Citations

Minorities have historically been underrepresented in health-related research. Several strategies have been recommended to increase the participation of minorities in health-related research. However, most of the recommendations and guidelines apply to research in clinical or laboratory contexts. One of the more prominent methods to enhance minority participation in health-related research that has recently come to the fore is the use of community-engaged strategies. The purpose of this article is to summarize community-engaged outreach efforts that can be translated into useable strategies for health education research teams seeking to diversify the pool of research participants. Also, we provide a succinct overview of the various components of a research endeavor that may influence minority participation in health-related research. Finally, we analyze how health education specialists and SOPHE (Society of Public Health Education) can play a leading role in helping enhance minority participation in health-related research.

Frontal sinus mucocele was our preoperative diagnosis in a patient who had frontal swelling and downward displacement of the eye. Supporting this were typical roentgenogram changes, a long history of asthma, pansinusitis, and previous multiple‐polypectomy surgery. Frontal sinus exploration revealed a locally eroding lesion.It was composed of spindled cells and lipid‐laden histiocyctes with a pattern of fibrous xanthoma and was treated conservatively. It should not be confused with true malignancies such as fibrous histiocytoma having a similar histopathologic appearance and requiring more aggressive surgical treatment.

SummaryWhile proteasome inhibition is a validated therapeutic approach for multiple myeloma (MM), inhibition of individual constitutive proteasome (c20S) and immunoproteasome (i20S) subunits has not been fully explored owing to a lack of effective tools. We utilized the novel proteasome constitutive/immunoproteasome subunit enzyme‐linked immunosorbent (ProCISE) assay to quantify proteasome subunit occupancy in samples from five phase I/II and II trials before and after treatment with the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib. Following the first carfilzomib dose (15–56 mg/m2), dose‐dependent inhibition of c20S and i20S chymotrypsin‐like active sites was observed [whole blood: ≥67%; peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs): ≥75%]. A similar inhibition profile was observed in bone marrow–derived CD138+ tumour cells. Carfilzomib‐induced proteasome inhibition was durable, with minimal recovery in PBMCs after 24 h but near‐complete recovery between cycles. Importantly, the ProCISE assay can be used to quantify occupancy of individual c20S and i20S subunits. We observed a relationship between MM patient response (n = 29), carfilzomib dose and occupancy of multiple i20S subunits, where greater occupancy was associated with an increased likelihood of achieving a clinical response at higher doses. ProCISE represents a new tool for measuring proteasome inhibitor activity in clinical trials and relating drug action to patient outcomes.

Findings from genetic, animal model, and human studies support the observation that accumulation of the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide in the brain plays a central role in the pathogenic cascade of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Human studies suggest that one key factor leading to accumulation is a defect in brain Aβ clearance. We have developed a novel microimmunoelectrode (MIE) to study the kinetics of Aβ clearance using an electrochemical approach. This is the first study using MIEs in vivo to measure rapid changes in Aβ levels in the brains of living mice. Extracellular, interstitial fluid (ISF) Aβ levels were measured in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. Baseline levels of Aβ40 in the ISF are relatively stable and begin to decline within minutes of blocking Aβ production with a γ-secretase inhibitor. Pretreatment with a P-glycoprotein inhibitor, which blocks blood–brain barrier transport of Aβ, resulted in significant prolongation of Aβ40 half-life, but only in the latter phase of Aβ clearance from the ISF.

The tetrad of bronchial asthma, nasal disease, eosinophilia, and systemic vasculitis is the main feature of allergic granulomatosis and angiitis. Twenty‐two of 32 patients (69%) with this disorder had nasal manifestations, including nasal polyps, thick crusts, rhinitis, sinusitis, and occasionally septal perforations. Histopathologic study of involved tissue from the nose or subcutaneous nodules in conjunction with clinical evaluation will aid in establishing the correct diagnosis. Treatment with corticosteroids favorably influences symptoms and prognosis.

IgA immunoglobulin fractions containing antibodies to Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐induced membrane antigens were isolated from the sera of two patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), from one non‐NPC patient, and from three persons with sera negative for IgA antibodies. IgA antibodies were not cytotoxic against cells expressing EBV‐induced membrane antigens in the antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay. However, IgA antibodies blocked IgG‐mediated ADCC, which indicated that these antibodies could serve as a blocking “factor” in patients with disease and, therefore, were potentially detrimental to the host.