Treatment of Psoriasis Patients with Latent Tuberculosis Using IL-17 and IL-23 Inhibitors: A Retrospective, Multinational, Multicentre Study.

Background: Tuberculosis has a major global impact. Immunocompetent hosts usually control this disease, resulting in an asymptomatic latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Because TNF inhibitors increase the risk of tuberculosis reactivation, current guidelines recommend tuberculosis screening before starting any biologic drug, and chemoprophylaxis if LTBI is diagnosed.

The Impact of Treatment with IL-17/IL-23 Inhibitors on Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Patients with Plaque Psoriasis and/or Psoriatic Arthritis: A Systematic Review.

Accumulating evidence considers psoriasis a systemic inflammatory disorder that is associated with comorbidities such as psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Although the precise pathogenetic links between psoriasis and atherosclerosis warrants further investigation, it is believed that chronic systemic inflammation along with the T helper (Th)-1 and Th17 polarization are associated with endothelial dysfunction and subsequent acceleration of atherosclerosis. Considering the above, several studies have evaluated if optimal control of the inflammation in psoriasis by inhibiting interleukins targeting the Interleukin (IL)-23/Th17 axis could subsequently reduce the atherosclerotic process during anti-psoriatic treatment by using a variety of surrogate markers of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Brodalumab in plaque psoriasis: Real-world data on effectiveness, safety and clinical predictive factors of initial response and drug survival over a period of 104 weeks.

Background: Brodalumab, a fully human IgG2k antibody blocking the receptor of IL17, is characterized by a rapid onset of action with high skin clearance rates in clinical trials. Since setting PASI90/100 or absolute PASI ≤ 3 as treatment goals have become attainable, evaluating the effectiveness and safety profile of biologic agents, such as brodalumab, in a real-world setting is essential.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety profile of brodalumab over a period of 104 weeks in everyday practice.

Quantification of Prostate Cancer Metabolism Using 3D Multiecho bSSFP and Hyperpolarized [1- C] Pyruvate: Metabolism Differs Between Tumors of the Same Gleason Grade.

Background: Three-dimensional (3D) multiecho balanced steady-state free precession (ME-bSSFP) has previously been demonstrated in preclinical hyperpolarized (HP) C-MRI in vivo experiments, and it may be suitable for clinical metabolic imaging of prostate cancer (PCa).

Purpose: To validate a signal simulation framework for the use of sequence parameter optimization. To demonstrate the feasibility of ME-bSSFP for HP C-MRI in patients.

Patient characteristics, treatment patterns and disease outcomes in patients with psoriatic arthritis followed in a combined Dermatology-Rheumatology clinic: a retrospective real-world study.

The aim of this study was to assess the patient characteristics, treatment patterns and disease outcomes in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) referred to a combined Dermatology-Rheumatology (Derm-Rheum) Clinic. This was a retrospective study of patients seen in a combined Derm-Rheum Clinic (February 2018 to June 2020) in a Tertiary University Hospital. Consecutive patients with suspicious musculoskeletal symptoms or a known diagnosis of PsA referred to the Derm-Rheum Clinic were examined and followed simultaneously by experienced dermatologists and rheumatologists.

A reproducible dynamic phantom for sequence testing in hyperpolarised C-magnetic resonance.

Objective: To develop a phantom system which can be integrated with an automated injection system, eliminating the experimental variability that arises with manual injection; for the purposes of pulse sequence testing and metric derivation in hyperpolarised C-MR.

Methods: The custom dynamic phantom was machined from Ultem and filled with a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and lactate dehydrogenase mixture dissolved in phosphate buffered saline. Hyperpolarised [1-C]-pyruvate was then injected into the phantom ( = 8) via an automated syringe pump and the conversion of pyruvate to lactate monitored through a C imaging sequence.

Utility of diffusion MRI characteristics of cervical lymph nodes as disease classifier between patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and healthy volunteers.

Diffusion MRI characteristics assessed by apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram analysis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have been reported as helpful in classifying tumours based on diffusion characteristics. There is little reported on HNSCC lymph nodes classification by diffusion characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine whether pretreatment nodal microstructural diffusion MRI characteristics can classify diseased nodes of patients with HNSCC from normal nodes of healthy volunteers.

Understanding PI-QUAL for prostate MRI quality: a practical primer for radiologists.

Prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of high diagnostic quality is a key determinant for either detection or exclusion of prostate cancer. Adequate high spatial resolution on T2-weighted imaging, good diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced sequences of high signal-to-noise ratio are the prerequisite for a high-quality MRI study of the prostate. The Prostate Imaging Quality (PI-QUAL) score was created to assess the diagnostic quality of a scan against a set of objective criteria as per Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System recommendations, together with criteria obtained from the image.

Standardisation of prostate multiparametric MRI across a hospital network: a London experience.

Objectives: National guidelines recommend prostate multiparametric (mp) MRI in men with suspected prostate cancer before biopsy. In this study, we explore prostate mpMRI protocols across 14 London hospitals and determine whether standardisation improves diagnostic quality.

Methods: An MRI physicist facilitated mpMRI set-up across several regional hospitals, working together with experienced uroradiologists who judged diagnostic quality.

Real-world data from a single Greek centre on the use of secukinumab in plaque psoriasis: effectiveness, safety, drug survival, and identification of patients that sustain optimal response.

Background: Few studies have investigated the long-term outcomes of secukinumab in real-life psoriasis treatment where diverse patient profiles require a personalized approach.

Objectives: To determine long-term performance of secukinumab in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and identify potential clinical factors predictive of sustained optimal response under real-world conditions.

Methods: In this 78-week, single-centre, retrospective study, effectiveness, safety and drug survival of secukinumab were evaluated.

Hyperpolarised C MRI: a new horizon for non-invasive diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer.

Hyperpolarised C MRI (HP-MRI) is a novel imaging technique that allows real-time analysis of metabolic pathways . The technology to conduct HP-MRI in humans has recently become available and is starting to be clinically applied. As knowledge of molecular biology advances, it is increasingly apparent that cancer cell metabolism is related to disease outcomes, with lactate attracting specific attention.

First-in-human non-invasive assessment of intra-tumoral metabolic heterogeneity in renal cell carcinoma.

Intratumoral genetic heterogeneity and the role of metabolic reprogramming in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been extensively documented. However, the distribution of these metabolic changes within the tissue has not been explored. We report on the first-in-human non-invasive metabolic interrogation of RCC using hyperpolarized carbon-13 (C) magnetic resonance imaging (HP-MRI) and describe the validation of lactate metabolic heterogeneity against multi-regional mass spectrometry.

Implementing diffusion-weighted MRI for body imaging in prospective multicentre trials: current considerations and future perspectives.

Unlabelled: For body imaging, diffusion-weighted MRI may be used for tumour detection, staging, prognostic information, assessing response and follow-up. Disease detection and staging involve qualitative, subjective assessment of images, whereas for prognosis, progression or response, quantitative evaluation of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is required. Validation and qualification of ADC in multicentre trials involves examination of i) technical performance to determine biomarker bias and reproducibility and ii) biological performance to interrogate a specific aspect of biology or to forecast outcome.