Pre- and Post-Immigration Correlates of Alcohol Misuse among Young Adult Recent Latino Immigrants: An Ecodevelopmental Approach

Latinos in the United States experience numerous alcohol-related health disparities. There is accumulating evidence that pre-immigration factors are associated with post-immigration alcohol use, but the explanation for health disparities remains unclear. The present study is a secondary analysis of data from the Recent Latino Immigrant Study (RLIS), the first community-based cohort study to examine the pre- to post-immigration alcohol use trajectories of young adult Latino immigrants during their initial years in the United States. Exploratory analysis and hierarchical multiple logistic regression were performed to assess associations between various pre- and post-immigration factors and alcohol misuse among young adult Latino immigrants early in the immigration process. Using an ecodevelopmental approach, we examined potential social and environmental determinants across multiple levels of influence associated with post-immigration alcohol misuse in this population. The study sample consisted of 474 young adult Latino immigrants between the ages of 18–34. The sample was comprised of the following national/regional origins: Cuban (43%), South American (28.7%), and Central American (28.3%). Approximately half of the sample (49.6%) reported a family history of substance use problems (FHSUP+). Participants who reported FHSUP+ and who engaged in alcohol misuse prior to immigrating to the US were more likely to engage in post-immigration alcohol misuse. Results revealed various social and environmental factors associated with pre-immigration alcohol misuse in this population. Study findings can inform culturally tailored prevention interventions aimed at mitigating problem drinking behaviors among young adult recent Latino immigrants

Ischemia and reperfusion injury in superficial inferior epigastric artery-based vascularized lymph node flaps.

Vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) is a promising treatment modality for lymphedema; however, how lymphatic tissue responds to ischemia has not been well defined. This study investigates the cellular changes that occur in lymph nodes in response to ischemia and reperfusion. Lymph node containing superficial epigastric artery-based groin flaps were isolated in Prox-1 EGFP rats which permits real time identification of lymphatic tissue by green fluorescence during flap dissection. Flaps were subjected to ischemia for either 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours, by temporarily occluding the vascular pedicle. Flaps were harvested after 0 hours, 24 hours, or 5 days of reperfusion. Using EGFP signal guidance, lymph nodes were isolated from the flaps and tissue morphology, cell apoptosis, and inflammatory cytokines were quantified and analyzed via histology, immunostaining, and rtPCR. There was a significant increase in collagen deposition and tissue fibrosis in lymph nodes after 4 and 8 hours of ischemia compared to 1 and 2 hours, as assessed by picrosirius red staining. Cell apoptosis significantly increased after 4 hours of ischemia in all harvest times. In tissue subject to 4 hours of ischemia, longer reperfusion periods were associated with increased rates of CD3+ and CD45+ cell apoptosis. rtPCR analysis demonstrated significantly increased expression of CXCL1/GRO-α with 2 hours of ischemia and increased PECAM-1 and TNF-α expression with 1 hour of ischemia. Significant cell death and changes in tissue morphology do not occur until after 4 hours of ischemia; however, analysis of inflammatory biomarkers suggests that ischemia reperfusion injury can occur with as little as 2 hours of ischemia