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Background: The prognostic significance of minimal residual disease (MRD) status before autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHCT) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) has not been clearly elucidated. Methods: Retrospective single‐center study of adult MM patients who achieved ≥very good partial response (VGPR) after induction therapy from 2015 to 2021 received upfront autoHCT and had available pretransplant MRD status by next‐generation flow cytometry. The cohort was divided into pretransplant MRD‐negative (MRDneg) and MRD‐positive (MRDpos) groups. Results: A total of 733 patients were included in our analysis; 425 were MRDneg and 308 MRDpos at autoHCT. In the MRDpos group, more patients had high‐risk cytogenetic abnormalities (48% vs. 38%, respectively; p =.025), whereas fewer patients achieved ≥CR before autoHCT (14% vs. 40%; p <.001). At day 100 after autoHCT, 37% of the MRDpos versus 71% of the MRDneg achieved ≥CR, and at best posttransplant response 65% versus 88% achieved ≥CR, respectively. After a median follow‐up of 27.6 months (range, 0.7–82.3), the median PFS was significantly shorter for patients in the MRDpos group compared to the MRDneg group: 48.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3–80.5) versus 80.1 months (95% CI, 0.5–80.1), respectively (p <.001). There was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups (p =.41). Pretransplant MRDpos status was predictive of shorter PFS in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.31–2.46; p <.001). The impact of pretransplant MRD status was retained in most of the examined subgroups. Conclusions: In patients achieving ≥VGPR to induction, pretransplant MRDpos status was associated with a lower CR rate after autoHCT and a shorter PFS. This retrospective single‐center study evaluated the prognostic impact of pretransplant minimal residual disease (MRD) status by next‐generation flow cytometry in 733 multiple myeloma patients who achieved ≥ very good partial response after induction therapy and received upfront autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHCT). Pretransplant MRD positivity was associated with a lower complete remission rate after autoHCT and a shorter progression‐free survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA damage is a causative factor in ageing of the vasculature and other organs. One of the most important vascular ageing features is reduced nitric oxide (NO)soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)—cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling. We hypothesized that the restoration of NO‐sGC‐cGMP signaling with an sGC activator (BAY 54–6544) may have beneficial effects on vascular ageing and premature death in DNA repair‐defective mice undergoing accelerated ageing. Eight weeks of treatment with a non‐pressor dosage of BAY 54–6544 restored the decreased in vivo microvascular cutaneous perfusion in progeroid Ercc1∆/− mice to the level of wild‐type mice. In addition, BAY 54–6544 increased survival of Ercc1∆/− mice. In isolated Ercc1∆/− aorta, the decreased endothelium‐independent vasodilation was restored after chronic BAY 54–6544 treatment. Senescence markers p16 and p21, and markers of inflammation, including Ccl2, Il6 in aorta and liver, and circulating IL‐6 and TNF‐α were increased in Ercc1∆/−, which was lowered by the treatment. Expression of antioxidant genes, including Cyb5r3 and Nqo1, was favorably changed by chronic BAY 54–6544 treatment. In summary, BAY 54–6544 treatment improved the vascular function and survival rates in mice with accelerated ageing, which may have implication in prolonging health span in progeria and normal ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous work identified human immunodeficiency virus type I enhancer binding protein 1 (HIVEP1) as a putative driver of LPS-induced NF-κB signaling in humans in vivo. While HIVEP1 is known to interact with NF-ĸB binding DNA motifs, its function in mammalian cells is unknown. We report increased HIVEP1 mRNA expression in monocytes from patients with sepsis and monocytes stimulated by Toll-like receptor agonists and bacteria. In complementary overexpression and gene deletion experiments HIVEP1 was shown to inhibit NF-ĸB activity and induction of NF-ĸB responsive genes. RNA sequencing demonstrated profound transcriptomic changes in HIVEP1 deficient monocytic cells and transcription factor binding site analysis showed enrichment for κB site regions. HIVEP1 bound to the promoter regions of NF-ĸB responsive genes. Inhibition of cytokine production by HIVEP1 was confirmed in LPS-stimulated murine Hivep1-/- macrophages and HIVEP1 knockdown zebrafish exposed to the common sepsis pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. These results identify HIVEP1 as a negative regulator of NF-κB in monocytes/macrophages that inhibits proinflammatory reactions in response to bacterial agonists in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major cause of sepsis. Despite several clinical trials targeting components of the inflammatory response, no specific treatment other than antimicrobial therapy has been approved. This argued for a deeper understanding of sepsis immunopathology, in particular factors that can modulate the host response. Small non‐coding RNA, for example, micro (mi)RNA, have been established as important modifiers of cellular phenotypes. Notably, miRNAs are not exclusive to the intracellular milieu but have also been detected extracellular in the circulation with functional consequences. Here, we sought to determine shifts in circulatory small RNA levels of critically ill patients with CAP‐associated sepsis and to determine the influence of clinical severity and causal pathogens on small RNA levels. Blood plasma was collected from 13 critically ill patients with sepsis caused by CAP on intensive care unit admission and from 5 non‐infectious control participants. Plasma small RNA‐sequencing identified significantly altered levels of primarily mature miRNAs in CAP relative to controls. Pathways analysis of high or low abundance miRNA identified various over‐represented cellular biological pathways. Analysis of small RNA levels against common clinical severity and inflammatory parameters indices showed direct and indirect correlations. Additionally, variance of plasma small RNA levels in CAP patients may be explained, at least in part, by differences in causal pathogens. Small nuclear RNA levels were specifically altered in CAP due to Influenza infection in contrast to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Pathway analysis of plasma miRNA signatures unique to Influenza or Streptococcus pneumoniae infections showed enrichment for specific proteoglycan, cell cycle, and immunometabolic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The host immune response is characterized by a complex interplay of signal‐specific cellular transcriptional responses. The magnitude of the immune response is dependent on the strength of the external stimulus. Knowledge on leukocyte transcriptional responses altered in response to different stimulus dosages in man is lacking. Here, we sought to identify leukocyte transcriptional signatures dependent on LPS dose in humans. Healthy human volunteers were administered 1 ng/kg (n = 7), 2 ng/kg (n = 6), or 4 ng/kg (n = 7) LPS intravenously. Blood was collected before (pre‐LPS) and 4 h after LPS administration. Total RNA was analyzed by microarrays and generalized linear models. Pathway analysis was performed by using Ingenuity pathway analysis. Leukocyte transcriptomes altered per LPS dosage were predominantly shared, with 47% common signatures relative to pre‐LPS. A univariate linear model identified a set of 3736 genes that exhibited a dependency on differing LPS dosages. Neutrophil, monocyte, and lymphocyte counts explained 38.9% of the variance in the LPS dose‐dependent gene set. A multivariate linear model including leukocyte composition delineated a set of 295 genes with a dependency on LPS dose. Evaluation of the 295 gene signature in patients with sepsis due to abdominal infections showed significant correlations. Promoter regions of the LPS dose gene set were enriched for YY1, EGR1, ELK1, GABPA, KLF4, and REL transcription factor binding sites. Intravenous injection of 1, 2, or 4 ng/kg LPS was accompanied by both shared and distinct leukocyte transcriptional alterations. These data may assist in assessing the severity of the insult in patients with abdominal sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the impact of body mass index (BMI) on outcomes of multiple myeloma patients undergoing upfront autologous stem cell transplant. The study included a large cohort of patients with varying BMIs and analyzed progression-free survival, overall survival, haematological response, and measurable residual disease status. The findings suggest that elevated BMI did not adversely affect survival outcomes, including in patients with severe obesity, indicating that BMI may not significantly impact eligibility for auto-HCT in multiple myeloma patients. The study acknowledges limitations of retrospective analysis but provides valuable insights into the relationship between BMI and treatment outcomes in this patient population. [Extracted from the article]

Monocytes are key players in innate immunity, with their ability to regulate inflammatory responses and combat invading pathogens. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) participate in various cellular biological processes, including the innate immune response. The immunoregulatory properties of numerous lncRNAs discovered in monocytes remain largely unexplored. Here, by RNA sequencing, we identified a lncRNA JHDM1D-AS1, which was upregulated in blood monocytes obtained from patients with sepsis relative to healthy controls. JHDM1D-AS1 expression was induced in primary human monocytes exposed to Toll-like receptor ligands, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or bacteria. The inducibility of JHDM1D-AS1 expression in monocytes depended, at least in part, on nuclear factor-κB activation. JHDM1D-AS1 knockdown experiments in human monocyte-derived macrophages revealed significantly enhanced expression of inflammatory mediators, before and after exposure to LPS, relative to control cells. Specifically, genes involved in inflammatory responses were upregulated (e.g., CXCL2 , CXCL8 , IL1RN , TREM1 , TNF , and IL6 ), whereas genes involved in anti-inflammatory pathways were downregulated (e.g., SOCS1 and IL10RA ). JHDM1D-AS1 overexpression in a pro-monocytic cell line revealed diminished pro-inflammatory responses subsequent to LPS challenge. Collectively, these findings identify JHDM1D-AS1 as a potential anti-inflammatory mediator induced in response to inflammatory stimuli., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Malmström, Khan, Veer, Stunnenberg, Meijer, Matsumoto, Otto, Geijtenbeek, de Vos, Poll and Scicluna.)

Polymyositis is a rare disease with incidence rates at about 1 per 100,000 people annually. In this case report we will review a case of proximal muscle weakness with an elevated creatine phosphokinase that was initially misdiagnosed twice as rhabdomyolysis. Therefore, emphasizing that idiopathic inflammatory myopathy is a potential cause of myasthenia that must be considered in the differential. The case will also describe the current treatment and treatment response in polymyositis.