The associations between miRNA expression and preeclampsia suggest a potential role for microRNAs in preeclampsia pathobiology.

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assurance work, but disenrollment by member characteristics has been incompletely characterized. This information is important in longitudinal outcomes research. Aim: To calculate member disenrollment across HMORN sites by age, gender, and selected disease states. Methods: Baseline membership cohorts were identified for 8 consecutive years (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007) at 9 HMORN sites. Members were included in a baseline cohort year if they were enrolled for at least 305 days in that year. Disenrollment, defined as having fewer than 305 days of membership in a year, was assessed at 1, 3, and 5 years for each cohort. Members who died before the end of each assessment period were censored. Comorbidity was assigned based on ICD9 diagnosis code(s) for diabetes, asthma, heart failure, hypertension, hyperlipidemia or depression over a three-year period ending with the end of the cohort baseline year. SAS code was prepared at one site for distribution to other sites to run against VDW tables. Results: While overall disenrollment varied across the participating sites, within-site disenrollment changed little from year to year. In general, 1-year disenrollment rates varied from 7% to > 22%; 5-year disenrollment rates ranged from < 30% to > 60%. Using one site as an example, peak 1-year disenrollment was seen among the 20-29 year old age group; lowest rates were seen among those age 60 years and older. Similar patterns were seen at 5 year follow-up, although differences between highest and lowest rates were smaller. Disenrollment rates were slightly higher among males. Disenrollment among members with any one of the measured diseases was lower than among members without that condition. Conclusions: Disenrollment (and retention) rates vary by age and disease state and less so by gender. While overall disenrollment is useful for many purposes, rates by member characteristics can be essential while planning studies of specific populations. Background and Aims: Vaccine-strain herpes zoster (HZ) is a potential adverse outcome of varicella vaccination. Data are needed on the incidence of and risk factors for vaccine-strain HZ among children <18 years of age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded a study at Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) to determine the number and proportion of pediatric HZ cases caused by varicella vaccine, assess positive predictive value (PPV) of physician diagnosis of HZ, and compute incidence of vaccine and wild-type HZ in the KPNW population. Methods: We used electronic data to identify all pediatric medical office visits with a HZ diagnosis. During the visit, the provider collected a lesion specimen and completed a questionnaire. The study nurse called to interview the parent and, if no specimen was previously collected, schedule a home visit to obtain it. A follow-up questionnaire on severity and duration of HZ was returned four weeks after rash onset. Specimens were sent to the National VaricellaZoster Virus (VZV) Laboratory at the CDC for PCR analysis to c...