Sequence variant affects GCSAML splicing, mast cell specific proteins, and risk of urticaria.

Urticaria is a skin disorder characterized by outbreaks of raised pruritic wheals. In order to identify sequence variants associated with urticaria, we performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for urticaria with a total of 40,694 cases and 1,230,001 controls from Iceland, the UK, Finland, and Japan. We also performed transcriptome- and proteome-wide analyses in Iceland and the UK.

Large-scale integration of the plasma proteome with genetics and disease.

The plasma proteome can help bridge the gap between the genome and diseases. Here we describe genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of plasma protein levels measured with 4,907 aptamers in 35,559 Icelanders. We found 18,084 associations between sequence variants and levels of proteins in plasma (protein quantitative trait loci; pQTL), of which 19% were with rare variants (minor allele frequency (MAF) < 1%).

FLT3 stop mutation increases FLT3 ligand level and risk of autoimmune thyroid disease.

Autoimmune thyroid disease is the most common autoimmune disease and is highly heritable. Here, by using a genome-wide association study of 30,234 cases and 725,172 controls from Iceland and the UK Biobank, we find 99 sequence variants at 93 loci, of which 84 variants are previously unreported. A low-frequency (1.

Driving biology: The effect of standardized wound management on wound biomarker profiles.

Background: The timing of coverage of an open wound is based on heavily on clinical gestalt. DoD's Surgical Critical Care Initiative created a clinical decision support tool that predicts wound closure success using clinical and biomarker data. The military uses a regimented protocol consisting of serial washouts and debridements.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may affect cytokine response and benefit healing of combat-related extremity wounds.

Background: After adequate operative debridement and antimicrobial therapies, combat-related extremity wounds that either heal or fail are both associated with a distinct inflammatory response. Short-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in postoperative pain management may affect this response and, by consequence, the healing potential of these wounds. We investigated whether patients treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs had a distinct inflammatory response; different rates of critical colonization, defined as >10 colony forming units on quantitative bacteriology; and healing potential.

Dysphagia Management and Research in an Acute-Care Military Treatment Facility: The Role of Applied Informatics.

Purpose: This report describes the development and preliminary analysis of a database for traumatically injured military service members with dysphagia.

Methods: A multidimensional database was developed to capture clinical variables related to swallowing. Data were derived from clinical records and instrumental swallow studies, and ranged from demographics, injury characteristics, swallowing biomechanics, medications, and standardized tools (e.