Disease Reactivation Research Articles

Postmenopausal Endometriosis: Clinical Insights and Imaging Considerations.

Endometriosis is a chronic systemic condition characterized by the presence of ectopic endometrial-like tissue outside of the uterus. It occurs most often in reproductive-aged patients and less frequently in postmenopausal women. In postmenopausal patients, endometriosis is more common in those undergoing hormone replacement therapy or taking tamoxifen. The risk of malignant transformation of endometriosis is higher in this older population, especially in those undergoing estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy. Many theories on the postmenopausal pathogenesis of endometriosis have been proposed, ranging from reactivation of premenopausal disease to de novo manifestation. Compared with premenopausal disease, postmenopausal endometriosis is typically less active and extensive, with fewer hemorrhagic components. Patients may be symptomatic, with chronic pelvic pain, or may receive the diagnosis after imaging performed for other indications such as an incidental ovarian lesion. Treatment is typically surgical resection or estrogen-blocking medications. Although the diagnosis requires pathologic confirmation, radiologists play an important role in diagnosing both benign endometriosis and malignant transformation. Pelvic US following a dedicated protocol is an accessible screening tool, with high sensitivity for diagnosis of bowel-invasive disease. MRI has better anatomic resolution and allows simultaneous characterization of adnexal and extrapelvic lesions, thereby providing excellent assessment for malignant transformation.

Prognostic significance of early nk cell recovery in pediatric t-cell replete allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Early immune reconstitution, particularly of natural killer (NK) cells with strong graft-versus-leukemia effects, is crucial for the prognosis of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). This retrospective study examined 122 pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who underwent T-cell replete allo-HSCT at the Children's Hospital of Soochow University from 2019 to 2021. Peripheral blood lymphocyte counts on days 30 and 60 post-transplant were analyzed, focusing on NK cell recovery and its impact on overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM), relapse, graft-versus-host disease, and CMV reactivation. Patients were categorized into high and low NK cell groups by the median NK cell counts at day 30 (NK30) and day 60 (NK60) after HSCT. Patients with high NK30 and NK60 levels had significantly better 3-year OS rates compared to their respective low NK count groups (86.8% ± 4.7% versus 67.6% ± 7.0%, P = 0.046; 95.7% ± 3.0% versus 63.7% ± 8.7%, P < 0.001, respectively). NK60 was found to be an independent predictor for 3-year OS and RFS in multivariate analysis. Early NK reconstitution was also related to lower NRM rates. However, this correlation disappeared in patients with ALL and those undergoing haploidentical transplantation. In addition, A positive association between early T cell and NK cell reconstitution was found in our study. Higher NK cell counts on days 60 can predict superior OS, RFS and lower NRM in pediatric AML allo-HSCT patients.

Intestinal ultrasound accurately predicts future therapy failure in Crohn's disease patients in a biologics-induced remission.

Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is used to assess disease activity, complications, and treatment follow-up in Crohn's disease (CD). Less is known about the association of disease activity on IUS with the risk of future disease relapse during biologically sustained clinical remission in CD. The study aimed to investigate the association between IUS activity parameters and subsequent therapy failure in asymptomatic biologically treated patients with CD. A retrospective cohort study examined the association between IUS parameters and forthcoming therapy failure (drug discontinuation, dose escalation, corticosteroid use, hospitalization, or surgery) in CD patients on biological therapy in remission. A total of 57 patients with ileal (65%) or ileocolonic (35%) CD on biological therapy were included in the study. Therapy failure occurred in 50.8% [defined as need for dose escalation (31%), drug discontinuation (51.7%), steroid use (10.5%), and hospitalization (6.8%)] during a median follow-up of 5 (SD + 9.5) months after IUS. On univariate analysis, a bowel wall thickness (BWT) of 2.5 vs. 4 mm (P = 0.005), the existence of an enlarged lymph node (P = 0.02), and the loss of bowel wall stratification (P = 0.01) were correlated with therapy failure. On multivariable analysis, only BWT ≥ 4 mm was associated with the risk of future treatment failure (hazard ratio, 3.7; 95% confidence interval, 0.6-15; P = 0.02). Our findings suggest that BWT ≥4 mm during clinical remission is associated with subsequent treatment failure in patients with CD treated with biologics. Our results support the use of IUS for monitoring CD during remission and may point to a novel threshold for predicting disease reactivation.

Disease Activity in Pregnant and Postpartum Women With Multiple Sclerosis Receiving Ocrelizumab or Other Disease-Modifying Therapies.

Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at risk of disease reactivation in the early postpartum period. Ocrelizumab (OCR) is an anti-CD20 therapy highly effective at reducing MS disease activity. Data remain limited regarding use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), including OCR, and disease activity during peripregnancy periods. We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from the MSBase Registry including pregnancies conceived after December 31, 2010, from women aged 18 years and older, with relapsing-remitting MS or clinically isolated syndrome. Women were classified by preconception exposure to DMTs, including OCR, rituximab (RTX), natalizumab (NAT), stratified into active (NAT-A; continued ≥28 weeks of gestation, restarted ≤1 month postpartum) or conservative (NAT-C; continued ≤4 weeks of gestation, restarted >1 month postpartum) strategies, dimethyl fumarate (DMF) or low-efficacy DMTs (interferon-beta, glatiramer acetate). Annualized relapse rates (ARRs) were calculated for 12-month prepregnancy, pregnancy, and 6-month postpartum periods. A total of 2,009 live births from 1,744 women were analyzed, including 73 live births from 69 women treated with preconception OCR. For OCR, no within-pregnancy relapse was observed and 3 women (4.1%) experienced 1 relapse in the postpartum period (ARR 0.09 [95% CI 0.02-0.27]). For NAT-A, 3 (3.7%) of 82 women relapsed during pregnancy (0.05 [0.01-0.15]) and 4 (4.9%) relapsed during postpartum (0.10 [0.03-0.26]). However, for NAT-C, 13 (15.9%) of 82 women relapsed within pregnancy (0.32 [0.20-0.51]) and 25 (30.5%) relapsed during postpartum (0.74 [0.50-1.06]). In the low-efficacy DMT group, 101 (7.6%) of 1,329 women experienced within-pregnancy relapse (0.12 [0.10-0.14]), followed by an increase in postpartum relapse activity with 234 women (17.6%) relapsing (0.43 [0.38-0.48]). This was similarly seen in the DMF group with 13 (7.9%) of 164 women experiencing within-pregnancy relapse (0.12 [0.06-0.20]) and 25 (15.2%) of 164 relapsing postpartum (0.39 [0.26-0.57]). Our RTX cohort had 0 of 24 women experiencing within-pregnancy relapse and 3 (12.5%) of 24 experiencing postpartum relapse. Women treated with OCR or NAT-A were observed to have low relapse rates during pregnancy and postpartum. NAT-C was associated with increased risk of relapses. There was no within-pregnancy relapse in our RTX cohort, although we caution overinterpretation due to our sample size. An effective DMT strategy with a favorable safety profile for the mother and infant should be discussed and implemented well in advance of planning a family. This study provides Class III evidence that for women with relapsing-remitting MS or clinically isolated syndrome who become pregnant, ocrelizumab, rituximab, and natalizumab (continued ≥28 weeks of gestation and restarted ≤1 month postpartum) were associated with reduced risk of relapses, compared with other therapeutic strategies.

Long-term follow-up of methotrexate and cytarabine in adult patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

The optimal treatment strategy for adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) remains unclear. Our previous study demonstrated the remarkable efficacy of combined methotrexate and cytarabine (Ara-C) [MA] therapy in patients newly diagnosed with LCH, with a median follow-up of 2 years. The present article reports long-term follow-up data spanning a median of 78 months (6.5 years) from a single-arm, single-centre, prospective phase 2 clinical trial (NCT02389400) conducted between January 2014 and December 2020. Ninety-five adults with newly diagnosed LCH exhibiting multisystem disease or multifocal single-system involvement underwent MA therapy every 35 days for six cycles. Methotrexate (1 g/m2) was administered by 24 h infusion on day 1 and AraC (0.1 g/m2) by 24 h infusion for 5 days. The primary end-point was event-free survival (EFS). The median patient age was 32 years (range 18-65 years). The overall response rate was 89.5%. Seven patients in this cohort died, and 38 experienced disease reactivation. No degenerative central nervous system diseases were observed. The estimated 6-year overall survival (OS) and EFS rates were 93.2% and 55.2% respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that risk organ (RO) involvement at baseline (hazard ratio [HR] 6.135 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.185-32.259]; p = 0.031) and age >40 years at diagnosis (HR 7.299 [95% CI 1.056-21.277]; p = 0.042) were associated with inferior OS. RO (HR 2.604 [95% CI 1.418-4.762]; p = 0.002) and skin (HR 2.232 [95% CI 1.171-4.255]; p = 0.015) involvement at baseline were poor prognostic factors for EFS. Regarding adverse events, four patients developed a second primary malignancy. In conclusion, the MA regimen was a valid and safe therapeutic approach for adult patients newly diagnosed with LCH.

Ocular Manifestation of Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Presenting as Serous Retinal Detachment: A Case Report

Background: Ocular involvement is relatively common in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA); however, choroidal involvement is rare. We present a case of serous retinal detachment resulting from choroidal involvement in GPA. Case presentation: A 55-year-old male presented to our clinic with bilateral eye redness and pain. Ocular examination revealed bilateral conjunctival injection, and dilation of the episcleral and scleral vessels. Slit-lamp examination revealed anterior chamber cells. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) confirmed serous retinal detachment (SRD) in the left eye. The patient had recently been diagnosed with GPA following a lung biopsy and had received immunosuppressive therapy, including systemic steroids, cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and rituximab. Five weeks after treatment, the clinical symptoms of the patient, including SRD, improved with alleviation of systemic symptoms. However, tapering systemic steroids and immunosuppressants and discontinuing rituximab led to disease reactivation. OCT demonstrated a recurrence of subretinal fluid, which had previously resolved, and slit-lamp examination showed mild bilateral engorged scleral vessels. Conclusions: Choroidal involvement can present as SRD and may indicate disease activity in patients with GPA.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: pediatric hepatic perspective

BackgroundHepatic manifestations of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), an underrecognized primary presentation in pediatric age group, mandate high levels of suspicion for early diagnosis.AimThis is to study the frequencies of clinical and laboratory hepatic involvement in patients with familial/primary or secondary/acquired HLH in relation to disease reactivation and outcome.MethodsA 6-month retrospective cohort study recruited 35 patients with HLH. Detailed clinical, laboratory, and genetic characteristics of HLH were collected. Hepatic transaminases and synthetic liver functions were collected at presentation, weeks 2 and 8 after starting treatment, and at time of reactivation. Biochemical liver involvement was considered when alanine aminotransferase (ALT) lived three-times more than the upper normal level. Overall (OS) and reactivation free survival were analyzed according to liver involvement.ResultsTwenty patients (57%) had genetically confirmed HLH, 12 (34.3%) had MUNC13D mutations, 3 (8.5%) had STXBP2 mutations, and 5 (14.3%) had RAB27A mutations, while 9 (25.7%) had no genetic mutations with 4 of them had secondary HLH. Six patients (17.2%) patients had unknown genetics status. Median (IQR) age of the whole group was 18 months (6–36) with an age range of 2–108 months. Liver enlargement was detected at diagnosis in 29 (82.9%) and at reactivation in 18 (51.4%) patients. Eight (22.86%) patients had biochemical hepatic involvement at presentation with no significant difference in their demographic, initial clinical presentation, survival, or the type of mutant gene according to liver involvement.ConclusionVariable hepatic biochemical involvement might be the presenting manifestation of HLH at diagnosis and upon reactivation, yet it did not impact disease outcome.

Reactivation of stable neovascular age-related macular degeneration following treat-and-extend regimen discontinuation.

To describe the incidence and pattern of reactivation of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) following successful treatment with treat-and-extend intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy. Consecutive patients with treated nAMD who did not require further treatment over a 6-month period and who attended their 3-monthly optical coherence tomography monitoring clinic in Moorfields Eye Hospital from 1 November 2019 to 31 January 2020 were included. Patients with diagnoses of macular neovascularization other than AMD, and patients with incomplete data were excluded. Baseline demographics recorded were age, sex, race, laterality, cause of macular neovascularization, drug, number of injections, and duration of treatment. Date, setting, symptoms, and time to retreatment were collected among patients with disease reactivation. The medical records of 286 patients were included. Most patients were female (64.3%), white (68.18%), and were receiving aflibercept monotherapy (55.2%). Mean number of injections at baseline was 17.79 ± 11.74 (range 3-62) with a mean treatment duration of 39.47 ± 30.68 months (range 2-139). Reactivation of AMD was identified in 32.2% of cases with 87% of recurrences identified via scheduled visit. The most common symptom was blurring of vision in 44.6%, while 39.1% were asymptomatic. Mean time from baseline to retreatment was 29.37 ± 22.40 months (range 5-104), with 20.7%, 73.9% and 88.04% of these patients requiring retreatment within 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Despite prior treatment with no reactivation in 6 months, 32.2% reactivate, 73.9% of which within 3 years. A significant proportion, 39.1%, reactivated without symptoms necessitating regular monitoring in the first 5 years.

Outcomes of Cyclosporine Ophthalmic Emulsion 0.05% Use in Pediatric Blepharokeratoconjunctivitis

Purpose: Pediatric blepharokeratoconjunctivitis (BKC) is a chronic ocular surface inflammatory disease. In this article, we report our experience using low-dose topical cyclosporine (CsA) 0.05% for the treatment of pediatric BKC. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on pediatric patients treated with topical CsA 0.05% for BKC between 2018 and 2022 at a single academic institution. Patients with less than 6 weeks of follow-up, a history of ocular infectious disease, or previous usage of topical/systemic immunomodulators (except corticosteroids) were excluded. The primary outcome was the change in the number of episodes of disease reactivation (flare) before and after the use of CsA 0.05%. Secondary outcomes included the number of clinic visits per year, success rate in corticosteroid tapering, and usage of rescue topical corticosteroid. Results: A total of 21 patients (13 male patients and 8 female patients) treated with CsA 0.05% twice daily were included in this study. The mean age of patients was 9.7 ± 4.2 years, and the mean follow-up period was 62.2 ± 62.5 weeks. The median number of flares per year was 5.6 (95% CI, 3.9–7.3) before treatment with CsA 0.05%, which reduced to 0.0 (95% CI, 0.0–0.9) while on CsA 0.05% (P = 0.01). The median number of clinic visits significantly reduced from 9.5 (95% CI, 7.3–11.7) to 4.5 (95% CI, 3.7–6.8) visits per year (P &lt; 0.0001). After 3.5 ± 2.7 weeks, 90.4% of patients using topical CSs concomitantly with topical CsA 0.05% could be successfully tapered off their topical CSs. Of the patients who tapered off their topical CSs, 3 patients (15%) later required rescue topical CSs despite ongoing CsA 0.05% treatment because of acute flare episodes. No adverse effects were reported with CsA use. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the efficacy of low-dose topical CsA 0.05% in reducing the frequency of acute flares and clinic visits per year in pediatric BKC.

Treatment of psoriasis with biologic and non-biologic targeted therapies in patients with latent tuberculosis infection or at risk for tuberculosis disease progression: Recommendations from a SPIN-FRT expert consensus.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a significant global health problem. In immunocompetent individuals, the microorganism can remain in a latent, non-contagious form, however, it may become active under conditions of immunosuppression. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, which are frequently used for the management of immune-mediated disorders like psoriasis, have been associated with a significantly increased risk of reactivating latent TB. Consequently, international guidelines recommend TB screening and preventive treatment before starting anti-TNF therapy. These recommendations have extended to IL-12/23, IL-17, IL-23 and TYK2 inhibitors under a caution principle, despite their different mechanisms of action. However, current evidence suggests that some of these agents are arguably not associated with an increased risk of TB reactivation or development of TB disease after infection, which calls for a critical reassessment of these guidelines. We have conducted a literature search evaluating the risk of TB reactivation associated with these innovative therapies, integrating findings from both randomized clinical trials and real-world evidence. The identified evidence is limited but the low number of identified cases of reactivation with IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors prompts reconsidering the need for preventive treatment for latent TB in all cases, regardless of biologic class or individual patient's risk of TB reactivation or drug toxicity. This review, along with the clinical insight of a panel of experts on behalf of the SPIN-FRT, led to the development of these consensus recommendations for managing psoriasis treatment in patients with latent TB infection or at risk of TB infection, who are receiving or are intended to receive biologic and non-biologic targeted therapies. These recommendations highlight the need for updates to the existing guidelines, aiming to provide a more differentiated approach that reflects the evolving landscape of psoriasis treatment and its implications for TB management.

Candida parapsilosis in Late Prosthetic Joint Infections Among Immunocompetent Patients: A Case Series.

Fungal prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are very rare in immunocompetent patients. PJI can present either early, delayed, or as late chronic infections. Diagnosis of fungal PJI presenting late is challenging due to the difficulty in isolation as well as the clinical presentation very similar to an aseptic loosening. There are no clear guidelines regarding the management of these patients. We present five cases of Candida parapsilosis PJI presenting as late chronic infections. All five patients were culture-negative preoperatively, immunocompetent, and with good soft-tissue condition. There were three infected knee prostheses and two infected hip hemiarthroplasty. All of them were treated with extensive debridement, meticulous sampling, and extended culture. We treated all of them with long-term antifungals without any disease reactivation or recurrence till the last follow-up. Fungal infection should be suspected in immunocompetent patients presenting early with features of aseptic loosening but without typical signs of periprosthetic infection. Revision with long-term suppressive therapy can give good results in these patients.

Adverse Events Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Patients With Glomerular Diseases and the Potential Risk of Disease Reactivation

Adverse Events Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Patients With Glomerular Diseases and the Potential Risk of Disease Reactivation

Antimicrobial activity of NK cells to Trypanosoma cruzi infected human primary Keratinocytes.

Infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is causative for Chagas disease, which is a highly neglected tropical disease prevalent in Latin America. Humans are primary infected through vectorial transmission by blood-sucking triatomine bugs. The parasite enters the human host through mucous membranes or small skin lesions. Since keratinocytes are the predominant cell type in the epidermis, they play a critical role in detecting disruptions in homeostasis and aiding in pathogen elimination by the immune system in the human skin as alternative antigen-presenting cells. Interestingly, keratinocytes also act as a reservoir for T. cruzi, as the skin has been identified as a major site of persistent infection in mice with chronic Chagas disease. Moreover, there are reports of the emergence of T. cruzi amastigote nests in the skin of immunocompromised individuals who are experiencing reactivation of Chagas disease. This observation implies that the skin may serve as a site for persistent parasite presence during chronic human infection too and underscores the significance of investigating the interactions between T. cruzi and skin cells. Consequently, the primary objective of this study was to establish and characterize the infection kinetics in human primary epidermal keratinocytes (hPEK). Our investigation focused on surface molecules that either facilitated or hindered the activation of natural killer (NK) cells, which play a crucial role in controlling the infection. To simulate the in vivo situation in humans, an autologous co-culture model was developed to examine the interactions between T. cruzi infected keratinocytes and NK cells. We evaluated the degranulation, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity of NK cells in response to the infected keratinocytes. We observed a strong activation of NK cells by infected keratinocytes, despite minimal alterations in the expression of activating or inhibitory ligands on NK cell receptors. However, stimulation with recombinant interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), a cytokine known to be present in significant quantities during chronic T. cruzi infections in the host, resulted in a substantial upregulation of these ligands on primary keratinocytes. Overall, our findings suggest the crucial role of NK cells in controlling acute T. cruzi infection in the upper layer of the skin and shed light on keratinocytes as potential initial targets of infection.

Outcomes of kidney transplant recipients exposed to Chagas disease under Benznidazole prophylaxis. A single center 10-year experience.

Chagas disease (ChD) is endemic in many parts of the world and can be transmitted through organ transplantation or reactivated by immunosuppression. Organs from infected donors are occasionally used for transplantation, and the best way of managing the recipients remains a subject of debate. We present a single-center cohort study describing a 10-year experience of kidney transplantation in patients at risk of donor-derived ChD and or reactivation. Patients received prophylactic treatment with Benznidazole and were monitored for transmission or reactivation. Monitoring included assessing direct parasitemia, serology, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Fifty-seven kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) were enrolled in the study. Forty-four patients (77.2%) were at risk of primary ChD infection, nine patients (15.8%) were at risk of disease reactivation, and four patients (7.0%) were at risk of both. All patients received Benznidazole prophylaxis, starting on the first day after transplantation. Parasitemia was assessed in 51 patients (89.5%), serology also in 51 patients (89.5%), and PCR in 40 patients (70.2%). None of the patients exhibited clinically or laboratory-detectable signs of disease. A single patient experienced a significant side effect, a cutaneous rash with intense pruritus. At 1-year post-transplantation, the patient and graft survival rates were 96.5% and 93%, respectively. In this study, no donor-derived or reactivation of Trypanosoma cruzi infection occurred in KTRs receiving Benznidazole prophylaxis.

The Glucocorticoid Taper: A Primer for the Clinicians.

Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy can ameliorate debilitating and life-threatening symptoms in several inflammatory/immunological disorders. However, it can also cause significant side effects, especially with higher doses and longer duration of use. Therefore, GCs should be used at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time to minimise adverse effects. GC therapy may cause suppression of the endogenous hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and abrupt discontinuation predisposes patients to features of GC-induced adrenal insufficiency. The practice of tapering GC therapy allows for recovery of the HPA axis while minimising the risk of a disease flare-up or symptoms of AI. Moderate-to-high dose GC therapy may be tapered rapidly to near-physiological doses while watching for features of disease reactivation. Once close to the physiological dose, tapering is slower and at longer intervals to allow for recovery of the HPA axis. It is important to use short- or intermediate-acting GC preparations such as hydrocortisone or prednisolone in physiological doses, administered in the morning to mimic the endogenous cortisol rhythm. A general principle to follow is that HPA axis recovery takes longer if the period of suppression has been long. In such cases, tapering should be slower over a few months to even a year. In select cases at high risk of AI or if symptoms appear during tapering, the decision to further taper and discontinue steroids may be based on testing of HPA axis function using basal and/or stimulated serum cortisol. All patients on exogenous steroids should be advised about the need for an appropriate increase in GC doses during acute medical or surgical illness and should carry a steroid alert card to avoid adrenal crisis.

Computational Exploration and Molecular Docking Analysis of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis RpfB Protein

The RpfB protein, a vital component of bacterial cell wall metabolism, is particularly significant in the context of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. Within this pathogen, RpfB plays a pivotal role in cell growth, division, and virulence, contributing to the survival and persistence of M. tuberculosis within the host. As a member of the Resuscitation-Promoting Factor (Rpf) family, RpfB is crucial for reactivating dormant cells, a process essential for M. tuberculosis to establish latent infections and evade host immune responses. Through its enzymatic activity, RpfB facilitates peptidoglycan remodeling and cell wall synthesis in M. tuberculosis, influencing bacterial physiology and pathogenicity. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which RpfB operates in M. tuberculosis not only enhances our understanding of bacterial persistence but also unveils potential targets for novel antimicrobial interventions against tuberculosis, a global health threat of immense significance. The vulnerability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to various drugs and its persistence has stood as a hurdle in the race against eradication of the pathogenicity of the bacteria. Identification of novel antituberculosis compounds is highly demanding as the available drugs are resistant. The ability of the bacteria to surpass the body's defenses and adapt itself to survive for disease reactivation is contributed by secreted proteins called resuscitating promoting factors (Rpfs). These factors aid in virulence and resuscitation from dormancy of the bacteria. Sequence analysis of RpfB was performed and compounds were first screened for toxicity and high-throughput virtual screening eliminating the toxic compounds. To understand the mechanism of ligand binding and interaction, molecular docking was performed for the compounds passing through the filter resulting with better docking studies predicting the possible binding mode of the inhibitors to the protein.

Absolute Lymphocyte Count: a Predictor of Positive Serum PCR for Trypanosoma cruzi in Patients with Chagas Disease Undergoing Heart Transplantation.

It is unknown whether lymphopenia is a risk factor for the reactivation of Chagas disease in heart transplantation (HTx), as recently described in the reactivation of cytomegalovirus in transplant patients. To evaluate whether lymphopenia in the perioperative period of heart transplantation is related to early Trypanosoma cruzi parasitemia. This observational, retrospective study analyzed a sample from January 2014 to January 2023). Parasitemia was evaluated in the first 3 months after HTx using serum polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and compared with the total lymphocyte count in the perioperative period of HTx using receiver operating characteristic curves. Baseline characteristics were compared with PCR for Chagas using independent Cox proportional hazards models. A significance level of 5% was adopted. The sample (n = 35) had a mean age of 52.5 ± 8.1 years, and 22 patients (62.8%) had positive PCR for Chagas. The mean lowest lymphocyte values in the first 14 days after HTx were 398 ± 189 and 755 ± 303 cells/mm3 in patients with and without parasitemia, respectively, within 3 months after HTx (area under the curve = 0.857; 95% confidence interval: 0.996 to 0.718, sensitivity and specificity of 83.3% and 86.4%). A cutoff value of less than 550 lymphocytes/mm3 was determined as a risk factor for the presence of parasitemia. Patients with lymphocytes < 550 units/mm3 in the first 14 days after HTx presented positive PCR in 80% of cases. For every increase of 100 lymphocytes/mm3, the risk of PCR positivity was reduced by 26% (hazard rate ratio = 0.74; 95% confidence interval: 0.59 to 0.93, p = 0.009). There was an association between lymphopenia in the perioperative period of HTx and early T. cruzi parasitemia detected by PCR.

RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a-LFA combined with a digital visualization instrument to detect Toxoplasma gondii in stray dogs and cats in Zhejiang province, China.

Toxoplasma gondii is a virulent pathogen that puts millions of infected people at risk of chronic disease reactivation. Hosts of T. gondii are distributed worldwide, and cats and dogs are common hosts of T. gondii. Therefore, rapid diagnosis of early T. gondii infection and investigation of its prevalence in stray dogs and cats are essential. Here, we established a visual recombinase polymerase amplification-clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 12a-assay combined with a lateral flow band assay and a digital visualization instrument. Detailed analyses found that the assay could be used for the early diagnosis of T. gondii without false-negative results. Moreover, we detected the prevalence of T. gondii in stray cats and dogs in Zhejiang province, China. Our developed assay provides technical support for the early diagnosis of T. gondii and could be applied in prevalence surveys of T. gondii in stray dogs and cats.

Histologic Disease Persists beyond Mucosal Healing and Could Predict Reactivation in Ulcerative Colitis.

Mucosal healing (MH) is the main target in ulcerative colitis (UC) treatment. Even if MH lowers the risk of disease reactivation, some patients still relapse. Histologic activity (HA) beyond MH could explain these cases. This study aims to assess how many patients with MH have HA and which lesions are associated with relapse. We retrospectively enrolled UC patients showing MH, expressed as a Mayo Endoscopic Subscore (MES) of 0 and 1 upon colonoscopy. We reviewed the histological reports of biopsies evaluating the presence of typical lesions of UC and assessed the number of clinical relapses after 12 months. Among 100 enrolled patients, 2 showed no histological lesions. According to univariate analysis, patients with a higher number of histological lesions at the baseline had a higher risk of relapse (OR 1.25, p = 0.012), as well as patients with basal plasmacytosis (OR 4.33, p = 0.005), lamina propria eosinophils (OR 2.99, p = 0.047), and surface irregularity (OR 4.70, p = 0.010). However, in the multivariate analysis, only basal plasmacytosis (OR 2.98, p = 0.050) and surface irregularity (OR 4.50, p = 0.024) were confirmed as risk factors for disease reactivation. HA persists in a significant percentage of patients with MH. Despite the presence of MH, patients with basal plasmacytosis and surface irregularity have a higher risk of relapse.

Nationwide Study of Factors Impacting Survival Outcome and Consequences in Children with Reactivation/Refractory Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.

Disease reactivation/refractory remains a major challenge in managing Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). Outcomes and late sequelae should be explored. A multi-institutional retrospective study was conducted to describe clinical characteristics, predictive factors, outcomes and late sequelae of pediatric reactivation/refractory LCH in Thailand. In all, 47 patients were studied, 25 (53.2%) patients had disease reactivation and 22 (46.8%) patients had refractory LCH. The median reactivation and refractory time were 1.59 and 0.33 years from diagnosis, respectively (p <0.001). The most common site of reactivation/refractory was the bone (n = 26, 55%), and 20 (42.6%) patients developed late sequelae. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 76.1%. Patients with reactivation and refractory LCH performed similarly in 5-year OS (88% vs. 63%, p = 0.055). Prognostic factors associated with mortality were liver, spleen, hematopoietic system and lung reactivation (p <0.05). Lung reactivation was the only independent risk factor associated with the survival outcome (p = 0.002). The outcomes of pediatric patients between reactivation and refractory LCH in Thailand were similarly desirable and mortality was minimal although late sequelae may evolve. Pulmonary reactivation/refractory was an independent risk factor associated with survival.