Association of Traumatic Meningeal Enhancement on MRI With Clinical Recovery in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background And Objectives: Traumatic meningeal enhancement (TME) can be observed on MRI of patients with acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) and reflects abnormal contrast extravasation into the meninges. Resolution of TME occurs over time, but TME can persist for weeks, suggesting incomplete meningeal repair. This study's objectives were to describe TME's prevalence, severity, and evolution over time and to investigate TME's association with other imaging findings, blood-based biomarkers commonly associated with TBI, and incomplete recovery.

Extracellular Vesicle MicroRNAs as Predictive Biomarkers in Postoperative Delirium After Spine Surgery: Preliminary Study.

Postoperative delirium (POD) can cause poor patient outcomes in older adults who undergo surgery. In this study, we tested plasma extracellular vesicle (EV) miRNAs obtained before the delirium event to find predictive POD biomarkers after spine surgery. We recruited patients who are more than 70 years old and have undergone spine surgery.

Plasma phosphorylated tau181 as a biomarker of mild traumatic brain injury: findings from THINC and NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium prospective cohorts.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate phosphorylated tau (p-tau181) protein in plasma in a cohort of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients and a cohort of concussed athletes.

Methods: This pilot study comprised two independent cohorts. The first cohort-part of a Traumatic Head Injury Neuroimaging Classification (THINC) study-with a mean age of 46 years was composed of uninjured controls (UIC, = 30) and mTBI patients ( = 288) recruited from the emergency department with clinical computed tomography (CT) and research magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.

Clinical Theragnostic Signature of Extracellular Vesicles in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common cause of disability and fatality worldwide. Depending on the clinical presentation, it is a type of acquired brain damage that can be mild, moderate, or severe. The degree of patient's discomfort, prognosis, therapeutic approach, survival rates, and recurrence can all be strongly impacted by an accurate diagnosis made early on.

Extracellular Vesicle Levels of Nervous System Injury Biomarkers in Critically Ill Trauma Patients with and without Traumatic Brain Injury.

Moderate/severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes injury patterns with heterogeneous pathology producing varying outcomes for recovery. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are particles containing a myriad of molecules involved in cell signaling. EVs may hold promise as biomarkers in TBI because of their encapsulation, including improved stability/decreased degradation.

Are EPB41 and alpha-synuclein diagnostic biomarkers of sport-related concussion? Findings from the NCAA and Department of Defense CARE Consortium.

Background: Current protein biomarkers are only moderately predictive at identifying individuals with mild traumatic brain injury or concussion. Therefore, more accurate diagnostic markers are needed for sport-related concussion.

Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective, case-control study of athletes who provided blood samples and were diagnosed with a concussion or were a matched non-concussed control within the National Collegiate Athletic Association-Department of Defense Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education Consortium conducted between 2015 and 2019.

Food Restriction Augmented Alpha1-Adrenergic Mediated Contraction in Mesenteric Arteries.

Food restriction (FR) enhances sensitivity to cardiopulmonary reflexes and α1-adrenoreceptors in females in the presence of hypotension. However, the effect of FR on cardiopulmonary and vascular function in males is not well-understood. This study examines the effects of FR on cardiopulmonary, isolated arterial function, and potential underlying mechanisms.

Proteomic Profiling of Plasma Biomarkers Associated With Return to Sport Following Concussion: Findings From the NCAA and Department of Defense CARE Consortium.

Objective: To investigate the plasma proteomic profiling in identifying biomarkers related to return to sport (RTS) following a sport-related concussion (SRC).

Methods: This multicenter, prospective, case-control study was part of a larger cohort study conducted by the NCAA-DoD Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium, athletes ( = 140) with blood collected within 48 h of injury and reported day to asymptomatic were included in this study, divided into two groups: (1) recovery <14-days ( = 99) and (2) recovery ≥14-days ( = 41). We applied a highly multiplexed proteomic technique that uses DNA aptamers assay to target 1,305 proteins in plasma samples from concussed athletes with <14-days and ≥14-days.

Elevated Axonal Protein Markers Following Repetitive Blast Exposure in Military Personnel.

Blast exposures that occur during training are common in military personnel; however, the biomarkers that relate to these subtle injuries is not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the acute biomarkers related to blast injury in a cohort of military personnel exposure to blast-related training. Thirty-four military personnel who participated in the training program were included in this study.

A Pilot Study of Whole-Blood Transcriptomic Analysis to Identify Genes Associated with Repetitive Low-Level Blast Exposure in Career Breachers.

Repetitive low-level blast exposure is one of the major occupational health concerns among US military service members and law enforcement. This study seeks to identify gene expression using microRNA and RNA sequencing in whole-blood samples from experienced breachers and unexposed controls. We performed experimental RNA sequencing using Illumina’s HiSeq 2500 Sequencing System, and microRNA analysis using NanoString Technology nCounter miRNA expression panel in whole-blood total RNA samples from 15 experienced breachers and 14 age-, sex-, and race-matched unexposed controls.

Remote blast-related mild traumatic brain injury is associated with differential expression of exosomal microRNAs identified in neurodegenerative and immunological processes.

Background: Blast traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subconcussive blast exposure have been associated, pathologically, with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and, clinically, with cognitive and affective symptoms, but the underlying pathomechanisms of these associations are not well understood. We hypothesized that exosomal microRNA (miRNA) expression, and their relation to neurobehavioral outcomes among Veterans with blunt or blast mild TBI (mTBI) may provide insight into possible mechanisms for these associations and therapeutic targets.

Methods: This is a subanalysis of a larger Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Biomarker Discovery Project.

Circulating immune cell landscape in patients who had mild ischaemic stroke.

Introduction: Patients who had a mild ischaemic stroke who present with subtle or resolving symptoms sometimes go undiagnosed, are excluded from treatment and in some cases clinically worsen. Circulating immune cells are potential biomarkers that can assist with diagnosis in ischaemic stroke. Understanding the transcriptomic changes of each cell population caused by ischaemic stroke is critical because they work closely in a complicated relationship.

Exosomal microRNA Differential Expression in Plasma of Young Adults with Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Healthy Control.

Chronic mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has long-term consequences, such as neurological disability, but its pathophysiological mechanism is unknown. Exosomal microRNAs (exomiRNAs) may be important mediators of molecular and cellular changes involved in persistent symptoms after mTBI. We profiled exosomal microRNAs (exomiRNAs) in plasma from young adults with or without a chronic mTBI to decipher the underlying mechanisms of its long-lasting symptoms after mTBI.

Sex Differences in Behavioral Symptoms and the Levels of Circulating GFAP, Tau, and NfL in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects millions of Americans each year and has been shown to disproportionately impact those subject to greater disparities in health. Female sex is one factor that has been associated with disparities in health outcomes, including in TBI, but sex differences in biomarker levels and behavioral outcomes after TBI are underexplored. This study included participants with both blunt and blast TBI with majority rating their TBI as mild.

Extracellular vesicle-associated cytokines in sport-related concussion.

Growing evidence suggests that sport-related concussion results in a robust inflammatory response that can be measured in serum or plasma and is predictive of symptom recovery. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EV) derived from serum or plasma have emerged as a promising source of biomarkers for neurological disorders like concussion because they may better reflect central immunological activity. However, the association of acute concussion with EV-associated cytokines has not yet been systematically studied in humans.

Extracellular Vesicle Proteins and MicroRNAs Are Linked to Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Service Members and Veterans With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common in military populations, and frequently associated with a history of combat-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). In this study, we examined relationships between severity of PTSD symptoms and levels of extracellular vesicle (EV) proteins and miRNAs measured in the peripheral blood in a cohort of military service members and Veterans (SMs/Vs) with chronic mTBI(s). Participants ( = 144) were divided into groups according to mTBI history and severity of PTSD symptoms on the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).

Identification of DNA Methylation Changes That Predict Onset of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Following Physical Trauma.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are commonly experienced after exposure to highly stressful events, including physical trauma, yet, biological predictors remain elusive. Methylation of DNA may provide key insights, as it likely is reflective of factors that may increase the risk in trauma patients, as DNA methylation is altered by previous stressors. Here, we compared DNA methylation patterns using bisulfite sequencing in patients with a physical trauma that required more than a 24-h hospitalization ( = 33).

Neuronally-derived tau is increased in experienced breachers and is associated with neurobehavioral symptoms.

Military and law enforcement breachers are exposed to many low-level blasts during their training and occupational experiences in which they detonate explosives to force entry into secured structures. There is a concern that exposure to these repetitive blast events in career breachers could result in cumulative neurological effects. This study aimed to determine concentrations of neurofilament light (NF-L), tau, and amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) in serum and in neuronal-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in an experienced breacher population, and to examine biomarker associations with neurobehavioral symptoms.

Downregulation of Soluble Guanylate Cyclase and Protein Kinase G With Upregulated ROCK2 in the Pulmonary Artery Leads to Thromboxane A2 Sensitization in Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Hypertensive Rats.

Thromboxane A2 (TXA) promotes various physiological responses including pulmonary artery (PA) contraction, and pathophysiological implications have been suggested in cardiovascular diseases including pulmonary hypertension. Here, we investigated the role of TXA receptor (TP)-mediated signaling in the pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The sensitivity of PA to the contractile agonist could be set by relaxing signals such as the nitric oxide (NO), soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), and cGMP-dependent kinase (PKG) pathways.

Breast and cervical cancer screening for risk assessment in Cambodian women.

The estimated mortality rates for breast and cervical cancer in Cambodia are high, perhaps because the Cambodian population lacks information about their detection and prevention. This cross-sectional study assessed the distribution of cervical cancers among and the behavioural and clinical characteristics of Cambodian women. It comprised 1039 Cambodian women who were interviewed between August 2013 and January 2016; the interviews were conducted in person using structured questionnaires.

Decreased inward rectifier and voltage-gated K currents of the right septal coronary artery smooth muscle cells in pulmonary arterial hypertensive rats.

In vascular smooth muscle, K channels, such as voltage-gated K channels (Kv), inward-rectifier K channels (Kir), and big-conductance Ca-activated K channels (BK), establish a hyperpolarized membrane potential and counterbalance the depolarizing vasoactive stimuli. Additionally, Kir mediates endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization and the active hyperemia response in various vessels, including the coronary artery. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) induces right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), thereby elevating the risk of ischemia and right heart failure.

Differential effects of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids on vascular reactivity in isolated mesenteric and femoral arteries of rats.

Free fatty acid (FFA) intake regulates blood pressure and vascular reactivity but its direct effect on contractility of systemic arteries is not well understood. We investigated the effects of saturated fatty acid (SFA, palmitic acid), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA, linoleic acid), and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA, oleic acid) on the contractility of isolated mesenteric (MA) and deep femoral arteries (DFA) of Sprague-Dawley rats. Isolated MA and DFA were mounted on a dual wire myograph and phenylephrine (PhE, 1-10 µM) concentration-dependent contraction was obtained with or without FFAs.

Depression and health-related quality of life among Cambodian patients with cancer.

Background: Symptom assessment and quality of life (QoL) are considered two of the most important factors in the overall care of cancer patients. Although cancer is one of the leading causes of death after communicable disease in Cambodia, the QoL of Cambodian cancer patients has not been examined previously. This study aimed to describe the QoL of cancer patients in Cambodia.

Effects of high glucose with or without other metabolic substrates on alpha-adrenergic contractions in rat mesenteric and femoral arteries.

Hyperglycemia is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. It has been demonstrated that chronic exposure to high glucose impaired endothelial functions. However, specific effects of short-term exposure to high glucose on vascular reactivity are controversial.