Alteration of the Gut-Lung Axis After Severe COVID-19 Infection and Modulation Through Probiotics: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study.

Background: The gut-lung axis could be a potential therapeutic target for improving post-acute COVID-19 symptoms, and probiotics have been proposed as possible modulators.

Aim: We conducted a pilot study to understand alterations in the gut-lung axis and to explore the effects of a probiotic in post-acute COVID-19 disease.

Methods: We included patients after severe COVID-19 disease (sCOV, n = 21) in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to test the effect of a probiotic (Pro-Vi 5, Institute Allergosan, Graz, Austria) in a six-month intervention and used patients after mild disease (mCOV, n = 10) as controls, to compare the intestinal microbiome, metabolome, and patient-reported outcomes and biomarkers along the gut-lung axis at baseline and throughout probiotic intervention.

Primary sarcopenia is associated with elevated spontaneous NET formation.

Sarcopenia is a frequent complication of liver cirrhosis, but it can also occur independently as a result of any underlying cause. The immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of both liver cirrhosis and sarcopenia. Neutrophil function, including neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, is linked to chronic inflammation; however, it has not been extensively studied in patients with sarcopenia.

Effect of albumin infusion on oxidative albumin modification and albumin binding capacity in chronic liver failure.

Oxidative albumin modification and impaired albumin binding function have been described both in chronic liver failure and for therapeutic albumin solutions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of albumin infusion on redox state and binding function of circulating albumin. We studied 20 patients with cirrhosis who routinely received albumin infusions for prevention of post-paracentesis circulatory dysfunction or treatment of hepatorenal syndrome.

Circulating neutrophil anti-pathogen dysfunction in cirrhosis.

Neutrophils are the largest population of leucocytes and are among the first cells of the innate immune system to fight against intruding pathogens. In patients with cirrhosis, neutrophils exhibit altered functionality, including changes in phagocytic ability, bacterial killing, chemotaxis, degranulation, reactive oxygen species production and NET (neutrophil extracellular trap) formation. This results in their inability to mount an adequate antibacterial response and protect the individual from infection.

Human gut microbiome: Therapeutic opportunities for metabolic syndrome-Hype or hope?

Shifts in gut microbiome composition and metabolic disorders are associated with one another. Clinical studies and experimental data suggest a causal relationship, making the gut microbiome an attractive therapeutic goal. Diet, intake of probiotics or prebiotics and faecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) are methods to alter a person's microbiome composition.

Can ChatGPT Help in Electronics Research and Development? A Case Study with Applied Sensors.

In this paper, we investigated the applicability of ChatGPT AI in electronics research and development via a case study of applied sensors in embedded electronic systems, a topic that is rarely mentioned in the recent literature, thus providing new insight for professionals and academics. The initial electronics-development tasks of a smart home project were prompted to the ChatGPT system to find out its capabilities and limitations. We wanted to obtain detailed information on the central processing controller units and the actual sensors usable for the specific project, their specifications and recommendations on the hardware and software design flow additionally.

Anti-CD20 treatment and neutrophil function in central nervous system demyelinating diseases.

Introduction: A contribution of neutrophil granulocytes to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) is recognized. Anti-CD20 treatments applied in these diseases are associated with infectious complications and neutropenia. No data is available about functional characteristics of neutrophils obtained from patients with anti-CD20 treatments.

Direct acting antiviral therapy rescues neutrophil dysfunction and reduces hemolysis in hepatitis C infection.

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is characterized by multiple extra-hepatic manifestations. Innate immune dysfunction and hemolysis are symptoms which might be associated with each other. We investigated the impact of direct acting antivirals on neutrophil function and its connection to hemolysis.

Discovery of non-HLA antibodies associated with cardiac allograft rejection and development and validation of a non-HLA antigen multiplex panel: From bench to bedside.

We analyzed humoral immune responses to nonhuman leukocyte antigen (HLA) after cardiac transplantation to identify antibodies associated with allograft rejection. Protein microarray identified 366 non-HLA antibodies (>1.5 fold, P < .

Clinical utility of C3d binding donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen antibody detection by single antigen beads after kidney transplantation-a retrospective study.

Development of donor-specific antibodies (DSA) after renal transplantation is known to be associated with worse graft survival, yet determining which specificities in which recipients are the most deleterious remains under investigation. This study evaluated the relationship of the complement binding capacity of post-transplant de novo anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies with subsequent clinical outcome. Stored sera from 265 recipients previously identified as having de novo DSA were retested for DSA and their C3d binding capacity using Luminex-based solid-phase assays.

Structural aspects of human leukocyte antigen class I epitopes detected by human monoclonal antibodies.

This study addresses the concept that human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I-specific alloantibodies are specific for epitopes that correspond to HLAMatchmaker-defined eplets. Eplets are essential parts of so-called structural epitopes that make contact with the 6 complementarity determining regions of an antibody. From published molecular models of crystallized protein antigen-antibody complexes, we have calculated that contact residues on structural HLA epitopes should reside within a 15-Å radius of a mismatched eplet.

Human monoclonal antibody reactivity with human leukocyte antigen class I epitopes defined by pairs of mismatched eplets and self-eplets.

Aim: Humoral sensitization affects transplant outcome, and it is now apparent that human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies are specific for epitopes rather than antigens. Such epitopes can be structurally defined by HLAMatchmaker, an algorithm that considers eplets as critical elements of epitopes recognized by alloantibodies. This study addressed the question how mismatched HLA antigens induce specific antibodies in context with eplet differences with the antibody producer.

Incidence and predictors of drug-eluting stent fracture in human coronary artery a pathologic analysis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to perform pathologic assessment on stent fracture.

Background: Clinically, stent fracture has been reported in 1% to 2% of patients after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation.

Methods: High-contrast film-based radiographs of 177 consecutive lesions from the CVPath DES autopsy registry were reviewed.

Structurally based epitope analysis of major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A (MICA) antibody specificity patterns.

Recent studies have suggested a clinical significance to the detection of anti-major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A (MICA) antibodies in transplantation. We have developed an eplet-based version of the HLAMatchmaker algorithm to assess the epitope specificity of these antibodies. Molecular viewing of the MICA structure and the determination of amino acid sequence differences between MICA alleles has yielded a repertoire of 38 potentially immunogenic MICA eplets.

Distinct diversity of KIR genes in three southern Indian populations: comparison with world populations revealed a link between KIR gene content and pre-historic human migrations.

By interacting with polymorphic HLA class I molecules, the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) influence the innate and adaptive immune response to infection. The KIR family varies in gene content and sequence polymorphism, thereby, distinguishing individuals and populations. To investigate KIR diversity in the earliest settlers of India, we have characterized the KIR gene content in three Dravidian-speaking populations (Mollukurumba, Kanikar, and Paravar) from the state of Tamil Nadu, southern India.

Molecular typing of HLA-A, -B, and DRB using a high throughput micro array format.

The goal of this study was to develop a DNA micro array procedure for molecular human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing of a large number of samples. DNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified for HLA-A, -B, and -DRB. Amplified DNA samples were spotted on silane-treated glass slides using a micro array spotter.

Recent human-specific spreading of a subtelomeric domain.

The recent spreading of a subtelomeric region at nine different human chromosome ends was characterized by a combination of segregation analyses, physical mapping, junction cloning, and FISH investigations. The events occurred very recently in human genome evolution as demonstrated by sequence analysis of different alleles and the single location of the ancestral site at chromosome 17qter in chimpanzee and orangutan. The domain successfully colonized most 1p, 5q, and 6q chromosome ends and is also present at a significant frequency of 6p, 7p, 8p, 11p, 15q, and 19p ends.

X-linked ichthyosis without STS deficiency: clinical, genetical, and molecular studies.

We report on a Sardinian pedigree with congenital ichthyosis associated with normal levels of steroid sulfatase and a normal molecular pattern, as detectable with a cDNA probe for the steroid sulfatase (STS) gene. Though the pattern of transmission of the disease is consistent with X-linked recessive inheritance, this form of ichthyosis was found to segregate independently of genetic polymorphisms detected by probes of the region Xp22.3, where the STS locus has been mapped.

Application of DNA profiling to paternity testing during early pregnancy.

Four probes that recognize D2S44, D17S79, D4S163 and D18S27 loci, were used to produce DNA profiles of 8- to 10-week-old chorionic villus samples and from blood samples of their respective parents. A total of 30 pedigrees were analyzed. The results showed strict Mendelian inheritance.

Kinship bioassay on hypervariable loci in blacks and Caucasians.

Four hypervariable loci were examined in DNA samples of American Blacks and Caucasians. Genetic diversity, measured by mean kinship within race, is 0.004 for a sliding window equal to twice the radius of coalescence of the autoradiographic bands.

Frequency of restriction site polymorphisms in the region surrounding VNTR loci.

Variations in allele size in loci containing tandem repeats result from changes in the number of these repeats. However, digestion of the same DNA samples with two restriction enzymes (i.e.

Population genetics of 14 ethnic groups using phenotypic data from VNTR loci.

Population genetic studies were performed using five VNTR loci (D2S44, D4S163, D14S13, D17S79, D18S27). The populations examined were Caucasian (Australia, Brazil and U.S.

Genetic and physical mapping on chromosome 4 narrows the localization of the gene for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).

We have used a combination of classical RFLPs and PCR-based polymorphisms including CA repeats and single-strand conformation polymorphisms to generate a fine-structure genetic map of the distal long arm of chromosome 4q. This map is now genetically linked to the pre-existing anchor map of 4pter-4q31 and generates, for the first time, a complete linkage map of this chromosome. The map consists of 32 anchor loci placed with odds of greater than 1,000:1.

Human population genetic studies using hypervariable loci. I. Analysis of Assamese, Australian, Cambodian, Caucasian, Chinese and Melanesian populations.

Population genetic studies, in Australian, Assamese, Cambodian, Chinese, Caucasian and Melanesian populations, were performed with several highly polymorphic DNA loci. Results showed that the Caucasian and Chinese had the highest level of heterozygosity. The size range of the majority of the polymorphic DNA fragments of a locus was the same in the different populations.