Publications by authors named "D Brinkley"

Background: Predicted heart mass ratio (PHMr) has become the standard donor-recipient size matching method in heart transplantation. While utilization of small PHMr hearts is associated with increased one-year mortality, the underlying mechanisms and time horizon of mortality remain uncertain.

Methods: A single institution analysis of isolated heart transplant recipients (01/2019-7/2022) was performed (N=334).

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Introduction: Each year the number of combined heart-liver transplants (HLT) increases, with two distinct patient populations proceeding down this pathway. The first are patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), most commonly single ventricle patients palliated with Fontan. The second group are those with long standing congestive hepatopathy, amyloidosis, hemochromatosis, or alcohol induced myopathies and liver disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzed the role of biomarkers NT-proBNP and hs-cTnI in managing obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) and how they relate to treatment effects of aficamten.
  • Baseline levels of NT-proBNP correlated with the left ventricular outflow tract gradient (LVOT-G) and diastolic function, while hs-cTnI correlated with left ventricular thickness.
  • After 8 weeks of aficamten treatment, NT-proBNP decreased by 79% and hs-cTnI by 41%, with these reductions linked to improvements in heart function, health status, and exercise capacity, suggesting that these biomarkers are useful for tracking treatment response.
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Pathogenic species within the genus are transmitted to humans through arthropod vectors and cause a spectrum of diseases ranging from mild to life-threatening. Despite rickettsiae posing an emerging global health risk, the genetic requirements of their infectious life cycles remain poorly understood. A major hurdle toward building this understanding has been the lack of efficient tools for genetic manipulation, owing to the technical difficulties associated with their obligate intracellular nature.

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The final step in Notch signaling activation is the transmembrane cleavage of Notch receptor by γ secretase. Thus far, genetic and biochemical evidence indicates that four subunits are essential for γ secretase activity in vivo: presenilin (the catalytic core), APH-1, PEN-2, and APH-2/nicastrin. Although some γ secretase activity has been detected in APH-2/nicastrin-deficient mammalian cell lines, the lack of biological relevance for this activity has left the quaternary γ secretase model unchallenged.

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