LPR

INTRODUCTION: Magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) is an effective treatment for typical reflux symptoms, but data on its impact on laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is limited. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of MSA for LPR and to identify predictors of outcome. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of 775 patients who underwent MSA between 2013 and 2021. LPR was defined as presence of atypical reflux symptoms and a reflux symptom index (RSI) score >13...

Regulatory B (Breg) cells have been demonstrated to play an important role in the inhibition of a wide range of immunological responses, and they are absent or malfunction in autoimmune diseases like lupus. Breg cells can control immunological responses and keep the immune system in a balanced state by releasing immunosuppressive cytokines such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), which in turn promote regulatory T (Treg) cells and reduce effector T cell responses. Breg cells have also been linked to the modulation of cancer immunity...

Introduction  Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a severe form of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) that is strongly correlated with comorbidities, in which epiglottic collapse (EC) and other contributing factors are involved. Objectives  To evaluate the occurrence of EC in OSA patients through drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) and to determine the factors contributing to EC. Methods  A retrospective study of 37 adult patients using medical history. Patients were assessed for laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and lingual tonsil hypertrophy (LTH) using reflux symptom index and reflux finding score (RFS); for OSA using polysomnography, and for airway collapse through DISE...

3,3',5.5'-Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a widely used brominated flame-retardant utilized in the production of electronic devices and plastic paints. The objective of this study is to use zebrafish as a model and determine the effects of TBBPA exposure on early embryogenesis. We initiated TBBPA exposures (0, 10, 20 and 40μM) at 0.75 h post fertilization (hpf) and monitored early developmental events such as cleavage, blastula and epiboly that encompass maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) and zygotic genome activation (ZGA)...

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) frequently experience chronic pain due to the limited effectiveness and safety profiles of current analgesics. Understanding the molecular and synaptic mechanisms underlying abnormal neuronal activation along the pain signaling pathway is essential for developing new analgesics to address SLE-induced chronic pain. Recent studies, including those conducted by our team and others using the SLE animal model ( MRL / lpr lupus-prone mice), have unveiled heightened excitability in nociceptive primary sensory neurons within the dorsal root ganglia and increased glutamatergic synaptic activity in spinal dorsal horn neurons, contributing to the development of chronic pain in mice with SLE...

As an essential lower-back movement pattern, lumbo-pelvic rhythm (LPR) during forward trunk flexion and backward return has been investigated on a large scale. It has been suggested that abnormalities in lumbo-pelvic coordination are related to the risk of developing low back disorders. However, considerable differences in the approaches used to monitor LPR make it challenging to integrate findings from those investigations for future research. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to summarize the use of wearable technology for kinematic measurement with sensory biofeedback for LPR monitoring by assessing these technologies' specific capabilities and biofeedback capacities and exploring their practical viability based on sensor outcomes...

BACKGROUND: Neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE) describes the cognitive, memory, and affective emotional burdens faced by many lupus patients. While NPSLE's pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated, clinical imaging studies and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, namely elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, point to ongoing neuroinflammation in affected patients. Not only linked to systemic autoimmunity, IL-6 can also activate neurotoxic glial cells the brain. A prior pre-clinical study demonstrated that IL-6 can acutely induce a loss of sucrose preference; the present study sought to assess the necessity of chronic IL-6 exposure in the NPSLE-like disease of MRL/lpr lupus mice...

BACKGROUND: Globus pharyngeus is a common symptom with considerable suffering. Globus sensation can be caused by reflux. In many places, endoscopy of the esophagus is recommended for clarification, especially when there is a question about the presence of a hiatal hernia as the cause of reflux. Transnasal esophagogastroscopy (TNE) represents an alternative to conventional gastroesophagoscopy. It enables a quick low-complication examination of the upper aerodigestive tract in the sitting, non-sedated patient...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block (SGB) on cerebral oxygen metabolism and serum S100B during carotid endarterectomy (CEA). METHODS: Patients who were prospectively enrolled to receive CEA under elective general anesthesia were randomized into an SGB group and a control group (ChiCTR2000033385). Before anesthesia, the SGB group underwent ipsilateral SGB under ultrasound guidance, while the control group did not. Ultrasound-guided right subclavian internal jugular vein catheterization was performed under general anesthesia...

OBJECTIVES: Quantify the relationship between perioperative anaerobic lactate production, microcirculatory blood flow, and mitochondrial respiration in patients after cardiovascular surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. DESIGN: Serial measurements of lactate-pyruvate ratio (LPR), microcirculatory blood flow, plasma tricarboxylic acid cycle cycle intermediates, and mitochondrial respiration were compared between patients with a normal peak lactate (≤ 2 mmol/L) and a high peak lactate (≥ 4 mmol/L) in the first 6 hours after surgery...

This pilot study aims to identify characteristic A-mode ultrasound features relevant to noninvasive detection of esophageal bolus transit in the proximal esophagus. Ultrasound signals at a lateral neck site were obtained via a single-element ultrasonic transducer with synchronous videofluoroscopic swallowing studies images of swallows of differing viscosities in 21 adult dysphagia outpatients. Characteristic ultrasound features were extracted to differentiate a bolus-filled from a collapsed esophagus. From 21 subjects, 412 swallows exhibited 4 reproducible waveform patterns associated with bolus transit as displayed in a heatmap: (1) Strong Reflectors; (2) Echo Shifts; (3) Distal Acoustic Enhancement; and (4) Speckling: One or more of these features were observed in the swallow series for all 21 subjects...

BACKGROUND: Abdominal wall deficiencies or weakness are a common complication of temporary ostomies, and incisional hernias frequently develop after colostomy or ileostomy takedown. The use of synthetic meshes to reinforce the abdominal wall has reduced hernia occurrence. Biologic meshes have also been used to enhance healing, particularly in contaminated conditions. Reinforced tissue matrices (RTMs), which include a biologic scaffold of native extracellular matrix and a synthetic component for added strength/durability, are designed to take advantage of aspects of both synthetic and biologic materials...

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) can be defined as the regurgitation of gastric acid and peptic substances into the laryngeal and hypopharyngeal regions, even in the case of a singular occurrence. A substantial body of recent research underscores the significance of non-acid reflux as a notable contributor to LPR symptoms. This current investigation delves into the assessment of laryngoscopic observations in their predictive capacity regarding the therapeutic outcomes of empirically administered proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in the context of LPR...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by complex clinical symptoms and multi-organ damage. One of the most prevalent complications of SLE is lupus nephritis (LN). Rutin, a natural flavonoid compound found in various plants used in traditional Chinese medicine, has shown promising anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and renal protective effects. In our study, we treated MRL/lpr mice, a model known for spontaneously developing LN, with Rutin. Our findings reveal that Rutin markedly reduced serum cytokine and autoantibody levels and decreased inflammatory cell infiltration in renal tissues, thereby ameliorating kidney pathology...

OBJECTIVE: Diffuse central nervous system manifestations, referred to as neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE), are observed in 20-40% of lupus patients and involve complex mechanisms that have not yet been adequately elucidated. In murine NPSLE models, choroid plexus (ChP)-infiltrating T cells have not been fully evaluated as drivers of neuropsychiatric disease. METHOD: Droplet-based single-cell transcriptomic analysis (single-cell RNA sequencing) and immune T-cell receptor profiling were performed on ChP tissue from MRL/lpr mice, an NPSLE mouse model, at an 'early' and 'late' disease state, to investigate the infiltrating immune cells that accumulate with NPSLE disease progression...

OBJECTIVES: The effects of wild Cordyceps proteins (WCPs) on the gut microbiota and the immune system of MRL/lpr mice were studied. METHODS: The effects of WCP on serum metabolic indexes (total triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) content was measured by a biochemical analyzer. CD4+, CD8+ cells, intestinal inflammation, and intestinal barrier function in MRL/lpr mice were measured by flow cytometry, 16S ribosomal RNA, western blot, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction RT-PCR...

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a remitting relapsing autoimmune disease characterized by autoantibody production and multi-organ involvement. T cell epigenetic dysregulation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of lupus. We have previously demonstrated upregulation of the key epigenetic regulator EZH2 in CD4+ T cells isolated from lupus patients. To further investigate the role of EZH2 in the pathogenesis of lupus, we generated a tamoxifen-inducible CD4+ T cell Ezh2 conditional knockout mouse on the MRL/ lpr lupus-prone background...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a multifactorial autoimmune disease, can affect the brain and cause neuropsychiatric dysfunction, also named neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE). Microglial activation is observed in NPSLE patients. However, the mechanisms regulating microglia-mediated neurotoxicity in NPSLE remain elusive. Here, we showed that M1-like proinflammatory cytokine levels were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of SLE patients, especially those with neuropsychiatric symptoms. We also demonstrated that MRL/lpr lupus mice developed anxiety-like behaviours and cognitive deficits in the early and active phases of lupus, respectively...

Peptide ALW (ALWPPNLHAWVP) targeting anti-dsDNA antibodies has shown promising therapeutic effects in alleviating lupus nephritis, but is potentially limited by poor stability and non-kidney targeting. We recently developed a D-form modified ALW, called D-ALW, which has the capacity to widely inhibit pathogenic polyclonal anti-dsDNA antibody reactions. Further modification of D-ALW using PEG-PLGA nanoparticles to enhance good kidney-targeting ability and extend half-life. Here, we demonstrate that the D-form modified ALW maintains higher binding and inhibition efficiencies and achieves higher stability...

INTRODUCTION: Chatbot Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) is an artificial intelligence-powered language model chatbot able to help otolaryngologists in practice and research. The ability of ChatGPT in generating patient-centered information related to laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) was evaluated. METHODS: Twenty-five questions dedicated to definition, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of LPRD were developed from the Dubai definition and management of LPRD consensus and recent reviews...