1. VACS Pulmonary & Critical Care Core
Kristina Crothers, MD
Co-Director
Kathleen Akgün, MD, MS
Co-Director
Members: A Butt, ST Brown, D Fiellin, M Fine, CL Gibert, M Freiberg, M Goetz, C Graber, AC Justice, L Huang, J Kim, K McGinnis, M Pisani, D Rimland, MC Rodriguez-Barradas, S Shahrir, M Skanderson, G Soo Hoo, H Tindle, C Wongtrakool
VACS data used for: NCRR 1KL2 RR024138, NHLBI R01HL090342, NHLBI RC1HL100347, NCI R01CA173754*, NCI R01CA S1* (to KC); VA VISN1 Early CDA, Chest Foundation Award, Yale Cancer Center* (to KA) * Current

2. Recent VACS Pulmonary & Critical Care Core Highlights (2015-2016)
Peer Reviewed Publications
Triplette M et al. A low peripheral blood CD4/CD8 ratio is associated with pulmonary emphysema in HIV. PLOS ONE (in press).
Triplette M, et al. The differential impact of emphysema on respiratory symptoms and six-minute walk distance in HIV infection. JAIDS 2016
Crothers K et al. Widespread activation of immunity and pro-inflammatory programs in peripheral blood leukocytes of HIV-infected patients with impaired lung gas exchange. Physiol Rep. 2016
Akgün KM et al. Association of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with frailty measurements in HIV-infected and uninfected Veterans. AIDS. 2016
Depp TB et al. Risk factors associated with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in HIV-infected and uninfected patients. AIDS. 2016
Shahrir S et al. Contemplation of smoking cessation and quit attempts in human immunodeficiency virus-infected and uninfected veterans. Subst Abus. 2016
Attia EF et al. Association of COPD With Risk for Pulmonary Infections Requiring Hospitalization in HIV-Infected Veterans. JAIDS. 2015
Barakat LA et al. Comparing clinical outcomes in HIV-infected and uninfected older men hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia. HIV Med. 2015
Kunisaki KM et al. Prevalence and correlates of obstructive sleep apnoea among patients with and without HIV infection. HIV Med. 2015
Consortium Collaborations: Lung HIV and the Lung HIV Microbiome Project (LHMP)
Drummond MB et al. Factors associated with abnormal spirometry among HIV-infected individuals. AIDS. 2015
Leader JK et al. Risk Factors Associated With Quantitative Evidence of Lung Emphysema and Fibrosis in an HIV-Infected Cohort. JAIDS. 2016
Beck JM et al. Lung HIV Microbiome Project. Multicenter Comparison of Lung and Oral Microbiomes of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected Individuals. AJRCCM. 2015
Conference Presentations: ATS 2015, 2016; CROI 2015, 2016; IDSA 2015
New Grants: Yale Cancer Center Pilot Grant “COPD / Lung Cancer in HIV” (Akgün)
1: Triplette M, et al. The differential impact of emphysema on respiratory symptoms and six-minute walk
distance in HIV infection. JAIDS 2016
Akgün KM et al. Association of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with
frailty measurements in HIV-infected and uninfected Veterans. AIDS. 2016
Crothers K, Petrache I, Wongtrakool C, Lee PJ, Schnapp LM, Gharib SA.
Widespread activation of immunity and pro-inflammatory programs in peripheral
blood leukocytes of HIV-infected patients with impaired lung gas exchange.
Physiol Rep Apr;4(8). pii: e doi: /phy PubMed PMID:
; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC
4: Leader JK, Crothers K, Huang L, King MA, Morris A, Thompson BW, Flores SC,
Drummond MB, Rom WN, Diaz PT. Risk Factors Associated With Quantitative Evidence 
of Lung Emphysema and Fibrosis in an HIV-Infected Cohort. J Acquir Immune Defic
Syndr Apr 1;71(4): doi: /QAI PubMed PMID:
; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC
5: Depp TB, McGinnis KA, Kraemer K, Akgün KM, Edelman EJ, Fiellin DA, Butt AA,
Crystal S, Gordon AJ, Freiberg M, Gibert CL, Rimland D, Bryant KJ, Crothers K.
Risk factors associated with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary 
disease in HIV-infected and uninfected patients. AIDS Jan 28;30(3):  
doi: /QAD PubMed PMID:
6: Drummond MB, Huang L, Diaz PT, Kirk GD, Kleerup EC, Morris A, Rom W, Weiden
MD, Zhao E, Thompson B, Crothers K. Factors associated with abnormal spirometry
among HIV-infected individuals. AIDS Aug 24;29(13): doi:
/QAD PubMed PMID: ; PubMed Central PMCID:
PMC
7: Beck JM, Schloss PD, Venkataraman A, Twigg H 3rd, Jablonski KA, Bushman FD,
Campbell TB, Charlson ES, Collman RG, Crothers K, Curtis JL, Drews KL, Flores SC,
Fontenot AP, Foulkes MA, Frank I, Ghedin E, Huang L, Lynch SV, Morris A, Palmer
BE, Schmidt TM, Sodergren E, Weinstock GM, Young VB; Lung HIV Microbiome
Project.. Multicenter Comparison of Lung and Oral Microbiomes of HIV-infected and
HIV-uninfected Individuals. Am J Respir Crit Care Med Dec
1;192(11): doi: /rccm OC. PubMed PMID: ; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC
8: Attia EF, McGinnis KA, Feemster LC, Akgün KM, Butt AA, Graber CJ, Fine MJ,
Goetz MB, Rodriguez-Barradas MC, Pisani MA, Tindle HA, Brown ST, Soo Hoo GW,
Rimland D, Gibert CL, Huang L, Freiberg MS, Hough CL, Crothers K. Association of 
COPD With Risk for Pulmonary Infections Requiring Hospitalization in HIV-Infected
Veterans. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Nov 1;70(3): doi:
/QAI PubMed PMID: ; PubMed Central PMCID:
PMC
9: Shahrir S, Tindle HA, McGinnis KA, Fiellin DA, Goulet J, Akgün KM, Gibert CL, 
Rodriguez-Barradas MC, Crothers K. Contemplation of smoking cessation and quit
attempts in human immunodeficiency virus-infected and uninfected veterans. Subst 
Abus Apr-Jun;37(2): doi: / PubMed PMID:
10: Barakat LA, Juthani-Mehta M, Allore H, Trentalange M, Tate J, Rimland D,
Pisani M, Akgün KM, Goetz MB, Butt AA, Rodriguez-Barradas M, Duggal M, Crothers
K, Justice AC, Quagliarello VJ. Comparing clinical outcomes in HIV-infected and
uninfected older men hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia. HIV Med.
2015 Aug;16(7): doi: /hiv PubMed PMID: ; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC
11: Wongtrakool C, Grooms K, Bijli KM, Crothers K, Fitzpatrick AM, Hart CM.
Nicotine stimulates nerve growth factor in lung fibroblasts through an
NFκB-dependent mechanism. PLoS One Oct 8;9(10):e doi:
/journal.pone PubMed PMID: ; PubMed Central PMCID:
PMC
12: Kunisaki KM, Akgün KM, Fiellin DA, Gibert CL, Kim JW, Rimland D,
Rodriguez-Barradas MC, Yaggi HK, Crothers K. Prevalence and correlates of
obstructive sleep apnoea among patients with and without HIV infection. HIV Med. 
2015 Feb;16(2): doi: /hiv PubMed PMID: ; PubMed
Central PMCID: PMC