Hypertension and cognitive decline among patients of Alzheimer\u27s disease

Objective. The main aim of our study is to assess the effect of hypertension on the decline in cognitive impairment among Alzheimer’s patients. Methods. We analyzed the data of AD patients enrolled in Baylor ADMDC in a prospective study design. We divided AD patients into two groups based on the definition of hypertension. We described a decline in cognitive impairment as a change of 5 points in mini-mental state examination score (MMSE) from the baseline visit. Results. Independent of covariates, AD patients with hypertension did not exhibit a significant decline in cognitive impairment after adjustment of covariates, age, race and education (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.07, p value 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.84-1.39) than AD patients without hypertension. In addition, AD patients with hypertension did not experience decline in cognitive impairment sooner than AD patients without hypertension. (P value 0.83). Conclusions . Hypertension is not associated with cognitive impairment over time among patients with Alzheimer’s disease enrolled in Baylor ADMDC after other potential confounders were taken into account. These findings should not be interpreted as a basis for discouraging appropriate medical treatment of hypertension in AD patients. Greater efforts should be made to improve the recognition of hypertension as a modifiable risk factor for decline in cognitive impairment in AD population

Successful Treatment of Clostridium difficile Bacteremia with Aortic Mycotic Aneurysm in a Patient with Prior Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair

The clinical spectrum of Clostridium difficile infection can range from benign gastrointestinal colonization to mild diarrhea and life threatening conditions such as pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon. Extraintestinal manifestations of C. difficile are rare. Here, we report a patient with a history of an endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) presenting with an endovascular leak complicated by C. difficile bacteremia and a mycotic aneurysm. He was successfully treated with an explant of the EVAR, an aorto-left renal bypass, and aorto-bi-iliac bypass graft placement along with a six-week duration of intravenous vancomycin and oral metronidazole

Non-infectious diffuse vesiculobullous rash in a pancreas and renal transplant recipient.

Solid organ transplant patients are well established to be at risk of herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus infection and reactivation. We present a case of a 41-year-old woman with a history of pancreas and renal transplant who presented with what appeared to be disseminated herpes simplex virus or varicella zoster virus induced rash, but who was ultimately diagnosed and treated as linear IgA bullous dermatosis. This case alerts physicians to other non-infectious dermatoses as a cause of vesiculobullous rash in solid organ transplant patients

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) presenting as fever of unknown origin and acute liver failure

A 51-year-old previously healthy woman presenting with two-weeks of fever, flu-like symptoms, jaundice, and abdominal pain was found to have pancytopenia, transaminitis, and significantly elevated ferritin in the setting of an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection. Bone marrow biopsy revealed phagocytic macrophages consistent with findings of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Given bone marrow findings and that the patient had five of the eight clinical criteria supporting the diagnosis of HLH, chemotherapy was initiated as per the HLH-94 protocol with initial improvement in patient’s symptoms and overall functional status. This case demonstrates a classic presentation of HLH and displays the importance of correct diagnosis and prompt treatment. Keywords: HLH, Acute EBV infection, Acute liver failure, Cytokine stor

CD5 expression by dendritic cells directs T cell immunity and sustains immunotherapy responses

The induction of proinflammatory T cells by dendritic cell (DC) subtypes is critical for antitumor responses and effective immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Here, we show that human CD1c+CD5+ DCs are reduced in melanoma-affected lymph nodes, with CD5 expression on DCs correlating with patient survival. Activating CD5 on DCs enhanced T cell priming and improved survival after ICB therapy. CD5+ DC numbers increased during ICB therapy, and low interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations promoted their de novo differentiation. Mechanistically, CD5 expression by DCs was required to generate optimally protective CD5hi T helper and CD8+ T cells; further, deletion of CD5 from T cells dampened tumor elimination in response to ICB therapy in vivo. Thus, CD5+ DCs are an essential component of optimal ICB therapy