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Essays Biochem 2020 May 26. Epub 2020 May 26.

Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta, Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Extracellular lysophosphatidate (LPA) signalling is regulated by the balance of LPA formation by autotaxin (ATX) versus LPA degradation by lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPP) and by the relative expressions of six G-protein-coupled LPA receptors. These receptors increase cell proliferation, migration, survival and angiogenesis. Acute inflammation produced by tissue damage stimulates ATX production and LPA signalling as a component of wound healing. Read More

Am J Perinatol 2020 May 12. Epub 2020 May 12.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York.

As New York City became an international epicenter of the novel coronavirus disease 2020 (COVID-19) pandemic, telehealth was rapidly integrated into prenatal care at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, an academic hospital system in Manhattan. Goals of implementation were to consolidate in-person prenatal screening, surveillance, and examinations into fewer in-person visits while maintaining patient access to ongoing antenatal care and subspecialty consultations via telehealth virtual visits. The rationale for this change was to minimize patient travel and thus risk for COVID-19 exposure. Read More

J Thromb Thrombolysis 2020 May 9. Epub 2020 May 9.

Hematology Department, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, POB 12000, Jerusalem, Israel.

Pregnancy is a precipitating factor for immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP). We compared the clinical course and outcomes of iTTP in women of reproductive age, between those with pregnancy- and non-pregnancy-related iTTP. A review of all reproductive-aged women diagnosed with iTTP during 2010-2019 in seven university hospitals in Israel. Read More

Int J Dev Neurosci 2020 May 7. Epub 2020 May 7.

Departamento de Bioquímica, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) is caused by a severe deficiency in the branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase complex activity. Patients MSUD accumulate the branched-chain amino acids leucine (Leu), isoleucine, valine in blood, and other tissues. Leu and/or their branched-chain α-keto acids are linked to neurological damage in MSUD. Read More

Diabetes Metab Res Rev 2020 Apr 28:e3332. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Hypoglycaemia is common in patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes and constitutes a major limiting factor in achieving glycaemic control among people with diabetes. While hypoglycaemia is defined as a blood glucose level under 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), symptoms may occur at higher blood glucose levels in individuals with poor glycaemic control. Read More

Neurourol Urodyn 2020 Apr 23. Epub 2020 Apr 23.

Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.

Aims: The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with urinary incontinence (UI) in a community sample of young nulligravid women.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis from a cross-sectional survey-based study of cisgender women aged 18 to 25 years recruited through a national registry of research volunteers. Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing toileting behaviors, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and bowel symptoms. Read More

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2020 Jun 9;29(6):104792. Epub 2020 Apr 9.

Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Electronic address:

Background And Aim: Perioperative stroke is a feared and potentially disastrous complication of surgery. Postdischarge care, specifically hospital readmissions, can significantly impact postsurgical recovery and provides a useful metric for quality care. Our primary aim was examining 30-day readmissions for patients who had a perioperative stroke undergoing noncardiac non-neurosurgery. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020 Apr 24;117(14):7981-7989. Epub 2020 Mar 24.

Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065;

Human infection by Zika virus (ZIKV) during pregnancy can lead to vertical transmission and fetal aberrations, including microcephaly. Prophylactic administration of antibodies can diminish or prevent ZIKV infection in animal models, but whether passive immunization can protect nonhuman primates and their fetuses during pregnancy has not been determined. Z004 and Z021 are neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to domain III of the envelope (EDIII) of ZIKV. Read More

Obstet Gynecol 2020 Mar;135(3):757-758

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. The disease affects more women than men and often is diagnosed during a woman's childbearing years. Typical clinical presentations of the disease are extensive and variable, with symptoms that include dysregulated mood, fatigue, vision problems, weakness, tremor, imbalance, abnormal sensations, bladder dysfunction, and heat sensitivity. Read More

J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2020 Feb;29(2):139-147

Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia.

Scientific evidence demonstrated a causal relationship between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and neurologic abnormalities and other congenital defects. The U.S. Read More

PLoS One 2020 6;15(2):e0228417. Epub 2020 Feb 6.

Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom.

Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a significant cause of hypoglycaemia in neonates and infants with the potential for permanent neurologic injury. Accurate calculations of the incidence of rare diseases such as CHI are important as they inform health care planning and can aid interpretation of genetic testing results when assessing the frequency of variants in large-scale, unselected sequencing databases. Whilst minimal incidence rates have been calculated for four European countries, the incidence of CHI in the UK is not known. Read More

Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2020 01 8;145(1):19-28. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

Lyme borreliosis is the most common zoonosis in Germany with an incidence of up to 138/100 000. More than 90 % of all cases show dermatological manifestations. Early manifestations are erythema migrans, multiple erythemata migrantia, and (less frequently) borrelial lymphocytoma. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2019 Dec 16;19(1):1056. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

College of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Medical Laboratory Science, Hawassa University, P.O. Box.1560, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Background: Toxoplasmosis is caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. It is acquired by consumption of raw or undercooked meat containing tissue cyst, food or water contaminated with oocyst and congenital infection through the placenta leading to serious congenital abnormalities in the fetus like miscarriage, stillbirth, intrauterine death and neurologic defects. Therefore; this study was aimed to determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis infection and its possible risk factors associated with pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Hawassa and Yiregalem Hospitals, Southern Ethiopia. Read More

BMC Bioinformatics 2019 Dec 10;20(Suppl 6):623. Epub 2019 Dec 10.

Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) which damages the myelin sheath enveloping nerve cells thus causing severe physical disability in patients. Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) is one of the most common form of MS in adults and is characterized by a series of neurologic symptoms, followed by periods of remission. Recently, many treatments were proposed and studied to contrast the RRMS progression. Read More

Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2019 Dec;25(6):1767-1784

Purpose Of Review: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes fluctuating weakness in ocular, bulbar, and limb muscles and can, in 15% of cases, cause myasthenic crisis, a neurologic emergency characterized by respiratory failure. Although infrequent, MG needs to be promptly recognized and treated because the potential for improvement and remission is very high. The diagnosis of MG can be challenging and delayed because of the fluctuating nature of muscle weakness and the overlap of signs and symptoms with other neuromuscular diseases. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2019 12;25(12):2191-2196

Zika virus remains a major public health concern because of its association with microcephaly and other neurologic disorders in newborns. A prophylactic vaccine has the potential to reduce disease incidence and eliminate birth defects resulting from prenatal Zika virus infection in future outbreaks. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a Zika vaccine candidate, assuming a protection efficacy of 60%-90%, for 18 countries in the Americas affected by the 2015-2017 Zika virus outbreaks. Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2020 Feb 30;38:101483. Epub 2019 Oct 30.

Center of Neuroimmunology, Service of Neurology, Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), and Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address:

Background: Rebound of multiple sclerosis (MS) activity has been described after the withdrawal of high-efficacy drugs, but its impact during pregnancy is less known. We describe a series of cases of rebound syndrome after the cessation of fingolimod due to pregnancy planning.

Methods: The clinical and radiological data of 7 MS patients who discontinued fingolimod therapy between May 2012 and March 2018 to plan a pregnancy was analysed. Read More

Harefuah 2019 Nov;158(11):742-747

Department of Physiology, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-IIT.

Introduction: Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy affecting 3-8% of all pregnancies. It increases the morbidity and mortality of both the fetus and the pregnant woman, especially in developing countries. It deleteriously affects several vital organs, including the kidney, heart, liver, brain, and lung. Read More

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2019 Nov 5;19(1):403. Epub 2019 Nov 5.

Division of Neonatology, University Children's Hospital Basel (UKBB), Spitalstrasse 33, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.

Background: To better understand the profound multisystem changes in maternal physiology triggered by parturition, in particular in the underexplored neuronal system, by deploying a panel of pre- vs post-delivery maternal serum biomarkers, most notably the neuronal cytoskeleton constituent neurofilament light chain (NfL). This promising fluid biomarker is not only increasingly applied to investigate disease progression in numerous brain diseases, particularly in proteopathies, but also in detection of traumatic brain injury or monitoring neuroaxonal injury after ischemic stroke.

Methods: The study was nested within a prospective cohort study of pregnant women at risk of developing preeclampsia at the University Hospital of Basel. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Nov;98(44):e17679

National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan.

To introduce the National Maternal Near Miss Surveillance System (NMNMSS) in detail and to report the composition of maternal near miss (MNM) in China.The NMNMSS was established by the National Health Commission at the end of 2010, covered over 400 health facilities from 30 provinces in China. The NMNMSS was designed to collect individual information for every pregnant woman admitted to obstetric department in the sampled health facilities. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2019 Oct 4;20:1460-1465. Epub 2019 Oct 4.

Surgical, Medical and Dental Department of Morphological Sciences, Section of Nephrology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.

BACKGROUND Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a genetic disorder with uncontrolled complement activation leading to systemic thrombotic microangiopathy; kidneys are almost invariably involved. Eculizumab has dramatically improved the prognosis of aHUS and affected women in the childbearing age are more likely to consider pregnancy, even if this could represent a risk for disease reactivation. Pregnancies in women with aHUS during Eculizumab treatment have been reported, with no cases of aHUS relapse. Read More

World Neurosurg 2020 Jan 28;133:99-103. Epub 2019 Sep 28.

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Background: Intracranial tumor growth associated with pregnancy is not an uncommon phenomenon. Pilocytic astrocytoma is typically considered to be an indolent tumor with little to no risk of progression to higher-grade lesion. We present a rare case of cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma transformation to hemorrhagic high-grade glioma during pregnancy. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2019 Dec 20;185:109686. Epub 2019 Sep 20.

Department of Histology and Embryology, Neurologic Disorders and Regeneration Repair Lab of Shandong Higher Education, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China. Electronic address:

Gestational exposure to PM is a worldwide environmental issue associated with long-lasting behavior abnormalities and neurodevelopmental impairments in the hippocampus of offspring. PM may induce hippocampus injury and lead to autism-like behavior such as social communication deficits and stereotyped repetitive behavior in children through neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Here, we investigated the preventive effect of B-vitamin on PM-induced deleterious effects by focusing on anti-inflammation, antioxidant, synaptic remodeling and neurodevelopment. Read More

MMWR Recomm Rep 2019 07 19;68(2):1-33. Epub 2019 Jul 19.

This report updates the 2010 recommendations from the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding prevention of Japanese encephalitis (JE) among U.S. travelers and laboratory workers (Fischer M, Lindsey N, Staples JE, Hills S. Read More

Monaldi Arch Chest Dis 2019 Sep 10;89(3). Epub 2019 Sep 10.

Intenal Medicine Department, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disease that may lead to neurologic complications in 10% of the patients. Carpal tunnel syndrome is very rare in sarcoidosis. We present two identical twin sarcoidosis patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Read More

J Neurovirol 2020 Feb 9;26(1):70-76. Epub 2019 Sep 9.

Laboratory of Pediatric Infectology, Jundiaí School of Medicine, Rua Francisco Telles, 250, Vila Arens, Jundiaí, SP, 13202-550, Brazil.

Paired maternal and newborn urine and amniotic fluid from 138 subjects collected during a Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak was analyzed for ZIKV by gene amplification (RT-qPCR), and the findings were correlated with clinical symptoms and neurological anomalies in the babies. ZIKV was detected in 1 of 9 symptomatic women (11.1%) and in 19 of 129 asymptomatic women (14. Read More

Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2019 12 6;25(12):e363-e374. Epub 2019 Sep 6.

Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.

The leukodystrophies are a heterogeneous group of inherited diseases characterized by progressive demyelination of the central nervous system leading to devastating neurologic symptoms and premature death. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been successfully used to treat certain leukodystrophies, including adrenoleukodystrophy, globoid leukodystrophy (Krabbe disease), and metachromatic leukodystrophy, over the past 30 years. To date, these complex patients have primarily been transplanted at a limited number of pediatric centers. Read More

J Vet Diagn Invest 2019 Sep;31(5):696-703

Institute of Virology (Lechmann, Fraefel, Bachofen), Equine Department, Clinic for Equine Internal Medicine (Schoster), Department of Farm Animals, Division of Herd Medicine and Outpatient Clinic (Ernstberger), Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich Switzerland.

Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) infections can have a major impact on the horse industry and equine welfare by causing abortion or respiratory or neurologic disease. A single nucleotide polymorphism (A→G) in open reading frame (ORF) 30, encoding the catalytic subunit of the DNA polymerase, has been shown to be a strong predictive marker for neuropathogenicity. Given that a previously established real-time PCR (rtPCR) protocol yielded unsatisfactory results concerning determination of the EHV-1 genotype, we developed and evaluated a new conventional PCR protocol enabling identification of the genotype by sequencing and restriction enzyme analysis (REA). Read More

Fertil Steril 2019 11 26;112(5):900-907. Epub 2019 Aug 26.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pathology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

Objective: To compare neonatal health outcomes after fresh versus frozen ET (FET).

Design: Retrospective analysis of a population-based database of linked clinically assisted reproductive technology (ART) data with state vital records. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model the association between deliveries from fresh versus FET and adverse health outcomes, controlling for maternal characteristics. Read More

Heliyon 2019 Aug 12;5(8):e02041. Epub 2019 Aug 12.

Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA.

Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are a complex and challenging subset of neurosurgical disease, the optimal treatment of which is nuanced and dependent on numerous patient- and disease-specific factors. Clinical features that may predispose toward resection as front-line treatment include lower grade lesions, particularly those in non-eloquent locations, as well as active pregnancy. In all AVM resections, minimization of risk to exposed healthy brain adjacent to the lesion is a key surgical principle. Read More

Chin Med J (Engl) 2019 Sep;132(17):2109-2118

Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.

Objective: This review aimed to summarize research progress regarding congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection-related nervous system diseases and their mechanisms.

Data Sources: All literature quoted in this review was retrieved from PubMed and Web of Science using the keywords "Cytomegalovirus" and "Neurologic disease" in English. To identify more important information, we did not set time limits. Read More

Neurology 2019 07;93(4):176-180

From the Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

This position piece is meant to extend the humanitarian argument for assisting people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in resource-limited settings, in this case, through research. It is also meant to highlight areas of strength of some low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and therefore emphasize how the field of MS could best be served globally by more research with and for resource-limited populations. Possible areas of particular strength include (1) ethnicity, genetic diversity, and migration studies; (2) analysis of possibly emerging environmental and lifestyle-related risk factors; (3) understanding the immune system when exposed to novel pathogens and various infectious agents; (4) reverse innovation to promote better point-of-care diagnostic tests; (5) high participation rates in clinical registries and research; (6) appreciation of MS in special populations including a higher focus on pediatrics and pregnancy; (7) culturally adept means of treatment and rehabilitating disability; (8) models of care delivery for chronic, complex neurologic diseases; and (9) use of off-label, generic, and less commonly implemented disease-modifying therapy sequences. Read More

Handb Clin Neurol 2019 ;162:449-481

Departments of Pediatrics and Clinical Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Electronic address:

Inborn errors of metabolism, also known as inherited metabolic diseases, constitute an important group of conditions presenting with neurologic signs in newborns. They are individually rare but collectively common. Many are treatable through restoration of homeostasis of a disrupted metabolic pathway. Read More

Handb Clin Neurol 2019 ;162:1-29

Division of Pediatric Neurology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States. Electronic address:

Clinical service, educational, and research components of a fetal/neonatal neurology program are anchored by the disciplines of developmental origins of health and disease and life-course science as programmatic principles. Prenatal participation provides perspectives on maternal, fetal, and placental contributions to health or disease for fetal and subsequent neonatal neurology consultations. This program also provides an early-life diagnostic perspective for neurologic specialties concerned with brain health and disease throughout childhood and adulthood. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2019 Oct 11;45(10):1989-1996. Epub 2019 Jul 11.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.

Aim: Pregnant women undergoing treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) may be exposed to multiple QT prolonging agents. We used magnetocardiography to measure fetal QT intervals in mothers with OUD on buprenorphine therapy.

Methods: Fetal and maternal magnetocardiography was performed in pregnant women receiving buprenorphine-assisted treatment (Disorder group); these were matched by gestational age to pregnant women who were opiate naïve (Reference group). Read More

Am Fam Physician 2019 07;100(1):39-48

Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, VA, USA.

Menstrual patterns can be an indicator of overall health and self-perception of well-being. Primary amenorrhea, defined as the lifelong absence of menses, requires evaluation if menarche has not occurred by 15 years of age or three years post-thelarche. Secondary amenorrhea is characterized by cessation of previously regular menses for three months or previously irregular menses for six months and warrants evaluation. Read More