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Background/Aims Neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in cerebrospinal fluid and serum are reliable indicators for neuroaxonal damage in a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we investigate NfL levels in serum and anterior chamber fluid of patients with glaucoma. Methods Patients scheduled for routine glaucoma or cataract surgery were recruited for this study. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT, Heidelberg Spectralis). NfL levels in serum and in anterior chamber fluid were analysed with Simoa SR-X Analyzer (Quanterix; NFLIGHT, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA). T-test was used for parametric data and Mann-Whitney-U test for nonparametric data. Spearman’s rank-order correlation was used to investigate correlations. P values<0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results Sixty patients with glaucoma and 58 controls were enrolled. Serum NfL concentration of patients with glaucoma was similar to serum NfL concentration in controls (median (IQR); 22.7 (18.9) pg/mL vs 22.5 (24.0) pg/mL; p=0.763). A positive correlation of serum NfL with age was observed in both patients with glaucoma (r=0.77; p<0.001) and in the control group (r=0.82, p<0.001). In the anterior chamber fluid, the NfL concentration was substantially increased in patients with glaucoma compared with controls (20.7 (101.3) pg/ mL vs 3.1 (2.9) pg/mL; p<0.001). Furthermore, we found a positive correlation of anterior chamber fluid NfL with preoperative intraocular pressure (r=0.39, p=0.003) and with retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (r=0.58, p<0.001). Conclusion NfL levels in anterior chamber fluid are elevated in patients with glaucoma and correlate with intraocular pressure and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness. The presented data strongly support anterior chamber fluid NfL as a new marker for glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bronchial asthma is a non-communicable disease demanding long-term adherence to medical treatment and self-management. The effectiveness of a Nurse-Led Clinic for the management of long-term illness is well established. In our setup, we intend to establish a Nurse-Led Clinic. Before establishing one, it is essential to explore stakeholders' perspectives on the feasibility of a Nurse-Led Clinic for the self-management of bronchial asthma. Objective: The study was done to explore stakeholders' opinions on the Nurse-Led Clinic's feasibility for the self-management of bronchial asthma. Methods: Five doctors, six nurses, and 11 patients were taken as stakeholders using the purposive sampling technique. A pre-validated semi-structured opinionnaire having a Content Validity Index (CVI) of 0.82 was used. Face-to-face individual interviews were conducted. The data triangulation and dependability were ensured. Results: After the thematic analysis, themes were categorized into two sections based on the common and different questions for all the stakeholders. The major themes of both sections were as follows: Nurse-Led Clinic-A perceived helpful initiative, strengthening the Nurse-Led Clinic, current obstacles/restorative measures in the management of bronchial asthma, a glance at the current scenario, patient satisfaction with doctors' consultation, and challenges Nurse-Led Clinic may face and related remedial measures. Conclusion: All stakeholders favored the idea of a Nurse-Led Clinic for the self-management of bronchial asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Priyanka. Prakash, Manju. Dhandapani, Sandhya. Ghai, Neena. Singh, Sivashanmugam. Dhandapani Background: Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting is the most common neurosurgical treatment for hydrocephalus. In spite of significant developments in the [...]

The cellular prion protein (PrP) is a highly conserved, widely expressed, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored (GPI-anchored) cell surface glycoprotein. Since its discovery, most studies on PrP have focused on its role in neurodegenerative prion diseases, whereas its function outside the nervous system remains unclear. Here, we report that human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines expressed PrP. However, the PrP was neither glycosylated nor GPI-anchored, existing as pro-PrP and retaining its GPI anchor peptide signal sequence (GPI-PSS). We also showed that the PrP GPI-PSS has a filamin A-binding (FLNa-binding) motif and interacted with FLNa, an actin-associated protein that integrates cell mechanics and signaling. Binding of pro-PrP to FLNa disrupted cytoskeletal organization. Inhibition of PrP expression by shRNA in the PDAC cell lines altered the cytoskeleton and expression of multiple signaling proteins; it also reduced cellular proliferation and invasiveness in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. A subgroup of human patients with pancreatic cancer was found to have tumors that expressed pro-PrP. Most importantly, PrP expression in tumors correlated with a marked decrease in patient survival. We propose that binding of pro-PrP to FLNa perturbs FLNa function, thus contributing to the aggressiveness of PDAC. Prevention of this interaction could provide an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in human PDAC., Introduction Although the normal prion protein (PrP) is a glycosylphos-phatidylinositol-anchored (GPI-anchored) and ubiquitously expressed glycoprotein, and, when altered, is the causative agent of spongiform encephalopathy, its normal function remains mysterious [...]

Byline: Rashmita. Devi, Sandhya. Ghai, Neena. Singh, G. Puri Aim: This study aims to develop a standard operational protocol (SOP) for central line catheter care for nurses. Materials and Methods: [...]