Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 10;357(5):442-447. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

Department of Otolaryngology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.

Allergic rhinitis is a prevalent condition that has a significant impact on the quality of life of many patients. When initial therapy fails to control the symptoms, allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has been suggested as an option by the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters. The 2 main forms of AIT are via subcutaneous and sublingual routes, called subcutaneous immunotherapy and sublingual immunotherapy, respectively. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 13;357(5):421-434. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.

Background: Monocyte-platelet interaction may favor the development of a proatherogenic monocyte phenotype. It is still uncertain which of the 3 monocyte subpopulations interact with platelets to form monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPAs) in acute myocardial infarctions. The aim of our study was to evaluate the monocyte subsets, the percentage of MPAs and the involvement of monocyte subsets in MPA formation among patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and compared to patients with stable angina (SA). Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 May;357(5):405-410

National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado; University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, Denver, Colorado.

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 13;357(5):390-393. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida. Electronic address:

With the combination of ideologic beliefs and the will to survive, fraught patients and determined clinicians seek alternative therapies for treatment of terminal conditions, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Unfortunately, the need for treatment has supported the growth of unapproved stem cell therapy over the years spanning across many countries. The reality, however, is that the science behind this therapy is lagging. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 12;357(5):384-389. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine and; Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is one of many clinical syndromes that are associated with aging, and is increasing in both incidence and prevalence with the rapid rise in aging populations world-wide. There is accumulating data on how the biology of aging may influence the susceptibility to lung fibrosis in the elderly. In this review, we explore some of the known "hallmarks of aging," including telomere attrition, genomic instability, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, cellular senescence and mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathobiology of IPF. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 13;357(5):379-383. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia. Electronic address:

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common form of interstitial lung disease. IPF is a complex disease, with environmental and genetic factors variably contributing to disease susceptibility and outcomes. A host of common gene variants with modest effect size impart disease risk in patients with sporadic IPF, while rare variants with large effect size influence disease risk in those with familial interstitial pneumonia. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 22;357(5):374-378. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicineand; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee. Electronic address:

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a disease of older adults leading to progressive dyspnea and reduced exercise capacity, typically resulting in death within 3-5years of diagnosis. Underlying genetic susceptibility combined with environmental insults is proposed to trigger a chronic wound repair response, leading to activation of the fibrotic cascade. Perturbations in several molecular pathways mediate vulnerability of the alveolar epithelium to injurious agents, including the unfolded protein response, autophagy, mitophagy, and cellular senescence. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 11;357(5):370-373. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.

The last years have led to advances in the therapeutic management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), mainly through the discovery of new pathological pathways and drugs and better design of clinical trials. The objective of this review is both to describe the current therapies approved for the treatment of IPF and the emerging therapeutic approaches. Currently, nintedanib and pirfenidone are the basis of IPF therapy, based on the results of large randomized clinical trials showing their safety and efficacy in reducing disease progression. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 15;357(5):359-369. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado.

The incidence and prevalence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is increasing worldwide. This, combined with its poor prognosis and unpredictable natural history, has amplified the importance of an accurate diagnosis and monitoring. A diagnosis of exclusion, IPF requires a comprehensive clinical evaluation. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 7;357(5):357-358. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Jane & Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address:

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 22. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. Electronic address:

Background: Individuals with HIV have ∼2-fold increased risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis. The mechanism(s) by which this occurs has yet to be determined. HIV-1 protein gp120 activates CXCR4 in the lymphocyte, promoting a variety of intracellular signaling pathways including those common to TGFβ1 associated with lung fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Medipol University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address:

Background: The Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score is an anatomic scoring system based on coronary angiography that quantifies lesion severity and complexity and predicts morbidity and mortality to guide decision making between coronary artery bypass graft surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndrome. The present study aimed to compare nitric oxide levels with the SYNTAX score in terms of predicting coronary complexity and the treatment decision for unstable angina pectoris in the emergency department.

Methods: The study included 120 patients with unstable angina pectoris and 120 control group subjects. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 22. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Department of Cardiology, Saglik Bilimleri University, Ahi Evren Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey.

Background: Since aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) and coronary artery disease (CAD) share similar cardiovascular risk factors, we hypothesized that the clinical profile of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) would be worse in the presence of AVS. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between AVS and clinical factors in patients with AMI.

Methods: Three hundred and fifteen patients with AMI were consecutively enrolled in the study. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 20. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 11. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients often exhibit hematological abnormalities, but the role of thrombocytopenia on the prognosis of SLE shows inconsistent results. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to confirm the impact of thrombocytopenia on mortality and end organ damage in patients with SLE.

Materials And Methods: Three electronic databases, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library were systematically searched to identify the eligible studies from inception to November 2017 in order to evaluate the impact of thrombocytopenia on the prognosis of patients with SLE. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 9. Epub 2019 Mar 9.

Department of Diagnostic and Generalist Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.

Am J Med Sci 2019 Feb 23. Epub 2019 Feb 23.

Department of Gastroenterology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan; General Education Center, Chienkuo Technology University, Changhua, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Am J Med Sci 2019 Feb 27. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine; Research Service, Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Electronic address:

An anuric woman with ascites rapidly developed extreme hyperglycemia and seizures after hemodialysis. During development of hyperglycemia, the decrease in serum sodium concentration (Δ[Na]) was nearly twice the value predicted by a formula accounting for the degree of hyperglycemia and the intracellular-to-extracellular volume ratio. The prediction assumed that ascitic fluid is part of the extracellular volume. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Feb 23. Epub 2019 Feb 23.

AMITA Health Saint Joseph Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.

Am J Med Sci 2019 Feb 22. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Infectious Diseases Section, Internal Medicine Department, University of Antioquia School of Medicine, Medellín, Colombia. Electronic address:

Am J Med Sci 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and.

Am J Med Sci 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida. Electronic address:

Am J Med Sci 2019 Feb 21. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Allergy, University of Chicago at Illinois, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address:

Am J Med Sci 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto Health Science University, Kumamoto, Japan. Electronic address:

Background: Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 promotes formation of endothelial microparticles with procoagulant activity. However, it remains unclear whether di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α agonist, influences microparticle formation.

Materials And Methods: The effect of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate on release of tissue factor-bearing microparticles was investigated using human M1 macrophages. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Apr 12;357(4):e13-e14. Epub 2019 Jan 12.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan.

Am J Med Sci 2019 Apr 16;357(4):352-353. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas; Free Market Institute, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. Electronic address:

Am J Med Sci 2019 Apr 31;357(4):323-332. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Cardiology, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address:

Background: This study assessed the effect of ibandronate (IBN), a farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS) inhibitor, on vascular remodeling in diabetic rats.

Methods: A rat model of diabetes was induced by a high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with a small dose of streptozotocin. The diabetic rats received 5 µg/kg of ibandronate solution or normal saline subcutaneously every morning for 16 weeks. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Apr 22;357(4):316-322. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China. Electronic address:

Background: The objective of this study was to improve the understanding of primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) for clinicians.

Methods: We enrolled 27 patients diagnosed with PPL in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2000 to December 2016. The clinical manifestations, imaging findings, pathologic features, treatments and prognosis of the patients were collected. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Apr 2;357(4):311-315. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Department of Nephrology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address:

Background: Cell adhesion molecules have been documented to be elevated in numerous immune inflammatory diseases. Minimal change disease (MCD) is an immune disorder. This study aimed to evaluate whether levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) reflect disease activity in adult-onset MCD. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Apr 21;357(4):302-310. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

Background: A few studies have evaluated the expression of chemokine receptors CXCR4 and CCR7 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL); however, the association between CXCR4 and CCR7 with bone marrow (BM) involvement and their synergistic effect on prognosis is still unclear. Our study investigated this aspect.

Methods: Specimens were obtained from 61 primary nodal DLBCL patients and 100 reactive proliferative lymphadenitis patients. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Apr 11;357(4):296-301. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

UConn Health, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut; VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas, Texas. Electronic address:

Background: Prior research has demonstrated high mortality rates in patients with cirrhosis who contract bacterial infections. The purpose of our study was to explore clinical outcomes such as 90-day mortality, rehospitalization, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission in older veterans with pneumonia and cirrhosis.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia at any Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital over a 10-year period. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Apr 11;357(4):271-272. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Division of Pulmonary, Department of Medicine, Critical Care and Sleep Disorders Medicine, and; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 11;357(5):399-404. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Jane & Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address:

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 12;357(5):394-398. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Medicine, Center for Translational Research and Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine and; Jane & Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address:

Pulmonary fibrosis refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders that scar the lung, most often irreversibly. To date, there are limited effective treatments for these conditions, despite decades of research in this area of investigation. In pulmonary fibrosis, the principle cell responsible for producing the vast majority of scar tissue is the fibroblast, making these cells ideally suited for drug targeting. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 7;357(5):411-420. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; Division of Hematopathology and Laboratory Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Electronic address:

Background: The objective of this study was to describe presentation, natural history, management and long-term outcomes of patients with psychogenic purpura (PP), also known as Gardner-Diamond Syndrome.

Methods: In this retrospective study, records of patients with a diagnosis of PP seen at Mayo Clinic, Rochester from 1976 to 2016 were reviewed. Available literature regarding PP was also comparatively reviewed. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 2;357(5):e17-e18. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Department of Pathology, Kanuni Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey.

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 19;357(5):e15. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and.

Am J Med Sci 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Pathology Department, Evangelismos General Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Am J Med Sci 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Laboratório de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil.

Am J Med Sci 2019 May 22;357(5):435-441. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Hospitalist Division, Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California. Electronic address:

Immobilized orthopedic trauma patients face an elevated risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). We present a case in which a patient undergoing staged repair of traumatic orthopedic injuries developed deep venous thrombosis (DVT) during hospitalization, prior to repair of a lower extremity injury for which delay in operation might result in poor functional outcome. We provide an overview of recommendations regarding pharmacologic prophylaxis of VTE in orthopedic patients. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 4;357(3):179-183. Epub 2018 Sep 4.

State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.

Irvine Page in the United States and Eduardo Braun-Menéndez in Argentina led teams of investigators that studied the role of the kidney in blood pressure regulation. Contemporaneously in 1939, each team using different methods discovered and described a new substance now known as angiotensin. At the time of discovery, Page called it "angiotonin" and Braun-Menéndez called it "hipertensina," anglicized to "hypertensin. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 27;357(3):247-254. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Background: Previous studies have found that obestatin significantly inhibited water drinking and reduced the arginine vasopressin levels in the brain to decrease renal water reabsorption. However, obestatin is unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. Its effect on the body's kidney water metabolism in peripheral remains unknown. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 21;357(3):242-246. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.

Background: The prognostic role of peripheral lymphocyte subsets in early stage of acute pancreatitis (AP) is unknown.

Methods: After enrollment, blood samples were collected in the first 24 hours of the onset of AP in 164 patients. The lymphocyte count and the percentage of CD3, CD3CD4, CD3CD8, CD3CD19and CD3CD (16 + 56) cells were assessed. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 21;357(3):230-241. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China. Electronic address:

Background: The present study performed a meta-analysis of randomized and prospective trials to compare the outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stents versus coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) for unprotected left main coronary artery (UPLM) stenosis.

Methods: The Cochrane Library, PubMed and EMBASE databases were systematically searched until July 2017. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used for quality assessment. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 13;357(3):223-229. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Medicine, St. Vincent's Medical Center, Bridgeport, Connecticut; The Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, North Haven, Connecticut.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy remains one of the most common causes of chronic kidney disease in the United States and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Recently, there have been emerging data highlighting the role of vitamin D and its analogue in chronic kidney disease especially diabetic nephropathy independent of its effect on bone metabolism.

Methods: This study aimed to evaluate effect of supplementing vitamin D and its analogues on halting or slowing progression of diabetic nephropathy. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 29;357(3):213-222. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Department of Respiratory and Critical Care.

Background: We aimed to further determine the relationship between the areas of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and the ratio of VAT to SAT (VAT/SAT) with the outcomes of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed on patients with ARDS in 7 intensive care units (ICU) of West China Hospital, Sichuan University.

Results: A total of 169 patients were included in the analysis. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 8;357(3):184-194. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Laboratory of Integrative Immunology, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosio Villegas, Mexico City, Mexico. Electronic address:

Phagocytosis is necessary for antigen degradation and presentation, the activation of the adaptive immune response and the elimination of pathogenic micro-organisms. The phagosomal vacuole formed during phagocytosis requires a process of maturation that involves fusion with lysosomes, a decrease in luminal pH and the activation of the enzymes that eventually will destroy phagocytized micro-organisms. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Mar 9;357(3):177-178. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. Electronic address:

Am J Med Sci 2019 Apr 24;357(4):275-279. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. Electronic address:

Francisco Goya produced over 1,800 works during his long career, which earned him a reputation as one of the greatest artists of modern times. When he was 47, he developed a mysterious illness that destroyed his hearing, and for the next 35 years left him "deaf as a stump." Of the diagnoses proposed to date, Susac syndrome is the one most consistent with what little we do know of the character of that illness. Read More

Am J Med Sci 2019 Apr 13;357(4):280-288. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. Electronic address:

In this review, we discuss the pathologic mechanism of the angiogenesis process in osteosarcoma (OS) and the therapeutic use of angiogenesis inhibitors in OS treatment. The activation of endothelial cells by angiogenic factors leads to the production of proteolytic enzymes, which degrade the extracellular matrix. The degradation of the underlying basement membrane enables endothelial cells to proliferate and migrate to the surrounding tissue to form new vessels. Read More