Staphylococcus aureus and autoimmune uveitis reactivation in childhood: a possible correlation?

The role of infectious agents in autoimmune diseases has been the subject of several studies and is still under investigation. Here a paediatric case series of autoimmune uveitis is reported. An exacerbation of the ocular inflammation occurred in concomitance with nasal colonisation by Staphylococcus aureus

The maize fused leaves1 (fdl1) gene controls organ separation in the embryo and seedling shoot and promotes coleoptile opening

The fdl1-1 mutation, caused by an Enhancer/Suppressor mutator (En/Spm) element insertion located in the third exon of the gene, identifies a novel gene encoding ZmMYB94, a transcription factor of the R2R3-MYB subfamily. The fdl1 gene was isolated through co-segregation analysis, whereas proof of gene identity was obtained using an RNAi strategy that conferred less severe, but clearly recognizable specific mutant traits on seedlings. Fdl1 is involved in the regulation of cuticle deposition in young seedlings as well as in the establishment of a regular pattern of epicuticular wax deposition on the epidermis of young leaves. Lack of Fdl1 action also correlates with developmental defects, such as delayed germination and seedling growth, abnormal coleoptile opening and presence of curly leaves showing areas of fusion between the coleoptile and the first leaf or between the first and the second leaf. The expression profile of ZmMYB94 mRNA\u2014determined by quantitative RT-PCR\u2014 overlaps the pattern of mutant phenotypic expression and is confined to a narrow developmental window. High expression was observed in the embryo, in the seedling coleoptile and in the first two leaves, whereas RNA level, as well as phenotypic defects, decreases at the third leaf stage. Interestingly several of the Arabidopsis MYB genes most closely related to ZmMYB94 are also involved in the activation of cuticular wax biosynthesis, suggesting deep conservation of regulatory processes related to cuticular wax deposition between monocots and dicots

Adherence issues related to sublingual immunotherapy as perceived by allergists

Objectives: Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is a viable alternative to subcutaneous immunotherapy to treat allergic rhinitis and asthma, and is widely used in clinical practice in many European countries. The clinical efficacy of SLIT has been established in a number of clinical trials and meta-analyses. However, because SLIT is self-administered by patients without medical supervision, the degree of patient adherence with treatment is still a concern. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perception by allergists of issues related to SLIT adherence. Methods: We performed a questionnaire-based survey of 296 Italian allergists, based on the adherence issues known from previous studies. The perception of importance of each item was assessed by a VAS scale ranging from 0 to 10. Results: Patient perception of clinical efficacy was considered the most important factor (ranked 1 by 54% of allergists), followed by the possibility of reimbursement (ranked 1 by 34%), and by the absence of side effects (ranked 1 by 21%). Patient education, regular follow-up, and ease of use of SLIT were ranked first by less than 20% of allergists. Conclusion: These findings indicate that clinical efficacy, cost, and side effects are perceived as the major issues influencing patient adherence to SLIT, and that further improvement of adherence is likely to be achieved by improving the patient information provided by prescribers. © 2010 Scurati et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd

Changes in the uninjected contralateral eye after intravitreal brolucizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration

Purpose Herein we describe the change in the amount of macular oedema in one eye after contralateral intravitreal brolucizumab injections in a patient with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Case Report A patient with bilateral nAMD underwent intravitreal bevacizumab injections in both eyes with little improvement in the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular exudation. The treatment was switched to aflibercept, but there was incomplete drying of the macula in both eyes. After uneventful cataract extraction, the central macular thickness (CMT) increased markedly in the operated left eye (LE), which was unresponsive to subtenon triamcinolone and further intravitreal aflibercept. Cataract surgery was also performed in the right eye (RE) combined with an intravitreal sustained-release dexamethasone implant. Nevertheless, the CMT increased. Intravitreal brolucizumab injections were performed in the RE with almost complete disappearance of the oedema in the treated eye. Concurrently, the contralateral uninjected eye showed a remarkable decrease in CMT. Five months after the first brolucizumab injection, the macular exudation increased again in both eyes. A second brolucizumab injection was performed in the RE only, and was followed by a prompt reduction in CMT in both the injected RE and uninjected LE. Conclusions Although contralateral retinal changes have been described for many other vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors, there is little evidence for brolucizumab. We describe a repeated dose- and time-related effect on the uninjected eye in a case of nAMD