Publications by authors named "K de Boeck"
During drought, the formation of air bubbles known as embolisms in the water-conducting xylem reduces hydraulic conductivity, which can ultimately result in tree death. Accurately quantifying vulnerability to embolism formation is therefore essential for understanding tree hydraulics. Acoustic emission (AE) analysis offers a non-destructive method to monitor this process, yet the interpretation of captured signals remains debated.
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- The study investigates how glycan modifications on IgG antibodies affect their role in inflammation, focusing on patients with primary Sjögren disease (SjD).
- Researchers analyzed IgG glycosylation in 300 patients, finding lower levels of sialylation and galactosylation in those with SjD compared to asymptomatic individuals; these changes correlate with increased B cell activation and various autoantibody profiles.
- The findings suggest that IgG Fc glycosylation could serve as a new marker for predicting disease progression, monitoring activity, and assessing lymphoma risk in SjD patients.
Background: Diagnosing cystic fibrosis (CF) is not always straightforward, in particular when sweat chloride concentration (SCC) is intermediate and <2 CF-causing variants are identified. The physiological CFTR assays proposed in the guidelines, nasal potential difference and intestinal current measurement, are not readily available nor feasible at all ages. Rectal organoid morphology analysis (ROMA) was previously shown to discriminate between organoids from subjects with and without CF based on a distinct phenotypical difference: compared with non-CF organoids, CF organoids have an irregular shape and lack a visible lumen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The pneumococcal antibody response after vaccination with unconjugated pneumococcal vaccine can be evaluated as part of the diagnostic work-up of children with recurrent respiratory tract infections to detect an underlying polysaccharide antibody deficiency. Little is known about the prevalence of polysaccharide antibody deficiency in this population and its therapeutic consequences.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of polysaccharide antibody deficiency in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections and to correlate polysaccharide responsiveness with clinical severity.
Background: The forskolin-induced swelling (FIS) assay measures CFTR function on patient-derived intestinal organoids (PDIOs) and may guide treatment selection for individuals with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The aim of this study is to demonstrate the repeatability and reproducibility of the FIS assay following a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), thus advancing the validation of the assay for precision medicine (theranostic) applications.
Methods: Over a 2-year period, FIS responses to CFTR modulators were measured in four European labs.