Citations

Background Lewy body disease (LBD) is a progressive neurodegenerative a-synucleinopathy, whereas isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is recognized as a prodromal stage of LBD. Although growing evidence implicates the gut–brain axis in neurodegeneration, the taxonomic and functional roles of the gut microbiome across the prodromal-to-symptomatic LBD continuum remain poorly defined. Methods Here, we performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing on stool samples from 25 patients with LBD (10 mild cognitive impairment due to LBD [MCI-LB] and 15 dementia with Lewy bodies [DLB]), 10 individuals with iRBD, and their household matched cohabitant controls to characterize disease-associated microbial alterations while minimizing environmental confounding. Results Despite no significant differences in global microbial diversity, we identified convergent shifts in microbial taxa, metabolic pathways, and gene families across disease stages. Both LBD and iRBD showed increased abundance of microbial taxa potentially associated with gut barrier disruption, as well as higher abundance of functional pathways related to lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. LBD showed lower abundance of pathways related to complex carbohydrate fermentation, and both groups showed lower abundance of pathways associated with neurotransmitter-related metabolism. In particular, pathways and gene families associated with starch degradation were reduced in LBD, and those associated with histidine-to-glutamate/ GABA metabolism were reduced in both groups. Discussion These exploratory findings represent the first high-resolution, shotgun metagenomic characterization of gut microbiome alterations across the LBD continuum, highlighting functional patterns that may serve as candidate markers of disease progression in future longitudinal and mechanistic studies.

Context.— The diagnosis and characterization of well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (WDNETs) on cytology is challenging, with recognized pitfalls that may have therapeutic and prognostic implications. Objective.— To analyze data curated by the College of American Pathologists educational slide program for accuracy in the cytologic diagnosis of WDNET. The current state of cytologic diagnosis of WDNET is also reviewed for educational purposes. Design.— The study cohort included non-gynecologic cytology slides reviewed by participants in the College of American Pathologists Non-Gynecologic Cytopathology Education program. Individual responses for cytotechnologists or cytologists (CT) and pathologists were collated for WDNET. The data were analyzed for concordance with the correct general diagnosis and concordance with the correct reference diagnosis. The exact reference diagnosis available for each site was “pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor,” “liver, well/moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumor,” and “lung, well/moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumor.” Performance measures were assessed. Results.— The WDNET analysis includes 8941 responses from 1382 laboratories. The selection of the general diagnosis of “malignant” or “suspicious for malignancy” was greater than 90% in all body sites. Pathologists correctly identifying WDNET was highest in the pancreas (2501/2738, 91.3%) compared with the lung (805/1019, 79.0%) and liver (1444/1966, 73.4%). Pathologists had better concordance with the diagnosis of WDNET in all sites than CTs ( P < .001). Conclusions.— This large study, encompassing pathologists and CTs, confirms that although participants can identify WDNET on cytology, opportunities for greater accuracy and education persist. The most common incorrect response in the pancreas was adenocarcinoma, while the most common misdiagnosis was small cell carcinoma in the lung and liver.

This cross-sectional study evaluates the performance of the US Food and Drug Administration–cleared phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) to β-amyloid 42 ratio cut points used to detect amyloid pathology associated with Alzheimer disease.

5005 Background: Androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) may have distinct central nervous system (CNS) penetration and differential effects on cognition or quality of life (QOL). AFT-47, “ARACOG” is a prospective, randomized open-label phase 2 trial comparing objective and patient-reported cognitive and QOL outcomes between patients with metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) or non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) treated with darolutamide (DAR) or enzalutamide (ENZ). Methods: Between 8/17/2021 and 3/11/2025, 111 pts were enrolled and randomized 1:1 to treatment with ENZ or DAR. CANTAB, a validated computer-based platform evaluating 5 cognitive domains (PALFAM-memory recall, SWM- spatial working memory, SSP-short-term visual memory, working memory, RVP-rapid visual processing, and OTSMCC- executive function), was performed at baseline, 12, 24, and 48 weeks. Crossover (Xover) was allowed at 12 or 24 weeks for significant pre-specified decline in cognitive testing or patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), or for CNS-associated adverse events, including falls. The primary endpoint was the percent change in the maximally changed cognitive domain (MCCD) from baseline to 24 weeks and was compared between groups with the Wilcoxon rank sum statistic. Patients crossing over prior to 24 weeks were evaluated at the time of Xover and analyzed with their randomized arm. Secondary endpoints included comparison of Xover rates. Results: Among 111 pts, 55 received DAR and 56 received ENZ; median age was 71, 83% White. 95 pts (48 DAR, 47 ENZ) were evaluable for the primary endpoint. Baseline CANTAB was similar between groups. Median cognitive change in MCCD between baseline and 24 weeks was -15.8% and -36.1% for the DAR and ENZ pts, respectively (p = 0.009) (Table). Individual cognitive domains suggest possible learning effect (increased scores) for DAR and are stable or show mild decline for ENZ treated patients at 24 weeks. 32 DAR (58%) and 33 ENZ (59%) participants were eligible for Xover by 24 weeks, and 23 pts crossed over by 24 weeks. All Xover was pts randomized to ENZ (crossed to DAR), with the most common causes being decline in objective (N = 14) or subjective (N = 11) cognitive testing. Conclusions: In this US randomized trial comparing DAR to ENZ, the primary endpoint of differential cognitive effects was met. ENZ showed significantly greater cognitive score decline than DAR at 24 weeks in the MCCD after treatment initiation. Learning effect was seen with DAR but not ENZ. Longer term follow-up of cognitive change and PROM analyses are ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT04335682 . Percent change in maximally changed cognitive domain by treatment. DAR (N=48) ENZ (N=47) Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test Result CANTAB domain PALFAM SWM Degree of change -15.8 (-38.8, -2.6) -36.1 (-59.3, -16.7) P=0.009

Autoimmune diseases arise when B and T lymphocytes lose tolerance to self. Yet in most disorders, the underlying molecular determinants, including autoantibodies, epitopes and lymphocyte clones that drive tissue injury remain undefined. Rapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation and autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD) is a rare and often fatal pediatric neuroendocrine syndrome with strong evidence of antigen-driven paraneoplastic autoimmunity, including association with the intracellular autoantigen ZSCAN1. However, the effector immune circuit and the epitope-level determinants operating within the hypothalamus and brainstem have remained unknown. To address this challenge in ROHHAD and more broadly in autoimmune disease, we developed the Autoimmune Epitope and immunoGlobulin/Immune-receptor identification System (AEGIS), an integrated framework that links immune repertoires to their cognate self-epitopes. AEGIS combines B cell and T cell receptor profiling from sites of tissue injury with high-resolution epitope mapping, direct sequencing of antigen-specific autoantibodies, in silico antibody-antigen folding, selection, and T cell antigen discovery. Applied to a deeply phenotyped child with ROHHAD, AEGIS revealed a compartmentalized, clonally restricted immune response in which brain-deposited IgG and expanded cerebrospinal fluid B cell and CD4 T cell clonotypes converged on shared ZSCAN1 epitopes, resolved to minimal determinants and peptide-MHC ligands. These findings provide a clone- and epitope-linked mechanistic map of ROHHAD autoimmunity and establish a generalizable framework for identifying candidate pathogenic clones and antigens across diverse autoimmune diseases.

Abstract Background The Global Bipolar Cohort (GBC) was established to identify existing bipolar disorder (BD) cohorts worldwide and foster collaborations focused on descriptive and analytic outcomes relevant to BD. A distributed analytic framework has been implemented to engage multiple sites without the need for central data pooling. This report describes the GBC endeavor and global functional impairment patterns. Cross-cohort comparisons of functional correlates are limited by heterogeneous measures and data-sharing constraints. Large, culturally diverse comparisons are needed to distinguish broadly reproducible correlates from cohort-specific effects. Participating sites completed a 28-item descriptive survey covering diagnostic methods, cognition, genetics, treatment, functioning, and follow-up strategies. We implemented a harmonized local logistic regression model of dichotomized functional outcome and shared summary statistics only. Results We identified 69 cohorts across five continents. Thirty-seven cohorts contributed functional outcome analyses from 17,130 participants. Outcome measures included clinician-rated disability scales and social indicators such as employment and marital status. The proportion classified with poor functioning ranged from 16% to 77% (mean 50%). In 32 of 37 cohorts, the overall regression model significantly explained variance in functioning. Current depressive symptoms were the most robust and reproducible correlate of poor functional outcome: they were assessed in 29 cohorts, significant in 22 (75.8%), ranked among the top three correlates in 22, and were the top-ranked correlates in 19. Associations between depressive burden and poor functioning were observed across clinician-rated disability scales and work or social indicators, and across geographically diverse cohorts. Comorbid substance use disorder and medication-related variables were associated with poorer functioning in subsets of cohorts, whereas sex, ancestry, bipolar subtype, psychosis history, and premorbid IQ showed weak or inconsistent associations. Cognitive measures, available in a minority of regression models, showed modest and non-uniform effects. Conclusions Across heterogeneous international cohorts, current depressive symptom burden emerged as the most consistent correlate of poor functioning in bipolar disorder. These findings replicate earlier multisite work at a larger scale, show that protocol-based distributed analyses can identify reproducible clinical signals without sharing individual-level data, and support prioritizing detection and treatment of depressive symptoms when aiming to improve real-world functioning. Future work should expand longitudinal harmonization and representation of under-studied populations.

The 6th edition of the WHO Classification of Breast Tumours introduces both major and minor changes based on recent advances in our understanding of breast biology, developments in diagnostic modalities, identification of specific molecular targets and new treatment regimens necessitating modifications to pathology reporting and tumour biomarker categorisation. This review summarises the main changes that strive towards a classification of global relevance. In invasive carcinoma, predictive factors increasingly inform modern breast cancer treatment. The 6th edition provides an update on HER2 reporting categories following the DESTINY‐Breast 04 and 06 trials. Terminologies used to classify invasive tumours are clarified, with the term ‘variant’ now reserved for molecular/genetic alterations. Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) with extracellular mucin is recognised as a new diagnostic entity with prognostic implications. The diagnosis of mucinous carcinoma (MC) is reserved for mucin secreting carcinomas with grade 1 or 2 morphology and a favourable biomarker profile. The diagnosis of malignant phyllodes tumours requires only four of the original five adverse histological criteria. Classification of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) is revised, recognising that the unified model, promoted in the 5th edition, is difficult to apply to the breast. New approaches to the classification of adenomyoepithelioma are discussed but the 5th edition system is broadly retained. A new section on ‘Small Diagnostic Samples’ outlines the merits of non‐operative biopsy diagnosis, the B coding system and the importance of multidisciplinary review. Changes to diagnostic practice and the emerging role of artificial intelligence, with advantages and challenges, are discussed in a new section on ‘Digital Pathology’.

Abstract Coccidioidomycosis is an invasive fungal infection that can disseminate and cause severe disease. Fosmanogepix (“gepix”), a first-in-class antifungal available via expanded access (NCT06433128), was successful in 8/11 patients (meningitis, 6/8 [75%]; nonmeningeal dissemination, 2/3 [66%]) and was well tolerated for a median treatment duration of 208 days.

Abstract Introduction Virtual wards (VWs) and Hospital-at-Home (HaH) services are increasingly used in the UK to support acute care delivery. While clinical outcomes are often comparable to conventional inpatient care, the success of these models also depends on patient and carer experiences, including quality of life (QoL), satisfaction, and caregiver burden. Evidence synthesising these patient-centred outcomes within the UK context is needed to inform service implementation. Aim To systematically synthesise evidence from UK-based randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating patient and carer satisfaction, QoL, and caregiver burden in VWs/HaH compared with traditional inpatient care. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, PubMed and CINAHL databases were searched for UK-based randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (inception-October 2024) reporting QoL measures, patient/carer satisfaction, or caregiver burden, comparing VWs/HaH to traditional inpatient care for patients with acute illness. Validated tools (e.g. EQ-5D and custom surveys) were prioritised in data extraction. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB2 tool. Meta-analysis employed a random-effects model; heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. Results Fourteen RCTs (n = 3416 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Patient satisfaction was consistently high across studies. For example, one RCT reported very good/excellent satisfaction ratings of 91.7% for HaH compared with 88.1% for inpatient care.[1] Meta-analysis of satisfaction outcomes (five studies) showed no significant difference between groups (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.29–1.54) with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 78%). Carer outcomes varied; some studies found high satisfaction and no additional workload, while moderate-to-severe caregiver burden in 25% of carers was reported in one RCT.[2] QoL outcomes measured by various tools like the Euro Quality of Life EQ-5D-5L showed no clinically meaningful differences between groups. Some studies indicated better outcomes for home-treated patients in specific domains, including significantly lower depression scores (p &lt; 0.001) and slightly higher social activity, and lower rate of select medical complications, although overall QoL remained comparable. Conclusion UK virtual health care services offer patient experiences that are comparable to traditional hospital care, with consistently high satisfaction and similar QoL outcomes. Carer experiences are more variable, highlighting a need for improved caregiver support within VW/HaH models. A key limitation of this review is the heterogeneity in the QoL and satisfaction measures used across included RCTs, which restricted the scope of quantitative synthesis. Future UK research should adopt standardised, validated outcome sets to strengthen comparability and inform evidence-based implementation.