es/iode’s Post

Great collaborative effort led by Koh Jin Hean and Li Feng Tan synthesizing the literature on head and neck CT-derived sarcopenia biomarkers across various disease cohorts including #stroke, #trauma, and #brain #aneurysms. CT-defined sarcopenia is predictive of increased mortality and adverse outcomes in medical and surgical patients.  Measurement and early identification of sarcopenia in vulnerable patients allows for enhanced prognostication and targeted allocation of care to mitigate adverse outcomes. Frederick Koh Andrew Makmur Jim Hallinan leonard yeo Ching-Hui Sia Check out the full study here: 📊💡

Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU) has made significant strides in understanding and potentially treating polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Their research involved cultivating "mini kidneys" or kidney organoids from skin cells of PKD patients and transplanting them into live mice. This approach, unlike previous studies in lab dishes, closely mimics critical disease features like cyst formation and kidney damage, offering a more realistic model for studying PKD. Assistant Professor Xia Yun, leading the study at NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, highlighted the model's success in replicating key PKD characteristics observed in humans. The researchers found that enhancing autophagy, a cellular process, could potentially reduce cyst severity. This led to the identification of minoxidil, a known drug for hypertension and hair loss, as a promising candidate for PKD treatment. Although more research is needed to validate minoxidil's efficacy and safety for PKD patients, the potential of repurposing an existing drug for treatment is promising. Associate Professor Ng Kar Hui, an independent expert, recognized the significance of this research in addressing chronic kidney diseases like PKD. NTU's ongoing work not only sheds light on PKD but also opens avenues for exploring treatments for other kidney diseases. The establishment of live organism models marks a crucial step towards expanding treatment options and improving outcomes for patients with kidney diseases. This groundbreaking research at NTU offers hope for better understanding and managing PKD, showcasing the potential of innovative approaches in healthcare. Stay tuned for updates as NTU continues to advance research in kidney disease treatment.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: Number of patients is expected to double due to long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic . The number of ME/CFS patients is expected to rise drastically due to long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists have now identified possible biomarkers that could improve the diagnosis and treatment of long-lasting and debilitating fatigue. #ScienceDailynews #InnovativeResearch #NextGenScience #ExploringFrontiers

🔍 Exciting new study shows the potential of optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging as a non-invasive tool for monitoring kidney injury in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The research revealed that OCT metrics, including retinal and choroidal thinning, were linked to kidney function decline and histological kidney injury. This suggests that OCT imaging could serve as a valuable biomarker for predicting outcomes in CKD patients. #kidneydisease #OCTImaging #medicalresearch 📊👁️ More about this study can be found here: https://lnkd.in/ebQ58CAA

One of the most common genetic heart diseases worldwide, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) causes the walls of the left ventricle to become thick and stiff. In about 70% of cases, patients with HCM experience obstruction to blood flow. Now, a phase 3 trial has shown that a cardiac myosin inhibitor called aficamten enhances exercise capacity in patients with HCM and leads to significant relief in the burden of limiting symptoms, improving the quality of patients’ lives. The late breaking research was presented by principal investigator Martin S. Maron, MD, director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center at LHMC. Learn more about the clinical trial: https://lnkd.in/eXGCMhrA

Each year, we publish a UTI testing directory alongside our clinician resource: Improving Treatment Pathways for Patients with Persistent Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms. We provide resources like these to encourage open discussions between patients and clinicians, and to help patients prepare for their appointments. The directory, our clinician resource and a worksheet for patients can be found on our website: https://lnkd.in/dEns2v_U The clinician resource covers persistent UTI along with the interconnectedness of the urinary and vaginal microbiomes. These related topics help highlight why our directory incorporates companies that offer related testing services in addition to their UTI test, such as vaginal swabs, prostate tests, and direct-to-patient ordering. One of our medical advisors, Dr. Michael Hsieh, helped guide our clinician resource and shared the following insights about the diagnosis of persistent lower urinary tract symptoms: “I think some patients with the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis have an occult UTI with difficult to culture organisms. By utilizing more accurate testing methods, we are able to identify pathogens in many cases, and develop appropriate treatment. Even as a physician who has conducted microbiome research for a number of years, I was initially skeptical of urine microbiome testing as a means to diagnose UTI. However, based upon patient and clinical experience, microbiome testing appears to not only be accurate in the right setting, but also may predict imminent UTI in some patients.” We appreciate the support of our research and medical advisors: Michael Harrison Hsieh, Lindsey Roberts, Katherine Finlay, Krystal Thomas-White, and co-authors: Jessica Price and Melissa Kramer. Thanks to EmeritusDX - A Cancer Diagnostic and Information Company, MicroGenDX, Systems Biology Laboratory UK c.i.c, and Focus Medical Diagnostics for continuing to support our community and for working towards better patient outcomes. #utidiagnostics #utitest #bladdersmatter #womenshealth #liveutifree

#PMC403 #Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) is associated with vascular endothelial injury and permeability in the acute respiratory distress syndrome (#ARDS) and #sepsis. Elevated circulating Ang-2 levels may identify critically ill patients with distinct pathobiology amenable to targeted therapy. We hypothesized that plasma Ang-2 measured shortly after hospitalization among patients with sepsis would be associated with the development of ARDS and poor clinical outcomes. To test this hypothesis, we measured plasma Ang-2 in a cohort of 757 patients with sepsis, including 267 with ARDS, enrolled in the emergency department or early in their ICU course before the COVID-19 pandemic. Multivariable models were used to test the association of Ang-2 with the development of ARDS and 30-day morality. We found that early plasma Ang-2 in sepsis was associated with higher baseline severity of illness, the development of ARDS, and mortality risk. The association between Ang-2 and mortality was strongest among patients with ARDS and sepsis as compared to those with sepsis alone (OR 1.81 vs. 1.52 per log Ang-2 increase). These findings might inform models testing patient risk prediction and strengthen the evidence for Ang-2 as an appealing biomarker for patient selection for novel therapeutic agents to target vascular injury in sepsis and ARDS. https://lnkd.in/gV-AwVzq

Although B cells are implicated in #multiplesclerosis (MS) pathophysiology, a predictive or diagnostic #autoantibody remains elusive. In this study, the United States Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR), a cohort of over 10 million individuals, was used to generate whole- #proteome autoantibody profiles of hundreds of patients with MS (PwMS) years before and subsequently after MS onset. This analysis defines a unique cluster in approximately 10% of PwMS who share an autoantibody signature against a common motif that has similarity with many human #pathogens. These patients exhibit antibody reactivity years before developing MS symptoms and have higher levels of serum neurofilament light (sNfL) compared to other PwMS. Furthermore, this profile is preserved over time, providing molecular evidence for an immunologically active preclinical period years before clinical onset. This autoantibody reactivity was validated in samples from a separate incident MS cohort in both cerebrospinal fluid and serum, where it is highly specific for patients eventually diagnosed with MS. This signature is a starting point for further immunological characterization of this MS patient subset and may be clinically useful as an antigen-specific biomarker for high-risk patients with clinically or radiologically isolated #neuroinflammatory syndromes. The National Institutes of Health #nih Centers for Disease Control and Prevention #inflammation #immune https://lnkd.in/eZr6KakV

A recent study on kidney biopsy reports validates the application of #SNOMEDCT codes used to describe medical kidney biopsies in Denmark in encoded form. Aiming to support robust epidemiological research on the causes, treatments, and prognosis of kidney diseases, the study reports that SNOMED CT codes have a high positive predictive value (PPV) for glomerular diseases, diabetic nephropathy, and systemic diseases affecting the kidney, in which they could be applied for future epidemiological research. More here: https://lnkd.in/g8nSFWBt