Corneal Epithelial Thickness in Sjogren's Disease: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: This study was to assess corneal epithelial thickness (CET) in patients with Sjogren's disease (SjD).

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of SjD patients from September 2021 to January 2022. Patient demographics, unanesthetized Schirmer's test, serologic markers, and symptoms as measured by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) were reviewed.

Intense pulsed light treatment for the management of meibomian gland dysfunction.

Purpose Of Review: Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is one of the most common disorders encountered by ophthalmologists, and its management can prove challenging for both clinicians and patients. Intense pulsed light (IPL), which has been historically used in the field of dermatology, has emerged as a tool to help improve meibomian gland function. The goal of this review is to assess the clinical efficacy, utility, and safety of IPL for the treatment of MGD.

Real-world socioeconomic determinants of corneal crosslinking in a national cohort.

Purpose: To characterize recent socioeconomic trends in patients with keratoconus/corneal ectasias undergoing corneal crosslinking (CXL).

Setting: A deidentified administrative medical claims database comprised commercial and Medicare Advantage health claims from across the United States.

Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study.

The association of stroke with herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

Background/objectives: Studies have reported an association between herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) and stroke. We sought to validate this association with rigorous controls for both medical comorbidities and social factors using a nationwide U.S.

Yin Yang 1 controls cerebellar astrocyte maturation.

Diverse subpopulations of astrocytes tile different brain regions to accommodate local requirements of neurons and associated neuronal circuits. Nevertheless, molecular mechanisms governing astrocyte diversity remain mostly unknown. We explored the role of a zinc finger transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) that is expressed in astrocytes.

The homeostatic function of Regnase-2 restricts neuroinflammation.

The precise physiological functions and mechanisms regulating RNase Regnase-2 (Reg-2/ZC3H12B/MCPIP2) activity remain enigmatic. We found that Reg-2 actively modulates neuroinflammation in nontransformed cells, including primary astrocytes. Downregulation of Reg-2 in these cells results in increased mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6.

What Really Works? Testing Augmented and Virtual Reality Messaging in Terrestrial Invasive Species Management Communications to Impact Visitor Preferences and Deter Visitor Displacement.

Natural resource management is rapidly shifting to incorporate a deeper understanding of ecological processes and functioning, including attention to invasive species. The shift to understand public perceptions of resource management and invasives is much slower. Information influences both landscape preference and behaviors.

Cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 2 (cIAP2) restricts neuroinflammation during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Background: Immune activation, neuroinflammation, and cell death are the hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS), which is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). It is well-documented that the cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 2 (cIAP2) is induced by inflammatory stimuli and regulates adaptive and innate immune responses, cell death, and the production of inflammatory mediators. However, the impact of cIAP2 on neuroinflammation associated with MS and disease severity remains unknown.

Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases and Premature Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: An Analysis From the VITAL Registry.

Background: Although the association between autoimmune rheumatic diseases and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is well-known, there is a lack of data regarding the role of such disorders in patients with premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Methods: The Veterans With Premature Atherosclerosis (VITAL) registry, including patients with premature (males <55 years, females <65 years) and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (<40 years), was created from the 2014-2015 nationwide Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system database. We assessed age at the time of first cardiovascular event to compare patients with premature (n = 135,703) and those with extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (n = 7716) with age-matched patients without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (n = 1,153,535, n = 441,836).

A detrimental role of RelB in mature oligodendrocytes during experimental acute encephalomyelitis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). It is firmly established that overactivation of the p65 (RelA) nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transcription factor upregulates expression of inflammatory mediators in both immune and non-immune resident CNS cells and promotes inflammation during MS. In contrast to p65, NF-κB family member RelB regulates immune cell development and can limit inflammation.

A Comprehensive Review of Local Pharmacologic Therapy for Pyoderma Gangrenosum.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, ulcerative inflammatory skin disease that most commonly occurs in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatologic diseases, or hematologic diseases. Successful treatment of PG often requires immunosuppression and appropriate wound care. Systemic corticosteroids and cyclosporine are the first-line treatments for PG.

RelB acts as a molecular switch driving chronic inflammation in glioblastoma multiforme.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a primary brain tumor characterized by extensive necrosis and immunosuppressive inflammation. The mechanisms by which this inflammation develops and persists in GBM remain elusive. We identified two cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1) and oncostatin M (OSM) that strongly negatively correlate with patient survival.

Ocular Manifestations of the -Related Syndrome.

The -related syndrome is a rare X-linked neurodevelopmental condition that was first described in 2011. The disorder is caused by pathogenic variants in the gene located on chromosome X at position Xq28. Clinical features typically include severe psychomotor developmental delay, cardiac disease, dysmorphic features, postnatal growth failure, and hypotonia, although there is significant variability in the severity of the phenotype among affected individuals.

Riboswitches in Archaea.

Background: Riboswitches are cis-acting, non-coding RNA elements found in the 5'UTR of bacterial mRNA and 3' UTR of eukaryotic mRNA, that fold in a complex manner to act as receptors for specific metabolites hence altering their conformation in response to the change in concentrations of a ligand or metabolite. Riboswitches function as gene regulators in numerous bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae and plants.

Aim And Objective: This study identifies different classes of riboswitches in the Archaeal domain of life.

RelB controls adaptive responses of astrocytes during sterile inflammation.

In response to brain injury or infections, astrocytes become reactive, undergo striking morphological and functional changes, and secrete and respond to a spectrum of inflammatory mediators. We asked whether reactive astrocytes also display adaptive responses during sterile IL-1β-induced neuroinflammation, which may limit tissue injury associated with many disorders of the central nervous system. We found that astrocytes display days-to-weeks long specific tolerance of cytokine genes, which is coordinated by NF-κB family member, RelB.

Biologic and small-molecule medications in the management of pyoderma gangrenosum.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an uncommon inflammatory skin disorder characterized by neutrophil dysfunction. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of this disease, and treatment has typically relied on traditional immunosuppressive medications such as prednisone or cyclosporine. The efficacy of biologics in the treatment of other pro-inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease is well-documented in the literature.

Pyoderma Gangrenosum of the Scalp: A Rare Clinical Variant.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, neutrophil-predominant dermatosis that usually presents as a papule or pustule and progresses into a painful ulcer. Clinical and histopathological features are nonspecific, making PG a challenging condition to diagnose. Lesions may occur anywhere on the body; however, the lower extremity is the most common location.

Severe and acute complications of biologics in psoriasis.

Biologic therapies have revolutionized the approach to immune-mediated diseases such as psoriasis. Due to their favorable safety profiles and excellent efficacy, biologic agents are considered the gold standard for moderate-to-severe psoriasis. The aim of this paper is to saliently review the severe and acute complications of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved biologic agents for psoriasis.

Ocular pyoderma gangrenosum: A systematic review.

Background: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, ulcerative cutaneous disorder. Ophthalmic involvement in PG is atypical, but can have devastating consequences.

Objective: We sought to characterize ocular PG to allow for earlier diagnosis and therapy.

Wire in the hole: a case series of eroded intrapubic wire sutures causing genitourinary complications in the bladder exstrophy complex.

Bladder exstrophy and cloacal exstrophy are rare congenital defects of the genitourinary tract that require complex surgical reconstruction. Malrotation of the bony pelvis causes a characteristic diastasis of the pubic symphysis, which is surgically reduced at the time of initial bladder closure. For a successful primary closure without tension such that the bladder can be placed deep within the pelvis, pelvic osteotomy is often used.

Use of computed tomography (CT) for urolithiasis in pediatric patients.

Numbers of annual CT examinations have been increasing incrementally each year during the last 10-20 years. Use of unenhanced CT has been increasingly used for evaluation of urolithiasis, and concerned had been raised about the risks of increased radiation exposure in pediatric patients. Sensitivities and specificity for ureteral stones on conventional CT have been reported up to 98-100%, respectively.