Interdependence of placenta and fetal cardiac development.

The placenta and fetal heart undergo development concurrently during early pregnancy, and, while human studies have reported associations between placental abnormalities and congenital heart disease (CHD), the nature of this relationship remains incompletely understood. Evidence from animal studies suggests a plausible cause and effect connection between placental abnormalities and fetal CHD. Biomechanical models demonstrate the influence of mechanical forces on cardiac development, whereas genetic models highlight the role of confined placental mutations that can cause some forms of CHD. Similar definitive studies in humans are lacking; however, placental pathologies such as maternal and fetal vascular malperfusion and chronic deciduitis are frequently observed in pregnancies complicated by CHD. Moreover, maternal conditions such as diabetes and pre-eclampsia, which affect placental function, are associated with increased risk of CHD in offspring. Bridging the gap between animal models and human studies is crucial to understanding how placental abnormalities may contribute to human fetal CHD. The next steps will require new methodologies and multidisciplinary approaches combining innovative imaging modalities, comprehensive genomic testing, and histopathology. These studies may eventually lead to preventative strategies for some forms of CHD by targeting placental influences on fetal heart development.

Parental refusal of prenatal screening for aneuploidies.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the reasons for refusal of aneuploidy screening in a multicultural Middle Eastern population. METHODS: The study included patients delivering in a university hospital, who had refused aneuploidy screening during their pregnancy. We evaluated through a questionnaire submitted during the postpartum period the sociodemographic characteristics, beliefs, attitudes, and the main reason underpinning their choice. Religious, ethical, and financial factors, personal beliefs, medical information, perceived media information, and familial input were assessed through a Likert scale. RESULTS: Our pilot study included 70 patients. The main reason (33 %) was the refusal to terminate pregnancy if the screening tests ultimately led to a diagnosis of aneuploidy. Lack of adequate information on the availability and benefits of this screening method (28 %), religious beliefs (17 %), in addition to other minor reasons such as financial considerations, familial recommendations, late pregnancy follow-ups, and media influence were also identified as contributing factors. CONCLUSIONS: Aneuploidy screening is routinely offered to couples, with varying uptake rates observed worldwide. Sufficient information on prenatal screening and diagnosis should be provided to all pregnant women, presenting all available options, thus enabling them to make a free and informed choice during their pregnancy.

COVID-19 transmission in surgical smoke during laparoscopy and open surgery: a systematic review.

AIM: To evaluate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in surgical smoke and aerosols during laparoscopy and open surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021268366) was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Articles were selected based on the title and abstract as well as the type of publication. Primary objectives of the study were to assess potential risk of contamination as well as comparing laparoscopic and open procedures in terms of danger of SARS-COV-2 transmission. RESULTS: Fifty-three articles were identified and included in the review. No case of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to operating room personnel during open or minimally invasive surgery was identified at the time the review was conducted. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between smoke and aerosols generated from open surgery and those generated from minimally invasive surgery. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 transmission in surgical smoke and aerosols has yet to be observed. However, given the potential risk of viral transmission, caution should be exercised when performing surgery to ensure the safety of the operating room personnel. When clinically indicated and when protective measures can be implemented, minimally invasive surgery should be performed instead of open surgery to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

Growth-Promoting Treatment Screening for Corticospinal Neurons in Mouse and Man.

Neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) that project long axons into the spinal cord have a poor axon regenerative capacity compared to neurons of the peripheral nervous system. The corticospinal tract (CST) is particularly notorious for its poor regeneration. Because of this, traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that remains as yet uncured. Based on our recent observations that direct neuronal interleukin-4 (IL-4) signaling leads to repair of axonal swellings and beneficial effects in neuroinflammation, we hypothesized that IL-4 acts directly on the CST. Here, we developed a tissue culture model for CST regeneration and found that IL-4 promoted new growth cone formation after axon transection. Most importantly, IL-4 directly increased the regenerative capacity of both murine and human CST axons, which corroborates its regenerative effects in CNS damage. Overall, these findings serve as proof-of-concept that our CST regeneration model is suitable for fast screening of new treatments for SCI.

Postnatal Cerebral Hemodynamics and Placental Vascular Malperfusion Lesions in Neonates With Congenital Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND: Neonates with congenital heart disease (CHD) have smaller brain volume at birth. High rates of placental vascular malperfusion lesions may play a role in disrupted brain development. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective cohort study of infants born between 2010 and 2019 who were diagnosed with a major cardiac defect requiring surgery in the first year of life. Doppler ultrasound RI of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery were calculated within the first 72 hours of life. Placentas were evaluated using a standardized approach. RESULTS: Over the study period, there were 52 patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), 22 with single-ventricle right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (SV-RVOTO), 75 with a two-ventricle cardiac defect (2V), and 25 with transposition of the great arteries (TGA). MCA Doppler RI were significantly higher for all subgroups of CHD compared with control subjects (0.68 ± 0.11 in control subjects compared with 0.78 ± 0.13 in HLHS, P = 0.03; 0.77 ± 0.10 in SV-RVOTO, P = 0.002; 0.78 ± 0.13 in 2V, P = 0.03; and 0.80 ± 0.14 in TGA; P = 0.001) with the highest average MCA RI in the TGA group. In subgroup analyses, placental fetal vascular malperfusion in the 2V group was associated with higher MCA RI, but this relationship was not present in other subgroups, nor in regards to maternal vascular malperfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Major forms of CHD are associated with significantly higher cerebral artery RI postnatally, but placental vascular malperfusion lesions may not contribute to this hemodynamic adaptation.

Association between decreased cord blood inter-alpha inhibitor levels and neonatal encephalopathy at birth.

BACKGROUND: Inter-alpha inhibitor proteins (IAIPs) are structurally related proteins found in the systemic circulation with immunomodulatory anti-inflammatory properties. Reduced levels are found in inflammatory related conditions including sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis, and in neonatal rodents after exposure to hypoxia ischemia. In the current study, cord blood IAIP levels were measured in neonates with and without exposure to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study including infants born ≥36 weeks over a one-year period. Term pregnancies were divided into two groups: a "reference control" (uncomplicated term deliveries), and "moderate to severe HIE" (qualifying for therapeutic hypothermia). IAIPs were quantified using a sensitive ELISA on the cord blood samples. RESULTS: The study included 57 newborns: Reference control group (n = 13) and moderate/severe HIE group (n = 44). Measurement of IAIP cord blood concentrations in moderate to severe HIE group [278.2 (138.0, 366.0) µg/ml] revealed significantly lower IAIP concentrations compared with the control group [418.6 (384.5, 445.0) µg/ml] (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a potential role for IAIPs as indicators of neonates at risk for HIE. IAIP levels could have diagnostic implications in the management of HIE. Future research is required to explore the relationship between HIE and IAIPs as biomarkers for disease severity. CATEGORY OF STUDY: Translational.

Interleukin-4 as a therapeutic target.

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a pleiotropic cytokine mainly known for its role in type 2 immunity. Therapies antagonizing or blocking IL-4 activity have been developed to counteract diseases such as atopic dermatitis and asthma. In contrast, other disorders experimentally benefit from IL-4-related effects and IL-4 recently demonstrated beneficial activity in experimental stroke, spinal cord injury and the animal model of multiple sclerosis. To exploit IL-4-related activity for therapeutic concepts, current experimental efforts include modifying the pathway without inducing type 2 immune response and targeting of the cytokine to specific tissues. Here, we review different activities of IL-4 as well as therapeutic strategies.

Strict blood pressure control following thrombectomy is associated with neuronal injury and poor functional outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become standard treatment in acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (LVO). However, optimal blood pressure (BP) management following successful recanalization remains unclear. We aim to investigate the association of strictly achieving BP targets of ≤160/90 mmHg with the extent of neuronal loss and functional outcome. METHODS: In patients prospectively enrolled in the Gutenberg-Stroke-Study (May 2018-November 2019), BP was measured half-hourly for 24 h following MT. Based on achieving BP target of ≤160/90 mmHg, patients with successful recanalization of LVO were divided into "low-BP" group (BP ≤ 160/90 mmHg) or "high-BP" group (BP > 160/90 mmHg). Neuronal loss was quantified by serum-based measurement of neurofilament light chain (sNfL) after three days. BP groups and association of BP parameters with sNfL were investigated by correlation analyses and multiple regression modeling. RESULTS: Of 253 enrolled patients (mean age 73.1 ± 12.9 years, 53.4% female), 165 met inclusion criteria. 21.2% (n = 35) strictly achieved "low-BP" target. "low-BP" was associated with unfavorable functional outcome at 90-day follow-up (aOR [95%CI]: 5.88 [1.88-18.32], p = 0.002) and decreased health-related quality of life (mean EQ-5D-index 0.45 ± 0.28 vs 0.63 ± 0.31, p = 0.009). sNfL levels were increased in "low-BP" patients (median [IQR] 239.7 [168.4-303.4] vs 118.8 [52.5-220.5] pg/mL, p = 0.026). Hypotensive episodes were more frequent in the "low-BP" group (48.6% vs 29.2%, p = 0.031). sNfL level could identify patients who had experienced hypotensive episodes with high discriminative ability (AUC [95%CI]: 0.68 [0.56-0.78], p = 0.007). INTERPRETATION: Strict BP control (≤160/90 mmHg) within 24 h following successful recanalization of LVO by MT is associated with increased neuronal injury, displayed by higher sNfL levels, and poorer functional outcome, potentially indicating hypotension-induced neuronal loss during post-MT phase.

Gamma Irradiation Triggers Immune Escape in Glioma-Propagating Cells.

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and devastating form of brain tumor for which only palliative radio- and chemotherapy exists. Although some clinical studies on vaccination approaches have shown promising efficacy due to their potential to generate long-term immune surveillance against cancer cells, the evasion mechanisms preventing therapy response are largely uncharacterized. Here, we studied the response of glioblastoma-propagating cells (GPCs) to clinically relevant doses of γ radiation. GPCs were treated with 2.5 Gy of γ radiation in seven consecutive cellular passages to select for GPCs with increased colony-forming properties and intrinsic or radiation-induced resistance (rsGPCs). Quantitative proteomic analysis of the cellular signaling platforms of the detergent-resistant membranes (lipid rafts) in GPCs vs. rsGPCs revealed a downregulation of the MHC class I antigen-processing and -presentation machinery. Importantly, the radio-selected GPCs showed reduced susceptibility towards cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell-mediated killing. While previous studies suggested that high-dose irradiation results in enhanced antigen presentation, we demonstrated that clinically relevant sub-lethal fractionated irradiation results in reduced expression of components of the MHC class I antigen-processing and -presentation pathway leading to immune escape.

Inhibition of the enzyme autotaxin reduces cortical excitability and ameliorates the outcome in stroke.

Stroke penumbra injury caused by excess glutamate is an important factor in determining stroke outcome; however, several therapeutic approaches aiming to rescue the penumbra have failed, likely due to unspecific targeting and persistent excitotoxicity, which continued far beyond the primary stroke event. Synaptic lipid signaling can modulate glutamatergic transmission via presynaptic lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) 2 receptors modulated by the LPA-synthesizing molecule autotaxin (ATX) present in astrocytic perisynaptic processes. Here, we detected long-lasting increases in brain ATX concentrations after experimental stroke. In humans, cerebrospinal fluid ATX concentration was increased up to 14 days after stroke. Using astrocyte-specific deletion and pharmacological inhibition of ATX at different time points after experimental stroke, we showed that inhibition of LPA-related cortical excitability improved stroke outcome. In transgenic mice and in individuals expressing a single-nucleotide polymorphism that increased LPA-related glutamatergic transmission, we found dysregulated synaptic LPA signaling and subsequent negative stroke outcome. Moreover, ATX inhibition in the animal model ameliorated stroke outcome, suggesting that this approach might have translational potential for improving the outcome after stroke.

HER2 in metastatic colorectal cancer: a new to target to remember.

Metastatic colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death. Standard chemotherapy in combination with targeted therapies represent the backbone for the treatment of advanced disease. However, options are limited for patients progressing on these regimens. Genetic testing can offer patients the opportunity to benefit from novel therapies, namely immune checkpoint inhibitors in microsatellite instability-positive tumors. HER2 overexpression has recently emerged as a potentially targetable tumor marker in colorectal cancer (CRC). Despite the absence of approvals for anti-HER2 therapies in CRC, many agents such as trastuzumab and pertuzumab were tested and demonstrated significant antitumor activity, even in heavily pretreated patients. Early trials are also evaluating lapatinib, T-DM1, tucatinib and other anti-HER2 agents in patients with metastatic CRC, with promising results.

Targeting Immune Modulators in Glioma While Avoiding Autoimmune Conditions.

Communication signals and signaling pathways are often studied in different physiological systems. However, it has become abundantly clear that the immune system is not self-regulated, but functions in close association with the nervous system. The neural-immune interface is complex; its balance determines cancer progression, as well as autoimmune disorders. Immunotherapy remains a promising approach in the context of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The primary obstacle to finding effective therapies is the potent immunosuppression induced by GBM. Anti-inflammatory cytokines, induction of regulatory T cells, and the expression of immune checkpoint molecules are the key mediators for immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. Immune checkpoint molecules are ligand-receptor pairs that exert inhibitory or stimulatory effects on immune responses. In the past decade, they have been extensively studied in preclinical and clinical trials in diseases such as cancer or autoimmune diseases in which the immune system has failed to maintain homeostasis. In this review, we will discuss promising immune-modulatory targets that are in the focus of current clinical research in glioblastoma, but are also in the precarious position of potentially becoming starting points for the development of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.

ß1-Integrin- and KV1.3 channel-dependent signaling stimulates glutamate release from Th17 cells.

Although the impact of Th17 cells on autoimmunity is undisputable, their pathogenic effector mechanism is still enigmatic. We discovered soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment receptor (SNARE) complex proteins in Th17 cells that enable a vesicular glutamate release pathway that induces local intracytoplasmic calcium release and subsequent damage in neurons. This pathway is glutamine dependent and triggered by binding of ß1-integrin to vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) on neurons in the inflammatory context. Glutamate secretion could be blocked by inhibiting either glutaminase or KV1.3 channels, which are known to be linked to integrin expression and highly expressed on stimulated T cells. Although KV1.3 is not expressed in CNS tissue, intrathecal administration of a KV1.3 channel blocker or a glutaminase inhibitor ameliorated disability in experimental neuroinflammation. In humans, T cells from patients with multiple sclerosis secreted higher levels of glutamate, and cerebrospinal fluid glutamine levels were increased. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that ß1-integrin- and KV1.3 channel-dependent signaling stimulates glutamate release from Th17 cells upon direct cell-cell contact between Th17 cells and neurons.

Intracerebroventricular injections of endotoxin (ET) reduces hippocampal neurogenesis.

Physio-pathological conditions such as neuroinflammation can modulate neurogenesis in the hippocampus. The aim of this study is to follow the time course of inflammation-induced effects on the neurogenic niche and the counter-effects of an anti-inflammatory drug. Rats received intracerebroventricular injections of lipopolysaccharide/endotoxin (ET) and intraperitoneal injections of 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine, then perfused at different time intervals. At day 3, ET injection resulted in thermal hyperalgesia accompanied by a significant decrease in neurogenesis. A rebound of neurogenesis was detected at day 6 and levels were back to basal at day 9. Daily treatment with Piroxicam alleviated the ET-induced effects.

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome: An Updated Overview.

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common metabolic and reproductive disorders among women of reproductive age. Women suffering from PCOS present with a constellation of symptoms associated with menstrual dysfunction and androgen excess, which significantly impacts their quality of life. They may be at increased risk of multiple morbidities, including obesity, insulin resistance, type II diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease (CVD), infertility, cancer, and psychological disorders. This review summarizes what the literature has so far provided from guidelines to diagnosis of PCOS. It will also present a general overview about the morbidities associated with this disease, specifically with its more severe classic form. Finally, the review will stress on the various aspects of treatment and screening recommendations currently used in the management of this condition.