BackgroundThe Boston Puerto Rican Health Study is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study designed to examine the role of psychosocial stress on presence and development of allostatic load and health outcomes in Puerto Ricans, and potential modification by nutritional status, genetic variation, and social support.MethodsSelf-identified Puerto Ricans, aged 45-75 years and residing in the Boston, MA metro area, were recruited through door-to-door enumeration and community approaches. Participants completed a comprehensive set of questionnaires and tests. Blood, urine and salivary samples were extracted for biomarker and genetic analysis. Measurements are repeated at a two-year follow-up.ResultsA total of 1500 eligible participants completed baseline measurements, with nearly 80% two-year follow-up retention. The majority of the cohort is female (70%), and many have less than 8th grade education (48%), and fall below the poverty level (59%). Baseline prevalence of health conditions is high for this age range: considerable physical (26%) and cognitive (7%) impairment, obesity (57%), type 2 diabetes (40%), hypertension (69%), arthritis (50%) and depressive symptomatology (60%).ConclusionsThe enrollment of minority groups presents unique challenges. This report highlights approaches to working with difficult to reach populations, and describes some of the health issues and needs of Puerto Rican older adults. These results may inform future studies and interventions aiming to improve the health of this and similar communities.

Chemical modulation of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity by HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) is an increasingly important approach to modify the etiology of human disease. Loss-of-function diseases arise as a consequence of protein misfolding and degradation leading to system failures. The ΔF508 mutation in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) results in the absence of the cell surface chloride channel and a loss of airway hydration, leading to premature lung failure and reduced lifespan responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF). We now show that the HDACi suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) restores surface channel activity in human primary airway epithelia to levels that are 28% of wild-type CFTR. Biological silencing of all known class I and II HDACs reveals that HDAC7 plays a central role in restoration of ΔF508 function. We suggest that the tunable capacity of HDACs can be manipulated by chemical biology to counter the onset of CF and other human misfolding disorders.

contributed equally to this article. ** Drs. Wainwright and McColley contributed equally to this article.+Associate Editor, AJRCCM (participation complies with American Thoracic Society requirements for recusal from review and decisions for authored works).

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