Progressive ms

The incidence, severity and progression of autoimmune diseases (e.g. scleroderma, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis) and certain inflammatory diseases (e.g. asthma) are sex-biased where these pathologies dominate in women. However, other immune disorders such as sepsis, post-surgery infections and gout display higher incidence and severity in men. The molecular and cellular basis underlying this sex dimorphism remains incompletely elucidated but may provide important insights for sex-specific pharmacotherapy...

Methionine enkephalin ([Met(5)]-enkephalin, Opioid growth factor (OGF)) is a small neuropeptide with growth-related as well as immunomodulatory properties. OGF is distributed widely throughout the body, is both autocrine and paracrine produced, and has a very short half-life in serum. In addition to its neurotransmitter functions, OGF inhibits cell replication of a wide variety of cells involved in the autoimmune process. In this preclinical study, mice were immunized with myelin oligodendrocytic glycoprotein (MOG35-55) to establish a chronic progressive form of autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), and serum enkephalin levels were assessed throughout the disease as well as in response to OGF therapy in order to determine whether OGF may be a biological marker for EAE and multiple sclerosis...

CD11c+ dendritic cells (DCs) exert a critical role as antigen-presenting cells in regulating pathogenic T cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). To determine whether the therapeutic benefit of interferon (IFN)-β treatment for MS is in part influenced by IFN regulation of DC function, we examined the immunophenotype of DCs derived from IFN-β(+/+) and IFN-β(-/-) mice using a myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide-induced mouse model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Our earlier work identified that IFN-β(-/-) mice exhibit earlier onset and more rapid progression of neurologic impairment compared with IFN-β(+/+) mice...

G-CSF is a growth factor that has known neuroprotective effects in a variety of experimental brain injury models. As both antigen-presenting microglia and reactive T cells are key components in the development and progression of EAE, the aim of this study is to investigate the neuroprotective effects of recombinant human G-CSF, as administered in microglia-mediated reactive T cell assay in vitro. Our results indicate that G-CSF treatment has no apparent effect for the resting un-activated microglia. G-CSF pre-protection of microglia increased protective cytokine IL-4 production and effectively inhibited the productions of NO and other inflammatory mediators (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-17, and chemokine MCP-1) after LPS stimulation...

BACKGROUND: Identifying disease correlated features early before large number of molecules are impacted by disease progression with significant abundance change is very advantageous to biologists for developing early disease diagnosis biomarkers. Disease correlated features have relatively low level of abundance change at early stages. Finding them using existing bioinformatic tools in high throughput data is a challenging task since the technology suffers from limited dynamic range and significant noise...

Susac syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder characterised by the clinical triad of encephalopathy, retinopathy (branch retinal artery occlusions) and hearing loss. The diagnosis of Susac syndrome may be difficult initially, and it is not uncommon for patients with Susac syndrome to be misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In this case report, we describe a patient who was diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis for three years, with further deterioration after starting treatment with interferon beta-1a. The patient had the triad of encephalopathy, branch retinal artery occlusions and sensorineural hearing loss...

Diastolic dysfunction is a sensitive early indicator of heart failure and can provide additional data to conventional measures of systolic function. Transmitral Doppler ultrasound, which measures the one-dimensional flow of blood through the mitral valve, is currently the preferred method for the measurement of diastolic function, but the measurement of the left ventricular volume changes using high-temporal-resolution cinematic magnetic resonance imaging (CINE MRI) is an alternative approach which is emerging as a potentially more robust and user-independent technique...

INTRODUCTION: This article describes the methods used to perform this large European-wide burden-of-illness study on multiple sclerosis (MS) using individual patient data. METHODS: The study collected all MS-related resource consumption, workforce participation, prevalent disease symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Patients were recruited by national patient associations and, after informed consent, completed a specific questionnaire either on-line or on paper...

BACKGROUND: Natalizumab is associated with the occasional occurrence of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). While natalizumab-associated PML is well described in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, herpes and other infections have rarely been reported. OBJECTIVE: To report a case of varicella-zoster (VZV) meningovasculitis in a MS patient treated with natalizumab. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 48-year-old woman diagnosed with MS in treatment with natalizumab (Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): 4...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate (1) the frequency of aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-ab)-seropositive cases among patients treated with natalizumab (NAT) and previously diagnosed with MS (MS(NAT)) in a nationwide cohort, (2) the clinical course of NAT-treated AQP4-ab-seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients (NMO(NAT)), (3) AQP4-ab titers in NMO(NAT) and AQP4-ab-seropositive NMOSD treated with other immunotherapies (NMO(IT)), and (4) immune mechanisms influencing disease activity in NMO(NAT)...

In multiple sclerosis (MS), there is a growing interest in inhibiting the pro-inflammatory effects of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). We sought to evaluate the therapeutic potential and underlying mechanisms of GM-CSF receptor alpha (Rα) blockade in animal models of MS. We show that GM-CSF signaling inhibition at peak of chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) results in amelioration of disease progression. Similarly, GM-CSF Rα blockade in relapsing-remitting (RR)-EAE model prevented disease relapses and inhibited T cell responses specific for both the inducing and spread myelin peptides, while reducing activation of mDCs and inflammatory monocytes...

BACKGROUND: Adipokines may be involved in multiple sclerosis (MS) as well as other inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to analyze the value of serum adipokine levels as biomarkers in determining the clinical progression of MS. METHODS: A total of 90 subjects including 40 healthy individuals and 50 MS patients [24 with classical clinical course of MS (C-MS), 26 with benign MS (B-MS)] were recruited for this study. The levels of serum adipokines and inflammatory mediators were measured using immunoassay methods...

BACKGROUND: In people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS), balance assessment is essential in estimating the risk of falls, monitoring disease progression and verifying the effectiveness of rehabilitative treatment. Clinical tools and instrumental techniques are available for testing static and dynamic balance, but the relationship between such abilities is still not clear. Having information about this link would be important in properly planning the type and number of tests to administer...

INTRODUCTION: Desmoid tumors are benign tumors, yet can lead to significant morbidity due to aggressive local expansions. Treatment starts with a wait-and-see policy, however, more aggressive treatments like broad margin resection surgery might be necessary in case of tumor progression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report the case of a 26-year-old female with a symptomatic desmoid tumor in the left rectus muscle. The initial wait-and-see policy led to an increase in tumor size and progression of symptoms...

OBJECTIVES: We reviewed reoperations following mitral valve repair (MVR) that used glutaraldehyde-treated autologous pericardium for mitral regurgitation (MR) to analyse the durability and risk factors for reoperation. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 144 patients (mean age 57.9 years) who underwent MVR using glutaraldehyde-treated pericardium from March 1992 to December 2011. A total of 19 reoperations were necessary during the follow-up period (mean 6.9 years)...

Gastric cancer has a high mortality rate in west of Iran. Various environmental elements are proposed as cancer risk factors including trace elements. Trace elements can induce initiation or progression of carcinogenesis via oxidative stress and DNA injury. The aim of this study was to measure and compare some trace element concentration (Ca, Cu, Fe, As, Mg, Ni, Cd and Cr) in gastric cancer tissues and normal tissues. For this purpose, 35 patients with gastric cancer and 30 without any cancer were biopsied...

The involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the progress of leaf senescence has long been suggested, but there are contrasting results to either support or deny the positive correlation between the senescence progression and the level of ROS-triggered lipid peroxidation. The inconsistency among reported results can partly be attributed to the poor specificity of the most commonly employed colorimetric assay and changes in the ratio of dry weight/fresh weight during leaf senescence. In this study we determined the end-product of lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde (MDA) by GS-MS, and analyzed its changes during senescence of tobacco leaves as calculated on dry weight basis...

Introduction Natalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody highly effective in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Important concerns about its safety have been pointed out because of the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), caused by the opportunistic John-Cunningham virus (JCV). Areas covered This review analyzes all the safety aspects related to the use of natalizumab in MS patients. Fatigue and allergic reactions are not-severe adverse events (AEs) occurring more frequently than placebo and no differences in serious AEs (SAE) have been observed comparing to interferon-β1a during clinical trials...

Since 2009, when Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MALDI MSI) was firstly reported for the molecular mapping of latent fingermarks, the range of information and operational capabilities have steadily increased. Pioneering work from our Fingermark Research Group exploited different modalities, including Profiling (MALDI MSP), tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and Ion Mobility MS/MS; a number of methodologies were also developed to conquer a main challenge, namely profiling the suspect and their actions prior to or whilst committing the crime...

Cawley N, Tur C, Prados F, et al. Spinal cord atrophy as a primary outcome measure in phase II trials of progressive multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler. Epub ahead of print 18 May 2017. DOI: 10.1177/1352458517709954. On page 9 of this article, the Declaration of Conflicting Interests and Funding statements were incorrect. The correct declarations are shown below. Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: A...