Arpan Acharya

Bio: Arpan Acharya is an academic researcher from University of Nebraska Medical Center. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Biology. The author has an hindex of 9, co-authored 41 publications receiving 326 citations. Previous affiliations of Arpan Acharya include University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Impact of Social Determinants of Health on the Emerging COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Abstract: A novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) caused a global pandemic in the months following the first four cases reported in Wuhan, China, on December 29, 2019. The elderly, immunocompromised, and those with preexisting conditions-such as asthma, cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension, chronic kidney disease (CKD), or obesity-experience higher risk of becoming severely ill if infected with the virus. Systemic social inequality and discrepancies in socioeconomic status (SES) contribute to higher incidence of asthma, CVD, hypertension, CKD, and obesity in segments of the general population. Such preexisting conditions bring heightened risk of complications for individuals who contract the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from the virus (2019-nCoV)-also known as "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" (SARS-CoV-2). In order to help vulnerable groups during times of a health emergency, focus must be placed at the root of the problem. Studying the social determinants of health (SDOH), and how they impact disadvantaged populations during times of crisis, will help governments to better manage health emergencies so that every individual has equal opportunity to staying healthy. This review summarizes the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection Leads to Neurological Dysfunction.

Abstract: A number of neurological disease complications have been seen following infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). While most person with COVID-19 respiratory disease demonstrate headache, nausea and vomiting, up to 40% present also experience dizziness, confusion, cerebrovascular disease, muscle pain, ataxia and seizures. Loss of taste and smell, defects in visual acuity and pain occur in parallel. Such central nervous system (CNS) signs and symptoms linked to laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection is often life threatening. Health care providers currently evaluating patients with neurologic symptoms need consider COVID-19 in any differential diagnosis. These considerations will facilitate prompt testing, isolation and prevention of viral transmission speeding best clinical outcomes. Graphical Abstract.

Animal models for SARS-CoV-2 research: A comprehensive literature review.

Abstract: Emerging and re-emerging viral diseases can create devastating effects on human lives and may also lead to economic crises. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic due to the novel coronavirus (nCoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which originated in Wuhan, China, has caused a global public health emergency. To date, the molecular mechanism of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, its clinical manifestations and pathogenesis is not completely understood. The global scientific community has intensified its efforts in understanding the biology of SARS-CoV-2 for development of vaccines and therapeutic interventions to prevent the rapid spread of the virus and to control mortality and morbidity associated with COVID-19. To understand the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2, appropriate animal models that mimic the biology of human SARS-CoV-2 infection are urgently needed. In this review, we outline animal models that have been used to study previous human coronaviruses (HCoVs), including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Importantly, we discuss models that are appropriate for SARS-CoV-2 as well as the advantages and disadvantages of various available methods.

A longitudinal study of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients reveals a high correlation between neutralizing antibodies and COVID-19 severity.

Abstract: Understanding the immune responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection is critical in terms of protection against reinfection and, thus, for public health policy and vaccine development for COVID-19. In this study, using either live SARS-CoV-2 particles or retroviruses pseudotyped with the SARS-CoV-2 S viral surface protein (Spike), we studied the neutralizing antibody (nAb) response in serum samples from a cohort of 140 SARS-CoV-2 qPCR-confirmed infections, including patients with mild symptoms and also more severe forms, including those that required intensive care. We show that nAb titers correlated strongly with disease severity and with anti-spike IgG levels. Indeed, patients from intensive care units exhibited high nAb titers; conversely, patients with milder disease symptoms had heterogeneous nAb titers, and asymptomatic or exclusive outpatient-care patients had no or low nAbs. We found that nAb activity in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients displayed a relatively rapid decline after recovery compared to individuals infected with other coronaviruses. Moreover, we found an absence of cross-neutralization between endemic coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2, indicating that previous infection by human coronaviruses may not generate protective nAbs against SARS-CoV-2. Finally, we found that the D614G mutation in the spike protein, which has recently been identified as the current major variant in Europe, does not allow neutralization escape. Altogether, our results contribute to our understanding of the immune correlates of SARS-CoV-2-induced disease, and rapid evaluation of the role of the humoral response in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 is warranted.

Focus on Vitamin D, Inflammation and Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract: The initial observations linking vitamin D to type 2 diabetes in humans came from studies showing that both healthy and diabetic subjects had a seasonal variation of glycemic control Currently, there is evidence supporting that vitamin D status is important to regulate some pathways related to type 2 diabetes development Since the activation of inflammatory pathways interferes with normal metabolism and disrupts proper insulin signaling, it is hypothesized that vitamin D could influence glucose homeostasis by modulating inflammatory response Human studies investigating the impact of vitamin D supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers of subjects with or at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes are scarce and have generated conflicting results Based on available clinical and epidemiological data, the positive effects of vitamin D seem to be primarily related to its action on insulin secretion and sensitivity and secondary to its action on inflammation Future studies specifically designed to investigate the role of vitamin D on type 2 diabetes using inflammation as the main outcome are urgently needed in order to provide a more robust link between vitamin D, inflammation and type 2 diabetes

COVID-19, Mast Cells, Cytokine Storm, Psychological Stress, and Neuroinflammation.

Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new pandemic infectious disease that originated in China. COVID-19 is a global public health emergency of international concern. COVID-19 causes mild to severe illness with high morbidity and mortality, especially in preexisting risk groups. Therapeutic options are now limited to COVID-19. The hallmark of COVID-19 pathogenesis is the cytokine storm with elevated levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), chemokine (C-C-motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). COVID-19 can cause severe pneumonia, and neurological disorders, including stroke, the damage to the neurovascular unit, blood-brain barrier disruption, high intracranial proinflammatory cytokines, and endothelial cell damage in the brain. Mast cells are innate immune cells and also implicated in adaptive immune response, systemic inflammatory diseases, neuroinflammatory diseases, traumatic brain injury and stroke, and stress disorders. SARS-CoV-2 can activate monocytes/macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, mast cells, neutrophils, and induce cytokine storm in the lung. COVID-19 can activate mast cells, neurons, glial cells, and endothelial cells. SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause psychological stress and neuroinflammation. In conclusion, COVID-19 can induce mast cell activation, psychological stress, cytokine storm, and neuroinflammation.

Methylation of serum DNA is an independent prognostic marker in colorectal cancer. Commentary

Abstract: Purpose: Aberrant CpG island hypermethylation is a feature of a subgroup of colorectal cancers, which can be detected in the serum of affected patients. This study was designed to identify methylation targets with prognostic significance in the serum of patients with colorectal cancer. Experimental Design: In a gene evaluation set consisting of sera from 24 patients with local colorectal cancers, 14 with metastasized disease, and 20 healthy controls, the genes HPP1/TPEF, HLTF, and hMLH1 were identified as potential serum DNA methylation markers. These genes were further analyzed in a test set of sera of 104 patients with colorectal cancer. Results: Methylation of HLTF, HPP1/TPEF, and hMLH1 was found to be significantly correlated with tumor size, and methylation of HLTF and HPP1/TPEF was significantly associated with metastatic disease and tumor stage. Moreover, methylation of HPP1/TPEF was also associated with serum carcinoembryonic antigen. The prognostic relevance of methylation of these genes was tested in pretherapeutic sera of 77 patients with known follow-up. Patients with methylation of HPP1/TPEF or HLTF were found to have unfavorable prognosis (P = 0.001 and 0.008). In contrast, serum methylation of hMLH1 was not associated with a higher risk of death. Multivariate analysis showed methylated HPP1 and/or HLTF serum DNA to be independently associated with poor outcome and a relative risk of death of 3.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.4-8.1; P = 0.007). Conclusions: These data show that the methylation status of specific genes in the serum of patients with colorectal cancer has the potential to become a pretherapeutic predictor of outcome.