Johns Hopkins Hospital

Kynurenine Pathway Activation is Associated with Poor Sleep Efficiency in Men With HIV

Background: Sleep disturbances are common in people with HIV, yet the underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Chronic immune activation in HIV can induce the tryptophan-kynurenine (TK) pathway, which both reduces melatonin synthesis and increases production of...

Understanding histotripsy ablation safety: a systematic review of pre-clinical and clinical adverse events

Abstract Histotripsy is the first cavitation-based ablation modality. Given limited clinical experience, synthesis of pre-clinical and early clinical data is essential to guide safe adoption. A PubMed and SCOPUS search was performed focused on pre-clinical and clinical adverse ev...

Exploring transcriptomic and genomic latent variable correction approaches in differential expression analysis

Abstract Background Differential expression analysis is a central tool for studying the biological processes altered in human diseases via transcriptomic signatures. However, transcriptomic datasets are systematically confounded by latent variables from two distinct sources: unme...

INCREASED PREVALENCE OF PANCREATIC CYSTS IN NONSECRETOR (FUT2 NULL) INDIVIDUALS UNDER PANCREATIC SURVEILLANCE

Abstract Background: Pancreatic surveillance commonly detects pancreatic cysts, most of which are presumed intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN). FUT2, the gene responsible for secretor status, has been implicated in IPMN development, although not with pancreatic cancer...

The silent pandemic: the overlooked toll of stroke compared to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered as one of the defining health crises of the modern era. The World Health Organization reported approximately 7 million deaths attributed to COVID-19 globall...

Associations between substance use by type and HIV viral suppression across multiple cohorts in the US

Substance use among people with HIV (PWH) represents an important obstacle to further reductions in HIV transmission. Using data from a diverse collection of five studies including people with HIV in care and those in community cohorts, we report results for analyses of the assoc...

Anatomical and Histologic Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy: Recurrence Patterns Among Poor Responders. A Multi-institutional Observational Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the prognostic implications after hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) by integrating anatomical response to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), quantified using the Tumor Burden Score ratio (TBSr), with histologic response assessed by Tumor Regres...

Impact of persistent left bundle branch block on ventricular function and clinical outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background New-onset persistent left bundle branch block (NOP-LBBB) is a frequent complication after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), but its long-term prognostic impact remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of NOP-LBBB on...

Quantitative Assessment of Midface Feminization Using Custom-Designed Malar Implants

Background: Malar prominence is a key sexually dimorphic landmark. Although malar augmentation is frequently incorporated into facial feminization surgery (FFS), no standardized methodology exists for its quantitative assessment, limiting systematic planning and outcome evaluatio...

Oxygenation and perfusion in large vessel occlusion stroke: rethinking periprocedural management in the endovascular era

Acute ischemic stroke remains a leading cause of death and long-term disability worldwide. In patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO), endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has revolutionized care by achieving high rates of vessel recanalization. However, successful reperfusion does...

Interactions Between Health Inequalities on the Management and Outcomes of Thoracic Aortic Disease in England: A National Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the intersectionality between measured causes of health inequality and clinical factors that influence treatment decisions and regional variations in care and survival for people with thoracic aortic disease (TAD) in England. METH...

Anterior Cervical Approaches for 2-Level Radiculopathy

Study Design: Anonymous, survey-based study. Objective: The primary objective of this study is to understand and assess the factors influencing the choice of cervical fusion, disc arthroplasty, and hybrid procedures for radiculopathy in the setting of 2-level cervical degenerativ...

This Is My Story (TIMS), a Five-Year Thematic Analysis of Patient Narratives from a Novel Intervention in an Academic Hospital

Background/Objective: This is My Story (TIMS) is a patient-centered, interview-based audio narrative program that provides a humanistic intervention to help the medical team understand more information about a patient’s story that is not routinely captured in their medical chart....

Immune cell dynamics during compensatory renal hypertrophy after unilateral nephrectomy

The mechanisms underlying compensatory renal hypertrophy (CRH) in living kidney donors after unilateral nephrectomy (UNx) remain complex and underexplored. We examined immune cells involved in CRH after UNx in mice. Following UNx of the left kidney in WT mice, GFR measurements, f...

Biocompatible Microscale DNA Hydrogels with Programmable Swelling and Sequence-Specific Dissolution

Stimulus-responsive DNA hydrogels with swelling capabilities are a promising class of materials for biomedical applications such as drug delivery and biosensing. However, translation of these systems to microscale applications requires fabrication methods that are both biocompati...

Perceptions of and Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake in Underserved Baltimore and Eastern Shore Populations

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of preventable cancer mortality, with persistent screening disparities in underserved communities. This qualitative study aimed to identify community-specific barriers to CRC screening among two distinct Maryland populations to info...

SOX2 and cytokeratins 5, 8 and 18 as potential stem cell biomarkers in botryoid odontogenic, lateral periodontal and gingival cysts.

The aim of this study was to compare the immunohistochemical expression of SOX2 and cytokeratins (CKs) 5, 8 and 18 in the lateral periodontal cyst (LPC) and gingival cyst of the adult (GCA) with the more aggressive botryoid odontogenic cyst (BOC), to evaluate diagnostic or progno...

SPINK1-COL18A1 crosstalk shapes epigenome and drives cancer stemness in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating cancer with an increasing incidence and extremely dismal prognosis. Discovery and mechanistic understanding of the genetic and epigenetic drivers of PDAC is therefore of critical importance. Here, we uncover serine protease...

Mistreatment during facility-based childbirth in Benin City, Nigeria: A convergent mixed-methods study of prevalence and drivers

Abstract Background Mistreatment during facility-based childbirth undermines maternal health outcomes and trust in health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Nigeria bears one of the highest global burdens of maternal mortality, yet limited large-scale mixe...

Availability and Quality of Electronic Health Record Data to Track Physical Function Across a Care Transition

ABSTRACT Introduction Physical function (PF) is critical to quality of life and healthcare value, especially for older adults following hospitalization. Monitoring PF supports recovery, reduces adverse events, and improves care transitions. Despite the potential of electronic hea...