EBV-specific T-cell immunity: relevance for multiple sclerosis.

Genetic and environmental factors jointly determine the susceptibility to develop multiple sclerosis (MS). Improvements in the design of epidemiological studies have helped to identify consistent environmental risk associations such as the increased susceptibility for MS following Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, while biological mechanisms that drive the association between EBV and MS remain incompletely understood. An increased and broadened repertoire of antibody and T-cell immune responses to EBV-encoded antigens, especially to the dominant CD4 T-cell EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1), is consistently observed in patients with MS, indicating that protective EBV-specific immune responses are deregulated in MS and potentially contribute to disease development.

AIS patients have improved total SRS-22r self-image and satisfaction scores relative to pre-op at 10-year follow-up regardless of Lenke type.

Purpose: Few studies have investigated quality-of-life (QoL)-related outcome measures in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients over long-term follow-up. We investigated whether patients with any given Lenke type improved relative to other types and whether selective fusions resulted in better QoL-related outcome measures.

Methods: We utilized the Harms Study Group database to select patients with AIS who underwent posterior spinal fusion (PSF) with Scoliosis Research Society questionnaire-22 revised (SRS-22r) scores at minimum 10-year follow-up.

Demographic-Based Personalized Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Thresholds for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Diagnosis.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death. Current diagnosis emphasizes the detection of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) using a fixed threshold of ≥15-mm maximum wall thickness (MWT). This study proposes a method that considers individual demographics to adjust LVH thresholds as an alternative to a 1-size-fits-all approach.

Pharmacogenetics of Neoadjuvant MAP Chemotherapy in Localized Osteosarcoma: A Study Based on Data from the GEIS-33 Protocol.

Osteosarcoma is a rare disease, but it is the most frequent malignant bone tumor. Primary treatment consists of preoperative MAP (methotrexate (MTX), doxorubicin and cisplatin) chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Pathological response to preoperative chemotherapy is one of the most important prognostic factors, but molecular biomarkers are lacking.

Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety of Proactive Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Infliximab in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Real-World Study.

Background: This study evaluated the long-term effectiveness and safety of a multidisciplinary early proactive therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) program combined with Bayesian forecasting for infliximab (IFX) dose adjustment in a real-world dataset of paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: A descriptive, ambispective, single-centre study of paediatric patients with IBD who underwent IFX serum concentration measurements between September 2015 and September 2023. The patients received reactive TDM before September 2019 (n = 17) and proactive TDM thereafter (n = 21).

Therapeutic Keratoplasty for Keratitis.

: This study evaluates the effectiveness of therapeutic keratoplasty for fungal keratitis and explores the diagnosis and management challenges of this infectious corneal disease. We retrospectively analyzed therapeutic keratoplasty cases at a tertiary hospital for keratitis when standard treatments failed. : Five cases of keratitis, unresponsive to typical antifungal treatments, required keratoplasty due to fast progression and diagnostic difficulties.

Destination Therapy Strategies of Advanced Heart Failure in Elderly Non-Heart Transplant Candidates: A Propensity Matching Analysis from the LEVO-D and REGALAD Registries.

Heart transplantation (HT) is the gold standard therapy for advanced heart failure (ADHF), and LVADs as destination therapy are an option in non-HT candidates. Most patients with ADHF never receive HT or an LVAD, so alternative strategies are needed. Intermittent levosimendan can reduce HF hospitalizations in ADHF patients in the short term.

Ciprofloxacin for the Treatment of Infections Caused by Carbapenemase-Producing Gram-Negative Bacteria.

There is no experience with ciprofloxacin for the treatment of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria (CP-GNB) infections. This is a retrospective single-centre study where we describe the clinical evolution of all consecutive adult patients who received ciprofloxacin monotherapy for the treatment of CP-GNB infections. Primary outcomes were clinical failure (defined as death, lack of clinical improvement or a switch to another drug) at day 14 and 30-day all-cause mortality.

Relevance of Sentinel Nodes in Atypical Territories in Surgically Treated Patients With T1-2N0 Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Objectives: To assess the usefulness of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with early-stage oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Materials And Methods: Seventy-five patients (mean age 62 years) diagnosed with cT1-2 N0 underwent SLNB with Tc, lymphoscintigraphy/SPECT-CT, and gamma probe detection with intraoperative histological examination of the resected sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). Elective neck dissection was performed during the same surgical procedure of primary tumor resection when malignant deposits were detected microscopically.

Effects of prior air pollution exposure on functional recovery after a myocardial infarction.

Air pollution is a major cardiovascular risk factor leading to higher rates of heart failure and myocardial infarction (MI), but its effects on functional recovery after an MI remain unknown. Cardiac rehabilitation is a cornerstone of post-MI care and leads to better performance and quality of life, but its benefits may be hampered in heavily polluted environments. To assess the effect of different pollutants on post-MI rehabilitation, we included 137 post-MI patients from 7 Spanish hospitals that were enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program who underwent two cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) within a 12-week period.

Multicenter, prospective, case-control study of exposome in melanoma.

UV radiation is the main etiological agent of skin cancer. Other factors such as pollution, diet and lifestyle are also contributing factors. Our aim was to investigate the association between melanoma and exposome factors in the Spanish population with a prospective multicenter case-control study.

Preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate to predict cardiac events in major noncardiac surgery: a secondary analysis of two large international studies.

Background: Optimised use of kidney function information might improve cardiac risk prediction in noncardiac surgery.

Methods: In 35,815 patients from the VISION cohort study and 9219 patients from the POISE-2 trial who were ≥45 yr old and underwent nonurgent inpatient noncardiac surgery, we examined (by age and sex) the association between continuous nonlinear preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the composite of myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery, nonfatal cardiac arrest, or death owing to a cardiac cause within 30 days after surgery. We estimated contributions of predictive information, C-statistic, and net benefit from eGFR and other common patient and surgical characteristics to large multivariable models.

Profile and Usefulness of Serum Cytokines to Predict Prognosis in Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Disease.

Objectives: To characterize the serum cytokine profile in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) at onset and during follow-up and assess their utility for predicting relapses and disability.

Methods: This retrospective multicentric cohort study included patients aged 16 years and older meeting MOGAD 2023 criteria, with serum samples collected at baseline (≤3 months from disease onset) and follow-up (≥6 months from the baseline), and age-matched and time to sampling-matched patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Eleven cytokines were assessed using the ELLA system.

Preclinical Development of Magnetic Nanoparticles for Hyperthermia Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a very challenging disease with a very poor prognosis. It is characterized by a dense desmoplastic stroma that hampers drug penetration and limits the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy (CT). As an alternative, the combination of CT with hyperthermia (HT) has been proposed as an innovative treatment modality for PDAC.

Rationale and design of the beta-blockers in tako-tsubo syndrome study: a randomized clinical trial (β-Tako).

Unlabelled: Introduction y objectives: Tako-tsubo syndrome (TTS) is a cardiac condition that mimics acute coronary syndrome, characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction in the absence of culprit coronary artery stenosis. Although its etiology remains unknown, reversible microvascular dysfunction secondary to an adrenergic surge is thought to play a role. Treatment is empirical, although most patients receive beta-blockers (BB) in clinical practice.

A Prospective Non-interventional Real-World Study of cabozantinib in Pretreated Patients With Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Refractory to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Targeted Therapy (CASSIOPE).

Background: There is a lack of published data on real-world cabozantinib use in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma after prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy.

Methods: CASSIOPE was a real-world, prospective, multicenter, non-interventional postauthorization safety study of cabozantinib in adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in Europe following prior VEGF-targeted treatment (NCT03419572). Endpoints included cabozantinib utilization (dose modifications due to adverse events [AEs; primary endpoint], dose, dose modifications, and treatment duration), safety, effectiveness (progression-free survival [PFS], overall survival [OS], best overall response [BOR]), and healthcare resource utilization.

Clinical outcomes by baseline metastases in patients with renal cell carcinoma treated with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab versus sunitinib: Post hoc analysis of the CLEAR trial.

Lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab significantly improved efficacy versus sunitinib in treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) in the phase 3 CLEAR study. We report results of an exploratory post hoc analysis of tumor response data based on baseline metastatic characteristics of patients who received lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab versus sunitinib, at the final overall survival analysis time point of CLEAR (cutoff: July 31, 2022). Treatment-naïve adults with aRCC were randomized to: lenvatinib (20 mg PO QD in 21-day cycles) plus pembrolizumab (n = 355; 200 mg IV Q3W); lenvatinib plus everolimus (not reported here); or sunitinib (n = 357; 50 mg PO QD; 4 weeks on/2 weeks off).

Heterodisomy in the locus is also a cause of pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1B (iPPSD3).

Objective: To identify the genetic cause underlying the methylation defect in a patient with clinical suspicion of PHP1B/iPPSD3.

Design: Imprinting is an epigenetic mechanism that allows the regulation of gene expression. The locus is one of the loci within the genome that is imprinted.

[Translated article] Drug dosing in obese critically ill patients, a literature review.

Introduction: Obesity constitutes a global public health problem, and knowledge about drug dosing in obese patients is limited. Clinical trials in critically ill patients rarely include obese individuals, resulting in a lack of specific dosing information in product data sheets. The aim of this literature review is to provide clinicians with efficient and safe guidelines for this group of patients.

Dynamics of affect modulation in neurodevelopmental disorders (DynAMoND) - study design of a prospective cohort study.

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuro-developmental disorder that often persists into adulthood. Moreover, it is frequently accompanied by bipolar disorder (BD) as well as borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is unclear whether these disorders share underlying pathomechanisms, given that all three are characterized by alterations in affective states, either long or short-term.

Effectiveness of the BNT162b2 XBB.1.5-adapted vaccine against COVID-19 hospitalization related to the JN.1 variant in Europe: a test-negative case-control study using the id.DRIVE platform.

Background: Prior studies have reported lower effectiveness of XBB.1.5-adapted vaccines against hospitalization related to the Omicron JN.

Treatments and Treatment Predictors in Patients With Substance Use Disorders and Comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: First Results From the International Naturalistic Cohort Study of ADHD and SUD (INCAS).

Treatment of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients with a substance use disorder (SUD) and comorbid ADHD (SUD +ADHD) may have positive effects on the outcome of both conditions, but controversy exists regarding the preferred ADHD treatment in these patients. Little is known about the treatments that are provided for these patients in routine addiction care practice and the factors that are associated with treatment provision. To describe the treatments provided in everyday clinical practice and to explore factors associated with ADHD treatment provision in patients with SUD +ADHD.

Interrelationships between polygenic risk scores, cognition, symptoms, and functioning in first-episode psychosis: A network analysis approach.

Psychopathological manifestations and cognitive impairments are core features of psychotic disorders. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) offer insights into the relationships between genetic vulnerability, symptomatology, and cognitive impairments. This study used a network analysis to explore the connections between PRS, cognition, psychopathology, and overall functional outcomes in individuals experiencing a first episode of psychosis (FEP).