Sensitivities to Thermal and Mechanical Stimuli: Adults With Sickle Cell Disease Compared to Healthy, Pain-Free African American Controls.

Evidence supports but is inconclusive that sensitization contributes to chronic pain in some adults with sickle cell disease (SCD). We determined the prevalence of pain sensitization among adults with SCD pain compared with pain-free healthy adults. In a cross sectional, single session study of 186 African American outpatients with SCD pain (age 18-74 years, 59% female) and 124 healthy age, gender, and race matched control subjects (age 18-69 years, 49% female), we compared responses to standard thermal (Medoc TSA II) and mechanical stimuli (von Frey filaments).

A Stepped-Wedge Randomized Controlled Trial: Effects of eHealth Interventions for Pain Control Among Adults With Cancer in Hospice.

Context: Unrelieved cancer pain at the end of life interferes with achieving patient-centered goals.

Objective: To compare effects of usual hospice care and PAINRelieveIt® on pain outcomes in patients and their lay caregivers.

Methods: In a five-step, stepped-wedge randomized, controlled study, 234 patients (49% male, 18% Hispanic, 51% racial minorities) and 231 lay caregivers (26% male, 20% Hispanic, 54% racial minorities) completed pre-pain/post-pain measures.

Thermal and mechanical quantitative sensory testing values among healthy African American adults.

Purpose: Only a few studies have reported quantitative sensory testing (QST) reference values for healthy African Americans, and those studies are limited in sample size and age of participants. The study purpose was to characterize QST values in healthy, pain-free African American adults and older adults whose prior pain experiences and psychological status were also measured. We examined the QST values for differences by sex, age, and body test site.

Keys to Recruiting and Retaining Seriously Ill African Americans With Sickle Cell Disease in Longitudinal Studies: Respectful Engagement and Persistence.

Objectives: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a serious illness with disabling acute and chronic pain that needs better therapies, but insufficient patient participation in research is a major impediment to advancing SCD pain management. The purpose of this article is to discuss the challenges of conducting an SCD study and approaches to successfully overcoming those challenges.

Design: In a repeated-measures, longitudinal study designed to characterize SCD pain phenotypes, we recruited 311 adults of African ancestry.

Phospholipidome of endothelial cells shows a different adaptation response upon oxidative, glycative and lipoxidative stress.

Endothelial dysfunction has been widely associated with oxidative stress, glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity and underlies the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), atherosclerosis and diabetes. In such pathological conditions, lipids are emerging as mediators of signalling pathways evoking key cellular responses as expression of proinflammatory genes, proliferation and apoptosis. Hence, the assessment of lipid profiles in endothelial cells (EC) can provide valuable information on the molecular alterations underlying CVDs, atherosclerosis and diabetes.

Implementing the PAIN RelieveIt Randomized Controlled Trial in Hospice Care: Mechanisms for Success and Meeting PCORI Methodology Standards.

This purpose of this article is to describe how we adhere to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute's (PCORI) methodology standards relevant to the design and implementation of our PCORI-funded study, the PAIN RelieveIt Trial. We present details of the PAIN RelieveIt Trial organized by the PCORI methodology standards and components that are relevant to our study. The PAIN RelieveIt Trial adheres to four PCORI standards and 21 subsumed components.

Reproductive Health CHOICES for Young Adults with Sickle Cell Disease or Trait: Randomized Controlled Trial Outcomes over Two Years.

Interventions to assist reproductive health decision-making in populations affected by sickle cell disease (SCD) or trait (SCT) lack proven efficacy over time. Our aim was to compare effects of CHOICES, a Web-based multimedia education program on implementing informed reproductive plans, and usual care education (e-Book) on reproductive knowledge, intention, and behavior over 24 months. We randomized 234 participants with SCD (n = 138) or SCT (n = 96) (age 18-35 years, 35 % male, 94 % African American) to CHOICES and e-Book groups.

Vimentin filament organization and stress sensing depend on its single cysteine residue and zinc binding.

The vimentin filament network plays a key role in cell architecture and signalling, as well as in epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Vimentin C328 is targeted by various oxidative modifications, but its role in vimentin organization is not known. Here we show that C328 is essential for vimentin network reorganization in response to oxidants and electrophiles, and is required for optimal vimentin performance in network expansion, lysosomal distribution and aggresome formation.

Reproductive health choices for young adults with sickle cell disease or trait: randomized controlled trial immediate posttest effects.

Background: People with sickle cell disease (SCD) or sickle cell trait (SCT) may not have information about genetic inheritance needed for making informed reproductive health decisions. CHOICES is a Web-based, multimedia educational intervention that provides information about reproductive options and consequences to help those with SCD or SCT identify and implement an informed parenting plan. Efficacy of CHOICES compared with usual care must be evaluated.

Modification of proteins by cyclopentenone prostaglandins is differentially modulated by GSH in vitro.

Prostanoids with cyclopentenone structure (cyP) display a potent anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activity. CyP are reactive compounds, which may modulate cellular functions by multiple mechanisms, including the direct covalent modification of cysteine residues by Michael addition. This interaction displays selectivity since only a subset of cellular proteins is modified by cyP.