Search results for "test"
showing 10 items of 19001 documents
Succinate receptor mediates intestinal inflammation and fibrosis.
2018
Succinate, an intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, is accumulated in inflamed areas and its signaling through succinate receptor (SUCNR1) regulates immune function. We analyze SUCNR1 expression in the intestine of Crohn's disease patients and its role in murine intestinal inflammation and fibrosis. We show that both serum and intestinal succinate levels and SUCNR1 expression in intestinal surgical resections were higher in CD patients than in controls. SUCNR1 co-localized with CD86, CD206, and alpha-SMA(+) cells in human intestine and we found a positive and significant correlation between SUCNR1 and alpha-SMA expression. In human isolated fibroblasts from CD patients SUCNR1 expres…
Real-Life Study for the Diagnosis of House Dust Mite Allergy - The Value of Recombinant Allergen-Based IgE Serology.
2016
<b><i>Background:</i></b><i>Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus</i> is one of the most important perennial allergen sources worldwide. Molecular diagnostics using the commercially available major allergens (Der p 1 and Der p 2) in combination with Der p 10 do not detect house dust mite (HDM) sensitization in a number of cases when used alone. The objective was to evaluate the IgE reactivity profiles of these patients using an experimental immunoassay biochip. <b><i>Methods: </i></b>Sera of HDM-allergic patients (positive skin prick test, CAP class ≥1 for allergen extract, and positive intranasal provocation) were tested for IgE antibodi…
Detecting differences with magnetoencephalography of somatosensory processing after tactile and electrical stimuli.
2018
Abstract Background Deviant stimuli within a standard, frequent stimulus train induce a cortical somatosensory mismatch response (SMMR). The SMMR reflects the brain’s automatic mechanism for the detection of change in a somatosensory domain. It is usually elicited by electrical stimulation, which activates nerve fibers and receptors in superficial and deep skin layers, whereas tactile stimulation is closer to natural stimulation and activates uniform fiber types. We recorded SMMRs after electrical and tactile stimuli. Method 306-channel magnetoencephalography recordings were made with 16 healthy adults under two conditions: electrical (eSMMR) and tactile (tSMMR) stimulations. The SMMR proto…
Cognitive network hyperactivation and motor cortex decline correlate with ALS prognosis.
2021
We aimed to quantitatively characterize progressive brain network disruption in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) during cognition using the mismatch negativity (MMN), an electrophysiological index of attention switching. We measured the MMN using 128-channel EEG longitudinally (2-5 timepoints) in 60 ALS patients and cross-sectionally in 62 healthy controls. Using dipole fitting and linearly constrained minimum variance beamforming we investigated cortical source activity changes over time. In ALS, the inferior frontal gyri (IFG) show significantly lower baseline activity compared to controls. The right IFG and both superior temporal gyri (STG) become progressively hyperactive longitudina…
Implicitly and explicitly assessed anxiety: No relationships with recognition of and brain response to facial emotions.
2019
Abstract Trait anxiety, the disposition to experience anxiety, is known to facilitate perception of threats. Trait anxious individuals seem to identify threatening stimuli such as fearful facial expressions more accurately, especially when presented under temporal constraints. In past studies on anxiety and emotion face recognition, only self-report or explicit measures of anxiety have been administered. Implicit measures represent indirect tests allowing to circumvent problems associated with self-report. In our study, we made use of implicit in addition to explicit measures to investigate the relationships of trait anxiety with recognition of and brain response to emotional faces. 75 heal…
The torso integration hypothesis revisited in Homo sapiens: Contributions to the understanding of hominin body shape evolution.
2018
Objectives: Lower thoracic widths and curvatures track upper pelvic widths and iliac blades curvatures in hominins and other primates (torso integration hypothesis). However, recent studies suggest that sexual dimorphism could challenge this assumption in Homo sapiens. We test the torso integration hypothesis in two modern human populations, both considering and excluding the effect of sexual dimorphism. We further assess covariation patterns between different thoracic and pelvic levels, and we explore the allometric effects on torso shape variation. Material and Methods: A sex-balanced sample of 50 anatomically connected torsos (25 Mediterraneans, 25 Sub-Saharan Africans) was segmented fro…
Early effects of fluoro-edenite: correlation between IL-18 serum levels and pleural and parenchymal abnormalities.
2016
Fluoro-edenite (FE) is a natural mineral asbestos-like fibrous species first isolated in Biancavilla, Sicily. In order to clarify potential involvement of IL-18 in the pathogenesis of FE-induced chest abnormalities, we analyzed IL-18 serum levels in FE-exposed workers (FEEW) and correlated them with pleural and parenchymal abnormalities. A total of 21 FEEWs, residing in Biancavilla for >30 years, with a working seniority of 17 ± 6.1 years were examined. High-resolution computed tomography scans revealed low grade of fibrosis in 8 (38%) FEEWs, and pleural plaques (PPs) in 13 (62%) FEEWs. The mean IL-18 level was 203.13 ± 90.43 pg/ml. Pearson correlation showed a significant association (…
Therapeutic drug monitoring as a tool to optimize 5-FU-based chemotherapy in gastrointestinal cancer patients older than 75 years.
2019
Abstract Aims Most clinical trials exclude elderly people, leading to a limited understanding of the benefit-to-risk ratio in this population. Despite existing data regarding the oncological management of elderly receiving fluorouracil (5-FU)-based regimen, our objective was to investigate 5-FU exposure/toxicity relationship in patients ≥75 years and compare the effectiveness of 5-FU therapeutic drug monitoring between elderly and younger patients. Methods Hundred fifty-four patients (31 of whom are older than 75 years) with gastrointestinal cancers, who were to receive 5-FU–based regimens, were included in our study. At cycle 1 (C1), the 5-FU dose was calculated using patient's body surfac…
Reducing diagnostic turnaround times of exome sequencing for families requiring timely diagnoses
2017
IF 2.137; International audience; BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:Whole-exome sequencing (WES) has now entered medical practice with powerful applications in the diagnosis of rare Mendelian disorders. Although the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of WES have been widely demonstrated, it is essential to reduce the diagnostic turnaround time to make WES a first-line procedure. Since 2011, the automation of laboratory procedures and advances in sequencing chemistry have made it possible to carry out diagnostic whole genome sequencing from the blood sample to molecular diagnosis of suspected genetic disorders within 50 h. Taking advantage of these advances, the main objective of the study was to impr…
Dynamics of Torque Teno virus plasma DNAemia in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients
2017
Abstract Background Torque Teno virus (TTV) plasma DNA load directly correlate with the level of immunosuppresion in different clinical settings. It is uncertain whether this may be the case in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients (allo-HSCT). Objectives We characterized the dynamics of TTV DNAemia in patients undergoing T-cell replete allo-SCT. Study design Retrospective single-center observational study including 72 allo-HSCT patients. Plasma TTV DNA loads were quantified before initiating the conditioning regimen and at different time-points after transplant by real-time PCR. White blood cells (WBC) and absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) were measured by flow cytometry.…