Category: Nevin Manimala

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2026 Jul 1;67(8):49. doi: 10.1167/iovs.67.8.49.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of intravitreal injection and laser treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) on the optic nerve in infants.

METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. The participants were 551 eyes of preterm infants from January 2022 to March 2025. The preterm infants enrolled in this study were divided into the ROP treatment group, the ROP group, and the healthy control group. The treatment group was further subdivided into the intravitreal injection group and the laser group.

RESULTS: The vertical cup-to-disc ratio of the optic nerve in retinal images was measured at 4-week intervals from 36 to 60 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). From PMA 36 to 60 weeks, the cup-to-disc ratio demonstrated significantly greater growth in the ROP treatment group in comparison to the other two groups. Starting from 40 weeks PMA, a statistically significant elevation in the cup-to-disc ratio was observed in the intravitreal injection group compared with the laser group and the control group. Additionally, except for the 56- to 60-week PMA, the intravitreal injection group showed higher cup-to-disc ratio increases than the laser group.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study found that treated ROP leads to a higher cup-to-disc ratio. Furthermore, intravitreal injections result in a greater increase in cup-to-disc ratio compared to laser treatment, with this effect persisting up to 60 weeks PMA.

PMID:42490100 | DOI:10.1167/iovs.67.8.49

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2026 Jul 1;67(8):51. doi: 10.1167/iovs.67.8.51.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to characterize the intraocular cytokine context of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), a stress-response cytokine implicated in tissue injury and immune regulation, in eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) by evaluating paired aqueous humor (AH) and vitreous humor (VH) samples and their compartment-specific associations with other soluble cytokines.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 38 eyes of 38 patients with iERM and no history of intraocular surgery. Undiluted paired AH and VH samples were collected at the beginning of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Twenty-seven cytokines were quantified using a multiplex bead-based immunoassay, and GDF15 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Paired AH-VH comparisons and compartmental correlations were analyzed.

RESULTS: GDF15 was significantly higher in VH than in AH. Ten other cytokines also differed significantly between compartments: eotaxin, IFN-γ, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1, and RANTES were higher in VH, whereas IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17A, and TNF-α were higher in AH (all P < 0.01). Significant AH-VH correlations were observed for eotaxin, IL-6, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1β, RANTES, and GDF15 (all P < 0.01). When VH GDF15 was used as the reference, significant positive correlations were identified with IL-6, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1, and MIP-1α (all P < 0.01). No significant negative correlations with GDF15 were observed.

CONCLUSIONS: In eyes with iERM, intraocular GDF15 showed compartment-weighted associations that were concentrated predominantly on vitreous chemokines, with limited coupling to classical upstream inflammatory cytokines. These findings provide a compartment-specific view of the cytokine context in which intraocular GDF15 is observed.

PMID:42490098 | DOI:10.1167/iovs.67.8.51

J Chem Inf Model. 2026 Jul 23. doi: 10.1021/acs.jcim.6c01004. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Equilibrist is a free, open-source platform for the quantitative analysis of chemical equilibria and kinetics. It runs in a local web browser, requires no installation, and uses a plain-text scripting language to specify reversible and irreversible reactions, polyprotic acid-base networks, and thermodynamic-cycle constraints. Five fitting modes cover species concentration, NMR shifts (fast exchange), NMR integrations (slow exchange), a mixed mode, and UV-vis/emission spectrophotometry, optimized by the L-BFGS-B and Nelder-Mead methods. A comprehensive statistical layer adds information criteria (AIC, AICc, BIC) with Akaike weights and a Fisher F-test for model selection, residual diagnostics (Durbin-Watson and Shapiro-Wilk statistics, Q-Q plot), and three uncertainty quantification families (bootstrap, jackknife, and Monte Carlo input propagation). Parameter identifiability is mapped by 1D and 2D RMSE profiles, sloppy-spectrum eigen decomposition, correlation heatmaps, t-tests, and a novel local sensitivity coefficient ξ. The combined diagnostics let the user move past R² coefficients and Hessian standard errors to assess parameter estimates and the chemical model itself.

PMID:42490057 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jcim.6c01004

Gastric Cancer. 2026 Jul 23. doi: 10.1007/s10120-026-01776-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mismatch-repair deficient (dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) is associated with favorable prognosis but limited benefit from perioperative chemotherapy. Although immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI)-based approaches have shown promising activity in early-phase studies, the optimal therapeutic combinations and the feasibility of non-operative management (NOM) in resectable disease remain unclear.

METHODS: This exploratory, retrospective, multicenter, real-world study included 55 patients with resectable dMMR/MSI-H GEA, who were divided into subgroups, characterized and compared according to treatment strategy (chemotherapy, chemoimmunotherapy, immunotherapy and initial resection). Pathological and clinical complete response (pCR, cCR), progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated.

RESULTS: Patients received chemotherapy (n=10), chemoimmunotherapy (n=16), immunotherapy (n=13), or initial resection without subsequent systemic treatment (n=16). Forty five (82%) patients had surgical resection. The pCR rate was 22% (n=2/9) in the chemotherapy, 27% (n=4/15) in the chemoimmunotherapy, and 100% (n=5/5) in the immunotherapy (i.e., doublet ICI) subgroup, respectively. The overall cCR rate in NOM patients was 33% (n=3/9), with rates of 37.5% (n=3/8) in the immunotherapy subgroup and 0% (n=0/1) in the chemoimmunotherapy subgroup. Complete response rates (pCR/cCR) were significantly associated with PD-L1 CPS ≥10 (p=0.027).

CONCLUSION: This real-world study is, to our knowledge, the first to evaluate a broad spectrum of therapeutic combinations in patients with resectable MSI-H/dMMR GEA, showing meaningful antitumor activity, particularly with doublet ICI. Given the challenges of conducting randomized prospective trials in this setting, such real world data may support clinicians in guiding therapeutic decision-making.

PMID:42490032 | DOI:10.1007/s10120-026-01776-1

Int Microbiol. 2026 Jul 23. doi: 10.1007/s10123-026-00867-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Gastric cancer (GC) remains highly lethal, and although gastric microbiome dysbiosis has been linked to carcinogenesis, the viral component is still poorly explored. Here, we used metatranscriptomics to characterize the gastric virome and evaluate its association with GC and clinicopathological features. We analyzed 238 gastric tissues (214 GC and 24 non-tumors, NT) with clinicopathological data. Viral classification was performed using Kraken2 with the RVDB database. Virome diversity, composition, and clustering were assessed using phyloseq-based analyses, Jensen-Shannon divergence with PAM clustering, and ordination methods. Differential abundance and diversity were evaluated using LEfSe and statistical tests, and viral gene expression was investigated for clinical relevant viruses. We identified 106 viral genera, predominantly bacteriophages and dsDNA viruses, with distinct GC- and NT-associated viral signatures. Clustering revealed three viral community types (GT-1, GT-2, GT-3) that significantly separated GC and NT samples and showed reduced alpha diversity in GC-associated clusters. GT-1 was dominated by Lymphocryptovirus, GT-2 by Gorganvirus, and GT-3 (NT) exhibited the highest diversity. GC tissues were enriched in oncologically relevant viruses, including Lymphocryptovirus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus, and Alphapapillomavirus, whereas several bacteriophages predominated in NT. Virome composition was significantly associated with Lauren histological subtype, but not with clinical stage, tumor location, or neoadjuvant therapy. EBV-high tumors displayed a predominantly latent transcriptional program, with strong expression of ncRNAs (RPMS1, EBERs) and low lytic activity. These findings highlight major virome restructuring in GC and support a potential role of the gastric virome in tumor-associated microbial ecology, warranting further mechanistic and clinical investigation.

PMID:42490025 | DOI:10.1007/s10123-026-00867-4

Primates. 2026 Jul 23. doi: 10.1007/s10329-026-01276-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Cercocebus lunulatus, an endangered primate species, is endemic to three countries in West Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire. In this country, remnant populations of this species have survived in four protected areas including Comoé National Park, which is considered to harbor the largest wild population. However, the park faces significant anthropogenic pressures, including poaching, mining, and agricultural activities in peripheral areas, which hinder sustainable management and conservation efforts. For two decades, updated information on this species’ population size, group structure and food availability has been almost non-existent due to non-focused studies. From November 2021 to November 2022, we collected data using camera traps and phenological data in the park’s forest habitats. A total of 25 groups of white-naped mangabeys, estimated at about 1396 individuals, were recorded with seasonal variations in group size comprising 10 to 249 and 10 to 192 individuals in dry and rainy seasons, respectively. The mean density is 25.38 individuals /km². Groups comprise 44% juveniles, 27% adult females, 18% infants, and 10% adult males. Food item productivity (TotPI) averaged 2912 items/month in gallery forests and 1756 items/month in forest patches, but the choice of specific habitats is not statistically significant. Relying on phenological features, the group structure, marked by a high rate of juveniles and infants and a sex ratio largely in favor of females, we can assume that despite their endangered status, the viability of this species is not engaged.

PMID:42490020 | DOI:10.1007/s10329-026-01276-x

Curr Med Sci. 2026 Jul 23. doi: 10.1007/s11596-026-00225-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a dysregulated response of the host to infection that can lead to life-threatening organ dysfunction and remains a leading cause of mortality. Early recovery of impaired organ function is crucial for the outcomes of sepsis. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a promising adjunctive therapy for sepsis, but no study has focused on the efficacy of EA for organ dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of EA in improving organ dysfunction among intensive care unit (ICU) patients with sepsis.

METHODS: In this single-center, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial, an adaptive sample size of 154-500 patients diagnosed with sepsis will be included. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to receive EA or sham EA treatment at a 1:1 ratio using block randomization. Patients in the two groups will receive 6 consecutive sessions of 30-min EA or sham EA treatment, with the initial acupuncture treatment being completed within 24 h after randomization. The primary outcome is the change in the total score of the Sepsis-Related Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) on day 7 after randomization compared with baseline. Secondary outcomes include changes in the SOFA score and related serological outcomes, mortality, ICU-free days, hospital-free days and organ support-free days from baseline to day 28. Statistical analyses will be performed on a full analysis set (FAS) and a per-protocol set (PPS).

DISCUSSION: We expect the findings of this trial to provide evidence that the use of EA as an adjunctive therapy to ICU treatment can promote the recovery of organ function and other outcomes in sepsis patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06666946. Registered on 28 October 2024.

PMID:42490017 | DOI:10.1007/s11596-026-00225-5

Hernia. 2026 Jul 23;30(1):300. doi: 10.1007/s10029-026-03716-5.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare postoperative pain, hernia-specific Quality of Life, inflammatory response and the long-term hernia-related complaints between self-fixating mesh and limited tack fixation in laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair.

METHODS: This prospective double-blind randomised clinical trial enrolled adult males undergoing elective unilateral TEP repair between April 2018 and December 2020. The patients were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either self-fixating mesh (n = 56) or limited mesh fixation with up to three non-absorbable tacks (n = 56). The primary outcomes studied were postoperative pain (Visual Analogue Scale, VAS) and Quality of Life (Carolina Comfort Scale, CCS), recorded at prespecified intervals up to 3 months. The secondary outcomes included operative time, mesh deployment time, complications, analgesic consumption, length of stay, inflammatory markers (WBC at 48 h; ESR at 3 months) and a predefined long-term follow-up to evaluate late pain, hernia-related discomfort, recurrence, contralateral hernia development, and chronic pain outcomes after at least 5 years of the index surgery.

RESULTS: The operative duration and mesh deployment times were similar in both groups. Mesh deployment time was initially longer with self-fixating mesh in the first chronological quartile, but progressively decreased with experience and was comparable to tack fixation by later quartiles, demonstrating a significant learning-curve effect. Median VAS and CCS scores at all prespecified time points showed no clinically meaningful difference. Analgesic requirements were comparable between groups. Both groups demonstrated a significant postoperative rise in inflammatory markers; however, the magnitude of change was lower in the self-fixating mesh group, with statistically significant differences between groups in ΔWBC and ΔESR. Cord oedema and seroma were the most frequent postoperative surgical site occurrences (SSOs), with similar rates in either group. Only 96 of the 112 patients could be followed up after at least 5 years of the index surgery with an average of 78.5 months follow up. Both groups demonstrated minimal pain and mesh-related discomfort, with no clinically meaningful differences in average VAS or Carolina Comfort Scale scores. The rates of chronic pain (VAS ≥ 3) were low (four in each arm) and comparable between groups. No significant difference was observed in long-term pain-related functional impairment. One recurrence was detected in the self-fixating arm during the study.

CONCLUSION: The postoperative pain scores, hernia-specific quality-of-life outcomes, and early and late complication rates, including recurrence, with the use of self-fixating mesh were comparable to those observed with limited tack fixation in TEP repair. Although inflammatory markers increased postoperatively in both groups, the magnitude of the inflammatory response was modestly lower in the self-fixating mesh group. Mesh deployment time was initially longer with self-fixating mesh but decreased significantly with experience and became comparable to tack fixation, indicating a short and clinically acceptable learning curve. These findings support self-fixating mesh as a safe and atraumatic alternative fixation strategy in TEP repair with comparable short-term and long-term pain, quality of life, and recurrence rates.

PMID:42490014 | DOI:10.1007/s10029-026-03716-5

Adv Ther. 2026 Jul 23. doi: 10.1007/s12325-026-03695-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In the absence of head-to-head trial data, a matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) was conducted to compare the effectiveness, with respect to overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), of PET-guided BrECADD versus PET-guided ABVD, BEACOPP, and eBEACOPP in advanced Hodgkin lymphoma.

METHODS: Individual patient data (IPD) from patients in HD21 and aggregate data from the SWOG S0816, RATHL, HD9, and Mondello 2020 studies were utilized. Potential effect modifiers and prognostic variables for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma were identified via literature review, clinician input, and statistical analysis. As there was no common arm between HD21 and the comparator trials, unanchored MAICs were conducted. Data from patients in HD21 were weighted to align with published aggregate characteristics of the comparator trials.

RESULTS: BrECADD was associated with significantly improved PFS and OS compared with PET-guided ABVD among patients aged 18-60 (SWOG S0816; PFS HR: 0.24, 95% CI 0.16, 0.35, p < 0.001; OS HR: 0.30, 95% CI 0.14, 0.63, p = 0.004) and patients aged 18 to 75 (RATHL; PFS HR: 0.24, 95% CI 0.16, 0.36, p < 0.001; OS HR: 0.47, 95% CI 0.25, 0.89, p = 0.01). In the comparison of BrECADD versus BEACOPP (per the Mondello et al. 2020 study cohort), there was a trend in PFS improvement [HR = 0.58 (95% CI 0.29, 1.19), p = 0.194)] in favor of BrECADD in adults aged 18-75 years of age. Additionally, a trend was observed among patients aged 66-75, favoring BrECADD for freedom from treatment failure [HR = 0.63 (95% CI 0.28, 1.44), p = 0.260] when compared to BEACOPP (HD9).

CONCLUSION: These findings provide robust evidence and further support for the use of BrECADD in adult patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma.

PMID:42490007 | DOI:10.1007/s12325-026-03695-0

Updates Surg. 2026 Jul 23. doi: 10.1007/s13304-026-02767-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Iatrogenic chylothorax is generally attributed to injury to the main thoracic duct and its tributaries. However, the current anatomic classification of the thoracic duct primarily focuses on the morphology and outlet of the main duct. Using thoracic ductography, this study aimed to identify the presence of a large-caliber transverse branch of the thoracic duct and to evaluate its role as a cause of chylothorax. This retrospective study included 25 patients who underwent thoracic ductography for chylous leakage between May 2020 and May 2025. Thoracic duct branching patterns and leakage sites were correlated with surgical history, and clinical outcomes following lymphatic embolization were analyzed. A single thoracic duct was identified in 52% of patients, whereas 48% had at least one large-caliber transverse branch crossing the mediastinum at the carinal or upper tracheal level. All patients (n = 12) who developed chylothorax after surgery at the mediastinum had a transverse branch, which was confirmed as the source of lymphatic leakage in 100% of these cases. In contrast, leaks following surgery at the left mediastinal border originated from the main thoracic duct. There was statistically significant lower pretreatment daily drainage volume in patients with transverse branch injury than in those with main duct injury (p = 0.048). Large-caliber transverse branches of the thoracic duct may be more prevalent than previously recognized and represent a frequent cause of iatrogenic chylothorax when injured. Improved awareness of this anatomic variant may generate hypotheses for future preventive strategies during mediastinal procedures.

PMID:42489999 | DOI:10.1007/s13304-026-02767-8