Tsion M. Aberra
School:
Yale University School of Medicine
Mentor:
Nehal Mehta, M.D., M.S.C.E., F.A.H.A.; Lasker Clinical Research Scholar; Chief, Section of Inflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases
NIH Institute:
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Research Project Title:
Comorbid depression is associated with subclinical vascular diseases beyond adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk in psoriasis
Research Summary:
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with increased aortic vascular inflammation, measured by 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT), and an increased risk of myocardial infarction. Patients with psoriasis are also more likely to suffer from comorbid depression and anxiety. Whether these comorbidities accelerate the development of subclinical atherosclerosis in psoriasis is unknown. The Mehta Lab studies psoriasis as a human clinical model of accelerated atherosclerosis. Within our longitudinal prospectively-enrolled cohort of patients with psoriasis we selected those patients who reported a history of depression (n=36) on survey, as defined by the use of medication or receipt of counseling, and matched them by age and gender to patients from the cohort who reported no history of psychiatric illness (n=36). In unadjusted analyses, vascular inflammation and coronary plaque burden were significantly increased in patients with self-reported comorbid depression as compared to patients with psoriasis alone. After adjustment for Framingham Risk Score, vascular inflammation (β =0.23, p=0.026), total coronary plaque burden (β=0.14, p=0.047), and non-calcified coronary plaque burden (β=0.14, p=0.046) were associated with self-reported depression. Self-reported depression in psoriasis is associated with increased vascular inflammation and coronary plaque burden, suggesting that psychiatric comorbidities may play an important role in promoting subclinical atherosclerosis beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors in psoriasis.
Full Legnth Publications:
Aberra TM, Joshi AA, Lerman JB, Rodante JA, Dahiya AK, Teague HL, Ng Q, Silverman JI, Salahuddin T, Lockshin BN, Ahlman MA, Playford MP, Chen MY, Gelfand JM, Mehta NN. Self-reported depression in psoriasis is associated with subclinical vascular diseases. Atherosclerosis 2016. Accepted May 26, 2016 (in press)
Aberra TM. Heavy hearts: mental health and cardiovascular disease in African Americans. J Student National Med Assoc [Internet]. 2015 Sept 29; Fall 2015 Issue: 51-53. Available from: http://jsnma.org/2015/09/jsnma-fall-2015-issue-now-live/
Abstract publications & presentations:
Presence of comorbid psychiatric illness is associated with aortic vascular inflammation and coronary heart disease beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors in psoriasis. Aberra TM, Joshi AA, Lerman JB, Rodante JA, Silverman JI, Aridi TZ, Chen MY, Mehta NN. American Heart Association (AHA) Epidemiology and Lifestyle, 2016 Scientific Sessions, Phoenix AZ. Status: Accepted, November 2015; Presented by Tsion Aberra, March 2016.
Vascular inflammation and aortic wall characteristics modulate following lifestyle changes in psoriasis patients at 1 year follow up. Joshi AA, Shukla P, Aberra TM, Lerman JB, Natarajan B, Ng Q, Silverman J, Rodante J, Mehta NN. American Federation for Medical Research (AFMR) Eastern Regional Meeting. Washington D.C. Status: Accepted, December 2015. Presented by Tsion Aberra, April 2016.
Improvement in psoriasis skin disease severity is associated with improvement in aortic vascular inflammation by FDG PET/CT. Dey A, Lerman J, Aberra T, Joshi A, Rodante J, Kabbany MT, Silverman J, Dahiya A, Natarajan B, Teague H, Salahuddin T, Ng Q, Playford M, Gerson E, Prussick R, Ehrlich A, Lockshin B, Ahlman M, Gelfand J, Mehta NN. 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2016. Vienna, Austria. Status: Submitted, April 2016.
Improvement in cholesterol efflux capacity is associated with improvement in vascular inflammation by FDG PET/CT in psoriasis. Mehta NN, Joshi AA, Lerman JB, Aberra TM, Dey AK, Kabbany MT, Silverman J, Ahlman MA, Playford MP. 6th Annual Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute (TMII) Symposium, 2016, NY, NY. Status: Accepted April 2016.
Lack of improvement in aortic vascular inflammation is associated with an increase in coronary plaque burden in psoriasis. Lerman JB, Aberra TM, Dey AK, Kabbany MT, Joshi AA, Silverman J, Salahuddin T, Ahlman MA, Playford MP. 6th Annual Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute (TMII) Symposium, 2016, New York, NY. Status: Accepted April 2016.
Glyc-A, a novel inflammatory biomarker, is associated with total and non-calcified coronary plaque burden beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Joshi AA, Lerman JB, Aberra TM, Kabbany MT, Teague HL, Silverman JI, Ng Q, Aridi TZ, Baumer Y, Salahuddin TS, Chen MY, Bluemke DA, Rodante J, Gelfand JM, Playford MP, Mehta NN. Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Peripheral Vascular Disease 2016 Scientific Sessions, Nashville, TN. Status: Accepted, February 2016.
Improvement in psoriasis skin disease severity is associated with reduction of coronary plaque burden. Lerman JB, Joshi AA, Rodante, J, Aberra TM, Kabbany MT, Salahuddin T, Ng Q, Silverman J, Chen MY, Bluemke DA, Mehta NN. American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session 2016, Chicago IL. Status: Accepted, January 2016.
Aortic vascular inflammation by 18-FDG PET/MRI is related to coronary plaque burden by quantitative coronary CT angiography in psoriasis. Joshi AA, Kabbany MT, Ahlman M, Lerman J, Aberra TM, Natarajan B, Salahuddin T, Rodante J, Playford M, Chen M, Bluemke D, Mehta N. American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session 2016, Chicago IL. Status: Accepted, January 2016.
Determinants of vascular inflammation by 18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/MRI: findings from the psoriasis, atherosclerosis and cardiometabolic disease initiative. Kabbany MT, Joshi AA, Ahlman, M, Rodante J, Lerman JB, Aberra TM, Silverman J, Dahiya A, Bluemke DA, Playford MP, Mehta NN. American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session 2016, Chicago IL. Status: Accepted, January 2016.
Low-density lipoprotein particle number predicts vascular inflammation beyond traditional lipid risk factors in psoriasis. Natarajan, B., Playford, M.P., Joshi, A.A., Lerman J, Kabbany MT, Aberra TM, Ng Q, Teague H, Rodante J, Mehta NN. American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session 2016, Chicago IL. Status: Accepted, January 2016.
Travel to professional meetings
American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Policy Institute; Washington D.C.; October 26-27, 2015
American Heart Association Epidemiology and Lifestyle Scientific Sessions; Phoenix, AZ; March 1-4, 2016
American Federation for Medical Research Eastern Regional Meeting; Washington D.C.; April 13, 2016
American College of Physicians Annual Internal Medicine Meeting; Washington D.C.; May 5-7, 2016