The BBSome, an eight-protein complex implicated in Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), plays a crucial role in ciliary function. Although important aspects of its structural organization and protein interact Show more
The BBSome, an eight-protein complex implicated in Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), plays a crucial role in ciliary function. Although important aspects of its structural organization and protein interactions have been elucidated, additional questions remain regarding how these features relate to cargo recognition and complex dynamics. Using AlphaFold3, we generated a structural model closely matching recent cryo-EM data (Cα RMSD: 1.203 Å). Interface residue analysis of the model identified BBSome proteins BBS1 and BBS9 as central interaction hubs (most interface residues between two proteins), with BBS2 and BBS7 showing the most polar contacts. The common BBS1 Show less
Pain is common among adults with heart failure (HF), but pain subtypes and associated biomarkers are understudied. The aims were to: 1) characterize chronic pain severity, neuropathic pain quality, lo Show more
Pain is common among adults with heart failure (HF), but pain subtypes and associated biomarkers are understudied. The aims were to: 1) characterize chronic pain severity, neuropathic pain quality, locations, and subtypes; and 2) compare pain severity and levels of biomarkers among pain subtypes. An exploratory aim was to correlate levels of biomarkers with pain severity. This pilot descriptive study included cross-sectional data from 60 adults with HF and chronic pain. Pain was evaluated using the PainDETECT questionnaire. Blood biomarkers included interleukin (IL)-10, IL-18, IL-1β, IL-33, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, leptin, adiponectin, and C-reactive protein. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test of homogeneity, one-way analysis of variance, and Spearman correlation were used for analyses. The mean age was 70.45 (SD 7.92) years. The sample consisted of 63.3% women and 65.0% White race. Participants primarily reported nociceptive pain only (73.3%) with fewer reporting neuropathic pain only (6.7%) and mixed pain (20.0%). Current and 4-week mean pain severity scores were highest in the mixed pain subtype (p both <.05). No biomarkers were significantly different across the pain subtypes, but lower lL-10 (p=.049), and IL-33 (p=.014), were associated with higher pain severity. In this study, chronic pain and its association with underlying biomarkers were characterized. Future research with a larger sample is needed to understand the unique contributions of biomarkers with targeted pain phenotypes. Show less