Fully automatic deep convolutional approaches for the screening of neurodegeneratives diseases using multi-view OCT images.

The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), Essential tremor (ET), and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is increasing alongside the aging population. Recent studies suggest that these disorders can be identified through retinal imaging, allowing for early detection and monitoring via Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scans. This study is at the forefront of research, pioneering the application of multi-view OCT and 3D information to the neurological diseases domain.

Comparative study of the glistening between four intraocular lens models assessed by OCT and deep learning.

Purpose: To evaluate the glistening in 4 different models of intraocular lenses (IOLs) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and deep learning (DL).

Setting: Centro Internacional de Oftalmología Avanzada (Madrid, Spain).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Does imbalance in chest X-ray datasets produce biased deep learning approaches for COVID-19 screening?

Background: The health crisis resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic highlighted more than ever the need for rapid, reliable and safe methods of diagnosis and monitoring of respiratory diseases. To study pulmonary involvement in detail, one of the most common resources is the use of different lung imaging modalities (like chest radiography) to explore the possible affected areas.

Methods: The study of patient characteristics like sex and age in pathologies of this type is crucial for gaining knowledge of the disease and for avoiding biases due to the clear scarcity of data when developing representative systems.

Pregnancy and systemic lupus erythematosus in Spain: Has anything changed in the 21st century?

Objective: To analyse a cohort of pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and compare the outcomes of both the disease and pregnancy with the results of previous studies conducted in the same geographical area.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 37 women with systemic lupus erythematosus (64 pregnancies) followed in a multidisciplinary unit. Comparative study with similar Spanish studies identified after literature search.

Optimal large-scale CD34+ enrichment from a leukapheresis collection using the clinimacs prodigy platform.

Optimization of Hematology Patient's treatment: It is possible to obtain a 100% CD34+ recovery after CD34+ selection using the CliniMACS Prodigy.

Pregnancy and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Spain: Has Anything Changed in the 21st Century?

Objective: To analyse a cohort of pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and compare the outcomes of both the disease and pregnancy with the results of previous studies conducted in the same geographical area.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 37 women with systemic lupus erythematosus (64 pregnancies) followed in a multidisciplinary unit. Comparative study with similar Spanish studies identified after literature search.

Altered Th17/Treg Ratio in Peripheral Blood of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus but Not Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

The role of the immune response in the pathogenesis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) remains elusive. It is possible that differences in the frequencies of Th17 cells and/or defects in the immunoregulatory mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of APS. Our aim was to determine the peripheral blood Th cells phenotype and the circulating cytokine profile in patients with primary APS (pAPS) and compare it with systemic lupus erythemathosus (SLE) as disease control group.

Peripheral B-Cell Subset Distribution in Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

Background: B-cell differentiation and B-cell tolerance checkpoints may be different in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and can help to understand differences between them. Our aim was to define alterations of B-cell subsets in patients with primary APS (pAPS) and to compare them with SLE patients and healthy controls (HC).

Methods: Cross-sectional study including three study groups: 37 patients with pAPS, 11 SLE patients, and 21 age- and gender-matched HC.

Evaluation of Toll-like-receptor gene family variants as prognostic biomarkers in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease whose main feature is persistent joint inflammation. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play critical roles in the activation of innate and adaptive immune responses, and influence the activity of NFκB, a key player in chronic inflammation. We aimed at investigating the association of TLR allelic variants with susceptibility and severity of RA through a systematic, high-throughput, analysis of TLR genes.

A Truncated Variant of ASCC1, a Novel Inhibitor of NF-κB, Is Associated with Disease Severity in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Loss of the regulatory mechanisms that avoid excessive or constitutive activation of NF-κB may be associated with chronic inflammatory disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). After massive sequencing of 158 regulators of the NF-κB pathway in RA patients, we focused on a scarcely known gene, ASCC1, and showed that it potently inhibits the expression of NF-κB target genes (TRAIL, TNF-α, cIAP-1, IL8) and blocks activation of a NF-κB-luciferase reporter construct in five different human cell lines. Therefore, ASCC1 may contribute to avoiding a pathologic activation of this transcription factor.

Influence of interleukin 10 promoter polymorphisms in polymyalgia rheumatica: disease susceptibility and functional consequences.

Objectives: To investigate the functional consequences of IL10 (-592C/A and -1082A/G) gene polymorphisms and their association with susceptibility to, and disease phenotype, in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).

Methods: A total number of 168 with PMR and 124 age-matched controls were genotyped using allele-specific primers and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The levels of circulating IL10 and the production of IL10 by PBMCs after in vitro stimulation were studied by Cytometric Bead Array.

Cytokine gene considerations in giant cell arteritis: IL10 promoter polymorphisms and a review of the literature.

Polymorphisms of cytokine genes have been investigated as susceptibility markers of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Here, we have reviewed the evidence to date and especially addressed the functional consequences of IL10 (-592C/A and -1082A/G) gene polymorphisms and their association with susceptibility to and disease phenotype in GCA. A total number of 71 patients with GCA and 124 age-matched controls were genotyped using allele-specific primers and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

Phagocyte dysfunction in polymyalgia rheumatica and other age-related, chronic, inflammatory conditions.

This study was conducted to evaluate phagocyte function in patients with age-related chronic inflammatory conditions. It included 95 patients with PMR, 17 with GCA, 40 with EORA, and 25 age-matched HCs. Serum IL-8 was determined with a bead array.

Induction of proinflammatory cytokines in human lung epithelial cells during Rhodococcus equi infection.

Rhodococcus equi is an opportunistic human pathogen associated with immunosuppressed people. While the interaction of R. equi with macrophages has been comprehensively studied, little is known about its interactions with non-phagocytic cells.

Analysis of the rs20541 (R130Q) polymorphism in the IL-13 gene in patients with elderly-associated chronic inflammatory diseases.

Objective: To investigate whether there is association between the rs20541 (R130Q) polymorphism in the IL-13 gene with disease susceptibility and clinical subsets in patients with elderly-associated inflammatory chronic diseases.

Material And Methods: 78 patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), 174 with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), 90 elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA), and 465 healthy controls from the same geographic area were studied. The rs20541 (R130Q) polymorphism in the IL-13 gene was evaluated by PCR-RFLP.

Age and low levels of circulating vitamin D are associated with impaired innate immune function.

This study investigated in vivo the influence of age and vitamin D status on innate immune function in HC. Serum 25OHD was measured in 71 HC. TLR expression on various subpopulations of PBMCs, as well as TLR function by stimulating PBMCs with specific ligands, was assessed by flow cytometry.

Aging is associated with circulating cytokine dysregulation.

Purpose: Aging is accompanied by a progressive increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine status. However, little is known about the development of age-dependent modifications in other circulating cytokines. The aim of this study was to investigate in vivo the influence of age on circulating cytokine production in healthy subjects (HC).

Toll-like receptor 4 gene polymorphisms in polymyalgia rheumatica and elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Coding variants in TLR4 gene have been reported to be associated with inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to determine whether two of these polymorphisms (Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile) of TLR4 contribute to the genetic background of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA). Furthermore, we have attempted to correlate the functional consequences of these polymorphisms.

Toll-like receptor 4 gene polymorphism and giant cell arteritis susceptibility: a cumulative meta-analysis.

Objective: Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 (+896 A/G) gene polymorphism has been reported to be associated with susceptibility to giant cell arteritis (GCA) with inconsistent results. To provide a more definitive conclusion, a cumulative meta-analysis of the association of TLR4 (+896 A/G) polymorphism with GCA susceptibility combining previous studies was performed.

Methods: The cumulative meta-analysis included 3 case-control studies which provided a total of 437 patients and 1023 controls.

Expression and function of toll-like receptors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis.

Objective: To investigate the expression and function of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA).

Methods: The authors analysed 70 patients with PMR, 20 with GCA, and 24 healthy controls (HC). TLR expression was assessed by flow cytometry.

Lack of association between Toll-like receptor 4 gene polymorphisms and giant cell arteritis.

Objective: Coding variants in Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) have been reported to be associated with inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to determine whether two of these polymorphisms (+896 A/G and +1196 C/T) are associated with susceptibility and clinical features of GCA. We also attempted to correlate the functional consequences of these polymorphisms.

Interleukin-1RN gene polymorphisms in elderly patients with rheumatic inflammatory chronic conditions: Association of IL-1RN*2/2 genotype with polymyalgia rheumatica.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between IL1RN polymorphism and disease susceptibility for three age-related inflammatory conditions: polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), giant cell arteritis (GCA), and elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA). A tandem-repeat polymorphism within IL1RN intron 2 was analyzed in 139 PMR, 69 GCA, and 156 RA patients (75 with EORA) as well as in 437 healthy subjects, together with the in vitro production of IL-1beta. Our results showed that the IL1RN*2/2 genotype was more frequent in PMR patients compared with controls (p = 0.