Herpes Zoster and vaccination strategies in inflammatory bowel diseases: a practical guide

Herpes zoster is a painful dermatomal cutaneous eruption resulting from reactivation of the latent varicella–zoster virus. Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases have an increased risk of shingles compared with the general population and this risk can be increased with the use of immunosuppressive therapy. Live zoster vaccine and recombinant zoster vaccine have shown efficacy for the prevention of herpes zoster. The recombinant zoster vaccine seems to offer greater efficacy and long-term protection profile compared with the life zoster vaccine. However, their use in clinical practice still is unclear and updated vaccination recommendations are lacking. This review discusses the risk for shingles in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, available vaccines, and their efficacy and safety profiles. We also provide guidance on who, when, and how to vaccinate for herpes zoster in routine clinical practice among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

Tumor Recurrence: Postoperative MR Follow-Up in Grade III Oligodendroglioma

Patient with surgically treated grade III left fronto-parietal oligodendroglioma. Postoperative follow-up performed late (9 months) with MR morphologic sequences

Late Complications: Abscess-Postoperative MR Follow-Up in Glioblastoma Multiforme

Patient with surgically treated right fronto-parieto-temporal glioblastoma multiforme. Late postoperative MR imaging with morphologic sequences and diffusion-weighted imaging

Unmet needs in IBD : the case of fatigue

Fatigue is a highly prevalent but relatively ignored problem in IBD patients. It is one of the most burdensome symptoms to the patient with an important impact on the quality of life. Therefore, fatigue is a highly relevant patient-reported outcome that should be included not only in disease activity measurement but also in the endpoints of clinical trials in IBD. However, most of the currently available scoring systems to quantify fatigue are not specifically designed for patients with IBD and none of them has undergone a complete validation process for IBD-related fatigue. Fatigue is more prevalent in patients with active disease and may improve or disappear when remission is reached. Far more complex is the persistence or onset of fatigue in quiescent IBD which presents in up to 40% of the patients. In this subgroup of patients, fatigue can be related to smoldering systemic inflammation, a poor sleep quality, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, or comorbidities. In most cases, however, no direct cause can be identified. The lack of knowledge on the mechanisms that drive fatigue in IBD hamper the development of specific drugs to treat the condition and only psychological support can be offered to the patient. Rodent models are indispensable to increase our understanding of the molecular pathways that lead to fatigue in chronic intestinal inflammation, and to develop novel therapies

Abdominal Pain in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Clinical Challenge.

Up to 60% of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients experience abdominal pain in their lifetime regardless of disease activity. Pain negatively affects different areas of daily life and particularly impacts the quality of life of IBD patients. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the multifactorial etiology implicated in the chronic abdominal pain of IBD patients including peripheral sensitization by inflammation, coexistent irritable bowel syndrome, visceral hypersensitivity, alteration of the brain–gut axis, and the multiple factors contributing to pain persistence. Despite the optimal management of intestinal inflammation, chronic abdominal pain can persist, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches are necessary. Integrating psychological support in care models in IBD could decrease disease burden and health care costs. Consequently, a multidisciplinary approach similar to that used for other chronic pain conditions should be recommended

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in IBD: more pros than cons

International audienceData on the efficacy and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are now available, but evidence for these vaccines in those who are immunocompromised (including patients with inflammatory bowel diseases) are lacking. As vaccination begins, questions on advantages and disadvantages can be partially addressed using the experience from other vaccines or immune-mediated inflammatory disorders

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on work capacities of researchers: An overlooked problem

Background: The new coronavirus pandemic has substantially changed research and teaching activities. The aim of our survey was to investigate the impact of the current health emergency on teaching and research activities, focusing on the perspectives of research unit members.Methods: This was an anonymous web-survey conducted between April 29 and May 6, 2020. All members of the center of Biology, Medicine, and Health sciences (BMS) of the Lorraine University were invited to participate in this survey through collective e-mails.Results: Eighty-three subjects participated in our survey. Research activities were totally (86.8%) or partially (75.9%) stopped in most centers and most of respondents were working from home occasionally (15.7%) or every day (78.3%). The main activity during lockdown was writing original articles from already collected data (39.8%). More than a third of the respondents (39.7%) reported remarkable reduction in their work. Similarly, most of conferences (82%) and internships (73.3%) were canceled and graduation of students were postponed in 58.8% of cases.&nbsp;Conclusions: Work from home was a valid alternative to workplace activities during the pandemic. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of this new approach on quality of research and teaching.</p

<i>Lactobacillus paracasei</i> CNCM I 1572: A Promising Candidate for Management of Colonic Diverticular Disease

Diverticular disease (DD) is a common gastrointestinal condition. Patients with DD experience a huge variety of chronic nonspecific symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits. They are also at risk of complications such as acute diverticulitis, abscess formation, hemorrhage, and perforation. Intestinal dysbiosis and chronic inflammation have recently been recognized as potential key factors contributing to disease progression. Probiotics, due to their ability to modify colonic microbiota balance and to their immunomodulatory effects, could present a promising treatment option for patients with DD. Lactobacillus paracasei CNCM I 1572 (LCDG) is a probiotic strain with the capacity to rebalance gut microbiota and to decrease intestinal inflammation. This review summarizes the available clinical data on the use of LCDG in subjects with colonic DD