The biologic underpinnings of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have not been fully elucidated. Previous work suggests that alterations in the immune system are characteristic of the disorder. Identifying the biologic mechanisms by which such alterations occur could provide fundamental insights into the etiology and treatment of PTSD. Here we identify specific epigenetic profiles underlying ...

Predicting suicide is difficult due to the low base rate, even in high-risk groups, and the multi-causal nature of suicidal behavior. Clinical predictors have shown low specificity. Retrospective and cross-sectional studies have identified a number of biologic anomalies associated with suicide and suicide attempt. Prospective studies provide estimates of the predictive utility of biologic measu...

The purpose of this study was to document the precision with which measurements can be made on a normal subject as a "biologic control" when comparisons are made both on an intralaboratory and interlaboratory basis. One individual had a total of about 300 routine pulmonary function measurements in 22 laboratories during a 13-year period. In this study, significant variation was found in interla...

It is now known that all biologic drugs, even those that are fully human, are immunogenic, that is, they have the ability to induce an immune response in the treated patient. Since the presence of antidrug antibodies may influence the levels and function of the drug in the body, this immune response can alter the efficacy of the biologic treatment and even its safety profile, depending on the m...

Background Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience an excess risk of congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic inflammation plays a pivotal role in this increased risk. Despite the growing body of research on cardiovascular (CV) disease in RA, the key pathways underlying the development of abnormalities in myocardial structure and function associated with CHF remain obscure. Cardiac ma...

The intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) is the single most effective and widely used device for temporary mechanical assistance of the failing heart. Although the principles underlying IABP function are simple, various biologic factors often determine its performance in a particularly complicated way. We briefly describe the basic disciplines of counterpulsation by IABP and the induced hemodynamic ...