Combined antifungal therapy with immunostimulation for refractory cutaneous and peritoneal mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus microsporus.

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection typically affecting immunocompromised patients. Here, we report a severe case of invasive cutaneous and peritoneal mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus microsporus, successfully treated with a combination of antifungal therapy, PD-1 inhibitor, and interferon-gamma. We highlight the importance of personalized immunotherapy in refractory cases of invasive mucormycosis.

Reduced microvascular flow-mediated dilation in Syrian hamsters lacking δ-sarcoglycan is caused by increased oxidative stress.

δ-Sarcoglycan mutation reduces mechanotransduction and induces dilated cardiomyopathy with aging. We hypothesized that in young hamsters with δ-sarcoglycan mutation, which do not show cardiomyopathy, flow mechanotransduction might be affected in resistance arteries as the control of local blood flow. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was measured in isolated mesenteric resistance arteries, using 3-mo-old hamsters carrying a mutation in the δ-sarcoglycan gene (CH-147) and their control littermates.

Epstein-Barr virus and immune status imprint the immunogenomics of non-Hodgkin lymphomas occurring in immune-suppressed environments.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) commonly occur in immunodeficient patients, both those infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and those who have been transplanted, and are often driven by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with cerebral localization, raising the question of tumor immunogenicity, a critical issue for treatment responses. We investigated the immunogenomics of 68 lymphoproliferative disorders from 51 immunodeficient (34 post-transplant, 17 HIV+) and 17 immunocompetent patients. Overall, 72% were large B-cell lymphoma and 25% were primary central nervous system lymphoma, while 40% were EBV+.

Kynurenic Acid: A Novel Player in Cardioprotection against Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injuries.

Background: Myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide; hence, there is an urgent need to discover novel cardioprotective strategies. Kynurenic acid (KYNA), a metabolite of the kynurenine pathway, has been previously reported to have cardioprotective effects. However, the mechanisms by which KYNA may be protective are still unclear.

NTPDase1/CD39 Ectonucleotidase Is Necessary for Normal Arterial Diameter Adaptation to Flow.

NTPDase1/CD39, the major vascular ectonucleotidase, exerts thrombo-immunoregulatory function by controlling endothelial P2 receptor activation. Despite the well-described release of ATP from endothelial cells, few data are available regarding the potential role of CD39 as a regulator of arterial diameter. We thus investigated the contribution of CD39 in short-term diameter adaptation and long-term arterial remodeling in response to flow using male mice.