Faculty Bibliography

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is more prevalent in individuals with obesity, diabetes mellitus, or hypertension. Individuals with CKD are prone to kidney failure, with symptom experiences that rival those of patients with cancer. We explored symptom burden in individuals with CKD via a systematic review of 30 quantitative and qualitative articles. The most common CKD symptoms were fatigue, weakness, pain, sleep disturbances and itchy skin. Instruments used to assess symptoms were the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL)-36, the Palliative Outcome Symptom-Scale renal (POS-r)-13, and the Dialysis Symptom Index (DSI)-10. The included qualitative studies expand and expound on the quantitative data presented. This article describes the prevalence of symptom burden in individuals with CKD in relation to psychosocial and demographic factors and discuss the importance of symptom management.

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system (CNS) germinomas are commonly located in the suprasellar and/or pineal regions. Current treatment strategies include irradiation (RT) alone or chemotherapy with RT to reduce the dose and field of RT. However, given their rarity and poorly defined imaging characteristics, germinomas originating in the basal ganglia/ thalami (BGTG) have proven challenging to treat. We present a case series of six patients with metastatic BGTG, given the paucity of published research on patients with metastatic CNS BGTG.
METHOD(S): A retrospective multi-institutional review was performed across four institutions in two countries.
RESULT(S): Two patients were females, and four were males. The median age at presentation was 14.9 years. Biopsies were performed in all patients except for one patient who underwent subtotal surgical resection of her primary tumor. Three patients received RT only, while the remaining three received chemotherapy with RT. Carboplatin and etoposide were used in all three patients who received chemotherapy. All six patients received craniospinal irradiation (CSI). For patients who received RT only, the CSI dose ranged between (24 -27.2 Gy) with a total dose to the primary site ranging between (36 -40 Gy). For patients who received chemotherapy, one patient received 36 Gy with a total dose of 54 Gy to the primary site. The second patient received 24 Gy with a total dose of 40 Gy to the primary site. The CSI dose was not available for the third patient. All patients remain alive with a median event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) of 49 months (range: 14.3 -168 months).
CONCLUSION(S): In our series, patients with metastatic CNS BGTG treated with CSI with or without chemotherapy had excellent outcomes. Future larger studies are needed to compare the outcomes between CSI only and chemotherapy with low-dose CSI among patients with metastatic CNS BGTG

Introduction: Obesity has long been associated with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Visceral abdominal tissue (VAT) has been proposed as an important CVD risk stratification metric given its independent correlation with myocardial infarction and stroke. This study aims to clarify the relationship between the presence and severity of VAT with the presence and severity of coronary artery plaque as defined by total plaque volume, calcified plaque volume, non-calcified plaque volume, and high risk low-density non-calcified plaque using quantitative coronary computed tomography atherosclerosis imaging (AI-QCT).
Method(s): CCTA was performed using single or dual source CT scanners of >64-detector rows. Coronary atherosclerosis evaluation by CCTA (AI-QCT) was performed. The AI-based approach to CCTA interpretation in this study was performed using an FDA-cleared software service (Cleerly Lab, Cleerly, New York, NY) that performs automated analysis of CCTA using a series of validated convolutional neural network models (including VGG19 network, 3D U-Net, and VGG Network Variant) for image quality assessment, coronary segmentation and labeling, lumen wall evaluation and vessel contour determination and plaque characterization. Coronary segments with a diameter >1.5 mm were included in the analysis using the modified 18-segment SCCT model. Plaque volume was categorized using Hounsfield unit (HU) ranges, with LD-NCP defined as plaques <30 HU, NCP defined as HU between -30 and +350, and CP defined as >350 HU12,13.
Result(s): The study cohort was comprised of 145 patients, 56.1 +/- 8.5 years, 84.0% male. Overall, 3.5% had a history of diabetes, 19% hypertension, 38% dyslipidemia, 8% current smokers, and 34% had a family history of CAD. At the time of the examination, 37% were taking statins, 21% anti-hypertension medications, and 11% non-stating lipid lowering medication. There was a stepwise progression of the median coronary plaque volume for each quartile of visceral fat including TPV (Q1: 19.8, Q2: 48.1, Q3: 86.4, and Q4: 136.6 mm³ (P=0.0098)), NCP (Q1: 15.7, Q2: 35.4, Q3: 86.4, and Q4: 136.6 mm³ (P=0.0032)) and LD-NCP (Q1: 0.6, Q2: 0.81, Q3: 2.0, and Q4: 5.0 mm³ (P<0.0001)). There was also a stepwise progression of the median maximum diameter stenosis for each quartile of visceral fat (Q1: 18.0, Q2: 27.0, Q3: 27.5, and Q4: 29.5% (P=0.0414)) as well as medial coronary plaque length (Q1: 12.8, Q2: 19.5, Q3: 26.4, and Q4: 27.5mm (P=0.0077))
Conclusion(s): Our findings represent the first demonstration of a stepwise progression with regards to visceral abdominal tissue and total plaque volume, non-calcified plaque volume, and low density non-calcified plaque volume. This relationship is particularly striking with regards to the progression and severity of VAT and the presence and amount of low density non-calcified plaque, which is known to be high risk for cardiovascular events.
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BACKGROUND:The Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) measures individuals' unique perceptions of their illness. While psychometric properties of the IPQ-R have been demonstrated in many disease populations, its content validity has not been extensively studied in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD). Unique features of CKD (e.g., few symptoms in early stages) may impact the measurement of illness perceptions. The purpose of this study was to explore the IPQ-R content validity in a sample of CKD patients. METHODS:Thirty-one participants completed the IPQ-R and were interviewed regarding their subscale scores (timeline, consequences, personal control, treatment control, coherence, cyclical, and emotions). Participants' agreement with their scores was tallied and assessed qualitatively for themes related to the content validity of the measure. RESULTS:Individual participant agreement with their subscale scores averaged 79% (range: 29-100%). Subscale agreement varied: timeline (100%), consequences, coherence, and emotion (83% each), cyclical (75%), personal control (65%), and treatment control (64%). A qualitative exploration of disagreement responses revealed concerns with the relevance and comprehensibility of personal control and treatment control. CONCLUSIONS:Some IPQ-R subscales may pose content validity concerns in the non-dialysis CKD population. Item modification for comprehensibility (personal control) and relevance (treatment control) should be considered. Future studies should explore the impact of a patient's symptom experience on IPQ-R validity, especially in populations like CKD with a higher proportion of asymptomatic patients.

It has been over 50 years since the Stonewall Inn Riots in June 1969, a seminal event for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and other sexual and gender-diverse minorities (LGBTQI+, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and everyone else) rights movement. However, sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals still face discrimination and harassment due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. As such, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities has identified SGM communities as a "health disparity population." Broadly, there are higher rates of sexually transmitted infections, substance use and abuse, mental health conditions, obesity and eating disorders, certain cancers (breast, cervical, and anorectal), and cardiovascular disease in SGM communities. Transgender patients, especially those of color, are more likely to be uninsured, experience discrimination, and be denied health care than cisgender patients. In addition, SGM individuals have twice the risk of lifetime exposure to emotional, physical, and sexual trauma compared with heterosexuals. It is expected all these factors would negatively affect digestive health as well. This review summarizes the effects of social determinants of health and discrimination on health care access, highlights important digestive diseases to consider in the SGM population, and offers solutions to improve and prioritize the health of these communities. We aim to draw attention to SGM-specific issues that affect gastrointestinal health and spur research that is desperately lacking.

SOURCE CITATION/UNASSIGNED:BMJ. 2022;376:e067731. 35331984.

An observational cohort study was conducted with data from the Observational Pharmaco-Epidemiology Research & Analysis (OPERA) cohort to investigate weight gain among virologically suppressed people with HIV (PWH) switching to regimens containing tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine/ (TAF/FTC). Virologically suppressed, ART-experienced PWH switching to TAF/FTC with either darunavir/cobicistat (DRV/c), elvitegravir (EVG)/c, dolutegravir (DTG) or bictegravir (BIC) were selected. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the risk of excessive weight gain (i.e. ≥5% gain within 28 weeks or ≥10% within 54 weeks), by regimen. A linear mixed effects model with random intercept and restricted cubic splines on time was used to assess continuous changes in weight. Confounding was controlled for with both inverse probability of treatment weighting and traditional covariate adjustment. Among 5,536 PWH, 18% gained ≥5% of their weight within 28 weeks, and 9% gained ≥10% within 54 weeks. There were no differences in the risk of excessive weight gain by regimen, although there was a non-statistically significant 20% increase in the risk of gaining ≥10% within 54 weeks with all regimens compared to DRV/c. Throughout follow-up, the mean predicted weight remained fairly constant, with no notable differentiation between regimens. Expected weight gains ranged from +0.2 kg to +0.3 kg at 6 months and from +0.5 kg to +0.6 kg at 24 months. In conclusion, in this study of virologically suppressed, ART-experienced PWH switching to regimens containing TAF/FTC and either DRV/c, EVG/c, DTG or BIC, up to 18% experienced excessive levels of weight gain. However, no statistically significant difference was observed across regimens.