Browsing by Subject "Disease severity"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Disease control after surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis: Prospective, multi-institutional validation of the Sinus Control Test (SCT)
    (Wiley, 2021) Little, Ryan E.; Schlosser, Rodney J.; Smith, Timothy L.; Storck, Kristina A.; Alt, Jeremiah A.; Beswick, Daniel M.; Mace, Jess C.; Mattos, Jose L.; Ramakrishnan, Vijay R.; Soler, Zachary M.; Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine
    Background: The Sinus Control Test (SCT) is a 4-question, patient-reported questionnaire that assesses disease control in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). This prospective, multicenter study examines SCT outcomes following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), further validating its use as a control instrument for CRS. Methods: Adults with CRS undergoing ESS were prospectively enrolled from 5 centers across North America. The SCT was administered at baseline and once 6 months after surgery. Quality of life and disease burden were evaluated using the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) and Lund-Kennedy endoscopy scores. Linear regression was used to determine whether specific demographic, comorbidity, or disease severity measures were independently associated with changes in SCT scores postoperatively. Results: A total of 218 patients, 111 females (50.9%) and 107 males (49.1%), were enrolled, with mean ± standard deviation age of 50.1 ± 15.6 years. Mean SCT score improved from 8.9 ± 3.5 to 4.3 ± 3.7 postoperatively (p < 0.001). Preoperatively, 21.6% were uncontrolled, 71.5% partially controlled, and 6.9% controlled. Postoperatively, 6.0% were uncontrolled, 42.6% partially controlled, and 51.4% controlled (p < 0.001). Change in SCT score correlated independently with change in SNOT-22 (r = 0.500, p < 0.001) and endoscopy scores (r = 0.310, p < 0.001). Endoscopy scores did not correlate with control status among patients with CRS without nasal polyposis (CRSsNP) nor between uncontrolled and partially controlled patients. Demographics and comorbidities were not associated with changes in SCT. Conclusion: Improvement in disease control following ESS as measured by the SCT correlated with improvements in SNOT-22 and endoscopy scores. The SCT is an easily administered instrument that provides information complementary to existing patient-reported and objective measures of disease severity.
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    The gut microbiome, immunity, and Plasmodium severity
    (Elsevier, 2020-12) Waide, Morgan L.; Schmidt, Nathan W.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Malaria continues to pose a severe threat to over half of the world's population each year. With no long-term, effective vaccine available and a growing resistance to antimalarials, there is a need for innovative methods of Plasmodium treatment. Recent evidence has pointed to a role of the composition of the gut microbiota in the severity of Plasmodium infection in both animal models and human studies. Further evidence has shown that the gut microbiota influences the adaptive immune response of the host, the arm of the immune system necessary for Plasmodium clearance, sustained Plasmodium immunity, and vaccine efficacy. Together, this illustrates the future potential of gut microbiota modulation as a novel method of preventing severe malaria.
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    Significance of granulomas in the outcomes of Crohn's disease patients
    (Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology, 2022) Saade, Marie Christelle; Wehbe, Hisham; Mourad, Fadi H.; Hosni, Mohammad; Francis, Fadi F.; Makki, Maha; Binion, David G.; Tamim, Hani; Farraye, Francis A.; Malik, Talha; Hashash, Jana G.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: The presence of granulomas in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the characteristic histologic features of Crohn's disease (CD). The clinical significance of granulomas remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the presence of granulomas on endoscopic pinch biopsy or surgical resection from the upper or lower GI tract is associated with worse outcomes among patients with CD. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of patients with CD evaluated at a tertiary care center between 1996 and 2019. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of granulomas on GI histology. Clinical and laboratory data, and outcomes of interest, were obtained from the electronic medical records. Patients' characteristics and outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Results: A total of 237 patients were included in our study; 41 (17.3%) had granulomas on their biopsy/resection specimen. The presence of granulomas in the GI tract was significantly associated with the development of intra-abdominal abscesses and/or fistulas (P=0.037), greater utilization of immunomodulators (P=0.029), and greater use of immunosuppressive medications (immunomodulator and/or biologic therapy) (P=0.015). No significant differences were found between the 2 groups in terms of number of hospitalizations, presence of perianal disease, intestinal resection, mean age, mean age at initial diagnosis of CD, duration of disease, sex, or smoking history. Conclusions: The presence of granulomas in the GI tract of CD patients may serve as a prognostic biomarker of worse disease severity. Larger studies are needed to better validate this finding.
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    The magnesium global network (MaGNet) to promote research on magnesium in diseases focusing on covid-19
    (JLE, 2021) Wolf, Federica I.; Maier, Jeanette A.; Rosanoff, Andrea; Barbagallo, Mario; Baniasadi, Shadi; Castiglioni, Sara; Cheng, Fu-Chou; Colaneri Day, Sherrie; Costello, Rebecca B.; Dominguez, Ligia J.; Elin, Ronald J.; Gamboa-Gomez, Claudia; Guerrero-Romero, Fernando; Kahe, Ka; Kisters, Klaus; Kolisek, Martin; Kraus, Anton; Iotti, Stefano; Mazur, Andre; Mercado-Atri, Moises; Merolle, Lucia; Micke, Oliver; Gletsu-Miller, Nana; Nielsen, Forrest; O-Uchi, Jin; Piazza, Ornella; Plesset, Michael; Pourdowlat, Guitti; Rios, Francisco J.; Rodriguez-Moran, Martha; Scarpati, Giuliana; Shechter, Michael; Song, Yiqing; Spence, Lisa A.; Touyz, Rhian M.; Trapani, Valentina; Veronese, Nicola; von Ehrlich, Bodo; Vormann, Juergen; Wallace, Taylor C.; CMER Center for Magnesium Education, Research; Gesellschaft für Magnesium-Forschung e.V. Germany; SDRM Society (International Society for the Development of Research on Magnesium); Epidemiology, School of Public Health