Asymptomatic optic nerve enhancement between optic neuritis (ON) attacks occurs predominantly at the site of previous lesions in 17% of patients with aquaporin-4 (AQP4) immunoglobulin G (IgG) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), according to findings published in Neurology. Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study from 2009 to 2019 at Mayo Clinic to assess optic nerve…
Routine physical therapy (PT) improved motor skills by almost 4-fold when combined with nusinersen treatment compared to nusinersen treatment alone in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), according to findings published in Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Edition). SMA causes the deterioration of motor neurons, resulting in muscle weakness and decreased functional movement. In 2016, the…
Variation in the platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB) gene may contribute to the pathogenesis of both neuromyelitis optic spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and primary familial brain calcification (PFBC), according to a case study published in eNeurologicalSci. PFBC involves calcification of the basal ganglia, thamalus, and cerebellar dentate nucleus, resulting in ataxia, parkinsonism, cognitive dysfunction, and psychiatric…
A higher number of antibiotic treatments increased the risk of developing drug hypersensitivity responses in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), although anaphylaxis was rare, according to findings published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Researchers in Stockholm, Sweden conducted a 20-year retrospective study of 226 patients with CF with data listed in the Swedish…
Patients with clonal mast cell disorders such as systemic mastocytosis (SM) may safely receive COVID-19 vaccinations in either a hospital or ambulatory setting following premedication to prevent mast cell activation, according to a new study published in Vaccines. Conflicting evidence regarding immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated anaphylaxis or hypersensitivity directed against polyethylene glycol/polysorbate and tromethamine, components of the…
Microbial relative abundance correlated with survival prognosis in patients with pancreaticobiliary cancers, including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, according to findings recently published in BMC Microbiology. Using 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, researchers analyzed the DNA of microbiota found in the bile collected from surgically resected gallbladders in 244 patients with pancreaticobiliary lesions treated…
Comorbid glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency exacerbates the clinical course of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to findings published in Hematology. Like SCD, G6PD enzyme deficiency impacts erythrocytes, causing premature hemolysis which promotes anemia. Researchers analyzed the data obtained from 122 patients with SCD treated at 5 health centers in Kisangani City in the…
Intermittent aerobic exercise programs improve functional capacity and decrease fatigue and kinesiophobia in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (MG), according to findings published in Annals of Medical Research. Although exercise increases inflammation as evidenced by elevated cytokine levels and repeated muscle contractions in MG, it also decreases the release of tumor necrosis factor-α, which contributes…
Cognitive impairment correlated strongly with reduced thalamic volume and temporal lobe cortical thickness in patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), according to findings published in the Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery. Researchers analyzed the level of cognitive impairment as it related to brain volumetric measurements of 50 patients with pediatric-onset MS ranging from…
A new gene therapy (BBM-H901) developed for patients with hemophilia B effectively reduced the number of bleeds and the need for repeated factor IX (FIX) enzyme replacement therapy without causing serious adverse events, according to findings published in The Lancet Haematology. BBM-H901 is a novel, molecularly engineered, adeno-associated virus vector gene replacement therapy that targets…
