miRNA-148a-containing GMSC-derived EVs modulate Treg/Th17 balance via IKKB/NF-κB pathway and treat a rheumatoid arthritis model.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have demonstrated potent immunomodulatory properties that have shown promise in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the inherent heterogeneity of MSCs triggered conflicting therapeutic outcomes, raising safety concerns and limiting their clinical application. This study aimed to investigate the potential of extracellular vesicles derived from human gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSC-EVs) as a therapeutic strategy for RA.

Trainee Perspectives Regarding the Effect of the Supreme Court Decision on Obstetrics and Gynecology Training.

We aimed to describe obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) trainees' anticipation of how the U.S. Supreme Court decision may affect their training.

The association between abortion training and obstetrics and gynecology resident competence and intention to provide abortion care before Dobbs.

Objective: To assess the role of abortion training in fourth-year obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) residents' abortion care competence and practice intentions before the Dobbs decision.

Study Design: This is a planned secondary analysis of survey data of fourth-year U.S.

Targeting kinase ITK treats autoimmune arthritis via orchestrating T cell differentiation and function.

IL-2 inducible T cell kinase (ITK) is critical in T helper subset differentiation and its inhibition has been suggested for the treatment of T cell-mediated inflammatory diseases. T follicular helper (Tfh), Th17 and regulatory T cells (Treg) also play important roles in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), while the role of ITK in the development of RA and the intricate balance between effector T and regulatory T cells remains unclear. Here, we found that CD4 T cells from RA patients presented with an elevated ITK activation.

Lifestyle Factors Associated with Abdominal Pain in Quiescent Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: Lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, substance use, and sexual activity, have been shown to influence risk of inflammation and complications in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Little is known about their potential role in abdominal pain generation in IBD.

Aims: We performed this study to evaluate for relationships between lifestyle factors and abdominal pain in quiescent IBD (QP-IBD).

Neurophysiology of Juvenile and Progressive Myoclonic Epilepsy.

Myoclonus can be epileptic or nonepileptic. Epileptic myoclonus has been defined in clinical, neurophysiological, and neuroanatomical terms. Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is typically considered to be an adolescent-onset idiopathic generalized epilepsy with a combination of myoclonic, generalized tonic-clonic, and absence seizures and normal cognitive status that responds well to anti-seizure medications but requires lifelong treatment.

TGF-β-induced CD4+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cell-derived extracellular vesicles modulate Notch1 signaling through miR-449a and prevent collagen-induced arthritis in a murine model.

CD4FOXP3 Treg cells are central to the maintenance of self-tolerance and can be defective in autoimmunity. In autoimmune rheumatic diseases, dysfunctional self-tolerance, is to a large extent, caused by insufficient Treg-cell activity. Although nTregs have therapeutic effects in vivo, their relative scarcity and slow rate of in vitro expansion hinder the application of nTreg therapy.

Contemporary trends in antiepileptic drug treatment among women of childbearing age with epilepsy in the United States: 2004-2015.

Objective: Certain antiepileptic drugs are associated with an increased risk for major congenital malformations (MCM). However, little is known regarding recent patterns of antiepileptic drug (ASM) prescriptions to women of childbearing age with epilepsy (WCE) in the United States.

Methods: Data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey was analyzed between the years 2004-2015 to determine trends in national antiepileptic drug prescriptions for WCE.

Induced, but not natural, regulatory T cells retain phenotype and function following exposure to inflamed synovial fibroblasts.

Aberrant number and/or dysfunction of CD4Foxp3 Regulatory T cells (T) are associated with the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A previous study has demonstrated that thymus-derived, natural T (nT) prefer to accumulate in inflamed joints and transdifferentiate to T17 cells under the stimulation of inflamed synovial fibroblasts (SFs). In this study, we made a head-to-head comparison of both T subsets and demonstrated that induced T (iT), but not nT, retained Foxp3 expression and regulatory function on T effector cells (T) after being primed with inflamed SFs.

Enzyme-inducing antiseizure medication utilization in patients with epilepsy and vascular risk factors.

Objectives: Several lines of evidence have suggested that exposure to enzyme-inducing antiseizure medications (EIASMs) may result in the subsequent development of hyperlipidemia, a well-known risk factor for vascular disease. This may be an issue of concern particularly in the context of additional comorbid vascular risk factors. We therefore aimed to investigate trends of and associations with the use of these medications among adult patients with epilepsy.

B7-H1 Promotes the Functional Effect of Human Gingiva-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Collagen-Induced Arthritis Murine Model.

Recent studies found that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), by virtue of their tissue recovery and immunoregulatory properties, have shown a broad prospect for applications in various autoimmune and degenerative diseases. Although the potential therapeutic use of MSCs is considerable, studies and clinical treatment efficacy are preliminary due to the heterogeneity of MSCs. Herein, based on RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and single cell sequence properties, we demonstrated that B7-H1 plays an important role in the immunosuppressive function of human gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) in a collagen-induced arthritis murine model that is dependent on STAT3 signaling.

Contemporary considerations in adjuvant radioiodine treatment of adults with differentiated thyroid cancer.

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is the most common endocrine malignancy with a growing incidence worldwide. The initial conventional management is surgery, followed by consideration of I treatment that includes three options. These are termed remnant ablation (targeting benign thyroid remnant), adjuvant (targeting presumed microscopic DTC) and known disease (targeting macroscopic DTC) treatments.

Trends in prevalence and treatment of depressive symptoms in adult patients with epilepsy in the United States.

Objective: Depressive symptoms are a common comorbidity among adults with epilepsy (AWE). Prior estimates regarding prevalence and treatment of depressive symptoms in AWE have been largely based on samples of tertiary care cohorts that may not be generalizable. We aimed to provide a representative population estimate of the prevalence and treatment of depressive symptoms over time in AWE in the United States as measured by a validated depression screen.

Patterns of antiepileptic drug use among elderly patients with epilepsy: 2004-2015.

Objective: Certain antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may be more suitable for elderly patients with epilepsy (EWE) relative to others. However, little is known regarding which antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are being used to treat EWE in the United States and how it has changed over time.

Methods: We performed a serial cross-sectional study evaluating noninstitutionalized US adults aged 65 years or older with a diagnosis of epilepsy using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) from 2004 through 2015.

Overview of EEG Montages and Principles of Localization.

Montages are logical, orderly arrangements of electroencephalographic derivations or channels that are created to display activity over the entire head and to provide lateralizing and localizing information. Most often, bipolar and referential montages are used for routine electroencephalographic recordings. Common average and Laplacian montages can also be helpful in some situations.