Research | Vitamin D

Dr. Peiris is Chief of Endocrinology at the Mountain Home VAMC and Professor of Medicine, ETSU. He has wide ranging interests including Regional obesity, Medical Informatics, Diabetes and Vitamin D and clinical (bedside) diagnosis. He has extensive experience in Clinical research techniques including the euglycemic and hyperglycemic insulin clamp, using radioactive isotopes to measure glucose production and fatty acid kinetics, epidemiologic and outcomes research.   In addition he has laid the foundation for Internal Medicine residents to be mentored in clinical research. Several such trainees have received Departmental awards for published research endeavors. This work has been presented at National meetings of such learned societies such as the American Heart association and Endocrine society.

In the last few years, Dr Peiris has concentrated his efforts on Vitamin D deficiency and its link to ill-health. The first paper on Vitamin D was published in 2008 and confirmed that Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased health care costs in Veterans. Other publications have explored the relationship of Vitamin D to seasonality, adequacy of monitoring serum levels, ICU outcomes, racial disparities, inflammatory bowel disease and a variety of bacterial infections. This research has involved residents and faculty within the ETSU Departments of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, School of Nursing, and library services as well as collaboration with extramural research personnel in the area of Vitamin D

Publications (selected)

Peiris AN.   Surgical Aspects of Pediatric Obesity.   South Med J. 2006;99:801.
Peiris AN, Peiris P.   Role of total Thyroidectomy in the treatment of thyroid diseases.   South Med J. 2006;99:1201-2.
Mancini JM, Issa N, Kosseifi SG, Peiris AN.   Marked insulin resistance in pregnancy:   a case report and literature review.   Tenn. Med. 2006;99:35-7
Nassour DN, Patel SV, Kosseifi SG, Jordan RM, Peiris AN.   Marked bilateral parotid enlargement in metabolic syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.   Tenn. Med. 2007;100:39-41.
Kosseifi S, Nassour D, Leicht S, Jordan RM, Peiris AN.   Sex, Smell and Vasculitis: Henoch Schonlein Purpura in Kallmanns Syndrome.   West Virginia Medical Journal. 2008:104:16-18.
Peiris AN, Oh E, Diaz S.   Psychiatric manifestations of thyroid disease.   South Med J. 2007;100:773-4.
Iskandar SB, Jordan RM, Peiris AN.   Electrocardiographic abnormalities and endocrine diseasespart a: hyperthyroidism. Tenn Med. 2007;100:47-50.
Iskandar SB, Jordan RM, Peiris AN.   Electrocardiographic abnormalities and endocrine diseasespart b: hypothyroidism and other thyroid disease. Tenn Med. 2007;100:41-2.
Iskandar SB, Jordan RM, Peiris AN.   Electrocardiographic abnormalities and endocrine diseasespart c: parathyroid, hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Tenn Med. 2007;100:43-4.
Peiris AN, Micklewright M, Gangadharan V.   Paretos Law and Sulfonylureas.   South Med J. 2007;100:1072-3.
Kosseifi SG, Nassour DN, Shaikh MA, Sarubbi FA, Jordan RM, Peiris AN. Nodular pulmonary histoplasmosis in Cushing's disease: A case report and literature review. Tenn Med. 2007;100:44-6.
Iskandar SB, Jordan RM, Peiris AN.   Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Endocrine Disease part d: Adrenal Gland, Diabetes, and Other Endocrine Disorders. Tenn Med. 2008;35-41.
Peiris AN, Bailey B, Manning T. The Relationship of Vitamin D Deficiency to Health Care Costs in Veterans.   Military Medicine. 2008;173:1214-18.
Kosseifi S, Nassour D, Leicht S, Jordan RM, Peiris AN.   Sex, smell and vasculitis: Henoch-Schonlein purpura in Kallmanns syndrome.   W V Med J. 2008:104:16-18.
Youssef D, El Abbassi A, Jordan RM, Peiris AN.   Fructosamine-an underutilized took in diabetes management: case report and literature review.   Tenn Med. 2008;101:31-33.
Stephenson DW, Peiris AN.   The Lack of Vitamin D Toxicity with Megadose of daily Ergocalciferol (D2) Therapy: A Case Report and Literature Review.   Southern Medical Journal. 2009:102:765-8.
Marino A, Patel T, Whitten E, Peiris A. Persistent Hyperprolactinemia following Mammoplasty: A Rare Association.   Tennessee Medicine. 2009:102;47-8.
Moukharskaya J, Marino A, Miller C, Pandian S, Rodriguez JF, Peiris AN.   Hypercalcemia, Cinacalcet and bipolar schizoaffective disorder.   Psychiatric Annals. 2009;39:896-97
Miller, CWT, Marino A, Moukharskaya J, Peiris AN.   High Vitamin D Levels and Improved Quality of Life in a Patient with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Case Report.   Tenn Med. 2009;102:37-8.
Youssef D, El Abbassi A, Jones K, Woodby G, Peiris AN.   The Potential to Improve Diabetes Control with Vitamin D Replacement in African American Patients: Case Report and Literature Review.   Tenn Med. 2010;103:35-6.
Youssef D, El Abbassi A, Woodby G, Peiris AN.   Benefits of Twice Daily Injection with Insulin Glargine: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.   Tenn Med. 2010 ;103:42-3.
Youssef D, Bailey B, El Abbassi A, Copeland R, Adebonojo L, Manning T, Peiris AN.   Healthcare costs of Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile infections in Veterans: Role of vitamin D Deficiency.   Epidemiol. Infect. 2010;8:1-6.
Peiris AN, Bailey B, Manning T, Kuriacose R, Copeland R, Garrett L.   Testing for Vitamin D Deficiency in Veterans is there a Seasonal Bias?   Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2010;11:128-31.
Nerissa Licup, Alan N. Peiris. Is the cosyntropin test redundant in the acutely ill patient suspected of adrenal insufficiency? A case report and literature review. Tenn Med. 2010;103:41-3.
Gaddipati VC, Bailey BA, Kuriacose R, Copeland R; A Peiris AN. Vitamin D Deficiency:   An Increasing Concern in Peripheral Arterial Disease.   J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2010; June:308-11.
Peiris AN, Bailey BA, Manning T, Adebonojo L.   Are 25-Hydroxyvitamin D levels adequately Monitored Following Evidence of Vitamin D Insufficiency in Veterans?   Military Medicine 2010; 175:453-6.
Jithpratuck W, Garrett LH, Peiris AN.   Treating Vitamin D Insufficiency in primary hyperparathyroidism: a cautionary tale. Tennessee Medicine 2011;Aug;104(7):47-9.
Lopez Pablo R.; Peiris Alan N. Kounis Syndrome. Southern Medical Journal 2010;103:1148-55.
Stephenson DW, Peiris AN, Pandian S, Rodriguez F.   A 33-year-old Man with Bipolar Disorder.   Psychiatric Annals. 2010;6:274-80.
Kosseifi S, Bailey B, Price R, Roy TM, Byrd RP, Jr., Peiris AN.   The Association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and Microvascular complications in well-controlled diabetic patients. Military Medicine. 2010;Nov:175:913-6.
William B. Grant and Alan N. Peiris. Possible Role of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Black-White Health Disparities in the United States.   Review.   JAMDA 2010;11: 617-28.
Islam T, Peiris P, Copeland RJ, Zoghby M, Peiris AN.   Vitamin D: Lessons from the Veterans Population.   JAMDA 2011;5:257-62.
Gaddipati VC, Bailey BA, Kuriacose R, Copeland RJ, Manning T, Peiris AN.   The Relationship of Vitamin D Status to Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Amputation Risk in Veterans with Peripheral Arterial Disease.   JAMDA 2011;1:58-61.
Gopalagowda BH, Peiris AN. Alternate Day Rosuvastatin: An Underutilized Option in Statin Intolerant Hyperlipidemic Patients: A Case Report and Literature Review.   Tennessee Medicine 2011 Feb;104(2):48-51.
McKinney JD, Bailey BA, Garrett LH, Peiris P, Manning T, Peiris AN.   Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and ICU Outcomes in Veterans.   Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA) 2011 Mar;12:208-11.
Peiris AN, Bailey BA, Peiris P, Copeland RJ, Manning T.   Race and Vitamin D Status and Monitoring in Male Veterans.   Journal of the National Medical Association (JNMA) 2011;103,6:492-97.  
Youssef DA, Miller CWT, El-Abbassi AM, Cutchins DC, Cutchins C, Grant WB, Peiris AN.   Antimicrobial Implications of Vitamin D. Dermato-Endocrinology 2011;3,4:1-10.
Atia A, Murthy R, Bailey BA, Manning T, Garrett LL, Youssef D, Peiris AN.   Vitamin D Status in Veterans with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Relationship to Health Care Costs and Services.   Military medicine 2011;176,6:711-14
Y oussef D, Bailey B, El-Abbassi A, Vannoy M, Manning T, Moorman JP, Peiris AN.   Healthcare costs of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in veterans: role of vitamin D deficiency.   Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2011 June 22 (Epub ahead of print). 
Peiris AN, Bailey BA, Guha B, Copeland R, Manning T.   Can a model predictive of vitamin D status be developed from common laboratory tests and demographic parameters?   Southern Medical J. 2011 Sep; 104(9):636-9.
P eiris AN, Youssef DA.   The computerized patient and the art of bedside diagnosis.   Southern Medical J. 2011 Sep;104(9):623.
L icup NL, Zaza AA, Copeland RJ, Peiris AN.   Peri-adrenal hemangioma mimicking a pheochromocytoma on metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scan. Tenn Med 2011;Sep;104(8):39-40, 42.
Y oussef D, El Abbassi AM, Cutchins DC, Chhabra S, Peiris AN.   Vitamin D deficiency: implications for acute care in the elderly and in patients with chronic illness.   Geriatrics and Gerontology Int. 2011 Oct;11(4):395-407. 
Peiris AN, Bailey B.   Reply to the letter to the editor by faulhaber, schulz, and furlanetto.   J Am Med Dir Assoc 2011 Oct;12(8):e2-3. Epub 2011 May 6. 
Peiris AN, Youssef D.   The traditional medical history: a casualty of the check list?   South Med J. 2011 Nov;104(11):717. 
Peiris AN, Youssef D, Grant WB.   Secondary hyperparathyroidism: benign bystander or culpable contributor to adverse health outcomes?   South med J. 2012 Jan;105(1):36-42. 
Peiris AN, Bailey BA, Manning T.   Vitamin D testing patterns among six different Veterans Medical Centers in the Southeastern United States. Military Medicine, 2012   177(1):70-6.