While Vaccines serve as a crucial function to rooting out diseases in our society, they also carry a small risk of causing autoimmune diseases. The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) helps compensate these victims. The VICP awarded $1.5 million in December 2014 to a Lebanon Pennsylvania woman who developed Guillain-Barr Syndrome from a flu shot. Guillain-Barr Syndrome (GBS) is a rare but possible side effect of any vaccine, including the flu vaccine. This rare condition causes the bodys immune system to attack the peripheral nervous system. GBS can start out as muscle weakness or a tingling sensation and lead to paralysis. Two weeks after receiving the flu vaccine, Wendy Lister went to Good Samaritan Hospital with complaints of burning, tingling and numbness in her upper and lower extremities. She was admitted and diagnosed with GBS and ataxia, a nervous system disorder affecting movement and balance control. Lister was hospitalized for six weeks and underwent physical and occupational therapy, but she has not fully recovered. Listers Guillain-Barr flu shot injuries left her with constant pain and numbness in her hands and feet. She is unable to walk more than a short distance or drive. Because of her recurring injuries, she has … Continue reading →

PITTSBURGH, January 8, 2015 - Genetic mutations may link smoking and alcohol consumption to destruction of the pancreas observed in chronic pancreatitis, according to a 12-year study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings, published today in Nature Publishing Group's online, open-access journal Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology, provides insight into why some people develop this painful and debilitating inflammatory condition while most heavy smokers or drinkers do not appear to suffer any problems with it. The process appears to begin with acute pancreatitis, which is the sudden onset of inflammation causing nausea, vomiting and severe pain in the upper abdomen that may radiate to the back, and is typically triggered by excessive drinking or gallbladder problems, explained senior investigator David Whitcomb, M.D., Ph.D., chief of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, Pitt School of Medicine. Up to a third of those patients will have recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis, and up to a third of that group develops chronic disease, in which the organ becomes scarred from inflammation. "Smoking and drinking are known to be strong risk factors for chronic pancreatitis, but not everyone who smokes or drinks damages their pancreas," Dr. Whitcomb said. "Our new … Continue reading →

Highlights Washington, DC (January 8, 2015) -- New research provides insights into the ties between certain genetic variants and kidney disease in African Americans. The genetic association is one of the strongest ever reported for a common disease, and these latest findings may help improve diagnosis and treatment. The study appears in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). African Americans have a 4-fold increased risk for chronic kidney disease compared with European Americans. Recent work from several research groups has shown that much of this risk is due to genetic variations in a gene called apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1), which creates a protein that is a component of HDL, or good cholesterol. These variants arose tens of thousands of years ago in sub-Saharan Africa, and so are present in individuals who have recent sub-Saharan African ancestry. Approximately 5 million African Americans carry APOL1 risk variants, placing them at increased risk for kidney disease. Jeffrey Kopp, MD (National Institutes of Health) and his colleagues investigated the role of APOL1 variants in a particular form of kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The team studied information on 94 patients with FSGS and found that patients … Continue reading →