Background: Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a multifactorial pathological process resulting in the dysregulation of IVD cell activity. The catabolic shift observed in IVD cells during degeneration leads to increased inflammation, extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, aberrant intracellular signaling and cell loss. Importantly, these pathological processes are known to be interconnected and to collectively contribute to the progression of the disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToll-like receptors (TLRs) are key mediators of inflammation in intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. TLR-2 activation contributes to the degenerative process by increasing the expression of extracellular matrix-degrading enzymes, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and neurotrophins. As potent post-transcriptional regulators, microRNAs can modulate intracellular mechanisms, and their dysregulation is known to contribute to numerous pathologies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients with autoimmune forms of chronic spontaneous ur-ticaria (aiCSU) exhibit autoantibodies against the high-affinity IgE recep-tor (FcεRI) and IgE. As the presence of these autoantibodies does not cor-relate with disease activity, the functional affinity/avidity may be relevant in aiCSU. This exploratory study aimed to characterize the quantity and avidity of autoantibodies against IgE and FcεRI over 6 months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is a disease affecting mainly elderly individuals. The reported incidence ranges from 2.0/100,000 to 58 per 100,000 person-years when only considering patients who are over 70 years old, with an overall incidence of 8.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy Design: Multicenter prospective observational study.
Objective: Diffusion tensor imaging in flexion extension improves the diagnosis of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). We aimed to provide an imaging biomarker for the detection of DCM.