Recent studies have suggested that the intestinal microbiome plays an important role in modulating risk of several chronic diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, ...cardiovascular disease, and cancer. At the same time, it is now understood that diet plays a significant role in shaping the microbiome, with experiments showing that dietary alterations can induce large, temporary microbial shifts within 24 h. Given this association, there may be significant therapeutic utility in altering microbial composition through diet. This review systematically evaluates current data regarding the effects of several common dietary components on intestinal microbiota. We show that consumption of particular types of food produces predictable shifts in existing host bacterial genera. Furthermore, the identity of these bacteria affects host immune and metabolic parameters, with broad implications for human health. Familiarity with these associations will be of tremendous use to the practitioner as well as the patient.
Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, immune-mediated skin condition that affects 3 to 4% of the adult US population, characterized by well-demarcated, erythematous plaques with silver scale. ...Psoriasis is associated with many comorbidities including cardiometabolic disease and can have a negative impact on quality of life. The current armamentarium of psoriasis treatment includes topical therapies, phototherapy, oral immunosuppressive therapies, and biologic agents. Over the past 2 decades, there has been rapid development of novel biologic therapies for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. This article will review the role of IL-12, IL-23, and IL-17 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and the monoclonal antibodies (ustekinumab, secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, guselkumab, tildrakizumab, and risankizumab) that target these cytokines in the treatment of this disease.
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To investigate the relationship between abnormal bacterial colonization of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and systemic abnormalities in innate immunity as it contributes to the ...pathogenesis of rosacea. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This is a prospective observational study of patients with erythematotelangiectatic or papulopustular rosacea. The study participants will undergo urea breath testing for Helicobacter pylori (Hp) and hydrogen-methane breath testing for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Colonic microbiome analysis will be performed using 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal samples. Further, key pro-inflammatory cytokines will be quantified from serum samples. Markers for rosacea subjects and subgroups will be compared by standard analysis of variance methods where appropriate, and Tukey studentized range tests will be done for specific comparisons. Chi-square tests will be used to assess group differences in categorical data. At least 42 subjects will be studied to provide 80% power atα-0.05. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We hypothesize that the results of this study will support an observed relationship between abnormal GI bacterial colonization and systemic innate immunity abnormalities in rosacea as determined by three primary endpoints: a significantly greater prevalence of Hp and SIBO in rosacea participants, presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines linked to rosacea pathogenesis including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and observation of distinct, metabolically active colonic bacterial communities specific to rosacea participants. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: By identifying rosacea as a cutaneous manifestation of a more systemic inflammatory disease, the results of this study will have implications for the development of important pharmacological interventions targeting key inflammatory pathways in rosacea pathogenesis.
A cultured C2C12 myotube contraction system was examined for application as a model for acute contraction-induced phenotypes of skeletal muscle. C2C12 myotubes seeded into 4-well rectangular plates ...were placed in a contraction system equipped with a carbon electrode at each end. The myotubes were stimulated with electric pulses of 50 V at 1 Hz for 3 ms at 997-ms intervals. Approximately 80% of the myotubes were observed to contract microscopically, and the contractions lasted for at least 3 h with electrical stimulation. Calcium ion (Ca²⁺) transient evoked by the electric pulses was detected fluorescently with Fluo-8. Phosphorylation of protein kinase B/Akt (Akt), 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38), and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)1/2, which are intracellular signaling proteins typically activated in exercised/contracted skeletal muscle, was observed in the electrically stimulated C2C12 myotubes. The contractions induced by the electric pulses increased glucose uptake and depleted glycogen in the C2C12 myotubes. C2C12 myotubes that differentiated after exogenous gene transfection by a lipofection or an electroporation method retained their normal contractile ability by electrical stimulation. These findings show that our C2C12 cell contraction system reproduces the muscle phenotypes that arise invivo (exercise), in situ (hindlimb muscles in an anesthetized animal), and invitro (dissected muscle tissues in incubation buffer) by acute muscle contraction, demonstrating that the system is applicable for the analysis of intracellular events evoked by acute muscle contraction.
Abstract Personality disorders (PDs) are stable and enduring patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior that deviate from one’s cultural norms and cause impairment in functionality. Patients with PDs ...are commonly encountered in the dermatologic setting and can be perceived by providers as “difficult.” Given that PDs are chronic, rigid, and frustrating to deal with, it is important to be skillful in the approach to such patients, especially in the era of the value-based reimbursement system, in which patient satisfaction is crucial for reimbursement. This contribution discusses four PDs most commonly encountered in the dermatology setting: Borderline, histrionic, obsessive-compulsive, and narcissistic. Although the details regarding the approach to patients for each PD differ as discussed, once a PD is identified, there are few key management strategies that can be helpful in minimizing conflict and enhancing outcomes. In patients with PD, the presenting skin complaint is often a secondary problem, as there may be an underlying psychologic issue (somatization). Understanding the underlying psychologic aspect of the patients’ dermatologic complaints and adapting behaviors to the patients’ needs are fundamental for maximizing patient satisfaction.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a devastating autoimmune disease characterized by excessive production and accumulation of extracellular matrix, leading to fibrosis of skin and other internal organs. ...However, the main cellular participants in SSc skin fibrosis remain incompletely understood. Here using differentiation trajectories at a single cell level, we demonstrate a dual source of extracellular matrix deposition in SSc skin from both myofibroblasts and endothelial-to-mesenchymal-transitioning cells (EndoMT). We further define a central role of Hippo pathway effectors in differentiation and homeostasis of myofibroblast and EndoMT, respectively, and show that myofibroblasts and EndoMTs function as central communication hubs that drive key pro-fibrotic signaling pathways in SSc. Together, our data help characterize myofibroblast differentiation and EndoMT phenotypes in SSc skin, and hint that modulation of the Hippo pathway may contribute in reversing the pro-fibrotic phenotypes in myofibroblasts and EndoMTs.
It has long been recognized that anatomic location is an important feature for defining distinct subtypes of plaque psoriasis. However, little is known about the molecular differences between scalp, ...palmoplantar, and conventional plaque psoriasis. To investigate the molecular heterogeneity of these psoriasis subtypes, we performed RNA-seq and flow cytometry on skin samples from individuals with scalp, palmoplantar, and conventional plaque psoriasis, along with samples from healthy control patients. We performed differential expression analysis and network analysis using weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Our analysis revealed a core set of 763 differentially expressed genes common to all sub-types of psoriasis. In contrast, we identified 605, 632, and 262 genes uniquely differentially expressed in conventional, scalp, and palmoplantar psoriasis, respectively. WGCNA and pathway analysis revealed biological processes for the core genes as well as subtype-specific genes. Flow cytometry analysis revealed a shared increase in the percentage of CD4+ T regulatory cells in all psoriasis subtypes relative to controls, whereas distinct psoriasis subtypes displayed differences in IL-17A, IFN-gamma, and IL-22 production. This work reveals the molecular heterogeneity of plaque psoriasis and identifies subtype-specific signaling pathways that will aid in the development of therapy that is appropriate for each subtype of plaque psoriasis.
In this study, the effect of social assistive robots (SARs) on the continuity of health management activities was verified through the measurement of daily grip strength. We proposed and developed an ...intervention system for grip strength measurement and installed it in a SAR. Then, 23 older adults used the system at home with and without a SAR. Each setup was applied for three weeks and the rates at which the participants forgot their daily grip strength measurements were compared at the end of the period. The rates at which the daily measurements were forgotten decreased significantly when a SAR was used. In particular, 9 participants were able to decrease their rate of forgotten measurements after they used a SAR. Thus, the SAR enabled the participants to regularly perform grip strength measurement activities. These findings indicate that appropriate intervention measures using SARs are effective in promoting the continuity of daily healthcare activities of older adults living at home.
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