Prevalence, patterns and outcomes of cardiac involvement in Erdheim-Chester disease.

AIMS: Cardiac involvement of Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD), a rare L group histiocytosis, has been reported to be associated with poor outcomes, but systematic studies are lacking. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence, clinical features, imaging features, and prognosis of cardiac involvement in ECD in a large series. METHODS AND RESULTS: All patients with ECD who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging between 2003 and 2019 at a French tertiary center were retrospectively included. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were pericarditis, cardiac tamponade, conduction disorders, device implantation and coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 200 patients were included [63 (54-71) years, 30% female, 58% BRAFV600E mutated]. Median follow-up was 5.5 years (3.3-9 years). On CMR, right atrioventricular sulcus infiltration was observed in 37% of patients, and pericardial effusion was seen in 24% of patients. In total, 8 patients (4%) had pericarditis (7 acute, 1 constrictive), 10 patients (5%) had cardiac tamponade, 5 patients (2.5%) had ECD-related high-degree conduction disorders, and 45 patients (23%) had CAD. Overall, cardiac involvement was present in 96 patients (48%) and was associated with BRAFV600E mutation [Odds ratio (OR) = 7.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) (3.5-16.8), P < 0.001] and ECD-related clinical events [OR = 5, 95%CI (1.5-21.2), P = 0.004] but not with lower survival in multivariate analysis [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.4, 95% CI (0.8-2.5), P = 0.2]. CONCLUSION: Cardiac involvement is present in nearly half of ECD patients and is associated with BRAFV600E mutation and complications (pericarditis, cardiac tamponade, and conduction disorders) but not with lower survival.

First Case of Lethal Encephalitis in Western Europe Due to European Bat Lyssavirus Type 1.

BACKGROUND: Inaccurate diagnosis of encephalitis is a major issue as immunosuppressive treatments can be deleterious in case of viral infection. The European bat lyssavirus type 1 (EBLV-1), a virus related to rabies virus, is endemic in European bats. No human case has yet been reported in Western Europe. A 59-year-old patient without specific past medical history died from encephalitis. A colony of bats lived in an outbuilding of his house. No diagnosis was made using standard procedures. METHODS: We used a next generation sequencing (NGS) based transcriptomic protocol to search for pathogens in autopsy samples (meninges and brain frontal lobe). Results were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and by antibody testing in serum. Immunochemistry was used to characterize inflammatory cells and viral antigens in brain lesions. Cells and mice were inoculated with brain extracts for virus isolation. RESULTS: The patient's brain lesions were severe and diffuse in white and gray matter. Perivascular inflammatory infiltrates were abundant and rich in plasma cells. NGS identified European bat lyssavirus type 1a in brain, which was confirmed by PCR. A high titer of neutralizing antibodies was found in serum. No viral antigen was detected, and the virus could not be isolated by cell culture or by mouse inoculation. CONCLUSIONS: The patient died from European bat lyssavirus type 1a infection. NGS was key to identifying this unexpected viral etiology in an epidemiological context that did not suggest rabies. People exposed to bats should be strongly advised to be vaccinated with rabies vaccines, which are effective against EBLV-1.

Identification of Umbre Orthobunyavirus as a Novel Zoonotic Virus Responsible for Lethal Encephalitis in 2 French Patients with Hypogammaglobulinemia.

BACKGROUND: Human encephalitis represents a medical challenge from a diagnostic and therapeutic point of view. We investigated the cause of 2 fatal cases of encephalitis of unknown origin in immunocompromised patients. METHODS: Untargeted metatranscriptomics was applied on the brain tissue of 2 patients to search for pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, or protozoans) without a prior hypothesis. RESULTS: Umbre arbovirus, an orthobunyavirus never previously identified in humans, was found in 2 patients. In situ hybridization and reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) showed that Umbre virus infected neurons and replicated at high titers. The virus was not detected in cerebrospinal fluid by RT-qPCR. Viral sequences related to Koongol virus, another orthobunyavirus close to Umbre virus, were found in Culex pipiens mosquitoes captured in the south of France where the patients had spent some time before the onset of symptoms, demonstrating the presence of the same clade of arboviruses in Europe and their potential public health impact. A serological survey conducted in the same area did not identify individuals positive for Umbre virus. The absence of seropositivity in the population may not reflect the actual risk of disease transmission in immunocompromised individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Umbre arbovirus can cause encephalitis in immunocompromised humans and is present in Europe.

Disturbances of brain cholesterol metabolism: A new excitotoxic process associated with status epilepticus.

The understanding of the excitotoxic processes associated with a severe status epilepticus (SE) is of major importance. Changes of brain cholesterol homeostasis is an emerging candidate for excitotoxicity. We conducted an overall analysis of the cholesterol homeostasis both (i) in fluids and tissues from patients with SE: blood (n = 63, n = 87 controls), CSF (n = 32, n = 60 controls), and post-mortem brain tissues (n = 8, n = 8 controls) and (ii) in a mouse model of SE induced by an intrahippocampal injection of kainic acid. 24-hydroxycholesterol levels were decreased in kainic acid mouse hippocampus and in human plasma and post-mortem brain tissues of patients with SE when compared with controls. The decrease of 24-hydroxycholesterol levels was followed by increased cholesterol levels and by an increase of the cholesterol synthesis. Desmosterol levels were higher in human CSF and in mice and human hippocampus after SE. Lanosterol and dihydrolanosterol levels were higher in plasma from SE patients. Our results suggest that a CYP46A1 inhibition could occur after SE and is followed by a brain cholesterol accumulation. The excess of cholesterol is known to be excitotoxic for neuronal cells and may participate to neurological sequelae observed after SE. This study highlights a new pathophysiological pathway involved in SE excitotoxicity.

Increased prevalence of granulovacuolar degeneration in C9orf72 mutation.

Granulovacuolar degeneration (GVD) is usually found in Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases or in elderly individuals. Its severity correlates positively with the density of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Mechanisms underlying GVD formation are unknown. We assessed the prevalence and distribution of GVD in cases with TDP-43-related frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-TDP) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS-TDP). Consecutively autopsied cases with FTLD/ALS-TDP and C9orf72 mutations (FTLD/ALS-C9; N = 29), cases with FTLD/ALS-TDP without C9orf72 mutations (FTLD/ALS-nonC9; N = 46), and age-matched healthy controls (N = 40) were studied. The prevalence of GVD was significantly higher in the FTLD/ALS-C9 cases (26/29 cases) than in the FTLD/ALS-nonC9 cases (15/46 cases; Fisher exact test; p < 2×10-6) or in the control group (12/40 individuals; p < 1×10-6). Average Braak stages and ages of death were not significantly different among the groups. The CA2 sector was most frequently affected in the FTLD/ALS-C9 group, whereas the CA1/subiculum was the most vulnerable area in the other groups. Extension of GVD correlated with the clinical duration of the disease in the FTLD/ALS-C9 cases but not in the FTLD/ALS-nonC9 cases. The GVD-containing neurons frequently had dipeptide repeat (DPR) protein inclusions. GVD granules labeled with antibodies directed against charged multivesicular body protein 2B or casein kinase 1δ were attached to DPR inclusions within GVD. Our results suggest that development of GVD and DPR inclusions is related to common pathogenic mechanisms and that GVD is not only associated with NFTs seen in AD cases or aging individuals.

Terrorist explosive belt attacks: specific patterns of bone traumas.

In cases of terrorist bomb attacks, the issue of victim identification is the principal aim. For investigators and justice, terrorists must also be identified in a timely manner. The fragmentation of bodies caused by explosive devices however makes this operation difficult. The cases presented correspond to six autopsies of perpetrators carrying explosives. Their explosive belts produced different body sections on areas correlated with the location on the body of carrying explosive charges. Indeed, cross-sectional areas are the signature of the level of explosive devices on the body, and some fracture features through the damage of certain areas of constitutional weaknesses are specific elements to consider. These elements can allow a quick distinction between victims and terrorists, in order to assist in the medico-legal process of identification.

Characteristics and clinical assessment of unexplained sudden cardiac arrest in the real-world setting: focus on idiopathic ventricular fibrillation.

Aims: Recent studies have shown that in more than half of apparently unexplained sudden cardiac arrests (SCA), a specific aetiology can be unmasked by a careful evaluation. The characteristics and the extent to which such cases undergo a systematic thorough investigation in real-life practice are unknown. Methods and results: Data were analysed from an ongoing study, collecting all cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Paris area. Investigations performed during the index hospitalization or planned after discharge were gathered to evaluate the completeness of assessment of unexplained SCA. Between 2011 and 2016, among the 18 622 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, 717 survivors (at hospital discharge) fulfilled the definition of cardiac SCA. Of those, 88 (12.3%) remained unexplained after electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and coronary angiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging yielded the diagnosis in 25 (3.5%) cases, other investigations accounted for 14 (2.4%) additional diagnoses, and 49 (6.8%) patients were labelled as idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) (48.7 ± 15 years, 69.4% male). Among those labelled IVF, only 8 (16.3%) cases benefited from a complete workup (including pharmacological testing). Younger patients [odds ratio (OR) 6.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.80-22.26] and those admitted to university centres (OR 3.60, 95% CI 1.12-12.45) were more thoroughly investigated. Genetic testing and family screening were initiated in only 9 (18.4%) and 12 (24.5%) cases, respectively. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that complete investigations are carried out in a very low proportion of unexplained SCA. Standardized, systematic approaches need to be implemented to ensure that opportunities for specific therapies and preventive strategies (including relatives) are not missed.

Seeding and propagation of lesions in neurodegenerative diseases: a new paradigm.

Specific extracellular deposits, glial or neuronal inclusions help defining an ever increasing number of neurodegenerative diseases. Deposits or inclusions are aggregates of proteins: Aß peptide and tau proteins in Alzheimer disease, a-synuclein in Parkinson disease, for instance. The protein that specifically accumulates in a given disease may be modified by a mutation that can increase its aggregability. Most often the sequence of the protein is normal. Misfolding, despite the protein normal sequence, is then considered the cause of the aggregation. The ubiquitin-proteasome system detects and eliminates misfolded proteins from the cell. Almost all the inclusions are indeed labeled by anti-ubiquitin antibodies, but, in neurodegenerative diseases, the system is unable to get rid of them. The large protein aggregates constituting the inclusions are poorly reactive. Their formation has been consi- dered a defense mechanism, protecting the cell against the toxic action of soluble oligomers that are, in that hypothesis, the real toxic agent, neutralized through aggregation. Soluble oligomers of Aß peptide, tau or a-synuclein,for instance, have indeed been isolated and were shown to be toxic. In the prion hypothesis, the misfolded configuration may be passed from the misfolded to the normal protein by simple contact. There are indeed experimental evidences suggesting that this prion-like mechanism does occur in transgenic rodent models of Aß, tau or a-synuclein pathology. This might be the explanation of thepropagation of the pathology through connections, observed in many neurodegenerative diseases. There is currently no epidemiological data suggesting a transmission of neurodegenerative diseases, comparable to the transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob or other prion diseases. The prion-like mechanisms of protein aggregation observed in the experimental animals or suspected through human neuropathology make that possibility not as remote as previously thought.

Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analyses of Brain Parenchyma in Patients With New-Onset Refractory Status Epilepticus (NORSE).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: New-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) occurs in previously healthy children or adults, often followed by refractory epilepsy and poor outcomes. The mechanisms that transform a normal brain into an epileptic one capable of seizing for prolonged periods despite treatment remain unclear. Nonetheless, several pieces of evidence suggest that immune dysregulation could contribute to hyperexcitability and modulate NORSE sequelae. METHODS: We used single-nucleus RNA sequencing to delineate the composition and phenotypic states of the CNS of 4 patients with NORSE, to better understand the relationship between hyperexcitability and immune disturbances. We compared them with 4 patients with chronic temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and 2 controls with no known neurologic disorder. RESULTS: Patients with NORSE and TLE exhibited a significantly higher proportion of excitatory neurons compared with controls, with no discernible difference in inhibitory GABAergic neurons. When examining the ratio between excitatory neurons and GABAergic neurons for each patient individually, we observed a higher ratio in patients with acute NORSE or TLE compared with controls. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between the ratio of excitatory to GABAergic neurons and the proportion of GABAergic neurons. The ratio between excitatory neurons and GABAergic neurons correlated with the proportion of resident or infiltrating macrophages, suggesting the influence of microglial reactivity on neuronal excitability. Both patients with NORSE and TLE exhibited increased expression of genes associated with microglia activation, phagocytic activity, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. However, patients with NORSE had decreased expression of genes related to the downregulation of the inflammatory response, potentially explaining the severity of their presentation. Microglial activation in patients with NORSE also correlated with astrocyte reactivity, possibly leading to higher degrees of demyelination. DISCUSSION: Our study sheds light on the complex cellular dynamics in NORSE, revealing the potential roles of microglia, infiltrating macrophages, and astrocytes in hyperexcitability and demyelination, offering potential avenues for future research targeting the identified pathways.

Ballooned neurons in semi-recent severe traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is now recognized as an insult triggering a dynamic process of degeneration and regeneration potentially evolving for years with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as one major complication. Neurons are at the center of the clinical manifestations, both in the acute and chronic phases. Yet, in the acute phase, conventional neuropathology detects abnormalities predominantly in the axons, if one excludes contusions and hypoxic ischemic changes. We report the finding of ballooned neurons, predominantly in the anterior cingulum, in three patients who sustained severe TBI and remained comatose until death, 2 ½ weeks to 2 ½ months after the traumatic impact. All three cases showed severe changes of traumatic diffuse axonal injury in line with acceleration/deceleration forces. The immunohistochemical profile of the ballooned neurons was like that described in neurodegenerative disorders like tauopathies which were used as controls. The presence of αB-crystallin positive ballooned neurons in the brain of patients who sustained severe craniocerebral trauma and remained comatose thereafter has never been reported. We postulate that the co-occurrence of diffuse axonal injury in the cerebral white matter and ballooned neurons in the cortex is mechanistically reminiscent of the phenomenon of chromatolysis. Experimental trauma models with neuronal chromatolytic features emphasized the presence of proximal axonal defects. In our three cases, proximal swellings were documented in the cortex and subcortical white matter. This limited retrospective report should trigger further studies in order to better establish, in recent/semi-recent TBI, the frequency of this neuronal finding and its relationship with the proximal axonal defects.

Abatacept/Ruxolitinib and Screening for Concomitant Respiratory Muscle Failure to Mitigate Fatality of Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor Myocarditis.

Immune-checkpoint-inhibitor (ICI)-associated myotoxicity involves the heart (myocarditis) and skeletal muscles (myositis), which frequently occur concurrently and are highly fatal. We report the results of a strategy that included identification of individuals with severe ICI myocarditis by also screening for and managing concomitant respiratory muscle involvement with mechanical ventilation, as well as treatment with the CTLA4 fusion protein abatacept and the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib. Forty cases with definite ICI myocarditis were included with pathologic confirmation of concomitant myositis in the majority of patients. In the first 10 patients, using recommended guidelines, myotoxicity-related fatality occurred in 60%, consistent with historical controls. In the subsequent 30 cases, we instituted systematic screening for respiratory muscle involvement coupled with active ventilation and treatment using ruxolitinib and abatacept. The abatacept dose was adjusted using CD86 receptor occupancy on circulating monocytes. The myotoxicity-related fatality rate was 3.4% (1/30) in these 30 patients versus 60% in the first quartile (P < 0.0001). These clinical results are hypothesis-generating and need further evaluation. SIGNIFICANCE: Early management of respiratory muscle failure using mechanical ventilation and high-dose abatacept with CD86 receptor occupancy monitoring combined with ruxolitinib may be promising to mitigate high fatality rates in severe ICI myocarditis. See related commentary by Dougan, p. 1040. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1027.

Golgi localization of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and interaction with furin in cerebral COVID-19 microangiopathy: a clue to the central nervous system involvement?

In a neuropathological series of 20 COVID-19 cases, we analyzed six cases (three biopsies and three autopsies) with multiple foci predominantly affecting the white matter as shown by MRI. The cases presented with microhemorrhages evocative of small artery diseases. This COVID-19 associated cerebral microangiopathy (CCM) was characterized by perivascular changes: arterioles were surrounded by vacuolized tissue, clustered macrophages, large axonal swellings and a crown arrangement of aquaporin-4 immunoreactivity. There was evidence of blood-brain-barrier leakage. Fibrinoid necrosis, vascular occlusion, perivascular cuffing and demyelination were absent. While no viral particle or viral RNA was found in the brain, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was detected in the Golgi apparatus of brain endothelial cells where it closely associated with furin, a host protease known to play a key role in virus replication. Endothelial cells in culture were not permissive to SARS-CoV-2 replication. The distribution of the spike protein in brain endothelial cells differed from that observed in pneumocytes. In the latter, the diffuse cytoplasmic labeling suggested a complete replication cycle with viral release, notably through the lysosomal pathway. In contrast, in cerebral endothelial cells the excretion cycle was blocked in the Golgi apparatus. Interruption of the excretion cycle could explain the difficulty of SARS-CoV-2 to infect endothelial cells in vitro and to produce viral RNA in the brain. Specific metabolism of the virus in brain endothelial cells could weaken the cell walls and eventually lead to the characteristic lesions of COVID-19 associated cerebral microangiopathy. Furin as a modulator of vascular permeability could provide some clues for the control of late effects of microangiopathy.

Ethical issues raised by the introduction of payment for performance in France.

CONTEXT: In France, a new payment for performance (P4P) scheme for primary care physicians was introduced in 2009 through the 'Contract for Improving Individual Practice' programme. Its objective was to reduce healthcare expenditures while enhancing improvement in guidelines' observance. Nevertheless, in all countries where the scheme was implemented, it raised several concerns in the domain of professional ethics. OBJECTIVE: To draw out in France the ethical tensions arising in the general practitioner's (GP) profession linked to the introduction of P4P. METHOD: Qualitative research using two focus groups: first one with a sample of GPs who joined P4P and second one with those who did not. All collective interviews were recorded and fully transcribed. An inductive analysis of thematic content with construction of categories was conducted. All the data were triangulated. RESULTS: All participants agreed that conflicts of interest were a real issue, leading to the resurgence of doctor's dirigisme, which could be detrimental for patient's autonomy. GPs who did not join P4P believed that the scheme would lead to patient's selection while those who joined P4P did not. The level of the maximal bonus of the P4P was considered low by all GPs. This was considered as an offense by non-participating GPs, whereas for participating ones, this low level minimised the risk of patient's selection. CONCLUSION: This work identified several areas of ethical tension, some being different from those previously described in other countries. The authors discuss the potential impact of institutional contexts and variability of implementation processes on shaping these differences.

[Modern biology, imagery and forensic medicine: contributions and limitations in examination of skeletal remains]. / La biologie moderne, l'imagerie et la médecine légale: apports et limites dans l'étude des ossements.

Forensic examination is often requested when skeletal remains are discovered. Detailed visual observation can provide much information, such as the human or animal origin, sex, age, stature, and ancestry, and approximate time since death. New three-dimensional imaging techniques can provide further information (osteometry, facial reconstruction). Bone chemistry, and particularly measurement of stable or unstable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, yields information on diet and time since death, respectively. Genetic analyses of ancient DNA are also developing rapidly. Although seldom used in a judicial context, these modern anthropologic techniques are nevertheless available for the most complex cases.

[New insights into intracellular inclusions and intracellular proteolysis]. / Les inclusions intracellulaires sont-elles toujours des témoins d'un trouble de la protéolyse intracellulaire?

Intracellular inclusions seen by the pathologist may have variable significance. Although they are excellent markers of proteolytic disorders, they can also be due to several other mechanisms. This article examines recent data on the morphology, significance and consequences of aging lipofuscins in the brain and retina, neurofibrillary tangles and Lewy bodies, and Birbeck granules associated with Langerhans histiocytosis. Some of these disorders involve increased protein production, misfolding and aggregation, and altered intracellular proteolysis, but other cell constituents may also play a role. Proteolytic mechanisms do not appear to be involved in the formation of Birbeck granules, which helped to reveal the Langerhans origin of histiocytosis X. Analyses of intracellular inclusions, together with genetic and epigenetic studies, are highly informative in various degenerative diseases.

Pearls & Oy-sters: Spinal Cord Candidiasis Linked to CARD9 Deficiency Masquerading as a Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis.

Candida spp. myelopathies are very rare. We report a case of subacute longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis in an apparently immunocompetent 55-year-old man. After a negative infectious workup, corticosteroids and plasma exchange were initiated. Although there was a transient initial improvement, symptoms then worsened, and the lumbar puncture was repeated. Candida albicans was isolated in the CSF, and a diagnosis of spinal cord candidiasis was made. Gene panel sequencing for inborn immune deficiencies identified a homozygous disease-causing CARD9 variant. Despite antifungal treatment, necrotic myelitis, meningoencephalitis, and cerebral vasculitis developed. Fungal spinal cord infections can mimic inflammatory myelitis, and beta-D-glucan testing of both serum and CSF may help narrow down the diagnosis. In cases of severe or unexpected invasive Candida spp. infection, even adults and apparently immunocompetent patients should be screened for inborn immune deficiencies and CARD9 deficiency in particular.

Cerebral vasculitis due to Aspergillus spp. in immunocompromised patients: literature review.

OBJECTIVES: Invasive aspergillosis is a threat for immunocompromised patients. We present a case series of aggressive cerebral vasculitis caused by Aspergillus spp. infection in immunocompromised patients. METHODS: We present a retrospective case series of three autopsy-proven invasive cerebral aspergillosis with diffuse vasculitis affecting large caliber cerebral vessels. RESULTS: Three patients were immunosuppressed: one on rituximab, one on corticosteroids, and one with a renal transplant. Two of these patients were diagnosed with cerebral aspergillosis on postmortem. CONCLUSION: Aspergillus cerebral vasculitis is a rare form of invasive aspergillosis that should be considered in an immunocompromised individual with suggestive lesions on imaging. It should be suspected as a possible cause of aseptic neutrophil meningitis.