Publications by authors named "Rachel Kassel"

In recent years, pathogenic variants in ARS genes, encoding aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs), have been associated with human disease. Patients harbouring pathogenic variants in ARS genes have clinical signs partly unique to certain aaRSs defects, partly overlapping between the different aaRSs defects. Diagnosis relies mostly on genetics and remains challenging, often requiring functional validation of new ARS variants.

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Formulas, liquid nutrition, may be consumed orally or via a feeding tube to provide partial or complete nutrition that a given individual could not obtain using natural food stuffs in their native form. A wide range of commercially available formulas exist, which may be used as sole-source nutrition or in conjunction with other foods. Physicians and dietitians must understand the nature of and indications for specific formulas to treat diseases, provide complete nutrition to patients, and avoid harm.

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Several well-described manifestations of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been reported. Among them, a transient elevation of liver enzymes is the typical presentation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) liver-related injury. The mechanism of liver involvement is likely a combination of viral injury and immune-mediated inflammation.

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Purpose: Recessive cytosolic aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (ARS) deficiencies are severe multiorgan diseases, with limited treatment options. By loading transfer RNAs (tRNAs) with their cognate amino acids, ARS are essential for protein translation. However, it remains unknown why ARS deficiencies lead to specific symptoms, especially early life and during infections.

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Bacterial translocation is defined as the passage of live bacteria from the gut lumen to distant sites. Gut commensal bacteria translocation has been attributed to 'leakiness', or 'barrier breach' of the intestinal epithelium, allowing live bacteria to cross an inappropriately permeable barrier and disseminate to distant sites. Alternatively, studies suggest dendritic cells directly capture luminal commensal bacteria and transport them to distant sites in the steady-state by extending dendrites between epithelial cells into the lumen.

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Scurvy is rare in developed countries but is known to cause lower-extremity pain and refusal to ambulate in children. Since the discovery of the link between scurvy and dietary deficiency of ascorbic acid, there has been a substantial decrease in its prevalence and recognition. Here we describe 3 cases of scurvy in young children presenting with difficulty walking.

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Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is remarkably efficient at establishing persistent infection and is associated with the development of chronic liver disease. Impaired T cell responses facilitate and maintain persistent HCV infection. Importantly, CD4(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) act by dampening antiviral T cell responses in HCV infection.

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Unlabelled: Hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, autoimmune hepatitis, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can induce chronic liver disease. The Programmed Death-1 (PD-1) inhibitory pathway assists in T cell response regulation during acute and chronic inflammation and participates in the progression of inflammatory liver disease. To examine whether PD-1 and its ligands, B7-H1 and B7-DC, are modulated during chronic necroinflammatory liver disease, we investigated expression profiles in normal patients and patients with the aforementioned conditions.

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gC1qR, a complement receptor for C1q, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of inflammatory and antiviral T cell responses. Several pathogens, including hepatitis C virus, exploit gC1qR-dependent regulatory pathways to manipulate host immunity. However, the molecular mechanism(s) of gC1qR signaling involved in regulating inflammatory responses remains unknown.

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Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates can be distinguished by their chemokine coreceptor usage. Non-syncytium-inducing (NSI), macrophage-tropic viruses utilize CCR5 and are called R5 viruses; syncytium-inducing (SI) isolates use CXCR4 and are known as X4 viruses. R5 and X4 HIV isolates are both transmitted but, in most cases, R5 viruses predominate in the blood prior to the development of AIDS-related pathogenesis.

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