Real-life use of the PEXIVAS reduced-dose glucocorticoid regimen in granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis.

Background: The PEXIVAS (Plasma exchange and glucocorticoids in severe antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis) trial showed that a reduced-dose glucocorticoid regimen (redGC) was non-inferior to a standard-dose regimen (standGC) with respect to death or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). However, the primary endpoint did not include disease progression or relapse, cyclophosphamide was the main induction therapy and rituximab (RTX)-treated patients tended to have a higher risk of death or ESKD with redGC. We aimed to evaluate the real-world use of redGC.

Research Letter: Concussion-Related General Startle Suppression in Adolescent Athletes.

Objectives: We investigated the acoustic startle reflex in recently concussed adolescent athletes compared to healthy controls and those with concussion history (>1 year prior) but no current symptoms. We hypothesized that individuals with recent concussion would have a suppressed startle response compared to healthy controls.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 49 adolescent athletes with a recent concussion (n = 20; age: 14.

Food insecurity screening practices in a pediatric gastroenterology population.

Food insecurity is a rising concern for US households and leads to adverse child health outcomes. Pediatric gastroenterology providers are uniquely equipped to help guide families experiencing this challenge given their specialized training in nutritional support and dietary therapy for disease management. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate food insecurity screening practices from the perspectives of patient caregivers and healthcare providers in a tertiary pediatric gastroenterology practice.

One-Year Outcomes Among Children Identified With Celiac Disease Through a Mass Screening Program.

Background & Aims: Celiac disease (CD) mass screening remains controversial in part because of a paucity of data to support its benefit. The Autoimmunity Screening for Kids study is a mass screening study for pediatric CD and type 1 diabetes in Colorado.

Methods: This study prospectively follows up children ages 1 to 17 years who screened positive for tissue transglutaminase IgA autoantibodies in the Autoimmunity Screening for Kids study subsequently referred for diagnostic evaluation.

Human iPSC-derived Committed Cardiac Progenitors Generate Cardiac Tissue Grafts in a Swine Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Model without Triggering Ventricular Arrhythmias.

Background: The adult human heart following a large myocardial infarction is unable to regenerate heart muscle and instead forms scar with the risk of progressive heart failure. Large animal studies have shown that intramyocardial injection of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) following a myocardial infarction result in cell grafts but also ventricular arrhythmias. We hypothesized that intramyocardial injection of committed cardiac progenitor cells (CCPs) derived from iPSCs, combined with cardiac fibroblast-derived extracellular matrix (cECM) to enhance cell retention will: i) form cardiomyocyte containing functional grafts, ii) be free of ventricular arrhythmias and iii) restore left ventricular contractility in a post-myocardial infarction (MI) cardiomyopathy swine model.