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Journal of Neuro-ophthalmology : the... Jul 2024Although cupping of the optic nerve is classically a sign of glaucomatous optic neuropathy, it has been shown that cupping can sometimes occur after an episode of optic...
Optic Disc Cupping in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder, Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis and Its Relationship With Optical Coherence Tomography Parameters: A Multicenter Study.
BACKGROUND
Although cupping of the optic nerve is classically a sign of glaucomatous optic neuropathy, it has been shown that cupping can sometimes occur after an episode of optic neuritis (ON). The purpose of this study was to compare cupping in patients after ON from multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) and to investigate the relationship between cupping and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thinning.
METHODS
This was a retrospective cohort involving patients (≥18 years) with ON from 3 institutions. Patients were eligible if they had optical coherence tomography (Cirrus, OCT) performed ≥6 months after a single unilateral ON. The amount of thinning and cupping was estimated from the difference in the OCT parameters between affected and unaffected eyes. Univariable and multivariable regressions were used to investigate the relationship between cupping and ON etiology. Pearson correlation was used to investigate the relationship between cupping and RNFL and GCC.
RESULTS
Eighty-six subjects (MS: 35, NMOSD: 26, and MOGAD: 25) were included. There was no significant difference in gender and race between the groups, and most patients (86.1%) were female. Patients with NMOSD were significantly older than patients with MS or MOGAD (P = 0.002). In the univariate model, cupping was significantly higher in the NMOSD group (P = 0.017); however, after adjusting for age, GCC, and RNFL of the affected eye, the difference was no longer statistically significant (P = 0.949). The correlation between cupping asymmetry and RNFL and GCC of the affected eye was inversely strong in patients with MS (R = -0.60 and R = -0.64, respectively), inversely moderate in patients with MOGAD (R = -0.34 and R = -0.40, respectively), and weak in patients with NMOSD (R = -0.03 and R = -0.17, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated that cupping after ON is correlated with RNFL and GCC thinning; although cupping was overall greater in the NMOSD group, once adjusted for age, RNFL, and GCC, it did not differ among patients with MS, NMOSD, and MOGAD.
PubMed: 38946028
DOI: 10.1097/WNO.0000000000002204 -
Experimental & Molecular Medicine Jul 2024The asymmetric division of stem cells permits the maintenance of the cell population and differentiation for harmonious progress. Developing mouse incisors allows...
The asymmetric division of stem cells permits the maintenance of the cell population and differentiation for harmonious progress. Developing mouse incisors allows inspection of the role of the stem cell niche to provide specific insights into essential developmental phases. Microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinase family member 4 (Mast4) knockout (KO) mice showed abnormal incisor development with low hardness, as the size of the apical bud was decreased and preameloblasts were shifted to the apical side, resulting in amelogenesis imperfecta. In addition, Mast4 KO incisors showed abnormal enamel maturation, and stem cell maintenance was inhibited as amelogenesis was accelerated with Wnt signal downregulation. Distal-Less Homeobox 3 (DLX3), a critical factor in tooth amelogenesis, is considered to be responsible for the development of amelogenesis imperfecta in humans. MAST4 directly binds to DLX3 and induces phosphorylation at three residues within the nuclear localization site (NLS) that promotes the nuclear translocation of DLX3. MAST4-mediated phosphorylation of DLX3 ultimately controls the transcription of DLX3 target genes, which are carbonic anhydrase and ion transporter genes involved in the pH regulation process during ameloblast maturation. Taken together, our data reveal a novel role for MAST4 as a critical regulator of the entire amelogenesis process through its control of Wnt signaling and DLX3 transcriptional activity.
PubMed: 38945953
DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01264-5 -
Internal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) 2024Thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, renal dysfunction, and organomegaly (TAFRO) syndrome is an inflammatory disorder with an unclear pathogenesis. We herein report a case...
Thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, renal dysfunction, and organomegaly (TAFRO) syndrome is an inflammatory disorder with an unclear pathogenesis. We herein report a case of TAFRO syndrome in remission in a patient who experienced recurrent intracranial bleeding despite a normal platelet count and coagulation system. A further investigation suggested the presence of anti-glycoprotein VI (GPVI) autoantibodies in the plasma, which induced platelet dysfunction and bleeding tendency. No new bleeding or relapse of TAFRO syndrome occurred after immunosuppressive therapy was initiated. These findings may help elucidate the autoimmune pathogenesis of TAFRO syndrome.
Topics: Humans; Autoantibodies; Recurrence; Syndrome; Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Thrombocytopenia; Fever; Female; Middle Aged; Male; Blood Platelet Disorders
PubMed: 38945933
DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.2799-23 -
Internal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) 2024Objective Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is an emerging and effective therapy for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL). The...
Activated CD4 T Cell Proportion in the Peripheral Blood Correlates with the Duration of Cytokine Release Syndrome and Predicts Clinical Outcome after Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy.
Objective Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is an emerging and effective therapy for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL). The characteristic toxicities of CAR T cell therapy include cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and prolonged cytopenia. We investigated the factors associated with these complications after CAR T cell therapy by analyzing lymphocyte subsets following CAR T cell infusion. Methods We retrospectively analyzed peripheral blood samples on days 7, 14, and 28 after tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) infusion by flow cytometry at our institution between June 2020 and September 2022. Patients Thirty-five patients with R/R DLBCL who received tisa-cel therapy were included. Results A flow cytometry-based analysis of blood samples from these patients revealed that the proportion of CD4CD25CD127 T cells (hereafter referred to as "activated CD4 T cells" ) among the total CD4 T cells on day 7 after tisa-cel infusion correlated with the duration of CRS (r=0.79, p<0.01). In addition, a prognostic analysis of the overall survival (OS) using time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves indicated a significantly more favorable OS and progression-free survival of patients with a proportion of activated CD4 T cells among the total CD4 T cells <0.73 (p=0.01, and p<0.01, respectively). Conclusion These results suggest that the proportion of activated CD4 T cells on day 7 after tisa-cel infusion correlates with the CRS duration and predicts clinical outcomes after CAR T cell therapy. Further studies with a larger number of patients are required to validate these observations.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Cytokine Release Syndrome; Immunotherapy, Adoptive; Middle Aged; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Aged; Retrospective Studies; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Adult; Treatment Outcome; Receptors, Chimeric Antigen; Prognosis; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
PubMed: 38945932
DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.2556-23 -
Digestive and Liver Disease : Official... Jun 2024VETC (vessel that encapsulate tumor cluster) is a peculiar vascular phenotype observed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), associated with distant metastases and poor...
BACKGROUND AND AIM
VETC (vessel that encapsulate tumor cluster) is a peculiar vascular phenotype observed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), associated with distant metastases and poor outcome. VETC has been linked to the Tie2/Ang2 axis and is characterized by lymphocytes poor (cold) tumor microenvironment (TME). In this setting the role of Tumor Associated Macrophages (TAMs) has never been explored. Aim of the study is to investigate the presence and features of TAMs in VETC HCC and the possible interplay between TAMs and endothelial cells (ECs).
METHODS
The series under study included 42 HCC. Once separated according to the VETC phenotype (21 VETC; 21 VETC) we stained consecutive slides with immunohistochemistry for CD68, CD163 and Tie2. Slides were then scanned and QuPath used to quantify morphological features.
RESULTS
VETC cases were significantly (p < 0.001) enriched with large, lipid rich CD163+ TAMs (M2 oriented) that were spatially close to ECs; HCC cells significantly (p: 0.002) overexpressed Tie2 with a polarization toward ECs.
CONCLUSIONS
The pro-metastatic attitude of VETC is sustained by a strict morphological relationship between immunosuppressive M2-TAMs, ECs and Tie2-expressing HCC cells.
PubMed: 38945759
DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2024.06.016 -
The Ocular Surface Jun 2024The lacrimal gland is essential for maintaining ocular surface health and avoiding external damage by secreting an aqueous layer of the tear film. However, a healthy...
PURPOSE
The lacrimal gland is essential for maintaining ocular surface health and avoiding external damage by secreting an aqueous layer of the tear film. However, a healthy lacrimal gland's inventory of cell types and heterogeneity remains understudied.
METHODS
Here, 10X Genome-based single-cell RNA sequencing was used to generate an unbiased classification of cellular diversity in the extraorbital lacrimal gland (ELG) of C57BL/6J mice. From 43,850 high-quality cells, we produced an atlas of cell heterogeneity and defined cell types using classic marker genes. The possible functions of these cells were analyzed through bioinformatics analysis. Additionally, the CellChat was employed for a preliminary analysis of the cell-cell communication network in the ELG.
RESULTS
Over 37 subclasses of cells were identified, including seven types of glandular epithelial cells, three types of fibroblasts, ten types of myeloid-derived immune cells, at least eleven types of lymphoid-derived immune cells, and five types of vascular-associated cell subsets. The cell-cell communication network analysis revealed that fibroblasts and immune cells play a pivotal role in the dense intercellular communication network within the mouse ELG.
CONCLUSIONS
This study provides a comprehensive transcriptome atlas and related database of the mouse ELG.
PubMed: 38945476
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtos.2024.06.005 -
The Journal of Biological Chemistry Jun 2024The CD1 family of antigen-presenting molecules adopt a Major Histocompatibility Complex class I (MHC-I) fold. Whereas MHC molecules present peptides, the CD1 family has... (Review)
Review
The CD1 family of antigen-presenting molecules adopt a Major Histocompatibility Complex class I (MHC-I) fold. Whereas MHC molecules present peptides, the CD1 family has evolved to bind self- and foreign-lipids. The CD1 family of antigen-presenting molecules comprises four members, CD1a, CD1b, CD1c, CD1d, that differ in their architecture around the lipid-binding cleft, thereby enabling diverse lipids to be accommodated. These CD1-lipid complexes are recognised by T cell receptors (TCRs) expressed on T cells, either through dual recognition of CD1 and lipid or in a new model whereby the TCR directly contacts CD1, thereby triggering an immune response. Chemical syntheses of lipid antigens, and analogues thereof, have been crucial in understanding the underlying specificity of T cell-mediated lipid immunity. This review will focus on our current understanding of how TCRs interact with CD1-lipid complexes, highlighting how it can be fundamentally different from TCR-MHC-peptide co-recognition.
PubMed: 38945451
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107511 -
International Journal of Infectious... Jun 2024This study sought to detect and characterize influenza A (IAV) and influenza D (IDV) viruses circulating among commercial birds and shop owners in Pakistan's live bird...
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to detect and characterize influenza A (IAV) and influenza D (IDV) viruses circulating among commercial birds and shop owners in Pakistan's live bird markets.
METHODS
Oropharyngeal swabs (n=600; n=300 pools) collected from poultry and nasopharyngeal swabs (n=240) collected from poultry workers were studied for molecular evidence of IAV and IDV using real-time and conventional RT-PCR protocols.
RESULTS
Nineteen (6.3%) poultry pools were positive for IAV and 73.9% of these were positive for H9N2 subtypes. Two (0.83%) poultry workers had evidence of IAV, and both were also H9N2 subtypes. The poultry and human influenza A-positive specimens all clustered phylogenetically by Sanger and next-generation sequencing with previously detected H9N2 poultry isolates. No field specimens were positive for IDV.
CONCLUSION
H9N2 IAV is likely enzootic in Punjab Province Pakistan's live bird markets and may be colonizing the noses of workers and market visitors. Regular monitoring for avian influenza-associated human illness in Punjab seems to be a needed public measure.
PubMed: 38945434
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107146 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Jun 2024Disrupted cellular communication, inflammatory responses and mitochondrial dysfunction are consistently observed in late-life depression (LLD). Exosomes (EXs) mediate...
BACKGROUND
Disrupted cellular communication, inflammatory responses and mitochondrial dysfunction are consistently observed in late-life depression (LLD). Exosomes (EXs) mediate cellular communication by transporting molecules, including mitochondrial DNA (EX-mtDNA), playing critical role in immunoregulation alongside tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Changes in EX-mtDNA are indicators of impaired mitochondrial function and might increase vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. Our study examined EX-mtDNA levels and integrity, exploring their associations with levels of TNF receptors I and II (TNFRI and TNFRII), and clinical outcomes in LLD.
METHODS
Ninety older adults (50 LLD and 40 controls (HC)) participated in the study. Blood was collected and exosomes were isolated using size-exclusion chromatography. DNA was extracted and EX-mtDNA levels and deletion were assessed using qPCR. Plasma TNFRI and TNFRII levels were quantified by multiplex immunoassay. Correlation analysis explored relationships between EX-mtDNA, clinical outcomes, and inflammatory markers.
RESULTS
Although no differences were observed in EX-mtDNA levels between groups, elevated levels correlated with poorer cognitive performance (r = -0.328, p = 0.002) and increased TNFRII levels (r = 0.367, p = 0.004). LLD exhibited higher deletion rates (F = 4.402, p = 0.039), with a trend remaining after adjusting for covariates (p = 0.084). Deletion correlated with poorer cognitive performance (r = -0.335, p = 0.002). No other associations were found.
LIMITATION
Cross-sectional study with a small number of participants from a specialized geriatric psychiatry treatment center.
CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that EX-mtDNA holds promise as an indicator of cognitive outcomes in LLD. Additional research is needed to further comprehend the role of EX-mtDNA levels/integrity in LLD, paving the way for its clinical application in the future.
PubMed: 38945405
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.06.092 -
Journal of Vascular Surgery. Venous and... Jun 2024Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction are important venous changes in patients with chronic venous disease (CVD). The use of the venoactive drugs remains an important...
OBJECTIVE
Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction are important venous changes in patients with chronic venous disease (CVD). The use of the venoactive drugs remains an important treatment modality for CVD patient, reducing severity of the CVD related symptoms and swelling but also reducting inflammation and protecting endothelial cells. In this research, the effects of the serum obtained from CVD patients before and after sulodexide treatment was evaluated for in vivo and in vitro inflammatory markers and endothelial cell function.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Inflammatory markers (IL-6, MMP-9, VCAM-1, vWF) from the incompetent great saphenous (GSV) veins and from the systemic venous circulation were studied in 10 CVD C2s patients before and after 2 months of sulodexide (2 x 500 LSU/day) therapy. Serum from pretreatment and following sulodexide treated patients was evaluated for in vitro cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) function.
RESULTS
Serum collected from lower leg incompetent GSVs had significantly elevated levels of VCAM-1 (+ 29%, p<0.001) than serum from the systemic circulation. Endothelial cells exposed to the serum from the incompetent lower leg veins of the untreated CVD patients demonstrated higher stimulated synthesis of MMP-9 (+17%, p<0.01), as well as increased markers of senescence (prolongation of PDT, β-galactosidase activity, expression of p21 and p53 genes). CVD serum induced senescent endothelial cells had a higher expression of genes regulating IL-6, MMP-9, VCAM-1 and vWF synthesis. The overall proinflammatory effect on endothelial cells by serum collected from incompetent GSV was stronger as compared to serum from the systemic circulation. Serum collected from the veins after sulodexide treatment caused lower levels of endothelial cell inflammatory markers as well as respective gene expression than serum obtained at the beginning of the study (before sulodexide treatment). Sulodexide application also reduced the inflammatory secretory activity of the senescent endothelial cells. Sulodexide treatment resulted in the decrease of the majority of the studied inflammatory parameters in both lower limb incompetent vein and systemic blood.
CONCLUSIONS
In CVD patients there are significant differences between circulating inflammatory markers analyzed from the lower leg incompetent GSV segments compared to the systemic circulation, indicating a higher inflammatory condition in CVD. Treatment with sulodexide reduces the proinflammatory and endothelial cell activation proprieties of the serum from CVD patients.
PubMed: 38945361
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvsv.2024.101941