Basic/Translational Science/Team Science
2350 Creating a comprehensive municipal inventory of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) to predict allergenic pollen exposures
- Daniel S. W. Katz, Stuart Batterman
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- 21 November 2018, p. 7
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: One of the key difficulties in predicting allergenic pollen exposures has been a lack of information on source plant location and abundance. However, the increasing availability of spatially explicit data from remote sensing offers new opportunities to create comprehensive inventories of allergenic pollen producing plants. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: In this study, we use a spatially oriented field survey to map common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) in Detroit, MI, USA. We then combine this with remote sensing imagery and LiDAR to predict ragweed presence and potential pollen production across 344 km2 of Detroit. Finally, we compare this with measurements of airborne pollen concentrations collected throughout the city. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Our initial results show that ragweed is present in ~2% of the city, and its presence and abundance are strongly associated with demolished building (p<0.001). The uneven distribution of ragweed plants across the city leads to substantially higher pollen concentrations in neighborhoods where more buildings have been recently demolished. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Our approach offers an effective way to quantify allergenic pollen production, airborne concentrations, and exposures across a large metropolitan area. This in turn provides insight on how to best reduce airborne pollen concentrations: in this case, by changing post-demolition land management practices.
2456 Cutaneous lupus erythematosus patients have increased circulating myeloid-derived suppressor cells with immunosuppressive properties
- Stephanie Florez-Pollack, Lin-chiang Tseng, Masato Kobayashi, Benjamin F. Chong, Kiyoshi Ariizumi
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- 21 November 2018, pp. 7-8
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: MDSCs are potent suppressors of T cell function, and have been recently found to be implicated in skin diseases driven by T cell dysregulation. However, the function of MDSCs in CLE is poorly understood. We sought to characterize the MDSC population in the peripheral blood of DLE patients and evaluate their ability to suppress autologous T cells. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: All patients were recruited through the UT Southwestern Cutaneous Lupus Registry. PBMCs from 32 CLE patients and 16 age-matched and gender-matched controls were analyzed using flow cytometry. Monocytic MDSCs were identified by the phenotype of CD14+ HLA-DR neg/low. Furthermore, autologous MDSCs and T cells were purified from CLE PBMCs (n=4) and co-cultured at different ratios of these cells. T cell function was measured by secretion of IFN-γ by ELISA. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Monocytic MDSCs in CLE PBMCs (median: 2.04%, IQR: 0.67%–5.07%) were significantly higher compared with healthy control PBMCs (median: 0.5%, IQR: 0.1%–1.07%, p=0.002). Although not significant on subset analysis, patients with CLE limited to the head and neck had the highest levels of MDSCs. CLE MDSCs (n=4) were found to suppress autologous activated T-cells in a dose-dependent manner. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: In this cross-sectional study of patients of the UT Southwestern Cutaneous Lupus Registry, we observed differences in the levels of MDSCs among PBMCs of CLE patients Versus healthy controls. CLE patients had significantly higher levels of MDSCs, which could be explained by the presence of an inflammatory state in this group. Furthermore, CLE MDSCs were able to suppress autologous T cells, showing that these cells are functionally patent in CLE blood. Their up-regulation in CLE blood may represent the body’s response to limiting disease severity, since most patients had mild disease activity.
2042 CYP2C19*2 and PON1 Q192R polymorphisms are associated with platelet reactivity to clopidogrel in Puerto Rican Hispanics with cardiovascular disease
- Dagmar F. H. Suarez, Mariana R. Botton, Stuart A. Scott, Matthew I. Tomey, Kyle Melin, Angel Lopez-Candales, Jessicca Y. Renta, Jorge Duconge
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- 21 November 2018, p. 8
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: High on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) with clopidogrel imparts an increased risk for ischemic events in adults with coronary artery disease. Although more potent antiplatelet agents are available, clopidogrel remains the most commonly used P2Y12 inhibitor in Puerto Rico. Platelet reactivity varies with ethnicity and is influenced by both clinical and genetic variables; however, no clopidogrel pharmacogenetic studies with Puerto Rican patients have been reported. Therefore, we sought to identify clinical and genetic determinants of on-treatment platelet reactivity in a cohort of Puerto Rican patients with cardiovascular disease. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We performed a retrospective study of 111 Puerto Rican patients on 75 mg/day maintenance dose of clopidogrel. Patients were allocated into 2 groups: Group I, without HTPR; and Group II, with HTPR. Clinical data was obtained from the medical record. Platelet function was measured ex vivo using the VerifyNow® P2Y12 assay and HTPR was defined as P2Y12 reaction units (PRU)≥230. Genotyping of CYP2C19, ABCB1, PON1, PY2R12, B4GALT2, CES1, and PEAR1 was performed using Taqman® Genotyping Assays. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The mean PRU across the cohort was 203±61 PRU (range, 8–324), and 42 (38%) patients had HTPR. One in four individuals carried at least 1 copy of the CYP2C19*2 variant allele. Hematocrit and PON1 p.Q192R variant were inversely correlated with platelet reactivity (p<0.05). Multiple logistic regression showed that 27% of the total variation in PRU was explained by a history of diabetes mellitus, hematocrit, CYP2C19*2, and PON1 p.Q192R. Body mass index (OR=1.15; CI: 1.03–1.27), diabetes mellitus (OR=3.46; CI: 1.05–11.43), hematocrit (OR=0.75; CI: 0.65–0.87), and CYP2C19*2 (OR=4.44; CI: 1.21–16.20) were the only independent predictors of HTPR. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: In a representative sample of Puerto Rican patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hematocrit, CYP2C19*2, and PON1 p.Q192R were associated with on-treatment platelet reactivity. These factors may identify a subset of patients at higher risk for adverse events on clopidogrel in the Hispanic population.
2269 Day-to-day association between alcohol use and physical activity in university students
- Scott Graupensperger, Michael B. Evans
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- 21 November 2018, p. 8
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The goal of the present study was to advance our understanding of how alcohol use may contribute to physical inactivity among university students by investigating this association at a day-to-day level. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: In total, 57 university students (Mage=20.27; 54% male) completed daily diary questionnaires using a cellphone application, which prompted them each evening to report minutes of moderate/vigorous physical activity engaged in, and number of alcoholic drinks consumed, as well as intended minutes of physical activity for the following day. Longitudinal mixed-level modeling was used to disentangle within person and between-person effects of alcohol use on physical activity behavior and intentions. Separate models were run to investigate lagged effects of previous day alcohol use. We controlled for sex and age in all models. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Results indicated that participants’ usual alcohol use (between-person) was not associated with physical activity behavior or intentions. At the within-person level, day-to-day variance in alcohol use was negatively associated with both physical activity behavior (γ=−0.34, p=0.003) and intentions to engage in physical activity the following day (γ=−0.70, p<0.001). The lagged model indicated that previous day alcohol use negatively predicted PA behavior (γ=−0.33, p=0.004). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Previous studies have largely been constrained to cross-sectional designs, and have surmised that there exists a positive association between alcohol use and physical activity due to trait-level differences between university students. We advance this literature by using ecological momentary assessment to investigate the within-person effects of alcohol use on physical activity at a day-to-day level while controlling for between-person variance. Contrary to existing literature, we found that on days when students consumed relatively more alcohol than they typically report, they: (a) report fewer minutes of physical activity on the same day, (b) plan to engage in relatively less physical activity on the subsequent day, and (c) engage in less physical activity on the subsequent day. By advancing our understanding of how alcohol use may curtail other health behaviors such as physical activity, we inform interventions that aim to target these behaviors in conjunction, or as part of a multiple behavior change intervention.
2327 Decoding/encoding somatosensation from the hand area of the human primary somatosensory (S1) cortex for a closed-loop motor/sensory brain-machine interface (BMI)
- Brian Lee, Richard Andersen, Helena Chui, William Mack
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- 21 November 2018, p. 8
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: A brain-machine interface (BMI) is a device implanted into the brain of a paralyzed or injured patient to control an external assistive device, such as a cursor on a computer screen, a motorized wheelchair, or a robotic limb. We hypothesize we can utilize electrical stimulation of subdural electrocorticography (ECoG) electrodes as a method of generating the percepts of somatosensation such as vibration, temperature, or proprioception. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: There will be 10 subjects, who are informed, willing, and consented epilepsy patients undergoing initial surgery for placement of subdural ECoG electrodes in the brain for seizure monitoring. ECoG will be used as a platform for recording high-resolution local field potentials during real-touch behavioral tasks. In addition, ECoG will also be used to electrically stimulate the human cerebral cortex in order to map and understand how varying stimulation parameters produce percepts of sensation. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: To determine how tactile and proprioceptive signals are integrated in S1, we will perform spectral analysis of the broadband local field potentials to look for increased power in specific frequency bands in the ECoG recordings while touching or moving the hand. To explore generating artificial sensation, the subject will be asked to perform a variety of tasks with and without the aid of stimulation. We anticipate the subject’s performance will be enhanced with the addition of artificial sensation. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Many patients might benefit from a BMI, such as those with stroke, amputation, spinal cord injury, or brain trauma. The current generation of BMI devices are guided by visual feedback alone. However, without somatosensory feedback, even the most basic limb movements are difficult to perform in a fluid and natural manner. The results from this project will be crucial to developing a closed loop motor/sensory BMI.
2564 Designing for dissemination: Characteristics of Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs as adopters of clinical and translational science innovation
- Elaine H. Morrato, Lindsay Lennox, Anne Schuster
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- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 November 2018, pp. 8-9
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program is a national consortium of 50+ academic medical research centers charged with accelerating the translation of clinical research. In 2017, the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences anticipates total CTSA program funding of over $500M. The consortium’s hub-and-spoke structure makes it a natural dissemination network, and the newest funding announcement makes dissemination of innovation across the consortium an explicit goal, but characteristics of CTSA hubs as adopters and transmitters of innovation are unknown. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A content analysis was conducted using data from CTSA hub Web sites (n=64) and a structured coding taxonomy based on 6 constructs drawn from literature about diffusion of innovation in service organizations (Greenhalgh et al., 2004): dissemination priority, institutional complexity, communication infrastructure, support for dissemination/implementation functions, cross-institutional collaboration/networking, and leadership composition. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: In total, 52% of hubs will renew under the new PAR in the next few years, providing an incentive to demonstrate dissemination capacity (although hubs will likely lag in operationalizing these activities until they are funded). A third of hubs (34%) represent more than one academic/research institution, and almost 80% of hubs have more than one clinical affiliate. To accommodate these different levels of institutional complexity, broad diffusion will require multi-modal, locally adapted dissemination efforts. Only 25% of hubs have capacity to undertake additional dissemination activities, and only 27% provide formal D&I support, suggesting that additional capacity/support will be needed to operationalize the CTSA dissemination mission. In total, 30% of hubs participate in cross-institutional collaboration/networking, so many may not have existing norms/tools supporting inter-institutional collaboration, but 77% include leadership from outside the School of Medicine, facilitating effective intrainstitutional dissemination. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Understanding more about CTSA hubs as both adopters and transmitters of innovation can facilitate strategic use of these sites as a built-in dissemination network to amplify the reach and impact of clinical innovation and improve population health. Based on this initial analysis, the CTSA network does not appear to be fully primed for broad, rapid dissemination of innovation across its sites. In-depth interviews are being conducted to investigate CTSA hubs’ perceptions of their dissemination capacity and roles as adopters and transmitters of innovation.
2224 Determining if intestinal commensal bacteria enhance the frequency of reassortment of an enteric, segmented virus, reovirus
- Matthew Lanahan, Andrea Erickson, Julie Pfeiffer
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- 21 November 2018, p. 9
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The overall goal is to determine if intestinal commensal bacteria play a role in enteric virus evolution. We will use reovirus, an enteric segmented virus, to investigate specific goals. First, we will determine if specific bacterial species enhance the coinfection frequency of 2 separate strains of reovirus. Second, we will determine if the presence/absence of different bacterial species in the microbiota of mice results in different reovirus reassortment frequencies. Finally, we will discover if reassortant reovirus is present in human populations. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: My first goal is to determine if specific bacterial species enhance the coinfection frequency of 2 strains of reovirus. In our lab, we have a panel of commensal intestinal bacterial strains, as well as a number of lab adapted bacterial strains. We will use this panel of bacteria to determine if reovirus binds to different species of bacteria using a binding assay involving radiolabeled virus. Additionally, we will determine if specific species of bacteria alter the coinfection frequency through a Flow cytometry based assay. This will involve mixing virus with bacteria, infecting cells in culture, and straining for reovirus proteins for flow cytometry. Our second goal is to determine if specific bacteria promote reassortment of reovirus in a mouse model of infection. To do this, we will use gnotobiotic techniques to create mice harboring different intestinal bacteria populations. Mice will be infected with 2 strains of reovirus, and then feces and organs will be collected. Progeny virus will be subjected to a plaque assay on 2 different types of cells. The first type of cells will be normal cells in culture in which all viable viruses will form plaques. The second will be a cell line that stably expresses siRNAs against specific reovirus segments in which only specific reassortants will form plaques. These 2 plaque assays will be used to quantify the total number of viruses present and the total number of reassortant viruses present. Additionally, SDS-PAGE and RT-PCR will be used to confirm reassortants. Our third goal is to determine if reassortant reovirus is present in infected humans. To do this, I will obtain feces from reovirus-infected children and isolate reovirus. One specific reovirus reassortant is known to propogate in dual-infected mice. I will use the plaque assay technique to determine if this reassortant is also present in humans. To determine if other reassortants are present, I will use RT-PCR and SDS-PAGE. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Based on previous studies with other enteric viruses, we suspect that specific bacterial species bind reovirus strains with different efficiencies. It is likely that a number of bacterial species will promote coinfection. The bacterial strains that binds both reovirus strains at a high efficiency will likely enhance coinfection by the greatest amount. It is likely that mice harboring different bacterial populations will produce different reovirus reassortment frequencies. We predict that bacteria that enhance reovirus coinfection in vitro should also enhance reovirus reassortment in our mouse model. Therefore, mice specifically lacking bacteria that promote coinfection should have significantly lower amounts of reassortant reovirus. It will be important to control for the overall amount of replication within mice with different microbiotas, as this will affect the basal reassortment frequency. We suspect that reovirus reassortants are present in humans. Work done both in vitro and in mouse models indicates that reassortment happens at high frequencies. Additionally, one specific reassortant commonly propogates in mice due to an enhanced cellular attachment phenotype. Therefore, we predict that this reassortant also commonly emerges after coinfection and reassortment in humans. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Segmented viruses, such as influenza and rotavirus, are important human pathogens. Viral reassortment poses a unique threat to humans, as it enables new viruses to emerge and cause pandemics or epidemics. However, little is known about what factors promote viral reassortment. This study will provide insight into a novel mechanism of segmented virus evolution.
2421 Development and validation of a translational rat model of neonatal abstinence syndrome
- Lisa Brents, Bryce A. Griffin, Caitlin Caperton, Lauren Russell, Christian Cabanlong, Catheryn Wilson, Kyle Urquhart, Brad Martins, Amy L. Patton, Alexander W. Alund, S. Michael Owens, William E. Fantegrossi, Jeffery H. Moran
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- 21 November 2018, p. 9
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Rodent models can be used to study neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), but the applicability of findings from the models to NAS in humans is not well understood. The objective of this study was to develop a rat model of norbuprenorphine-induced NAS and validate its translational value by comparing blood concentrations in the norbuprenorphine-treated pregnant rat to those previously reported in pregnant women undergoing buprenorphine treatment. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Pregnant Long-Evans rats were implanted with 14-day osmotic minipumps containing vehicle, morphine (positive control), or norbuprenorphine (0.3–3 mg/kg/d) on gestation day 9. Within 12 hours of delivery, pups were tested for spontaneous or precipitated opioid withdrawal by injecting them with saline (10 mL/kg, i.p.) or naltrexone (1 or 10 mg/kg, i.p), respectively, and observing them for well-validated neonatal withdrawal signs. Blood was sampled via indwelling jugular catheters from a subset of norbuprenorphine-treated dams on gestation day 8, 10, 13, 17, and 20. Norbuprenorphine concentrations in whole blood samples were quantified using LC/MS/MS. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Blood concentrations of norbuprenorphine in rats exposed to 1–3 mg/kg/d of norbuprenorphine were similar to levels previously reported in pregnant women undergoing buprenorphine treatment. Pups born to dams treated with these doses exhibited robust withdrawal signs. Blood concentrations of norbuprenorphine decreased across gestation, which is similar to previous reports in humans. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: These results suggest that dosing dams with 1–3 mg/kg/day norbuprenorphine produces maternal blood concentrations and withdrawal severity similar to those previously reported in humans. This provides evidence that, at these doses, this model is useful for testing hypotheses about norbuprenorphine that are applicable to NAS in humans.
2525 Development of human cell-based screening assays to detect subject-specific drug-response variability
- Francesca Stillitano, Joshua Mayourian, Jaydev Dave, Jean-Sébastien Hulot, Roger J. Hajjar
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- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 November 2018, pp. 9-10
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The goals of this study are to develop a human-based screening assay for testing individual drug reactions and investigate the mechanism underlying susceptibility to develop diLQT. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We derived iPSC-CMs from 10 subjects with a high sensitivity to Sotalol (high-S group) and 10 subjects with no changes in QT interval after administration of the same drug (low-S group). Multielectrode array (MEA) was used to measure field potential duration, a surrogate to the QT interval in the electrocardiogram, in iPSC-CMs under basal conditions and in response to increasing concentrations of Sotalol. Transcriptomic profiling of iPSC-CMs from high-S Versus low-S groups was performed using RNA-sequencing. A parameter sensitivity analysis was performed on the Paci et al. iPSC-CM mathematical model to further support the lead hits identified via RNA-sequencing. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Cardiac differentiation resulted in the generation of iPSC-CMs with appropriate cardiac channel expression and response to a hERG blocker E4031. MEA recordings showed a significantly higher response to Sotalol in iPSC-CMs from high-S compared with low-S subjects. Transcriptomic profiling identified upregulation or downregulation of genes (DLG2, KCNE4, PTRF, HTR2C, CAMKV) involved in downstream regulation of cardiac repolarization and calcium handling machinery as underlying high sensitivity to Sotalol. In silico parameter sensitivity analysis corroborated transcriptomic profiling of select genes; upregulated KCNE4 and downregulated CAMKV were predicted to positively and negatively correlate with iPSC-CM action potential duration when exposed to Sotalol, respectively. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Our findings suggest subject-specific iPSCs can be used to model functional abnormalities observed in diLQTS and offer novel insights into iPSC-based screening assays for toxic drug reactions. Success of this study may help identify key components underlying diLQT susceptibility to ultimately develop novel therapeutic agents.
2028 Discovery and evaluation of FOXP3 dimerization inhibitors
- Ravyn Thompson, Cara Coleman, Nathan G. Dolloff
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- 21 November 2018, p. 10
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Immuno-oncology (IO) strategies are promising new approaches for the treatment of a variety of malignancies, including multiple myeloma (MM). Regulatory T cells (Tregs), which suppress effector T cell function, are a limitation to durable IO responses. The transcription factor FOXP3 is critical for the mature Treg phenotype. FOXP3 homodimerization is required for DNA binding and transcriptional activity, and mutations mapping to the dimerization region are associated with IPEX syndrome, resulting in dysfunctional Tregs in humans. We therefore hypothesize that inhibitors of FOXP3 dimerization will repress Treg suppression and enhance the anti-MM activity of IO. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: To discover FOXP3 dimerization inhibitors, we are modeling FOXP3 homodimerization in vitro. Currently, we are optimizing an ALPHA screen and an ELISA-based dimerization assay using recombinant full length and truncated versions of FOXP3 to discover peptidomimetics that inhibit homodimerization. Induced Tregs expanded from human PBMCs will be treated with lead biologics and functional assays will be performed. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Here we demonstrate Treg suppression of T cell proliferation and IFN-γ secretion after 5 days of co-culture under basal conditions. Additionally, we developed a MM/T cell co-culture system to measure anti-MM T cell responses and show decreased anti-MM T cell activity in the presence of Tregs. We expect to exploit the assays outlined here to demonstrate defective Treg suppression when FOXP3 dimerization is inhibited. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: These studies support drug discovery efforts that will ultimately improve IO therapies for patients with MM.
2510 Disparities in navigation to health research among Floridians
- Linda B. Cottler, Deepthi S. Varma, Krishna Vaddiparti, Catherine Striley
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- 21 November 2018, p. 10
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The analyses explore socio-demographic characteristics of community members who are navigated and enrolled in health research through HealthStreet—the CTSA community engagement initiative at University of Florida. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: HealthStreet utilizes the Community Health Worker model to reach the community, conduct health assessments, provide referrals to medical/social services and link people to health research. We compared never navigated, navigated and not enrolled, navigated and enrolled on demographics, access to care, common health conditions and drug use among this community dwelling population. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Among the 9581 community members, 51% were navigated to a study; 41% were screened eligible and enrolled (n=2024) for an overall enrollment yield of 21%. Disparities were found for all variables; never navigated Versus the others were more likely to be African American, never married, reporting less education and less access to care. The navigated and enrolled Versus others were older females who reported more education, food insecurity, more access to care, and higher rates of hypertension, depression, and prescription opioid and marijuana use. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Our unique and comprehensive data can assist investigators to tailor recruitment efforts that reduce disparities in health research.
2160 Does maternal schistosomiasis affect the humoral and cellular vaccine responses of infants?
- Deborah Bloch, Taryn McLaughlin, Cheryl Day, W. Evan Secor, Govert van Dam, Paul Corstjens, Heather B. Jaspan, Grace John-Stewart, Saad B. Omer, Lisa Cranmer
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- 21 November 2018, p. 10
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The aims of this study are 2-fold: (1) to determine if maternal schistosomiasis affects maternal immunity to tetanus and/or transplacental transfer of antitetanus toxoid (TT) immunoglobulin G (IgG) from mother to infant and (2) determine the influence of maternal schistosomiasis on infant BCG vaccine immunogenicity. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The study will utilize blood samples from a historic cohort of 100 mother-infant pairs from Kisumu, Kenya, a schistosomiasis-endemic area. For the first aim, we will evaluate maternal schistosomal circulating anodic antigen, which has improved sensitivity and specificity to detect active schistosomiasis from serum, and antisoluble egg antigen IgG positivity compared with quantitative maternal anti-TT IgG at delivery and anti-TT IgG cord blood to maternal blood ratio (cord:maternal ratio). For the second aim, we will evaluate association between maternal schistosomiasis as detected by circulating anodic antigen and antisoluble egg antigen IgG at delivery and infant BCG-specific Th1-cytokine positive CD4+ cells at 10 weeks following BCG vaccination at birth. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We hypothesize that active maternal schistosomiasis will be associated with decreased maternal anti-TT IgG and reduced efficiency of transplacental transfer, as measured by infant cord blood to maternal blood ratio of anti-TT IgG. We also expect that maternal schistosomiasis will be associated with decreased infant immunogenicity to BCG vaccine. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This is a formative study on infant vaccine immunity using laboratory methodology not previously applied. Understanding infant immunity in the setting of maternal schistosomiasis will inform vaccination strategies and tailor vaccine development in schistosome-endemic areas such as Kenya, where neither TB nor neonatal tetanus have been eradicated. Additionally, our results will inform public health policies to consider integration of antischistosomal agents in antenatal care.
2178 Drug development core facilitates institutional collaboration and translational science innovation
- Gene Morse, Igor Puzanov, Andrei Gudkov, Robin DiFrancesco, William Jusko, Marc Ernstoff, James Mohler, Timothy Murphy, Robert Bies
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- 21 November 2018, pp. 10-11
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Drug development is a common research pursuit for basic and clinical scientists that interfaces diagnostic/therapeutic challenges with funding agencies, pharmaceutical industry, regulatory systems, and education. The University at Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) has implemented a Drug Development Core (DDC) with goals that foster team science and collaboration, optimize laboratory use, and networks investigators. Our goals are to foster collaborations within the region and with other CTSAs. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The DDC met with 300 potential investigators from 14 departments and several local companies. There were 35 portal requests from 15 departments and 7 companies; 8 were from training programs. For 28 requests, a reviewer provided consultation, while 7 required discussions and review of data. DDC assisted with 15 grant applications (outcomes pending), 10 industry-related new drug development requests and 1 regulatory review. Curriculum reviews noted overlap and gaps. Cross-institute opportunities for M.D.-Ph.D. research mentoring were identified. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The DDC met with 300 potential investigators from 14 departments and several local companies. There were 35 portal requests from 15 departments and 7 companies; 8 were from training programs. For 28 requests, a reviewer provided consultation, while 7 required discussions and review of data. DDC assisted with 15 grant applications (outcomes pending), 10 industry-related new drug development requests and 1 regulatory review. Curriculum reviews noted overlap and gaps. Cross-institute opportunities for M.D.-Ph.D. research mentoring were identified. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The CTSI DDC was well received by investigators. The request process fosters collaboration among researchers with similar interests and identifies core laboratory resources that add innovation to ongoing research, funding applications, education, and interinstitutional planning.
2095 Drug screening and hit identification for night blindness with zebrafish
- Logan Ganzen, Yuk Fai Leung
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- 21 November 2018, p. 11
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), also known as night blindness, is an incurable disease which affects ~1 in 4000 individuals globally. Since there are no effective treatment options for RP, the goal of this project is to identify novel drug treatments that can prevent or slow the disease progression. To this end, we optimized a behavioral assay, visual-motor-response (VMR) assay, to investigate rod function (Ganzen et al., ARVO, 2017; Ganzen et al., IJMS, 2017). This was done utilizing a transgenic zebrafish RP model expressing human rhodopsin with the Q344X mutation. In this study, we used this model to perform a proof-of-concept screen for drugs which may improve the vision of the larvae. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: To screen for beneficial drugs, the SCREEN-WELL® REDOX library was chosen for screening. This library was selected to identify a compound that may alleviate any excessive oxidative stress in the diseased retina. The Q344X zebrafish line suffers from significant rod degeneration by 7 days postfertilization (dpf) and displayed deficits in VMR under scotopic conditions (Ganzen et al., ARVO, 2017). The Q344X larvae were drug treated beginning at 5 dpf at 10 μM. Compounds that were toxic at this concentration were retested at 1 μM. The 5 dpf stage was chosen as most of the rods are intact, and these concentrations were chosen to optimize the drug effect based on similar studies. Hits were identified by assays that provided a robust and reproducible enhancement in the Q344X VMR. The retinae of any drug hits were dissected from larvae crossed with a rod EGFP reporter line and whole-mounted to analyze rod survival via fluorescence. To determine if drug effects were exerted through the retina, eyeless chokh mutant zebrafish were exposed to the drug and tested with the same assay. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Of the 84 compounds tested, we identified 1 drug that ameliorated the VMR of the Q344X scotopic VMR. Eyeless chokh mutant zebrafish larvae did not exhibit the same VMR when treated with the same drug. Histological analysis suggested increased rod survival in the drug-treated retina of Q344X mutants. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: These results indicate that the vision of the Q344X zebrafish was improved via this beneficial drug treatment. Since eyeless chokh larvae did not respond to the same treatment, the drug likely mediated its positive effects through the Q344X retina, likely by improving rod survival. Together, our results have identified a beneficial drug that may treat RP.
2038 Effects of bilateral frontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the working memory network: An fMRI-tDCS study in healthy older adults
- Nicole R. Nissim, Andrew O’Shea, Lindsey Richards, Rachel Telles, Eric Porges, Ronald Cohen, Adam J. Woods
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- 21 November 2018, p. 11
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The study aimed to determine the effects of bilateral frontal active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) at 2 mA for 12 minute Versus sham stimulation on functional connectivity of the working memory network during an fMRI N-Back task. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Stimulation was delivered over bilateral frontal dorsolateral prefrontal cortex via and MRI-compatible tDCS device during an fMRI working memory task in healthy older adults in a within-subject design. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Active stimulation compared with sham resulted in significant increases in functional connectivity in working memory related brain regions during the N-Back task. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Older adults typically have reduced functional connectivity compared with young adults. Our findings demonstrate that a single session of tDCS can increase functional connectivity of the working memory network in older adults. Based on this mechanism of effect, tDCS may serve as an adjunctive method for interventions aiming to enhance cognitive processes in older adults.
2060 Exploring gene expression signature shared between obese Zucker rat and human cardiac hypertrophy
- Mackenzie Newman, Janelle Stricker, Han-Gang Yu
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- 21 November 2018, p. 11
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Objectives: To determine genes that are shared between human and obese Zucker rat hypertrophic hearts, in order to identify potential early biomarkers and drug target for heart failure. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Four age-paired lean and obese Zucker rats were used. The human data are derived from doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00122.2016. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We expect to find genes that are upregulated and downregulated in Zucker rats and humans that present cardiac hypertrophy. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The genes and proteins determined from this study will provide future directions in order to determine whether obese Zucker rats are a valid model organism for the development of cardiac hypertrophy.
2116 Exploring Müller cell-cone interactions in human fovea using 3-dimensional volume electron microscopy (EM)
- Ramya Singireddy, Kenneth R. Sloan, Jeff W. Lichtman, Christine A. Curcio, Dennis M. Dacey
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- 21 November 2018, p. 11
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Müller cells, radial glial cells of the retina, are the principal repository of xanthophyll pigment (lutein, zeaxanthin, meso-zeaxanthin), which are modifiable by diet and visible clinically by autofluorescence imaging. To understand the structural basis of xanthophyll visualization in vivo, we used 3-dimensional electron microscopic reconstruction of Müller cells surrounding one cone in a healthy human fovea. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: From a 21-year-old male organ donor, dissected retinas were rejuvenated by oxygenated Ames medium then fixed in 4% glutaraldehyde. A tissue block 3.5 mm2 centered on the fovea was prepared for Automated Tape Ultramicrotomy (Kasthuri et al., Cell 162: 648–661, 2015). From 1462 serial 65 nm horizontal sections, an area ~250×250 μm was imaged at 6 nm xy resolution. Images were stitched and aligned. TrackEM software on a pen display was used to trace, reconstruct, and display cone #5 (of 186) and its contacting Müller cells. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Cone 5 is ensheathed by 2 types of Müller cells, outer and inner (Dacey, ARVO, 2016). The outer cell is first seen at the external limiting membrane (ELM) between cones 5 and 17. Moving inward from the ELM, it tightly wraps around cone 5’s fiber in a C-shape profile for 78 µm. This Müller cell also intermittently projects to neighboring cones, 2 of which were close to cone 5 at the ELM. As cone 5’s axon approaches the pedicle, it contorts into a corkscrew. The outer cell fluidly molds to this changing shape. At this level, this Müller cell doubles in volume to encompass not only cone 5, but also cone 17 and another Müller cell. In the final 17 µm of the block the Müller cell’s volume quickly dissipates as it sends a small projection towards the internal limiting membrane, eventually encasing an OFF midget bipolar cell also associated with cone 5. In contrast to this outer cell, an inner Müller cell adjoining cone 5 spans only 19 µm, interacting directly with cone 5 and the outer cell for 3.9 µm. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Neural-glial relationships in a human fovea are visible through 3-dimensional volume EM. The volume of Müller cells in the fovea was impressive, consistent with a pivotal role in the health of cone photoreceptors and xanthophyll homeostasis. It is possible that individual glia also ensheath the post-receptoral neurons in a cone-driven circuit, supporting the concept that xanthophylls contribute to neural efficiency in vision.
2036 Extracellular matrix as a novel approach to glioma therapy
- Mark H. Murdock, Jordan T. Chang, George S. Hussey, Nduka M. Amankulor, Johnathan A. Engh, Stephen F. Badylak
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- 21 November 2018, pp. 11-12
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Gliomas are the most lethal and common primary tumor type in the central nervous system across all age groups; affected adults have a life expectancy of just 14 months. As glioma cells invade the surrounding normal parenchyma they remodel the composition and ultrastructure of the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM), suggesting that the native (i.e., “normal”) microenvironment is not ideal for their survival and proliferation. Recent reports describe suppressive and/or lethal effects of mammalian ECM hydrogels derived from normal (nonneoplastic) sources upon various cancer types. ECM-based bioscaffolds placed at sites of neoplastic tissue resection in humans have never been reported to facilitate cancer recurrence. The objective of the present research is to evaluate mammalian ECM as a novel approach to glioma therapy. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: ECM hydrogels from porcine dermis, small intestine, and urinary bladder were produced as described previously. Primary glioma cells were graciously supplied by Drs. Nduka Amankulor and Johnathan Engh, and U-87 MG were ordered through ATCC. Cells were plated onto tissue culture plastic at ~60% confluence and allowed to attach for 24 hours before treatment. The saline-soluble fraction (SSF) of ECM was obtained by mixing lyophilized, comminuted ECM with 0.9% saline for 24 hours then filtering the resulting mixture through a 10 kDa molecular weight cutoff column. All assays and kits were followed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cell viability was measured via MTT assay (Vybrant® MTT Cell Proliferation Assay, Invitrogen) and by live/dead staining (LIVE/DEAD® Cell Imaging Kit, Invitrogen). Time lapse videos were created by taking images every 20 minutes for 18 hours (phase-contrast) or every 10 minutes for 12 hours (darkfield). NucView reagent was ordered from Biotium. Temozolomide was ordered through Abmole. All in vivo work was conducted according to protocols approved by the University of Pittsburgh’s IACUC office. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: ECM hydrogels derived from porcine dermis, small intestine, or urinary bladder all decreased the viability of primary glioma cells in vitro, with urinary bladder extracellular matrix (UBM) having the most dramatic effects. The SSF of UBM (UBM-SSF), devoid of the fibrillar, macromolecular components of ECM, was sufficient to recapitulate this detrimental effect upon neoplastic cells in vitro and was used for the remainder of the experiments described herein. In a cell viability assay normalized to the media treatment, non-neoplastic CHME5 and N1E-115 cells scored 103% and 114% after 48 hours when treated with UBM-SSF and 2 primary high-grade glioma cell types scored 17% and 30.5% with UBM-SSF (n=2). Phase-contrast time-lapse video showed CHME5 and HFF thriving in the presence of UBM-SSF for 18 hours while most primary glioma cells shriveled and died within this time. Darkfield time-lapse video of wells containing Nucview dye, fluorescent upon cleavage by active caspase-3, confirmed that within 12 hours most primary glioma cells underwent apoptosis while CHME5 and HFF did not. In culture with primary astrocytes, high grade primary glioma cells, and U-87 MG glioma cells for 24 hours, UBM-SSF was found to significantly increase the population of primary astrocytes compared with media (p<0.05) while decreasing the 2 glioma cell types to approximately one-third as many cells as the media control (p<0.0001). A dose-response of temozolomide from 0 to 10,000 μM showed that when treating 2 non-neoplastic cell types (CHME5 and HFF) and 2 types of primary glioma cell there was no difference in survivability at any concentration. Contrasted to this, a dose-response of UBM-SSF from 350 to 7000 μg/mL showed that the non-neoplastic cells survived significantly better than the glioma cells at concentrations of 875 μg/mL and upward (p<0.05). In preliminary animal experiments, large primary glioma tumors in the flanks of athymic nude mice were resected and replaced with either UBM SSF or Matrigel (an ECM product of neoplastic cell origin). After 7 days the resection sites with UBM-SSF had little tumor regrowth if any compared with the dramatic recurrence seen in the Matrigel injection sites (n=2). In a separate survival study comparing PBS to UBM-SSF injections in the flank-resection model, all animals given PBS had to be sacrificed at 9, 11, and 11 days (n=3) whereas animals given UBM-SSF were sacrificed at 15, 24, and 39 days (n=3), indicating a moderate increase in survival due to the UBM-SSF. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Since the introduction of the pan-cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent TMZ in 2005, the standard of care for patients with glioblastoma multiforme has not improved. These findings indicate that non-neoplastic ECM contains potent bioactive regulators capable of abrogating malignancy. Our in vitro data suggest these molecules appear to have no deleterious effect on non-neoplastic cells while specifically inducing apoptosis in glioma cells. Our in vivo data suggest that these molecules may be useful in delaying glioma recurrence, thus resulting in extended lifespan. Delivering soluble fractions of ECM to a tumor site may represent a novel approach to glioma therapy, sidestepping traditional cytotoxic therapies in favor of utilizing putative endogenous anti-tumor pathways.
2446 Feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the menstrual cup for short-term non-surgical management of vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) among potential users and stakeholders
- Nessa E. Ryan
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- 21 November 2018, p. 12
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: To examine how women with OF in Ghana develop strategies for coping in the absence of access to successful surgical repair. To assess the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of an innovation to support coping among women with OF seeking care in a health facility in Ghana. To examine the perceived facilitators and barriers to implementation among additional OF stakeholders regarding the innovation. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This study uses a sequential exploratory mixed methods design. The population of study is women in Ghana living with obstetric fistula, as well as additional fistula stakeholders (programmers, policy makers, community leaders). To get an understanding of usual leakage, women carried out at baseline a pad test, where they wore a sanitary pad for 2 hours and leaked freely. We subtracted the dry pad weight from the wet pad weight to estimate urine leakage in mL. Then women inserted the cup for 2 hours and again wore a pad and urine leakage was estimated. Acceptability among women with vesicovaginal fistula was measured by questionnaire. Acceptability among additional stakeholders was examined by semistructured interview. Appropriateness was assessed among the user, additional stakeholders, and organizational setting. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We observed a 61% mean reduction in leakage with the cup which was also perceived by cup users as a reduction in wetness. Notably, one participant who had 4 previous surgical attempts, experienced a 78% reduction in leakage. No adverse events attributable to use of the cup were observed, unlike some of the strategies women currently use to manage leakage. Acceptability was high as most women could easily insert, remove, and wear the cup over the 2-hour period and fistula stakeholders indicated the innovation content and complexity were acceptable. In community interviews, women shared various coping and self-care strategies to manage their leaking, other related impairments, and stigma. Women using the cup in the health facility expressed that it was useful. Additional stakeholders found the cup a low-cost, low-tech solution to supplement existing programs. Within the stakeholder interviews we heard that the cultural norms and existing activities of the potential implementation partners align with the innovation approach. Stakeholders revealed various implementation facilitators and barriers. The facilitators to implementation reported in the interviews were related to the intervention and organization characteristics in particular. Stakeholders perceived a relative advantage to self-management. Stakeholders had concerns regarding whether women would find the insertable device acceptable and appropriate—questioning whether potential users would have access to water, soap, and safe space to empty cup. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The innovation is efficacious, acceptable, adds to current coping strategies, and fits within existing fistula programs. Stakeholders pre-implementation perceptions highlight the importance of partnerships and the need for an evidence base related to effectiveness, acceptability, and cost. Challenges to address include access to resources within these contexts (water, soap, and safe space) and development appropriate counseling message.
2103 Fecal bile acids, fecal short-chain fatty acids, and the intestinal microbiota in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and control volunteers
- Andrea Shin, David Nelson, John Wo, Michael Camilleri, Toyia James-Stevenson, Robert Siwiec, Matthew Bohm, Anita Gupta
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- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 November 2018, pp. 12-13
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OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Objectives and goals of this study will be to: (1) compare fecal microbiota and fecal organic acids in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients and controls and (2) investigate the association between colonic transit and fecal microbiota in IBS patients and controls. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We propose an investigation of fecal organic acids, colonic transit and fecal microbiota in 36 IBS patients and 18 healthy controls. The target population will be adults ages 18–65 years meeting Rome IV criteria for IBS (both diarrhea- and constipation-predominant, IBS-D and IBS-C) and asymptomatic controls. Exclusion criteria are: (a) history of microscopic colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, visceral cancer, chronic infectious disease, immunodeficiency, uncontrolled thyroid disease, liver disease, or elevated AST/ALT>2.0× the upper limit of normal, (b) prior radiation therapy of the abdomen or abdominal surgeries with the exception of appendectomy or cholecystectomy >6 months before study initiation, (c) ingestion of prescription, over the counter, or herbal medications affecting gastrointestinal transit or study interpretation within 6 months of study initiation for controls or within 2 days before study initiation for IBS patients, (d) pregnant females, (e) antibiotic usage within 3 months before study participation, (f) prebiotic or probiotic usage within the 2 weeks before study initiation, (g) tobacco users. Primary outcomes will be fecal bile acid excretion and profile, short-chain fatty acid excretion and profile, colonic transit, and fecal microbiota. Secondary outcomes will be stool characteristics based on responses to validated bowel diaries. Stool samples will be collected from participants during the last 2 days of a 4-day 100 g fat diet and split into 3 samples for fecal microbiota, SCFA, and bile acid analysis and frozen. Frozen aliquots will be shipped to the Metabolite Profiling Facility at Purdue University and the Mayo Clinic Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology for SCFA and bile acid measurements, respectively. Analysis of fecal microbiota will be performed in the research laboratory of Dr David Nelson in collaboration with bioinformatics expertise affiliated with the Nelson lab. Colonic transit time will be measured with the previously validated method using radio-opaque markers. Generalized linear models will be used as the analysis framework for comparing study endpoints among groups. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: This study seeks to examine the innovative concept that specific microbial signatures are associated with increased fecal excretion of organic acids to provide unique insights on a potential mechanistic link between altered intraluminal organic acids and fecal microbiota. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Results may lead to development of targets for novel therapies and diagnostic biomarkers for IBS, emphasizing the role of the fecal metabolome.