ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to find a new method for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy, and to study the efficacy and safety of Bacteroidesfragilis (BF839) in the adjunctive treatment of refractory epilepsy, as well as the improvement of comorbidity.MethodsA prospective, single-arm, open pilot clinical study was designed for the additive treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy using BacteroidesFragilis 839 (BF839). 47 patients with refractory epilepsy, who were admitted to the epilepsy outpatient clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from April 2019 to October 2019, were enrolled and treated with BF839 adjunct treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was median percent reduction from baseline in monthly (28-day) seizure frequency for the 16-week treatment period. Other efficacy analysis included response rate(proportion of patients with ≥ 50% seizure reduction) in the 16 weeks period, the proportion of patients seizure free and the retention rate after12 months intervention, and the observance of the side effects and comorbidities.ResultsThe median reduction percent of all seizure types was −53.5% (P=0.002). The response rate was 61.1% (22/36). 8.5% (4/47) patients seizure free at 12 months. The retention rate at 12 months was 57.4% (27/47). The side effects were diarrhea 4.3% (2/47) and constipation 4.3% (2/47). 48.9% (23/47) of the patients reported improvement in comorbidities, with cognitive improvement of 21.2% (10/47).ConclusionBF839 can be used as an effective additive therapy to treat drug-resistant epilepsy. It is safe and beneficial to the improvement of comorbidities. This is the first time in the world that a single intestinal strain has been reported to be effective in treating drug-resistant epilepsy. This research has important implications.
Objective To investigate the MRI features of the autoimmune pancreatitis （AlP）. Methods MRI data of 8 patients with AIP were retrospectively analyzed. Results MRI showed that diffuse swelling of the pancreas in 8 cases. T1WI signal intensity homogeneous or inhomogeneous decreased， and T2WI signals intensity homogeneous or inhomogeneous increased. In arterial phase the enhancement of the lesion was not obviously，in portal venous phase there was gradual increase of enhancement. There was coated sample annular enhancement around pancreas， and the degree of enhancement was slightly lower than the pancreatic parenchyma. Pancreatic duct was irregular narrow. Conclusion AIP is a special kind of chronic pancreatitis，MRI features of AIP are helpful for the diagnosis and treatment of AIP．
Objective To summarize the advanced researchs of autoimmune thyroid disease(ATD) complicated with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Methods The related literatures about concurrent ATD and DTC were consulted and reviewed. Results Hashimoto diseas (HD) complicated with DTC at home and abroad were reported more and more, whether merging with HD or other ATD disease could affect the prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) was a controversial topic. HD and DTC (mainly PTC) had some same epidemiological and molecular features. Conclusion Better understanding of clinical pathology and characteristic of DTC concurrent with ATD can provide some new insights to immunotherapy for DTC.
ObjectiveTo analyze the risk factors for seizures in patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and to assess their predictive value for seizures. MethodsSeventy-four patients with AE from the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2016 to March 2023 were collected and divided into seizure group (56 cases) and non-seizure group (18 cases), comparing the general clinical information, laboratory tests and imaging examinations and other related data of the two groups. The risk factors for seizures in AE patients were analyzed by multifactorial logistic regression, and their predictive value was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. ResultsThe seizure group had a higher proportion of acute onset conditions in the underlying demographics compared with the non-seizure group (P<0.05). Laboratory data showed statistically significant differences in neutrophil count, calcitoninogen, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, and interleukin-6 compared between the two groups (all P<0.05). Multi-factor logistic regression analysis of the above differential indicators showed that increased C-reactive protein [Odds ratio (OR)=4.621, 95% CI (1.123, 19.011), P=0.034], high homocysteine [OR=12.309, 95CI (2.217, 68.340), P=0.004] and onset of disease [OR=4.918, 95% CI (1.254, 19.228), P=0.022] were risk factors for seizures in AE patients, and the area under the ROC curve for the combination of the three indicators to predict seizures in AE patients was 0.856 [95% CI (0.746, 0.966)], with a sensitivity of 73.2% and a specificity of 83.3%. ConclusionHigh C-reactive protein, high homocysteine and acute onset are independent risk factors for seizures in patients with AE, and the combination of the three indices can better predict seizure status in patients.
Objective〓〖WTBZ〗To observe the clinical features of autoimmune optic neuropathy (AON). 〖WTHZ〗Methods〓 〖WTBZ〗The clinical data of 58 patients with AON from Jan. 2006 to Dec. 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients had undergone routine ophthalmological, neurological examination, visual field test, all set of autoimmune antibody test, brain MRI. 〖WTHZ〗Results〓〖WTBZ〗In 93 eyes of 58 patients with AON, the lowest best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was lt;01 in 68 eyes (731%), 10 patients (172%) had other symptoms of nervous system, 14 patients (241%) had lesions of nonneurological system. Positive antinuclear antibody was found in 43 patients (796%); other abnormal antibodies were also found, including antiSSA/SSB, antidsDNA, antihistonic, anticardiolipin, and antihuman leukocyte antigen B27 antibodies. Systematic connective tissue disease presented in 20 patients (345%), such as sicca syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Behcet disease. 32 patients (552%) had abnormal brain MRI, and the BCVA of 49 eyes (777%) improved significantly after hospitalization. 〖WTHZ〗Conclusion〓〖WTBZ〗Patients with AON always have poor visual function, some of whom associate with other systems, as well as damages to other parts of the nervous system. While some AON patients are secondary to systemic connective tissue disease involving the optic nerve, the majority of these patients are isolated autoimmune optic neuropathy.
Serum anti-retinal autoantibodies (ARA) are a group of autoantibodies that bind to retinal auto-antigens with significant biological importance in pathological processes such as retinal degeneration, inflammatory microenvironment formation, and tissue destruction. In recent years, the expression of serum anti-retinal antibodies has been found to be upregulated in patients with various blinding retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, autoimmune retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa, closely correlated with the progression of diseases. However, current researches on ARA are incomplete, lacking animal experiments and large randomized controlled clinical trials. As a result, the exact mechanism of ARA is not well understood. Although several studies have demonstrated that serum ARA has an important diagnostic value in hereditary, autoimmune, and degenerative retinal diseases, there still lacks recognized laboratory tests and laboratory indicators with high specificity and sensitivity. Clinical symptoms should be considered when making definitive diagnosis of the diseases. Therefore, clarifying the mechanisms of ARA in retinal dystrophies provides new ideas in early diagnosis and treatments of retinal diseases, which is clinically and scientifically important for the maintenance of visual functions.
Autoimmune uveitis (AU) and mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, share a close bidirectional association. Visual impairment caused by AU and the side effects of glucocorticoid therapy significantly increase the incidence of anxiety and depression. Conversely, mood disorders disrupt immune homeostasis through neuro-endocrine-immune mechanisms, exacerbating inflammatory responses and elevating the risk of AU recurrence. The primary reasons for AU-induced mood disorders include visual impairment, unpredictable fluctuations in vision, long-term treatment, and glucocorticoid-related psychiatric reactions. Meanwhile, mood disorders not only trigger the onset and recurrence of AU but also interfere with treatment efficacy by reducing patient adherence. The underlying mechanisms involve psychological stress leading to hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, inflammatory factor-mediated “brain-eye axis” regulation, synergistic effects of the gut microbiota-brain-immune axis, and stage-specific immune regulatory characteristics of acute and chronic stress. Therefore, clinical management should emphasize the synergistic integration of psychological interventions and anti-inflammatory therapy to enable early detection and treatment of extramedullary lesions, optimize diagnostic and therapeutic protocols, and improve the prognosis of AU patients. Future research should further elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between mood and inflammation, establish multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment systems, validate the efficacy of psychological interventions through large-scale clinical studies, and explore the development of neuroprotective anti-inflammatory drugs.
ObjectiveTo explore the epidemiological and clinical features of hepatic hemangioma. MethodsThe clinical data of patients with hepatic hemangioma who were diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from 2003 to 2011 were retrospectively analyzed, and then analyzed the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of hepatic hemangioma. ResultsEight hundreds and eighteen patients with hepatic hemangioma were included in the study.Among them, 398 cases (48.7%) were male, 420 cases (51.3%) were female, and there were no significant differences in constitute of gender for each year (χ2=9.912, P=0.271), but there were significant differences in constitute of gender between different age groups (χ2=18.791, P=0.000 1), male patients were more than female in the group of aged over 60 years old.There was no special clinical manifestations of hepatic hemangioma.There were 75 patients (9.2%) combined autoimmune diseases in this group.The size of hepatic hemangioma ranged from 0.5-39.0 cm, the median diameter was 3.0 cm.There were significant differences between different gender, the tumor size of female patients were larger than male's (P < 0.05).The tumor happened mostly in the right hepatic lobe (57.2%), and there were no significant differences of the tumor location in different gender (P > 0.05).Hepatic hemangioma with a single lesion was most common (70.0%), and the right lobe lesions were more common than the left lobe lesions in single lesion group, multiple lesions in double lobes were most common in multiple lesion group. ConclusionsHepatic hemangioma has a certain distribution pattern in gender, age, size, position, and so on, further research in prevention and controlled strategy need to be carried out in the future.At the same time, more in-depth research in the related factors participated in occurrence and development of hepatic hemangioma also need to be carried out, especially for the relationship between gender, age, autoimmune diseases, and hepatic hemangioma, which is worthy to be discussed.
ObjectiveTo explore changes on Electroencephalograph (EEG) and Evoked Potential (EP) changes in autoimmune encephalitis.MethodsEight cases with autoimmune encephalitis from Sichuan people's hospital during July 18th 2014 to July 18th 2016 were recruited. The inclusion criteria included:① The blood and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of patients were sent to Neurology Lab of Peking Union Medical College Hospital for autoimmunerelated antibody analysis and confirmed as autoimmune encephalitis.2 Patient had done at least 2 or more times of routine EEG or video EEG (VEEG). 1 or more times of auditory brainstem response (ABR), Visual evoked potential (VEP) and Somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) for both upper and lower limbs. 3 Patients had classical clinical manifestation of autoimmune encephalitis as abnormal psychomotor behaviors, seizures, memory loss, fever, headache, and even disturbance of consciousness or decreased ventilate function.ResulstOf 8 patients in this study, 5 were anti NMDA-R encephalitis, 2 were anti GABABR encephalitis, and 1 was positive for both antibodies. The EEG profile of 5 anti NMDA-R encephalitis:2 of them had β wave in early stage (about 10th day) and δ wave with fast wave even appeared as δ brush in middle stage (about 20th day). They all had severe symptoms and long hospitalization but negative MRI. Another 2 of them could be seen sparsely distributed sharp wave and sharp-slow wave in their EEG. Their EEG gradually turned to normal when their symptoms gradually disappeared. The last one had normal EEG during the whole disease course. The EEG profile of anti GABAB-R encephalitis as following. 1 was dominant by slow wave and EEG went normal after effective treatment and the other showed generalized α wave especially α wave in frontal region. The latter patient withdraw treatment. For the only 1 both antibodies positive patient, EEG showed slow wave and it turned to normal when symptoms disappeared. EP showed some abnormalities with wave amplitude and latency changes in some patients.EP (SEP、VEP) turned to normal when symptoms disappeared.ConclusionThe EEG present differently in different types of autoimmune encephalitis and change with stages of disease. EEG may be used as an indicator for prognosis as well. When EEG shows fast wave with the history of patient points to encephalitis, blood and CSF antibodies for NMDA-R should be checked routinely. Generalized α wave on EEG should also be an indicator for checking GABAB-R. More researches should be done for EP changes in autoimmune encephalitis for our study was based on a small patient number.
Autoimmune ocular diseases are a type of inflammatory eye condition characterized by the involvement of the immune response. This includes various types disease such as autoimmune uveitis, thyroid-associated eye disease, and primary Sjögren's syndrome. In recent years, breakthroughs have been achieved in inducing transplant tolerance, understanding tumor immune evasion, and preventing autoimmune diseases using immune checkpoint molecules. Negative immune checkpoints effectively control disease progression by inhibiting T cell proliferation, reducing inflammatory cytokine levels, and ultimately regulating autoimmune balance. Therefore, the negative immune checkpoint molecules are expected to be used as a new therapeutic target in the future, and the combination therapy through the combination of negative immune checkpoint drugs is expected to become an important direction to improve the efficacy of the treatment of autoimmune diseases.