Dephosphorylated uncarboxylated Matrix-Gla-Protein as candidate biomarker for immune-mediated vascular remodeling and prognosis in pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling. Since dephosphorylated-uncarboxylated Matrix Gla-Protein (dp-ucMGP) is associated with cardiovascular mortality in systemic sclerosis, a disease associated with PAH, and immune-system involvement in PAH is increasingly recognized, we investigated the relationship between dp-ucMGP, vascular remodeling and soluble immune-checkpoint proteins in PAH. This prospective cohort study included patients with idiopathic (I)PAH, connective tissue disease (CTD)-PAH, chronic thrombo-embolic PH (CTEPH) and CTD patients without PAH.

Autoimmune Encephalitis and Paraneoplastic Neurologic Syndromes: A Nationwide Study on Epidemiology and Antibody Testing Performance.

Background And Objectives: Autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) and paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes (PNSs) encompass a heterogeneous group of antibody-associated disorders. Both the number of syndromes and commercially available antibody tests have increased considerably over the past decade. High-quality population-based data on epidemiology of these disorders and real-world performance of antibody tests are needed.

Anti-GABAB receptor encephalitis: clinical and laboratory characteristics, imaging, treatments and prognosis.

Introduction: Anti-GABABR encephalitis is a rare disease reported to be often associated with tumors. The current study aims to summarize the clinical characteristics, imaging features, treatments, outcomes and explore the potential prognosis risk factors of patients with anti-GABABR encephalitis.

Methods: Patients tested positive for anti-GABABR were retrospective studied from a single medical center in China over a period of 3 years.

Cutting edge confusion about cut-off settings in autoimmune diagnostics.

In autoimmune diagnostics results are interpreted in relation to a single or multiple cut-off value(s) in order to decide if the test is negative, weak positive, positive, or even strong positive. The way a cut-off is established appears to be very heterogeneous and this hampers harmonization of test results obtained in assays, either established in-house or obtained from different companies. In this context it is surprising that in diagnostic and classification criteria for distinct autoimmune diseases referral is made to cut-off values with the intention of harmonization.

Reflecting on a decade of the international consensus on ANA patterns (ICAP): Accomplishments and challenges from the perspective of the 7th ICAP workshop.

The International Consensus on ANA Patterns (ICAP) is an ongoing international initiative dedicated to harmonizing technical and interpretation aspects of the HEp-2 IFA test. Comprised of internationally recognized experts in autoimmunity and HEp-2 IFA testing, ICAP has operated for the last 10 years by promoting accurate reading, interpretation, and reporting of HEp-2 IFA images by professionals involved in various areas related to autoimmune diseases, such as clinical diagnostic laboratories, academic research, IVD industry, and patient care. ICAP operates through continuous information exchange with the international community and encourages the participation of younger experts from all over the world.

High Prevalence of Myositis-Specific and Associated Antibodies in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious condition linked to immune-system dysfunction. Myositis-specific/associated antibodies (MSAs/MAAs) play a role in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) and interstitial lung disease (ILD), but their significance in PH remains unclear. We believe the presence of these antibodies may be underestimated.

A network correspondence toolbox for quantitative evaluation of novel neuroimaging results.

Decades of neuroscience research has shown that macroscale brain dynamics can be reliably decomposed into a subset of large-scale functional networks, but the specific spatial topographies of these networks and the names used to describe them can vary across studies. Such discordance has hampered interpretation and convergence of research findings across the field. To address this problem, we have developed the Network Correspondence Toolbox (NCT) to permit researchers to examine and report spatial correspondence between their novel neuroimaging results and sixteen widely used functional brain atlases, consistent with recommended reporting standards developed by the Organization for Human Brain Mapping.

A retrospective multicenter study on clinical and serological parameters in patients with MuSK myasthenia gravis with and without general immunosuppression.

Introduction: Muscle-specific kinase (MuSK)- myasthenia gravis (MG) is caused by pathogenic autoantibodies against MuSK that correlate with disease severity and are predominantly of the IgG4 subclass. The first-line treatment for MuSK-MG is general immunosuppression with corticosteroids, but the effect of treatment on IgG4 and MuSK IgG4 levels has not been studied.

Methods: We analyzed the clinical data and sera from 52 MuSK-MG patients (45 female, 7 male, median age 49 (range 17-79) years) from Italy, the Netherlands, Greece and Belgium, and 43 AChR-MG patients (22 female, 21 male, median age 63 (range 2-82) years) from Italy, receiving different types of immunosuppression, and sera from 46 age- and sex-matched non-disease controls (with no diagnosed diseases, 38 female, 8 male, median age 51.

Salience Network Functional Connectivity Mediates Association Between Social Engagement and Cognition in Non-Demented Older Adults: Exploratory Investigation.

Background: Social engagement has beneficial effects during cognitive aging. Large-scale cognitive brain network functions are implicated in both social behaviors and cognition.

Objective: We evaluated associations between functional connectivity (FC) of large-scale brain cognitive networks and social engagement, characterized by self-reported social network size and contact frequency.

Fornix fractional anisotropy mediates the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and memory four years later in older adults without dementia.

Here, we investigated whether fractional anisotropy (FA) of hippocampus-relevant white-matter tracts mediates the association between baseline Mediterranean diet adherence (MeDiAd) and verbal episodic memory over four years. Participants were healthy older adults with and without subjective cognitive decline and patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment from the DELCODE cohort study (n = 376; age: 71.47 ± 6.

Changes in Local and Systemic Adverse Effects following Primary and Booster Immunisation against COVID-19 in an Observational Cohort of Dutch Healthcare Workers Vaccinated with BNT162b2 (Comirnaty).

In healthcare workers (HCWs) and in the general population, fear of adverse effects is among the main reasons behind COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. We present data on self-reported adverse effects from a large cohort of HCWs who underwent primary (N = 470) and booster (N = 990) mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. We described general patterns in, and predictors of self-reported adverse effect profiles.

The intrinsic coagulation pathway plays a dominant role in driving hypercoagulability in ANCA-associated vasculitis.

The risk of a venous thrombotic event (VTE) is increased in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV); however, a detailed understanding of the underlying mechanisms of hypercoagulability is limited. We assessed prospectively different coagulation parameters in 71 patients with active AAV at baseline and after 6 months of follow-up. D-dimers and fibrinogen were increased in most patients at presentation and remained elevated in half of the patients.

Plasma Dephosphorylated-Uncarboxylated Matrix Gla-Protein in Systemic Sclerosis Patients: Biomarker Potential for Vascular Calcification and Inflammation.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients face an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), even when classic cardiovascular risk factors are considered. Plasma dephosphorylated-uncarboxylated Matrix Gla-protein (dp-ucMGP), an inactive form of MGP, is associated with increased CVD risk. Smooth muscle cells, implicated in SSc's development, are the primary dp-ucMGP producers.

Monitoring patients with celiac disease on gluten free diet: different outcomes comparing three tissue transglutaminase IgA assays.

Objectives: Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) IgA antibodies are a hallmark for celiac disease (CD). In CD patients on gluten free diet (GFD) these antibodies are transient. Few studies are available comparing the tTG-IgA assay characteristics for monitoring response to GFD.

Controversies and progress on standardization of large-scale brain network nomenclature.

Progress in scientific disciplines is accompanied by standardization of terminology. Network neuroscience, at the level of macroscale organization of the brain, is beginning to confront the challenges associated with developing a taxonomy of its fundamental explanatory constructs. The Workgroup for HArmonized Taxonomy of NETworks (WHATNET) was formed in 2020 as an Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM)-endorsed best practices committee to provide recommendations on points of consensus, identify open questions, and highlight areas of ongoing debate in the service of moving the field toward standardized reporting of network neuroscience results.

Identifying therapeutic monoclonal antibodies using target protein collision electrophoresis reflex assay to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Monoclonal gammopathies are characterized by the presence of monoclonal immunoglobulins, also known as M-proteins. Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (t-mAbs) can interfere in laboratory assays used to monitor the state of disease, such as serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) and immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE). To establish a correct interpretation of IFE, Target protein-Collision Immunofixation Electrophoresis Reflex Assay (T-CIERA) was developed to identify t-mAbs in IFE.

The potential of blood neurofilament light as a marker of neurodegeneration for Alzheimer's disease.

Over the past several years, there has been a surge in blood biomarker studies examining the value of plasma or serum neurofilament light (NfL) as a biomarker of neurodegeneration for Alzheimer's disease. However, there have been limited efforts to combine existing findings to assess the utility of blood NfL as a biomarker of neurodegeneration for Alzheimer's disease. In addition, we still need better insight into the specific aspects of neurodegeneration that are reflected by the elevated plasma or serum concentration of NfL.

Anti-GAD65 autoantibody levels measured by ELISA and alternative types of immunoassays in relation to neuropsychiatric diseases versus diabetes mellitus type 1.

Background: Anti-GAD65 autoantibodies (GAD65-Abs) may occur in patients with epilepsy and other neurological disorders, but the clinical significance is not clear-cut. Whereas high levels of GAD65-Abs are considered pathogenic in neuropsychiatric disorders, low or moderate levels are only considered as mere bystanders in, e.g.

Yoga, aerobic and stretching exercise effects on neurocognition: Randomized controlled trial protocol.

As the global population ages, the prevalence of cognitive decline and dementia is expected to rise, creating a significant health and economic burden. The purpose of this trial is to rigorously test, for the first time, the efficacy of yoga training as a physical activity intervention to mitigate age-related cognitive decline and impairment. We are conducting a 6-month randomized controlled trial (RCT) of exercise among 168 middle aged and older adults to compare the efficacy of yoga vs.