Pathogenesis and precision medicine for predicting response in inflammatory bowel disease: advances and future directions.

The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is complex and multifactorial. Undertreated disease has substantial individual and societal consequences. Current patient classification and subsequent positioning of IBD therapy are based on crude, readily accessible clinical data.

Review Article: Albumin and Its Role in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Old, the New, and the Future.

Background: Circulating albumin concentrations are frequently measured in clinical practice. This review explores biochemical properties and physiological roles of albumin, its place in nutritional assessment, current understanding of perturbed circulating concentrations, and role in clinical management, with special focus on patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: A detailed literature search was performed.

Extracellular Vesicles and Tunnelling Nanotubes as Mediators of Prostate Cancer Intercellular Communication.

Prostate cancer (PCa) pathogenesis relies on intercellular communication, which can involve tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs). TNTs and EVs have been reported to transfer critical cargo involved in cellular functions and signalling, prompting us to investigate the extent of organelle and protein transfer in PCa cells and the potential involvement of the androgen receptor. Using live cell imaging microscopy, we observed extensive formation of TNTs and EVs operating between PCa, non-malignant, and immune cells.

The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in assessing anterior cruciate ligament tears: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Advances in technology and affordability of ultrasound (US) have expanded its use in the evaluation of musculoskeletal injuries. However, US accuracy for diagnosing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries remains inconsistently reported in the literature.

Hypothesis/purpose: Systematically review the literature and perform a meta-analysis to statistically evaluate the accuracy of US in diagnosing ACL tears.

Components of the Endosome-Lysosome Vesicular Machinery as Drivers of the Metastatic Cascade in Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer remains a significant global health concern, with over 1.4 million new cases diagnosed and more than 330,000 deaths each year. The primary clinical challenge that contributes to poor patient outcomes involves the failure to accurately predict and treat at the onset of metastasis, which remains an incurable stage of the disease.

Metabolic reprogramming, malignant transformation and metastasis: Lessons from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and prostate cancer.

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, crucial for malignant transformation and metastasis. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and prostate cancer exhibit similar metabolic adaptations, particularly in glucose and lipid metabolism. Understanding this metabolic plasticity is crucial for identifying mechanisms contributing to metastasis.

Utility of preoperative ultrasound in assessing the adequacy of autograft for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using tendon autograft requires imaging to evaluate graft adequacy. Ultrasound (US) offers an efficient adjunct to MRI; however, the utility of US is variable in prior literature and should be investigated. The primary aim of this study is to provide a statistical appraisal of literature assessing correlation of preoperative US measurements with intraoperative size of autografts during ACL reconstruction.

A comparative study of circulating tumor cell isolation and enumeration technologies in lung cancer.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have potential as diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers in solid tumors. Despite Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of CTC devices in various cancers, the rarity and heterogeneity of CTCs in lung cancer make them technically challenging to isolate and analyze, hindering their clinical integration. Establishing a consensus through comparative analysis of different CTC systems is warranted.

Switching from Dose-Intensified intravenous to SubCutaneoUS infliximab in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (DISCUS-IBD): protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: A substantial proportion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on intravenous infliximab require dose intensification. Accessing additional intravenous infliximab is labour-intensive and expensive, depending on insurance and pharmaceutical reimbursement. Observational data suggest that subcutaneous infliximab may offer a convenient and safe alternative to maintain disease remission in patients requiring dose-intensified infliximab.

Effects of Thiopurine Withdrawal on Vedolizumab-Treated Patients With Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background & Aims: The impact of thiopurine de-escalation while on vedolizumab versus continuing thiopurine therapy in ulcerative colitis (UC) is unclear. We aimed to determine the effect of thiopurine withdrawal for patients with UC in remission on vedolizumab.

Methods: This multicenter randomized controlled trial recruited UC patients on vedolizumab 300 mg intravenously every 8 weeks and a thiopurine.

Frailty on the island of Ireland: evidence from the NICOLA and TILDA studies.

Background: Aimed to compare the prevalence, characteristics, and associated mortality risk of frailty in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI).

Methods: Secondary analysis of the first wave of two nationally representative cohorts, the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing or NICOLA study (N = 8504) and the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing or TILDA study (N = 8504). Frailty was assessed using a harmonized accumulation deficits frailty index (FI) containing 30 items.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 is associated with high-grade serous ovarian cancer metastasis and is reduced in patients who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most prevalent and deadliest subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), killing over 140,000 people annually. Morbidity and mortality are compounded by a lack of screening methods, and recurrence is common. Plasminogen-activator-inhibitor 1 (PAI-1, the protein product of SERPIN E1) is involved in hemostasis, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, and tumor cell migration and invasion.

You & Me: Test and Treat study protocol for promoting COVID-19 test and treatment access to underserved populations.

Background: Infections and deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected underserved populations. A community-engaged approach that supports decision making around safe COVID-19 practices is needed to promote equitable access to testing and treatment. You & Me: Test and Treat (YMTT) will evaluate a systematic and scalable community-engaged protocol that provides rapid access to COVID-19 at-home tests, education, guidance on next steps, and information on local resources to facilitate treatment in underserved populations.

Hospital-presenting self-harm among older adults living in Ireland: a 13-year trend analysis from the National Self-Harm Registry Ireland.

Objectives: To examine trends in rates of self-harm among emergency department (ED) presenting older adults in Ireland over a 13-year period.

Design: Population-based study using data from the National Self-Harm Registry Ireland.

Setting: National hospital EDs.

Formal health care costs among older people in Ireland: methods and estimates using The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Reliable data on health care costs in Ireland are essential to support planning and evaluation of services. New unit costs and high-quality utilisation data offer the opportunity to estimate individual-level costs for research and policy. Our main dataset was The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Evaluation of a 3-Item Health Index in Predicting Mortality Risk: A 12-Year Follow-Up Study.

This study was carried out using a large cohort ( = 4265; 416 deceased) of older, community-dwelling adults from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). The study compared the performance of a new 3-item health index (HI) with two existing measures, the 32-item frailty index (FI) and the frailty phenotype (FP), in predicting mortality risk. The HI was based on the objective measurement of resting-state systolic blood pressure sample entropy, sustained attention reaction time performance, and usual gait speed.

An investigation of what protective individual- and community-level factors are associated with life satisfaction in middle-aged and older family carers in Ireland.

Background: Family care plays an essential role in providing care in society. However, caring can cause stress, and mental and physical responses to caring vary widely. Different outcomes for carers may reflect different approaches or adaptability to caring and their ability to maintain or recover their mental health and wellbeing following an adverse event (psychosocial resilience).