Publications by authors named "Gary Myers"

Background: Studies investigating associations between prenatal polyunsaturated fatty acid status (PUFAs), in particular the anti-inflammatory n-3 PUFAs, and the development of childhood asthma have yielded conflicting results.

Objective: To determine the associations between maternal fish intake (a rich source of the n-3 PUFAs), maternal or cord PUFAs with the prevalence of childhood asthma in a high fish-eating population.

Methods: We examined these associations between fish intake and PUFA concentrations with childhood asthma prevalence in the Seychelles Child Development Study Nutrition Cohort 2, a large observational study in a high fish-eating population.

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Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) recipients are susceptible to viral infections. We conducted a phase 2 trial evaluating the safety and rate of clinically significant infections (CSIs; viremia requiring treatment or end-organ disease) after infusion of posoleucel, a partially HLA-matched, allogeneic, off-the-shelf, multivirus-specific T-cell investigational product for preventing CSIs with adenovirus, BK virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus-6, or JC virus. This open-label trial enrolled allo-HCT recipients at high risk based on receiving grafts from umbilical cord blood, haploidentical, mismatched, or matched unrelated donors; post-HCT lymphocytes of <180/mm3; or use of T-cell depletion.

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Some health agencies have issued precautionary principle fish advisories to pregnant women based on the presence of methylmercury (MeHg) in fish that could possibly be harmful to the developing fetus. Fish, however, is a rich source of selenium (Se) and other nutrients essential for normal brain development. Selenium is also thought to have a key role in alleviating MeHg toxicity.

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The insidious and deadly nature of mercury's organometallic compounds is informed by two large scale poisonings due to industrial mercury pollution that occurred decades ago in Minamata and Niigata, Japan. The present study examined chemical speciation for both mercury and selenium in a historic umbilical cord sample from a child born to a mother who lived near the Agano River in Niigata. The mother had experienced mercury exposure leading to more than 50 ppm mercury measured in her hair and was symptomatic 9 years prior to the birth.

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Article Synopsis
  • In 2021, the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) conducted a study to enhance the understanding of immunity against SARS-CoV-2 amid the pandemic.
  • The study involved survey responses from 975 individuals and blood samples from 698 of them, showcasing a significant level of participation.
  • The paper details the design, implementation, and valuable insights gained from conducting this extensive scientific investigation.
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  • The study investigates the use of mediports for administering CAR T cell therapy in patients with B-cell malignancies, aiming to establish standardized practices in this area due to previous concerns about effectiveness and safety.
  • Data was collected from 34 medical centers, analyzing 504 CAR T cell infusions, making it one of the largest reports on this topic since CAR T cell commercialization began in 2017.
  • Results showed that 85% of centers accepted mediports as standard practice, with no incidents of CAR T cell infiltration reported among the 184 patients infused via mediports, supporting their safe use in clinical settings.
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Background: Tisagenlecleucel was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 for refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and B-ALL in ≥2nd relapse. Outcomes of patients receiving commercial tisagenlecleucel upon 1st relapse have yet to be established. We aimed to report real-world tisagenlecleucel utilisation patterns and outcomes across indications, specifically including patients treated in 1st relapse, an indication omitted from formal FDA approval.

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In 2001 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued precautionary advice to pregnant women to limit fish consumption over concern that the methylmercury content might harm their children's neurodevelopment.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effects of postnatal methylmercury (MeHg) exposure from fish consumption on the neurodevelopment of 7-year-old children, as part of the Seychelles Child Development Study.
  • No significant associations were found between low-level postnatal MeHg exposure and 17 different neurodevelopmental outcomes after adjusting for various factors, including prenatal exposure.
  • The results align with earlier findings from the main study cohort, suggesting further follow-up with the NC2 cohort is necessary for confirmation.
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Fish is an important source of nutrients, particularly the long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). The incorporation of fish into the diet has been shown to have several health benefits, including lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Elevated plasma lipids are one of the main modifiable risk factors contributing to CVD and may be partly mediated by n-3 PUFAs.

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In situ methods are valuable in all fields of research. In toxicology, the importance of dose is well known, elevating the need for in situ techniques to measure levels of toxicants and their byproducts in precise anatomically identifiable locations. More recently, additional emphasis has been placed on the value of techniques which can detect chemical form or speciation, which is equally important in the toxicology of a chemical compound.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study analyzed mercury and selenium levels in fish commonly eaten in Seychelles and compared them to fish in the US, finding similar concentrations of both elements.
  • - Measurements showed that average mercury levels varied across species, with a mean of 0.21 ppm, while selenium levels averaged 0.54 ppm, with all species showing favorable Se:Hg ratios.
  • - Results indicated that fish weight was a strong predictor of mercury levels and selenium ratios, suggesting that the Seychellois population, which consumes more fish, is a good group for future research on low dose mercury exposure effects.
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Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for normal neurodevelopment. It is incorporated into multiple selenoenzymes which have roles in the brain and neurological function, the synthesis of thyroid hormones, the antioxidant defense system, DNA synthesis, and reproduction. Fish is a source of both Se and neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg).

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Background: High concentrations of taurine are present in the developing human brain and maternal breast milk. Taurine is thought to influence fetal growth and brain development based on experimental rodent studies. As fish is an important dietary source of taurine, we investigated associations between taurine concentrations and child outcomes in a high fish consuming population.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the impact of maternal fish consumption on child neurodevelopment using data from the Seychelles Child Development Study, where moms recorded their fish intake through 4-day food diaries.
  • It involved assessing children's neurodevelopment at ages 9 months, 30 months, 5 years, and 9 years across various cognitive tests and domains.
  • Although children of mothers who ate more fish showed slightly better nonverbal intelligence scores at age 5, overall, there were no significant beneficial or adverse effects of maternal fish consumption on neurodevelopmental outcomes in this population with high fish intake.
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Background: Some authors have reported that low-level exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) adversely impacts measures of auditory function. These reports, however, are not consistent in their findings. Consequently, we examined auditory function in a population exposed to low-level methylmercury (MeHg) exposure from fish consumption and to mercury vapor (Hg) from dental amalgams.

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JCO In the primary analysis of the global phase II ELIANA trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02435849), tisagenlecleucel provided an overall remission rate of 81% in pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL), with 59% of responders remaining relapse-free at 12 months. Here, we report an update on efficacy, safety, and patient-reported quality of life in 79 pediatric and young adult patients with R/R B-ALL following a median follow-up of 38.

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Background: Standardized results for laboratory tests are particularly important when their interpretation depends on fixed medical practice guidelines or common reference intervals. The medical laboratory community has developed a roadmap for an infrastructure to achieve standardized test results described in the International Organization for Standardization standard 17511:2020 . Among the challenges to implementing metrological traceability are the availability of fit-for-purpose matrix-based certified reference materials (CRMs) and requirements for regulatory review that differ among countries.

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Purpose: Nonresponse and relapse after CD19-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy continue to challenge survival outcomes. Phase II landmark data from the ELIANA trial demonstrated nonresponse and relapse rates of 14.5% and 28%, respectively, whereas use in the real-world setting showed nonresponse and relapse rates of 15% and 37%.

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Article Synopsis
  • Tisagenlecleucel, a CAR T-cell therapy targeting CD19, has shown remarkable response rates in patients up to age 26 with refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and is FDA approved for this use.
  • * A study analyzed data from 185 patients to determine the effects of different CAR T-cell doses on overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and relapse-free survival (RFS).
  • * Results indicated that higher doses of tisagenlecleucel improved survival and remission rates without increasing toxicity, suggesting the potential benefits of targeting higher doses within the approved range for better outcomes.
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In many studies of the health effects of toxicants, exposure is measured once even though exposure may be continuous. However, some studies collect repeated measurements on participants over an extended time with the goal of determining a long-term metric that captures the average or cumulative exposure. This can be challenging, especially when exposure is measured at irregular intervals and has some missing values.

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Background: There is emerging evidence that exposure to prenatal methylmercury (MeHg) from maternal fish consumption during pregnancy can differ between individuals due to genetic variation. In previous studies, we have reported that maternal polymorphisms in ABC-transporter genes were associated with maternal hair MeHg concentrations, and with children's early neurodevelopmental tests. In this study, we add to these findings by evaluating the contribution of genetic variation in children's ABC-transporter genes to prenatal MeHg exposure and early child neurodevelopmental tests.

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Purpose: Methylmercury (MeHg) is a known neurodevelopmental toxicant in sufficient dosage and is universally found in fish. Current fish advisories for children are based on epidemiology studies examining prenatal exposure with a premise that MeHg exposure resulting from children eating fish could also be neurotoxic and have long-term consequences. However, the evidence that this assumption is true is limited.

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Mercury is ubiquitous in the environment, with rising levels due to pollution and climate change being a current global concern. Many mercury compounds are notorious for their toxicity, with the potential of organometallic mercury compounds for devastating effects on the structures and functions of the central nervous system being of particular concern. Chronic exposure of human populations to low levels of methylmercury compounds occurs through consumption of fish and other seafood, although the health consequences, if any, from this exposure remain controversial.

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