Tele-patient-reported outcome measures (telePROM) in follow-up of endometriosis: a validity and test-retest reliability study of an endometriosis-specific questionnaire (EQ).

Objective: Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) measures supported by a severity algorithm may serve as a decision aid for triage and consultation in follow-up of patients with endometriosis. In a new follow-up regime, patients filled out an endometriosis-specific questionnaire (EQ) at home before outpatient consultation (tele-Patient-Reported Outcome Measures; telePROM). A severity algorithm was assigned patients' answers using a color code thereby reflecting the need of clinical attention.

Long-term effects of endometrial resection or ablation in combination with levonorgestrel intrauterine device on bleeding patterns.

Objective: Endometrial resection and ablation are minimal invasive surgeries used to treat women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). Both may be followed by a high reoperation rate up to 24%. However, some studies suggest that this may be improved by adding a levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) immediately following surgery.

Intrinsic Muscle Stem Cell Dysfunction Contributes to Impaired Regeneration in the mdx Mouse.

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating disease characterized by progressive muscle wasting that leads to diminished lifespan. In addition to the inherent weakness of dystrophin-deficient muscle, the dysfunction of resident muscle stem cells (MuSC) significantly contributes to disease progression.

Methods: Using the mdx mouse model of DMD, we performed an in-depth characterization of disease progression and MuSC function in dystrophin-deficient skeletal muscle using immunohistology, isometric force measurements, transcriptomic analysis and transplantation assays.

Wnt7a is required for regeneration of dystrophic skeletal muscle.

Intramuscular injection of Wnt7a has been shown to accelerate and augment skeletal muscle regeneration and to ameliorate dystrophic progression in mdx muscle, a model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Here, we assessed muscle regeneration and function in wild type (WT) and mdx mice where Wnt7a was deleted in muscle using a conditional Wnt7a floxed allele and a Myf5-Cre driver. We found that both WT and mdx mice lacking Wnt7a in muscle, exhibited marked deficiencies in muscle regeneration at 21 d following cardiotoxin (CTX) induced injury.

Identification of the Wnt signal peptide that directs secretion on extracellular vesicles.

Wnt proteins are hydrophobic glycoproteins that are nevertheless capable of long-range signaling. We found that Wnt7a is secreted long distance on the surface of extracellular vesicles (EVs) following muscle injury. We defined a signal peptide region in Wnts required for secretion on EVs, termed exosome-binding peptide (EBP).