Neutrophil-Lymphocyte ratio is associated with poor clinical outcome after mechanical thrombectomy in stroke in patients with COVID-19.

Background: The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is emerging as an important biomarker of acute physiologic stress in a myriad of medical conditions, and is a confirmed poor prognostic indicator in COVID-19.

Objective: We sought to describe the role of NLR in predicting poor outcome in COVID-19 patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: We analyzed NLR in COVID-19 patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes enrolled into an international 12-center retrospective study of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, consecutively admitted between March 1, 2020 and May 1, 2020.

Disaster Neurology Update: Focus on the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In 2013, the term disaster neurology was introduced to describe a new practice opportunity for neurologists interested in providing needed, nonsurgical neurologic care in regions affected by natural or human-influenced disasters. Although previously presented as an option for interested neurologists, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has made it clear that every neurologist should be prepared to take on the unique challenges of disaster neurology. Examining the role of neurologists on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic response represents an opportunity to review and apply key features of disaster neurology, including recognizing the categories of neurologic cases expected to be seen during a disaster, adapting inpatient and outpatient workflows, and accommodating the needs of vulnerable populations.

"Planting the Seed": Perceived Benefits of and Strategies for Discussing Long-Term Prognosis with Older Adults.

Objectives: To characterize the goals and approaches of clinicians with experience discussing long-term prognostic information with older adults.

Design: We used a semistructured interview guide containing 2 domains of perceived benefits and strategies to explore why and how clinicians choose to discuss long-term prognosis, defined as life expectancy on the scale of years, with patients.

Setting: Clinicians from home-based primary care practices, community-based clinics, and academic medical centers across San Francisco.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies reveals genetic overlap between Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple sclerosis.

Background: Based on epidemiological commonalities, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), two clinically distinct conditions, have long been suspected to be aetiologically related. MS and HL occur in roughly the same age groups, both are associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, and they cluster mutually in families (though not in individuals). We speculated if in addition to sharing environmental risk factors, MS and HL were also genetically related.

Genetic contribution to multiple sclerosis risk among Ashkenazi Jews.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, with a strong genetic component. Over 100 genetic loci have been implicated in susceptibility to MS in European populations, the most prominent being the 15:01 allele of the HLA-DRB1 gene. The prevalence of MS is high in European populations including those of Ashkenazi origin, and low in African and Asian populations including those of Jewish origin.

An ImmunoChip study of multiple sclerosis risk in African Americans.

The aims of this study were: (i) to determine to what degree multiple sclerosis-associated loci discovered in European populations also influence susceptibility in African Americans; (ii) to assess the extent to which the unique linkage disequilibrium patterns in African Americans can contribute to localizing the functionally relevant regions or genes; and (iii) to search for novel African American multiple sclerosis-associated loci. Using the ImmunoChip custom array we genotyped 803 African American cases with multiple sclerosis and 1516 African American control subjects at 130 135 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms. We conducted association analysis with rigorous adjustments for population stratification and admixture.

Feasibility and potential utility of multicomponent exhaled breath analysis for predicting development of radiation pneumonitis after stereotactic ablative radiotherapy.

Introduction: In this prospective pilot study, we evaluated the feasibility and potential utility of measuring multiple exhaled gases as biomarkers of radiation pneumonitis (RP) in patients receiving stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for lung tumors.

Methods: Breath analysis was performed for 26 patients receiving SABR for lung tumors. Concentrations of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO), carbon monoxide (eCO), nitrous oxide (eN2O), and carbon dioxide (eCO2) were measured before and immediately after each fraction using real-time, infrared laser spectroscopy.

Smoking reduces surfactant protein D and phospholipids in patients with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Pulmonary surfactant D (SP-D) has important regulatory functions for innate immunity and has been implicated as a biomarker for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We hypothesized that COPD patients would have reduced bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid SP-D levels compared to healthy smoking and non-smoking controls.

Methods: BAL SP-D and phospholipids were quantified and corrected for dilution in 110 subjects (65 healthy never smokers, 23 smokers with normal spirometry, and 22 smokers with COPD).