthma (r = - 0.757, P = 1.90E-13). Five genes previously reported in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on asthma, including TSLP, SLC9A4, PSMB8, IGSF5, and IKZF4 were demonstrated association in the asthma vs. control analysis. The associations of IKZF4 and IGSF5 are only associated with obese asthma; and the association of SLC9A4 is only observed in non-obese asthma. In addition, the association of RSPH3 (the gene is related to primary ciliary dyskinesia) is observed in non-obese asthma. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight genetic heterogeneity between obese and non-obese asthma in patients of AA ancestry.

Association of novel rare coding variants with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common type of arthritis among children, but a few studies have investigated the contribution of rare variants to JIA. In this study, we aimed to identify rare coding variants associated with JIA for the genome-wide landscape. METHODS: We established a rare variant calling and filtering pipeline and performed rare coding variant and gene-based association analyses on three RNA-seq datasets composed of 228 JIA patients in the Gene Expression Omnibus against different sets of controls, and further conducted replication in our whole-exome sequencing (WES) data of 56 JIA patients. Then we conducted differential gene expression analysis and assessed the impact of recurrent functional coding variants on gene expression and signalling pathway. RESULTS: By the RNA-seq data, we identified variants in two genes reported in literature as JIA causal variants, as well as additional 63 recurrent rare coding variants seen only in JIA patients. Among the 44 recurrent rare variants found in polyarticular patients, 10 were replicated by our WES of patients with the same JIA subtype. Several genes with recurrent functional rare coding variants have also common variants associated with autoimmune diseases. We observed immune pathways enriched for the genes with rare coding variants and differentially expressed genes. CONCLUSION: This study elucidated a novel landscape of recurrent rare coding variants in JIA patients and uncovered significant associations with JIA at the gene pathway level. The convergence of common variants and rare variants for autoimmune diseases is also highlighted in this study.

Increase of reactive oxygen species contributes to growth inhibition by fluconazole in Cryptococcus neoformans.

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcus neoformans, a basidiomycetous yeast, is a fungal pathogen that can colonize the lungs of humans causing pneumonia and fungal meningitis in severely immunocompromised individuals. Recent studies have implied that the antifungal drug fluconazole (FLC) can induce oxidative stress in C. neoformans by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as presence of the antioxidant ascorbic acid (AA) could reverse the inhibitory effects of FLC on C. neoformans. However, in Candida albicans, AA has been shown to stimulate the expression of genes essential for ergosterol biosynthesis. Hence, the contribution of ROS in FLC-mediated growth inhibition remains unclear. RESULTS: In order to determine whether counteracting ROS generated by FLC in C. neoformans can contribute to diminishing inhibitory effects of FLC, we tested three other antioxidants in addition to AA, namely, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), retinoic acid (RA), and glutathione (GSH). Our data confirm that there is an increase in ROS in the presence of FLC in C. neoformans. Importantly, all four antioxidants reversed FLC-mediated growth inhibition of C. neoformans to various extents. We further verified the involvement of increased ROS in FLC-mediated growth inhibition by determining that ROS-scavenging proteins, metallothioneins (CMT1 and CMT2), contribute to growth recovery by PDTC and AA during treatment with FLC. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that ROS contributes to FLC-mediated growth inhibition and points to a complex nature of antioxidant-mediated growth rescue in the presence of FLC.

Compartmentalized Regulation of Parkin-Mediated Mitochondrial Quality Control in the Drosophila Nervous System In Vivo.

UNLABELLED: In neurons, the normal distribution and selective removal of mitochondria are considered essential for maintaining the functions of the large asymmetric cell and its diverse compartments. Parkin, a E3 ubiquitin ligase associated with familial Parkinson's disease, has been implicated in mitochondrial dynamics and removal in cells including neurons. However, it is not clear how Parkin functions in mitochondrial turnover in vivo, or whether Parkin-dependent events of the mitochondrial life cycle occur in all neuronal compartments. Here, using the live Drosophila nervous system, we investigated the involvement of Parkin in mitochondrial dynamics, distribution, morphology, and removal. Contrary to our expectations, we found that Parkin-deficient animals do not accumulate senescent mitochondria in their motor axons or neuromuscular junctions; instead, they contain far fewer axonal mitochondria, and these displayed normal motility behavior, morphology, and metabolic state. However, the loss of Parkin did produce abnormal tubular and reticular mitochondria restricted to the motor cell bodies. In addition, in contrast to drug-treated, immortalized cells in vitro, mature motor neurons rarely displayed Parkin-dependent mitophagy. These data indicate that the cell body is the focus of Parkin-dependent mitochondrial quality control in neurons, and argue that a selection process allows only healthy mitochondria to pass from cell bodies to axons, perhaps to limit the impact of mitochondrial dysfunction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Parkin has been proposed to police mitochondrial fidelity by binding to dysfunctional mitochondria via PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog)-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) and targeting them for autophagic degradation. However, it is unknown whether and how the PINK1/Parkin pathway regulates the mitochondrial life cycle in neurons in vivo Using Drosophila motor neurons, we show that parkin disruption generates an abnormal mitochondrial network in cell bodies in vivo and reduces the number of axonal mitochondria without producing any defects in their axonal transport, morphology, or metabolic state. Furthermore, while cultured neurons display Parkin-dependent axonal mitophagy, we find this is vanishingly rare in vivo under normal physiological conditions. Thus, both the spatial distribution and mechanism of mitochondrial quality control in vivo differ substantially from those observed in vitro.

Loss-of-Function Mutations in KIF15 Underlying a Braddock-Carey Genocopy.

Braddock-Carey Syndrome (BCS) is characterized by microcephaly, congenital thrombocytopenia, Pierre-Robin sequence (PRS), and agenesis of the corpus callosum. BCS has been shown to be caused by a 21q22.11 microdeletion that encompasses multiple genes. Here, we report a BCS genocopy characterized by congenital thrombocytopenia and PRS that is caused by a loss-of-function mutation in KIF15 in a consanguineous Saudi Arabian family. Mutations of mitotic kinesins are a well-established cause of microcephaly. To our knowledge, KIF15 is the first kinesin to be associated with congenital thrombocytopenia.

Copy number variation in CEP57L1 predisposes to congenital absence of bilateral ACL and PCL ligaments.

BACKGROUND: Absence of the anterior (ACL) or posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) are rare congenital malformations that result in knee joint instability, with a prevalence of 1.7 per 100,000 live births and can be associated with other lower-limb abnormalities such as ACL agnesia and absence of the menisci of the knee. While a few cases of absence of ACL/PCL are reported in the literature, a number of large familial case series of related conditions such as ACL agnesia suggest a potential underlying monogenic etiology. We performed whole exome sequencing of a family with two individuals affected by ACL/PCL. RESULTS: We identified copy number variation (CNV) deletion impacting the exon sequences of CEP57L1, present in the affected mother and her affected daughter based on the exome sequencing data. The deletion was validated using quantitative PCR (qPCR), and the gene was confirmed to be expressed in ACL ligament tissue. Interestingly, we detected reduced expression of CEP57L1 in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) cells from the two patients in comparison with healthy controls. Evaluation of 3D protein structure showed that the helix-binding sites of the protein remain intact with the deletion, but other functional binding sites related to microtubule attachment are missing. The specificity of the CNV deletion was confirmed by showing that it was absent in ~700 exome sequencing samples as well as in the database of genomic variations (DGV), a database containing large numbers of annotated CNVs from previous scientific reports. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a novel CNV deletion that was inherited through an autosomal dominant transmission from an affected mother to her affected daughter, both of whom suffered from the absence of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments of the knees.

Use of Integrated Metabolic Maps as a Framework for Teaching Biochemical Pathways in the Pre-clinical Medical Curriculum.

Introduction: The Larner College of Medicine has steadily transitioned to primarily active learning-based instruction. Although evaluations praise session formats, students often highlight difficulties in synthesizing preparatory materials to integrate biochemical pathways. A student/faculty collaboration led to the development of interactive metabolic maps that illustrate pathways and link to a broader framework of metabolism. Methods: A review of the session materials identified relevant biochemical pathways, and for each pathway, we created a fillable visual diagram to highlight the interactions between all substrates, enzymes, and cofactors. Implementation of the metabolic maps began for first-year medical students in fall 2022. Evaluation data included standard student session evaluations (Likert scale and qualitative comments) and a survey specific to the metabolic maps. Results: After implementing the maps, student ratings of biochemistry/metabolism session materials significantly improved (3.2 ± 1.04 to 4.3 ± 0.87, p < 0.001), and students made positive comments about their effectiveness. Most students (77.8%) used the metabolic maps to aid in studying biochemistry content for exams and found the metabolic maps important for integrating information about metabolic pathways. The median performance on metabolism-specific questions was higher, although not statistically significant (69.23 to 77.28, ns). Discussion: The implementation of integrated metabolic maps improved student satisfaction of biochemistry/metabolism session materials. Limitations include confounding factors related to student population differences and other simultaneous curriculum changes. Implementing interactive visual aids to integrate metabolism pathways and concepts is applicable to any medical curriculum, and other longitudinal topics may benefit from this type of curricular framework. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-024-02073-1.

Identifying diversity of patient anatomy through automated image analysis of clinical ultrasounds.

PURPOSE: Central venous catheterization (CVC) carries inherent risks which can be mitigated through the use of appropriate ultrasound-guidance during needle insertion. This study aims to comprehensively understand patient anatomy as it is visualized during CVC by employing a semi-automated image analysis method to track the internal jugular vein and carotid artery throughout recorded ultrasound videos. METHODS: The ultrasound visualization of 50 CVC procedures were recorded at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The developed algorithm was used to detect the vessel edges, calculating metrics such as area, position, and eccentricity. RESULTS: Results show typical anatomical variations of the vein and artery, with the artery being more circular and posterior to the vein in most cases. Notably, two cases revealed atypical artery positions, emphasizing the algorithm's precision in detecting anomalies. Additionally, dynamic vessel properties were analyzed, with the vein compressing on average to 13.4% of its original size and the artery expanding by 13.2%. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable insights which can be used to increase the accuracy of training simulations, thus enhancing medical education and procedural expertise. Furthermore, the novel approach of employing automated data analysis techniques to clinical recordings showcases the potential for continual assessment of patient anatomy, which could be useful in future advancements.

Pediatric head and neck trauma in the United States: Trends, risk factors and outcomes using the National Trauma Data Bank.

Introduction: Pediatric head and neck (HN) trauma is an important contributor to pediatric morbidity, resulting in significant downstream consequences. Few studies provide epidemiological predictors of pediatric HN trauma on a national scale. The present study aims to identify risk factors of HN injury and mortality in the pediatric population. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted for patients (age <18 years) using the US National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB 2007-2019). Demographic, injury, and physiologic outcome data were analyzed. HN injury was defined as a head or neck Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) >0. Logistic regression identified independent predictors of mortality following HN trauma. Results: Of the 1.42 million pediatric patients analyzed, 44.05% had HN injury. In patients aged 0-4, the most common mechanism was falls (47.67% in this age group) while in ages 14-17, motor vehicle/transport accidents (MVTs) were the most common mechanism (56.06%). Controlling for demographics, comorbidities, and injury severity, HN injury was associated with increased odds of mortality (OR 2.404, 95% CI 1.530-3.778). HN injury mortality was strongly predicted by firearm exposure (OR 11.28, 95% CI 6.074-20.95), age <4 (OR 1.179, 95% CI 1.071-1.299), and self-insured status (OR 1.977, 95% CI 1.811-2.157). Conclusion: NTDB data demonstrate that the percentage of pediatric patients with HN trauma has decreased over the past 12 years although is associated with increased odds of mortality. Age and insurance status predicted mortality from HN trauma, with falls and MVTs being the most common mechanisms of injury. These data have implications for future public health efforts in this patient population. Level of Evidence: 3.

Effects of Preoperative Glucocorticoid Use on Patients Undergoing Single-Level Lumbar Fusions: A Retrospective Propensity Score-Matched Registry Study.

Objective Spinal fusions are gaining popularity as a means of treating spinal deformity and instability from a range of pathologies. The prevalence of glucocorticoid use has also increased in recent decades, and their systemic effects are well-documented. Although commonly used in the preoperative period, the effects of steroids on outcomes among patients undergoing spinal fusions are inadequately described. This study compares the odds of developing complications among patients who underwent single-level lumbar fusions with and without preoperative glucocorticoid use in hopes of establishing more evidence-based parameters for guiding preoperative steroid use. Methods The TriNetX multi-institutional electronic health record database was used to perform a retrospective, propensity score-matched analysis of clinical outcomes of two cohorts of patients who underwent posterior or posterolateral single-level lumbar fusions with and without interbody fusion, those who used glucocorticoids for at least one week within a year of fusion and those who did not. The outcomes of interest were examined within 30 days of the operation and included death, reoperation, deep or superficial surgical site infection (SSI), pneumonia, reintubation, ventilator dependence, tracheostomy, acute kidney injury (AKI), renal insufficiency, pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep venous thrombosis (DVT), urinary tract infection (UTI), emergency department (ED) visit, sepsis, and myocardial infarction (MI). Results The odds of developing pneumonia within 30 days of spinal fusion in the cohort that used glucocorticoids within one year of operation compared to the cohort without glucocorticoid use was 0.67 (p≤0.001, 95% CI: 0.59-0.69). The odds of requiring a tracheostomy within 30 days of spinal fusion in the cohort that used glucocorticoids within one year of operation compared to the cohort without glucocorticoid use was 0.39 (p≤0.001, 95% CI: 0.26-0.60). The odds of reoperation, deep and superficial SSI, and ED visits within 30 days of operation were significantly higher for the same glucocorticoid-receiving cohort, with odds ratios of 1.4 (p=0.003, 95% CI: 1.11-1.65), 1.86 (p≤0.001, 95% CI: 1.31-2.63), 2.28 (p≤0.001, 95% CI: 1.57-3.31), and 1.25 (p≤0.001, 95% CI: 1.17-1.33), respectively. After propensity score-matching, there was no significant difference between the odds of death, DVT, PE, MI, UTI, AKI, sepsis, reintubation, and ventilator dependence between the two cohorts. Conclusion In support of much of the current literature regarding preoperative glucocorticoid use and rates of complications, patients who underwent a single-level lumbar fusion and have used glucocorticoids for at least a week within a year of operation experienced significantly higher odds of reoperation, deep and superficial SSI, and ED visits. However, these patients using glucocorticoids were also found to have lower odds of developing pneumonia, renal insufficiency, and tracheostomy requirement than those who did not use steroids within a year of surgery.

GWAS reveals Genetic Susceptibility to Air Pollution-Related Asthma Exacerbations in Children of African Ancestry.

Background: The relationship between ambient air pollution (AAP) exposure and asthma exacerbations is well-established. However, mitigation efforts have yielded mixed results, potentially due to genetic variability in the response to AAP. We hypothesize that common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are linked to AAP sensitivity and test this through a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS). Methods: We selected a cohort of pediatric asthma patients frequently exposed to AAP. Patients experiencing exacerbations immediately following AAP spikes were deemed sensitive. A GWAS compared sensitive versus non-sensitive patients. Findings were validated using data from the All of Us program. Results: Our study included 6,023 pediatric asthma patients. Due to the association between AAP exposure and race, GWAS analysis was feasible only in the African ancestry cohort. Seven risk loci reached genome-wide significance, including four non-intergenic variants. Two variants were validated: rs111970601 associated with sensitivity to CO (odds ratio [OR], 6.58; PL=L1.63L×L10-8; 95% CI, 3.42-12.66) and rs9836522 to PM2.5 sensitivity (OR 0.75; PL=L3,87 ×L10-9; 95% CI, 0.62-0.91). Interpretation: While genetic variants have been previously linked to asthma incidence and AAP exposure, this study is the first to link specific SNPs with AAP-related asthma exacerbations. The identified variants implicate genes with a known role in asthma and established links to AAP. Future research should explore how clinical interventions interact with genetic risk to mitigate the effects of AAP, particularly to enhance health equity for vulnerable populations. What is already known on this topic: The relationship between ambient air pollution (AAP) exposure and asthma exacerbations is well-established. However, efforts to mitigate the impact of AAP on children with asthma have yielded mixed results, potentially due to genetic variability in response to AAP. What this study adds: Using publicly available AAP data, we identify which children with asthma experience exacerbations immediately following spikes in AAP. We then conduct a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) comparing these patients with those who have no temporal association between AAP spikes and asthma exacerbations, identifying several Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with AAP sensitivity. How this study might affect research practice or policy: While genetic variants have previously been linked to asthma incidence and AAP exposure, this study is the first to link specific SNPs with AAP-related asthma exacerbations. This creates a framework for identifying children especially at risk when exposed to AAP. These children should be targeted with policy interventions to reduce exposure and may require specific treatments to mitigate the effects of ongoing AAP exposure in the interim.

Salivary immune responses after COVID-19 vaccination.

mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines have played a critical role in reducing severe outcomes of COVID-19. Humoral immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination have been extensively studied in blood; however, limited information is available on the presence and duration of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies in saliva and other mucosal fluids. Saliva offers a non-invasive sampling method that may also provide a better understanding of mucosal immunity at sites where the virus enters the body. Our objective was to evaluate the salivary immune response after vaccination with the COVID-19 Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine. Two hundred three staff members of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were enrolled prior to receiving their first dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine. Participants were asked to self-collect 6 saliva specimens at days 0 (prior to first dose), 14, 28 (prior to second dose), 42, and 56 using a SalivaBio saliva collection device. Saliva specimens were tested for anti-spike protein SARS-CoV-2 specific IgA and IgG enzyme immunoassays. Overall, SARS-CoV-2-specific salivary IgA titers peaked 2 weeks after each vaccine dose, followed by a sharp decrease during the following weeks. In contrast to IgA titers, IgG antibody titers increased substantially 2 weeks after the first vaccine dose, peaked 2 weeks after the second dose and persisted at an elevated level until at least 8 weeks after the first vaccine dose. Additionally, no significant differences in IgA/IgG titers were observed based on age, sex, or race/ethnicity. All participants mounted salivary IgA and IgG immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 after receiving the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine. Because of the limited follow-up time for this study, more data are needed to assess the antibody levels beyond 2 months after the first dose. Our results confirm the potential utility of saliva in assessing immune responses elicited by immunization and possibly by infection.