Multi-omics analysis of the cervical epithelial integrity of women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate.

Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is an injectable hormonal contraceptive used by millions of women worldwide. However, experimental studies have associated DMPA use with genital epithelial barrier disruption and mucosal influx of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) target cells. We explored the underlying molecular mechanisms of these findings.

HIV-Exposed Seronegative Sex Workers Express Low T-Cell Activation and an Intact Ectocervical Tissue Microenvironment.

Immunological correlates of natural resistance to HIV have been identified in HIV-exposed seronegative (HESN) individuals and include a low-inflammatory genital mucosal status. The cervicovaginal epithelium has not been studied for such correlates despite constituting an important barrier against sexual HIV transmission. To fill this gap in knowledge, we collected samples of blood, cervical mononuclear cells, cervicovaginal lavage, and ectocervical tissue from Kenyan HESN sex workers (n = 29) and controls (n = 33).

Non-traditional factors affecting referral for coronary angiography following SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging.

Background: The use of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in the management of coronary artery disease (CAD) is well established. Although prior studies have shown disparities in the use of invasive angiography in patients with acute MI, data on factors affecting referral to angiography post-MPI are lacking. We sought to evaluate the primary determinants of referral to invasive angiography post-MPI and specifically assess the role of non-traditional non-clinical factors such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, insurance status, and marital status.

Regular Use of Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Causes Thinning of the Superficial Lining and Apical Distribution of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Target Cells in the Human Ectocervix.

Background: The hormonal contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) may be associated with an increased risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We hypothesize that DMPA use influences the ectocervical tissue architecture and HIV target cell localization.

Methods: Quantitative image analysis workflows were developed to assess ectocervical tissue samples collected from DMPA users and control subjects not using hormonal contraception.

Female urethral avulsion and bladder neck closure: What now? Trigonal tubularization with placement of an artificial urinary sphincter.

Bladder neck closure after severe polytrauma with an absent urethra poses a huge challenge for a young woman wanting to urinate normally. Considerations are reconstruction of a neourethra and operative means to gain continence. We describe a case of trigonal tubularization to function as a neourethra, together with the implantation of an artificial urinary sphincter.

Correction to: Risk stratification with vasodilator stress SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with elevated cardiac biomarkers.

The following error (highlighted in bold below) appears in the Results section of the Abstract: A total of 503 patients were followed for an average of 33.6 ± 16.2 months, with a mean age of 69.

Risk stratification with vasodilator stress SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with elevated cardiac biomarkers.

Background: Although the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic utility of vasodilator stress MPI have been well established in the non-acute setting, the efficacy of all of the vasodilator stressors in risk stratifying post-MI patients as well as the evaluation of cardiac troponin elevation of unclear etiology is not established. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic efficacy of vasodilator stress MPI in the setting of elevated cardiac troponin to accurately risk stratify these higher-risk patients.

Methods: All patients from two tertiary centers, from 1/1/2010 through 12/31/2012, with elevated cardiac biomarkers within < 7 days and undergoing stress SPECT MPI testing were studied.

Human Blood and Tonsil Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Display Similar Gene Expression Profiles but Exhibit Differential Type I IFN Responses to Influenza A Virus Infection.

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection constitutes an annual health burden across the globe. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs) are central in antiviral defense because of their superior capacity to produce type I IFNs in response to viruses. Dendritic cells (DCs) differ depending on their anatomical location.

Trismus in patients with head and neck cancer and 5-year overall survival.

Background: Trismus is a common complication of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer but its impact on survival is unknown.

Aims/objectives: This prospective study evaluates the incidence of trismus in patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy and the impact of trismus on 5-year overall survival.

Material And Methods: Two hundred forty-four patients with head and neck cancer were included.

Coronary risk equivalence of diabetes assessed by SPECT-MPI.

Background: Several publications and guidelines designate diabetes mellitus (DM) as a coronary artery disease (CAD) risk equivalent. The aim of this investigation was to examine DM cardiac risk equivalence from the perspective of stress SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI).

Methods And Results: We examined cardiovascular outcomes (cardiac death or nonfatal MI) of 17,499 patients referred for stress SPECT-MPI.

Human papillomavirus prevalence in mouthwashes of patients undergoing tonsillectomy shows dominance of HPV69, without the corresponding finding in the tonsils.

Background: The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in tonsillar squamous cell carcinomas (TSCC) is of interest, since a considerable proportion of TSCC in Sweden and other Western countries is HPV positive. Nevertheless, the natural history of HPV in normal tonsils, and the progression from localized infection to pre-malignant lesion to cancer are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether HPV types found in mouthwash samples correlated to those in tonsillar tissue from the same individuals undergoing tonsillectomy.

Triage of patients for attenuation-corrected stress-first Tc-99m SPECT MPI using a simplified clinical pre-test scoring model.

Background: Stress-only Tc-99m SPECT MPI saves time and reduces radiation exposure while a normal study has a benign prognosis. However, no guidelines exist as to which patients should undergo stress-first MPI. The purpose of this study was to validate a previously published pre-test prediction scoring model and refine the stress-first triage process further if possible.

An assessment of the safety, hemodynamic response, and diagnostic accuracy of commonly used vasodilator stressors in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Background: Increasing numbers of patients are undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, which often involves assessment of coronary artery disease ischemic burden. The safety and diagnostic accuracy of vasodilator stress agents in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has not been established.

Methods: Patients with severe AS (valve area <1 cm) on echocardiography who underwent vasodilator stress SPECT MPI at two centers were identified.

Safety of vasodilator stress myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with elevated cardiac biomarkers.

Background: While adenosine and dipyridamole as myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) stress agents have literature supporting their safety in the setting of myocardial infarction (MI), regadenoson does not. Studying a high risk cohort of patients with elevated cardiac biomarkers may shed light on potential safety issues of these agents which might also affect lower risk cohorts.

Methods: All patients who had undergone a clinically indicated stress MPI study at two academic centers from 1/1/2010 through 12/31/2012 with elevated troponin ≤7 days prior to testing were included.

Multicenter evaluation of stress-first myocardial perfusion image triage by nuclear technologists and automated quantification.

Background: A stress-first myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) protocol saves time, is cost effective, and decreases radiation exposure. A limitation of this protocol is the requirement for physician review of the stress images to determine the need for rest images. This hurdle could be eliminated if an experienced technologist and/or automated computer quantification could make this determination.

Temporal trends of stress myocardial perfusion imaging: Influence of diabetes, gender and coronary artery disease status.

Introduction: Temporal trends of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) among diabetics and non-diabetics and the influence of gender and prior coronary artery disease (CAD) status has not been previously investigated.

Materials And Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent clinically indicated stress-MPI over a 17-year period (1996 through 2012) were studied. Data were collected prospectively as a part of the ongoing clinical databases.

A multi-center assessment of the temporal trends in myocardial perfusion imaging.

Background: Recent literature suggests that the frequency of abnormal SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has decreased over the past two decades despite an increase in the prevalence of many cardiac risk factors. This study examined the trends in the prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) by abnormal and ischemic MPI and invasive angiography.

Methods: We analyzed all patients who underwent stress MPI or invasive angiography at two academic centers between January 1996 and December 2012, for their demographic data and study results.

Does risk for major adverse cardiac events in patients undergoing vasodilator stress with adjunctive exercise differ from patients undergoing either standard exercise or vasodilator stress with myocardial perfusion imaging?

Background: In patients with functional limitations, the use of adjunctive exercise with vasodilator stress has advantages over vasodilator stress alone in single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) for technical reasons and with regards to more effective cardiac risk stratification. Whether patients who undergo vasodilator with adjunctive exercise stress MPI possess clinical characteristics and cardiac risk that differs from those who undergo standard exercise or vasodilator stress MPI is unknown.

Methods: Prospectively collected data on 19,367 consecutive patients referred for stress MPI to a tertiary care center (9,331 [48%] underwent exercise-only, 3,793 [20%] underwent vasodilator plus exercise, and 6,243 [32%] underwent vasodilator-only) were analyzed.

Relationship between quantitative cardiac neuronal imaging with ¹²³I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine and hospitalization in patients with heart failure.

Purpose: Hospitalization in patients with systolic heart failure is associated with morbidity, mortality, and cost. Myocardial sympathetic innervation, imaged by (123)I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine ((123)I-mIBG), has been associated with cardiac events in a recent multicenter study. The present analysis explored the relationship between (123)I-mIBG imaging findings and hospitalization.

Risk stratification using line source attenuation correction with rest/stress Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging.

Background: Although line source attenuation correction (AC) in SPECT MPI studies improves diagnostic accuracy, its prognostic value is less understood.

Methods: Consecutive patients (n = 6,513) who underwent rest/stress AC ECG-gated SPECT MPI were followed for cardiac death or non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI). A 17-segment model and AC summed stress score (SSS) were used to classify images.

A strategy of symptom-limited exercise with regadenoson-as-needed for stress myocardial perfusion imaging: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Ambulatory patients with uncertain functional capacity may benefit from combined exercise and vasodilator stress protocols for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The safety and MPI image quality with regadenoson administered during symptom-limited exercise have not been prospectively evaluated.

Methods And Results: A total of 140 patients (mean age 61 years, 48% female) referred for exercise with vasodilator stress MPI were randomized 2:1 to a strategy of exercise with regadenoson-as-necessary (Ex-Reg, n = 96) or dipyridamole with exercise (Dip-Ex, n = 44) after Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) scoring (median score 28 vs 24, P = .

Clinical value of stress-only Tc-99m SPECT imaging: importance of attenuation correction.

Background: In selected patients, stress-only SPECT imaging has been proposed as an alternative to rest-stress SPECT imaging to improve laboratory efficiency and reduce radiation exposure. The impact of attenuation correction (AC) upon interpretation, post-test patient management and cardiac risk stratification in relation to stress-only imaging is not well understood.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical value for laboratory throughput and predicting outcomes of normal and abnormal stress-only SPECT imaging with AC in a consecutive series of clinically referred patients.

The clinical value of single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging in cardiac risk stratification of very elderly patients (≥80 years) with suspected coronary artery disease.

Background: The role of single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT MPI) in cardiac evaluation of the very elderly patients is unclear. We investigated the clinical value of SPECT MPI in very elderly patients (≥80 years) with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) as well as in comparison to younger patients.

Methods And Results: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 8,864 patients [1,093 patients ≥80 years (very elderly), 3,369 patients 65-79 years (elderly), and 4,402 patients 50-64 years (middle-aged)] with suspected CAD who underwent exercise and/or pharmacologic stress testing with SPECT MPI between 1996 and 2005 was performed.

Electrocardiographic changes during vasodilator SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging: does it affect diagnosis or prognosis?

Background: Significance of electrocardiographic (ECG) changes during vasodilator stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is controversial. We examined the diagnostic and prognostic significance of ECG changes during vasodilator single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) MPI.

Methods: We studied consecutive patients who underwent vasodilator SPECT MPI from 1995 to 2009.

Usefulness of stress gated technetium-99m single photon emission computed tomographic myocardial perfusion imaging for the prediction of cardiac death in patients with moderate to severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction and suspected coronary artery disease.

Although stress gated technetium-99m single-photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is useful in differentiating ischemic from nonischemic cardiomyopathy, its prognostic usefulness in this patient population is not well understood. Consecutive unique patients with suspected coronary artery disease who, for clinical indications, underwent technetium-99m rest and stress MPI demonstrating ejection fractions ≤40% by gated SPECT imaging were retrospectively identified. In addition to prescan variables, previously defined cutoffs for gated SPECT parameters using visual and standard 17-segment semiquantitative scoring were applied and related to the occurrence of cardiac death up to 5 years after MPI.