Transverse myelitis as an unexpected complication following treatment with dinutuximab in pediatric patients with high‐risk neuroblastoma: A case series

Immunotherapy with the anti‐GD2 monoclonal antibody ch14.18, or dinutuximab, represents an important therapeutic advance in the treatment of pediatric high‐risk neuroblastoma and is now considered part of standard of care in this patient population. To date, transverse myelitis as a result of dinutuximab therapy has not been reported in clinical trials or in the published literature. We describe three patients with clinical symptoms of transverse myelitis, confirmed via magnetic resonance imaging, shortly following initiation of dinutuximab. All patients were discontinued from dinutuximab treatment and received urgent treatment, with rapid improvement in symptoms and resultant functional recovery.     

Downregulation of immediate-early genes linking to suppression of neuronal plasticity in rats after 28-day exposure to glycidol

We previously found that the 28-day oral toxicity study of glycidol at 200 mg/kg/day in rats resulted in axonopathy in both the central and peripheral nervous systems and aberrations in the late-stage of hippocampal neurogenesis targeting the process of neurite extension. To capture the neuronal parameters in response to glycidol toxicity, these animals were subjected to region-specific global gene expression profiling in four regions of cerebral and cerebellar architectures, followed by immunohistochemical analysis of selected gene products. Expression changes of genes related to axonogenesis and synaptic transmission were observed in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, cingulate cortex and cerebellar vermis at 200 mg/kg showing downregulation in most genes. In the corpus callosum, genes related to growth, survival and functions of glial cells fluctuated their expression. Immunohistochemically, neurons expressing gene products of immediate-early genes, i.e., Arc, Fos and Jun, decreased in their number in the dentate granule cell layer, cingulate cortex and cerebellar vermis. We also applied immunohistochemical analysis in rat offspring after developmental exposure to glycidol through maternal drinking water. The results revealed increases of Arc⁺ neurons at 1000 ppm and Fos⁺ neurons at ≥ 300 ppm in the dentate granule cell layer of offspring only at the adult stage. These results suggest that glycidol suppressed neuronal plasticity in the brain after 28-day exposure to young adult animals, in contrast to the operation of restoration mechanism to increase neuronal plasticity at the adult stage in response to aberrations in neurogenesis after developmental exposure.     

表达TSHR-A亚单位的腺病毒免疫BALB/c雌性小鼠建立甲亢模型

应用表达TSHR-A亚单位的重组腺病毒免疫BALB/c小鼠建立甲亢模型。分别用1010和108病毒颗粒/50μl PBS的腺病毒免疫6~8周雌性BALB/c小鼠,在完成3次免疫后通过检测血清T4、TRAb水平,甲状腺体积及甲状腺病理来鉴定动物模型。在所有接受免疫的小鼠中,甲亢的发生率为75%,表现为血清T4、TRAb增高,甲状腺体积增大,甲状腺病理表现符合甲亢。低免疫剂量组和高免疫剂量组小鼠血清T4较对照组均显著增高,两组间无显著性差异;低免疫剂量组和高免疫剂量组小鼠血清TRAb水平均显著高于对照组,前者血清TRAb水平低于后者。该模型具有成模率高,稳定性好的特点。低免疫剂量建立的动物模型更符合GD特点。     

Pain,Anxiety, and Quality of Life of COVID-19 Survivors with Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A cross sectional study

BackgroundPeople who have survived COVID-19 may develop chronic pain.AimsTo investigate the difference in pain level, anxiety, functional status, and quality of life in COVID-19 survivors with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) in the trapezius muscle compared with MPS patients without COVID-19.DesignCross-sectional observational study.SettingsPhysical medicine and rehabilitation outpatient clinics of a single tertiary-care hospital.Participants/SubjectsEighty patients (40 patients with MPS and 40 patients with MPS + COVID) who were diagnosed with chronic MPS in the trapezius muscle were evaluated.MethodsPain level of the patients was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS), the functional status with the Neck Pain and Disability scale, the psychosocial effects of the pain with the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the quality of life with the Nottingham Health Profile tests, and the two groups (MPS and MPS + COVID) were compared.ResultsA significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of pain, anxiety, and disability (p < .001). MPS + COVID group showed significantly greater pain intensity on VAS and higher mean total scores on Nottingham Health Profile, Beck Anxiety Inventory, all Nottingham Health Profile subdomains (pain, emotional reactions, sleep, social isolation, physical mobility, energy) compared with the MPS group (p < .001).ConclusionsAfter recovering from COVID-19, patients with MPS showed increased pain, anxiety, disability, and decreased quality of life.