Impact of Ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Core Needle Biopsy on Biomarkers of Human Kidney Allograft Status.

Background: Deciphering the impact of invasive percutaneous core needle biopsy of the kidney allograft on diagnostic biomarkers may help guide their clinical usage.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 39 adult kidney allograft recipients (patients) who underwent 41 clinically indicated, ultrasound-guided, percutaneous core needle biopsies. Pre- and post-biopsy urines were analyzed for urinary cell 3-gene signature score (UroMap), and the bloods for peripheral blood gene expression score (AlloMap Kidney) and plasma donor-derived cell-free DNA percentage (dd-cfDNA).

Blockade of store-operated calcium entry by BTP2 preserves anti-inflammatory gene expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is essential for cellular signaling. Earlier studies of the pyrazole derivative BTP2, an efficient inhibitor SOCE, identified that SOCE blockade suppresses proinflammatory gene expression. The impact of SOCE blockade on gene expression at the whole transcriptome level, however, is unknown.

Genetic polymorphisms and post-stroke upper limb motor improvement - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Post-stroke upper limb (UL) motor improvement is associated with adaptive neuroplasticity and motor learning. Both intervention-related (including provision of intensive, variable, and task-specific practice) and individual-specific factors (including the presence of genetic polymorphisms) influence improvement. In individuals with stroke, most commonly, polymorphisms are found in Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), Apolipoprotein (APOE) and Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT).

A quantitative comparison of urine centrifugation and filtration for the isolation and analysis of urinary nucleic acid biomarkers.

Urine is a rich source of nucleic acid biomarkers including cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and RNA for monitoring the health of kidney allografts. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether urine filtration can serve as an alternative to the commonly used method of centrifugation to collect urinary fluid and cell pellets for isolating cfDNA and cellular messenger RNA (mRNA). We collected urine specimens from kidney allograft recipients and obtained the urine supernatant and cell pellet from each specimen using both filtration and centrifugation for paired analyses.

Self-perceived upper extremity motor function predicts health-related quality of life in chronic stroke survivors.

Purpose: To examine whether the Upper Extremity Functional Index (UEFI) score independently contributes to the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) score and quantified its relative contribution to SIS scores in chronic stroke survivors.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study in a university-based rehabilitation centre with people with chronic stroke ( = 95) aged ≥ 50 years. The outcome measures included paretic hand grip strength, Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Assessment (FMA-UE), Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), UEFI, and SIS.

Surgical Management of Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Beyond T&A - Tongue Base and Larynx.

Pediatric patients with persistent obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after adenotonsillectomy often have additional sites of upper airway obstruction such as the tongue base or larynx. Sleep endoscopy and cross-sectional, dynamic imaging can be used to direct the surgical management of persistent OSA. The tongue base is one of the most common sites of obstruction in children with persistent OSA, especially for patients with Trisomy 21.

Effects of mirror therapy with electrical stimulation for upper limb recovery in people with stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: To provide updated evidence about the effects of MT with ES for recovering upper extremities motor function in people with stroke.

Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis were completed. Methodological quality was assessed using the version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool.

RNA-sequencing of Human Kidney Allografts and Delineation of T-Cell Genes, Gene Sets, and Pathways Associated With Acute T Cell-mediated Rejection.

Background: Delineation of T-cell genes, gene sets, pathways, and T-cell subtypes associated with acute T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) may improve its management.

Methods: We performed bulk RNA-sequencing of 34 kidney allograft biopsies (16 Banff TCMR and 18 no rejection [NR] biopsies) from 34 adult recipients of human kidneys. Computational analysis was performed to determine the differential intragraft expression of T-cell genes at the level of single-gene, gene set, and pathways.

Urinary Cell Gene Signature of Acute Rejection in Kidney Allografts.

Introduction: A kidney allograft biopsy may display acute T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR), antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR), or concurrent TCMR + ABMR (MR). Development of noninvasive biomarkers diagnostic of all three types of acute rejection is a useful addition to the diagnostic armamentarium.

Methods: We developed customized RT-qPCR assays and measured urinary cell mRNA copy number in 145 biopsy-matched urine samples from 126 kidney allograft recipients and calculated urinary cell three-gene signature score from log -transformed values for the 18S-normalized CD3E mRNA, 18S-normalized CXCL10 mRNA and 18S rRNA.

Transcriptomic signatures of chronic active antibody-mediated rejection deciphered by RNA sequencing of human kidney allografts.

Natural killer (NK) cells mediate spontaneous cell-mediated cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. This dual functionality could enable their participation in chronic active antibody-mediated rejection (CA-ABMR). Earlier microarray profiling studies have not subcategorized antibody-mediated rejection into CA-ABMR and active-ABMR, and the gene expression pattern of CA-ABMR has not been compared with that of T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR).

A Distinct Nasal Microbiota Signature in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.

Key Points: , , , and are the most common genera in the anterior nares. The nasal abundance of is inversely correlated with the nasal abundance of . Peritoneal dialysis patients have a distinctly diverse representation of and in their anterior nares.

Neurologic and Neuromuscular Sequelae of COVID-19.

It is known that there can be neurologic complications related to acute infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Currently, there is a growing body of evidence that postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection can manifest as neurologic sequelae as a result of direct neuroinvasion, autoimmunity, and possibly lead to chronic neurodegenerative processes. Certain complications can be associated with worse prognosis, lower functional outcome, and higher mortality.

Evaluation of Immunocompetence and Biomarkers of Tolerance in Chimeric and Immunosuppression-free Kidney Allograft Recipients.

Background: Thirty-seven patients have received a living-donor kidney transplant in a phase 2 study designed to induce tolerance with facilitated allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The study protocol is based on tolerogenic CD8 + /T-cell receptor - facilitating cells (FCR001; also including hematopoietic stem cells and αβ-T-cell receptor + T cells) and low-dose, nonmyeloablative conditioning. Persistent chimerism allowing full immunosuppression (IS) withdrawal was achieved in 26 patients (time off IS 36-123 mo).

Neurologic Complications of Patients With COVID-19 Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Unlabelled: In COVID-19 patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), our primary objective was to determine the frequency of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Secondary objectives were to estimate the frequency of ischemic stroke, to explore association between higher anticoagulation targets and ICH, and to estimate the association between neurologic complications and in-hospital mortality.

Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and MedRxiv databases from inception to March 15, 2022.

Selective modulation of gene expression in activated normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by store-operated calcium entry blocker BTP2.

Calcium is a critical signaling molecule in many cell types including immune cells. The calcium-release activated calcium channels (CRAC) responsible for store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) in immune cells are gated by STIM family members functioning as sensors of Ca store content in the endoplasmic reticulum. We investigated the effect of SOCE blocker BTP2 on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated with the mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA).

Pulmonary function in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia and its associations with iron overload.

In patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT), pulmonary function impairment has been reported but data are conflicting. Moreover, it remains unclear whether pulmonary dysfunction is associated with iron overload. This study aimed to evaluate the pulmonary function in patients with TDT and to investigate the associations between pulmonary dysfunction and iron overload.