Publications by authors named "Martijn Van Der Kuip"

The use of archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples for biochemical analyses is problematic because of the formation of a Schiff base, leading to low protein and metabolite yields during analytical extractions. Here, we overcome this issue using a unified protocol on FFPE tissue for metabolomics and proteomics analyses. Using 20 mg of wet mass tissue, this protocol consistently extracted more than 50 metabolites (across 11 classes of metabolites) and over 900 proteins.

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  • * Many healthy infants end up receiving antibiotics unnecessarily, causing disruptions in gut health and risking the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
  • * This study tests a rapid bacterial profiling method called molecular culture (MC) in diagnosing neonatal sepsis, comparing its effectiveness to traditional blood cultures and exploring the use of umbilical cord blood for faster diagnosis.
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  • Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a serious form of tuberculosis that primarily affects infants and children, and the current diagnosis relies on an invasive lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid analysis, which can be insufficient.
  • In a study involving 32 TBM patients and 39 control subjects, researchers used a proton magnetic resonance (H-NMR) metabolomics approach to analyze urine samples and identify metabolites that could aid in diagnosing TBM.
  • They found five significant metabolites with good diagnostic potential, particularly for severe TBM, indicating that urine analysis could be a less invasive alternative for diagnosing this condition.
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  • Dysregulated immune responses in neuroinfectious diseases lead to changes in metabolic processes, particularly affecting lipid metabolism in the central nervous system (CNS).* -
  • There is a lack of research in neurolipidomics compared to metabolomics, making it difficult to understand how altered metabolites affect lipid metabolism, which is crucial given the brain's high lipid content.* -
  • This review suggests a focus on altered cerebrospinal fluid metabolites in CNS infections and highlights the potential of combining neurolipidomics with neurometabolomics to better understand these diseases.*
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A multicenter cross-sectional diagnostic study was carried out including 45 children with nontuberculous mycobacterial cervicofacial lymphadenitis and controls. The tested immunoassay, detecting M. avium- specific anti-glycopeptidolipid-core immunoglobulin A antibodies, had inadequate diagnostic performance in the studied population and seems to be of no additional value in detecting cases of nontuberculous mycobacterial cervicofacial lymphadenitis.

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Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a severe form of tuberculosis with high neuro-morbidity and mortality, especially among the paediatric population (aged ≤12 years). Little is known of the associated metabolic changes. This study aimed to identify characteristic metabolic markers that differentiate severe cases of paediatric TBM from controls, through non-invasive urine collection.

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Article Synopsis
  • Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) not only involves Mycobacterium tuberculosis infecting the brain but also significantly affects gut microbiota, leading to systemic issues like altered immunity and metabolism.
  • A study using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyzed urine samples from children with TBM and identified eight unique metabolites that indicate gut microbiome disruption.
  • The findings underscore the connection between TBM and gut metabolism, suggesting that understanding these relationships could enhance treatment strategies and improve quality of life for affected individuals.
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In about 1% of tuberculosis (TB) patients, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) can disseminate to the meninges, causing tuberculous meningitis (TBM) with mortality rate up to 60%. Chronic granulomatous inflammation (non-necrotizing and necrotizing) in the brain is the histological hallmark of TBM.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the annual, seasonal and monthly trends in children with simple and complex appendicitis and their correlation to common viral pathogens in the Netherlands. A consecutive multicenter retrospective cohort study was performed between 2010 and 2019 including children (<18 years) surgically treated for appendicitis. The primary outcome was the distribution of children with simple and complex appendicitis per year, season and month.

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Background: Children with SARS-CoV-2 related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) often present with clinical features that resemble Kawasaki disease (KD). Disease severity in adult COVID-19 is associated to the presence of anti-cytokine autoantibodies (ACAAs) against type I interferons. Similarly, ACAAs may be implicated in KD and MIS-C.

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An estimated 41% of all forcibly displaced people are children [1]. Many of these children may live in refugee camps, under poor conditions, for years. The health status of children when arriving in these camps is often not recorded, nor is there a good insight into the impact of camp life on their health.

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Bacterial meningitis differs globally, and the incidence and case fatality rates vary by region, country, pathogen, and age group; being a life-threatening disease with a high case fatality rate and long-term complications in low-income countries. Africa has the most significant prevalence of bacterial meningitis illness, and the outbreaks typically vary with the season and the geographic location, with a high incidence in the meningitis belt of the sub-Saharan area from Senegal to Ethiopia. (pneumococcus) and (meningococcus) are the main etiological agents of bacterial meningitis in adults and children above the age of one.

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Since May 2022, an international monkeypox (MPX) outbreak has been ongoing in more than 50 countries. While most cases are men who have sex with men, transmission is not restricted to this population. In this report, we describe the case of a male child younger than 10 years with MPX in the Netherlands.

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Introduction: Recent studies have shown that specific cases of post-appendectomy abscess (PAA) in children could be treated conservatively. However, due to the lack of high-quality evidence, choice of treatment still depends on preferences of the treating surgeon, leading to heterogeneity in clinical practice. Therefore, we aimed to provide an update of recent literature on the management of PAA in children and subsequently evaluate the outcomes of a large multicenter cohort of children treated for PAA.

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infection, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year, is typically characterized by the formation of tuberculous granulomas - the histopathological hallmark of tuberculosis (TB). Our knowledge of granulomas, which comprise a biologically diverse body of pro- and anti-inflammatory cells from the host immune responses, is based mainly upon examination of lungs, in both human and animal studies, but little on their counterparts from other organs of the TB patient such as the brain. The biological heterogeneity of TB granulomas has led to their diverse, relatively uncoordinated, categorization, which is summarized here.

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Article Synopsis
  • Much of the serious health issues caused by tuberculous meningitis (TBM) stem from an uncontrolled immune response, making host-directed therapy (HDT) crucial for improving survival.
  • Currently, the only proven HDT for TBM is corticosteroids, which can reduce mortality but not necessarily morbidity and may not benefit HIV co-infected patients.
  • Research points to thalidomide and other TNF-α inhibitors as potential therapies due to their ability to regulate harmful immune responses, with our institution finding low-dose thalidomide safe and effective in treating specific TBM-related complications.
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This data article presents datasets associated with the research article entitled "The immunological architecture of granulomatous inflammation in central nervous system tuberculosis'' (Zaharie et al., 2020). The morphology of tuberculosis related granulomas within the central nervous system of human patients was visualized in six different three-dimensional (3D) models.

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Of all tuberculosis (TB) cases, 1% affects the central nervous system (CNS), with a mortality rate of up to 60%. Our aim is to fill the 'key gap' in TBM research by analyzing brain specimens in a unique historical cohort of 84 patients, focusing on granuloma formation. We describe three different types: non-necrotizing, necrotizing gummatous, and necrotizing abscess type granuloma.

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A new paradigm in neuroscience has recently emerged - the brain-gut axis (BGA). The contemporary focus in this paradigm has been gut → brain ("bottom-up"), in which the gut-microbiome, and its perturbations, affects one's psychological state-of-mind and behavior, and is pivotal in neurodegenerative disorders. The emerging brain → gut ("top-down") concept, the subject of this review, proposes that dysfunctional brain health can alter the gut-microbiome.

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Objectives: The incidence of neonatal herpes simplex virus (nHSV) infections is monitored periodically in the Netherlands, yet management and outcome is unknown. Comprehensive national guidelines are lacking. We aim to describe management and outcome in the last decade to explore current diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

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Central nervous system (CNS) infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the most devastating complications of tuberculosis, in particular in early childhood. In order to induce CNS infection, M. tuberculosis needs to cross specialised barriers protecting the brain.

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Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome type 2 (HPS2) is a syndrome caused by mutations in the beta-3A subunit of the adaptor protein (AP)-3 complex (AP3B1 gene). We describe five unreported cases with four novel mutations, one of which caused aberrant pre-mRNA splicing. A point mutation c.

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Importance: Inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing leads to antimicrobial resistance and suboptimal clinical outcomes. Changing antimicrobial prescribing is a complex behavioral process that is not often taken into account in antimicrobial stewardship programs.

Objective: To examine whether an antimicrobial stewardship approach grounded in behavioral theory and focusing on preserving prescriber autonomy and participation is effective in improving appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing in hospitals.

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We describe an 8-month-old girl with diarrhea, urosepsis and hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by Escherichia coli. Typing of cultured E. coli strains from urine and blood revealed the presence of virulence factors from multiple pathotypes of E.

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