Cannabis and pain: a scoping review.

For centuries, cannabis has been used with many different purposes, including medicinal use, usually bypassing any formal approval process. However, during the last decade, interest in cannabis in medicine has been increasing, and several countries, including the United States and Canada, have produced their own legislation about marihuana and cannabis-based medicines. Because of this, interest in research has been increasing and evidence about its medical effects is becoming necessary.

Optical Coherence Tomography in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the retina to detect inner retinal degeneration is being investigated as a potential biomarker for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and an overwhelming body of evidence indicates that discovery of disease-modifying treatments for AD should be aimed at the pre-dementia clinical stage of AD, i.e., MCI.

Geoepidemiology of Sjögren's syndrome in Latin America.

Objective: To evaluate the geoepidemiology of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) in Latin America.

Methods: This was a three phase study in which original data from a Colombian cohort of patients with SS is presented, followed by a systematic review of Colombian and Latin American studies. Lastly, the geoepidemiology of SS in Latin America was assessed by comparing the clinical characteristics of the region with those of the rest of the world by means of a meta-analysis approach.

Molecular mimicry and autoimmunity.

Molecular mimicry is one of the leading mechanisms by which infectious or chemical agents may induce autoimmunity. It occurs when similarities between foreign and self-peptides favor an activation of autoreactive T or B cells by a foreign-derived antigen in a susceptible individual. However, molecular mimicry is unlikely to be the only underlying mechanism for autoimmune responses; other factors such as breach in central tolerance, non-specific bystander activation, or persistent antigenic stimuli (amongst others) may also contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases.

Etiopathogenesis of autoimmune hepatitis.

Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic inflammatory liver disease characterized by hypergammaglobulinemia, the presence of autoantibodies, and inflammation within the liver, including lymphocytic infiltrates and interface hepatitis. Autoimmune hepatitis shows a female predominance and can present at any age and in any ethnicity. The disease is thought to be a consequence of a break of immune tolerance leading to an autoimmune process that induces liver injury.

Sjögren's Syndrome and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease: Two Sides of the Same Coin.

The coexistence of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) has been documented. However, there is no consensus whether this coexistence should be considered as the same nosological condition or as polyautoimmunity. Thus, in this monocentric retrospective study, patients with SS alone (i.

The immunotherapy of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Introduction: Guillain-Barré syndrome is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis worldwide. Microorganisms such as Campylobacter jejuni, Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Zika virus have been linked to the disease. The most common clinical variants are acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and acute motor axonal neuropathy.

The autoimmune ecology: an update.

Purpose Of Review: The autoimmune ecology refers to the interactions between individuals and their environment leading to a breakdown in immune tolerance and, therefore, to the development of one or more autoimmune diseases in such an individual. Herein, an update is offered on four specific factors associated with autoimmune diseases, namely, vitamin D, smoking, alcohol and coffee consumption from the perspective of exposome and metabolomics.

Recent Findings: Smoking is associated with an increased risk for most of the autoimmune diseases.

Pen Devices for Insulin Self-Administration Compared With Needle and Vial: Systematic Review of the Literature and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: Pen devices offer advantages compared with vial and syringe (VaS). The purpose of this article was to evaluate efficacy of pen devices compared to VaS.

Methods: A systematic review of literature was performed in 8 different databases.