Epstein-Barr virus and the immune microenvironment in multiple sclerosis: Insights from high-dimensional brain tissue imaging.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), yet its exact role in disease progression remains unclear. Using high-dimensional CO-detection by indexing, a technology for spatial imaging, this study examines the cellular microenvironment of MS lesions in secondary progressive MS and primary progressive MS. We analyzed immune, glial, neuronal, and endothelial cell interactions within MS lesions and normal-appearing white matter across two independent cohorts.

Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire in Endometriosis.

There is increasing recognition that nociplastic pain and central sensitization may play a role in endometriosis-associated pain. The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire Minor (PSQ-M) evaluates subjective widespread pain sensitivity, and is linked to pain outcomes in chronic pain populations. However, evidence connecting the PSQ-M to central sensitization in endometriosis is limited.

Telephone follow-up on Medicare patient surveys remains critical.

Objectives: Patient experience surveys are essential to measuring patient-centered care, a key component of health care quality. Low response rates in underserved groups may limit their representation in overall measure performance and hamper efforts to assess health equity. Telephone follow-up improves response rates in many health care settings, yet little recent work has examined this for surveys of Medicare enrollees, including those with Medicare Advantage.

Somatic PTEN and ARID1A loss and endometriosis disease burden: a longitudinal study.

Study Question: Is there an association between the somatic loss of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) and ARID1A (AT-rich interaction domain 1A) and endometriosis disease severity and worse clinical outcomes?

Summary Answer: Somatic PTEN loss in endometriosis epithelium was associated with greater disease burden and subsequent surgical complexity.

What Is Known Already: Somatic cancer-driver mutations including those involving the PTEN and ARID1A genes exist in endometriosis without cancer; however, their clinical impact remains unclear.

Study Design, Size, Duration: This prospective longitudinal study involved endometriosis tissue and clinical data from 126 participants who underwent surgery at a tertiary center for endometriosis (2013-2017), with a follow-up period of 5-9 years.

Reviewing the Evidence Base for Topical Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome in the Research Literature and Social Media Platforms: An Evidence Gap Map.

Background: Within the dermatological community, topical steroid withdrawal syndrome (TSWS) is a medically contested condition with a limited research base. Published studies on TSWS indicate that it is a distinct adverse effect of prolonged use of topical corticosteroids, but there is a paucity of high-quality research evidence. Among the "patient community," awareness has been increasing, with rapid growth in social media posts on TSWS and the introduction of online communities such as the International Topical Steroid Awareness Network.