Southwestern Medical Center

Acute Appendicitis: A Contemporary Review for Surgeons

Management of acute appendicitis has undergone a fundamental transformation the past two decades, with discussions focusing on operative versus nonoperative management. This review seeks to synthesize the most current evidence from the past decade across several key domains curre...

Integrated differential transcript usage and transcript abundance analyses reveal isoform-level remodeling in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is characterized by transcriptional reprogramming driven by hypoxia signaling, metabolic rewiring, and immune modulation. While gene-level analyses have defined key features of ccRCC biology, they do not capture isoform-level variation aris...

MR Neurography of Fine-Caliber Nerves: Technical Considerations and Practical Applications

With the advent of high-resolution imaging techniques, advanced fat and vascular suppression methods, and three-dimensional isotropic acquisitions, MR neurography of fine-caliber nerves has become an indispensable tool in assessment of peripheral neuropathies, but successful imag...

Development of an Achievable Benchmarks of Care Report Card for Pediatric Hospital Medicine

OBJECTIVES: To develop an Achievable Benchmarks of Care (ABCs) report card for common conditions managed by pediatric hospital medicine (PHM). METHODS: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of encounters for 13 common pediatric conditions between January 1, 2023, and...

Trends in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Procedure Volume Recorded in MBSAQIP, 2015–2024

BACKGROUND: Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is the most effective treatment for severe obesity; however, national procedure volume is not well characterized. We examined trends in MBS utilization in the United States from 2015 to 2024 using the Metabolic and Bariatric Surge...

Autonomic-Immune Crosstalk in Lupus: Impaired Cholinergic Signaling and Consequences for Cardiovascular-Renal Physiology

Over the years, our group has used complementary approaches to examine how autonomic-immune crosstalk influences the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We found that pharmacological enhancement of vagal activity and engagement of the parasympathetically-mediated...

Global Paid and Unpaid Productivity Losses Due to Gastrointestinal Cancer Mortality

OBJECTIVES: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers contribute substantially to premature mortality, yet their full economic burden, including unpaid work, remains underquantified. We aimed to estimate global productivity losses attributable to GI cancer mortality, considering paid and unp...

Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential Proteomic Risk Score for Predicting Clinical Outcome in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

BACKGROUND: Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is common in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the proteomic signatures linked to CHIP driver mutations and their prognostic implications in HFpEF remain poorly defined. We aimed to...

Utility and best practices for clinical diagnostic testing of the autonomic nervous system: A Consensus Statement Endorsed by the American Autonomic Society and the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine

Abstract Purpose Disorders of the autonomic nervous system are prevalent and associated with substantial morbidity, mortality and diagnostic delay. Standardized, laboratory-based autonomic function testing provides objective physiological data essential for diagnosing, staging, a...

Molecular based diagnostic testing for urinary tract infections: the results remain unclear

INTRODUCTION: Recent advances have led to a rise in metagenomic and molecular-based testing for more rapid diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI). We conducted a contemporary systematic review to understand how these molecular tests affect clinical outcomes. METHODS: A syste...

Multiparametric Whole-Body MRI Protocols in Contemporary Clinical Practice: Indications, Technical Considerations, and Emerging Applications

Multiparametric whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) is an advanced cross-sectional imaging technique that integrates anatomic sequences into functional modalities, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping and Dixon-based imaging. WB-MRI can...

Impact of post‐chemotherapy classification on outcomes in stage III and IV unilateral favorable histology Wilms tumor: Pooled data from Children’s Oncology Group AREN0532, AREN0533, and AREN03B2 studies

Abstract Background Improvements in therapy for patients with favorable histology Wilms tumor (FHWT) have relied on refinement of risk stratification for therapeutic assignment through identification of favorable and unfavorable prognostic factors. Although well established in In...

An Fc receptor and IgA functional signature identifies TB disease in children living with HIV

Abstract Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children living with HIV (CLHIV). TB disease is difficult to detect with current clinical microbiological, immunological, and radiographic tools. Serological assays that determine levels of...

Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli pduB drives vitamin B 12 -dependent colitis in mice

ABSTRACT Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) are strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease, but the virulence factors driving their invasive and pro-inflammatory behavior remain incompletely defined. Here, we demonstrate that vitamin B 12 availability modul...

Contemporary therapy for small node-negative triple-negative breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study

Introduction Multi-agent neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) with immune checkpoint blockade is standard treatment for Stage II–III triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), though its role in smaller node-negative tumors remains unclear. Methods We performed a retrospective multi-institutiona...

Structure and function of TM6SF1 reveals role in mTORC1 signaling

The transmembrane 6 superfamily (TM6SF) comprises two members: TM6SF1, a ubiquitously expressed lysosomal membrane protein of unknown function, and TM6SF2, an endoplasmic reticulum protein required for bulk lipidation of Apolipoprotein B–containing lipoproteins. Here, we used cry...

Racial and ethnic survival disparities in primary liver cancer in the United States: a National Cancer Database propensity score-matched study

:Introduction Primary liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. We evaluated whether racial and ethnic survival disparities among US patients with primary liver cancer persist after adjustment for clinical, treatment, socioeconomic, and access-related factors...

Comparative analysis of intraoperative and postoperative outcomes in primary vs. revision meningioma surgery: A propensity score-matched study

PURPOSE: Surgical resection is a critical intervention for meningiomas, but revision surgeries are challenging due to scar tissue, altered anatomy, and increased physiological stress. Our study evaluates differences in intraoperative and short-term postoperative outcomes between...

Engineering microRNAs as multimodal cancer therapeutics

Resistance to systemic therapy remains a major challenge in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have improved outcomes for patients with EGFR-mutant tumors, but acquired resistance is common and can arise t...

Global variability in cardiovascular care of pediatric cancer patients and survivors: survey results from the International Cardio Oncology Society (ICOS)

Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease due to cardiotoxic cancer therapies. Different international guidelines and recommendations for follow-up were published. However, global practices surrounding cardiovascular risk assessment, screeni...