Conformational Antibodies to Proteolipid Protein-1 and Its Peripheral Isoform DM20 in Patients With CNS Autoimmune Demyelinating Disorders.

Background And Objectives: Antibodies to proteolipid protein-1 (PLP1-IgG), a major central myelin protein also expressed in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) as the isoform DM20, have been previously identified mostly in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), with unclear clinical implications. However, most studies relied on nonconformational immunoassays and included few patients with non-MS CNS autoimmune demyelinating disorders (ADDs). We aimed to investigate conformational PLP1-IgG in the whole ADD spectrum.

Laparoscopic versus open resection for hepatocellular carcinoma according to the procedure's complexity: real-world weighted data from a national register.

Background: Minimal access liver surgery (MALS) is considered superior to open liver resection (OLR) in reducing the perioperative risk in patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). No national-level comparisons exist based on procedure complexity. This study aims to compare postoperative complications, postoperative ascites (POA), and major complications (MC) between MALS and OLR.

Echocardiography in the Ventilated Patient: What the Clinician Has to Know.

Heart and lung sharing the same anatomical space are influenced by each other. Spontaneous breathing induces dynamic changes in intrathoracic pressure, impacting cardiac function, particularly the right ventricle. In intensive care units (ICU), mechanical ventilation (MV) and therefore positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) are often applied, and this inevitably influences cardiac function.

Relationship Between Left Atrial Strain and Atrial Fibrillation: The Role of Stress Echocardiography.

Interest in advanced echocardiographic imaging methods is growing. Left atrial strain (LAS) is among recently developed echocardiographic parameters. LAS represents an index of tissue deformation of the left atrium (LA).

Stoma Acceptance Mediates Body Image Distress and Mental Health-Related Quality of Life: A Single-Center Study on Radical Cystectomy Patients with Ureterostomy.

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer and subsequent radical cystectomy with ureterocutaneostomy significantly impact patients' body image and quality of life, potentially increasing the risk of adverse mental health outcomes. Acceptance may represent a psychosocial resource to buffer the effects of body image impairment on health, thereby supporting stoma adjustment and preserving quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of stoma acceptance in the relationship between body image distress and mental health.

Metformin radiosensitizes OSCC in 2D and 3D models: possible involvement of CAF-1.

Objective: This study investigated metformin as a sensitizer for radiotherapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to reduce the radiation intensity. It evaluated the drug's effect on Chromatin Assembly Factor-1 (CAF-1) expression, whose high levels correlate with worse prognosis of this cancer.

Methods: The effects of metformin, alone and with radiotherapy, were evaluated on CAL27 (HPV-) and SCC154 (HPV+) OSCC cells.

Assessing subaortic right ventricle function after atrial switch repair through myocardial work analysis.

Background: The Mustard and Senning operations for dextro-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) establish a biventricular physiology with a subaortic right ventricle (sRV). While prolonged QRS has been associated with worse prognosis in these patients, current echocardiographic tools fall short in adequately assessing the (mal)performance and function decline of the sRV during follow-up. The present study is the first to characterize Myocardial Work (MW) indices of the sRV in D-TGA patients after Mustard/Senning repair.

L-Arginine supplementation as mitochondrial therapy in diabetic cardiomyopathy.

In patients with type II diabetes, the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC) is associated with a high risk of mortality. Left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and exercise intolerance are the first signs of DC. The underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated, and there is an urgent need for specific biomarkers and molecular targets for early diagnosis and treatment.

Expansion of the Phenotype of You-Hoover-Fong Syndrome and Possible Increased Risk of Cancer.

You-Hoover-Fong syndrome (YHFS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by global developmental delay, microcephaly, dysmorphic facial features, and a spectrum of neurodevelopmental abnormalities. YHFS is caused by pathogenic variants in TELO2, a gene involved in regulation of the cell cycle. To date, 29 individuals with YHFS have been reported and none of them has been reported to develop tumors.

The Clinical Relevance of Prior Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in Alcohol-Related Liver Disease in a Nationwide Belgian Liver Transplant Population.

Background And Aims: Patients with a history of metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) are susceptible to developing alcohol use disorder. Outcome after transplantation for alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) has not been studied in-depth.

Methods: We included adult patients who underwent a liver transplantation (LT) in Belgium between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2022 for ALD.

External Validation of the ISGPS Complexity Grading System for Minimally Invasive Pancreatoduodenectomy: Insights from the IGOMIPS registry.

Objective: To validate the ISGPS complexity grading system for minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy (MIPD).

Background: Although concerns about patient safety persist, MIPD is gaining popularity. The ISGPS recently introduced a difficulty grading system to improve patient selection by aligning procedural complexity with surgeon and center expertise.

Role of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Celiac Disease and Diabetes: Focus on the Intestinal Mucosa.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are a family of enzymes essential for numerous cellular processes, such as cell growth, inflammation, differentiation, immune-mediated responses and oncogenic transformation. The aim of this review is to review the literature concerning the role of several PTPs-PTPN22, PTPN2, PTPN6, PTPN11, PTPσ, DUSP2, DUSP6 and PTPRK-at the level of the intestinal mucosa in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease (CeD) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) in both in vitro and in vivo models. The results revealed shared features, at the level of the intestinal mucosa, between these diseases characterized by alterations of different biological processes, such as proliferation, autoimmunity, cell death, autophagy and inflammation.

Graft inflow modulation in recipients with portal hypertension.

The extended application of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has revealed the problem of graft size mismatching, potentially leading to the "small-for-size syndrome" (SFSS). SFSS is a rare dysfunction that may affect a partial liver graft, characterized by coagulopathy, cholestasis, ascites, and encephalopathy. A key role in the physiopathology of SFSS is played by portal hypertension (PHT) to which a small allograft is submitted after reperfusion, resulting in sinusoidal congestion and hemorrhage.

Behind the scenes: exploring neurological journal editors' work habits, decisions, and potential sources of conflict of interest.

Background And Objectives: Editors of scientific journals play a key role in the health-related research process. Our study aims to characterize the demographics, work habits, decision-making processes, and ethical challenges faced by editors of neurological journals and to evaluate associations between editor or journal characteristics and editorial decisions, as well as sources of conflict of interest.

Methods: Cross-sectional study involving editors from neurological journals that fell above the 50th percentile in the Scimago rankings.

Outcomes of loop ileostomy after rectal resection for cancer: A prospective observational multicenter snapshot study from Multidisciplinary Italian Study group for STOmas (MISSTO).

Background: Diverting ileostomy is a common procedure in rectal cancer surgery, but it is sometimes associated with a nonnegligible rate of complications. The primary aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and types of stoma-related complications for ileostomy creation after rectal cancer resection. The secondary aims were to report the indications, the technical details, and the efficacy of stoma care provided by ostomy nurses.

Ovarian reserve, metabolic and neuroendocrine profiles of cadets from Air Force Academy: a pilot study.

Background: Intensive physical activity and rigid dietary regimes can act as modifiers of neuroendocrine axes in women, inducing hormonal disorders and related menstrual irregularities such as functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA). It would be important to evaluate if such disturbances may worsen female fertility. The aim of this study was to evaluate ovarian reserve markers and neuroendocrine axis in young military academy female cadets with years of training and occurrence of FHA.

Normative values of the brief international cognitive assessment for multiple sclerosis (BICAMS) in an Italian young adolescent population: the influence of age, sex, and education.

Background: The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) is the most widely used in clinical practice and the least time-consuming battery to estimate cognitive function in adults with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), while it has been included in few studies on young MS, also because of the absence of normative values.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of age, sex and education on BICAMS scores in a young adolescent population.

Methods: We administered the BICAMS to 169, 11-to-18-year-old, healthy subjects.

Water intake in athletes: Agreement between food records and isotope-dilution methods.

Background: Although water intake (WI) is commonly estimated through self-reporting, its inaccuracy is reported. Water turnover (rHO)-derived WI is the reference method; however, it is costly. The study aimed to validate alternative methods for determining WI in a group of athletes.

Diverting ileostomy for treatment of ileoanal pouch dysfunction: a technical note.

Background: The ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is a restorative procedure performed after proctocolectomy to improve quality of life in patients with colorectal conditions like ulcerative colitis, familial adenomatous polyposis, and selected cases of Crohn's disease and Lynch syndrome. However, severe pouch dysfunction can occur, often necessitating further surgical intervention.

Objective: This technical note aims to describe the operative approach and perioperative management for diverting ileostomy as a treatment for dysfunctional ileoanal pouches.