Multi-Modality Imaging in Cardio-Rheumatology.

Purpose Of Review: Our purpose was to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various noninvasive imaging modalities in the evaluation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). The detailed knowledge of imaging modalities will facilitate the diagnosis and follow up of CVD in ARDs.

Recent Findings: Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases (ARDs) are characterized by alterations in immunoregulatory system of the body.

Kenny-Caffey Syndrome Type 2 (KCS2): A New Case Report and Patient Follow-Up Optimization.

Kenny-Caffey syndrome 2 (KCS2) is a rare cause of hypoparathyroidism, inherited in an autosomal dominant mode, resulting from pathogenic variants of the gene, which is implicated in intracellular pathways regulating parathormone (PTH) synthesis and skeletal and parathyroid gland development. : The case of a boy is reported, presenting with the characteristic and newly identified clinical, biochemical, radiological, and genetic abnormalities of KCS2. : The proband had noticeable dysmorphic features, and the closure of the anterior fontanel was delayed until the age of 4 years.

Multiomics dissection of human RAG deficiency reveals distinctive patterns of immune dysregulation but a common inflammatory signature.

Human recombination-activating gene (RAG) deficiency can manifest with distinct clinical and immunological phenotypes. By applying a multiomics approach to a large group of -mutated patients, we aimed at characterizing the immunopathology associated with each phenotype. Although defective T and B cell development is common to all phenotypes, patients with hypomorphic variants can generate T and B cells with signatures of immune dysregulation and produce autoantibodies to a broad range of self-antigens, including type I interferons.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: A WAidid Consensus Document on New Preventive Options.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory infections, particularly affecting young infants, older adults, and individuals with comorbidities. : This document, developed as a consensus by an international group of experts affiliated with the World Association of Infectious Diseases and Immunological Disorders (WAidid), focuses on recent advancements in RSV prevention, highlighting the introduction of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and vaccines. : Historically, RSV treatment options were limited to supportive care and the monoclonal antibody palivizumab, which required multiple doses.

Making a Difference from Day One: The Urgent Need for Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening.

Neonatal hearing screening (NHS) is a critical public health measure for early identification of hearing loss, ensuring timely access to interventions that can dramatically improve a child's language development, cognitive abilities, and social inclusion. Beyond clinical benefits, NHS provides long-term advantages in education and quality of life. Given that congenital hearing loss affects approximately 1-2 in every 1000 newborns worldwide, the case for universal screening is clear.

The role of zinc in the premature brain: functions, outcomes and future research perspectives.

Zinc (Zn) is one of the most prevalent and essential micronutrients, found in 10% of all human proteins and involved in numerous cellular enzymatic pathways. Zn is important in the neonatal brain, due to its involvement in neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity, and neural signaling. It acts as a neuronal modulator and is highly concentrated in certain brain regions, such as the hippocampus, and the retina.

The Impact of Maternal Graves' Disease on Neonatal Thyroid Function: A Systematic Review.

Maternal Graves' disease (GD) poses a significant risk to neonatal thyroid function due to the transplacental transfer of thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAbs). This systematic review aims to assess the impact of maternal GD on neonatal thyroid outcomes and identify key maternal factors influencing these outcomes. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane, resulting in the inclusion of 18 studies published from 2014 to 2024.

QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 assay for the evaluation of cellular immunity after immunization with mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the virus-specific T-cell response after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination, using the QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 interferon-γ release assay. A search was conducted (June 8, 2023) in the PUBMED, SCOPUS, and medRxiv databases, to identify studies reporting the QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 (Starter (two antigen tubes) or Starter + Extended Pack (three antigen tubes), cut-off ≥ 0.15 IU/mL) positivity rate (PR) in immunocompetent adults, following the administration of two or three COVID-19 mRNA vaccine doses.

Biophysical mechanism of animal magnetoreception, orientation and navigation.

We describe a biophysical mechanism for animal magnetoreception, orientation and navigation in the geomagnetic field (GMF), based on the ion forced oscillation (IFO) mechanism in animal cell membrane voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) (IFO-VGIC mechanism). We review previously suggested hypotheses. We describe the structure and function of VGICs and argue that they are the most sensitive electromagnetic sensors in all animals.

COMPARABLE OUTCOMES AFTER BUSULFAN- OR TREOSULFAN-BASED CONDITIONING FOR ALLO-HSCT IN CHILDREN WITH ALL-RESULTS OF FORUM.

The superiority of TBI-based versus chemotherapy-conditioning for allo-HSCT in children with ALL has been established in the international, prospective phase-III FORUM study (#NCT01949129), randomizing 417 patients ≤ 18 years at diagnosis (4-21 years at HSCT) in CR, transplanted from HLA-matched sibling or unrelated donors. Due to the unavailability of TBI in some regions and to accommodate individual contraindications, this study reports the pre-specified comparison of outcomes of patients receiving busulfan-based (BU) or treosulfan-based (TREO) regimens from 2013 to 2018. 180 and 128 patients (median age 9.

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Reveals Cardiac Inflammation and Fibrosis in Symptomatic Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: Findings from the INSPIRE-CMR Multicenter Study.

. Post-coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients may develop cardiac symptoms. We hypothesized that cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) can assess the background of post-COVID-19 cardiac symptoms using multi-parametric evaluation.

Duration of Antimicrobial Treatment in Adult Patients with Pneumonia: A Narrative Review.

Pneumonia remains a major global health concern, causing significant morbidity and mortality among adults. This narrative review assesses the optimal duration of antimicrobial treatment in adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Current evidence about the impact of treatment duration on clinical outcomes demonstrates that shorter antibiotic courses are non-inferior, regarding safety and efficacy, compared to longer courses, particularly in patients with mild to moderate CAP, which is in line with the recommendations of international guidelines.

The Impact of Parental Depressive, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms on Adolescents' Mental Health and Quality of Life: The Moderating Role of Parental Rejection.

: Parental internalizing issues, particularly maternal mental health, can significantly influence adolescents' mental health by altering parenting behaviors and roles. This study explores the role of parental rejection in moderating the relationship between parental depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms and adolescents' mental health and quality of life. : One hundred thirty eight mothers (mean age: 47.

Towards a Risk-Based Follow-Up Surveillance Imaging Schedule for Children and Adolescents with Low-Grade Glioma.

The frequency and duration of imaging surveillance in children and adolescents with pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) aims for the early detection of recurrence or progression. Although surveillance of pLGGs is performed routinely, it is not yet standardized. The aim of the current review is to provide a comprehensive synthesis of published studies regarding the optimal frequency, intervals, and duration of surveillance.

Global burden of disease attributable to metabolic risk factors in adolescents and young adults aged 15-39, 1990-2021.

Background: Metabolic risk factors are a significant cause of global burden among adolescents and young adults, but there is a lack of attention to the burden attributable to these metabolic risk factors globally.

Aims: This study aims to provide comprehensive estimates of five important metabolic risk factors and the attributable disease burden in people aged 15-39 years from 1990 to 2021, based on the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) database.

Methods: Global total deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were used to describe the burden attributable to five common metabolic risk factors, including high fasting plasma glucose (FPG), high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high systolic blood pressure (SBP), high body mass index (BMI), and kidney dysfunction, in adolescents and young adults.

Emerging Imaging Techniques for Atherosclerosis in Systemic Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Conditions.

Atherosclerosis affects patients with systemic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases at an increased rate compared with the general population. In recent years, our understanding of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis has advanced considerably. Nevertheless, cardiovascular imaging modalities that can adequately assess the biological background of atherosclerosis have not reached widespread clinical adoption.

Improvement in Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Children and Adolescents with Overweight and Obesity Following the Implementation of a Multidisciplinary Personalized Lifestyle Intervention Program.

: Childhood obesity is one of the most challenging contemporary public health problems. Children and adolescents with obesity experience multiple psychosocial difficulties, such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems, which persist for a long time. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of a multidisciplinary personalized lifestyle intervention for depressive and anxiety symptoms, as evaluated by psychometric questionnaires, and their effect and association with cardiometabolic parameters in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity before and after the intervention.

The Effect of Time-Restricted Eating on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Endogenous metabolic pathways periodically adjust with fluctuations in day and night, a biological process known as circadian rhythm. Time-restricted eating (TRE) aligns the time of food intake with the circadian rhythm. This study aims to investigate the effects of TRE on body weight, body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors.

The Effect of a Multidisciplinary Lifestyle Intervention Program on Apelin-12, Vaspin and Resistin Concentrations in Children and Adolescents with Overweight and Obesity.

Obesity in childhood and adolescence has reached epidemic proportions in recent decades. In the present study, we determined the concentrations of apelin-12, vaspin and resistin in 106 children and adolescents with overweight or obesity before and after the implementation of a multidisciplinary, personalized lifestyle intervention program of diet, sleep and exercise for 1 year. All subjects attended our Center for the Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, Hypothalamic Inflammation and Reproductive Outcomes: A Review of the Literature.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are environmental and industrial agents that interfere with hormonal functions. EDC exposure is linked to various endocrine diseases, especially in reproduction, although the mechanisms remain unclear and effects vary among individuals. Neuroinflammation, particularly hypothalamic inflammation, is an emerging research area with implications for endocrine-related diseases like obesity.