Imaging flow cytometry reveals divergent mitochondrial phenotypes in mitochondrial disease patients.

Traditional classification by clinical phenotype or oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complex deficiencies often fails to clarify complex genotype-phenotype correlations in mitochondrial disease. A multimodal functional assessment may better reveal underlying disease patterns. Using imaging flow cytometry (IFC), we evaluated mitochondrial fragmentation, swelling, membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and mitochondrial mass in fibroblasts from 31 mitochondrial disease patients.

Sensory alterations and immunological changes during the chronification of postsurgical pain: a study protocol for a prospective observational cohort study.

Introduction: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) represents a widely underdiagnosed and often poorly treated medical problem, affecting 10-50% of all surgical patients, exhibiting neuropathic features in 35-60%. It is hypothesised that surgery-induced tissue damage and the subsequent immune response cause sensory alterations in the early postoperative period, ultimately leading to a chronic neuropathic or nociplastic pain state. The 'Sensory Changes and Immunological parameters in Postsurgical pain' study (SCIP-Pain study) was designed to test this hypothesis and identify sensory alterations and changes in the immunological response that are related to the development of CPSP with neuropathic features.

Lower hair cortisol concentration in adolescent and young adult patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Q-Fever Fatigue Syndrome compared to controls.

Background: In patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), momentary cortisol concentrations in blood, urine, and saliva are lower compared to healthy controls. Long-term cortisol concentration can be assessed through hair, but it is unclear whether these concentrations are also lower. Additionally, it is unknown if lower cortisol extends to other patients suffering from persistent fatigue and how hair cortisol concentration (HCC) relates to fatigue levels.

Myostatin and CXCL11 promote nervous tissue macrophages to maintain osteoarthritis pain.

Pain is the most debilitating symptom of knee osteoarthritis (OA) that can even persist after total knee replacement. The severity and duration of pain do not correlate well with joint tissue alterations, suggesting other mechanisms may drive pain persistence in OA. Previous work identified that macrophages accumulate in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) containing the somas of sensory neurons innervating the injured knee joint in a mouse OA model and acquire a M1-like phenotype to maintain pain.

NLRP3 inflammasome activation in sensory neurons promotes chronic inflammatory and osteoarthritis pain.

Pain is one of the most debilitating symptoms in rheumatic diseases. Pain often persists after total knee replacement in osteoarthritis, or when inflammation is minimal/absent in rheumatoid arthritis. This suggests that pain transitions to a chronic state independent of the original damage/inflammation.