An Update on Laboratory-Based Diagnostic Biomarkers for Multiple Sclerosis and Beyond.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory demyelinating disease in which analysis of clinical presentation, imaging studies, and laboratory tests aid in diagnosis.

Content: This review discusses laboratory tests ordered to rule out and rule in MS, such as the traditional measurement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IgG index and oligoclonal bands. Biomarkers discovered in the past 2 decades, such as aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies, have been incorporated into clinical practice in the diagnosis of disorders referred to as MS mimics.

Insulin-Stimulated Muscle Glucose Uptake and Insulin Signaling in Lean and Obese Humans.

Purpose: Skeletal muscle is the primary site for insulin-stimulated glucose disposal, and muscle insulin resistance is central to abnormal glucose metabolism in obesity. Whether muscle insulin signaling to the level of Akt/AS160 is intact in insulin-resistant obese humans is controversial.

Methods: We defined a linear range of insulin-stimulated systemic and leg glucose uptake in 14 obese and 14 nonobese volunteers using a 2-step insulin clamp (Protocol 1) and then examined the obesity-related defects in muscle insulin action in 16 nonobese and 25 obese male and female volunteers matched for fitness using a 1-step, hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic clamp coupled with muscle biopsies (Protocol 2).

Evaluation of sporadic bovine alkaline phosphatase interference in the Beckman Access unconjugated estriol (uE3) assay affecting maternal serum screening results.

Objectives: Bovine alkaline phosphatase (BALP) mediated interference is a potential issue in the Beckman Access unconjugated estriol (uE3) assay. As the uE3 assay is a component of second trimester maternal serum screening characterizing this interference is essential for delivering accurate trisomy 18 and trisomy 21 risks.

Design And Methods: Residual serum samples (n = 517) were measured by two different lots of uE3 assay.

Telemedicine, drug-resistant epilepsy, and ketogenic dietary therapies: A patient survey of a pediatric remote-care program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess parent satisfaction with the management of ketogenic diet therapies (KDTs) through telemedicine using WhatsApp as the main tool.

Methods: Parent satisfaction was longitudinally evaluated through questionnaires. The survey was developed with Google Questionnaire forms and sent via WhatsApp.

Metabo- and mechanoreceptor expression in human heart failure: Relationships with the locomotor muscle afferent influence on exercise responses.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? How do locomotor muscle metabo- and mechanoreceptor expression compare in heart failure patients and controls? Do relationships exist between the protein expression and cardiopulmonary responses during exercise with locomotor muscle neural afferent feedback inhibition? What is the main finding and its importance? Heart failure patients exhibited greater protein expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 and cyclooxygenase-2 than controls. These findings are important as they identify receptors that may underlie the augmented locomotor muscle neural afferent feedback in heart failure.

Abstract: Heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) exhibit abnormal locomotor group III/IV afferent feedback during exercise; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear.