The Microbiome in Mental Health: Potential Contribution of Gut Microbiota in Disease and Pharmacotherapy Management

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115979/1/phar1640.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115979/2/phar1640_am.pd

Cardiovascular Pharmacogenomics and Cognitive Function in Patients with Schizophrenia

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138379/1/phar1968_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138379/2/phar1968.pd

A combined biomarker and clinical panel for chronic graft versus host disease diagnosis.

Whilst many chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) biomarkers have been previously reported, few have been verified in an independent cGVHD cohort. We aimed to verify the diagnostic accuracy of previously reported markers of cGVHD in a multi-centre Chronic GVHD Consortium. A total of 42 RNA and 18 protein candidate biomarkers were assessed amongst 59 cGVHD cases and 33 matched non-GVHD controls. Total RNA was isolated from PBMC, and RNA markers were quantified using PCR. Serum protein markers were quantified using ELISA. A combined 3 RNA biomarker (IRS2, PLEKHF1 and IL1R2) and 2 clinical variables (recipient CMV serostatus and conditioning regimen intensity) panel accurately (AUC 0.81) segregated cGVHD cases from controls. Other studied RNA and protein markers were not confirmed as accurate cGVHD diagnostic biomarkers. The studied markers failed to segregate higher risk cGVHD (per overall NIH 0-3 score, and overlap versus classic cGVHD status). These data support the need for multiple independent verification studies for the ultimate clinical application of cGVHD diagnostic biomarkers

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in pediatric patients: Uncovering a rural health challenge

BACKGROUND: METHODS: To investigate factors influencing RESULTS: Of 251 patients, 69 (27%) were from rural areas; 28 (11%) were initially admitted to an OSH. Treatment failure occurred in 39 (16%) patients. Patients from rural areas were more likely to be infected with methicillin-resistant CONCLUSIONS: Children from rural areas face barriers to specialized health care. These challenges may contribute to severe illness and worse outcomes among children wit

Association of Plasma CD163 Concentration with De Novo–Onset Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is the leading cause of long-term morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. To identify prognostic plasma proteins associated with de novo– or quiescent-onset chronic GVHD (cGVHD), we performed a discovery and validation proteomic study. The total study cohort included 167 consecutive patients who had no clinical evidence of GVHD under minimum glucocorticoid administration and had available plasma samples obtained at 80 ± 14 days after transplantation. We first used high-throughput mass spectrometry to screen pooled plasma using 20 cases with subsequent cGVHD and 20 controls without it, and we identified 20 candidate proteins. We then measured 12 of the 20 candidate proteins by ELISA on the same individual samples and identified 4 proteins for further verification (LGALS3BP, CD5L, CD163, and TXN for de novo onset, and LGALS3BP and CD5L for quiescent onset). The verification cohort included 127 remaining patients. The cumulative incidence of de novo–onset cGVHD was higher in patients with higher plasma soluble CD163 concentrations at day 80 than those with lower concentrations (75% versus 40%, P = .018). The cumulative incidence of de novo– or quiescent-onset cGVHD did not differ statistically according to concentrations of the 3 other proteins at day 80. CD163 is a macrophage scavenger receptor and is elevated in oxidative conditions. These results suggest that monocyte or macrophage activation or increased oxidative stress may contribute to the pathogenesis of cGVHD

The evolution of azole resistance in Candida albicans sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) through incremental amino acid substitutions

Recombinant Candida albicans CYP51 (CaCYP51) proteins containing 23 single and 5 double amino acid substitutions found in clinical strains and the wild-type enzyme were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by Ni2+-nitrilotriacetic acid agarose chromatography. Catalytic tolerance to azole antifungals was assessed by determination of the concentration causing 50% enzyme inhibition (IC50) using CYP51 reconstitution assays. The greatest increase in the IC50 compared to that of the wild-type enzyme was observed with the five double substitutions Y132F+K143R (15.3-fold), Y132H+K143R (22.1-fold), Y132F+F145L (10.1-fold), G307S+G450E (13-fold), and D278N+G464S (3.3-fold). The single substitutions K143R, D278N, S279F, S405F, G448E, and G450E conferred at least 2-fold increases in the fluconazole IC50, and the Y132F, F145L, Y257H, Y447H, V456I, G464S, R467K, and I471T substitutions conferred increased residual CYP51 activity at high fluconazole concentrations. In vitro testing of select CaCYP51 mutations in C. albicans showed that the Y132F, Y132H, K143R, F145L, S405F, G448E, G450E, G464S, Y132F+K143R, Y132F+F145L, and D278N+G464S substitutions conferred at least a 2-fold increase in the fluconazole MIC. The catalytic tolerance of the purified proteins to voriconazole, itraconazole, and posaconazole was far lower and limited to increased residual activities at high triazole concentrations for certain mutations rather than large increases in IC50 values. Itraconazole was the most effective at inhibiting CaCYP51. However, when tested against CaCYP51 mutant strains, posaconazole seemed to be the most resistant to changes in MIC as a result of CYP51 mutation compared to itraconazole, voriconazole, or fluconazole

A Randomized Phase II Crossover Study of Imatinib or Rituximab for Cutaneous Sclerosis after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Cutaneous sclerosis (CS) occurs in 20% of patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and can compromise mobility and quality of life

Biomarker Panel for Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

PURPOSE: To identify diagnostic and prognostic markers of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), the major cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using a quantitative proteomics approach, we compared pooled plasma samples obtained at matched time points after HCT (median, 103 days) from 35 patients with cGVHD and 18 without cGVHD (data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD002762). Of 105 proteins showing at least a 1.25-fold difference in expression, 22 were selected on the basis of involvement in relevant pathways and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay availability. Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 9 (CXCL9) and suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) also were measured on the basis of previously determined associations with GVHD. Concentrations of the four lead biomarkers were measured at or after diagnosis in plasma from two independent verification cohorts (n = 391) to determine their association with cGVHD. Their prognostic ability when measured at approximately day +100 after HCT was evaluated in plasma of a second verification cohort (n = 172). RESULTS: Of 24 proteins measured in the first verification cohort, nine proteins were associated with cGVHD, and only four (ST2, CXCL9, matrix metalloproteinase 3, and osteopontin) were necessary to compose a four-biomarker panel with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.89 and significant correlation with cGVHD diagnosis, cGVHD severity, and nonrelapse mortality. In a second verification cohort, this panel distinguished patients with cGVHD (AUC, 0.75), and finally, the panel measured at day +100 could predict cGVHD occurring within the next 3 months with an AUC of 0.67 and 0.79 without and with known clinical risk factors, respectively. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the biomarker panel measured at diagnosis or day +100 after HCT may allow patient stratification according to risk of cGVHD