The effects of propionate on blood pressure and arterial function.

Background: The short-chain fatty acid propionate has been shown to attenuate atherosclerosis, for example by modulating intestinal cholesterol metabolism. Beyond cholesterol metabolism, data from rodent models suggest a potential additional effect on blood pressure reduction.

Material And Methods: We conducted a prospective uncontrolled, exploratory, and observational study on 58 individuals receiving propionate supplementation (500 mg twice daily) without preexisting atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, assessing peripheral and central blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and endothelial function.

Tipping the balance: the PD1-axis as modulator in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Collapse of self-tolerance toward peripheral nervous system antigens initiates chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. This breakdown likely recurs, driving disease onset and flare-ups, providing a window to predict progression before symptoms worsen, yet the mechanisms behind self-tolerance maintenance or disruption remain underexplored. Using a transgenic mouse model with Schwann cell-restricted ovalbumin expression and adoptive transfer of ovalbumin reactive CD8 T-cells, we demonstrate that maintenance of immune tolerance to peripheral nervous system antigen is linked to PD1-axis activity.

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells in treatment-refractory DAGLA antibody-associated encephalitis.

Background: Autoimmune encephalitides are a heterogeneous group of autoantibody-associated central nervous system disorders. The clinical course of autoimmune encephalitides can be life threatening, and treatment can be challenging.

Objective: This report describes a case of treatment-refractory, anti-diacylglycerol lipase alpha (DAGLA) antibody-associated autoimmune encephalitis successfully treated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells.

Comparison of imaging markers of nerve ultrasound and MR-neurography in a longitudinal course in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Background: The novel criteria for the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) have established imaging with nerve ultrasound (NUS) and magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) as complementary methods for CIDP diagnosis.

Objectives: Our goal was to investigate the role of MRN and NUS for CIDP monitoring.

Methods And Design: We longitudinally examined 12 CIDP patients from 2016 to 2022 using NUS, MRN, nerve conduction studies (NCS), and clinical parameters (inflammatory neuropathy cause and treatment (INCAT)/overall disability sum score (ODSS)).

Serum Neurofilament Light Chain as a Biomarker for CIDP Diagnosis, Severity, and Treatment Outcome.

Background And Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize serum neurofilament light chain (sNFL) levels in a large cohort of patients with autoimmune neuropathies to provide every-day clinical practice recommendations.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we recruited 191 patients with immune-mediated neuropathies from 2 referral centers. sNFL was measured using the Simoa NF-light kit (Quanterix), and age-corrected and BMI-corrected z-scores (zNFL) were calculated.

Oral supplementation with propionate is reflected in the serum of healthy individuals.

Background: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including propionic acid (PA), are key in immunological research. Supplementing PA has shown benefits for autoimmune diseases. A comprehensive understanding of the PA pharmacokinetics is essential for the optimal design and execution of studies utilizing orally administered PA.

Early therapy initiation is crucial in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: prospective multimodal data from the German INHIBIT registry.

Background: Diagnosing chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) can be challenging, leading to delays in initiating therapy. As disability in CIDP is mainly dependent on axonal damage, the impact of delayed immunotherapy remains unclear. We multimodally investigated the clinical outcomes of patients with early CIDP regarding different treatment strategies and time points.

Assessing axonal pathology and disease progression in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy using corneal confocal microscopy.

Objective: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is an autoimmune neuropathy characterized by progressive or relapsing-remitting weakness and sensory deficits. This study aims to evaluate the utility of corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) in diagnosing and monitoring CIDP.

Methods: We analysed 100 CIDP patients and 31 healthy controls using CCM to measure corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD), length (CNFL), and branch density (CNBD).

Aseptic meningitis with recurrent headache episodes, vomiting, and central fever as first manifestation of isolated neurosarcoidosis: a case report.

Background: Neurosarcoidosis is a rare entity, usually within the context of systematic sarcoidosis. Isolated neurosarcoidosis and especially a manifestation with pachymeningitis is a notable rarity.

Case Report: A 26-year-old patient presented to the emergency department with acute onset, recurrent episodes of occipital headaches spreading over the whole cranium and vomiting without food consumption, for three days.

Quality of life and tolerability of B-cell directed therapy of multiple sclerosis with ofatumumab in a patient-centered real-world observational study.

Introduction: Ofatumumab (Kesimpta) is a subcutaneous CD20-targeting antibody approved in Germany in 2021 for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). After careful instruction, patients can administer the treatment themselves. We previously reported data of 101 patients (Klimas et al.

The multiple roles of nerve biopsy in the diagnosis and prognosis of suspected immune neuropathies.

Introduction: The value of a sural nerve biopsy for the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is controversial. Evidence-based recommendations for its implementation are lacking. We investigated factors leading to biopsy and analyzed biopsy outcomes and consequences, assessed the predictability of biopsy outcomes through clinical parameters to avoid unnecessary biopsies, and compared results with electrophysiological and clinical severity to determine their prognostic value.

Real-world evidence and patient preference for subcutaneous intravenous natalizumab in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis - initial results from the observational SISTER study.

Background: The consideration of patient preference for a certain drug route of administration (RoA) plays an important role in promoting patient adherence in chronic diseases. Natalizumab is an established treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and can be administered as intravenous (IV) infusion or subcutaneous (SC) injection developed to enable a shorter and easier administration IV RoA.

Study Objectives: Primary objective is to compare patients' preference for RoA and satisfaction with SC IV natalizumab at baseline and subsequent visits up to 12 months.

Morphological Differentiation of Corneal Inflammatory Cells.

Purpose: Corneal confocal microscopy is a noninvasive imaging technique to analyze corneal nerve fibers and corneal inflammatory cells (CICs). The amount of CICs is a potential biomarker of disease activity in chronic autoinflammatory diseases. To date, there are no standardized criteria for the morphological characterization of CICs.

Small fibre integrity and axonal pathology in the rat model of experimental autoimmune neuritis.

Experimental autoimmune neuritis is a common animal model for acute human immune-mediated polyneuropathies. Although already established in 1955, a number of pathophysiological mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we extensively characterize experimental autoimmune neuritis progression in Lewis rats, including new insights into the integrity of small nerve fibres, neuropathic pain and macrophage activation.

Comparative analysis of albumin quotient and total CSF protein in immune-mediated neuropathies: a multicenter study on diagnostic implications.

Introduction: Blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier dysfunction is pivotal for diagnosing immune-mediated neuropathies, especially in spinal nerve root inflammation. Typically, either total CSF protein or the CSF to serum albumin ratio (Q) is measured. Total CSF protein measurements have limitations, notably its fixed reference value regardless of age, in contrast to the age-dependent reference for Q.

Association of the neonatal Fc receptor promoter variable number of tandem repeat polymorphism with immunoglobulin response in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Background And Purpose: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an autoimmune disease with humoral and cellular autoimmunity causing demyelination of peripheral nerves, commonly treated with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg). The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn), encoded by the FCGRT gene, prevents the degradation of immunoglobulin G (IgG) by recycling circulating IgG. A variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in the promoter region of the FCGRT gene is associated with different expression levels of mRNA and protein.