We report three patients who developed antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated crescentic glomerulonephritis, two of whom showed clinical features of limited scleroderma and one ...whose results of serological tests were suggestive of limited scleroderma without cutaneous features. All had anticentromere antibodies and antimyeloperoxidase antibodies. No patient showed the features of typical scleroderma renal crisis such as accelerated hypertension or microangiopathy. Our patients were normotensive at the time of onset of renal failure, and the clinical picture was characterised by only modest features of limited scleroderma. All three patients had crescentic glomerulonephritis at various stages of chronicity. One patient responded to immunosuppressive therapy with improvement in renal function; the other two patients rapidly developed end-stage renal failure. These patients and others recently described may represent a newly described form of scleroderma renal disease.
AIM: To describe the neutrophil fluorescent patterns produced by antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) with different antigen specificities, and by other auto- and alloantibodies. BACKGROUND: ...Most sera from patients with active generalised Wegener's granulomatosis result in diffusely granular cytoplasmic neutrophil fluorescence with internuclear accentuation (cANCA) and proteinase 3 (PR3) specificity. About 80% of the sera from patients with microscopic polyangiitis result in perinuclear neutrophil fluorescence with nuclear extension (pANCA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) specificity, or a cANCA pattern with PR3 specificity. However, many different neutrophil fluorescence patterns are noted on testing for ANCA in routine immunodiagnostic laboratories. METHODS: Sera sent for ANCA testing, or containing a variety of auto- and alloantibodies, were studied. They were examined by indirect immunofluorescence according to the recommendations of the first international ANCA workshop, and for PR3 and MPO specificity in commercial and in-house enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). RESULTS: Sera with typical cANCA accounted for only half of all neutrophil cytoplasmic fluorescence. Other sera had "flatter" fluorescence without internuclear accentuation, and the corresponding antigens included MPO and bactericidal/permeability increasing protein (BPI), but were usually unknown. Peripheral nuclear fluorescence without nuclear extension occurred typically when the antigens were BPI, lactoferrin, lysozyme, elastase, or cathepsin G. Most types of ANA were evident on ethanol fixed neutrophil nuclei. AntidsDNA, antiRo, and antilamin antibodies resembled pANCA. Antimicrobial and antiribosomal antibodies produced cytoplasmic fluorescence, and antiGolgi antibodies, a pANCA. Sera from patients with anti-smooth muscle antibodies were associated with cytoplasmic fluorescence. There was no neutrophil fluorescence with anti-skeletal muscle and anti-heart muscle antibodies, anti-liver/kidney microsomal, antithyroid microsomal, or antiadrenal antibodies. Alloantibodies such as antiNB1 typically resulted in cytoplasmic fluorescence of only a subpopulation of the neutrophils. CONCLUSIONS: The ability to distinguish between different neutrophil fluorescence patterns, and the patterns seen with other auto- and alloantibodies is helpful diagnostically. However, the demonstration of MPO or PR3 specificity by ELISA will indicate that the neutrophil fluorescence is probably clinically significant, and that the diagnosis is likely to be Wegener's granulomatosis or microscopic polyangiitis.
A
bstract
The NA62 experiment reports the branching ratio measurement
$$ \mathrm{BR}\left({K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu}\right)=\left({10.6}_{-3.4}^{+4.0}\left|{}_{\mathrm{stat}}\right.\pm ...{0.9}_{\mathrm{syst}}\right)\times {10}^{-11} $$
BR
K
+
→
π
+
ν
ν
¯
=
10.6
−
3.4
+
4.0
stat
±
0.9
syst
×
10
−
11
at 68% CL, based on the observation of 20 signal candidates with an expected background of 7.0 events from the total data sample collected at the CERN SPS during 2016–2018. This provides evidence for the very rare
K
+
→
$$ {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$
π
+
ν
ν
¯
decay, observed with a significance of 3.4
σ
. The experiment achieves a single event sensitivity of (0
.
839
±
0
.
054)
×
10
−
11
, corresponding to 10.0 events assuming the Standard Model branching ratio of (8
.
4
±
1
.
0)
×
10
−
11
. This measurement is also used to set limits on BR(
K
+
→ π
+
X
), where
X
is a scalar or pseudo-scalar particle. Details are given of the analysis of the 2018 data sample, which corresponds to about 80% of the total data sample.
Search for π0 decays to invisible particles Cortina Gil, E.; Minucci, E.; Padolski, S. ...
The journal of high energy physics,
02/2021, Letnik:
2021, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
A
bstract
The NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS reports a study of a sample of 4 × 10
9
tagged
π
0
mesons from
K
+
→
π
+
π
0
(
γ
), searching for the decay of the
π
0
to invisible particles. No signal ...is observed in excess of the expected background fluctuations. An upper limit of 4
.
4 × 10
−
9
is set on the branching ratio at 90% confidence level, improving on previous results by a factor of 60. This result can also be interpreted as a model- independent upper limit on the branching ratio for the decay
K
+
→
π
+
X
, where
X
is a particle escaping detection with mass in the range 0.110–0.155 GeV
/c
2
and rest lifetime greater than 100 ps. Model-dependent upper limits are obtained assuming
X
to be an axion-like particle with dominant fermion couplings or a dark scalar mixing with the Standard Model Higgs boson.
Novel analogs of the allosteric AMPA receptor modulator SYM 2206 have been prepared. Structure/activity correlations of these novel analogs and other dihydrophthalazines (DHPs) reveal the important ...contribution of the heteroatom-based aryl substitutents in this class of noncompetitive inhibitors. One of the analogs (
6, SYM 2189) is equipotent with the early series, but with reduced sedation.
Novel analogs of the allosteric AMPA receptor modulator SYM 2206 have been prepared. Structure/activity correlations of these analogs and other dihydrophthalazines (DHPs) reveal the important contribution of the heteroatom 6-aryl substituents in this class of noncompetitive inhibitors. One of the analogs (
6, SYM 2189) is equipotent with the early series, but with reduced sedation.
A
bstract
The NA62 experiment reports an investigation of the
$$ {K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$
K
+
→
π
+
ν
ν
¯
mode from a sample of
K
+
decays collected in 2017 at the CERN SPS. The ...experiment has achieved a single event sensitivity of (0
.
389
±
0
.
024)
×
10
−
10
, corresponding to 2.2 events assuming the Standard Model branching ratio of (8
.
4
±
1
.
0)
×
10
−
11
. Two signal candidates are observed with an expected background of 1.5 events. Combined with the result of a similar analysis conducted by NA62 on a smaller data set recorded in 2016, the collaboration now reports an upper limit of 1
.
78
×
10
−
10
for the
$$ {K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$
K
+
→
π
+
ν
ν
¯
branching ratio at 90% CL. This, together with the corresponding 68% CL measurement of (
$$ {0.48}_{-0.48}^{+0.72} $$
0.48
−
0.48
+
0.72
)
×
10
−
10
, are currently the most precise results worldwide, and are able to constrain some New Physics models that predict large enhancements still allowed by previous measurements.
OBJECTIVES--To define the value of low power laser treatment in small joint rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS--Twenty five women with active disease were recruited. The metacarpophalangeal and proximal ...interphalangeal joints of one hand were treated with 12 J/cm2 for 30 s with a gallium-aluminium-arsenate laser. The other hand received a sham laser treatment designed so that neither therapist nor patient could distinguish the active laser from the sham laser. Each patient received 12 treatments over four weeks. The following parameters were measured: pain as assessed by visual analogue scale; range of joint movements; grip strength; duration of early morning stiffness, joint circumference, Jebsen's hand assessment; drug usage; total swollen joint counts; Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales; three phase bone scans; haematological and serological tests. RESULTS--A total of 72% of patients reported pain relief but this reduction was reported equally in both hands. No significant changes were seen in other clinical, functional, scintigraphic, or laboratory features. Neither patients nor staff were able to detect which hand was treated with the active laser. CONCLUSION--When this specific laser and dose regimen was used, low power laser treatment had no objective effect on patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It did appear to produce analgesia through a powerful placebo effect.
The NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS reports the first search for K+→π+νν¯ using the decay-in-flight technique, based on a sample of 1.21×1011K+ decays collected in 2016. The single event sensitivity ...is 3.15×10−10, corresponding to 0.267 Standard Model events. One signal candidate is observed while the expected background is 0.152 events. This leads to an upper limit of 14×10−10 on the K+→π+νν¯ branching ratio at 95% CL.
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