High-Sensitivity and Conventional Cardiac Troponin-I Assays in AL Amyloidosis.

Background: Circulating cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) plays a crucial role in biomarker staging systems, offering important information for prognostification and risk stratification of patients with AL amyloidosis. High-sensitivity cTnI (HS-cTnI) assays have been introduced in practice; however, the data on the concordance between conventional and HS-cTnI and the utility of HS-cTnI in cardiac biomarker staging are lacking.

Methods: Seventy-eight consecutive patients with AL amyloidosis who were prospectively evaluated at the Boston University Amyloidosis Center from October 2022 through March 2023 were included.

Clostridium autoethanogenum alters cofactor synthesis, redox metabolism, and lysine-acetylation in response to elevated H:CO feedstock ratios for enhancing carbon capture efficiency.

Background: Clostridium autoethanogenum is an acetogenic bacterium that autotrophically converts carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO) gases into bioproducts and fuels via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP). To facilitate overall carbon capture efficiency, the reaction stoichiometry requires supplementation of hydrogen at an increased ratio of H:CO to maximize CO utilization; however, the molecular details and thus the ability to understand the mechanism of this supplementation are largely unknown.

Results: In order to elucidate the microbial physiology and fermentation where at least 75% of the carbon in ethanol comes from CO, we established controlled chemostats that facilitated a novel and high (11:1) H:CO uptake ratio.

Factors affecting the accuracy of amyloidosis identification and referral to a specialty centre.

Objective: Diagnostic algorithms for amyloidosis have evolved over the past decade, particularly with the incorporation of imaging-based techniques to detect amyloid cardiomyopathy. We sought to identify the key sources of amyloidosis misidentification in the community, which lead to false positive referrals to a tertiary centre.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all referrals to the Amyloidosis Centre from 2010 to 2021 and identified cases lacking amyloid pathology upon final adjudication after extensive assessment at the centre.

Understanding Amyloidosis: Unraveling the Complexities and Therapeutic Approaches for Oncology Nurses.

Background:  Primary systemic light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare clonal plasma cell disorder characterized by the production of abnormal immunoglobulin fragments, which form insoluble fibrils that aggregate as amyloid deposits in organs and tissues, leading to organ dysfunction and death.

Objectives:  The aim of this literature review is to increase awareness of AL amyloidosis and educate nurses on the care of this patient population.

Methods:  This overview is based on a literature search of AL amyloidosis, including its pathogenesis, prognosis, and presentation.

Correlation Between 24-Hour Urine Protein and Random Urine Protein-Creatinine Ratio in Amyloid Light-Chain Amyloidosis.

Rationale & Objective: Test the feasibility of replacing 24-hour urine collection with a single voided urinary protein-creatinine ratio (UPCR) in patients with amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis.

Study Design: Retrospective study examining the correlation between a 24-hour urine measurement and UPCR at various proteinuria levels using a linear regression analysis with Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). We assessed how using these 2 different measurements would alter the diagnosis, staging, and kidney response assessment in patients with AL amyloidosis.

Marked progress in AL amyloidosis survival: a 40-year longitudinal natural history study.

The recent decades have ushered in considerable advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of systemic light chain (AL) amyloidosis. As disease outcomes improve, AL amyloidosis-unrelated factors may impact mortality. In this study, we evaluated survival trends and primary causes of death among 2337 individuals with AL amyloidosis referred to the Boston University Amyloidosis Center.

Jumping archer fish exhibit multiple modes of fin-fin interaction.

Aquatic organisms jumping for aerial prey require high-performance propulsion, accurate aim, and trajectory control to succeed. Archer fish, capable of jumping up to twice their body length out of the water, address these considerations through multifaceted fin and body kinematics. In this study, we utilized 3D synthetic aperture particle image velocimetry to visualize the wakes of archer fish throughout the jumping process.

Patient outcomes in light chain (AL) amyloidosis: The clock is ticking from symptoms to diagnosis.

Introduction: Symptomology of AL amyloidosis can be vague, with a broad range of manifestations and potential etiologies. We sought to determine whether time from initial patient-reported symptom onset to diagnosis was associated with survival.

Methods: The Boston University Amyloidosis Patient Database was queried for patients with AL amyloidosis who presented to the Center for initial evaluation from 2010 to 2015.

Community Private Practice Clinical Experience with Peanut Oral Immunotherapy.

Background: Peanut oral immunotherapy is an effective treatment for desensitizing peanut-allergic patients, but the frequency of adverse reactions has limited its widespread use.

Objective: To review the frequency of adverse reactions that patients on peanut oral immunotherapy experience during build-up and maintenance phases and explore factors that may contribute to adverse events.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of children and adults with peanut allergy undergoing peanut oral immunotherapy at the New England Food Allergy Treatment Center in West Hartford, Conn was performed.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Malignancies: A Review of Current and Future Therapies.

Gastrointestinal cancers are some of the most common malignancies worldwide. Traditional chemotherapy has been disappointing in improving overall survival in patients with unresectable or metastatic disease. The dawn of immunotherapy has led to emerging strategies in incorporating immune checkpoint inhibition either as single agents or in combination when treating gastrointestinal cancers.

Penicillin Allergy Evaluation: A Prospective, Multicenter, Open-Label Evaluation of a Comprehensive Penicillin Skin Test Kit.

Background: Ten percent of the population claims an allergy to penicillin, but 90% of these individuals are not allergic. Patients labeled as penicillin-allergic have higher medical costs, longer hospital stays, are more likely to be treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, and develop drug-resistant bacterial infections. Most penicillin skin test reagents are not approved by the Food and drug Administration or readily available to evaluate patients labeled penicillin-allergic.

Penicillin minor determinants: History and relevance for current diagnosis.

Objective: To review the history of the penicillin minor determinants and evaluate their relevance for current diagnosis.

Data Sources: Skin testing to detect immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitivity to penicillins in patients with a history of penicillin allergy has been the subject of more than 55 years of published research involving tens of thousands of patients.

Study Selections: Selection of data was based on its relevance to the objective of this article.