Biomedical subjects

Melissa Chu

Publications and source records attributed to Melissa Chu.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Safety, efficacy, and tolerability of nelfinavir-containing antiretroviral therapy for patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C undergoing methadone maintenance.

The safety, efficacy, and tolerability of nelfinavir (NFV)-containing antiretroviral therapy were evaluated in patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C undergoing methadone maintenance at an urban outpatient opioid treatment program serving a minority adult population. Eligibility covered methadone-maintained patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C who had received or were currently receiving NFV. The yield was 51 case patients. Parameters examined looked into safety, efficacy, and tolerability. Nelfinavir was discontinued in 2 patients for liver function abnormalities but resumed in 1 patient. One patient developed laboratory abnormalities during NFV therapy that were not present before NFV therapy; in 12 case patients, pre-NFV therapy liver function abnormalities resolved completely during NFV therapy. There was a statistically significant increase in CD4 count during NFV therapy. Viral load decreased or was unchanged in 10 case patients and increased in 8, of whom 5 had a CD4 count increase during NFV therapy. Three patients had diarrhea and 4 patients had constipation. Nelfinavir was not discontinued -- neither was dose adjusted -- in any of these patients. Patients who had received NFV > or =36 months had a smaller increase in mean methadone dose as compared with patients who had received NFV <36 months. The results show that NFV is safe, efficacious, and well tolerated.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Decrease in creatine kinase messenger RNA expression in the hippocampus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVES: Bipolar disorder (BPD) affects more than 2 million adults in the USA and ranks among the top 10 causes of worldwide disabilities. Despite its prevalence, very little is known about the etiology of BPD. Recent evidence suggests that cellular energy metabolism is disturbed in BPD. Mitochondrial function is altered, and levels of high-energy phosphates, such as phosphocreatine (PCr), are reduced in the brain. This evidence has led to the hypothesis that deficiencies in energy metabolism could account for some of the pathophysiology observed in BPD. To further explore this hypothesis, we examined levels of creatine kinase (CK) mRNA, the enzyme involved in synthesis and metabolism of PCr, in the hippocampus (HIP) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of control, BPD and schizophrenia subjects. METHODS: Tissue was obtained from the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (HIP, DLPFC) and gene expression microarrays (HIP) were employed to compare the brain and mitochondrial 1 isoforms of CK. RESULTS: Both CK isoforms were downregulated in BPD. Furthermore, mRNA transcripts for oligodendrocyte-specific proteins were downregulated in the DLPFC, whereas the mRNA for the neuron-specific protein microtubule-associated protein 2 was downregulated in the HIP. CONCLUSION: Although some of the downregulation of CK might be explained by cell loss, a more general mechanism seems to be responsible. The downregulation of CK transcripts, if translated into protein levels, could explain the reduction of high-energy phosphates previously observed in BPD.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Exposure to interpersonal violence as a predictor of PTSD symptomatology in domestic violence survivors.

This study examines the interrelationships between childhood abuse, exposure to maternal domestic violence, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in a multiethnic sample of 111 adult female residents of a domestic violence (DV) shelter. Participants completed structured interviews about the DV and their prior violence exposure, as well as the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. As hypothesized, there was high co-occurrence between exposure to maternal DV and childhood physical and sexual abuse, and the frequency of lifetime violence exposure predicted PTSD symptomatology. A series of multiple regressions indicated a more complex pattern of relationships, in which specific forms of prior violence exposure predicted different PTSD symptom dimensions. A history of witnessing maternal DV predicted intrusion symptoms, and a history of childhood sexual abuse predicted hyperarousal symptoms. Ethnicity was not related to levels of violence exposure or to PTSD symptoms. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Coping and violence exposure as predictors of psychological functioning in domestic violence survivors.

This study examines the differential effects of adult and childhood physical and psychological abuse, abuse-specific coping, and psychological adjustment in battered women seeking emergency shelter. Multivariate regression analyses confirmed the devastating impact of psychological abuse (childhood and concurrent) on battered women's adjustment. The results corroborated prior research suggesting a cumulative vulnerability to psychological victimization in a substantial proportion of residents. Unexpectedly, frequency of physical violence was unrelated to women's distress. The study argues that modes of coping traditionally considered adaptive (e.g., engaged, proactive) may be unsafe for battered women and children. The multifaceted nature of survivors' coping choices is discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

The process of coping with domestic violence in adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Research suggests that the use of disengaged or avoidant strategies to cope with interpersonal violence contributes to the development of depressive symptoms and other psychological difficulties. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who are exposed to subsequent episodes of abuse may be more likely to rely on disengaged coping strategies, placing them at elevated risk of psychological symptomatology. In this study, we explored the interrelationships between coping, depression, and self-esteem in an ethnically diverse sample of domestic violence survivors (N = 219) with and without a history of CSA. As predicted, CSA survivors (n = 86) reported significantly greater use of disengaged coping strategies (wishful thinking, self-criticism, and social withdrawal) than non-CSA survivors (n = 133). As hypothesized, both a CSA history and the use of disengaged coping significantly predicted higher levels of depression and lower self- esteem. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗