Plasma Exchange in Anti-Signal Recognition Particle Myopathy: A Systematic Review and Combined Analysis of Patient Individual Data.

Anti-signal recognition particle myopathy (anti-SRP myopathy) is a rare subtype of immune-mediated inflammatory myopathy characterized by muscle weakness and anti-SRP autoantibodies. Although plasma exchange (PE) is used in severe cases, its role remains unclear. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, identifying 23 patients with anti-SRP myopathy treated with PE. Data on demographics, clinical features, laboratory findings, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed combining individual patient data if available. Sixteen (69.6%) patients were male, with muscle weakness as the predominant symptom in 100% of cases. After PE, most patients showed improvement in symptoms, and the proportion of patients with muscle weakness was reduced (p = 0.001). Relapse occurred in 17.4% of the cases. The incidence of adverse events was low (8.7%). Despite limitations, including a small sample size and heterogeneous data, our systematic review suggests that PE may be effective in inducing remission and controlling symptoms in anti-SRP myopathy, particularly in severe cases. Since evidence on PE in anti-SRP myopathy is limited, further research, including prospective multicenter studies, is warranted to understand better its efficacy and safety and establish its role in treatment algorithms.

Patterns of admixture and introgression in a mosaic Mytilus galloprovincialis and Mytilus edulis hybrid zone in SW England.

The study of hybrid zones offers important insights into speciation. Earlier studies on hybrid populations of the marine mussel species Mytilus edulis and Mytilus galloprovincialis in SW England provided evidence of admixture but were constrained by the limited number of molecular markers available. We use 57 ancestry-informative SNPs, most of which have been mapped genetically, to provide evidence of distinctive differences between admixed populations in SW England and asymmetrical introgression from M. edulis to M. galloprovincialis. We combine the genetic study with analysis of phenotypic traits of potential ecological and adaptive significance. We demonstrate that hybrid individuals have brown mantle edges unlike the white or purple in the parental species, suggesting allelic or non-allelic genomic interactions. We report differences in gonad development stage between the species consistent with a prezygotic barrier between the species. By incorporating results from publications dating back to 1980, we confirm the long-term stability of the hybrid zone despite higher viability of M. galloprovincialis. This stability coincides with a dramatic change in temperature of UK coastal waters and suggests that these hybrid populations might be resisting the effects of global warming. However, a single SNP locus associated with the Notch transmembrane signalling protein shows a markedly different pattern of variation to the others and might be associated with adaptation of M. galloprovincialis to colder northern temperatures.

Missense Mutation in Human CHD4 Causes Ventricular Noncompaction by Repressing ADAMTS1.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a prevalent cardiomyopathy associated with excessive trabeculation and thin compact myocardium. Patients with LVNC are vulnerable to cardiac dysfunction and at high risk of sudden death. Although sporadic and inherited mutations in cardiac genes are implicated in LVNC, understanding of the mechanisms responsible for human LVNC is limited. METHODS: We screened the complete exome sequence database of the Pediatrics Cardiac Genomics Consortium and identified a cohort with a de novo CHD4 (chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4) proband, CHD4M202I, with congenital heart defects. We engineered a humanized mouse model of CHD4M202I (mouse CHD4M195I). Histological analysis, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, transmission electron microscopy, and echocardiography were used to analyze cardiac anatomy and function. Ex vivo culture, immunopurification coupled with mass spectrometry, transcriptional profiling, and chromatin immunoprecipitation were performed to deduce the mechanism of CHD4M195I-mediated ventricular wall defects. RESULTS: CHD4M195I/M195I mice developed biventricular hypertrabeculation and noncompaction and died at birth. Proliferation of cardiomyocytes was significantly increased in CHD4M195I hearts, and the excessive trabeculation was associated with accumulation of ECM (extracellular matrix) proteins and a reduction of ADAMTS1 (ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 1), an ECM protease. We rescued the hyperproliferation and hypertrabeculation defects in CHD4M195I hearts by administration of ADAMTS1. Mechanistically, the CHD4M195I protein showed augmented affinity to endocardial BRG1 (SWI/SNF-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily A, member 4). This enhanced affinity resulted in the failure of derepression of Adamts1 transcription such that ADAMTS1-mediated trabeculation termination was impaired. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals how a single mutation in the chromatin remodeler CHD4, in mice or humans, modulates ventricular chamber maturation and that cardiac defects associated with the missense mutation CHD4M195I can be attenuated by the administration of ADAMTS1.

Positional influence of center of masticatory forces on occlusal contact forces using a digital occlusal analyzer.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Digital occlusal analyzers allow the recording of dental contact forces. Some authors assume a unique location for the center of contact forces at the position of maximum intercuspation, while others indicate variations in dental contact forces when recorded at different times of the day. Which approach is more appropriate is unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to analyze whether a change in the balance of masticatory forces influences the location of the center of contact forces and its magnitude. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three different dental casts, selected under dental criteria, were mounted in maximum intercuspation on a semiadjustable articulator equipped with a pattern indicating 9 different force application points (intersection point between 3 longitudinal rows and 3 transverse columns). A force of constant magnitude (169 N) was applied 10 times at each of the application points, and occlusal forces were recorded with a digital occlusal analyzer. Then, two variables were studied: the location of the center of contact forces and its magnitude. Each force application position (9 positions × 3 dental casts=27 in total) was repeated 10 times, and measured data were statistically analyzed with 2-way repeated measures ANOVA (α=.05) test. RESULTS: The repeatability of the method indicated that the coefficient of variation mean was 0.37% in the location of the center of contact forces and that its magnitude was 3.70%. The 2-way repeated measures ANOVA test revealed statistically significant variations in the location of the center of contact forces and its magnitude, revealing that longitudinal changes of the application point of masticatory forces affected the magnitude of contact forces and that longitudinal and transverse changes of the application point of masticatory forces affected the location of the center of contact forces. CONCLUSIONS: The location of the center of contact force and its magnitude provided by a digital occlusal analyzer at the position of maximum intercuspation are not necessarily unique to each articulated dental cast. Even if the intensity of the masticatory force remains unchanged, changes in its lateral or longitudinal balance also influence the result of the occlusion forces.

Two branchial pathological conditions, nuclear hypertrophy and abnormal epithelial proliferation, in Mya arenaria from northwest Russian coasts.

Histopathological analysis of soft-shell clams Mya arenaria collected from 2 northwest Russian locations disclosed high prevalence of 2 pathological gill conditions. One involved the occurrence of more or less extended gill areas in which the branchial filaments showed hyperchromatic (basophilic) epithelium with some hypertrophied nuclei, which were considered presumptive signs of viral infection. Another pathological condition involved abnormal proliferation of the branchial epithelium, which lost the main differential features of the normal branchial epithelium (ciliated and simple cell layer structure), becoming non-ciliated, pseudostratified or stratified hyperchromatic epithelium with abundant mitotic figures and frequent apoptotic cells. The most complex cases involved loss of the normal branchial filament architecture, which was replaced with tumour-like growths consisting of branching, convoluted epithelial projections with a connective stroma. Images suggesting migration (invasion) of cells from the abnormally proliferating epithelium to the subjacent connective tissue, which would involve malignancy, were observed in one individual. The occurrence of both pathological conditions in clams from both locations and their co-occurrence in one clam suggest the possibility of a common, possibly viral, aetiology. Furthermore, the high prevalence of the abnormal proliferative disorder in non-polluted areas suggests an infectious aetiology. Additional studies are needed to assess a viral aetiology for the nuclear hypertrophy and/or the abnormal epithelial proliferation as well as the malignancy of the latter condition.

Assessing care-related regret among nurses specialized in multiple sclerosis: A psychometric analysis of a new assessment battery.

Experiences of regret associated with caring for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect medical decisions. A non-interventional study was conducted to assess the dimensionality and item characteristics of a battery including the Regret Intensity Scale (RIS-10) and 15 items evaluating common situations experienced by nurses in MS care. A total of 97 nurses were included. The RIS-10 showed good internal reliability and a unidimensional structure according to Mokken analysis. All-item homogeneity coefficients exceeded 0.30, whereas scalability for the overall RIS-10 was 0.66, indicating a strong scale. This battery showed adequate psychometric properties to evaluate regret among MS nurses.

Sick leave and occupational burnout among nurses caring for patients with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Sick leave is a common problem among healthcare professionals. Nurses play a critical role in the multidisciplinary management of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, limited information is available on the phenomenon of sick leave among MS nurses. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the presence of sick leave among nurses caring for patients with MS and to identify associated factors. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional, web-based study. Nurses involved in MS care from across Spain answered a survey composed of demographic characteristics, professional background, questions about their standard practice, and a behavioral battery including the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between nurses' characteristics and sick leave. RESULTS: Ninety-six nurses were included in the study. Mean age (SD) was 44.6 (9.8) years, and 91.7% were female. Participants had a median of 6 (IQR 3.0, 11.0) years of expertise in MS managing a median of 15 (5.0, 35.0) patients per week. Sixteen participants (16.7%) had been on sick leave in the last 6 months, with a median absence of 14.5 days (7.0, 30.0). Sixteen nurses (16.7%) reported severe burnout. Participants on sick leave had higher levels of emotional exhaustion (mean MBI-HSS scores of 22.3 and 16.0, p=0.01) and inadequate interactions with their colleagues (mean Practice Environment Scale - Nursing Work Index scores of 11.8 and 13.1, p=0.01) than their counterparts. Burnout was associated with higher risk of sick leave in the multivariable analysis (OR=1.06 [95% CI 1.00, 1.13], p=0.04) after adjustment for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational burnout is associated with increased risk of sick leave among nurses managing patients with MS. Identifying burnout may be critical for implementing specific intervention strategies to maintain an adequate functioning of MS care units.

Cognitive Performance and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder.

Background: The frequency of cognitive impairment (CI) reported in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is highly variable, and its relationship with demographic and clinical characteristics is poorly understood. We aimed to describe the cognitive profile of NMOSD patients, and to analyse the cognitive differences according to their serostatus; furthermore, we aimed to assess the relationship between cognition, demographic and clinical characteristics, and other aspects linked to health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 41 patients (median age, 44 years; 85% women) from 13 Spanish centres. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected along with a cognitive z-score (Rao's Battery) and HRQoL patient-centred measures, and their relationship was explored using linear regression. We used the Akaike information criterion to model which characteristics were associated with cognition. Results: Fourteen patients (34%) had CI, and the most affected cognitive domain was visual memory. Cognition was similar in AQP4-IgG-positive and -negative patients. Gender, mood, fatigue, satisfaction with life, and perception of stigma were associated with cognitive performance (adjusted R2 = 0.396, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results highlight the presence of CI and its impact on HRQoL in NMOSD patients. Cognitive and psychological assessments may be crucial to achieve a holistic approach in patient care.

Widespread alterations upon exposure to the estrogenic endocrine disruptor ethinyl estradiol in the liver proteome of the marine male fish Cyprinodon variegatus.

Quantitative proteomic changes in the liver of adult males of Sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) upon exposure to ethinyl estradiol (EE2) were assessed to provide an advanced understanding of the metabolic pathways affected by estrogenic endocrine disruption in marine fish, and to identify potential novel molecular biomarkers for the environmental exposure to estrogens. From a total of 3188 identified protein groups (hereafter proteins), 463 showed a statistically significant difference in their abundance between EE2 treatment and solvent control samples. The most affected biological processes upon EE2 exposure were related to ribosomal biogenesis, protein synthesis and transport of nascent proteins to endoplasmic reticulum, and nuclear mRNA catabolism. Within the group of upregulated proteins, a subset of 14 proteins, involved in egg production (Vitellogenin, Zona Pellucida), peptidase activity (Cathepsine E, peptidase S1, Serine/threonine-protein kinase PRP4 homolog, Isoaspartyl peptidase and Whey acidic protein), and nucleic acid binding (Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 14) were significantly upregulated with fold-change values higher than 3. In contrast, Collagen alpha-2, involved in the process of response to steroid hormones, among others, was significantly downregulated (fold change = 0.2). This pattern of alterations in the liver proteome of adult males of C. variegatus can be used to identify promising novel biomarkers for the characterization of exposure of marine fish to estrogens. The Whey acidic protein-like showed the highest upregulation in EE2-exposed individuals (21-fold over controls), suggesting the utility of abundance levels of this protein in male liver as a novel biomarker of xenoestrogen exposure.

Impact of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder on Quality of Life from the Patients' Perspective: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is associated with a reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of NMOSD on HRQoL from the patients' perspective and its relationship with other disease factors. METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at 13 neuroimmunology clinics in Spain. Patients with NMOSD diagnosis (2015 Wingerchuk criteria) were included. The 29-item Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29) was used to assess the HRQoL. Different questionnaires were used to measure symptom severity, stigma, mood disorders, pain, fatigue, and difficulties in the workplace. Factors that impact HRQoL were identified by Spearman's correlation and multivariate linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Seventy-one patients were included (mean age 47.4 ± 14.9 years, 80.3% female, mean time since disease onset 9.9 ± 8.1 years). The median Expanded Disability Status Scale score was 3.0 (1.5-4.5). The mean (± SD) physical and psychological MSIS-29 sub-scores were 41.9 ± 16.8 and 20.9 ± 8.3, respectively. Fatigue and body pain were the most prevalent symptoms. Depressive symptoms were found in 44.3% (n = 31) of patients. The physical MSIS-29 dimension showed the highest correlation with symptom severity (ρ = 0.85584, p < 0.0001), whereas the highest correlations for psychological MSIS-29 dimension were pain, MSIS-29 physical dimension, and depression (ρ = 0.76487, 0.72779, 0.71380; p < 0.0001, respectively). Pain was a predictor of both dimensions of MSIS-29. CONCLUSION: Fatigue, pain, and depressive symptoms are frequent problems among patients with NMOSD, impacting on their quality of life. Assessment of patient-oriented outcomes may be useful to achieve a holistic approach, allowing early specific interventions.

Proteomic analysis of F1 hybrids and intermediate variants in a Littorina saxatilis hybrid zone.

Proteomic analysis was carried out on the Crab (upper-shore) and Wave (lower-shore) ecotypes of Littorina saxatilis from a hybrid zone at Silleiro Cape, Spain. Proteome profiles of individual snails were obtained. Protein expression in F1 hybrid snails bred in the laboratory and snails with intermediate shell phenotypes collected from the mid-shore were compared with Crab and Wave ecotypes using analytical approaches used to study dominance. Multivariate analysis over many protein spots showed that the F1 snails are distinct from both ecotypes but closer to the Wave ecotype. The intermediate snails are highly variable, some closer to the Crab and others to the Wave ecotype. Considered on a protein by protein basis, some proteins are significantly closer in expression to the Crab and others to the Wave ecotype for both F1 and intermediate snails. Furthermore, a significant majority of proteins were closer in expression to the Wave ecotype for the F1, consistent with the multivariate analysis. No such significant majority toward either the Crab or Wave ecotype was observed for the intermediate snails. The closer similarity of F1 and Wave ecotype expression patterns could be the result of similar selective pressures in the similar mid-shore and low-shore environments. For a significantly larger number of proteins, intermediate snails were closer in expression to the ecotype having the lower expression, for both Crab and Wave ecotypes. This is somewhat unexpected as lower expression might be expected to be an indication of impairment of function and lower fitness. Proteomic analysis could be important for the identification of candidate proteins useful for gaining improved understanding of adaptation and barriers to gene flow in hybrid zones.

CHD4 is recruited by GATA4 and NKX2-5 to repress noncardiac gene programs in the developing heart.

The nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex is one of the central chromatin remodeling complexes that mediates gene repression. NuRD is essential for numerous developmental events, including heart development. Clinical and genetic studies have provided direct evidence for the role of chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4), the catalytic component of NuRD, in congenital heart disease (CHD), including atrial and ventricular septal defects. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that CHD4 is essential for mammalian cardiomyocyte formation and function. A key unresolved question is how CHD4/NuRD is localized to specific cardiac target genes, as neither CHD4 nor NuRD can directly bind DNA. Here, we coupled a bioinformatics-based approach with mass spectrometry analyses to demonstrate that CHD4 interacts with the core cardiac transcription factors GATA4, NKX2-5, and TBX5 during embryonic heart development. Using transcriptomics and genome-wide occupancy data, we characterized the genomic landscape of GATA4, NKX2-5, and TBX5 repression and defined the direct cardiac gene targets of the GATA4-CHD4, NKX2-5-CHD4, and TBX5-CHD4 complexes. These data were used to identify putative cis-regulatory elements controlled by these complexes. We genetically interrogated two of these silencers in vivo: Acta1 and Myh11 We show that deletion of these silencers leads to inappropriate skeletal and smooth muscle gene misexpression, respectively, in the embryonic heart. These results delineate how CHD4/NuRD is localized to specific cardiac loci and explicates how mutations in the broadly expressed CHD4 protein lead to cardiac-specific disease states.

The bisphenol A metabolite MBP causes proteome alterations in male Cyprinodon variegatus fish characteristic of estrogenic endocrine disruption.

The toxicological status of bisphenol A (BPA) is under strong debate. Whereas in vitro it is an agonist of the estrogen receptor with a potency ca. 105-fold lower than the natural female hormone estradiol, in vivo exposure causes only mild effects at concentration thresholds environmentally not relevant and inconsistent among species. By using a proteomic approach, shotgun liver proteome analysis, we show that 7-d exposure to 10 µg/L of the BPA metabolite, 4-methyl-2,4-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)pent-1-ene (MBP), and not the same exposure to the parental molecule BPA, alters the liver proteome of male Cyprinodon variegatus fish. Different physiological and environmental conditions leading to biotransformation of BPA to MBP may partly explain the conflicting results so far reported for in vivo BPA exposures. The pattern of alteration induced by MBP is similar to that caused by estradiol, and indicative of estrogenic endocrine disruption. MBP enhanced ribosomal activity, protein synthesis and transport, with upregulation of 91% of the ribosome-related proteins, and 12 proteins whose expression is regulated by estrogen-responsive elements, including vitellogenin and zona pellucida. Whey acidic protein (WAP) was the protein most affected by MBP exposure (FC = 68). This result points at WAP as novel biomarker for xenoestrogens.

Behavioral aspects of nurse practitioners associated with optimal multiple sclerosis care in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Nurse practitioners (NPs) play a critical role in the multidisciplinary management of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Neurologists´ behavioral characteristics have been associated with suboptimal clinical decisions. However, limited information is available on their impact among NPs involved in MS care. The aim of this study was to assess nurses´ therapeutic choices to understand behavioral factors influencing their decision making process. METHODS: A non-interventional, cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted. NPs actively involved in the care of patients with MS were invited to participate in the study by the Spanish Society of Neurology Nursing. Participants answered questions regarding their standard practice and therapeutic management of seven simulated relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) case scenarios. A behavioral battery was used to measure participants´ life satisfaction, mood, positive social behaviors, feeling of helpfulness, attitudes toward adoption of evidence-based innovations, occupational burnout, and healthcare-related regret. The outcome of interest was therapeutic inertia (TI), defined as the lack of treatment escalation when there is clinical and radiological evidence of disease activity. A score to quantify TI was created based on the number of simulated scenarios where treatment intensification was warranted. RESULTS: Overall, 331 NPs were invited to participate, 130 initiated the study, and 96 (29%) completed the study. The mean age (SD) was 44.6 (9.8) years and 91.7% were female. Seventy-three participants (76.0%) felt their opinions had a significant influence on neurologists´ therapeutic decisions. Sixteen NPs (16.5%) showed severe emotional exhaustion related to work and 13 (13.5%) had depressive symptoms. The mean (SD) TI score was 0.97 (1.1). Fifty-six of NPs showed TI in at least one case scenario. Higher years of nursing experience (p = 0.014), feeling of helpfulness (p = 0.014), positive attitudes toward innovations (p = 0.046), and a higher intensity of care-related regret (p = 0.021) were associated with a lower risk of TI (adjusted R2 = 0.28). Burnout was associated with higher risk of TI (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although NPs cannot prescribe MS treatments in Spain, their behavioral characteristics may influence the management of patients with RRMS. Continuing education and specific strategies for reducing occupational burnout may lead to better management skills and improve MS care.

Regret and Therapeutic Decisions in Multiple Sclerosis Care: Literature Review and Research Protocol.

Background: Decisions based on erroneous assessments may result in unrealistic patient and family expectations, suboptimal advice, incorrect treatment, or costly medical errors. Regret is a common emotion in daily life that involves counterfactual thinking when considering alternative choices. Limited information is available on care-related regret affecting healthcare professionals managing patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: We reviewed identified gaps in the literature by searching for the combination of the following keywords in Pubmed: "regret and decision," "regret and physicians," and "regret and nurses." An expert panel of neurologists, a nurse, a psychiatrist, a pharmacist, and a psychometrics specialist participated in the study design. Care-related regret will be assessed by a behavioral battery including the standardized questionnaire Regret Intensity Scale (RIS-10) and 15 new specific items. Six items will evaluate regret in the most common social domains affecting individuals (financial, driving, sports-recreation, work, own health, and confidence in people). Another nine items will explore past and recent regret experiences in common situations experienced by healthcare professionals caring for patients with MS. We will also assess concomitant behavioral characteristics of healthcare professionals that could be associated with regret: coping strategies, life satisfaction, mood, positive social behaviors, occupational burnout, and tolerance to uncertainty. Planned Outcomes: This is the first comprehensive and standardized protocol to assess care-related regret and associated behavioral factors among healthcare professionals managing MS. These results will allow to understand and ameliorate regret in healthcare professionals. Spanish National Register (SL42129-20/598-E).

Quantifying the patient´s perspective in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: Psychometric properties of the SymptoMScreen questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of self-reported outcomes in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is limited by the lack of validated disease-specific measures. The SymptoMScreen (SyMS) is a patient-reported questionnaire for measuring symptom severity in different domains affected by multiple sclerosis (MS), but has not been thoroughly evaluated in NMOSD. The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the SyMS in a sample of patients with NMOSD. METHODS: A non-interventional, cross-sectional study in adult subjects with NMOSD (Wingerchuk 2015 criteria) was conducted at 13 neuroimmunology clinics applying the SyMS. A non-parametric item response theory procedure, Mokken analysis, was performed to assess the underlying dimensional structure and scalability of items and overall questionnaire. All analyses were performed with R (v4.0.3) using the mokken library. RESULTS: A total of 70 patients were studied (mean age: 47.5 ± 15 years, 80% female, mean Expanded Disability Status Scale score: 3.0 [interquartile range 1.5, 4.5]). Symptom severity was low (median SyMS score: 19.0 [interquartile range 10.0, 32.0]). The SyMS showed a robust internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha: 0.90 [95% confidence interval 0.86, 0.93]) and behaved as a unidimensional scale with all items showing scalability coefficients > 0.30. The overall SyMS scalability was 0.45 conforming to a medium scale according to Mokken's criteria. Fatigue and body pain were the domains with the highest scalability coefficients. The SyMS was associated with disability (rho: 0.586), and physical and psychological quality of life (rho: 0.856 and 0.696, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The SyMS shows appropriate psychometric characteristics and may constitute a valuable and easy-to-implement option to measure symptom severity in patients with NMOSD.

Suppression of ACADM-Mediated Fatty Acid Oxidation Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Aberrant CAV1/SREBP1 Signaling.

Lipid accumulation exacerbates tumor development, as it fuels the proliferative growth of cancer cells. The role of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACADM), an enzyme that catalyzes the first step of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, in tumor biology remains elusive. Therefore, investigating its mode of dysregulation can shed light on metabolic dependencies in cancer development. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), ACADM was significantly underexpressed, correlating with several aggressive clinicopathologic features observed in patients. Functionally, suppression of ACADM promoted HCC cell motility with elevated triglyceride, phospholipid, and cellular lipid droplet levels, indicating the tumor suppressive ability of ACADM in HCC. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP1) was identified as a negative transcriptional regulator of ACADM. Subsequently, high levels of caveolin-1 (CAV1) were observed to inhibit fatty acid oxidation, which revealed its role in regulating lipid metabolism. CAV1 expression negatively correlated with ACADM and its upregulation enhanced nuclear accumulation of SREBP1, resulting in suppressed ACADM activity and contributing to increased HCC cell aggressiveness. Administration of an SREBP1 inhibitor in combination with sorafenib elicited a synergistic antitumor effect and significantly reduced HCC tumor growth in vivo. These findings indicate that deregulation of fatty acid oxidation mediated by the CAV1/SREBP1/ACADM axis results in HCC progression, which implicates targeting fatty acid metabolism to improve HCC treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies tumor suppressive effects of ACADM in hepatocellular carcinoma and suggests promotion of ß-oxidation to diminish fatty acid availability to cancer cells could be used as a therapeutic strategy.

Contribution of Gray Matter Atrophy and White Matter Damage to Cognitive Impairment in Mildly Disabled Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

Cognitive impairment (CI) is frequently present in multiple sclerosis patients. Despite ongoing research, the neurological substrates have not been fully elucidated. In this study we investigated the contribution of gray and white matter in the CI observed in mildly disabled relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. For that purpose, 30 patients with RRMS (median EDSS = 2), and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied. CI was assessed using the symbol digit modalities test (SDMT) and the memory alteration test. Brain magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), voxel-based morphometry (VBM), brain segmentation, thalamic vertex analysis, and connectivity-based thalamic parcellation analyses were performed. RRMS patients scored significantly lower in both cognitive tests. In the patient group, significant atrophy in the thalami was observed. Multiple regression analyses revealed associations between SDMT scores and GM volume in both hemispheres in the temporal, parietal, frontal, and occipital lobes. The DTI results pointed to white matter damage in all thalamocortical connections, the corpus callosum, and several fasciculi. Multiple regression and correlation analyses suggested that in RRMS patients with mild disease, thalamic atrophy and thalamocortical connection damage may lead to slower cognitive processing. Furthermore, white matter damage at specific fasciculi may be related to episodic memory impairment.

Vitellogenin gene expression in marine mussels exposed to ethinylestradiol: No induction at the transcriptional level.

Vitellogenin (Vtg), a large multidomain protein precursor of egg-yolk proteins, is used as an endocrine disruption biomarker in fish, and in the last decades, its use has been extended to invertebrates like mollusks. However, it remains unclear whether invertebrate endocrine system produces Vtg in response to estrogens, like it occurs in oviparous vertebrates. In a previous study, no evidence of induction of Vtg expression at protein level was found in gonads of the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis after exposure to the estrogenic chemical 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2). In the present follow-up study, it was investigated whether there is any effect of EE2 on Vtg abundance at transcriptional level in M. galloprovincialis gonads. To this aim, RT-qPCR analysis targeting three different domains of Vtg transcript was performed on gonads of mussels that were exposed either 4 or 24 days to 100 ng/L EE2. In addition, several reference genes were analysed and a selection of these for potential use in further RT-qPCR analyses on mussel male and female gonads is provided. Results showed higher expression in females than in males for the three analysed Vtg domains, and no evidence of Vtg mRNA induction due to EE2 either in females or males. The present results, together with those obtained from previous analysis at protein level, support that Vtg is not an adequate biomarker for xenoestrogenicity in marine mussels. Additionally, nucleotide sequences of Vtg transcripts of three closely-related species from Mytilus edulis complex (M. galloprovincialis, M. edulis and M. trossulus) are provided and compared with Vtg sequences from other mollusk species to assess the level of conservation and evolutionary relationships among species.

Perception of Stigma in Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Perception of stigma was associated with low self-esteem, psychological problems, and decreased health-seeking behavior among patients with different neurological disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess stigmatization and its impact in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). METHODS: A non-interventional study was conducted at thirteen neuroimmunology clinics in Spain. Patients with a diagnosis of NMOSD (2015 Wingerchuk criteria) were included. The 8-item Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness (SSCI-8), the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), the 29-item Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29), the Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS), the MOS Pain Effects Scale (MOS-PES) and the Fatigue Impact Scale for Daily Use (D-FIS) were used to assess the perception of stigma, disability, quality of life, mood, pain, and fatigue, respectively. Associations between outcome measures were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation. RESULTS: Seventy-one patients were studied (mean age: 47.4 years ± 14.9, 81.7% female, mean time since disease onset: 9.9 years ± 8.1). The median EDSS score was 3.0 (interquartile range 1.5, 4.5). Stigma prevalence was 61.4% (n=43). Thirty-one patients (43.6%) had depression. The SSCI-8 score showed a significant correlation with both physical (rho=0.576, p<0.0001) and psychological (rho=0.608, p<0.0001) MSIS-29 scales scores, EDSS score (rho=0.349, p=0.0033), BDI-FS score (rho= 0.613, p<0.0001), MOS-PES score (rho= 0.457, p<0.0001), and D-FIS score (rho=0.556, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Stigma is a common phenomenon affecting over 6 out of 10 patients with NMOSD. Understanding stigma may be useful to develop educational strategies improving NMOSD knowledge.