A microfluidic co-culture model for investigating colonocytes-microbiota interactions in colorectal cancer.

Changes in the abundance of certain bacterial species within the colorectal microbiota correlate with colorectal cancer (CRC) development. While carcinogenic mechanisms of single pathogenic bacteria have been characterized , limited tools are available to investigate interactions between pathogenic bacteria and both commensal microbiota and colonocytes in a physiologically relevant tumor microenvironment. To address this, we developed a microfluidic device that can be used to co-culture colonocyte spheroids and colorectal microbiota.

Left ventricular hypertrophy and left atrial size are associated with ischemic strokes among non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant users.

Background: Ischemic strokes (IS) occurring in patients taking non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are becoming increasingly more frequent. We aimed to determine the clinical, echocardiographic, and neuroimaging markers associated with developing IS in patients taking NOACs for atrial fibrillation.

Methods: From a quaternary care center, clinical/radiologic data were collected from consecutive NOAC users with IS and age-matched controls without IS.

Peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity and cognitive performance in cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

Background: Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) is a cerebral small vessel disease that can lead to microstructural disruption of white matter (WM), which can be measured by the Peak Width of Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity (PSMD). We hypothesized that PSMD measures would be increased in patients with CAA compared to healthy controls (HC), and increased PSMD is associated with lower cognitive scores in patients with CAA.

Methods: Eighty-one probable CAA patients without cognitive impairment who were diagnosed with Boston criteria and 23 HCs were included.

Peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity in cerebral amyloid angiopathy: Spatial signature, cognitive, and neuroimaging associations.

Background: Peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD) is a promising diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) marker that shows consistent and strong cognitive associations in the context of different cerebral small vessel diseases (cSVD).

Purpose: Investigate whether PSMD (1) is higher in patients with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) than those with arteriolosclerosis; (2) can capture the anteroposterior distribution of CAA-related abnormalities; (3) shows similar neuroimaging and cognitive associations in comparison to other classical DTI markers, such as average mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA).

Materials And Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional neuroimaging and neuropsychological data from 90 non-demented memory-clinic subjects from a single center.

Improving detection of cerebral small vessel disease aetiology in patients with isolated lobar intracerebral haemorrhage.

Background And Purpose: We evaluate whether non-haemorrhagic imaging markers (NHIM) (white matter hyperintensity patterns, lacunes and enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS)) can discriminate cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) from hypertensive cerebral small vessel disease (HTN-cSVD) among patients with isolated lobar intracerebral haemorrhage (isolated-LICH).

Methods: In patients with isolated-LICH, four cSVD aetiologic groups were created by incorporating the presence/distribution of NHIM: HTN-cSVD pattern, CAA pattern, mixed NHIM and no NHIM. CAA pattern consisted of patients with any combination of severe centrum semiovale EPVS, lobar lacunes or multiple subcortical spots pattern.

Corpus callosum lesions are associated with worse cognitive performance in cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

The impact of vascular lesions on cognition is location dependent. Here, we assessed the contribution of small vessel disease lesions in the corpus callosum to vascular cognitive impairment in cerebral amyloid angiopathy, as a model for cerebral small vessel disease. Sixty-five patients with probable cerebral amyloid angiopathy underwent 3T magnetic resonance imaging, including a diffusion tensor imaging scan, and neuropsychological testing.

Cerebellar atrophy and its implications on gait in cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

Objective: Recent data suggest that cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) causes haemorrhagic lesions in cerebellar cortex as well as subcortical cerebral atrophy. However, the potential effect of CAA on cerebellar tissue loss and its clinical implications have not been investigated.

Methods: Our study included 70 non-demented patients with probable CAA, 70 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) and 70 age-matched patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Effect of vascular amyloid on white matter disease is mediated by vascular dysfunction in cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

We postulated that vascular dysfunction mediates the relationship between amyloid load and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Thirty-eight cognitively healthy patients with CAA (mean age 70 ± 7.1) were evaluated.

Idiopathic primary intraventricular hemorrhage and cerebral small vessel disease.

Background: Although primary intraventricular hemorrhage is frequently due to trauma or vascular lesions, the etiology of idiopathic primary intraventricular hemorrhage (IP-IVH) is not defined.

Aims: Herein, we test the hypothesis that cerebral small vessel diseases (cSVD) including hypertensive cSVD (HTN-cSVD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy are associated with IP-IVH.

Methods: Brain magnetic resonance imaging from consecutive patients (January 2011 to September 2019) with non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage from a single referral center were reviewed for the presence of HTN-cSVD (defined by strictly deep or mixed-location intracerebral hemorrhage/cerebral microbleeds) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (applying modified Boston criteria).

The role of biomarkers and neuroimaging in ischemic/hemorrhagic risk assessment for cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease prevention.

Stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation is arguably one of the fastest developing areas in preventive medicine. The increasing use of direct oral anticoagulants and nonpharmacologic methods such as left atrial appendage closure for stroke prevention in these patients has increased clinicians' options for optimal care. Platelet antiaggregants are also commonly used in other ischemic cardiovascular and or cerebrovascular conditions.

Lacunes, Microinfarcts, and Vascular Dysfunction in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy.

Objective: To analyze the relationship of lacunes with cortical cerebral microinfarcts (CMIs), to assess their association with vascular dysfunction, and to evaluate their effect on the risk of incident intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).

Methods: The count and topography of lacunes (deep/lobar), CMIs, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume were retrospectively analyzed in a prospectively enrolled CAA cohort that underwent high-resolution research MRIs. The relationship of lacunes with CMIs and other CAA-related markers including time to peak (TTP) of blood oxygen level-dependent signal, an established measure of vascular dysfunction, was evaluated in multivariate models.

Association of Circulating Proinflammatory and Anti-inflammatory Protein Biomarkers in Extremely Preterm Born Children with Subsequent Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Volumes and Cognitive Function at Age 10 Years.

Objectives: To examine elevated neonatal inflammatory and neurotrophic proteins from children born extremely preterm in relation to later childhood brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging volumes and cognition.

Study Design: We measured circulating inflammation-related proteins and neurotrophic proteins on postnatal days 1, 7, and 14 in 166 children at 10 years of age (73 males; 93 females). Top quartile levels on ≥2 days for ≥3 inflammation-related proteins and for ≥4 neurotrophic proteins defined exposure.