Effect of omalizumab on inflammatory markers in COVID-19: an exploratory analysis of the COVID-19 immunologic antiviral therapy with omalizumab (CIAO) trial.

Background: The CIAO trial recently demonstrated a probable clinical benefit of omalizumab in the treatment of severe COVID-19; however, the mechanism underlying this benefit remains unclear. Therefore, we sought to longitudinally assess the impact of omalizumab on serum cytokines in CIAO trial patients to determine its mechanism of action.

Methods: Blood samples were collected on days 0, 2, 7, and 14 from patients recruited into the CIAO trial and who consented to this substudy.

Epigenetics of concussion: A systematic review.

Background: Concussion is the most common neurological disorder affecting millions of people globally each year. Identifying epigenetic mechanisms influencing concussion incidence, severity and recovery could provide diagnostic and prognostic insight into this injury.

Objectives: This systematic review aims to identify the epigenetic mechanisms underpinning concussion.

Pneumothorax as the first presentation of multiple exostosis.

This article underscores the critical importance of thorough physical examinations and the need to investigate secondary causes in cases of refractory pneumothorax. The identification of hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) as the underlying condition highlights the necessity of considering rare etiologies, particularly in atypical presentations. While exostoses typically affect long bones, they can also involve the ribs and scapulae, leading to complications such as pneumothorax.

E148Q variant: a familial Mediterranean fever-causing mutation or a sequence variant?

Unlabelled: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disease, linked to mutations in the MEFV gene. The p.E148Q variant, found on exon 2, has an uncertain role in FMF, with debates on whether it is a benign polymorphism or a pathogenic mutation.

Human next-generation risk assessment of trichothecene toxicity.

Trichothecenes are naturally occurring chemicals, produced by fungi, that can be found in contaminated crops. Trichothecenes have the potential to indirectly damage DNA and exacerbate genotoxic effects of genotoxicants. However, genotoxicity data for most trichothecenes are limited and data gaps remain.

Aided Porous Medium Emulsification for Functional Hydrogel Microparticles Synthesis.

Despite the substantial advancement in developing various hydrogel microparticle (HMP) synthesis methods, emulsification through porous medium to synthesize functional hybrid protein-polymer HMPs has yet to be addressed. Here, the aided porous medium emulsification for hydrogel microparticle synthesis (APME-HMS) system, an innovative approach drawing inspiration from porous medium emulsification is introduced. This method capitalizes on emulsifying immiscible phases within a 3D porous structure for optimal HMP production.

Epigenetic heterogeneity hotspots in human liver disease progression.

Background And Aims: Disruption of the epigenome is a hallmark of human disease, including liver cirrhosis and HCC. While genetic heterogeneity is an established effector of pathologic phenotypes, epigenetic heterogeneity is less well understood. Environmental exposures alter the liver-specific DNA methylation landscape and influence the onset of liver cancer.

Single-nucleus proteomics identifies regulators of protein transport.

The physiological response of a cell to stimulation depends on its proteome configuration. Therefore, the abundance variation of regulatory proteins across unstimulated single cells can be associatively linked with their response to stimulation. Here we developed an approach that leverages this association across individual cells and nuclei to systematically identify potential regulators of biological processes, followed by targeted validation.

Pediatric Endophthalmitis Over the Last Five Decades: A Case Report and Systematic Review.

Introduction: Pediatric infectious endophthalmitis is a rare, severe ocular infection that can have devastating consequences. It may be exogenous or endogenous, with exogenous endophthalmitis being more common. Current data on the etiology, microbiology, antibiotic treatments and outcomes in pediatric cases is limited.

Real-World Experience With Avacopan in Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody-Associated Vasculitis.

Introduction: Postmarketing data on outcomes of avacopan use in antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) are lacking.

Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective analysis of 92 patients with newly diagnosed or relapsing AAV who received therapy with avacopan. The coprimary outcome measures were clinical remission at 26 and 52 weeks.

Endobronchial Ultrasound Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration and Next Generation Sequencing Yields.

Purpose: The use of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is standard practice for lung cancer diagnosis and staging. Next generation sequencing (NGS) for detection of genetic alterations is recommended in advanced, non-squamous, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Existing protocols for NGS testing are minimal and reported yields vary.

Endobronchial Ultrasound Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration and PD-L1 Yields.

Purpose: Immunotherapy is a leading approach for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint signaling pathway, particularly in tumors expressing high levels of PD-L1 (Jug et al. in J Am Soc Cytopathol 9:485-493, 2020; Perrotta et al. in Chest 158: 1230-1239, 2020).

COVID-19 Immunologic Antiviral Therapy With Omalizumab (CIAO)-a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: Omalizumab is an anti-immunoglobulin E monoclonal antibody used to treat moderate to severe chronic idiopathic urticaria, asthma, and nasal polyps. Recent research suggested that omalizumab may enhance the innate antiviral response and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of omalizumab in adults hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.

Lupus autoantibodies initiate neuroinflammation sustained by continuous HMGB1:RAGE signaling and reversed by increased LAIR-1 expression.

Cognitive impairment is a frequent manifestation of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus, present in up to 80% of patients and leading to a diminished quality of life. In the present study, we used a model of lupus-like cognitive impairment that is initiated when antibodies that crossreact with excitatory neuronal receptors penetrate the hippocampus, causing immediate, self-limited, excitotoxic death of hippocampal neurons, which is then followed by a significant loss of dendritic complexity in surviving neurons. This injury creates a maladaptive equilibrium that is sustained in mice for at least 1 year.

Improving Management: Novel Guidelines for Diagnosing Urinary Tract Infection in Infants.

Background: The diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in the pediatric field remains a topic of debate. In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) introduced new guidelines for the diagnosis of UTI in patients 2-24 months old. However, concerns were raised regarding these guidelines.

Assessment of the performance of the Ames MPF™ assay: A multicenter collaborative study with six coded chemicals.

The Ames MPF™ is a miniaturized, microplate fluctuation format of the Ames test. It is a standardized, commercially available product which can be used to assess mutagenicity in Salmonella and E. coli strains in 384-well plates using a color change-based readout.

Study protocol: phase II study to evaluate the effect of cetuximab monotherapy after immunotherapy with PD-1 inhibitors in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer.

Background: Immunotherapy with programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) inhibitors, as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy, is the standard first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer (R/M HNSCC). Unfortunately, there is no established second-line treatment for the many patients who fail immunotherapy. Cetuximab is the only targeted therapy approved in HNSCC but historically has a low response rate of 13%.

[How to respond to a stubborn refusal of care during delivery].

Our team was confronted with a situation of stubborn refusal of care, including the indication of a cesarean section for an adult patient able to express her wishes. This refusal was formulated during pregnancy follow-up, during the discussion of the birth plan and during delivery, the patient having accepted the indication of a possible emergency cesarean section under general anesthesia only in the occurrence of severe fetal heart rate abnormalities. The impasse forced caregivers to violate the rules of good clinical practice, which indicated the performance of a cesarean section, and to wait for a complication to arise in order to be able to act, taking the risk of intervening too late.