Impairment of regulatory T cell stability in axial spondyloarthritis: role of EZH2 and pSTAT5.

Background And Objectives: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the spine, peripheral joints, and entheses. Functional impairment of regulatory T cells (Treg) is linked to inflammatory diseases, but limited data is available regarding Treg involvement in axSpA. Treg stability refers to their ability to maintain their functions and characteristics in pro-inflammatory environments.

Impact of different hand-drying methods on surrounding environment: aerosolization of virus and bacteria, and transfer to surfaces.

Background: In recent years, hand drying has been highlighted as a key step in appropriate hand hygiene, as moisture on hands can increase the transfer of micro-organisms from hands to surfaces and vice versa.

Aim: To understand bacterial and viral aerosolization following hand drying, and study the transfer of micro-organisms from hands to surfaces after drying using different methods.

Methods: Groups of five volunteers had their hands pre-washed with soap, rinsed and dried, then inoculated with a concentrated mixture of Pseudomonas fluorescens and MS2 bacteriophage.

Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 Inactivation Using UVC Laser Radiation.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) has had a tremendous impact on humanity. Prevention of transmission by disinfection of surfaces and aerosols through a chemical-free method is highly desirable. Ultraviolet C (UVC) light is uniquely positioned to achieve inactivation of pathogens.

Clinical Relevance of BRCA1 Promoter Methylation Testing in Patients with Ovarian Cancer.

Purpose: Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) is closely related to PARP inhibitor (PARPi) benefit in ovarian cancer. The capacity of BRCA1 promoter methylation to predict prognosis and HRD status remains unclear. We aimed to correlate BRCA1 promoter methylation levels in patients with high-grade ovarian cancer to HRD status and clinical behavior to assess its clinical relevance.

Evaluation of cold atmospheric plasma for the decontamination of flexible endoscopes.

Background: Despite adherence to standard protocols, residues including live micro-organisms may remain on the various surfaces of reprocessed flexible endoscopes. Prions are infectious proteins that are notoriously difficult to eliminate.

Aim: To test the potential of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) for the decontamination of various surfaces of flexible endoscopes, measuring total proteins and prion residual infectivity as indicators of efficacy.

Sensitive microscopic quantification of surface-bound prion infectivity for the assessment of surgical instrument decontamination procedures.

Background: Pathogenic prions (PrP) are amyloid-rich hydrophobic proteins which bind avidly to surgical surfaces and represent some of the most difficult targets during the reprocessing of reusable surgical instruments. In-vitro methods to amplify and detect the presence of otherwise undetectable prion contamination are available, but they do not measure associated infectivity. Most of these methods rely on the use of proteinase K, however this can lead to the loss of a substantial portion of PrP, potentially producing false negatives.

[Intercontinental Multidisciplinary Oncology Videoconferencing between the South Pacific and the French mainland: Results after one year and 323 cases of rare or complex cancers discussed].

Introduction: Overseas France represents 18 % of French territory and is home to 4 % of its population for whom there is unequal treatment in the field of rare/complex cancer.

Aim: To report our experience of intercontinental multidisciplinary videoconferencing between the French mainland and Pacific territories.

Methods: Every other friday, three centers located in Papeete, Nouméa and Paris-Villejuif connected between 6:30 AM and 8:00 AM GMT to discuss cases of rare/complex cancers.

Development of a rapid plasma decontamination system for decontamination and reuse of filtering facepiece respirators.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a high demand for filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), which has brought global challenges in sustaining the supply chain for FFRs. Because respirators are basic personal protective equipment to protect frontline healthcare workers against COVID-19, the chronic, global shortage of N95/N99 masks is one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives from the coronavirus. The reuse of masks may need to be considered as a crisis capacity strategy to ensure continued availability even though most of the masks are considered one-time use.

Deoxyribonuclease 1-Mediated Clearance of Circulating Chromatin Prevents From Immune Cell Activation and Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Production, a Phenomenon Amplified by Low Trap1 Activity: Consequences for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Increased concentrations of circulating chromatin, especially oligo-nucleosomes, are observed in sepsis, cancer and some inflammatory autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In SLE, circulating nucleosomes mainly result from increased apoptosis and decreased clearance of apoptotic cells. Once released, nucleosomes behave both as an autoantigen and as a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) by activating several immune cells, especially pro-inflammatory cells.

Intercontinental Multidisciplinary Oncology Videoconferencing for Rare and Complex Cancer: An Alternative to Systematic Transfer.

Purpose: To report our experience of intercontinental multidisciplinary oncology videoconferencing between the French mainland and South Pacific to discuss rare and/or complex cancer cases.

Methods: On the first and third Friday of each month, all participants connected between 6:30 am and 8:00 am GMT to discuss using a web conference service.

Results: Between November 2019 and April 2020, 99 cases concerning 78 patients were discussed.

Improved surveillance of surgical instruments reprocessing following the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease crisis in England: findings from a three-year survey.

Background: Sensitive, direct protein-detection methods are now recommended for the inspection of reprocessed reusable surgical instruments in England to reduce the risk of prion transmission.

Aim: To implement an established, highly sensitive method to quantify proteinaceous residues on reprocessed instruments in a Sterile Services Department (SSD) and evaluate its potential impact on service provision.

Methods: We introduced highly sensitive epifluorescence (EDIC/EF) microscopy in a large SSD.

PREMIUM: A French prospective multicenter observational study of factors impacting on efficacy and compliance to cetuximab treatment in first-line KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer.

Background: Cetuximab improves progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with KRAS wild type (wt) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Few data are available on factors impacting both efficacy and compliance to cetuximab treatment, which is, in combination with chemotherapy, a standard-of-care first-line treatment regimen for patients with KRAS wt mCRC.

Patients And Methods: PREMIUM is a prospective, French multicenter, observational study that recruited patients with KRAS wt mCRC scheduled to receive cetuximab, with or without first-line chemotherapy, as part of routine clinical practice, between October 28, 2009 and April 5, 2012 (ClinicalTrials.

A cold water, ultrasonically activated stream efficiently removes proteins and prion-associated amyloid from surgical stainless steel.

Background: Sterile service department decontamination procedures for surgical instruments struggle to demonstrate efficient removal of the hardiest infectious contaminants, such as prion proteins. A recently designed novel system, which uses a low pressure ultrasonically activated, cold water stream, has previously demonstrated efficient hard surface cleaning of several biological contaminants.

Aim: To test the efficacy of an ultrasonically activated stream for the removal of tissue proteins, including prion-associated amyloid, from surgical stainless steel surfaces.

Implication of the deacetylase sirtuin-1 on synovial angiogenesis and persistence of experimental arthritis.

Objectives: To decipher the phenotype of endothelial cells (ECs) derived from circulating progenitors issued from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: RA and control ECs were compared according to their proliferative capacities, apoptotic profile, response to tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α stimulation and angiogenic properties. Microarray experiments were performed to identify gene candidates relevant to pathological angiogenesis.

Involvement of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Type II in FoxP3 Stability and as a Marker of Treg Cells Specifically Expanded by Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Treatments in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: To study the involvement of Treg cells expressing tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (TNFRII) in exerting control of inflammation in experimental models and in the response to anti-TNF treatments in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Methods: The role of TNFRII in Treg cells was explored using a multilevel translational approach. Treg cell stability was evaluated by analyzing the methylation status of the Foxp3 locus using bisulfite sequencing.

In Vivo Expansion of Activated Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells and Establishment of a Type 2 Immune Response upon IL-33 Treatment Protect against Experimental Arthritis.

IL-33 is strongly involved in several inflammatory and autoimmune disorders with both pro- and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its contribution to chronic autoimmune inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, is ill defined and probably requires tight regulation. In this study, we aimed at deciphering the complex role of IL-33 in a model of rheumatoid arthritis, namely, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).

Weekly paclitaxel, capecitabine, and bevacizumab with maintenance capecitabine and bevacizumab as first-line therapy for triple-negative, metastatic, or locally advanced breast cancer: Results from the GINECO A-TaXel phase 2 study.

Background: The current study was performed to determine the efficacy and safety of first-line combination therapy with bevacizumab, paclitaxel, and capecitabine for triple-negative, locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer (LA/MBC).

Methods: Patients with measurable triple-negative LA/MBC who had received no prior chemotherapy for their disease received 4-weekly cycles of paclitaxel (80 mg/m on days 1, 8, and 15 for up to 6 cycles) combined with capecitabine (800 mg/m twice daily on days 1-5, 8-12, and 15-19) and bevacizumab (10 mg/kg on days 1 and 14) repeated every 4 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate; secondary endpoints were progression-free survival, duration of response, overall survival, and safety.

Collagen-induced arthritis and imiquimod-induced psoriasis develop independently of interleukin-33.

Background: Interleukin (IL)-33 is a dual cytokine with both an alarmin role and a T helper 2 cell (Th2)-like inducing effect. It is involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its models; we recently demonstrated that exogenous IL-33 could inhibit collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in C57BL/6 mice. However, its pathophysiological role in RA is unclear.

Persistent residual contamination in endoscope channels; a fluorescence epimicroscopy study.

Background And Study Aims: The increasing demand for endoscopic procedures poses new contamination challenges, given developing antimicrobial resistance worldwide and potential viral or prion diseases in populations at risk. We examined working channels from reusable luminal endoscopes used in recent years.

Methods: Very sensitive fluorescence epimicroscopy was used to examine working channels from 6 decommissioned and 6 factory-new channels, as received, or following spiking and washing in the laboratory.

Calpains Released by T Lymphocytes Cleave TLR2 To Control IL-17 Expression.

Calpains are intracellular proteases that play a key role in inflammation/immunity. Rare studies show that they are partially externalized. However, the mechanism of this secretion and the functions of exteriorized calpains remain poorly understood.

Efficacy of humidity retention bags for the reduced adsorption and improved cleaning of tissue proteins including prion-associated amyloid to surgical stainless steel surfaces.

Increasing drying time adversely affects attachment of tissue proteins and prion-associated amyloid to surgical stainless steel, and reduces the efficacy of commercial cleaning chemistries. This study tested the efficacy of commercial humidity retention bags to reduce biofouling on surgical stainless steel and to improve subsequent cleaning. Surgical stainless steel surfaces were contaminated with ME7-infected brain homogenates and left to dry for 15 to 1,440 min either in air, in dry polythene bags or within humidity retention bags.

Cold water cleaning of brain proteins, biofilm and bone - harnessing an ultrasonically activated stream.

In the absence of sufficient cleaning of medical instruments, contamination and infection can result in serious consequences for the health sector and remains a significant unmet challenge. In this paper we describe a novel cleaning system reliant on cavitation action created in a free flowing fluid stream where ultrasonic transmission to a surface, through the stream, is achieved using careful design and control of the device architecture, sound field and the materials employed. Cleaning was achieved with purified water at room temperature, moderate fluid flow rates and without the need for chemical additives or the high power consumption associated with conventional strategies.

Economic Impact of Gene Expression Profiling in Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer in France.

Background And Aims: The heterogeneous nature of breast cancer can make decisions on adjuvant chemotherapy following surgical resection challenging. Oncotype DX is a validated gene expression profiling test that predicts the likelihood of adjuvant chemotherapy benefit in early-stage breast cancer. The aim of this study is to determine the costs of chemotherapy in private hospitals in France, and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Oncotype DX from national insurance and societal perspectives.