The Brain Tumor Segmentation (BraTS) Challenge 2023: Focus on Pediatrics (CBTN-CONNECT-DIPGR-ASNR-MICCAI BraTS-PEDs)

Pediatric tumors of the central nervous system are the most common cause of cancer-related death in children. The five-year survival rate for high-grade gliomas in children is less than 20\%. Due to their rarity, the diagnosis of these entities is often delayed, their treatment is mainly based on historic treatment concepts, and clinical trials require multi-institutional collaborations. The MICCAI Brain Tumor Segmentation (BraTS) Challenge is a landmark community benchmark event with a successful history of 12 years of resource creation for the segmentation and analysis of adult glioma. Here we present the CBTN-CONNECT-DIPGR-ASNR-MICCAI BraTS-PEDs 2023 challenge, which represents the first BraTS challenge focused on pediatric brain tumors with data acquired across multiple international consortia dedicated to pediatric neuro-oncology and clinical trials. The BraTS-PEDs 2023 challenge focuses on benchmarking the development of volumentric segmentation algorithms for pediatric brain glioma through standardized quantitative performance evaluation metrics utilized across the BraTS 2023 cluster of challenges. Models gaining knowledge from the BraTS-PEDs multi-parametric structural MRI (mpMRI) training data will be evaluated on separate validation and unseen test mpMRI dataof high-grade pediatric glioma. The CBTN-CONNECT-DIPGR-ASNR-MICCAI BraTS-PEDs 2023 challenge brings together clinicians and AI/imaging scientists to lead to faster development of automated segmentation techniques that could benefit clinical trials, and ultimately the care of children with brain tumors

Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a lifetime risk of one in 350 people and an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies. We conducted a cross-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls, which identified 15 risk loci. When combined with 8,953 individuals with whole-genome sequencing (6,538 patients, 2,415 controls) and a large cortex-derived expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) dataset (MetaBrain), analyses revealed locus-specific genetic architectures in which we prioritized genes either through rare variants, short tandem repeats or regulatory effects. ALS-associated risk loci were shared with multiple traits within the neurodegenerative spectrum but with distinct enrichment patterns across brain regions and cell types. Of the environmental and lifestyle risk factors obtained from the literature, Mendelian randomization analyses indicated a causal role for high cholesterol levels. The combination of all ALS-associated signals reveals a role for perturbations in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy and provides evidence for cell-autonomous disease initiation in glutamatergic neurons

DMTs and Covid-19 severity in MS: a pooled analysis from Italy and France

We evaluated the effect of DMTs on Covid-19 severity in patients with MS, with a pooled-analysis of two large cohorts from Italy and France. The association of baseline characteristics and DMTs with Covid-19 severity was assessed by multivariate ordinal-logistic models and pooled by a fixed-effect meta-analysis. 1066 patients with MS from Italy and 721 from France were included. In the multivariate model, anti-CD20 therapies were significantly associated (OR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.39–3.02, p < 0.001) with Covid-19 severity, whereas interferon indicated a decreased risk (OR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.18–0.99, p = 0.047). This pooled-analysis confirms an increased risk of severe Covid-19 in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and supports the protective role of interferon

Modelling human choices: MADeM and decision‑making

Research supported by FAPESP 2015/50122-0 and DFG-GRTK 1740/2. RP and AR are also part of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics FAPESP grant (2013/07699-0). RP is supported by a FAPESP scholarship (2013/25667-8). ACR is partially supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)

Effets de la chirurgie bariatrique sur le métabolisme des lipoparticules riches en triglycérides (LRT) chez les patients obèses, diabétiques de type 2

Objectif: la dyslipidémie des sujets obèses insulino-résistants est caractérisée par une élévation des lipoparticules riches en triglycérides (LRT) sanguines d’origine intestinale (chylomicrons ou LRT-apoB48) et hépatique (VLDL ou LRT-apoB100). Il est maintenant bien établi que la chirurgie bariatrique comme la sleeve gastrectomie (SG) a une efficacité importante sur la perte de poids et l’amélioration des anomalies métaboliques comme la baisse des triglycérides plasmatiques. L’effet de la chirurgie bariatrique sur les LRT-apoB100 a été bien étudié. En revanche, peu d’étude ont analysé son effet sur les chylomicrons, c’est pourquoi l’objectif de cette étude est d’analyser l’effet de la SG sur le métabolisme des LRT-apoB48.Méthodes et Résultats : huit patients obèses, diabétiques de type 2 ont été inclus dans notre étude. Nous avons réalisé une étude cinétique des lipoprotéines en alimentation constante avant et six mois après sleeve gastrectomie en utilisant une méthode d’enrichissement par un isotope stable (D3-Leucine). Nous avons retrouvé une diminution significative du poids, de l’IMC, de tous les paramètres d’insulino-résistance avec rémission du diabète chez 100% des patients ainsi qu’une diminution à jeun, des TG plasmatique et des LRT-TG. Nous avons retrouvé de plus une diminution significative de 43% du pool size (PS) des LRT-apoB48 (p=0,024), associée à une tendance à la diminution du fractional catabolic rate (FCR) (p=0,25) sans modification du taux de production (PR) (p=0,8).Conclusion : il s’agit de la première étude cinétique réalisée après chirurgie bariatrique chez des patients obèses, diabétiques de type 2 qui a montré l’amélioration du métabolisme des chylomicrons. La diminution de la quantité des LRT-apoB48 contribue probablement à l’amélioration du profil lipidique et ainsi à la diminution de la morbi-mortalité cardio-vasculaire après chirurgie bariatrique

Role of growth hormone in hepatic and intestinal triglyceride-rich lipoprotein metabolism

International audienceBackground: Elevated plasma concentrations of hepatic- and intestinally-derived triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL) are implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Excess of TRL is the driving cause of atherogenic dyslipidemia commonly occurring in insulin-resistant individuals such as patients with obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Interestingly, growth hormone (GH)-deficient individuals display similar atherogenic dyslipidemia, suggesting an important role of GH and GH deficiency in the regulation of TRL metabolism.Objective: We aimed to examine the direct and/or indirect role of GH on TRL metabolism.Methods: We investigated the effect on fasting and postprandial hepatic-TRL and intestinal-TRL metabolism of short-term (one month) withdrawal of GH in 10 GH-deficient adults.Results: After GH withdrawal, we found a reduction in fasting plasma TRL concentration (significant decrease in TRL-TG, TRL-cholesterol, TRL-apoB-100, TRL-apoC-III and TRL-apoC-II) but not in postprandial TRL response. This reduction was due to fewer fasting TRL particles without a change in TG per particle and was not accompanied by a change in postprandial TRL-apoB-48 response. Individual reductions in TRL correlated strongly with increases in insulin sensitivity and decreases in TRL-apoC-III.Conclusion: In this relatively short term 'loss of function' human experimental model, we have shown an unanticipated reduction of hepatic-TRL particles despite increase in total body fat mass and reduction in lean mass. These findings contrast with the atherogenic dyslipidemia previously described in chronic GH deficient states, providing a new perspective for the role of GH in lipoprotein metabolism

Impact of bariatric surgery on apolipoprotein C-III levels and lipoprotein distribution in obese human subjects

International audienceBACKGROUND: Elevated apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) has been postulated to contribute to the atherogenic dyslipidemia seen in obesity and insulin-resistant states, mainly by impairing plasma triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) metabolism. Bariatric surgery is associated with improvements of several obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities, including a reduction in plasma triglycerides (TGs) and an increase in plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).OBJECTIVES: We investigated the specific effect of bariatric surgery on apoC-III concentrations in plasma, non-HDL, and HDL fractions in relation to lipid profile parameters evolution.METHODS: A total of 132 obese subjects undergoing bariatric surgery, gastric bypass (n 5 61) or sleeve gastrectomy (n 5 71), were studied 1 month before surgery and 6 and 12 months after surgery.RESULTS: Plasma apoC-III, non-HDL-apoC-III, and HDL-apoC-III concentrations were markedly reduced after surgery and strongly associated with reduction in plasma TG. This decrease was accompanied by a redistribution of apoC-III from TRL to HDL fractions. In multivariate analysis, plasma apoC-III was the strongest predictor of TG reduction after surgery, and the increase of HDL-C was positively associated with plasma adiponectin and negatively with body mass index.Conclusion: Marked reduction of apoC-III and changes in its distribution between TRL and HDL consistent with a better lipid profile are achieved in obese patients after bariatric surgery. These apoC-III beneficial modifications may have implications in dyslipidemia improvement and contribute to cardiovascular risk reduction after surgery

Impact of bariatric surgery on apolipoprotein C-III levels and lipoprotein distribution in obese human subjects

International audienceBACKGROUND: Elevated apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) has been postulated to contribute to the atherogenic dyslipidemia seen in obesity and insulin-resistant states, mainly by impairing plasma triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) metabolism. Bariatric surgery is associated with improvements of several obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities, including a reduction in plasma triglycerides (TGs) and an increase in plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).OBJECTIVES: We investigated the specific effect of bariatric surgery on apoC-III concentrations in plasma, non-HDL, and HDL fractions in relation to lipid profile parameters evolution.METHODS: A total of 132 obese subjects undergoing bariatric surgery, gastric bypass (n 5 61) or sleeve gastrectomy (n 5 71), were studied 1 month before surgery and 6 and 12 months after surgery.RESULTS: Plasma apoC-III, non-HDL-apoC-III, and HDL-apoC-III concentrations were markedly reduced after surgery and strongly associated with reduction in plasma TG. This decrease was accompanied by a redistribution of apoC-III from TRL to HDL fractions. In multivariate analysis, plasma apoC-III was the strongest predictor of TG reduction after surgery, and the increase of HDL-C was positively associated with plasma adiponectin and negatively with body mass index.Conclusion: Marked reduction of apoC-III and changes in its distribution between TRL and HDL consistent with a better lipid profile are achieved in obese patients after bariatric surgery. These apoC-III beneficial modifications may have implications in dyslipidemia improvement and contribute to cardiovascular risk reduction after surgery