Publications by authors named "Eric Dean Merrill"
Immunity to commensal skin fungi promotes psoriasiform skin inflammation.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
July 2020
Article Synopsis
- The immune system is always prepared to recognize and respond to the microbiota, which includes a preexisting pool of T cells specific to these microorganisms, even before any inflammatory trigger occurs.
- In a study using a psoriasis model, exposure to certain commensal skin fungi was found to worsen tissue inflammation due to pre-formed T cell responses.
- The increased inflammation linked to fungal exposure involves specific immune mechanisms (Th17 responses and neutrophil traps) and shares similarities with the gene expression patterns seen in human psoriasis-affected skin.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and the atherosclerotic process begins in childhood. Prevention or containment of risk factors that accelerate atherosclerosis can delay the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Although current recommendations are to periodically screen for commonly prevailing risk factors for atherosclerosis in children, a single test that could quantify the cumulative effect of all risk factors on the vasculature, thus assessing arterial health, would be helpful in further stratifying risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties, and deficiency is prevalent in children. There is a paucity of data regarding vitamin D status and its correlation with low-grade inflammation and vasculature. We prospectively enrolled 25 children, 9-11 years old (13 male); 21 obese.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation remains the mainstay of mechanical circulatory support initiation and maintenance in children with cardiac insufficiency. However, the outcomes after prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for cardiac insufficiency in children remain ill defined.
Methods: We reviewed the International Extracorporeal Life Support Organization data from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2011.