Tryptophan-kynurenine profile in pediatric autoimmune hepatitis.

The impairment of regulatory T cells (Tregs) is a characteristic feature of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and the degradation of tryptophan (Trp) to kynurenine (Kyn), by gamma interferon-induced indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1), is a central metabolomics check point in the differentiation of Tregs. For this reason, we investigate whether or not Kyn and IDO activity is potentially useful biomarkers in pediatric AIH.Between January 2016 and January 2017, children of AIH type-1 (AIH-1, n = 37), AIH type-2 with liver kidney microsome-1 autoantibodies (AIH-2-LKM-1, n = 8), and autoantibody-negative Wilsons Disease (WD, n = 8) and alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency (AATD, n = 10), were enrolled in a cross-sectional survey of Kyn and Trp levels and Kyn/Trp ratios (IDO activity) by HPLC, and neopterin levels by ELISA.

Development and evaluation of a standardized ELISA for the determination of autoantibodies against cN-1A (Mup44, NT5C1A) in sporadic inclusion body myositis.

Purpose: Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is an autoimmune degenerative disease of the muscle, with inflammatory infiltrates and inclusion vacuoles. Its pathogenesis is not fully understood and the diagnosis is hampered by its imprecise characteristics, at times indistinguishable from other idiopathic inflammatory myopathies such as polymyositis and dermatomyositis. The diagnosis may be assisted by the detection of autoantibodies targeting Mup44, a skeletal muscle antigen identified as cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase 1A (cN-1A, NT5C1A).

A randomized study of the effects of gabapentin on postamputation pain.

Background: Pain after amputation is common but difficult to treat. Therefore, the authors examined whether postoperative treatment with gabapentin could reduce postamputation stump and phantom pain.

Methods: Forty-six patients scheduled to undergo lower limb amputation were randomly assigned to receive oral gabapentin or placebo.

Postoperative computed tomography three months after lumbar disc surgery. A prospective single-blind study.

In a prospective single-blind study, 60 patients surgically treated for lumbar disc herniation underwent clinical examination and computed tomography preoperatively and 3 months after surgery. At follow-up (58 patients; median, 31 months; range, 21-37 months), 29 patients had an excellent outcome (51%), 20 improved (33%), and 9 were unchanged or worse (16%). Dural or radicular scar tissue was present by computed tomography in 88% of the patients, but the findings could not be correlated with the clinical outcome.