Micronutrient Status of Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Micronutrient deficiencies can develop in critically ill patients, arising from factors such as decreased intake, increased losses, drug interactions, and hypermetabolism. These deficiencies may compromise important immune functions, with potential implications for patient outcomes. Alternatively, micronutrient blood levels may become low due to inflammation-driven redistribution rather than consumption.

The immunological landscape of peripheral blood in glioblastoma patients and immunological consequences of age and dexamethasone treatment.

Background: Glioblastomas manipulate the immune system both locally and systemically, yet, glioblastoma-associated changes in peripheral blood immune composition are poorly studied. Age and dexamethasone administration in glioblastoma patients have been hypothesized to limit the effectiveness of immunotherapy, but their effects remain unclear. We compared peripheral blood immune composition in patients with different types of brain tumor to determine the influence of age, dexamethasone treatment, and tumor volume.

Distinguishing heart failure with reduced ejection fraction from heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A phenomics approach.

Aim: Pathophysiological differences between patients with heart failure with preserved (HFpEF) and reduced (HFrEF) ejection fraction (EF) remain unclear. Therefore we used a phenomics approach, integrating selected proteomics data with patient characteristics and cardiac structural and functional parameters, to get insight into differential pathophysiological mechanisms and identify potential treatment targets.

Methods And Results: We report data from a representative subcohort of the prospective Singapore Heart Failure Outcomes and Phenotypes (SHOP), including patients with HFrEF (EF <40%, n = 217), HFpEF (EF ≥50%, n = 213), and age- and sex-matched controls without HF (n = 216).

TCRβ clones in muscle tissue share structural features in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and are associated with disease activity.

Objectives: To characterize the T cell receptor (TCRβ) repertoire in peripheral blood and muscle tissues of treatment naïve patients with newly diagnosed idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs).

Methods: High throughput RNA sequencing of the TCRβ chain was performed in peripheral blood and muscle tissue in twenty newly-diagnosed treatment-naïve IIM patients (9 DM, 5 NM/OM, 5 IMNM and 1 ASyS) and healthy controls. Results thereof were correlated with markers of disease activity.

The IRAK-M death domain: a tale of three surfaces.

The anti-inflammatory interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase-M (IRAK-M) is a negative regulator of MyD88/IRAK-4/IRAK-1 signaling. However, IRAK-M has also been reported to activate NF-κB through the MyD88/IRAK-4/IRAK-M myddosome in a MEKK-3 dependent manner. Here we provide support that IRAK-M uses three surfaces of its Death Domain (DD) to activate NF-κB downstream of MyD88/IRAK-4/IRAK-M.

CCL19-Positive Lymph Node Stromal Cells Govern the Onset of Inflammatory Arthritis via Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase.

Objective: The study objective was to assess the role of CCL19 lymph node stromal cells of the joint-draining popliteal lymph node (pLN) for the development of arthritis.

Methods: CCL19 lymph node stromal cells were spatiotemporally depleted for five days in the pLN before the onset of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) using Ccl19-Cre × iDTR mice. In addition, therapeutic treatment with recombinant CCL19-immunoglobulin G (IgG), locally injected in the footpad, was used to confirm the results.

All-cause mortality before and after DAA availability among people living with HIV and HCV: An international comparison between 2010 and 2019.

Background: Among people living with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), people who inject drugs (PWID) have historically experienced higher mortality rates. Direct-acting antivirals (DAA), which have led to a 90 % HCV cure rate independently of HIV co-infection, have improved mortality rates. However, DAA era mortality trends among PWID with HIV/HCV remain unknown.

Towards Full Thickness Small Intestinal Models: Incorporation of Stromal Cells.

Introduction: Since small intestine is one of the major barriers of the human body, there is a need to develop reliable in vitro human small intestinal models. These models should incorporate both the epithelial and lamina propria compartments and have similar barrier properties compared to that of the human tissue. These properties are essential for various applications, such as studying cell-cell interaction, intestinal diseases and testing permeability and metabolism of drugs and other compounds.

The science of micronutrients in clinical practice - Report on the ESPEN symposium.

Background & Aims: The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism published its first clinical guidelines for use of micronutrients (MNs) in 2022. A two-day web symposium was organized in November 2022 discussing how to apply the guidelines in clinical practice. The present paper reports the main findings of this symposium.

Platelets interact with CD169 macrophages and cDC1 and enhance liposome-induced CD8 T cell responses.

Historically platelets are mostly known for their crucial contribution to hemostasis, but there is growing understanding of their role in inflammation and immunity. The immunomodulatory role of platelets entails interaction with pathogens, but also with immune cells including macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs), to activate adaptive immune responses. In our previous work, we have demonstrated that splenic CD169 macrophages scavenge liposomes and collaborate with conventional type 1 DCs (cDC1) to induce expansion of CD8 T cells.

Pathophysiology and immunolgical basis of axial spondyloarthritis.

Over the recent years the wider availability and application of state-of-the-art immunological technologies greatly advanced the insight into the mechanisms that play an important role in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) pathophysiology. This increased understanding has facilitated the development of novel treatments that target disease relevant pathways, hereby improving outcome for axSpA patients. In axSpA pathophysiology genetic and environmental factors as well as immune activation by mechanical or bacterial stress resulting in a chronic inflammatory response have a central role.

Between delivering chronic care and answering patients' burdens: Understanding HIV specialist nurses' experiences in the age of treatment.

Aim(s): To understand the experiences of HIV nurses in the context of ambivalence between biomedical treatment advancements and the continuing burden for people living with HIV and negative representations of HIV.

Design: An interpretative phenomenological study was conducted using in-depth interviews.

Methods: Twenty-one interviews with nurses were conducted between November 2021 and March 2022.

Early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a subanalysis of the ESICM-initiated UNITE-COVID observational study.

Background: Early mobilisation (EM) is an intervention that may improve the outcome of critically ill patients. There is limited data on EM in COVID-19 patients and its use during the first pandemic wave.

Methods: This is a pre-planned subanalysis of the ESICM UNITE-COVID, an international multicenter observational study involving critically ill COVID-19 patients in the ICU between February 15th and May 15th, 2020.

Hepatocellular carcinoma risk in sub-Saharan African and Afro-Surinamese individuals with chronic hepatitis B living in Europe.

Background & Aims: Sub-Saharan African (SSA) ethnicity has been associated with a higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among individuals with chronic hepatitis B in cross-sectional studies. However, the incidence of HCC and performance of HCC risk scores in this population are unknown.

Methods: We conducted an international multicenter retrospective cohort study of all consecutive HBV-monoinfected individuals of SSA or Afro-Surinamese (AS) ethnicity managed at sites in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Myeloid miR-155 plays a limited role in antibacterial defense during Klebsiella-derived pneumosepsis and is dispensable for lipopolysaccharide- or Klebsiella-induced inflammation in mice.

MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) plays a crucial role in regulating host inflammatory responses during bacterial infection. Previous studies have shown that constitutive miR-155 deficiency alleviates inflammation while having varying effects in different bacterial infection models. However, whether miR-155 in myeloid cells is involved in the regulation of inflammatory and antibacterial responses is largely elusive.

All-cause hospitalisation among people living with HIV according to gender, mode of HIV acquisition, ethnicity, and geographical origin in Europe and North America: findings from the ART-CC cohort collaboration.

Background: Understanding demographic disparities in hospitalisation is crucial for the identification of vulnerable populations, interventions, and resource planning.

Methods: Data were from the Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration (ART-CC) on people living with HIV in Europe and North America, followed up between January, 2007 and December, 2020. We investigated differences in all-cause hospitalisation according to gender and mode of HIV acquisition, ethnicity, and combined geographical origin and ethnicity, in people living with HIV on modern combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).

Extended interval dosing of ocrelizumab modifies the repopulation of B cells without altering the clinical efficacy in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Recent studies suggest that extended interval dosing of ocrelizumab, an anti-B cell therapy, does not affect its clinical effectiveness in most patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, it remains to be established whether certain B cell subsets are differentially repopulated after different dosing intervals and whether these subsets relate to clinical efficacy.

Methods: We performed high-dimensional single-cell characterization of the peripheral immune landscape of patients with MS after standard (SID; n = 43) or extended interval dosing (EID; n = 37) of ocrelizumab and in non-ocrelizumab-treated (control group, CG; n = 28) patients with MS, using mass cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF).

Vitamin C may reduce troponin and CKMB levels after PCI and CABG: a meta-analysis.

Background: Ischemia/reperfusion injury contributes to periprocedural myocardial injury (PMI) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). PMI can be estimated by the elevation of troponin (Tn) and creatine kinase-MB (CKMB) plasma levels, and it is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality. Vitamin C might have a beneficial effect on PMI by improving endothelial function, improving myocardial perfusion, and by reducing oxidative stress generated during/after reperfusion.

Sexual and drug use risk behaviour trajectories among people treated for recent HCV infection: the REACT study.

Introduction: Exploration of sexual and drug use behaviours following treatment for recent hepatitis C virus (HCV) is limited. This analysis modelled behavioural trajectories following treatment for recent HCV and assessed reinfection.

Methods: Participants treated for recent HCV in an international trial (enrolled 2017-2019) were followed at 3-monthly intervals for up to 2 years to assess longitudinal behaviours.

Physical activity in lactating women influences SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in human milk.

Background: Moderate exercise results in a significant increase in serum and salivary immunoglobulins. Maternal physical activity might therefore also be a factor influencing antibody levels in human milk. This study aims to determine the influence of physical activity on SARS-CoV-2-specific Immunoglobulin A (IgA) in human milk and Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in serum.

Hospitalization for acute heart failure during non-working hours impacts on long-term mortality: the REPORT-HF registry.

Aims: Hospital admission during nighttime and off hours may affect the outcome of patients with various cardiovascular conditions due to suboptimal resources and personnel availability, but data for acute heart failure remain controversial. Therefore, we studied outcomes of acute heart failure patients according to their time of admission from the global International Registry to assess medical practice with lOngitudinal obseRvation for Treatment of Heart Failure.

Methods And Results: Overall, 18 553 acute heart failure patients were divided according to time of admission into 'morning' (7:00-14:59), 'evening' (15:00-22:59), and 'night' (23:00-06:59) shift groups.

Reinfection incidence and risk among people treated for recent hepatitis C virus infection.

Objective: Reinfection poses a challenge to hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination. This analysis assessed incidence of, and factors associated with reinfection among people treated for recent HCV (duration of infection <12 months).

Methods: Participants treated for recent HCV (primary infection or reinfection) in an international randomized trial were followed at 3-monthly intervals for up to 2 years to assess for reinfection.