14 research outputs found
A Randomized Phase 2 Trial of Antibiotic Prophylaxis Versus No Intervention for Muscle Biopsy in A Neurology Department
Muscle biopsy can be used to confirm the diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases. However, it is unclear whether antibiotic prophylaxis prior to muscle biopsy is needed to prevent surgical site infection (SSI). We are conducting a phase 2, single-center, open-labeled, prospective randomized trial to clarify the need for antibiotic prophylaxis in patients at low risk for SSI undergoing muscle biopsy. Patients will be randomized to an antibiotic prophylaxis group or a control group, and the incidence of SSI will be compared between the groups. Our findings will clarify the need for antibiotic prophylaxis in this patient population
The role of interferons type I, II and III in myositis: A review
International audienceThe classification of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) is based on clinical, serological and histological criteria. The identification of myositis-specific antibodies has helped to define more homogeneous groups of myositis into four dominant subsets: dermatomyositis (DM), antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS), sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) and immune-mediated necrotising myopathy (IMNM). sIBM and IMNM patients present predominantly with muscle involvement, whereas DM and ASyS patients present additionally with other extramuscular features, such as skin, lung and joints manifestations. Moreover, the pathophysiological mechanisms are distinct between each myositis subsets. Recently, interferon (IFN) pathways have been identified as key players implicated in the pathophysiology of myositis. In DM, the key role of IFN, especially type I IFN, has been supported by the identification of an IFN signature in muscle, blood and skin of DM patients. In addition, DM-specific antibodies are targeting antigens involved in the IFN signalling pathways. The pathogenicity of type I IFN has been demonstrated by the identification of mutations in the IFN pathways leading to genetic diseases, the monogenic interferonopathies. This constitutive activation of IFN signalling pathways induces systemic manifestations such as interstitial lung disease, myositis and skin rashes. Since DM patients share similar features in the context of an acquired activation of the IFN signalling pathways, we may extend underlying concepts of monogenic diseases to acquired interferonopathy such as DM. Conversely, in ASyS, available data suggest a role of type II IFN in blood, muscle and lung. Indeed, transcriptomic analyses highlighted a type II IFN gene expression in ASyS muscle tissue. In sIBM, type II IFN appears to be an important cytokine involved in muscle inflammation mechanisms and potentially linked to myodegenerative features. For IMNM, currently published data are scarce, suggesting a minor implication of type II IFN. This review highlights the involvement of different IFN subtypes and their specific molecular mechanisms in each myositis subset
Myostatin in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: serum assessment and diseaseactivity
International audienc
A Randomized Phase 2 Trial of Antibiotic Prophylaxis Versus No Intervention for Muscle Biopsy in A Neurology Department
Myostatin in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: Serum assessment and disease activity
International audienc
gAChR antibodies in children and adolescents with acquired autoimmune dysautonomia in Japan
Abstract Objective Patients with acquired autonomic dysfunction may have antibodies specific to the ganglionic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (gAChR). However, the clinical features of children and adolescents with acquired autonomic dysfunction (AAD) remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the clinical features of pediatric patients with acquired autonomic dysfunction. Methods This study retrospectively examined a series of patients of AAD with serum gAChR antibodies who were referred to our laboratory for antibody testing between January 2012 and April 2019. The study included 200 patients (<20 years, 20 cases; ≥20 years, 175 cases) with clinical features of AAD. Results Upon comparing pediatric and adult patients, we found that antecedent infection and autonomic symptoms at onset with gastrointestinal symptoms occurred more frequently in children with AAD. We confirmed that four children (20.0%) met the diagnostic criteria for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). A significantly higher number of children than adults had POTS (P = 0.002). In addition, upper GI dysfunction was more prevalent in children than in adults (P = 0.042). In particular, nausea and vomiting occurred in 60.0% of children with AAD and in 21.1% of adults (P < 0.001). The frequency of paralytic ileus was significantly higher in children with AAD (20.0%) relative to adults (6.3%) (P = 0.030). Regarding extra‐autonomic manifestations, encephalopathy was more frequent in children (15.0%) than in adults (1.1%) (P < 0.001). Interpretation Pediatric AAD patients have their own clinical characteristics, and these features may be unique to children and adolescents
RNA sequencing solved the most common but unrecognized NEB pathogenic variant in Japanese nemaline myopathy
International audienc
RNA sequencing solved the most common but unrecognized NEB pathogenic variant in Japanese nemaline myopathy
International audienc
Search for thermal X-ray features from the Crab nebula with the Hitomi soft X-ray spectrometer
The Crab nebula originated from a core-collapse supernova (SN) explosion
observed in 1054 A.D. When viewed as a supernova remnant (SNR), it has an
anomalously low observed ejecta mass and kinetic energy for an Fe-core collapse
SN. Intensive searches were made for a massive shell that solves this
discrepancy, but none has been detected. An alternative idea is that the SN1054
is an electron-capture (EC) explosion with a lower explosion energy by an order
of magnitude than Fe-core collapse SNe. In the X-rays, imaging searches were
performed for the plasma emission from the shell in the Crab outskirts to set a
stringent upper limit to the X-ray emitting mass. However, the extreme
brightness of the source hampers access to its vicinity. We thus employed
spectroscopic technique using the X-ray micro-calorimeter onboard the Hitomi
satellite. By exploiting its superb energy resolution, we set an upper limit
for emission or absorption features from yet undetected thermal plasma in the
2-12 keV range. We also re-evaluated the existing Chandra and XMM-Newton data.
By assembling these results, a new upper limit was obtained for the X-ray
plasma mass of <~ 1Mo for a wide range of assumed shell radius, size, and
plasma temperature both in and out of the collisional equilibrium. To compare
with the observation, we further performed hydrodynamic simulations of the Crab
SNR for two SN models (Fe-core versus EC) under two SN environments (uniform
ISM versus progenitor wind). We found that the observed mass limit can be
compatible with both SN models if the SN environment has a low density of <~
0.03 cm-3 (Fe core) or <~ 0.1 cm-3 (EC) for the uniform density, or a
progenitor wind density somewhat less than that provided by a mass loss rate of
10-5 Mo yr-1 at 20 km s-1 for the wind environment.Comment: PASJ in press. Figures are now properly include