Last data update: May 06, 2024. (Total: 46732 publications since 2009)
Records 1-7 (of 7 Records) |
Query Trace: Parham M[original query] |
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Microcephaly Outcomes among Zika Virus-Infected Pregnant Women in Honduras
Alger J , Buekens P , Cafferata ML , Alvarez Z , Berrueta M , Bock H , Bustillo C , Calderón A , Callejas A , Castillo M , Ciganda A , Fúnes J , García J , García K , Gibbons L , Gilboa SM , Harville EW , Hernández G , López R , López W , Lorenzana I , Tulio Luque M , Maldonado C , Moore CA , Ochoa C , Parham L , Pastrana K , Rico F , Rodríguez H , Stella C , Valencia D , Varela D , Wesson DM , Zúniga C , Tong VT . Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021 104 (5) 1737-1740 The impact of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection on pregnancies shows regional variation emphasizing the importance of studies in different geographical areas. We conducted a prospective study in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, recruiting 668 pregnant women between July 20, 2016, and December 31, 2016. We performed Trioplex real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR (rRT-PCR) in 357 serum samples taken at the first prenatal visit. The presence of ZIKV was confirmed in seven pregnancies (7/357, 2.0%). Nine babies (1.6%) had microcephaly (head circumference more than two SDs below the mean), including two (0.3%) with severe microcephaly (head circumference [HC] more than three SDs below the mean). The mothers of both babies with severe microcephaly had evidence of ZIKV infection. A positive ZIKV Trioplex rRT-PCR was associated with a 33.3% (95% CI: 4.3-77.7%) risk of HC more than three SDs below the mean. |
Fentanyl-associated illness among substance users - Fulton County, Georgia, 2015
Angela Parham M , Pomerleau AC , Peralta G , Drenzek CL , Edison LS . Am J Emerg Med 2018 36 (11) 2115-2117 In early 2015, Hospital A emergency physicians subjectively noticed an increase in opioid overdoses presenting to the emergency department (ED) that corresponded with an increase in fentanyl-positive substance-related deaths documented by the Fulton County medical examiner (ME). This prompted Hospital A emergency physicians to begin selective fentanyl urine drug screening (UDS) for patients with clinical signs of opioid intoxication. After testing revealed that some patients had UDS positive for fentanyl, Hospital A began testing for fentanyl as part of all routine UDS in May 2015 and notified the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) of their findings. Fentanyl had not been commonly reported as associated with substance abuse and overdose in Georgia before this cluster. DPH initiated an epidemiologic investigation to characterize events and guide prevention efforts. |
Biochemical and Structural Insights into the Preference of Nairoviral DeISGylases for Interferon-Stimulated Gene Product 15 Originating from Certain Species.
Deaton MK , Dzimianski JV , Daczkowski CM , Whitney GK , Mank NJ , Parham MM , Bergeron E , Pegan SD . J Virol 2016 90 (18) 8314-27 The regulation of the interferon type I (IFN-I) response has been shown to rely on posttranslational modification by ubiquitin (Ub) and Ub-like interferon-stimulated gene product 15 (ISG15) to stabilize, or activate, a variety of IFN-I signaling and downstream effector proteins. Unlike Ub, which is almost perfectly conserved among eukaryotes, ISG15 is highly divergent, even among mammals. Since zoonotic viruses rely on viral proteins to recognize, or cleave, ISG15 conjugates in order to evade, or suppress, innate immunity, the impact of ISG15 biodiversity on deISGylating proteases of the ovarian tumor family (vOTU) from nairoviruses was evaluated. The enzymatic activities of vOTUs originating from the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Erve virus, and Nairobi sheep disease virus were tested against ISG15s from humans, mice, shrews, sheep, bats, and camels, which are mammalian species known to be infected by nairoviruses. This along with investigation of binding by isothermal titration calorimetry illustrated significant differences in the abilities of nairovirus deISGylases to accommodate certain species of ISG15. To investigate the molecular underpinnings of species preferences of these vOTUs, a structure was determined to 2.5 A for a complex of Erve virus vOTU protease and a mouse ISG15 domain. This structure revealed the molecular basis of Erve virus vOTU's preference for ISG15 over Ub and the first structural insight into a nonhuman ISG15. This structure also revealed key interactions, or lack thereof, surrounding three amino acids that may drive a viral deISgylase to prefer an ISG15 from one species over that of another. IMPORTANCE: Viral ovarian tumor domain proteases (vOTUs) are one of the two principal classes of viral proteases observed to reverse posttranslational modification of host proteins by ubiquitin and interferon-stimulated gene product 15 (ISG15), subsequently facilitating downregulation of IFN-I signaling pathways. Unlike the case with ubiquitin, the amino acid sequences of ISG15s from various species are notably divergent. We illustrate that vOTUs have clear preferences for ISG15s from certain species. In addition, these observations are related to the molecular insights acquired via the first X-ray structure of the vOTU from the Erve nairovirus in complex with the first structurally resolved nonhuman ISG15. This information implicates certain amino acids that drive the preference of vOTUs for ISG15s from certain species. |
Notes from the field: Mycobacterium abscessus infections among patients of a pediatric dentistry practice - Georgia, 2015
Peralta G , Tobin-D'Angelo M , Parham A , Edison L , Lorentzson L , Smith C , Drenzek C . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016 65 (13) 355-356 On September 13, 2015, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) was notified by hospital A of a cluster of pediatric Mycobacterium abscessus odontogenic infections. Hospital A had provided care for nine children who developed presumptive or confirmed M. abscessus infection after having a pulpotomy at pediatric dentistry practice A (dates of onset: July 23, 2014-September 4, 2015). During a pulpotomy procedure, decay and the diseased pulp are removed to preserve a deciduous tooth. DPH initiated an investigation to identify the outbreak source and recommend prevention and control measures. |
Ebola active monitoring system for travelers returning from West Africa - Georgia, 2014-2015
Parham M , Edison L , Soetebier K , Feldpausch A , Kunkes A , Smith W , Guffey T , Fetherolf R , Sanlis K , Gabel J , Cowell A , Drenzek C . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2015 64 (13) 347-350 The Ebola virus disease (Ebola) epidemic in West Africa has so far produced approximately 25,000 cases, more than 40 times the number in any previously documented Ebola outbreak. Because of the risk for imported disease from infected travelers, in October 2014 CDC recommended that all travelers to the United States from Ebola-affected countries receive enhanced entry screening and postarrival active monitoring for Ebola signs or symptoms until 21 days after their departure from an Ebola-affected country. The state of Georgia began its active monitoring program on October 25, 2014. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) modified its existing, web-based electronic notifiable disease reporting system to create an Ebola Active Monitoring System (EAMS). DPH staff members developed EAMS from conceptualization to implementation in 6 days. In accordance with CDC recommendations, "low (but not zero) risk" travelers are required to report their daily health status to DPH, and the EAMS dashboard enables DPH epidemiologists to track symptoms and compliance with active monitoring. Through March 31, 2015, DPH monitored 1,070 travelers, and 699 (65%) used their EAMS traveler login instead of telephone or e-mail to report their health status. Medical evaluations were performed on 30 travelers, of whom three were tested for Ebola. EAMS has enabled two epidemiologists to monitor approximately 100 travelers daily, and to rapidly respond to travelers reporting signs and symptoms of potential Ebola virus infection. Similar electronic tracking systems might be useful for other jurisdictions. |
Adverse effects in risk assessment: modeling polychlorinated biphenyls and thyroid hormone disruption outcomes in animals and humans
Parham F , Wise A , Axelrad DA , Guyton KZ , Portier C , Zeise L , Zoeller RT , Woodruff TJ . Environ Res 2012 116 74-84 There is a growing need for quantitative approaches to extrapolate relationships between chemical exposures and early biological perturbations from animals to humans given increasing use of biological assays to evaluate toxicity pathways. We have developed such an approach using polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and thyroid hormone (TH) disruption as a case study. We reviewed and identified experimental animal literature from which we developed a low-dose, linear model of PCB body burdens and decrements in free thyroxine (FT(4)) and total thyroxine (TT(4)), accounting for 33 PCB congeners; extrapolated the dose-response from animals to humans; and compared the animal dose-response to the dose-response of PCB body burdens and TH changes from eleven human epidemiological studies. We estimated a range of potencies for PCB congeners (over 4 orders of magnitude), with the strongest for PCB 126. Our approach to developing toxic equivalency models produced relative potencies similar to the toxicity equivalency factors (TEFs) from the World Health Organization (WHO). We generally found that the dose-response extrapolated from the animal studies tends to under-predict the dose-response estimated from human epidemiological studies. A quantitative approach to evaluating the relationship between chemical exposures and TH perturbations, based on animal data can be used to assess human health consequences of thyroid toxicity and inform decision-making. |
A way forward: the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and reducing HIV incidence in the United States
Millett GA , Crowley JS , Koh H , Valdiserri RO , Frieden T , Dieffenbach CW , Fenton KA , Benjamin R , Whitescarver J , Mermin J , Parham-Hopson D , Fauci AS . J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2010 55 S144-S147 In July 2010, the Obama Administration released a National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States to refocus national attention on responding to the domestic HIV epidemic. The goals of the strategy are to reduce HIV incidence; to increase access to care and optimize health outcomes among people living with HIV; and to reduce HIV-related disparities. The strategy identifies a small number of action steps that will align efforts across federal, state, local, and tribal levels of government, and maximally impact the domestic HIV epidemic. In this article, we outline key programmatic and research issues that must be addressed to accomplish the prevention goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. |
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