A hepatite C afeta cerca de 150 milhões de pessoas no mundo e é a razão mais comum de transplantes de fígado. A erradicação viral, por meio de tratamento medicamentoso, é a única intervenção que pode deter a progressão da doença, reduzir a mortalidade e melhorar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes. Em 2011, foi aprovado o boceprevir, um inibidor de protease, que passou a ser adicionado à terapia padrão dupla (interferon peguilado e ribavirina) pelo Protocolo Clínico brasileiro para tratamento de Hepatite C genótipo 1 em pacientes com grau de fibrose maior que F2. Devido ao alto custo de aquisição deste medicamento e à produção cada vez maior de novas tecnologias para essa área terapêutica, foi proposta essa pesquisa que tem como objetivo analisar o custo-efetividade da terapia tripla em relação à terapia dupla, no tratamento da hepatite C crônica genótipo 1 em pacientes virgens de tratamento para todos os graus de fibrose. Para tanto, foi construído um modelo de Markov com 15 estados de saúde representando a história natural da Hepatite C crônica. O modelo seguiu uma coorte hipotética pela vida toda, em que os custos foram expressos em Reais e os desfechos em anos de vida ganhos. A perspectiva adotada foi a do SUS. A RCEI calculada, com taxa de desconto de 5% para custos e desfechos, foi R$ 201.504,92 por ano de vida ganho. Considerando um limiar de custo efetividade de 3 vezes o valor do PIB per capita, segundo recomendação da OMS, a adição do boceprevir não foi custo-efetiva no tratamento de pacientes virgens em todos os graus de fibrose. Pela análise de sensibilidade, nenhuma variável teve grande impacto na RCEI, exceto quando a taxa de desconto aplicada em desfechos foi zerada, em que a terapia tripla passou a ser custo-efetiva. / The Hepatitis C virus affects around 150 million of people worldwide and it is the most common reason for liver transplantation. Viral eradication, by drug treatment, is the only therapeutic intervention that may halt the disease progression, reduce HCV-related mortality and improve the quality of life of infected patients. Boceprevir, a protease inhibitor, was approved in 2011, being to be added to standard of care (peguilated interferon-α and ribavirin) by the Brazilian Protocol of treatment of genotype 1 Hepatitis C, in patients with degree of fibrosis greater than F2. Due to the high cost of acquisition of this drug and the increasing production of new technologies in this therapeutic area, the aim of this work was develop a cost-effectiveness analysis, comparing the triple therapy with the standard of care (double therapy) for treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C in treatment-naïve patients of all degrees of fibrosis. It was constructed a Markov Model with 15 health states representing the natural history of chronic Hepatitis C. The model followed a hypothetic cohort by lifetime, where costs were expressed in Reais and outcomes in life-years gained, under the perspective of Brazilian public health system. The calculated ICER, with discount rate of 5% to costs and outcomes, was R$201.504, 92 by life-years gained. Considering three times GDP per capita for cost-effectiveness threshold, according WHO recommendation, boceprevir was not cost-effective, when considered treatment-naïve patients of all degrees of fibrosis. By sensitivity analysis, none of the variables had a big impact in the ICER, except when it was stopped applying the discount rate in outcomes, in which the triple therapy became cost-effective.

A evolução da recorrência da hepatie C pós-transplante hepático pode ter um curso bastante variável. Raramente a doença pode progredir para uma forma conhecida como hepatite recorrente colestática grave, cuja patogenia ainda não é bem conhecida. Nós estudamos nesse trabalho alguns aspectos virológicos, histológicos e imunohistoquímicos de seis pacientes com essa forma rara de recorrência da doença, tendo como comparação um grupo pareado de seis pacientes transplantados com a forma leve de hepatite C recorrente, e como controle imunocompetente, cinco pacientes não transplantados com hepatite crônica pelo vírus C. Foram avaliados como possíveis fatores preditivos de gravidade da progressão da recorrência: viremia do VHC, evolução de quasispécies, parâmetros histopatológicos, e imunoreatividade para o antígeno core do VHC. / Following liver transplantation (OLT) HCV-related disease severity is highly variable, with a minority of cases progressing to an extremely severe form of cholestatic hepatitis, in which the pathogenesis is not yet understood. We aim to compare virological, histological and immunohistological changes in patients developing mild and severe post-OLT HCV recurrence. Twelve patients with recurrent HCV infection were studied (6 with severe and 6 with mild disease). Five HCV-infected immunocompetent patients were used as controls. We looked at viral load, quasispecies evolution of HCV, several histological parameters and immuno-reactivity of core antigens at three time-points (pre-OLT, early post-OLT and late post-OLT) as predictors of severity of recurrence post-OLT.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Research findings indicate that between 42% and 56% of people dying between the ages of 25 to 70 are most likely to die out of a preventable cause. Most of these illnesses are chronic illnesses, directly a result of lifestyles that people have adopted over long periods. Whilst it has been difficult to cure some of the diseases, it has been however possible to treat the ailments. Consequently, patients who have followed faithfully the treatment regimes have lived far longer than would have been expected. Because these illnesses needed continued treatment, they are therefore referred to as chronic illnesses. It is expected therefore that the patients should regularly go for medical check-ups as well as take their medicines continuously. Chronic illnesses are an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality in Metro District primarily because most chronic patients die even though their deaths are preventable. The research findings presented here are a result of a survey of 200 chronic-patients in the Metro-District in Cape Town using mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. The objectives of the studies were primarily to establish reasons for the noticed defaulting rate amongst the patients. Because the medication was subsidised by the government and the patients got the treatment at no cost, it was expected that few, if any, would default. The findings indicated that close of 40% of the patients’ default and various reasons were provided ranging from forgetting, no transport money, no one to accompany them to the outlets to absence from town. The findings provide valid information to be used by the district to address the high rate of chronic medicines defaulting.

People expenencmg chronic pain encounter increases m needs and endure the consequences of failure to satisfy needs. In much of the management of people with chronic pain, chronic pain is considered an abstract phenomenon with little attention given to the human experience. Numerous literature focus on a mechanistic reductionistic approach in management of chronic pain. Most literature is written by medical practitioners, nurses and psychologists from a health-care oriented methodology, whereas minimal research literature was contributed from a pastoral care and counselling perspective. This dissertation explores the needs and feelings of people with chronic pain to identify their needs at the various developmental stages of their pain experience, and within their relevant ecosystems, in order to develop a pastoral response. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

A pele e as mucosas constituem as primeiras barreiras na defesa contra infecções e os macrófagos são componentes essenciais do sistema imune inato, importante neste aspecto. O envolvimento destas células pode ser verificado em grande percentual das imunodeficiências primárias. Desta forma, a avaliação da função fagocitária é de extrema relevância para o reconhecimento dos distúrbios imunológicos que acometem a pele. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a metodologia laboratorial para a detecção de defeitos funcionais dos fagócitos. Para isto foram estabelecidos os seguintes testes laboratoriais: Nitro Blue Tetrazolium (NBT), Dihidrorodamina (DHR), quimiotaxia, fagocitose e a aderência de S. aureus e C. albicans por citometria de fluxo (CF), além de morte intracelular de S. aureus e C. albicans (CF). Para verificar a integridade do sistema complemento realizou-se ensaios hemolíticos para as vias clássica e alternativa (CH50 e AP50). A metodologia proposta foi aplicada em indivíduos normais para a padronização dos testes. O burst oxidativo avaliado pelo teste da dihidrorodamina (DHR) foi aplicado em 101 indivíduos saudáveis e em paralelo, 50 indivíduos sadios para o teste do NBT. Os mesmos testes foram realizados em pacientes com Candidíase mucocutânea crônica (CMC) (n=9 ), Candidíase persistente (n=5), Suspeita de distúrbios de fagócitos (SDF) (n=14), Doença Granulomatosa Crônica (DGC)(n= 7) e portadores de DGC (n=5). A quimiotaxia foi padronizada em 34 controles para neutrófilos estimulados com Lipopolissacarídeo de E.Coli (LPS) e 5 com fungo Candida albicans. A técnica de fagocitose e aderência de patógenos foi padronizada com os mesmos estímulos (n=7 para fungos/n=5 para bactéria). Após a padronização, o ensaio foi aplicado em pacientes com candidíase persistente (n=5 para bactéria e n=5 para fungo) e em pacientes com CMC (n= 3 para bactéria e n=4 para fungo). Os ensaios de fagocitose e morte intracelular (capacidade bactericida e fungicida) foram padronizados em 18 indivíduos sadios para bactérias e os ensaios de morte intracelular para S. aureus foi aplicado em pacientes com CMC (n=5), com CP (n=6), com SDF (n =9) e com DGC (n=2), para os ensaios de fagocitose com morte intracelular para fungos foram utilizados 22 indivíduos saudáveis e após a padronização do ensaio foram aplicados em pacientes com CMC (n=8), pacientes com CP ( n= 7), pacientes com DGC (n=2) e indivíduos com SDF (n= 13) O ensaio de DHR foi padronizado e estabelecido em 80% de intensidade de fluorescência para células estimuladas com PMA e 15% de intensidade de fluorescência para células sem estímulo. Nos resultados do DHR encontrou-se diferença significativa no grupo de DGC (n=7)(P= 0,0001), no grupo de portadores (n=5)(P=0,0005) e no grupo de SDF (n=14)(P= 0,0053). O ensaio do DHR foi repetido após 24 horas da coleta (n=7), não se verificando alteração da resposta. A quimiotaxia mostrou diferença significativa entre C (n=4) vs SDF (n=3)(P=0,0001) e pacientes com CMC apresentaram redução da capacidade quimiotática para bactérias (n=3)e fungos (n= 4) com soro autólogo (P= 0,0246 e P=0,0109, respectivamente). Na fagocitose e aderência de bactérias inativadas ,os grupos de CMC, CP E SDF não mostraram diferenças significativas com bactérias não opsonizadas ou opsonizadas com soro AB e apresentaram menor índice de fagocitose (C x CMC)(P=0,0357) quando foram opsonizadas com soro autólogo. Na fagocitose e aderência de fungos inativados, controles e grupos de pacientes apresentaram resposta semelhante com fagocitose preservada. Os ensaios de morte intracelular para bactérias não opsonizadas houve menor expressão de fagocitose no grupo de C x SDF (P=0,0044). Na capacidade bactericida verificou-se diferença significativa entre os grupos CxCMC (P=0,0403). A opsonização das bactérias com soro AB foi significativamente diferente entre os grupos CxCP (P=0,0129) e CxSDF (P=0,0048) e com capacidade bactericida diferente entre grupos CxCP (P=0,0258) e CxSDF (P=0,0205). Na avaliação da fagocitose de bactérias opsonizadas com soro autólogo foi verificada diferença significativa entre os grupos CxCP (P=0,0013) e CxSDF (P=0,0048). Não houve diferença na capacidade bactericida dos grupos de pacientes com o controle. Os ensaios de fagocitose e morte intracelular para fungos sem opsonização não mostrou diferença estatisticamente significativa. A morte intracelular mostrou-se diferente para o grupo CxCMC (P=0,0155) e quando opsonizado com soro AB houve diferença CxCP (P=0,0369). A fagocitose com opsonização por soro autólogo significativa no grupo CxSDF (P=0,0001) e um paciente de CMC com sua fagocitose comprometida quando comparado com o controle do dia. A morte intracelular foi diferente nos grupos CxCMC (P=0,0018) e CxCP (p=0,0203). Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa à avaliação do complemento. O ensaio do DHR mostrou ser sensível e preciso para o diagnóstico de DGC e portadores de DGC, porém pode detectar outras alterações de fagócitos. O ensaio de aderência e fagocitose mostraram-se variáveis dificultando a padronização de valores de normalidade e exclusão de defeitos. Ensaios de fagocitose com morte intracelular mostraram-se como a melhor forma de detectar distúrbios de fagócitos além do diagnóstico de DGC. A aplicação de controles do dia mostrou-se necessária e importante para a detecção de defeitos funcionais. O presente trabalho mostrou que a avaliação de distúrbios de fagócitos por morte intracelular por citometria de fluxo pode ser aplicado em outras situações clínicas com comprometimento imunológico / Skin and mucosa are part of the first barriers in the defense against infections, and the macrophages are essential components of the innate immune system, important when related to this aspect. The involvement of these cells can be seen in a large percentage of the primary immunodeficiencies. Therefore, the assessment of the phagocitary function is extremely important for the recognition of immunological disorders which affect the skin. The present study focus on the evaluation of the laboratorial methodology for the detection of functional defects of phagocytes. For this the following laboratorial tests were established: Nitro Blue Tetrazolium (NBT), chemotaxis, phagocytosis and adherence of S. aureus and C. albicans through flow cytometry (FC), besides the intracellular death of S. aureus and C. albicans (FC). To assess the integrity of the complement system hemolytic assays were performed for the classic and alternative pathways (CH50 and AP50). The proposed methodology was applied to normal individuals for the standardization of the assays. The oxidative burst evaluated through the dihydrorodamine essay (DHR) was applied to 101 healthy individuals and in parallel, 50 healthy individuals for the NBT assay. The same assays were performed on patients with Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC)(n=9), persistent candidiasis (n=5), Phagocytes disorders suspicious (PDS) (n=14), Chronicle granulomatous disease (CGD)(n=7) and CGD carriers (n=5). Chemotaxis was standardized using 34 controls for neutrophils stimulated by lipopolisacharydes from e. coli (LPS) and 5 by C. albicans. Phagocytosis and adherence of pathogens were standardized using the same stimuli (n=7 for fungi and n=5 for bacteria). Following the standardization, the assay was applied to patients with persistent candidiasis (n=5 for fungi and n=5 for bacteria) and on patients with CMC (n=4 for fungi and n=3 for bacteria). Phagocytosis and intracellular death assays (bactericidal and fungicidal capacity) were standardized using 18 healthy individuals for bacteria and the intracellular death assays for S. aureus were applied on patients suffering from CMC (n=5), from PC (n=6), from PDS (n=9) and from CGD (n=2), for the phagocytosis with fungi intracellular death assays 22 healthy individuals were used, and following the standardization the assay was applied to patients suffering from CMC (n=8), from PC (n=7), from CGD (n=2) and PDS individuals (n=13). The DHR assay was standardized and established according to fluorescence intensity 80% for cells stimulated by PMA and fluorescence intensity 15% for cells without stimuli. In the DHR results a significant difference in the CGD group (n=7)(P= 0,0001), in the carriers group (n=5)(P=0,0005) and in the PDS group (n=14)(P= 0,0053) was found. The DHR assay was performed once again 24 hours after the sample collection (n=7) and no changes in the response were seen. Chemotaxis showed a significant difference between C (n=4) vs PDS (n=3)(P=0,0001) and patients suffering from CMC showed decreased ability in the chemotaxis of bacteria (n=3) and fungi (n=4) with autologous serum (P= 0,0246 e P=0,0109, respectively). In the phagocytosis and adherence of inactivated bacteria, the CMC, PC and PDS groups showed no significant differences with non-opsonizated bacteria or opsonizated with AB serum and presented a lower phagocytosis level (C x CMC)(P=0,0357) when they were opsonizated by autologous serum. In the phagocytosis and adherence of inactivated fungi, controls and patient groups presented a similar response with preserved phagocytosis. In the intracellular death assays for non-opsonizated bacteria there was a lower phagocytosis expression in the C x SDF group (P=0,0044). In the bactericidal ability a significant difference between the groups C x CMC was seen (P=0,0403). The opsonization of bacteria with AB serum showed a significant difference among the groups C x CP (P=0,0129) and C x SDF (P=0,0048) and with different bactericidal ability among the groups C x CP (P=0,0258) and C x SDF (P=0,0205). In the evaluation of the phagocytosis of bacteria opsonizated by autologous serum a significant difference among the groups C x CP (P=0,0013) and C x SDF (P=0,0048) was seen. There was no difference between the bactericidal ability of the patients group and control group. The phagocytosis and intracellular assays for fungi without opsonization presented no significant statistical difference. Intracellular death was different for the C x CMC group (P=0,0155) and when opsonizated by AB serum difference was shown C x CP (P=0,0369). The phagocytosis with opsonization by autologous serum presented significant difference in the C x SDF group (P=0,0001) and in a CMC patient with compromised phagocytosis when compared with the daily control. Intracellular death was different in the C x CMC (P=0,0018) and C x CP (p=0,0203) groups. There was no significant statistical difference according to the complement evaluation. The DHR assay was seen as very sensitive and precise for the diagnosis of CGD, however it can detect other phagocyte alterations. The phagocytosis and adherence assay varied a lot making the standardization of normal values and defects exclusion very difficult. Phagocytosis with intracellular death assays showed the best performance to detect phagocytes disorders besides CGD diagnosis. The use of daily controls was seen as very necessary and important to detect functional disorders. This study demonstrated that phagocytes disorder evaluation through intracellular death using flow cytometry can be applied to other clinical situations which are immunologically compromised

A hepatite C afeta cerca de 150 milhões de pessoas no mundo e é a razão mais comum de transplantes de fígado. A erradicação viral, por meio de tratamento medicamentoso, é a única intervenção que pode deter a progressão da doença, reduzir a mortalidade e melhorar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes. Em 2011, foi aprovado o boceprevir, um inibidor de protease, que passou a ser adicionado à terapia padrão dupla (interferon peguilado e ribavirina) pelo Protocolo Clínico brasileiro para tratamento de Hepatite C genótipo 1 em pacientes com grau de fibrose maior que F2. Devido ao alto custo de aquisição deste medicamento e à produção cada vez maior de novas tecnologias para essa área terapêutica, foi proposta essa pesquisa que tem como objetivo analisar o custo-efetividade da terapia tripla em relação à terapia dupla, no tratamento da hepatite C crônica genótipo 1 em pacientes virgens de tratamento para todos os graus de fibrose. Para tanto, foi construído um modelo de Markov com 15 estados de saúde representando a história natural da Hepatite C crônica. O modelo seguiu uma coorte hipotética pela vida toda, em que os custos foram expressos em Reais e os desfechos em anos de vida ganhos. A perspectiva adotada foi a do SUS. A RCEI calculada, com taxa de desconto de 5% para custos e desfechos, foi R$ 201.504,92 por ano de vida ganho. Considerando um limiar de custo efetividade de 3 vezes o valor do PIB per capita, segundo recomendação da OMS, a adição do boceprevir não foi custo-efetiva no tratamento de pacientes virgens em todos os graus de fibrose. Pela análise de sensibilidade, nenhuma variável teve grande impacto na RCEI, exceto quando a taxa de desconto aplicada em desfechos foi zerada, em que a terapia tripla passou a ser custo-efetiva. / The Hepatitis C virus affects around 150 million of people worldwide and it is the most common reason for liver transplantation. Viral eradication, by drug treatment, is the only therapeutic intervention that may halt the disease progression, reduce HCV-related mortality and improve the quality of life of infected patients. Boceprevir, a protease inhibitor, was approved in 2011, being to be added to standard of care (peguilated interferon-α and ribavirin) by the Brazilian Protocol of treatment of genotype 1 Hepatitis C, in patients with degree of fibrosis greater than F2. Due to the high cost of acquisition of this drug and the increasing production of new technologies in this therapeutic area, the aim of this work was develop a cost-effectiveness analysis, comparing the triple therapy with the standard of care (double therapy) for treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C in treatment-naïve patients of all degrees of fibrosis. It was constructed a Markov Model with 15 health states representing the natural history of chronic Hepatitis C. The model followed a hypothetic cohort by lifetime, where costs were expressed in Reais and outcomes in life-years gained, under the perspective of Brazilian public health system. The calculated ICER, with discount rate of 5% to costs and outcomes, was R$201.504, 92 by life-years gained. Considering three times GDP per capita for cost-effectiveness threshold, according WHO recommendation, boceprevir was not cost-effective, when considered treatment-naïve patients of all degrees of fibrosis. By sensitivity analysis, none of the variables had a big impact in the ICER, except when it was stopped applying the discount rate in outcomes, in which the triple therapy became cost-effective.

A evolução da recorrência da hepatie C pós-transplante hepático pode ter um curso bastante variável. Raramente a doença pode progredir para uma forma conhecida como hepatite recorrente colestática grave, cuja patogenia ainda não é bem conhecida. Nós estudamos nesse trabalho alguns aspectos virológicos, histológicos e imunohistoquímicos de seis pacientes com essa forma rara de recorrência da doença, tendo como comparação um grupo pareado de seis pacientes transplantados com a forma leve de hepatite C recorrente, e como controle imunocompetente, cinco pacientes não transplantados com hepatite crônica pelo vírus C. Foram avaliados como possíveis fatores preditivos de gravidade da progressão da recorrência: viremia do VHC, evolução de quasispécies, parâmetros histopatológicos, e imunoreatividade para o antígeno core do VHC. / Following liver transplantation (OLT) HCV-related disease severity is highly variable, with a minority of cases progressing to an extremely severe form of cholestatic hepatitis, in which the pathogenesis is not yet understood. We aim to compare virological, histological and immunohistological changes in patients developing mild and severe post-OLT HCV recurrence. Twelve patients with recurrent HCV infection were studied (6 with severe and 6 with mild disease). Five HCV-infected immunocompetent patients were used as controls. We looked at viral load, quasispecies evolution of HCV, several histological parameters and immuno-reactivity of core antigens at three time-points (pre-OLT, early post-OLT and late post-OLT) as predictors of severity of recurrence post-OLT.

Growth failure is a major problem in children with chronic renal failure (CRF). A number of factors have been suggested as explanations for this impaired growth including renal osteodystrophy, age of onset of chronic renal failure, degree of azotemia and nutritional status. As children with CRF are frequently unable to maintain sufficient nutrient intakes for optimal growth, the nutritional status of these individuals must obviously have a major, if as yet poorly understood, role in the observed growth failure. Therefore, a nutritional, physical and biochemical study was conducted to assess the nutritional status of seven children undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. To evaluate the adequacy of dietary intake, fourteen day food records were obtained from each of the participants and average nutrient intakes were compared to the recommended daily nutrient intake of the Canadian Dietary Standard (CDS) (1975). To assess the physical status of the children, height, height velocity, weight, per cent body fat, and bone age were determined. As abnormalities of taste sensitivity are known to influence dietary patterns, salivary flow rates, salivary urea concentrations, and taste detection and recognition thresholds for sweet, sour, salt and bitter were determined pre and post dialysis. Biochemical investigations included the determination of pre and post dialysis plasma amino acid concentrations following a standardized fast of five hours, and the quantification of the amounts of amino acids lost into dialysate during a complete hemodialysis treatment. The mean caloric intake of 54% ±11 of the CDS is inadequate for optimal growth. The mean protein intake was 1.09 ±.16 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The first and second limiting amino acids were histidine and threonine, respectively. Nutritional deficiencies of certain water soluble vitamins (riboflavin, niacin and pyridoxine) existed for some of the children. The mean zinc, magnesium and copper intakes were 45% ±8, 51% ±19 and 54% ±32 of the CDS, respectively. Growth (as measured by body height and weight) was found to be retarded one to two standard deviations from normal in the children studied. Per cent body fat estimations were within normal limits, but bone age was frequently below chronological age. Taste sensitivity was impaired as shown by elevated pre dialysis sweet and bitter recognition thresholds (p<.01). This reduced taste acuity was improved post dialysis (p<.005), but did not reach normal values. Pre and post dialysis, salivary flow rates were reduced (p<.0005) and salivary urea concentrations elevated (p<.0005) when compared to normal. Pre dialysis, plasma concentrations of taurine, a-amino-butyric acid, valine, cystine, leucine, tyrosine and tryptophan were decreased from normal levels (p<.025), and aspartic acid, proline, glycine, citrulline, ornithine, histidine, arginine, asparagine, 3-methylhistidine and hydroxyproline were elevated above normal (p<.005). The presence of subclinical protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) was indicated by a depressed plasma essential to nonessential amino acid ratio, a depressed plasma valine to glycine ratio, and an elevated plasma phenylalanine to tyrosine ratio as compared to normal. The detection of 3-methylhistidine and hydroxyproline in plasma provides additional indications of PCM. The mean amount of total amino acid lost into dialysate was 4.7 ±.9 grams. Histidine, threonine, lysine and valine were the essential amino acids lost in the largest amounts. In conclusion, growth is retarded in children with CRF and may be due to the accumulation of metabolic end products which depress appetite and/or delay the natural rate of growth events Suboptimal nutriture, as evidenced by the presence of PCM, is a major factor in the growth retardation of these individuals. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Inhibiting BCR-ABL kinase activity with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been the frontline therapy for CML. Resistance to TKIs frequently occurs, but the mechanisms remain elusive. First, to uncover survival pathways involved in TKI resistance in CML, I conducted a genome-wide RNAi screen in human CML cells to identify genes governing cellular sensitivity to the first generation TKI called IM (Gleevec). I identified genes converging on and activating the MEK/ERK pathway through transcriptional up-regulation of PRKCH. Combining IM with a MEK inhibitor synergistically kills TKI-resistant CML cells and CML stem cells. Next, I performed single cell RNA-seq to compare expression profiles of CML stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells isolated from the same patient. Among the genes that are preferentially expressed in CML stem cells is PIM2, which encodes a pro-survival serine-threonine kinase that phosphorylates and inhibits the pro-apoptotic protein BAD. Inhibiting PIM2 function sensitizes CML stem cells to IM-induced apoptosis and prevents disease relapse in a CML mouse model. Last, I devised a CRISPR-Cas9 based strategy to perform insertional mutagenesis at a defined genomic location in murine hematopoietic Ba/F3 cells. As proof of principle, we showed its capability to perform unbiased, saturated point mutagenesis in a 9 amino acid region of BCR-ABL encompassing the socalled “gatekeeper” residue, an important determinant of TKI binding. We found that the ranking order of mutations from the screen correlated well with their prevalence in IM-resistant CML patients. Overall, my findings reveal novel resistance mechanisms in CML and provide alternative therapeutic strategies.

Uncertainties still exist about the safety of cell phone use and the level of cell phone-driven radiation. The purpose of the current inquiry was to determine the long-term health impacts of cell phone-driven radiation via the use of cell phones. In this cross-sectional study, which was based on socio-ecological theory, secondary data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed to assess the difference in the prevalence of thyroid cancer, mouth/tongue/lip cancer, and heart disease between exposed and non-exposed/less exposed cell phone-driven radiation groups in the United States. Logistic regression was used to address three research questions. Findings initially showed that cell phone use was associated with cancer outcome. However, there was no statistically significant relationship between individuals who were heavy users or sometimes users of cell phones and thyroid or mouth/tongue/lip cancer when compared to individuals who rarely or do not use cell phones. There was a relationship between heavy/sometimes users and heart disease when compared to individuals who rarely/do not use cell phones. Yet, when all the confounders/covariates were included in the model, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups compared. For assessment of thyroid cancer cases among individuals who received 'all/almost all calls' via the cell phones and those who received calls 'sometimes' on cell phones, age and sex were added in the model. Based on the study findings, policy-makers could further explore the implementation of comprehensive regulatory measures to address cell phone safety.