Person:
Plovanich, Molly

Loading...
Profile Picture

Email Address

AA Acceptance Date

Birth Date

Research Projects

Organizational Units

Job Title

Last Name

Plovanich

First Name

Molly

Name

Plovanich, Molly

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Low Usefulness of Potassium Monitoring Among Healthy Young Women Taking Spironolactone for Acne
    (American Medical Association (AMA), 2015) Plovanich, Molly; Weng, Qing Yu; Mostaghimi, Arash
    Importance Spironolactone has been shown to be an effective treatment option for hormonally mediated acne but can cause hyperkalemia. The prevalence of hyperkalemia among healthy young women taking spironolactone for acne is unclear. Objective To measure the rate of hyperkalemia in healthy young women taking spironolactone for acne or for an endocrine disorder with associated acne. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective study of healthy young women taking spironolactone for acne. Data from December 1, 2000, through March 31, 2014, were obtained from a clinical data repository. Outpatient data were collected from 2 tertiary care centers in the United States. We analyzed rates of hyperkalemia in 974 healthy young women taking spironolactone for acne. We also analyzed 1165 healthy young women taking and not taking spironolactone to obtain a profile for the baseline rate of hyperkalemia in this population. Exclusion criteria were cardiovascular disease, renal failure, and the use of medications that affect the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Main Outcomes and Measures The rate of hyperkalemia in healthy young women taking spironolactone for acne was calculated. Secondary measures included spironolactone prescriber profiles and potassium monitoring practices. Results There were 13 abnormal serum potassium measurements in 1802 measurements obtained among young women receiving spironolactone therapy, yielding a hyperkalemia rate of 0.72%, equivalent to the 0.76% baseline rate of hyperkalemia in this population. Repeat testing in 6 of 13 patients demonstrated normal values, suggesting that these measurements may have been erroneous. In the remaining 7 patients, no action was taken. Conclusions and Relevance The rate of hyperkalemia in healthy young women taking spironolactone for acne is equivalent to the baseline rate of hyperkalemia in this population. Routine potassium monitoring is unnecessary for healthy women taking spironolactone for acne.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Acquired acrodermatitis enteropathica after gastric bypass surgery responsive to IV supplementation
    (University of California, Davis, 2016) Rana, Jasmine; Plovanich, Molly; Wallace, Elizabeth B; Yang, Chao; Canales, Alvaro Laga; Mostaghimi, Arash
    Nutritional deficiency is rare in developed countries, but can be acquired from decreased nutrient intake, reduced absorption, and increased gastrointestinal excretion. We report a patient with acquired acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE) who exhibited low plasma zinc levels and concurrent nutritional deficiencies (pyridoxine, selenium and fatty acids). Our patient had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass 13 years prior to presentation. The rash, consistent with AE clinically and histologically, nearly resolved one week after starting IV zinc supplementation, total parenteral nutrition, and micronutrient supplements. This case highlights the importance of long-term post-operative follow-up for gastric bypass patients who are at high risk for micronutrient and macronutrient deficiencies and illustrates the potential for rapid improvement with IV supplementation.
  • Publication
    The Molecular Characterization of the Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter
    (2014-07-07) Plovanich, Molly
    By buffering cytosolic calcium, mitochondria can shape the magnitude and duration of intracellular calcium transients, which in turn govern key physiological events. Although controlled uptake of calcium into the matrix influences the rate of ATP production, excess calcium within the matrix triggers non-specific permeabilization of the mitochondrial inner membrane, resulting in cell death. Despite its importance in cellular physiology, the molecular identity of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter remained a mystery for nearly five decades. Recently, an approach inspired by comparative genomics was used to identify two proteins required for high-capacity mitochondrial calcium uptake. These include MICU1, an EF-hand protein that may function as a regulatory component by sensing calcium, and MCU, the channel-forming subunit of the uniporter. In this work, I explore two distinct areas within the growing field of molecular mitochondrial calcium biology. First, I discuss the identification of a new protein, MICU1-paralog EFHA1, and present data that implicates it in mitochondrial calcium uptake. Subsequently, I describe efforts to establish an in vitro system to characterize the channel activity of MCU, including my contribution to the development of a liposome-based assay for calcium transport and preliminary work aimed at reconstituting MCU transport activity in proteoliposomes.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Giant Pyogenic Granuloma in a Patient with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
    (S. Karger AG, 2014) Plovanich, Molly; Tsibris, Hillary C.; Lian, Christine; Mostaghimi, Arash
    Pyogenic granuloma, also known as lobular capillary hemangioma, is a common benign vascular proliferative lesion that can present at any age on the skin or mucous membranes. Most lesions do not exceed 2 cm, but there are a handful of giant cutaneous pyogenic granulomas that have been reported, often in individuals with underlying immune dysfunction. Here, we report the first giant pyogenic granuloma in a patient with a hematological malignancy, chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    MICU2, a Paralog of MICU1, Resides within the Mitochondrial Uniporter Complex to Regulate Calcium Handling
    (Public Library of Science, 2013) Plovanich, Molly; Bogorad, Roman L.; Sancak, Yasemin; Kamer, Kimberli; Strittmatter, Laura Anne; Li, Andrew A.; Girgis, Hany S.; Kuchimanchi, Satya; De Groot, Jack; Speciner, Lauren; Taneja, Nathan; OShea, Jonathan; Koteliansky, Victor; Mootha, Vamsi
    Mitochondrial calcium uptake is present in nearly all vertebrate tissues and is believed to be critical in shaping calcium signaling, regulating ATP synthesis and controlling cell death. Calcium uptake occurs through a channel called the uniporter that resides in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Recently, we used comparative genomics to identify MICU1 and MCU as the key regulatory and putative pore-forming subunits of this channel, respectively. Using bioinformatics, we now report that the human genome encodes two additional paralogs of MICU1, which we call MICU2 and MICU3, each of which likely arose by gene duplication and exhibits distinct patterns of organ expression. We demonstrate that MICU1 and MICU2 are expressed in HeLa and HEK293T cells, and provide multiple lines of biochemical evidence that MCU, MICU1 and MICU2 reside within a complex and cross-stabilize each other's protein expression in a cell-type dependent manner. Using in vivo RNAi technology to silence MICU1, MICU2 or both proteins in mouse liver, we observe an additive impairment in calcium handling without adversely impacting mitochondrial respiration or membrane potential. The results identify MICU2 as a new component of the uniporter complex that may contribute to the tissue-specific regulation of this channel.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Novel oral anticoagulants: What dermatologists need to know
    (Elsevier BV, 2015) Plovanich, Molly; Mostaghimi, Arash
    The development of novel oral anticoagulants provides clinicians and patients a welcome alternative to the challenges of warfarin therapy. Dermatologists must be aware of the potential impact of novel oral anticoagulants on their surgical and medical practice. This review provides a concise summary of the novel oral anticoagulants for dermatologists with particular emphasis on: (1) the pharmacokinetic properties of these drugs and how they differ from warfarin, (2) suggested management during cutaneous surgery, (3) adverse drug interactions with commonly prescribed medications in dermatology, and (4) potential use within dermatology for treatment of disorders of cutaneous thrombosis.