Healthcare resource utilization and costs in immunodeficient patients receiving subcutaneous Ig: Real-world evidence from France.

Background: Subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) replacement therapy is indicated for patients with hypogammaglobulinemia caused by primary (PID) and secondary immunodeficiencies (SID).

Objective: To compare healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and related direct medical costs of patients in France treated with weekly conventional SCIg (cSCIg) vs monthly hyaluronidase-facilitated SCIg (fSCIg).

Methods: This retrospective study of Ig-naïve patients with PID or SID newly receiving a SCIg between 2016 and 2018, extracted from the French National Healthcare reimbursement database (SNDS), analyzed the SCIg-related HCRU and reimbursed costs generated from in-hospital (hospitalizations and SCIg doses) or at-home (nurse visits [NV] and pump provider visits [PPV], drug doses) SCIg administration.

A multivariable prediction model for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients with acute respiratory failure (IPA-GRRR-OH score).

Purpose: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a life-threatening opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients. The diagnosis is often made late, with mortality reaching 90% when mechanical ventilation is needed. We sought to develop and validate a risk prediction model for the diagnosis of IPA.

Somatic mutations and DNA methylation identify a subgroup of poor prognosis within lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

Lower risk (LR) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous hematopoietic stem and progenitor disorders caused by the accumulation of somatic mutations in various genes including epigenetic regulators that may produce convergent DNA methylation patterns driving specific gene expression profiles. The integration of genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic profiling has the potential to spotlight distinct LR-MDS categories on the basis of pathophysiological mechanisms. We performed a comprehensive study of somatic mutations and DNA methylation in a large and clinically well-annotated cohort of treatment-naive patients with LR-MDS at diagnosis from the EUMDS registry (ClinicalTrials.

Defective HIV-1 DNA pol sequences are not associated with HIV-1 DNA levels and drive most APOBEC-context drug resistance mutations.

Introduction: The specificity of HIV-1 DNA genotypic resistance tests (GRTs) is hampered by the detection of the APOBEC-context drug resistance mutations (AC DRMs), usually harboured by replication-incompetent proviruses. We sought factors associated with defective sequences in the HIV-1 pol region. In addition, AC DRMs and their link with defective sequences were investigated.

Dietary proteins from various sources have different effects on short-term food intake and intestinal hormone secretion.

Besides their nutritional role, proteins are recognized for their ability to regulate both short- and long-term energy homeostasis. However, studies investigating the effects of proteins based on their quality and origin remain limited and often lack comparability. Nonetheless, existing research consistently underscores the influence of proteins on food intake regulation.

Evaluating script concordance tests (SCTs) through the lens of Bayesian reasoning: Enhancing assessment in medical education.

Background: Script Concordance Tests (SCTs) represent an innovative assessment method which have been introduced in the 2024 French National Ranking Examinations (EDN). These tests compare a student's clinical reasoning with that of a panel of experts under conditions of uncertainty. Typically, the question involves the impact of new information on an initially proposed hypothesis, with answers given on a Likert scale.

Cardiogenic shock in patients with active onco-hematological malignancies: A multicenter retrospective study.

Purpose: Onco-hematological (OH) patients face significant cardiovascular risks due to malignancy and drug toxicity. Data are limited on the characteristics and outcomes of OH patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) in intensive care units (ICUs).

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 214 OH patients with CS across 22 ICUs (2010-2021).

Patients with multiple sclerosis and low disability display cautious rotational behavior during gait initiation.

Background: Multiple sclerosis induces locomotor impairments. The objective was to characterize the effects of Multiple Sclerosis on whole-body angular momentum control during gait initiation.

Methods: Fifteen patients with Multiple Sclerosis with Expanded Disability status scale of 2.

Iodine intakes of pregnant females from Québec, Canada.

Background: Adequate maternal iodine intake is important for fetal brain development. Based on iodine intakes of non-pregnant females of reproductive age from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2016 -2017) it can be extrapolated that most pregnant females in Canada will not meet iodine requirements without supplementation.

Objectives: To assess iodine intakes of 500 pregnant, nulliparous females from Québec, Canada and report on use of multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplements and coverage of iodized salt.

Effect of siponimod on retinal thickness, a marker of neurodegeneration, in participants with SPMS: Findings from the EXPAND OCT substudy.

Background: People with MS show abnormal thinning of the retinal layers, which is associated with clinical disability and brain atrophy, and is a potential surrogate marker of neurodegeneration and treatment effects.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of retinal thickness as a surrogate marker of neurodegeneration and treatment effect in participants with secondary progressive MS (SPMS) from the optical coherence tomography (OCT) substudy of the EXPAND Phase 3 clinical trial (siponimod versus placebo).

Methods: In the OCT substudy population (n = 159), treatment effects on change in the average thickness of the retinal layer, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and combined macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers (GCIPL) were analyzed by high-definition spectral domain OCT at months 3, 12, and 24.

Genetic Predisposition to Hippocampal Atrophy and Risk of Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Dementia.

Background: There is a paucity of evidence on the association between genetic propensity for hippocampal atrophy with cognitive outcomes. Therefore, we examined the relationship of the polygenic risk score for hippocampal atrophy (PRShp) with the incidence of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) as well as the rates of cognitive decline.

Methods: Participants were drawn from the population-based HELIAD cohort.

Blood immunophenotyping of multiple sclerosis patients at diagnosis identifies a classical monocyte subset associated to disease evolution.

Introduction: Myeloid cells trafficking from the periphery to the central nervous system are key players in multiple sclerosis (MS) through antigen presentation, cytokine secretion and repair processes.

Methods: Combination of mass cytometry on blood cells from 60 MS patients at diagnosis and 29 healthy controls, along with single cell RNA sequencing on paired blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 5 MS patients were used for myeloid cells detailing.

Results: Myeloid compartment study demonstrated an enrichment of a peculiar classical monocyte population in 22% of MS patients at the time of diagnosis.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients with LAM receiving sirolimus in France based on real-life data.

LAM is a rare multi-cystic lung disease for which treatment with sirolimus is indicated in cases of moderate or severe lung disease or declining lung function. The aim of this study was to describe patients treated with sirolimus for LAM and their outcomes. This retrospective observational study was based on data from the French national health insurance data system (SNDS).

Urethra-sparing prostate cancer radiotherapy: Current practices and future insights from an international survey.

Purpose: In prostate cancer patients, high radiation doses to the urethra have been associated with an increased risk of severe genitourinary toxicity following dose-escalated radiotherapy. Urethra-sparing techniques have emerged as a promising approach to reduce urinary toxicity. This international survey aims to evaluate current global practices in urethra-sparing and explore future directions for the implementation of this technique in external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer.

How physical activity opportunities seized by adolescents differ between Europe and the Pacific Islands: the example of France and New Caledonia.

Background: France (FR) and New Caledonia (NC) are both French territories, one in Western Europe, the other as part of the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Despite schooling in similar educational systems, FR and NC adolescents develop distinct relationships with physical activity, which is influenced by the geographical-cultural and symbolic structures of their respective societies. This study explored the distribution of physical activity according to geographical culture and opportunity-temporal dimensions.

Emerging contaminants in the Mediterranean Sea endangering Lebanon's Palm Islands Natural Reserve.

The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental marine environment renowned for its biodiversity and ecological significance. However, it is also one of the most polluted seas globally with significant levels of microplastics and heavy metals among other emerging contaminants. In Lebanon, inadequate waste management infrastructure and unregulated industrial discharges have exacerbated water quality deterioration by introducing these complex contaminants into surface and seawater.

Optimizing Enantiomeric Resolution of Chiral Triazoles in Supercritical Fluid Chromatography.

Chirality plays a crucial role in the pharmacological activity of triazoles, a key scaffold in antifungal agents and various therapeutic applications. This study focuses on optimizing the enantiomeric resolution of chiral triazoles using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and 10 different columns, either immobilized or coated, chlorinated or nonchlorinated, cellulose or amylose-based chiral stationary phases (CSPs). Four novel triazoles and two marketed ones (tebuconazole and hexaconazole) were separated to determine optimal resolution conditions.

Exploring the Familial Phenotypic Variability Associated With TTN Truncating Variants in Cardiomyopathies: Variant Spectrum, Genotype-Phenotype Correlation and Consequences in Genetic Counseling.

Titin truncating variants (TTNtv) are the main genetic cause of dilated cardiomyopathies (DCMs). The phenotype and prognosis of probands have been evaluated in several large cohorts. However, few data are available on intrafamilial expressivity.

Diagnostic impact of DNA methylation classification in adult and pediatric CNS tumors.

Over the past decade, neuropathological diagnosis has undergone significant changes, integrating morphological features with molecular biomarkers. The molecular era has successfully refined neuropathological diagnostic accuracy; however, a substantial number of CNS tumor diagnoses remain challenging, particularly in children. DNA methylation classification has emerged as a powerful machine learning approach for clinical decision-making in CNS tumors.

Comparison of two plates and screw osteosynthesis configurations in a rat model of critical sized femoral defects to reduce implant related failures.

This study aimed to compare the failure rates of two different sizes of plates and screws to stabilize critical-sized (7 mm) femoral defects in male Sprague‒Dawley rats (aged 10 weeks). Femoral defects were stabilized with either a 4-hole plate (length 29 mm, thickness 1 mm, 10 rats, Group 1) and 4 cortical screws (diameter 2 mm) or with a 6-hole plate (length 30 mm, thickness 0.6 mm, 9 rats, Group 2) and 4 cortical screws (diameter 1.

Twelve barriers to COPD diagnosis in France: a comparative qualitative study.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common treatable disease often diagnosed in patients with risk factors after a prolonged period with suggestive symptoms. Our qualitative study aimed to identify barriers to establishing diagnosis in the natural history of this condition.

Methods: An inductive thematic analysis was performed on structured interviews with patients, general practitioners (GPs) and pulmonologists in France.

The clinical and molecular landscape of diffuse hemispheric glioma, H3 G34-mutant.

Background: Diffuse hemispheric glioma, histone 3 (H3) G34-mutant, has been newly defined in the 2021 WHO classification of central nervous system tumors. Here we sought to define the prognostic roles of clinical, neuroimaging, pathological, and molecular features of these tumors.

Methods: We retrospectively assembled a cohort of 114 patients (median age 22 years) with diffuse hemispheric glioma, H3 G34-mutant, CNS WHO grade 4 and profiled the imaging, histological and molecular landscape of their tumors.