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

Efeito da calagem na relação entre solo e água

Mudanças nas propriedades físicas do solo, principalmente aquelas relacionadas com a retenção de água e agregação, podem estar associadas às variações na eletroquímica do solo. Estudar o efeito da calagem sobre a relação entre solo e água constituiu o objetivo deste trabalho. Em 1994, um experimento foi instalado na área experimental do Departamento de Solos da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, em um Argissolo Acinzentado distrófico plíntico. Os tratamentos consistiram na aplicação superficial e incorporação de calcário nas doses de zero, 2+2, 8,5 e 17 Mg ha-1. Em 2006, doze anos após a aplicação de calcário, foram coletadas amostras de solo com estrutura preservada e em triplicata nas camadas de 0-5 cm e 5-10 cm. As amostras foram caracterizadas quanto a algumas propriedades químicas. As propriedades físicas avaliadas foram: i) velocidade de umectação do solo, estimada em um dispositivo de ascensão capilar de água; ii) umidade gravimétrica do solo, medida ao final do teste de ascensão capilar de água, e iii) densidade do solo, estimada pela razão entre a massa e o volume de torrões de solo seco. A velocidade de umectação foi mais intensa nos solos que receberam as maiores doses de calcário. A umidade gravimétrica aumentou linearmente com as doses de calcário, enquanto a densidade do solo não foi alterada. Houve incremento de água no solo entre 5,1 e 6,2 mg g-1 para cada tonelada de corretivo aplicada. Pode-se concluir que, após 12 anos da calagem, as formas de aplicação de calcário não tiveram influência sobre a densidade do solo e sobre a retenção de água; a calagem alterou a relação entre solo e água, tornando o solo mais hidrófilo com o aumento das doses de calcário, independentemente da forma de aplicação do corretivo

Midfoot and Hindfoot Charcot Deformity Correction is Well Maintained with Beam Fixation

Category: Midfoot/Forefoot; Diabetes Introduction/Purpose: Charcot arthropathy is a neurotraumatic foot disorder seen in patients with peripheral neuropathy. Surgical reconstruction via medial column arthrodesis with beams can restore plantigrade foot anatomy with decreased soft tissue dissection and improved bony compression. Methods: We identified 12 patients with midfoot (n=7) or hindfoot (n=5) Charcot who underwent medial column beaming arthrodesis between 2015 and 2021 b y one of two fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons at an academic medical center. Data collected from patient charts included demographics, medical history, complications, and reoperation rate. Meary’s angle was measured on lateral weightbearing radiographs preoperatively and up to two years postoperatively. Mean follow-up time was 2.50 (range, 1.04-6.98) years. Statistical analysis included correlation, two-tailed Student t-test, and Chi-squared test. Results: Meary’s angle was recorded preoperatively for 12 patients (19.3° ± 6.7°) and postoperatively at three months for 12 patients (4.0° ± 6.7°), at six months for 12 patients (7.1° ± 9.7°), at one year for 11 patients (6.1° ± 9.4°), and at two years for five patients (10.2° ± 6.4°). However, two (16.7%) patients showed a loss of deformity correction, which was demonstrated by a Meary’s angle that was greater at final follow-up than preoperatively. Overall complication, infection, reoperation rates were 50.0%, 41.7%, and 58.3%, respectively. Finally, dependent on preoperative ulceration, those with and without an ulcer did not differ in Meary’s angle at any time point, overall complication, infection, nor reoperation rate. Conclusion: Although the results showed a relatively high complication rate, the use of beaming arthrodesis was generally able to maintain a plantigrade foot and overall alignment, while decreasing the recurrence of plantar ulceration

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like superoxide dismutase 1 proteinopathy is associated with neuronal loss in Parkinson’s disease brain

Neuronal loss in numerous neurodegenerative disorders has been linked to protein aggregation and oxidative stress. Emerging data regarding overlapping proteinopathy in traditionally distinct neurodegenerative diseases suggest that disease-modifying treatments targeting these pathological features may exhibit efficacy across multiple disorders. Here, we describe proteinopathy distinct from classic synucleinopathy, predominantly comprised of the anti-oxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1), in the Parkinson’s disease brain. Significant expression of this pathology closely reflected the regional pattern of neuronal loss. The protein composition and non-amyloid macrostructure of these novel aggregates closely resembles that of neurotoxic SOD1 deposits in SOD1-associated familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS). Consistent with the hypothesis that deposition of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative disorders reflects upstream dysfunction, we demonstrated that SOD1 in the Parkinson’s disease brain exhibits evidence of misfolding and metal deficiency, similar to that seen in mutant SOD1 in fALS. Our data suggest common mechanisms of toxic SOD1 aggregation in both disorders and a potential role for SOD1 dysfunction in neuronal loss in the Parkinson’s disease brain. This shared restricted proteinopathy highlights the potential translation of therapeutic approaches targeting SOD1 toxicity, already in clinical trials for ALS, into disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson’s disease