Clinico-sero-pathological characteristics of anti-Ha antisynthetase syndrome.

To define the clinical, serological, and muscle histopathological characteristics, as well as treatment outcomes, of patients with anti-Ha antibody. We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical, serological, and pathological data and long-term treatment outcomes of anti-Ha patients between January 2005 and July 2023 at our center. Anti-Ha antibody was identified by immunoblot and reconfirmed by immunoprecipitation.

Loss of Smek1 Induces Tauopathy and Triggers Neurodegeneration by Regulating Microtubule Stability.

Suppressor of Mek1 (Smek1) is a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 4. Genome-wide association studies have shown the protective effect of SMEK1 in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the physiological and pathological roles of Smek1 in AD and other tauopathies are largely unclear.

Loss of function of CMPK2 causes mitochondria deficiency and brain calcification.

Brain calcification is a critical aging-associated pathology and can cause multifaceted neurological symptoms. Cerebral phosphate homeostasis dysregulation, blood-brain barrier defects, and immune dysregulation have been implicated as major pathological processes in familial brain calcification (FBC). Here, we analyzed two brain calcification families and identified calcification co-segregated biallelic variants in the CMPK2 gene that disrupt mitochondrial functions.

Indole-3-acetic acid improves the hepatic mitochondrial respiration defects by PGC1a up-regulation.

Recent evidences have linked indole-3-acetic acid (I3A), a gut microbiota-derived metabolite from dietary tryptophan, with the protection against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the values of I3A on mitochondrial homeostasis in NAFLD have yet to be analyzed. In this study, we verified that I3A alleviated dietary-induced metabolic impairments, particularly glucose dysmetabolism and liver steatosis.

Optimization of the cut-offs in acetylcholine receptor antibodies and diagnostic performance in myasthenia gravis patients.

Objective: This study aims to establish an optimization procedure to define the cut-offs of quantitative assays for acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChRAb), evaluate their diagnostic performance in myasthenia gravis (MG), and explore the association with clinical features.

Methods: Samples from a representative cohort of 77 MG patients, 80 healthy controls (HC) and 80 other autoimmune diseases (OAD) patients were tested using competitive inhibition ELISA and RIA. Raw values (OD and cpm) and processed values (inhibition rate, binding rate and concentration) were used to define the cut-offs with statistical methods, a rough method, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Clinical, genetic, and pathological characterization of GNE myopathy in China.

Background: GNE myopathy is the most common distal myopathy in China. We summarized the clinical, genetic, and pathological characteristics of 125 Chinese patients with GNE myopathy.

Methods: We collected clinical data of 21 patients diagnosed at our hospital and 104 patients from previous reports.

A heterozygous deletion of PDGFB gene causes paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia with primary familial brain calcification.

Background: Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized with calcium deposition in multiple brain regions. Mutations in PDGFB have been discovered in sporadic and familial PFBC cases. While several known variants displayed loss-of function, no complete deletion of platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB) has been reported.

Smek1 deficiency exacerbates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by activating proinflammatory microglia and suppressing the IDO1-AhR pathway.

Background: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal disease model of multiple sclerosis (MS) that involves the immune system and central nervous system (CNS). However, it is unclear how genetic predispositions promote neuroinflammation in MS and EAE. Here, we investigated how partial loss-of-function of suppressor of MEK1 (SMEK1), a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 4, facilitates the onset of MS and EAE.

Motor Symptom Lateralization Influences Cortico-Striatal Functional Connectivity in Parkinson's Disease.

The striatum is unevenly impaired bilaterally in Parkinson's disease (PD). Because the striatum plays a key role in cortico-striatal circuits, we assume that lateralization affects cortico-striatal functional connectivity in PD. The present study sought to evaluate the effect of lateralization on various cortico-striatal circuits through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Abnormal Spontaneous Brain Activity in Left-Onset Parkinson Disease: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study.

Motor asymmetry is characteristic in Parkinson disease (PD). This phenomenon is originated from uneven degeneration of bilateral substantia nigra. However, this asymmetry may not restrict to substantia nigra or striatum.

Cervical Spinal Involvement in a Chinese Pedigree With Pontine Autosomal Dominant Microangiopathy and Leukoencephalopathy Caused by a 3' Untranslated Region Mutation of COL4A1 Gene.

Background and Purpose- Pontine autosomal dominant microangiopathy and leukoencephalopathy, a recently defined subtype of cerebral small vessel disease, is associated with mutations in COL4A1 (collagen type IV alpha 1 chain) 3' untranslated region. We here describe a pontine autosomal dominant microangiopathy and leukoencephalopathy pedigree with COL4A1 mutation presenting both pontine and cervical spinal cord involvement. Methods- For the diagnostic purpose, brain and spinal magnetic resonance imaging scanning, skin biopsy, and whole-exome sequencing were performed on the patients in the pedigree.

Activated mTOR signaling pathway in myofibers with inherited metabolic defect might be an evidence for mTOR inhibition therapies.

Background: Abnormally activated mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway has been reported in several model animals with inherited metabolic myopathies (IMMs). However, the profiles of mTOR pathway in skeletal muscles from patients are still unknown. This study aimed to analyze the activity of mTOR pathway in IMMs muscles.

Clinical feature and outcome of late-onset cobalamin C disease patients with neuropsychiatric presentations: a Chinese case series.

Objective: The Cobalamin C (cblC) disease is an inborn error of cobalamin metabolism. Late-onset cblC disease was diagnosed in patients having overt symptoms after 4 years of age. The late-onset cblC disease patients were rare and easily misdiagnosed.

Clinical, Neuroimaging, and Pathological Analyses of 13 Chinese Leigh Syndrome Patients with Mitochondrial DNA Mutations.

Background: Leigh syndrome (LS) is a rare disease caused by mitochondrial defects and has high phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity. We analyzed the clinical symptoms, neuroimaging, muscular histopathology, and genotypes of 13 Chinese LS patients with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations.

Methods: Mutations in mtDNA were identified by targeted sequencing.

Late-onset cobalamin C deficiency Chinese sibling patients with neuropsychiatric presentations.

The Cobalamin C deficiency (cblC), characterized with elevated methylmalonic acidemia and homocystinuria in plasma, is an inborn error of cobalamin metabolism. The late-onset cblC siblings patients were rarely reported. In this study, we analyzed the clinical presentations and treatment outcomes of late-onset cblC in Chinese sibling patients with neuropsychiatric presentations.

Upregulation of Interleukin 21 and Interleukin 21 Receptor in Patients with Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis.

Background: The immunopathologic mechanism underlying dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) remains poorly understood. Many cytokines play a pathogenic role in DM and PM. Interleukin 21 (IL-21) has a pleiotropic effect on inflammation regulation.

Cylindrical Spirals in Skeletal Muscles Originate From the Longitudinal Sarcoplasmic Reticulum.

Cylindrical spirals (CSs) are rare but distinct subsarcolemmal accumulations in skeletal muscle fibers. To date, CSs have been reported in only 16 patients with a variety of neuromuscular conditions. The origin and composition of CSs are unknown, although there are some morphologic similarities between CSs and tubular aggregates (TAs).

Significance of decreased serum interleukin-10 levels in the progression of cerebral infarction.

Anti-inflammatory cytokine and its serological detection may have an important role in the process of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. We investigated whether serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) is associated with cerebral infarction or not in the general population. Identified comprehensive searching was performed covering PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CISCOM, CINAHL, Google Scholar, China BioMedicine, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases.

Glibenclamide decreases ATP-induced intracellular calcium transient elevation via inhibiting reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial activity in macrophages.

Increasing evidence has revealed that glibenclamide has a wide range of anti-inflammatory effects. However, it is unclear whether glibenclamide can affect the resting and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-induced intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)]i) handling in Raw 264.7 macrophages.