Initial experience with brolucizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in India - Multicentric, real-world study.

Purpose: To evaluate the anatomic and visual outcomes and safety profile of initial Indian eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with intravitreal injection (IVI) of brolucizumab.

Methods: This retrospective multicentric, real-world study enrolled consecutive eyes with nAMD that were treated with IVI brolucizumab after it was launched in India in October 2020. Data collected for each eye included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central subfield thickness (CSFT), subretinal fluid (SRF), and intraretinal fluid (IRF) status at 6, 12, and 24 months follow-up.

Generating and Analyzing High-Parameter Histology Images with Histoflow Cytometry.

The usage of histology to investigate immune cell diversity in tissue sections such as those derived from the central nervous system (CNS) is critically limited by the number of fluorescent parameters that can be imaged at a single time. Most immune cell subsets have been defined using flow cytometry by using complex combinations of protein markers, often requiring four or more parameters to conclusively identify, which is beyond the capabilities of most conventional microscopes. As flow cytometry dissociates tissues and loses spatial information, there is a need for techniques that can retain spatial information while interrogating the roles of complex cell types.

Uncovering Novel Extracellular Matrix Transcriptome Alterations in Lesions of Multiple Sclerosis.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the central nervous system (CNS) is an interconnected network of proteins and sugars with critical roles in both homeostasis and disease. In neurological diseases, excessive ECM deposition and remodeling impact both injury and repair. CNS lesions of multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease, cause prominent alterations of the ECM.

Prognostic Parameters and Their Relevance in Outcome of Middle Ear Surgeries.

To study various parameters, including Middle ear risk index (MERI) and their correlation with outcome of middle ear surgery. The study was conducted from September 2015 to May 2017 in Department of Otolaryngology at our institute. It included 185 cases of safe type of chronic suppurative otitis media.

Expression of antioxidant enzymes in lesions of multiple sclerosis and its models.

Oxidative stress promotes tissue injury in the central nervous system in neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS). To protect against this, antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), peroxiredoxin-5 (PRDX5) and glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4) may be upregulated. However, whether antioxidant enzyme elevation in mouse models of neurodegeneration corresponds to their expression in human diseases such as MS requires investigation.

Versican promotes T helper 17 cytotoxic inflammation and impedes oligodendrocyte precursor cell remyelination.

Remyelination failure in multiple sclerosis (MS) contributes to progression of disability. The deficient repair results from neuroinflammation and deposition of inhibitors including chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). Which CSPG member is repair-inhibitory or alters local inflammation to exacerbate injury is unknown.

B cells in central nervous system disease: diversity, locations and pathophysiology.

B cells represent a relatively minor cell population within both the healthy and diseased central nervous system (CNS), yet they can have profound effects. This is emphasized in multiple sclerosis, in which B cell-depleting therapies are arguably the most efficacious treatment for the condition. In this Review, we discuss how B cells enter and persist in the CNS and how, in many neurological conditions, B cells concentrate within CNS barriers but are rarely found in the parenchyma.

Derivation of the Buffalo Concussion Physical Examination risk of delayed recovery (RDR) score to identify children at risk for persistent postconcussive symptoms.

Objective: The Buffalo Concussion Physical Examination (BCPE) is a brief, but pertinent physical examination designed for the subacute, outpatient assessment of concussion. The purpose of this study was to perform the BCPE on a larger sample and derive a scoring system to identify children at risk for Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms (PPCS, recovery ≥30 days).

Methods: This prospective, observational cohort study from September 2016 to March 2019 was performed at three university-affiliated concussion clinics.

Prognostic Value of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio in Head and Neck Malignancies.

To study the prognostic significance of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in head and neck cancers. The study included 170 cases of histopathologically diagnosed head and neck cancer patients and 80 control subjects. NLR and PLR of patients with head and neck cancers were compared to the control group.

Autoreactive, Low-Affinity T Cells Preferentially Drive Differentiation of Short-Lived Memory B Cells at the Expense of Germinal Center Maintenance.

B cell fate decisions within a germinal center (GC) are critical to determining the outcome of the immune response to a given antigen. Here, we characterize GC kinetics and B cell fate choices in a response to the autoantigen myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) and compare the response with a standard model foreign antigen. Both antigens generate productive primary responses, as evidenced by GC development, circulating antigen-specific antibodies, and differentiation of memory B cells.

Chronobiological regulation of psychosocial and physiological outcomes in multiple sclerosis.

There is mounting scientific evidence showing the importance of innate biological rhythms on disease onset and progression. Perhaps the most important of these is the circadian rhythm, a cycle of oscillations lasting approximately 24 h. Recent work has shown that circadian rhythms are intrinsically linked to the immune system in a bidirectional fashion, and that disruption of these cycles can contribute to changes in pathology and quality of life (including fatigue, mood, and disability).

ICAM1+ neutrophils promote chronic inflammation via ASPRV1 in B cell-dependent autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Neutrophils contribute to demyelinating autoimmune diseases, yet their phenotype and functions have been elusive to date. Here, we demonstrate that ICAM1 surface expression distinguishes extra- from intravascular neutrophils in the mouse CNS during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Transcriptomic analysis of these 2 subpopulations indicated that neutrophils, once extravasated, acquire macrophage-like properties, including the potential for immunostimulation and MHC class II-mediated antigen presentation.

Lasing transition at 1.06 μm emission in Nd -doped borate-based tellurium calcium zinc niobium oxide glasses for high-power solid-state lasers.

The spectroscopic properties of Tellurium Calcium Zinc Niobium oxide Borate (TCZNB) glasses of composition (in mol%) 10TeO  + 15CaO + 5ZnO + 10 Nb O  + (60 - x)B O  + Nd O (x = 0.1, 0.5, 1.

An Unusual Cause of Headache and Fatigue in a Division 1 Collegiate Athlete.

Variegate porphyria (VP) is an autosomal dominant disorder of porphyrin metabolism. We report a case of a 21-year-old male collegiate athlete who complained of recurrent headache and fatigue. Extensive testing after initial presentation failed to identify a cause.

Activated B Cells Participating in the Anti-Myelin Response Are Excluded from the Inflamed Central Nervous System in a Model of Autoimmunity that Allows for B Cell Recognition of Autoantigen.

Once activated, T cells gain the ability to access both healthy and inflamed nonlymphoid tissues. They are then reactivated to remain in the tissue and exert their effector function only if they encounter their specific Ag. In this study, we set out to determine if the same is true for B cells using a mouse model of CNS autoimmunity that incorporates both T and B cell recognition of a myelin autoantigen.

Eight years of decreased methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus health care-associated infections associated with a Veterans Affairs prevention initiative.

Background: Declines in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) health care associated infections (HAIs) were previously reported in Veterans Affairs acute care (2012), spinal cord injury (SCIU) (2011), and long-term-care facilities (LTCFs) (2012). Here we report continuing declines in infection rates in these settings through September 2015.

Methods: Monthly data entered into a national database from 127 acute care facilities, 22 SCIUs, and 133 LTCFs were evaluated for trends using negative binomial regression.