Publications by authors named "Kerri Miller"
A fully automated dual-column purification procedure for Zn from biological samples, designed for subsequent Zn isotopic analysis, is presented that utilizes the prepFAST MC™ system (Elemental Scientific), DGA resin (TrisKem International), and TK201 resin (TrisKem International). The procedure developed enables the unattended processing of 20 samples per day and is characterized by low and reproduceable blanks (< 1.5 ng), no carry-over or memory effect, high reusability (> 50 times), high Zn yields 100.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatient-Reported Burden of Indolent Systemic Mastocytosis in a Managed Care Organization.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- Indolent systemic mastocytosis (ISM) is the most common form of systemic mastocytosis, and its diagnostic challenges and impact on patients' lives need more examination.
- A survey of 40 adults with ISM revealed a lengthy diagnosis process, averaging over two years, with many patients experiencing severe symptoms that negatively affected their quality of life and work ability.
- The study found a strong correlation between symptom severity and physical/mental health scores, highlighting that those with moderate to severe symptoms suffered significantly more from skin and gastrointestinal issues compared to those with mild symptoms.
MASTering systemic mastocytosis: Lessons learned from a large patient cohort.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a rare disease affecting about 32,000 people in the U.S., often misdiagnosed due to vague symptoms and the necessity for invasive tests.
- A study of 116 patients revealed that the majority had indolent SM, with a significant average delay of 58.3 months for diagnosis, and some patients progressed to more advanced forms.
- The findings emphasize the need for better awareness and understanding of SM to improve diagnosis and treatment, suggesting that further studies are necessary to establish effective follow-up care for patients.
Article Synopsis
- Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a rare blood disorder marked by the abnormal growth of mast cells in various organs, causing symptoms like flushing, itching, diarrhea, and headaches, with little known about treatment outcomes.
- A study involving 105 SM patients from 19 community hematology clinics in the U.S. examined their clinical features, treatment patterns, and overall disease progression.
- Findings showed that a majority (62%) did not receive targeted therapy, and patients with advanced SM had a significantly higher risk of death compared to those with indolent forms of the disease, indicating a serious need for effective treatment options.
To better understand zinc and copper regulation and their involvement in various biochemical pathways as it relates to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), isotopic composition of serum zinc and copper were evaluated in both healthy children and children with ASD in North America. No significant difference in isotopic composition of serum zinc or copper with respect to healthy controls and ASD children were identified. However, the isotopic composition of serum copper in boys was found to be enriched in Cu in comparison to previously published healthy adult copper isotopic composition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSample preparation of blood plasma enables baseline separation of iron metalloproteins by SEC-GFAAS.
J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci
June 2020
The analysis of human plasma for biomarkers holds promise to revolutionize disease diagnosis, but is hampered by the inherent complexity of the plasma proteome. One way to overcome this problem is to analyze plasma for a sub-proteome, such as the metalloproteome. Previous studies employing size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled on-line to an inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) have revealed that plasma contains ~12 copper, iron and zinc metalloproteins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCopper is a critical enzyme cofactor in the body but also a potent cellular toxin when intracellularly unbound. Thus, there is a delicate balance of intracellular copper, maintained by a series of complex interactions between the metal and specific copper transport and binding proteins. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the primary site of copper entry into the body and there has been considerable progress in understanding the intricacies of copper metabolism in this region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRacial/ethnic and age differences in women's awareness of heart disease.
J Womens Health (Larchmt)
May 2012
Background: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in awareness of heart disease among women according to race/ethnicity by age group, adjusted for confounders.
Methods: American Heart Association (AHA) National Surveys conducted in 2006 (n=1005) and 2009 (n=1142) were pooled using common variables (n=2147) and reweighted to reflect the 2010 United States Census. Surveys comprised standardized, interviewer-assisted demographic and awareness questions.
The objective of this study was to examine the impact of reducing the prescription co-pay for diabetes medications on pharmacy utilization, medication adherence, medical utilization, and expenditures. The co-pay reduction involved placing all diabetic drugs and testing supplies on the lowest co-pay tier for one employer group. The sample comprised members with diabetes who were both continuously enrolled in the 12-month pre period and the 2 years following co-pay reduction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To examine the impact of a value-based benefit design on utilization and expenditures.
Methods: This benefit design involved all diabetes-related drugs and testing supplies placed on the lowest copay tier for 1 employer group. The sample of diabetic members were enrolled from a 9-month preperiod and for 2 years after the benefit design was implemented.