Montefiore Medical Center

Postoperative inflammatory markers and surgical wound infection after elective short-segment lumbar fusion: the importance of surgical context

Abstract. Introduction: Postoperative white blood cell (WBC) count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are routinely available after lumbar fusion, but early elevations may reflect surgical stress. We evaluated associations of postoperative day (POD) 1 and POD3 WBC/NLR with...

Patterns and perceptions of supplement use among patients with plasma cell disorders

As novel treatments have improved survival in patients with plasma cell disorders (PCDs), there is a growing interest in complementary medicine (CM), particularly dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and herbs), amongst patients with cancer [ 1 ]. Multiple myelo...

From Posts to Perceptions: How Reddit Users Feel About Phalloplasty and Metoidioplasty

Abstract Gender-affirming surgery, including phalloplasty and metoidioplasty, has demonstrated efficacy in alleviating gender dysphoria in appropriately selected patients. This study aims to better describe the needs and priorities of patients undergoing these procedures by using...

Decreased cerebrospinal fluid NDRG2 is associated with non-Alzheimer's disease derived mild cognitive impairment

Background Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) lacks clear clinical biomarkers. N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is predominantly localized in astrocytes and is implicated in cognitive function. Objective This study aims to explore whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NDRG2 cou...

Linking Air Pollution and Hematologic Malignancies: From Epidemiology to Molecular Mechanisms

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Outdoor air pollution (OAP) is a major global environmental health threat associated with respiratory disease and solid tumors, with growing evidence linking it to hematologic malignancies. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms and epidemiologic evide...

Spine Centers in Northeastern United States: Assessing Similarities and Disparities to Build more Homogeneity Across the Country

PROPOSE OF REVIEW: Spine centers are common, but no standardized regulations govern their designation. Existing certifications are issued by multiple independent organizations and are not necessarily equivalent, while many centers remain non-accredited. Consequently, centers may...

Incidence of new-onset pulmonary fibrosis 4.5 years post SARS-CoV-2 infection in an academic urban medical center

The long-term risk of clinical new-onset pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and its various downstream impacts following SARS-CoV-2 infection remain incompletely characterized in existing literature. A retrospective cohort was analyzed using Montefiore Health System electronic health record...

TRAIL splice variant TRAILshort disrupts T cell receptor signaling and promotes immune tolerance in vivo

TRAIL is a TNF family ligand that trimerizes TRAIL-R1 (DR4) or TRAIL-R2 (DR5) to induce apoptosis, necroptosis, and/or NF-κB activation in receptor-bearing cells. We previously identified TRAILshort as a splice variant of TRAIL that lacks cysteine 230, cannot trimerize, and acts...

Something Doesn’t Look Right: Recognizing and Managing Limb-Length Discrepancy

Leg length discrepancy (LLD) is a frequently encountered yet often underrecognized musculoskeletal condition in children. Minor differences in leg length are common and typically benign; however, more significant discrepancies may reflect underlying congenital, developmental, or...

The establishment of prostate-specific, SKP2 humanized mice by CRISPR knock-in method reveals neoplastic initiation and microenvironmental reprogramming

Abstract A recent study has shown that SKP2 inactivation can prevent cancer initiation by extension of total cell cycle duration without perturbing normal division, which suggests a new strategy for cancer prevention. However, direct in vivo evidence for human SKP2 on cancer init...

Changes in Diet Among Adult Prevalent Kidney Stone Formers in the United States: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-2018.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Dietary factors greatly influence kidney stone disease (KSD). We aimed to examine the dietary pattern changes of adult stone formers (SF) in the United States from 1988 to 2018. METHODS: We used weighted, multiple linear regression analyses to examine dietary...