Clinical Characterization and Prognostic Risk Factors of Susac Syndrome: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Background And Objectives: Susac syndrome (SuS) is a rare disorder characterized by encephalopathy, branch retinal artery occlusion, and sensorineural hearing loss, often accompanied by vertigo. Recent updates to diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines have been made. This study examines clinical manifestations; disease activity; and risk factors of disability, dependency, and return to work in patients with SuS.

Melatonin's Impact on Cytokine Storm and Modulation of Purinergic Receptors for COVID-19 Prognosis: A Mental Health Perspective.

In 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started a global health crisis and was associated with high rates of depression and anxiety. Both mental disorders and COVID-19 exhibit similarities in pathophysiology, characterized by immune system overactivation, involvement of the purinergic system, and oxidative stress, besides additional factors and systems likely contributing to the complexities of these conditions. The purinergic system contributes to the disease-influenced immune response, an essential strategy for controlling pathophysiological effects.

Echocardiographic characteristics of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Cardiovascular complications in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) are frequently investigated extrarenal manifestations with contradictory outcomes. The primary goal of this study is to explore the prevalence of cardiovascular abnormalities using echocardiography and analyze their associations with clinical characteristics at different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in ADPKD patients. We included sixty-eight patients in the study.

Hypoxia is linked to acquired resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer.

Despite the established use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only a subset of patients benefit from treatment and ∼50% of patients whose tumors respond eventually develop acquired resistance (AR). To identify novel drivers of AR, we generated murine Msh2 knock-out (KO) lung tumors that initially responded but eventually developed AR to anti-PD-1, alone or in combination with anti-CTLA-4. Resistant tumors harbored decreased infiltrating T cells and reduced cancer cell-intrinsic MHC-I and MHC-II levels, yet remained responsive to IFNγ.

Chitins and chitosans-A tale of discovery and disguise, of attachment and attainment.

Chitin polymers are an essential structural component of fungal cell walls, but host chitinases can weaken them, contributing to disease resistance in fungal pathogens. Chitin oligomers thus produced are immunogenic signal molecules eliciting additional disease resistance mechanisms. Fungi may counteract these, e.