MS

November 18, 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma screening reduces cancer-related mortality in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection: a case-control study

Background: Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection often undergo screening for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the efficacy of such screening remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the impact of screening with ultrasound (USS) and/or serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) on HCC-related mortality in Veterans Affairs (VA) patients with CHB. Methods: We performed a matched case-control study….

November 17, 2020

Association of Guideline-recommended COPD Inhaler Regimens with Respiratory Exacerbations, Exercise Performance, and Quality of Life

Background: Although inhaled therapy reduces exacerbations among patients with COPD, the effectiveness of providing inhaled treatment according to recent risk-stratification models remains unclear. Research Question: Are inhaled regimens that align with the 2017 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy associated with clinically important outcomes? Study Design and Methods: We conducted secondary analyses…

Genetic variation and natural anticoagulants

Protein C (PC), protein S (PS) and antithrombin (AT) belong to the main anticoagulant pathways that regulate hemostasis and further affect the risk of thrombotic events. Previous epidemiological studies of circulating levels of PC, PS and AT, genetic variation, and risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) have been limited by small sample sizes and restriction to…

Effects of Washington’s Opioid Prescribing Rules for Chronic, Non-Cancer Pain Management on Opioid Overdose Mortality and Pharmaceutical Opioid Distribution: 1999-2017

Background Since the 1990s, the opioid crisis has affected individuals and communities across the United States. National and statewide comprehensive efforts to address the problem include policies to prevent opioid addiction, identify opioid-addicted individuals, and provide effective treatment. In Washington state, in response to rising prescription opioid-related overdose deaths, the legislature passed the Engrossed Substitute…

January 24, 2020

Eplet mismatches and de novo donor-specific antibody development in pediatric kidney transplant recipients

BACKGROUND The presence of HLA de novo donor-specific antibodies (dnDSA) is associated, probably causally, with failure of kidney transplants. In a pediatric kidney transplant population, we sought to determine the extent to which eplet mismatches (MM) are associated with the development of dnDSA. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of pediatric kidney transplant recipients…