Publications by authors named "Romina Mariano"

Article Synopsis
  • The immune system in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients is significantly weakened, affecting their ability to respond to tumors, but shows improvement following effective treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors like imatinib.
  • A study analyzed gene expression of various immune mediators in 171 blood samples from CML patients over their first year on imatinib, comparing it with samples from healthy donors.
  • Results indicated that most immune mediators initially declined but largely normalized over time, while also revealing different patterns in optimal versus non-optimal treatment responders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease that is challenging to differentiate from multiple sclerosis (MS), as the clinical phenotypes overlap, and people with MOGAD can fulfil the current MRI-based diagnostic criteria for MS. In addition, the MOG antibody assays that are an essential component of MOGAD diagnosis are not standardized. Accurate diagnosis of MOGAD is crucial because the treatments and long-term prognosis differ from those for MS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Treatment-free remission (TFR) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase is considered a safe option if suitable molecular monitoring is available. However, the question arises as to which factors can contribute to the maintenance of TFR, and immunologic surveillance of the remaining leukemic cells is believed to be one of them. Argentina Stop Trial is an open-label, single-arm, multicenter trial assessing TFR after tyrosine kinase inhibitors interruption, that after more than 4 years showed a successful TFR rate of 63%.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fatigue is frequently reported by patients with multiple sclerosis, aquaporin-4-antibody neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein antibody disease; thus they could share a similar pathophysiological mechanism. In this cross-sectional cohort study, we assessed the association of fatigue with resting-state functional MRI, diffusion and structural imaging measures across these three disorders. Sixteen patients with multiple sclerosis, 17 with aquaporin-4-antibody neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and 17 with myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein antibody disease assessed, outside of relapses, at the Oxford Neuromyelitis Optica Service underwent Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Expanded Disability Status Scale scoring.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Treatment-free remission (TFR) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is safe under adequate molecular monitoring, but questions remain regarding which factors may be considered predictive for TFR. Argentina Stop Trial (AST) is a multicenter TFR trial showing that 65% of patients sustain molecular remission, and the prior time in deep molecular response (DMR) was associated with successful TFR. Luminex technology was used to characterize cytokines in plasma samples.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The "1/3″ brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria including 1) a lesion adjacent to the lateral ventricle and in the inferior temporal lobe, or 2) a juxtacortical lesion, or 3) a Dawson finger-type lesion were shown to distinguish multiple sclerosis (MS) from antibody-mediated conditions. In this large multicentre study, we aimed to assess how the criteria perform 1) in different onset phenotypes, 2) distinct ethnic groups, 3) when the absence of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody (MOG-Ab)-associated disease (MOGAD)-typical fluffy infratentorial (FIT) lesions and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) lesions are added as features ("2/4″ and 3/5″ criteria, respectively).

Methods: 577 patients with MS (n = 332), aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-Ab) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) (n = 196) and MOGAD (n = 49) were recruited from 6 international centres (Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, Maracaibo, Goyang, Oxford and Milan).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Longer-term outcomes and risk factors associated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) are not well established.

Objective: To investigate longer-term risk of relapse and factors associated with this risk among patients with MOGAD.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This large, single-nation, prospective cohort study was conducted among 276 patients with MOGAD at 5 health care centers in the UK.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors seems to restore the broadly compromised immune system described in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients at diagnosis leading to a re-activation of the effector-mediated immune surveillance. Here, we describe the expression dynamics of immune factors during the first year on imatinib therapy. Gene expression was evaluated in 132 peripheral blood samples from 79 CML patients, including 34 who were serially followed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To describe onset clinical features predicting time to first relapse and time to long-term visual, motor and cognitive disabilities in paediatric-onset aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-IgG) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs).

Methods: In this retrospective UK multicentre cohort study, we recorded clinical data of paediatric-onset AQP4-IgG NMOSD. Univariate and exploratory multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify long-term predictors of permanent visual disability, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 4 and cognitive impairment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Identifying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers in myelin-oligodendrocytes-glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder-aquaporin-4 positive (NMOSD-AQP4) and multiple sclerosis (MS) is essential for establishing objective outcome measures.

Objectives: To quantify imaging patterns of central nervous system (CNS) damage in MOGAD during the remission stage, and to compare it with NMOSD-AQP4 and MS.

Methods: 20 MOGAD, 19 NMOSD-AQP4, 18 MS in remission with brain or spinal cord involvement and 18 healthy controls (HC) were recruited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: the role of smoking on clinical outcomes of central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory disorders is unclear. To assess the effect of smoking on relapses and disability in neuromyelitis optica with aquaporin-4-antibodies (NMOSD-AQP4-Ab), Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein-antibodies associated disease (MOGAD) and relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients.

Methods: in a UK cohort of 101 NMOSD-AQP4-Ab, 70 MOGAD and 159 MS, and a Korean cohort of 97 NMOSD-AQ4-Ab, time to first relapse, annualised relapse rate, onset relapse severity and recovery, time to Expanded Disability Status Score(EDSS)/secondary progressive MS (SPMS) were compared between never-smokers and ever-smokers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Spinal cord involvement is a hallmark feature of multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica with AQP4 antibodies and MOG-antibody disease. In this cross-sectional study we use quantitative spinal cord MRI to better understand these conditions, differentiate them and associate with relevant clinical outcomes. Eighty participants (20 in each disease group and 20 matched healthy volunteers) underwent spinal cord MRI (cervical cord: 3D T1, 3D T2, diffusion tensor imaging and magnetization transfer ratio; thoracic cord: 3D T2), together with disability, pain and fatigue scoring.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody (MOG-Ab) disease is an inflammatory autoimmune condition of the central nervous system, defined by antibodies (Abs) against MOG. Of the various clinical phenotypes optic neuritis (ON) is the commonest. We have observed that some patients with MOG-Ab ON present with a severe associated headache.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Recognizing the differences between transverse myelitis (TM) associated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody (Ab) disease vs aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-Ab disease and prognosticating patients within each group may be an important factor for better clinical treatment for these respective patients.

Objectives: To compare the clinical and radiological findings of the first TM episode in patients with MOG-Ab disease vs patients with AQP4-Ab disease and to assess factors associated with worse outcomes and relapse risk.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cross-sectional study used data collected from the Oxford Neuromyelitis Optica Service database, a national service that serves the south of England, including detailed clinical data, and high-quality imaging from within 4 weeks of the first TM episode from patients with MOG-Ab disease or AQP4-Ab disease and a confirmed history of TM from April 2018 to January 2019.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The role of Ann Arbor staging in determining treatment intensity after achieving a negative positron emission tomography (PET) has not been established in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Patients with stage I-IV cHL, received three cycles of ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) and an interim PET scan (PET3). PET3-negative patients received no further therapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Every neurologist will be familiar with the patient with atypical spinal cord disease and the challenges of taking the diagnosis forward. This is predominantly because of the limited range of possible clinical and investigation findings making most individual features non-specific. The difficulty in obtaining a tissue diagnosis further contributes and patients are often treated empirically based on local prevalence and potential for reversibility.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF