Case Western Reserve University

About: Case Western Reserve University is a education organization based out in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 54617 authors who have published 106568 publications receiving 5071613 citations. The organization is also known as: Case & Case Western.

Effect of high-dose ibuprofen in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Abstract: Background Since the inflammatory response to chronic infection contributes to lung destruction in patients with cystic fibrosis, we hypothesized that antiinflammatory therapy might slow the progression of lung disease. Methods In a double-blind trial, 85 patients, 5 to 39 years of age, with mild lung disease (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1], >60 percent of the predicted value) were randomly assigned to receive ibuprofen or placebo orally twice daily for four years. Doses were adjusted individually to achieve peak plasma concentrations of 50 to 100 μg per milliliter. Changes in pulmonary function, the percentage of ideal body weight, the chest-radiograph score, and the frequency of hospitalization were assessed. Results Patients randomly assigned to ibuprofen had a slower annual rate of change in FEV1 than the patients assigned to placebo (mean [±SE] slope, -2.17±0.57 percent vs. -3.60±0.55 percent in the placebo group; P = 0.02), and weight (as a percentage of ideal body weight) was better ...

The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support: a confirmation study.

Abstract: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988) with a diverse group of 154 students at an urban college. The following areas were investigated: internal reliability, factorial validity, social desirability bias, and the moderating effect of social support between stressful life events and depression (i.e., the buffering hypothesis). The MSPSS had good internal reliability, and the factor analysis confirmed the subscale structure of the measure: family, friends, and significant other. There was no indication that social desirability bias influenced subjects' responses. Finally, social support was related to depression only for those subjects who were experiencing high levels of life stress, which lends support for the buffering hypothesis.

Global, Regional, and National Burden of Rheumatic Heart Disease, 1990–2015

Abstract: BackgroundRheumatic heart disease remains an important preventable cause of cardiovascular death and disability, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. We estimated global, regional, and national trends in the prevalence of and mortality due to rheumatic heart disease as part of the 2015 Global Burden of Disease study. MethodsWe systematically reviewed data on fatal and nonfatal rheumatic heart disease for the period from 1990 through 2015. Two Global Burden of Disease analytic tools, the Cause of Death Ensemble model and DisMod-MR 2.1, were used to produce estimates of mortality and prevalence, including estimates of uncertainty. ResultsWe estimated that there were 319,400 (95% uncertainty interval, 297,300 to 337,300) deaths due to rheumatic heart disease in 2015. Global age-standardized mortality due to rheumatic heart disease decreased by 47.8% (95% uncertainty interval, 44.7 to 50.9) from 1990 to 2015, but large differences were observed across regions. In 2015, the highest age-stand...

Lumican Regulates Collagen Fibril Assembly: Skin Fragility and Corneal Opacity in the Absence of Lumican

Abstract: Lumican, a prototypic leucine-rich proteoglycan with keratan sulfate side chains, is a major component of the cornea, dermal, and muscle connective tissues. Mice homozygous for a null mutation in lumican display skin laxity and fragility resembling certain types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. In addition, the mutant mice develop bilateral corneal opacification. The underlying connective tissue defect in the homozygous mutants is deregulated growth of collagen fibrils with a significant proportion of abnormally thick collagen fibrils in the skin and cornea as indicated by transmission electron microscopy. A highly organized and regularly spaced collagen fibril matrix typical of the normal cornea is also missing in these mutant mice. This study establishes a crucial role for lumican in the regulation of collagen assembly into fibrils in various connective tissues. Most importantly, these results provide a definitive link between a necessity for lumican in the development of a highly organized collagenous matrix and corneal transparency.