Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Nat Med 2021 May 25;27(5):892-903. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Despite signs of infection-including taste loss, dry mouth and mucosal lesions such as ulcerations, enanthema and macules-the involvement of the oral cavity in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is poorly understood. To address this, we generated and analyzed two single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of the human minor salivary glands and gingiva (9 samples, 13,824 cells), identifying 50 cell clusters. Using integrated cell normalization and annotation, we classified 34 unique cell subpopulations between glands and gingiva. Read More

Am J Transplant 2021 Mar 15. Epub 2021 Mar 15.

Section of Transplant Surgery, Ochsner Health, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Shortage of organs for liver transplantation (LT) and the availability of highly efficient pan-genotypic direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) against hepatitis C virus (HCV) have allowed the use of livers from HCV-positive antibody/negative nucleic acid test donors (dHCV Ab+/NAT-) into aviremic HCV recipients over the last few years. We report the case of a patient who received an LT from an HCV Ab+/NAT- donor and, after HCV viremic conversion, developed a nephrotic syndrome due to a focal proliferative glomerulonephritis early after LT. Patient's renal function and proteinuria resolved after successful treatment with DAAs. Read More

bioRxiv 2021 Mar 1. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants highlighted the need to better understand adaptive immune responses to this virus. It is important to address whether also CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses are affected, because of the role they play in disease resolution and modulation of COVID-19 disease severity. Here we performed a comprehensive analysis of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses from COVID-19 convalescent subjects recognizing the ancestral strain, compared to variant lineages B. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2021 Feb 10;22(1):165. Epub 2021 Feb 10.

Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital(PUMCH), Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan Hutong, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.

Purpose: To analyze how pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) treatment of severe Scheuermann thoracolumbar kyphosis (STLK) using pedicle screw instrumentation affects sagittal spinopelvic parameters.

Background: The medical literature on the post-surgical effects of treatments such as Ponte osteotomy is limited, but suggests few effects on spinopelvic profiles. Currently, there is no research regarding changes in sagittal spinopelvic alignment upon PSO treatment in STLK patients. Read More

Plant J 2021 Apr 24;106(2):526-535. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, CH-8008, Switzerland.

Northern corn leaf blight, caused by the fungal pathogen Setosphaeria turcica (anamorph Exserohilum turcicum), is one of the most devastating foliar diseases of maize (Zea mays). Four genes Ht1, Ht2, Ht3 and Htn1 represent the major sources of genetic resistance against the hemibiotrophic fungus S. turcica. Read More

North Clin Istanb 2020 17;7(6):603-608. Epub 2020 Nov 17.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Health Sciences, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Objective: To analyze the demographic data, etiologies and risk factors of 106 children and adolescents with low back pain (LBP) who applied to our clinic.

Methods: The medical records of patients with low back pain under 18 presenting to our clinic in 2014-2018 were examined retrospectively. Patients' demographic data, physical examination findings, laboratory and imaging results, and risk factors for low back pain were evaluated; diagnosis and treatment modalities were recorded. Read More

Bone Joint J 2021 Jan;103-B(1):148-156

Scottish National Spine Deformity Centre, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK.

Aims: To report the surgical outcome of patients with severe Scheuermann's kyphosis treated using a consistent technique and perioperative management.

Methods: We reviewed 88 consecutive patients with a severe Scheuermann's kyphosis who had undergone posterior spinal fusion with closing wedge osteotomies and hybrid instrumentation. There were 55 males and 33 females with a mean age of 15. Read More

J Neurosurg Spine 2020 Dec 25:1-9. Epub 2020 Dec 25.

1Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital.

Objective: Combined anterior-posterior (AP) surgery is considered the gold standard for surgical treatment of Scheuermann kyphosis. There are trends toward posterior-only (PO) surgery for correcting this deformity because of the availability of multisegmental compression instruments and posterior shortening osteotomy. To date, surgical strategies for Scheuermann kyphosis remain controversial. Read More

Lancet 2021 01 23;397(10271):334-346. Epub 2020 Dec 23.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a disabling, polio-like illness mainly affecting children. Outbreaks of AFM have occurred across multiple global regions since 2012, and the disease appears to be caused by non-polio enterovirus infection, posing a major public health challenge. The clinical presentation of flaccid and often profound muscle weakness (which can invoke respiratory failure and other critical complications) can mimic several other acute neurological illnesses. Read More

Front Immunol 2020 30;11:578801. Epub 2020 Nov 30.

Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.

Background: Vaccination remains one of the most effective means of reducing the burden of infectious diseases globally. Improving our understanding of the molecular basis for effective vaccine response is of paramount importance if we are to ensure the success of future vaccine development efforts.

Methods: We applied cutting edge multi-omics approaches to extensively characterize temporal molecular responses following vaccination with hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine. Read More

Microorganisms 2020 Nov 25;8(12). Epub 2020 Nov 25.

Department of Informatics, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

Enteroviruses (EVs) are positive-sense RNA viruses, with over 50,000 nucleotide sequences publicly available. While most human infections are typically associated with mild respiratory symptoms, several different EV types have also been associated with severe human disease, especially acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), particularly with endemic members of the EV-B species and two pandemic types-EV-A71 and EV-D68-that appear to be responsible for recent widespread outbreaks. Here we review the recent literature on the prevalence, characteristics, and circulation dynamics of different enterovirus types and combine this with an analysis of the sequence coverage of different EV types in public databases (e. Read More

Front Immunol 2020 4;11:580373. Epub 2020 Nov 4.

Department of Radiology, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Conventional vaccine design has been based on trial-and-error approaches, which have been generally successful. However, there have been some major failures in vaccine development and we still do not have highly effective licensed vaccines for tuberculosis, HIV, respiratory syncytial virus, and other major infections of global significance. Approaches at rational vaccine design have been limited by our understanding of the immune response to vaccination at the molecular level. Read More

Bone Joint J 2020 Oct;102-B(10):1368-1374

Spinal Deformity Unit, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, UK.

Aims: Whether a combined anteroposterior fusion or a posterior-only fusion is more effective in the management of patients with Scheuermann's kyphosis remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the radiological and clinical outcomes of these surgical approaches, and to evaluate the postoperative complications with the hypothesis that proximal junctional kyphosis would be more common in one-stage posterior-only fusion.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients treated surgically for Scheuermann's kyphosis between 2006 and 2014 was performed. Read More

Global Spine J 2020 Aug 12:2192568220935818. Epub 2020 Aug 12.

Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Study Design: Level 4 retrospective case series.

Objectives: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the main complications of instrumented spinal fusion. The aim of our study was to evaluate infection recurrence (same bacteria) or reinfection (different bacteria) in posterior spinal fusion in children. Read More

J Neurosurg Spine 2020 Aug 7:1-8. Epub 2020 Aug 7.

2Department of Spine Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.

Objective: Scheuermann kyphosis (SK) could require surgical treatment in certain situations. A posterior reduction is the most widespread treatment so far, although the development of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) is one of the possible complications of this procedure. The contour of the proximal part of the rod could influence the occurrence of PJK in SK patients. Read More

SSRN 2020 Feb 25:3541361. Epub 2020 Feb 25.

Division of Vaccine Discovery.

Effective countermeasures against the recent emergence and rapid expansion of the 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) require the development of data and tools to understand and monitor viral spread and immune responses. However, little information about the targets of immune responses to 2019-nCoV is available. We used the Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource (IEDB) resource to catalog available data related to other coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV, which has high sequence similarity to 2019-nCoV, and is the best-characterized coronavirus in terms of epitope responses. Read More

Vet Surg 2021 Jan 17;50(1):20-28. Epub 2020 Jul 17.

Veterinary Medical Library, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Objective: To evaluate the evidence for the conservative and surgical management of pericardial effusions for neoplastic and idiopathic etiologies in dogs.

Study Design: Systematic review.

Sample Population: Peer-reviewed English-language articles describing the treatment and outcome of naturally occurring pericardial effusion in domestic dogs. Read More

Jt Dis Relat Surg 2020 23;31(2):201-208. Epub 2020 Apr 23.

Ağrı Devlet Hastanesi Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Kliniği, 04200 Ağrı, Türkiye.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate if use of cannulated pedicle screw (CPS) in the dysplastic pedicles in Scheuermann's kyphosis (SK) increases the accuracy rate of the screw and reduces screw-related complications.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study included 21 patients (11 males, 10 females; mean age 19.1 years; range, 13 to 22 years) (550 screws) who received correction with pedicle screws due to SK deformity between May 2015 and January 2019. Read More

Vaccine X 2020 Aug 21;5:100065. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most important cause of respiratory tract illness especially in young infants that develop severe disease requiring hospitalization, and accounting for 74,000-126,000 admissions in the United States (Rezaee et al., 2017; Resch, 2017). Observations of neonatal and infant T cells suggest that they may express different immune markers compared to T-cells from older children. Read More

Eur Spine J 2020 08 18;29(8):2091-2099. Epub 2020 May 18.

Spine Unit, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of Scheuermann's Kyphosis (SK) on health -related quality of life (HRQOL) in adult patients and compare it to the general population. Moreover, to assess whether location of the kyphosis affects pelvic parameters, HRQOL, and pulmonary function.

Methods: Of a cohort of 251 patients seen for a pediatric spinal deformity in the years 1972-1982 in our outpatient clinic, 55 had radiologically verified SK. Read More

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020 09;202(5):730-744

Immunology Department and.

Platelets are generated in the capillaries of the lung, control hemostasis, and display immunological functions. Tuberculosis primarily affects the lung, and patients show platelet changes and hemoptysis. A role of platelets in immunopathology of pulmonary tuberculosis requires careful assessment. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020 06 7;117(23):12522-12523. Epub 2020 May 7.

Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.

J Pediatr Orthop 2020 Nov/Dec;40(10):581-586

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, TX.

Background: In patients with Scheuermann kyphosis (SK) undergoing posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation (PSFI), intraoperative lateral radiographs assess deformity correction in the prone position. The relationship between thoracic and (partially un-instrumented) lumbar parameters on prone intraoperative versus standing postoperative radiographs is unknown.

Methods: Forty-five consecutive patients with SK who underwent PSFI between 2007 and 2014 were reviewed. Read More

J Pediatr Orthop 2020 Sep;40(8):e716-e719

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, TX.

Background: Scheuermann kyphosis (SK) can be managed operatively or nonoperatively. Few studies compare the effect of operative versus nonoperative treatment on patient health-related quality of life. We compare 2-year radiographic and the Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaire (SRS-22) results of patients who self-selected either conservative or surgical treatment. Read More

Spine Deform 2020 08 17;8(4):801-807. Epub 2020 Mar 17.

Department of Orthopaedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India.

Study Design: Case series.

Objectives: To describe a novel surgical strategy for severe, rigid post-tubercular cervical kyphosis with treatment outcomes in two patients.

Background Data: Spinal tuberculosis is a common cause of kyphotic deformity in the developing world with 3-5% of non-operatively managed patients ending up with kyphosis exceeding 60°. Read More

Cell Host Microbe 2020 04 16;27(4):671-680.e2. Epub 2020 Mar 16.

Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA. Electronic address:

Effective countermeasures against the recent emergence and rapid expansion of the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) require the development of data and tools to understand and monitor its spread and immune responses to it. However, little information is available about the targets of immune responses to SARS-CoV-2. We used the Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource (IEDB) to catalog available data related to other coronaviruses. Read More

J Orthop 2020 Sep-Oct;21:69-74. Epub 2020 Feb 4.

Research Institute Orton, Helsinki, Finland, Tenholantie 10, PL 29, 00281, Helsinki, Finland.

Background: There are only a few studies on untreated Scheuermann's disease and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in the lumbar spine. The primary aim of this study was to clarify lumbar MRI findings in patients with Scheuermann's disease and to compare with subjects without diagnosed spine disease.

Methods: Twenty-two male adult Scheuermann's patients (mean age 64. Read More

Spine Deform 2020 04 5;8(2):245-256. Epub 2020 Feb 5.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Hospital Organization, Kobe Medical Center, 3 Chome-1-1 Nishiochiai, Suma-ku, Kobe, 654-0155, Japan.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Objective: To elucidate the postoperative course of sagittal alignment in patients with congenital thoracolumbar to lumbar kyphosis or kyphoscoliosis. Acquisition of acceptable sagittal alignment is essential to treat spinal deformity. Read More

Cell Rep 2020 01;30(4):997-1012.e6

Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Control of established chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection requires the production of neutralizing antibodies, but it remains unknown how the ensemble of antibodies evolves during ongoing infection. Here, we analyze the evolution of antibody responses during acute or chronic LCMV infection, combining quantitative functional assays and time-resolved antibody repertoire sequencing. We establish that antibody responses initially converge in both infection types on a functional and repertoire level, but diverge later during chronic infection, showing increased clonal diversity, the appearance of mouse-specific persistent clones, and distinct phylogenetic signatures. Read More