Rituximab in the treatment of progressive interstitial lung disease associated with the antisynthetase syndrome.

Objective: To assess the real-world, long-term effectiveness of rituximab (RTX) as a rescue therapy in patients with antisynthetase syndrome and progressive interstitial lung disease (ASS-ILD).

Methods: Multicentre observational retrospective longitudinal study of a cohort of patients with ASS-ILD that started treatment with RTX due to recurrent or ongoing progressive ILD despite therapy with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants.

Results: Twenty-eight patients were analyzed.

Increase of pertussis cases in the Vallès region, Catalonia, Spain, September 2023 to April 2024.

We describe a pertussis outbreak in the Vallès region of Catalonia, from September 2023 to April 2024. Incidence was high in children aged 10-14 years compared with previous outbreaks. Limited impact in newborns could be explained by the high vaccination coverage during pregnancy and at 11 months of age in 2022, at 85% and 94.

The hepatocyte epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway regulates the cellular interactome within the liver fibrotic niche.

Liver fibrosis is the consequence of chronic liver injury in the presence of an inflammatory component. Although the main executors of this activation are known, the mechanisms that lead to the inflammatory process that mediates the production of pro-fibrotic factors are not well characterized. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling in hepatocytes is essential for the regenerative processes of the liver; however, its potential role in regulating the fibrotic niche is not yet clear.

KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapy based on tepotinib and omeprazole combination.

Background: KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) shows a relatively low response rate to chemotherapy, immunotherapy and KRAS-G12C selective inhibitors, leading to short median progression-free survival, and overall survival. The MET receptor tyrosine kinase (c-MET), the cognate receptor of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), was reported to be overexpressed in KRAS-mutant lung cancer cells leading to tumor-growth in anchorage-independent conditions.

Methods: Cell viability assay and synergy analysis were carried out in native, sotorasib and trametinib-resistant KRAS-mutant NSCLC cell lines.

Clinical considerations when switching antiretroviral therapy.

Introduction: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can be personalized through simple formulations with high resistance barriers, favorable safety profiles, and novel administration routes. Switching treatments has become a key clinical strategy for addressing drug toxicity and interactions and enhancing adherence and convenience. This strategy aims to improve the quality of life and long-term efficacy, even in challenging cases like people living with HIV (PLWH) with multiple comorbidities, prior virological failure, and drug resistance.

Severe Gastrointestinal Cytomegalovirus Infection in a Patient Diagnosed with Late Onset Combined Immunodeficiency.

Unlabelled: Late onset combined immunodeficiency (LOCID) is a rare variant of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), typically affecting adult patients who present with opportunistic infections (OI) and/or low CD4+ T lymphocytes. Diagnostic delay is common due to the rareness of this entity, increasing morbidity and mortality. We report on a 66-year-old male who developed a severe gastrointestinal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, refractory to antiviral treatment and anti-cytomegalovirus specific human immunoglobulin administration, with a fatal outcome due to an undiagnosed LOCID.

Anticipatory and consummatory neural correlates of monetary and music rewarding stimuli.

Most of the literature on the neural bases of human reward and punishment processing has used monetary gains and losses, but less is known about the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the anticipation and consumption of other types of rewarding stimuli. In the present study, EEG was recorded from 19 participants who completed a modified version of the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task. During the task, cues providing information about potential future outcomes were presented to the participants.

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a digital guided self-management intervention to support transition from intensive care to community care in anorexia nervosa (TRIANGLE): pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation.

Background: There is uncertainty regarding how best to support patients with anorexia nervosa following inpatient or day care treatment. This study evaluated the impact of augmenting intensive treatment with a digital, guided, self-management intervention (ECHOMANTRA) for patients with anorexia nervosa and their carers.

Methods: In this pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation, patients with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa, aged 16+ and attending one of the 31 inpatient or day-patient services in the UK were randomised with one of their carers to receive ECHOMANTRA plus treatment as usual (TAU), or TAU alone.

Healthy lifestyle change and all-cause and cancer mortality in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort.

Background: Healthy lifestyles are inversely associated with the risk of noncommunicable diseases, which are leading causes of death. However, few studies have used longitudinal data to assess the impact of changing lifestyle behaviours on all-cause and cancer mortality.

Methods: Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort, lifestyle profiles of 308,497 cancer-free adults (71% female) aged 35-70 years at recruitment across nine countries were assessed with baseline and follow-up questionnaires administered on average of 7 years apart.

Shared familial risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and psychiatric disorders: a nationwide multigenerational genetics study.

Background: Psychiatric disorders and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are heritable, polygenic, and often comorbid conditions, yet knowledge about their potential shared familial risk is lacking. We used family designs and T2DM polygenic risk score (T2DM-PRS) to investigate the genetic associations between psychiatric disorders and T2DM.

Methods: We linked 659 906 individuals born in Denmark 1990-2000 to their parents, grandparents, and aunts/uncles using population-based registers.

CTNND1 is involved in germline predisposition to early-onset gastric cancer by affecting cell-to-cell interactions.

Background: CDH1 and CTNNA1 remain as the main genes for hereditary gastric cancer. However, they only explain a small fraction of gastric cancer cases with suspected inherited basis. In this study, we aimed to identify new hereditary genes for early-onset gastric cancer patients (EOGC; < 50 years old).

Genotyping Hepatitis B virus by Next-Generation Sequencing: Detection of Mixed Infections and Analysis of Sequence Conservation.

Our aim was to develop an accurate, highly sensitive method for HBV genotype determination and detection of genotype mixtures. We examined the preS and 5' end of the HBV X gene (5X) regions of the HBV genome using next-generation sequencing (NGS). The 1852 haplotypes obtained were subjected to genotyping via the Distance-Based discrimination method (DB Rule) using two sets of 95 reference sequences of genotypes A-H.

Assessing the reduction of viral infectivity in HPV16/18-positive women after one, two, and three doses of Gardasil-9 (RIFT): Study protocol.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) prophylactic vaccination has proven effective in preventing new infections, but it does not treat existing HPV infections or associated diseases. Hence, there is still an important reservoir of HPV in adults, as vaccination programs are mainly focused on young women. The primary objective of this non-randomized, open-label trial is to evaluate if a 3-dose regimen of Gardasil-9 in HPV16/18-positive women could reduce the infective capacity of their body fluids.

Protocol to correlate electron microscopy with electrophysiology in single-cell autaptic microcultures.

Single-cell microcultures (SCMs) form a monosynaptic circuit that allows stimulation and recording of postsynaptic responses using a single electrode. Here, we present a protocol to establish autaptic cultures from rat superior cervical ganglion neurons. We describe the steps for preparing SCMs, recording synaptic currents, and identifying and processing the recorded neurons for electron microscopy.

Optimizing Venous Stenting: Consensus Recommendations for Enhanced Management of Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Introduction:  Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) poses a complex challenge and often leads to postthrombotic syndrome (PTS), a debilitating complication. The emergence of venous stents offers a potential preventive avenue against this complication. This study aimed to provide consensus recommendations on the use of venous stent for DVT.

Symptom provocation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Validation of the Braga Obsessive Compulsive image set (BOCIS).

Symptom provocation paradigms are paramount to understand a heterogeneous disorder as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The main aim of our work was to develop and validate an open-access set of OCD-related images comprising three main subtypes: washing, checking, and symmetry. Twenty-six OCD patients and 25 controls provided valence and arousal ratings for a set of OCD-related, aversive, and neutral images.

Safety, Tolerability, and Outcomes of Tafamidis for the Treatment of Acquired Amyloid Neuropathy in Domino Liver Transplant Recipients.

Introduction: Acquired amyloid neuropathy is an iatrogenic disease that appears years after a domino liver transplant. The objectives of our study are to analyze the efficacy and tolerability of tafamidis for the treatment of acquired amyloid neuropathy in domino liver transplant recipients. This post-authorization, prospective, longitudinal study included seven domino liver transplant recipients with acquired amyloid neuropathy who received treatment with tafamidis for 18 months.