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1. Targeting autoimmune mechanisms by precision medicine in Myasthenia Gravis

Author: Paola Cavalcante, Renato Mantegazza, and Carlo Antozzi
Subjects: Myasthenia Gravis, autoimmunity, B cells, neonatal Fc receptor, complement system, precision medicine, Immunologic diseases. Allergy, RC581-607
Abstract: Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a chronic disabling autoimmune disease caused by autoantibodies to the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), characterized clinically by fluctuating weakness and early fatigability of ocular, skeletal and bulbar muscles. Despite being commonly considered a prototypic autoimmune disorder, MG is a complex and heterogeneous condition, presenting with variable clinical phenotypes, likely due to distinct pathophysiological settings related with different immunoreactivities, symptoms’ distribution, disease severity, age at onset, thymic histopathology and response to therapies. Current treatment of MG based on international consensus guidelines allows to effectively control symptoms, but most patients do not reach complete stable remission and require life-long immunosuppressive (IS) therapies. Moreover, a proportion of them is refractory to conventional IS treatment, highlighting the need for more specific and tailored strategies. Precision medicine is a new frontier of medicine that promises to greatly increase therapeutic success in several diseases, including autoimmune conditions. In MG, B cell activation, antibody recycling and NMJ damage by the complement system are crucial mechanisms, and their targeting by innovative biological drugs has been proven to be effective and safe in clinical trials. The switch from conventional IS to novel precision medicine approaches based on these drugs could prospectively and significantly improve MG care. In this review, we provide an overview of key immunopathogenetic processes underlying MG, and discuss on emerging biological drugs targeting them. We also discuss on future direction of research to address the need for patients’ stratification in endotypes according with genetic and molecular biomarkers for successful clinical decision making within precision medicine workflow.
Published: 2024
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2. The impact of PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 on Covid-19 severity in a sample of patients with multiple sclerosis: A case-control study

Author: Gianmarco, Abbadessa, Umberto, Aguglia, Lia, Allegorico, Maria, Allegri Rossi Beatrice, Anastasia, Alteno, Pia, Amato Maria, Pietro, Annovazzi, Carlo, Antozzi, Lucia, Appendino, Sebastiano, Arena, Viola, Baione, Roberto, Balgera, Valeria, Barcella, Damiano, Baroncini, Caterina, Barrilà, Mario A, Battaglia, Alessandra, Bellacosa, Gianmarco, Bellucci, Roberto, Bergamaschi, Valeria, Bergamaschi, Daiana, Bezzini, Beatrice, Biolzi, Alvino, Bisecco, Simona, Bonavita, Giovanna, Borriello, Chiara, Bosa, Antonio, Bosco, Francesca, Bovis, Marco, Bozzali, Laura, Brambilla, Vincenzo, Brescia Morra, Giampaolo, Brichetto, Maria, Buccafusca, Elisabetta, Bucciantini, Sebastiano, Bucello, Chiara, Buscarinu Maria, Paola, Cabboi Maria, Massimiliano, Calabrese, Francesca, Calabria, Francesca, Caleri, Federico, Camilli, Maria, Caniatti Luisa, Roberto, Cantello, Marco, Capobianco, Ruggero, Capra, Rocco, Capuano, Luca, Carmisciano, Patrizia, Carta, Paola, Cavalla, Grazia, Celani Maria, Maria, Cellerino, Raffaella, Cerqua, Clara, Chisari, Raffaella, Clerici, Marinella, Clerico, Eleonora, Cocco, Gaia, Cola, Giancarlo, Comi, Paolo, Confalonieri, Antonella, Conte, Zaffira, Conti Marta, Christian, Cordano, Susanna, Cordera, Cinzia, Cordioli, Francesco, Corea, Claudio, Correale, Salvatore, Cottone, Francesco, Crescenzo, Erica, Curti, Alessandro, d'Ambrosio, Emanuele, D'Amico, Chiara, Danni Maura, Alessia, d'Arma, Vincenzo, Dattola, Stefano, de Biase, Giovanna, De Luca, Federica, De Mercanti Stefania, Paolo, De Mitri, Nicola, De Rossi, Nicola, De Stefano, Maria, Della Cava Fabio, Marco, Della Cava, Sonia, Di Lemme, Mario, di Napoli, Alessia, Di Sapio, Renato, Docimo, Anna, Dutto, Luana, Evangelista, Salvatore, Fanara, Roberta, Fantozzi, Diana, Ferraro, Teresa, Ferrò Maria, Massimo, Filippi, Cristina, Fioretti, Mario, Fratta, Jessica, Frau, Marzia, Fronza, Roberto, Furlan, Alberto, Gajofatto, Antonio, Gallo, Paolo, Gallo, Claudio, Gasperini, Anna, Ghazaryan, Bruno, Giometto, Francesca, Gobbin, Flora, Govone, Franco, Granella, Erica, Grange, Grazia, Grasso Maria, Luigi ME, Grimaldi, Angelica, Guareschi, Clara, Guaschino, Simone, Guerrieri, Donata, Guidetti, Barbara, Juergenson Ina, Pietro, Iaffaldano, Antonio, Ianniello, Luigi, Iasevoli, Paolo, Immovilli, Daniele, Imperiale, Teresa, Infante Maria, Matilde, Inglese, Rosa, Iodice, Aniello, Iovino, Giovanna, Konrad, Doriana, Landi, Roberta, Lanzillo, Caterina, Lapucci, Luigi, Lavorgna, Rita, L'Episcopo Maria, Serena, Leva, Giuseppe, Liberatore, Marianna, Lo Re, Marco, Longoni, Leonardo, Lopiano, Lorena, Lorefice, Matteo, Lucchini, Giacomo, Lus, Davide, Maimone, Maria, Malentacchi, Giulia, Mallucci, Simona, Malucchi, Rosa, Mancinelli Chiara, Luca, Mancinelli, Paolo, Manganotti, Teresa, Maniscalco Giorgia, Vittorio, Mantero, Sabrina, Marangoni, Damiano, Marastoni, Alessandra, Marfia Girolama, Fabiana, Marinelli, Alessandro, Marti, Filippo, Martinelli Boneschi, Federco, Masserano Zoli, Francesca, Matta, Laura, Mendozzi, Giuseppe, Meucci, Silvia, Miante, Giuseppina, Miele, Eva, Milano, Massimiliano, Mirabella, Rosanna, Missione, Marcello, Moccia, Lucia, Moiola, Sara, Montepietra, Margherita, MontiBragadin, Federico, Montini, Roberta, Motta, Raffaele, Nardone, Gabri, Nicoletti Carolina, Eduardo, Nobile-Orazio, Agostino, Nozzolillo, Marco, Onofrj, Riccardo, Orlandi, Anna, Palmieri, Damiano, Paolicelli, Livia, Pasquali, Fulvio, Pasquin, Luisa, Pastò, Francesco, Patti, Elisabetta, Pedrazzoli, Paola, Perini, Ilaria, Pesci, Maria, Petracca, Alfredo, Petrone, Carlo, Piantadosi, Anna M, Pietroboni, Federica, Pinardi, Marta, Ponzano, Emilio, Portaccio, Mattia, Pozzato, Carlo, Pozzilli, Luca, Prosperini, Alessandra, Protti, Eugenio, Pucci, Marta, Radaelli, Paolo, Ragonese, Sarah, Rasia, Sabrina, Realmuto, Anna, Repice, Eleonora, Rigoni, Teresa, Rilla Maria, Francesca, Rinaldi, Marcello, Romano Calogero, Marco, Ronzoni, Marco, Rovaris, Francesca, Ruscica, Loredana, Sabattini, Giuseppe, Salemi, Marco, Salvetti, Lorenzo, Saraceno, Alessia, Sartori, Arianna, Sartori, Elvira, Sbragia, Cinzia, Scandellari, Ilaria, Scarano Giuditta, Valentina, Scarano, Irene, Schiavetti, Maria, Sessa, Caterina, Sgarito, Grazia, Sibilia, Gabriele, Siciliano, Alessio, Signori, Elisabetta, Signoriello, Leonardo, Sinisi, Francesca, Sireci, Patrizia, Sola, Claudio, Solaro, Pia, Sormani Maria, Stefano, Sotgiu, Maddalena, Sparaco, Laura, Stromillo Maria, Silvia, Strumia, Laura, Susani Emanuela, Giulietta, Tabiadon, Francesco, Teatini, Gioacchino, Tedeschi, Valentina, Tomassini, Simone, Tonietti, Valentina, Torri Clerici, Carla, Tortorella, Simona, Toscano, Rocco, Totaro, Maria, Trojano, Maria, Trotta, Gabriella, Turano, Monica, Ulivelli, Manzo, Valentino, Giovanna, Vaula, Domizia, Vecchio, Marco, Vercellino, Pinuccia, Verrengia Elena, Marika, Vianello, Eleonora, Virgilio, Francesca, Vitetta, Stefano, Vollaro, Mauro, Zaffaroni, Mauro, Zampolini, Roberto, Zarbo Ignazio, Antonio, Zito, Luigi, Zuliani, Ponzano, Marta, Schiavetti, Irene, Bergamaschi, Roberto, Pisoni, Enrico, Bellavia, Andrea, Mallucci, Giulia, Carmisciano, Luca, Inglese, Matilde, Cordioli, Cinzia, Marfia, Girolama Alessandra, Cocco, Eleonora, Immovilli, Paolo, Pesci, Ilaria, Scandellari, Cinzia, Cavalla, Paola, Radaelli, Marta, Vianello, Marika, Vitetta, Francesca, Montepietra, Sara, Amato, Maria Pia, Fioretti, Cristina, Filippi, Massimo, Sartori, Arianna, Caleri, Francesca, Clerico, Marinella, Gallo, Antonio, Conte, Antonella, Clerici, Raffaella, De Luca, Giovanna, Boneschi, Filippo Martinelli, Cantello, Roberto, Calabrese, Massimiliano, Tortorella, Carla, Rovaris, Marco, Verrengia, Elena Pinuccia, Patti, Francesco, Morra, Vincenzo Brescia, Salvetti, Marco, and Sormani, Maria Pia
Published: 2022
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3. Neutralizing antibodies to Omicron after the fourth SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine dose in immunocompromised patients highlight the need of additional boosters

Author: Maria Rescigno, Chiara Agrati, Carlo Salvarani, Diana Giannarelli, Massimo Costantini, Alberto Mantovani, Raffaella Massafra, Pier Luigi Zinzani, Aldo Morrone, Stefania Notari, Giulia Matusali, Giuseppe Lauria Pinter, Antonio Uccelli, Gennaro Ciliberto, Fausto Baldanti, Franco Locatelli, Nicola Silvestris, Valentina Sinno, Elena Turola, Maria Teresa Lupo-Stanghellini, Giovanni Apolone, the VAX4FRAIL study Group, Fabio Ciceri, Massimo Tommasino, Giuseppe Lauri Pinter, Paolo Corradini, Daniela Fenoglio, Roberta Mortarini, Laura Conti, Chiara Mandoj, Michela Lizier, Stefania Croci, Vito Garrisi, Fulvio Baggi, Tiziana Lazzarotto, Francesca Bonifazi, Concetta Quintarelli, Rita Carsetti, Enrico Girardi, Aurora Bettini, Veronica Bordoni, Concetta Castilletti, Eleonora Cimini, Rita Casetti, Francesca Colavita, Flavia Cristofanelli, Massimo Francalancia, Simona Gili, Delia Goletti, Giulia Gramigna, Germana Grassi, Daniele Lapa, Sara Leone, Davide Mariotti, Silvia Meschi, Enzo Puro, Marika Rubino, Alessandra Sacchi, Eleonora Tartaglia, Silvia Damian, Vincenzo Marasco, Filippo de Braud, Maria Teresa Lupo Stanghellini, Lorenzo Dagna, Francesca Ogliari, Massimo Filippi, Alessandro Bruno, Gloria Catalano, Rosamaria Nitti, Andrea Mengarelli, Francesco Marchesi, Giancarlo Paoletti e Gabriele Minuti, Elena Papa, Elena Azzolini, Luca Germagnoli, Carlo Selmi, Maria De Santis, Carmelo Carlo-Stella, Alexia Bertuzzi, Francesca Motta, Angela Ceribelli, Chiara Miggiano, Giulia Fornasa, Sara Monti, Carlo Maurizio Montecucco, Dario Graceffa, Maria Grazia Catanoso, Monica Guberti, Carmine Pinto, Francesco Merli, Franco Valzania, Rosa Divella, Antonio Tufaro, Sabina Delcuratolo, Mariana Miano, Carlo Antozzi, Silvia Bonanno Rita Frangiamore, Lorenzo Maggi, Paolo Pronzato, Matilde Inglese, Carlo Genova, Caterina Lapucci, Alice Laroni, Ilaria Poiré, Marco Fusconi, Vittorio Stefoni, Maria Abbondanza Pantaleo, Serena Di Cosimo, Iolanda Pulice, Roberta Mennitto Fondazione, Stefania Trinca, Giulia Piaggio, Chiara Pozzi, Irene Cassaniti, Alessandro Barberini, Rinaldi Elena, Federica Bortone, Maria Giovanna Dal Bello, and Silvia Corazza
Subjects: SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine, humoral response, T cell response, immunocompromised patients, Omicron neutralization, cross immunity, Immunologic diseases. Allergy, RC581-607
Abstract: IntroductionImmunocompromised patients have been shown to have an impaired immune response to COVID-19 vaccines.MethodsHere we compared the B-cell, T-cell and neutralizing antibody response to WT and Omicron BA.2 SARS-CoV-2 virus after the fourth dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in patients with hematological malignancies (HM, n=71), solid tumors (ST, n=39) and immune-rheumatological (IR, n=25) diseases. The humoral and T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were analyzed by quantifying the anti-RBD antibodies, their neutralization activity and the IFN-γ released after spike specific stimulation.ResultsWe show that the T-cell response is similarly boosted by the fourth dose across the different subgroups, while the antibody response is improved only in patients not receiving B-cell targeted therapies, independent on the pathology. However, 9% of patients with anti-RBD antibodies did not have neutralizing antibodies to either virus variants, while an additional 5.7% did not have neutralizing antibodies to Omicron BA.2, making these patients particularly vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The increment of neutralizing antibodies was very similar towards Omicron BA.2 and WT virus after the third or fourth dose of vaccine, suggesting that there is no preferential skewing towards either virus variant with the booster dose. The only limited step is the amount of antibodies that are elicited after vaccination, thus increasing the probability of developing neutralizing antibodies to both variants of virus.DiscussionThese data support the recommendation of additional booster doses in frail patients to enhance the development of a B-cell response directed against Omicron and/or to enhance the T-cell response in patients treated with anti-CD20.
Published: 2023
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4. Muscle and Muscle-like Autoantigen Expression in Myasthenia Gravis Thymus: Possible Molecular Hint for Autosensitization

Author: Nicola Iacomino, Letizia Scandiffio, Fabio Conforti, Erika Salvi, Maria Cristina Tarasco, Federica Bortone, Stefania Marcuzzo, Ornella Simoncini, Francesca Andreetta, Daniela Pistillo, Emanuele Voulaz, Marco Alloisio, Carlo Antozzi, Renato Mantegazza, Tommaso Martino De Pas, and Paola Cavalcante
Subjects: myasthenia gravis, autoimmunity, thymus, thymoma, muscle antigens, muscle-like tumor antigens, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract: The thymus is widely recognized as an immunological niche where autoimmunity against the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) develops in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, who mostly present thymic hyperplasia and thymoma. Thymoma-associated MG is frequently characterized by autoantibodies to the muscular ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1) and titin (TTN), along with anti-AChR antibodies. By real-time PCR, we analyzed muscle—CHRNA1, RYR1, and TTN—and muscle-like—NEFM, RYR3 and HSP60—autoantigen gene expression in MG thymuses with hyperplasia and thymoma, normal thymuses and non-MG thymomas, to check for molecular changes potentially leading to an altered antigen presentation and autoreactivity. We found that CHRNA1 (AChR-α subunit) and AIRE (autoimmune regulator) genes were expressed at lower levels in hyperplastic and thymoma MG compared to the control thymuses, and that the RYR1 and TTN levels were decreased in MG versus the non-MG thymomas. Genes encoding autoantigens that share epitopes with AChR-α (NEFM and HSP60), RYR1 (neuronal RYR3), and TTN (NEFM) were up-regulated in thymomas versus hyperplastic and control thymuses, with distinct molecular patterns across the thymoma histotypes that could be relevant for autoimmunity development. Our findings support the idea that altered muscle autoantigen expression, related with hyperplastic and neoplastic changes, may favor autosensitization in the MG thymus, and that molecular mimicry involving tumor-related muscle-like proteins may be a mechanism that makes thymoma prone to developing MG.
Published: 2023
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5. Complement Activation Profile in Myasthenia Gravis Patients: Perspectives for Tailoring Anti-Complement Therapy

Author: Nicola Iacomino, Fiammetta Vanoli, Rita Frangiamore, Marta Ballardini, Letizia Scandiffio, Federica Bortone, Francesca Andreetta, Fulvio Baggi, Pia Bernasconi, Carlo Antozzi, Paola Cavalcante, and Renato Mantegazza
Subjects: myasthenia gravis, autoimmunity, biomarkers, complement system, anti-complement therapy, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract: The complement system plays a key role in myasthenia gravis (MG). Anti-complement drugs are emerging as effective therapies to treat anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive MG patients, though their usage is still limited by the high costs. Here, we searched for plasma complement proteins as indicators of complement activation status in AChR-MG patients, and potential biomarkers for tailoring anti-complement therapy in MG. Plasma was collected from AChR-MG and MuSK-MG patients, and healthy controls. Multiplex immunoassays and ELISA were used to quantify a panel of complement components (C1Q, C2, C3, C4, C5, Factor B, Factor H, MBL, and properdin) and activation products (C4b, C3b, C5a, and C5b-9), of classical, alternative and lectin pathways. C2 and C5 levels were significantly reduced, and C3, C3b, and C5a increased, in plasma of AChR-MG, but not MuSK-MG, patients compared to controls. This protein profile was indicative of complement activation. We obtained sensitivity and specificity performance results suggesting plasma C2, C3, C3b, and C5 as biomarkers for AChR-MG. Our findings reveal a plasma complement “C2, C3, C5, C3b, and C5a” profile associated with AChR-MG to be further investigated as a biomarker of complement activation status in AChR-MG patients, opening new perspectives for tailoring of anti-complement therapies to improve the disease treatment.
Published: 2022
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6. Safety and efficacy of zilucoplan in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis (RAISE): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study

Author: James F Howard, Saskia Bresch, Angela Genge, Channa Hewamadduma, John Hinton, Yessar Hussain, Raul Juntas-Morales, Henry J Kaminski, Angelina Maniaol, Renato Mantegazza, Masayuki Masuda, Kumaraswamy Sivakumar, Marek Śmiłowski, Kimiaki Utsugisawa, Tuan Vu, Michael D Weiss, Małgorzata Zajda, Babak Boroojerdi, Melissa Brock, Guillemette de la Borderie, Petra W Duda, Romana Lowcock, Mark Vanderkelen, M Isabel Leite, Dylan Sembinelli, Jeanne Teitelbaum, Michael Nicolle, Emilien Bernard, Juliette Svahn, Marco Spinazzi, Tanya Stojkovic, Sophie Demeret, Nicolas Weiss, Loïc Le Guennec, Sihame Messai, Christine Tranchant, Aleksandra Nadaj-Pakleza, Jean-Baptiste Chanson, Muhtadi Suliman, Leila Zaidi, Celine Tard, Peggy Lecointe, Jana Zschüntzsch, Jens Schmidt, Stefanie Glaubitz, Rachel Zeng, Matthias Scholl, Markus Kowarik, Ulf Ziemann, Markus Krumbholz, Pascal Martin, Christoph Ruschil, Jutta Dünschede, Roswitha Kemmner, Natalie Rumpel, Benjamin Berger, Andreas Totzeck, Tim Hagenacker, Benjamin Stolte, Raffaele Iorio, Amelia Evoli, Silvia Falso, Carlo Antozzi, Rita Frangiamore, Fiammetta Vanoli, Elena Rinaldi, Kazushi Deguchi, Naoya Minami, Yuriko Nagane, Yasushi Suzuki, Sayaka Ishida, Shigeaki Suzuki, Jin Nakahara, Astushi Nagaoka, Shunsuke Yoshimura, Shingo Konno, Youko Tsuya, Akiyuki Uzawa, Tomoya Kubota, Masanori Takahashi, Tatsusada Okuno, Hiroyuki Murai, Nils Erik Gilhus, Marion Boldingh, Tone Hakvåg Rønning, Urszula Chyrchel-Paszkiewicz, Klaudiusz Kumor, Tomasz Zielinski, Krzysztof Banaszkiewicz, Michał Błaż, Agata Kłósek, Mariola Świderek-Matysiak, Andrzej Szczudlik, Aneta Paśko, Lech Szczechowski, Marta Banach, Jan Ilkowski, Solange Kapetanovic Garcia, Patricia Ortiz Bagan, Ana Belén Cánovas Segura, Joana Turon Sans, Nuria Vidal Fernandez, Elena Cortes Vicente, Patricia Rodrigo Armenteros, Mohammad Ashraghi, Ana Cavey, Liam Haslam, Anna Emery, Kore Liow, Sharon Yegiaian, Alexandru Barboi, Rosa Maria Vazquez, Joshua Lennon, Robert M Pascuzzi, Cynthia Bodkin, Sandra Guingrich, Adam Comer, Mark Bromberg, Teresa Janecki, Sami Saba, Marco Tellez, Bakri Elsheikh, Miriam Freimer, Sarah Heintzman, Raghav Govindarajan, Jeffrey Guptill, Janice M Massey, Vern Juel, Natalia Gonzalez, Ali A Habib, Tahseen Mozaffar, Manisha Korb, Namita Goyal, Hannah Machemehl, Georgios Manousakis, Jeffrey Allen, Emily Harper, Constantine Farmakidis, Lilli Saavedra, Mazen Dimachkie, Mamatha Pasnoor, Salma Akhter, Said Beydoun, Courtney McIlduff, Joan Nye, Bhaskar Roy, Bailey Munro Sheldon, Richard Nowak, Benjamin Barnes, Michael Rivner, Niraja Suresh, Jessica Shaw, Brittany Harvey, Lucy Lam, Nikki Thomas, Manisha Chopra, Rebecca E Traub, Sarah Jones, Mary Wagoner, Sejla Smajic, Radwa Aly, Jonathan Katz, Henry Chen, Robert G Miller, Liberty Jenkins, Shaida Khan, Bhupendra Khatri, Lisa Sershon, Pantelis Pavlakis, Shara Holzberg, Yuebing Li, Irys B Caristo, Robert Marquardt, Debbie Hastings, Jacob Rube, Robert P Lisak, Aparna Choudhury, Katherine Ruzhansky, Amit Sachdev, Susan Shin, Joan Bratton, Mary Fetter, Naya McKinnon, Jonathan McKinnon, Laura Sissons-Ross, Amos Sahu, and B Jane Distad
Subjects: Neurology (clinical)
Published: 2023

7. From Traditional to Targeted Immunotherapy in Myasthenia Gravis: Prospects for Research

Author: Renato Mantegazza and Carlo Antozzi
Subjects: myasthenia gravis, autoimmunity, monoclonal antibodies, complement, clinical trials, Rituximab, Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system, RC346-429
Abstract: Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is still based on non-specific immunosuppression. Long-term high dose corticosteroids is still a major cause of side effects, in young as well as in elderly patients in whom comorbidities further increase the burden of chronic immunosuppression. Moreover, awareness of the limits of traditional therapies has led to the concept of “refractory MG.” The therapeutic approach to MG is therefore progressively evolving from the classic combination of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs to new biological compounds targeting different immunopathological steps. Killing of B cells with Rituximab has been proposed and tested with positive results, particularly in patients with MuSK-associated MG. Therapeutic monoclonals against B cells at different stages of their maturation, or against molecules involved in B cell activation and function, represent a new area for further investigation. A differently targeted approach involved Eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody preventing the formation of C59b-induced MAC causing destruction of the neuromuscular junction. Data from clinical trials led to the approval of Eculizumab in the United States and Europe for MG. Since Eculizumab is a complement-targeted therapy, its use is limited to anti-acetylcholine receptor-associated MG, since anti-MuSK antibodies belong to IgG4 subclass and do not fix complement. Several anti-complement compounds are under investigation. An even more recent approach is the interference with the neonatal Fc receptor leading to a rapid reduction of circulating IgGs and hence of specific autoantibodies, an approach suitable for both anti-acetylcholine- and MuSK-associated MG. The investigation of compounds that selectively target the immune system will stimulate the search for specific biomarkers of disease activity and response to treatment, setting the basis for personalized medicine in MG.
Published: 2020
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8. miR-146a in Myasthenia Gravis Thymus Bridges Innate Immunity With Autoimmunity and Is Linked to Therapeutic Effects of Corticosteroids

Author: Federica Bortone, Letizia Scandiffio, Stefania Marcuzzo, Silvia Bonanno, Rita Frangiamore, Teresio Motta, Carlo Antozzi, Renato Mantegazza, Paola Cavalcante, and Pia Bernasconi
Subjects: myasthenia gravis, thymus, autoimmunity, innate immunity, miR-146a, Immunologic diseases. Allergy, RC581-607
Abstract: Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated innate immune responses are critically involved in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune disorder affecting neuromuscular junction mainly mediated by antiacetylcholine receptor antibodies. Considerable evidence indicate that uncontrolled TLR activation and chronic inflammation significantly contribute to hyperplastic changes and germinal center (GC) formation in the MG thymus, ultimately leading to autoantibody production and autoimmunity. miR-146a is a key modulator of innate immunity, whose dysregulation has been associated with autoimmune diseases. It acts as inhibitor of TLR pathways, mainly by targeting the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling transducers, interleukin 1 receptor associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6); miR-146a is also able to target c-REL, inducible T-cell costimulator (ICOS), and Fas cell surface death receptor (FAS), known to regulate B-cell function and GC response. Herein, we investigated the miR-146a contribution to the intrathymic MG pathogenesis. By real-time PCR, we found that miR-146a expression was significantly downregulated in hyperplastic MG compared to control thymuses; contrariwise, IRAK1, TRAF6, c-REL, and ICOS messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were upregulated and negatively correlated with miR-146a levels. Microdissection experiments revealed that miR-146a deficiency in hyperplastic MG thymuses was not due to GCs, but restricted to the GC-surrounding medulla, characterized by IRAK1 overexpression. We also showed higher c-REL and ICOS mRNA levels, and lower FAS mRNA levels, in GCs than in the remaining medulla, according to the contribution of these molecules in GC formation. By double immunofluorescence, an increased proportion of IRAK1-expressing dendritic cells and macrophages was found in hyperplastic MG compared to control thymuses, along with GC immunoreactivity for c-REL. Interestingly, in corticosteroid-treated MG patients intrathymic miR-146a and mRNA target levels were comparable to those of controls, suggesting that immunosuppressive therapy may restore the microRNA (miRNA) levels. Indeed, an effect of prednisone on miR-146a expression was demonstrated in vitro on peripheral blood cells. Serum miR-146a levels were lower in MG patients compared to controls, indicating dysregulation of the circulating miRNA. Our overall findings strongly suggest that defective miR-146a expression could contribute to persistent TLR activation, lack of inflammation resolution, and hyperplastic changes in MG thymuses, thus linking TLR-mediated innate immunity to B-cell-mediated autoimmunity. Furthermore, they unraveled a new mechanism of action of corticosteroids in inducing control of autoimmunity in MG via miR-146a.
Published: 2020
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9. Whole miRNome profiling in myasthenia gravis thymus: novel insights into the molecular events underlying autoimmunity

Author: Tarasco, M, Iacomino, N, Scandiffio, L, Bortone, F, Marcuzzo, S, Bonanno, S, Frangiamore, R, Pistillo, D, Voulaz, E, Alloisio, M, Maggi, L, Antozzi, C, Mantegazza, R, Cavalcante, P, Maria Cristina Tarasco, Nicola Iacomino, Letizia Scandiffio, Federica Bortone, Stefania Marcuzzo, Silvia Bonanno, Rita Frangiamore, Daniela Pistillo, Emanuele Voulaz, Marco Alloisio, Lorenzo Maggi, Carlo Antozzi, Renato Mantegazza, Paola Cavalcante, Tarasco, M, Iacomino, N, Scandiffio, L, Bortone, F, Marcuzzo, S, Bonanno, S, Frangiamore, R, Pistillo, D, Voulaz, E, Alloisio, M, Maggi, L, Antozzi, C, Mantegazza, R, Cavalcante, P, Maria Cristina Tarasco, Nicola Iacomino, Letizia Scandiffio, Federica Bortone, Stefania Marcuzzo, Silvia Bonanno, Rita Frangiamore, Daniela Pistillo, Emanuele Voulaz, Marco Alloisio, Lorenzo Maggi, Carlo Antozzi, Renato Mantegazza, and Paola Cavalcante
Published: 2023

10. Whole miRNome sequencing in myasthenia gravis thymus reveals dysregulated miRNA/target gene networks implicated in autoimmunity

Author: Tarasco, M, Iacomino, N, Scandiffio, L, Bortone, F, Marcuzzo, S, Bonanno, S, Frangiamore, R, Pistillo, D, Voulaz, E, Alloisio, M, Maggi, L, Antozzi, C, Mantegazza, R, Cavalcante., A, Maria Cristina Tarasco, Nicola Iacomino, Letizia Scandiffio, Federica Bortone, Stefania Marcuzzo, Silvia Bonanno, Rita Frangiamore, Daniela Pistillo, Emanuele Voulaz, Marco Alloisio, Lorenzo Maggi, Carlo Antozzi, Renato Mantegazza, and Paola Cavalcante., Tarasco, M, Iacomino, N, Scandiffio, L, Bortone, F, Marcuzzo, S, Bonanno, S, Frangiamore, R, Pistillo, D, Voulaz, E, Alloisio, M, Maggi, L, Antozzi, C, Mantegazza, R, Cavalcante., A, Maria Cristina Tarasco, Nicola Iacomino, Letizia Scandiffio, Federica Bortone, Stefania Marcuzzo, Silvia Bonanno, Rita Frangiamore, Daniela Pistillo, Emanuele Voulaz, Marco Alloisio, Lorenzo Maggi, Carlo Antozzi, Renato Mantegazza, and and Paola Cavalcante.
Published: 2023

11. The effect of air pollution on COVID‐19 severity in a sample of patients with multiple sclerosis

Author: Bergamaschi, Roberto, Ponzano, Marta, Schiavetti, Irene, Carmisciano, Luca, Cordioli, Cinzia, Filippi, Massimo, Radaelli, Marta, Immovilli, Paolo, Capobianco, Marco, De Rossi, Nicola, Brichetto, Giampaolo, Cocco, Eleonora, Scandellari, Cinzia, Cavalla, Paola, Pesci, Ilaria, Zito, Antonio, Confalonieri, Paolo, Marfia, Girolama Alessandra, Perini, Paola, Inglese, Matilde, Trojano, Maria, Brescia Morra, Vincenzo, Pisoni, Enrico, Tedeschi, Gioacchino, Comi, Giancarlo, Battaglia, Mario Alberto, Patti, Francesco, Salvetti, Marco, Sormani, Maria Pia, Gianmarco Abbadessa, Umberto Aguglia, Lia Allegorico, Rossi Beatrice Maria Allegri, Anastasia Alteno, Maria Pia Amato, Pietro Annovazzi, Carlo Antozzi, Lucia Appendino, Sebastiano Arena, Viola Baione, Roberto Balgera, Valeria Barcella, Damiano Baroncini, Caterina Barrilà, Mario A Battaglia, Alessandra Bellacosa, Gianmarco Bellucci, Roberto Bergamaschi, Valeria Bergamaschi, Daiana Bezzini, Beatrice Biolzi, Alvino Bisecco, Simona Bonavita, Giovanna Borriello, Chiara Bosa, Antonio Bosco, Francesca Bovis, Marco Bozzali, Laura Brambilla, Morra Vincenzo Brescia, Giampaolo Brichetto, Maria Buccafusca, Elisabetta Bucciantini, Sebastiano Bucello, Maria Chiara Buscarinu, Maria Paola Cabboi, Massimiliano Calabrese, Francesca Calabria, Francesca Caleri, Federico Camilli, Luisa Maria Caniatti, Roberto Cantello, Marco Capobianco, Ruggero Capra, Rocco Capuano, Luca Carmisciano, Patrizia Carta, Paola Cavalla, Maria Grazia Celani, Maria Cellerino, Raffaella Cerqua, Clara Chisari, Raffaella Clerici, Marinella Clerico, Eleonora Cocco, Gaia Cola, Giancarlo Comi, Paolo Confalonieri, Antonella Conte, Marta Zaffira Conti, Christian Cordano, Susanna Cordera, Cinzia Cordioli, Francesco Corea, Claudio Correale, Salvatore Cottone, Francesco Crescenzo, Erica Curti, Alessandro d'Ambrosio, Emanuele D'Amico, Maura Chiara Danni, Alessia d'Arma, Vincenzo Dattola, Stefano de Biase, Giovanna De Luca, Stefania Federica De Mercanti, Paolo De Mitri, Nicola De Rossi, Nicola De Stefano, Cava Marco Della, Mario di Napoli, Alessia Di Sapio, Renato Docimo, Anna Dutto, Luana Evangelista, Salvatore Fanara, Diana Ferraro, Maria Teresa Ferrò, Massimo Filippi, Cristina Fioretti, Mario Fratta, Jessica Frau, Marzia Fronza, Roberto Furlan, Alberto Gajofatto, Antonio Gallo, Paolo Gallo, Claudio Gasperini, Anna Ghazaryan, Bruno Giometto, Francesca Gobbin, Flora Govone, Franco Granella, Erica Grange, Maria Grazia Grasso, Angelica Guareschi, Clara Guaschino, Simone Guerrieri, Donata Guidetti, Pietro Iaffaldano, Antonio Ianniello, Luigi Iasevoli, Paolo Immovilli, Daniele Imperiale, Maria Teresa Infante, Matilde Inglese, Rosa Iodice, Aniello Iovino, Giovanna Konrad, Doriana Landi, Roberta Lanzillo, Caterina Lapucci, Luigi Lavorgna, Maria Rita L'Episcopo, Serena Leva, Giuseppe Liberatore, Re Marianna Lo, Marco Longoni, Leonardo Lopiano, Lorena Lorefice, Matteo Lucchini, Giacomo Lus, Davide Maimone, Maria Malentacchi, Giulia Mallucci, Simona Malucchi, Chiara Rosa Mancinelli, Luca Mancinelli, Paolo Manganotti, Giorgia Teresa Maniscalco, Vittorio Mantero, Sabrina Marangoni, Damiano Marastoni, Girolama Alessandra Marfia, Fabiana Marinelli, Alessandro Marti, Boneschi Filippo Martinelli, Zoli Federco Masserano, Francesca Matta, Laura Mendozzi, Giuseppe Meucci, Silvia Miante, Giuseppina Miele, Eva Milano, Massimiliano Mirabella, Rosanna Missione, Marcello Moccia, Lucia Moiola, Sara Montepietra, Margherita MontiBragadin, Federico Montini, Roberta Motta, Raffaele Nardone, Carolina Gabri Nicoletti, Eduardo Nobile-Orazio, Agostino Nozzolillo, Marco Onofrj, Riccardo Orlandi, Anna Palmieri, Damiano Paolicelli, Livia Pasquali, Luisa Pastò, Francesco Patti, Elisabetta Pedrazzoli, Paola Perini, Ilaria Pesci, Maria Petracca, Alfredo Petrone, Carlo Piantadosi, Anna M Pietroboni, Federica Pinardi, Marta Ponzano, Emilio Portaccio, Mattia Pozzato, Carlo Pozzilli, Luca Prosperini, Alessandra Protti, Marta Radaelli, Paolo Ragonese, Sarah Rasia, Sabrina Realmuto, Anna Repice, Eleonora Rigoni, Maria Teresa Rilla, Francesca Rinaldi, Calogero Marcello Romano, Marco Ronzoni, Marco Rovaris, Francesca Ruscica, Loredana Sabattini, Giuseppe Salemi, Marco Salvetti, Lorenzo Saraceno, Alessia Sartori, Arianna Sartori, Elvira Sbragia, Cinzia Scandellari, Giuditta Ilaria Scarano, Valentina Scarano, Irene Schiavetti, Maria Sessa, Caterina Sgarito, Grazia Sibilia, Gabriele Siciliano, Alessio Signori, Elisabetta Signoriello, Leonardo Sinisi, Francesca Sireci, Patrizia Sola, Claudio Solaro, Maria Pia Sormani, Stefano Sotgiu, Maddalena Sparaco, Maria Laura Stromillo, Silvia Strumia, Emanuela Laura Susani, Giulietta Tabiadon, Francesco Teatini, Gioacchino Tedeschi, Valentina Tomassini, Simone Tonietti, Clerici Valentina Torri, Carla Tortorella, Simona Toscano, Rocco Totaro, Maria Trojano, Maria Trotta, Gabriella Turano, Monica Ulivelli, Manzo Valentino, Giovanna Vaula, Domizia Vecchio, Marco Vercellino, Elena Pinuccia Verrengia, Marika Vianello, Eleonora Virgilio, Francesca Vitetta, Stefano Vollaro, Mauro Zaffaroni, Mauro Zampolini, Ignazio Roberto Zarbo, Antonio Zito, Luigi Zuliani, Bergamaschi, R, Ponzano, M, Schiavetti, I, Carmisciano, L, Cordioli, C, Filippi, M, Radaelli, M, Immovilli, P, Capobianco, M, De Rossi, N, Brichetto, G, Cocco, E, Scandellari, C, Cavalla, P, Pesci, I, Zito, A, Confalonieri, P, Marfia, Ga, Perini, P, Inglese, M, Trojano, M, Brescia Morra, V, Pisoni, E, Tedeschi, G, Comi, G, Battaglia, Ma, Patti, F, Salvetti, M, Sormani, Mp, Abbadessa, Gianmarco, Umberto, Aguglia, Lia, Allegorico, Rossi Beatrice Maria Allegri, Anastasia, Alteno, Maria Pia Amato, Pietro, Annovazzi, Carlo, Antozzi, Lucia, Appendino, Sebastiano, Arena, Viola, Baione, Roberto, Balgera, Valeria, Barcella, Damiano, Baroncini, Caterina, Barrilà, Mario, A Battaglia, Alessandra, Bellacosa, Gianmarco, Bellucci, Roberto, Bergamaschi, Valeria, Bergamaschi, Daiana, Bezzini, Beatrice, Biolzi, Bisecco, Alvino, Bonavita, Simona, Giovanna, Borriello, Chiara, Bosa, Bosco, Antonio, Francesca, Bovi, Marco, Bozzali, Laura, Brambilla, Morra Vincenzo Brescia, Giampaolo, Brichetto, Maria, Buccafusca, Elisabetta, Bucciantini, Sebastiano, Bucello, Maria Chiara Buscarinu, Maria Paola Cabboi, Massimiliano, Calabrese, Francesca, Calabria, Francesca, Caleri, Federico, Camilli, Luisa Maria Caniatti, Roberto, Cantello, Marco, Capobianco, Ruggero, Capra, Capuano, Rocco, Luca, Carmisciano, Patrizia, Carta, Paola, Cavalla, Maria Grazia Celani, Maria, Cellerino, Raffaella, Cerqua, Clara, Chisari, Raffaella, Clerici, Marinella, Clerico, Eleonora, Cocco, Gaia, Cola, Giancarlo, Comi, Paolo, Confalonieri, Antonella, Conte, Marta Zaffira Conti, Christian, Cordano, Susanna, Cordera, Cinzia, Cordioli, Corea, Francesco, Claudio, Correale, Salvatore, Cottone, Francesco, Crescenzo, Erica, Curti, Alessandro, D'Ambrosio, Emanuele, D'Amico, Maura Chiara Danni, Alessia, D'Arma, Vincenzo, Dattola, Stefano de Biase, Giovanna De Luca, Stefania Federica De Mercanti, Paolo De Mitri, Nicola De Rossi, Nicola De Stefano, Cava Marco Della, Mario di Napoli, Alessia Di Sapio, Docimo, Renato, Anna, Dutto, Luana, Evangelista, Salvatore, Fanara, Diana, Ferraro, Maria Teresa Ferrò, Massimo, Filippi, Cristina, Fioretti, Fratta, Mario, Jessica, Frau, Marzia, Fronza, Roberto, Furlan, Alberto, Gajofatto, Gallo, Antonio, Paolo, Gallo, Claudio, Gasperini, Anna, Ghazaryan, Bruno, Giometto, Francesca, Gobbin, Flora, Govone, Franco, Granella, Erica, Grange, Maria Grazia Grasso, Angelica, Guareschi, Clara, Guaschino, Simone, Guerrieri, Donata, Guidetti, Pietro, Iaffaldano, Antonio, Ianniello, Luigi, Iasevoli, Paolo, Immovilli, Daniele, Imperiale, Maria Teresa Infante, Matilde, Inglese, Rosa, Iodice, Aniello, Iovino, Giovanna, Konrad, Doriana, Landi, Roberta, Lanzillo, Caterina, Lapucci, Luigi, Lavorgna, Maria Rita L'Episcopo, Serena, Leva, Giuseppe, Liberatore, Re Marianna Lo, Marco, Longoni, Leonardo, Lopiano, Lorena, Lorefice, Matteo, Lucchini, Lus, Giacomo, Davide, Maimone, Maria, Malentacchi, Giulia, Mallucci, Simona, Malucchi, Chiara Rosa Mancinelli, Luca, Mancinelli, Paolo, Manganotti, Giorgia Teresa Maniscalco, Vittorio, Mantero, Sabrina, Marangoni, Damiano, Marastoni, Girolama Alessandra Marfia, Fabiana, Marinelli, Alessandro, Marti, Boneschi Filippo Martinelli, Zoli Federco Masserano, Francesca, Matta, Laura, Mendozzi, Giuseppe, Meucci, Silvia, Miante, Miele, Giuseppina, Eva, Milano, Massimiliano, Mirabella, Missione, Rosanna, Marcello, Moccia, Lucia, Moiola, Sara, Montepietra, Margherita, Montibragadin, Federico, Montini, Roberta, Motta, Raffaele, Nardone, Carolina Gabri Nicoletti, Eduardo, Nobile-Orazio, Agostino, Nozzolillo, Marco, Onofrj, Riccardo, Orlandi, Palmieri, Anna, Damiano, Paolicelli, Livia, Pasquali, Luisa, Pastò, Francesco, Patti, Elisabetta, Pedrazzoli, Paola, Perini, Ilaria, Pesci, Maria, Petracca, Alfredo, Petrone, Carlo, Piantadosi, Anna, M Pietroboni, Federica, Pinardi, Marta, Ponzano, Emilio, Portaccio, Mattia, Pozzato, Carlo, Pozzilli, Luca, Prosperini, Alessandra, Protti, Marta, Radaelli, Paolo, Ragonese, Sarah, Rasia, Sabrina, Realmuto, Anna, Repice, Eleonora, Rigoni, Maria Teresa Rilla, Francesca, Rinaldi, Calogero Marcello Romano, Marco, Ronzoni, Marco, Rovari, Francesca, Ruscica, Loredana, Sabattini, Giuseppe, Salemi, Marco, Salvetti, Lorenzo, Saraceno, Alessia, Sartori, Arianna, Sartori, Elvira, Sbragia, Cinzia, Scandellari, Giuditta Ilaria Scarano, Valentina, Scarano, Irene, Schiavetti, Maria, Sessa, Caterina, Sgarito, Grazia, Sibilia, Gabriele, Siciliano, Alessio, Signori, Signoriello, Elisabetta, Leonardo, Sinisi, Francesca, Sireci, Patrizia, Sola, Claudio, Solaro, Maria Pia Sormani, Stefano, Sotgiu, Sparaco, Maddalena, Maria Laura Stromillo, Silvia, Strumia, Emanuela Laura Susani, Giulietta, Tabiadon, Francesco, Teatini, Tedeschi, Gioacchino, Valentina, Tomassini, Simone, Tonietti, Clerici Valentina Torri, Carla, Tortorella, Simona, Toscano, Rocco, Totaro, Maria, Trojano, Trotta, Maria Consiglia, Gabriella, Turano, Monica, Ulivelli, Manzo, Valentino, Giovanna, Vaula, Domizia, Vecchio, Marco, Vercellino, Elena Pinuccia Verrengia, Marika, Vianello, Eleonora, Virgilio, Francesca, Vitetta, Stefano, Vollaro, Mauro, Zaffaroni, Mauro, Zampolini, Ignazio Roberto Zarbo, Zito, Guido Antonio, Bergamaschi, R., Ponzano, M., Schiavetti, I., Carmisciano, L., Cordioli, C., Filippi, M., Radaelli, M., Immovilli, P., Capobianco, M., De Rossi, N., Brichetto, G., Cocco, E., Scandellari, C., Cavalla, P., Pesci, I., Zito, A., Confalonieri, P., Marfia, G. A., Perini, P., Inglese, M., Trojano, M., Brescia Morra, V., Pisoni, E., Tedeschi, G., Comi, G., Battaglia, M. A., Patti, F., Salvetti, M., Sormani, M. P., Bergamaschi, Roberto, Ponzano, Marta, Schiavetti, Irene, Carmisciano, Luca, Cordioli, Cinzia, Filippi, Massimo, Radaelli, Marta, Immovilli, Paolo, Capobianco, Marco, De Rossi, Nicola, Brichetto, Giampaolo, Cocco, Eleonora, Scandellari, Cinzia, Cavalla, Paola, Pesci, Ilaria, Zito, Antonio, Confalonieri, Paolo, Marfia, Girolama Alessandra, Perini, Paola, Inglese, Matilde, Trojano, Maria, Brescia Morra, Vincenzo, Pisoni, Enrico, Comi, Giancarlo, Battaglia, Mario Alberto, Patti, Francesco, Salvetti, Marco, Sormani, Maria, Pia, Gianmarco, Abbadessa, Alvino, Bisecco, Simona, Bonavita, Antonio, Bosco, Rocco, Capuano, Francesco, Corea, Renato, Docimo, Mario, Fratta, Antonio, Gallo, Iodice, Rosa, Iovino, Aniello, Lanzillo, Roberta, Giacomo, Lu, Giuseppina, Miele, Rosanna, Missione, Moccia, Marcello, Anna, Palmieri, Elisabetta, Signoriello, Maddalena, Sparaco, Gioacchino, Tedeschi, Maria, Trotta, Antonio, Zito, and Luigi, Zuliani
Subjects: air pollution, coronavirus, multiple sclerosis, medicine.medical_specialty, Multivariate analysis, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Clinical Sciences, Air pollution, Sample (statistics), Neurodegenerative, Settore MED/26, medicine.disease_cause, Autoimmune Disease, law.invention, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Clinical Research, law, Humans, Medicine, Climate-Related Exposures and Conditions, Neurology & Neurosurgery, MuSC-19 study group, SARS-CoV-2, business.industry, Multiple sclerosis, Neurosciences, COVID-19, Retrospective cohort study, Original Articles, medicine.disease, Intensive care unit, Particulate Matter, Air Pollution, Multiple Sclerosis, Brain Disorders, coronaviru, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Good Health and Well Being, Neurology, multiple sclerosi, Emergency medicine, Original Article, Neurology (clinical), Ordered logit, business, Human
Abstract: Background and purpose Some studies have shown that air pollution, often assessed by thin particulate matter with diameter below 2.5 µg/m3 (PM2.5), may contribute to severe COVID‐19 courses, as well as play a role in the onset and evolution of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the impact of air pollution on COVID‐19 has never been explored specifically amongst patients with MS (PwMS). This retrospective observational study aims to explore associations between PM2.5 and COVID‐19 severity amongst PwMS. Methods Data were retrieved from an Italian web‐based platform (MuSC‐19) which includes PwMS with COVID‐19. PM2.5 2016–2018 average concentrations were provided by the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service. Italian patients inserted in the platform from 15 January 2020 to 9 April 2021 with a COVID‐19 positive test were included. Ordered logistic regression models were used to study associations between PM2.5 and COVID‐19 severity. Results In all, 1087 patients, of whom 13% required hospitalization and 2% were admitted to an intensive care unit or died, were included. Based on the multivariate analysis, higher concentrations of PM2.5 increased the risk of worse COVID‐19 course (odds ratio 1.90; p = 0.009). Conclusions Even if several other factors explain the unfavourable course of COVID‐19 in PwMS, the role of air pollutants must be considered and further investigated., Air pollution, often assessed by particulate matter with diameter below 2.5 µg/m3, may contribute to severe COVID‐19 courses. 1087 patients were included, of whom 13% required hospitalization and 2% were admitted to an intensive care unit or died. Even if several other factors explain the unfavourable course of COVID‐19 in patients with multiple sclerosis, the role of air pollutants must be considered and further investigated.
Published: 2021

12. Amifampridine phosphate in the treatment of muscle-specific kinase myasthenia gravis: a phase IIb, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, double crossover study

Author: Silvia Bonanno, Maria Barbara Pasanisi, Rita Frangiamore, Lorenzo Maggi, Carlo Antozzi, Francesca Andreetta, Angela Campanella, Greta Brenna, Lorenzo Cottini, and Renato Mantegazza
Subjects: Medicine (General), R5-920
Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the safety and the efficacy of amifampridine phosphate in muscle-specific kinase antibody-positive myasthenia gravis, in a 1:1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, switchback, double crossover study. Methods: Eligible patients had muscle-specific kinase myasthenia gravis, >18 years of age, and Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America class II–IV with a score of ⩾9 on Myasthenia Gravis Composite scale. After the run-in phase, during which amifampridine phosphate was titrated to a tolerable and effective dosage, patients were randomized to receive placebo–amifampridine–placebo sequence or amifampridine–placebo–amifampridine sequence daily for 7 days. Then, patients switched treatment arms twice, for a total of 21 days of double-blind treatment. Safety was determined by serial assessments of adverse events/serious adverse events, physical examinations, and clinical and laboratory tests. The co-primary outcome measures included changes from baseline of Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis score and Myasthenia Gravis–specific Activities of Daily Living Profile score. The secondary outcome measures comprised changes from baseline of Myasthenia Gravis Composite score, Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life scale—15 questions, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Carlo Besta Neurological Institute–Myasthenia Gravis scale. Statistical analyses were assessed using a switchback model for three-period, two-treatment crossover design. Results: A total of 10 patients were screened, enrolled, and treated. Transient paresthesias (60%) were the only amifampridine phosphate–related adverse events reported. Four patients were randomized to receive placebo–amifampridine–placebo sequence and three patients to receive amifampridine–placebo–amifampridine sequence. The co-primary objectives were statistically met (Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis score: p = 0.0003 and Myasthenia Gravis–specific Activities of Daily Living Profile score: p = 0.0006), as well as all the secondary endpoints (Myasthenia Gravis Composite score: p
Published: 2018
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13. The impact of PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 on Covid-19 severity in a sample of patients with multiple sclerosis: A case-control study

Author: Ponzano, Marta, primary, Schiavetti, Irene, additional, Bergamaschi, Roberto, additional, Pisoni, Enrico, additional, Bellavia, Andrea, additional, Mallucci, Giulia, additional, Carmisciano, Luca, additional, Inglese, Matilde, additional, Cordioli, Cinzia, additional, Marfia, Girolama Alessandra, additional, Cocco, Eleonora, additional, Immovilli, Paolo, additional, Pesci, Ilaria, additional, Scandellari, Cinzia, additional, Cavalla, Paola, additional, Radaelli, Marta, additional, Vianello, Marika, additional, Vitetta, Francesca, additional, Montepietra, Sara, additional, Amato, Maria Pia, additional, Fioretti, Cristina, additional, Filippi, Massimo, additional, Sartori, Arianna, additional, Caleri, Francesca, additional, Clerico, Marinella, additional, Gallo, Antonio, additional, Conte, Antonella, additional, Clerici, Raffaella, additional, De Luca, Giovanna, additional, Boneschi, Filippo Martinelli, additional, Cantello, Roberto, additional, Calabrese, Massimiliano, additional, Tortorella, Carla, additional, Rovaris, Marco, additional, Verrengia, Elena Pinuccia, additional, Patti, Francesco, additional, Morra, Vincenzo Brescia, additional, Salvetti, Marco, additional, Sormani, Maria Pia, additional, Gianmarco, Abbadessa, additional, Umberto, Aguglia, additional, Lia, Allegorico, additional, Maria, Allegri Rossi Beatrice, additional, Anastasia, Alteno, additional, Pia, Amato Maria, additional, Pietro, Annovazzi, additional, Carlo, Antozzi, additional, Lucia, Appendino, additional, Sebastiano, Arena, additional, Viola, Baione, additional, Roberto, Balgera, additional, Valeria, Barcella, additional, Damiano, Baroncini, additional, Caterina, Barrilà, additional, Mario A, Battaglia, additional, Alessandra, Bellacosa, additional, Gianmarco, Bellucci, additional, Roberto, Bergamaschi, additional, Valeria, Bergamaschi, additional, Daiana, Bezzini, additional, Beatrice, Biolzi, additional, Alvino, Bisecco, additional, Simona, Bonavita, additional, Giovanna, Borriello, additional, Chiara, Bosa, additional, Antonio, Bosco, additional, Francesca, Bovis, additional, Marco, Bozzali, additional, Laura, Brambilla, additional, Vincenzo, Brescia Morra, additional, Giampaolo, Brichetto, additional, Maria, Buccafusca, additional, Elisabetta, Bucciantini, additional, Sebastiano, Bucello, additional, Chiara, Buscarinu Maria, additional, Paola, Cabboi Maria, additional, Massimiliano, Calabrese, additional, Francesca, Calabria, additional, Francesca, Caleri, additional, Federico, Camilli, additional, Maria, Caniatti Luisa, additional, Roberto, Cantello, additional, Marco, Capobianco, additional, Ruggero, Capra, additional, Rocco, Capuano, additional, Luca, Carmisciano, additional, Patrizia, Carta, additional, Paola, Cavalla, additional, Grazia, Celani Maria, additional, Maria, Cellerino, additional, Raffaella, Cerqua, additional, Clara, Chisari, additional, Raffaella, Clerici, additional, Marinella, Clerico, additional, Eleonora, Cocco, additional, Gaia, Cola, additional, Giancarlo, Comi, additional, Paolo, Confalonieri, additional, Antonella, Conte, additional, Zaffira, Conti Marta, additional, Christian, Cordano, additional, Susanna, Cordera, additional, Cinzia, Cordioli, additional, Francesco, Corea, additional, Claudio, Correale, additional, Salvatore, Cottone, additional, Francesco, Crescenzo, additional, Erica, Curti, additional, Alessandro, d'Ambrosio, additional, Emanuele, D'Amico, additional, Chiara, Danni Maura, additional, Alessia, d'Arma, additional, Vincenzo, Dattola, additional, Stefano, de Biase, additional, Giovanna, De Luca, additional, Federica, De Mercanti Stefania, additional, Paolo, De Mitri, additional, Nicola, De Rossi, additional, Nicola, De Stefano, additional, Maria, Della Cava Fabio, additional, Marco, Della Cava, additional, Sonia, Di Lemme, additional, Mario, di Napoli, additional, Alessia, Di Sapio, additional, Renato, Docimo, additional, Anna, Dutto, additional, Luana, Evangelista, additional, Salvatore, Fanara, additional, Roberta, Fantozzi, additional, Diana, Ferraro, additional, Teresa, Ferrò Maria, additional, Massimo, Filippi, additional, Cristina, Fioretti, additional, Mario, Fratta, additional, Jessica, Frau, additional, Marzia, Fronza, additional, Roberto, Furlan, additional, Alberto, Gajofatto, additional, Antonio, Gallo, additional, Paolo, Gallo, additional, Claudio, Gasperini, additional, Anna, Ghazaryan, additional, Bruno, Giometto, additional, Francesca, Gobbin, additional, Flora, Govone, additional, Franco, Granella, additional, Erica, Grange, additional, Grazia, Grasso Maria, additional, Luigi ME, Grimaldi, additional, Angelica, Guareschi, additional, Clara, Guaschino, additional, Simone, Guerrieri, additional, Donata, Guidetti, additional, Barbara, Juergenson Ina, additional, Pietro, Iaffaldano, additional, Antonio, Ianniello, additional, Luigi, Iasevoli, additional, Paolo, Immovilli, additional, Daniele, Imperiale, additional, Teresa, Infante Maria, additional, Matilde, Inglese, additional, Rosa, Iodice, additional, Aniello, Iovino, additional, Giovanna, Konrad, additional, Doriana, Landi, additional, Roberta, Lanzillo, additional, Caterina, Lapucci, additional, Luigi, Lavorgna, additional, Rita, L'Episcopo Maria, additional, Serena, Leva, additional, Giuseppe, Liberatore, additional, Marianna, Lo Re, additional, Marco, Longoni, additional, Leonardo, Lopiano, additional, Lorena, Lorefice, additional, Matteo, Lucchini, additional, Giacomo, Lus, additional, Davide, Maimone, additional, Maria, Malentacchi, additional, Giulia, Mallucci, additional, Simona, Malucchi, additional, Rosa, Mancinelli Chiara, additional, Luca, Mancinelli, additional, Paolo, Manganotti, additional, Teresa, Maniscalco Giorgia, additional, Vittorio, Mantero, additional, Sabrina, Marangoni, additional, Damiano, Marastoni, additional, Alessandra, Marfia Girolama, additional, Fabiana, Marinelli, additional, Alessandro, Marti, additional, Filippo, Martinelli Boneschi, additional, Federco, Masserano Zoli, additional, Francesca, Matta, additional, Laura, Mendozzi, additional, Giuseppe, Meucci, additional, Silvia, Miante, additional, Giuseppina, Miele, additional, Eva, Milano, additional, Massimiliano, Mirabella, additional, Rosanna, Missione, additional, Marcello, Moccia, additional, Lucia, Moiola, additional, Sara, Montepietra, additional, Margherita, MontiBragadin, additional, Federico, Montini, additional, Roberta, Motta, additional, Raffaele, Nardone, additional, Gabri, Nicoletti Carolina, additional, Eduardo, Nobile-Orazio, additional, Agostino, Nozzolillo, additional, Marco, Onofrj, additional, Riccardo, Orlandi, additional, Anna, Palmieri, additional, Damiano, Paolicelli, additional, Livia, Pasquali, additional, Fulvio, Pasquin, additional, Luisa, Pastò, additional, Francesco, Patti, additional, Elisabetta, Pedrazzoli, additional, Paola, Perini, additional, Ilaria, Pesci, additional, Maria, Petracca, additional, Alfredo, Petrone, additional, Carlo, Piantadosi, additional, Anna M, Pietroboni, additional, Federica, Pinardi, additional, Marta, Ponzano, additional, Emilio, Portaccio, additional, Mattia, Pozzato, additional, Carlo, Pozzilli, additional, Luca, Prosperini, additional, Alessandra, Protti, additional, Eugenio, Pucci, additional, Marta, Radaelli, additional, Paolo, Ragonese, additional, Sarah, Rasia, additional, Sabrina, Realmuto, additional, Anna, Repice, additional, Eleonora, Rigoni, additional, Teresa, Rilla Maria, additional, Francesca, Rinaldi, additional, Marcello, Romano Calogero, additional, Marco, Ronzoni, additional, Marco, Rovaris, additional, Francesca, Ruscica, additional, Loredana, Sabattini, additional, Giuseppe, Salemi, additional, Marco, Salvetti, additional, Lorenzo, Saraceno, additional, Alessia, Sartori, additional, Arianna, Sartori, additional, Elvira, Sbragia, additional, Cinzia, Scandellari, additional, Ilaria, Scarano Giuditta, additional, Valentina, Scarano, additional, Irene, Schiavetti, additional, Maria, Sessa, additional, Caterina, Sgarito, additional, Grazia, Sibilia, additional, Gabriele, Siciliano, additional, Alessio, Signori, additional, Elisabetta, Signoriello, additional, Leonardo, Sinisi, additional, Francesca, Sireci, additional, Patrizia, Sola, additional, Claudio, Solaro, additional, Pia, Sormani Maria, additional, Stefano, Sotgiu, additional, Maddalena, Sparaco, additional, Laura, Stromillo Maria, additional, Silvia, Strumia, additional, Laura, Susani Emanuela, additional, Giulietta, Tabiadon, additional, Francesco, Teatini, additional, Gioacchino, Tedeschi, additional, Valentina, Tomassini, additional, Simone, Tonietti, additional, Valentina, Torri Clerici, additional, Carla, Tortorella, additional, Simona, Toscano, additional, Rocco, Totaro, additional, Maria, Trojano, additional, Maria, Trotta, additional, Gabriella, Turano, additional, Monica, Ulivelli, additional, Manzo, Valentino, additional, Giovanna, Vaula, additional, Domizia, Vecchio, additional, Marco, Vercellino, additional, Pinuccia, Verrengia Elena, additional, Marika, Vianello, additional, Eleonora, Virgilio, additional, Francesca, Vitetta, additional, Stefano, Vollaro, additional, Mauro, Zaffaroni, additional, Mauro, Zampolini, additional, Roberto, Zarbo Ignazio, additional, Antonio, Zito, additional, and Luigi, Zuliani, additional
Published: 2022
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14. Survival gain in glioblastoma patients treated with dendritic cell immunotherapy is associated with increased NK but not CD8+ T cell activation in the presence of adjuvant temozolomide

Author: Serena Pellegatta, Marica Eoli, Valeria Cuccarini, Elena Anghileri, Bianca Pollo, Sara Pessina, Simona Frigerio, Maura Servida, Lucia Cuppini, Carlo Antozzi, Stefania Cuzzubbo, Cristina Corbetta, Rosina Paterra, Francesco Acerbi, Paolo Ferroli, Francesco DiMeco, Laura Fariselli, Eugenio A. Parati, Maria Grazia Bruzzone, and Gaetano Finocchiaro
Subjects: glioblastoma, dendritic cells, immunotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy, natural killer cells, Immunologic diseases. Allergy, RC581-607, Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens, RC254-282
Abstract: In a two-stage phase II study, 24 patients with first diagnosis of glioblastoma (GBM) were treated with dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy associated to standard radiochemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ) followed by adjuvant TMZ. Three intradermal injections of mature DC loaded with autologous GBM lysate were administered before adjuvant TMZ, while 4 injections were performed during adjuvant TMZ. According to a two-stage Simon design, to proceed to the second stage progression-free survival (PFS) 12 months after surgery was expected in at least 8 cases enrolled in the first stage. Evidence of immune response and interaction with chemotherapy were investigated. After a median follow up of 17.4 months, 9 patients reached PFS12. In these patients (responders, 37.5%), DC vaccination induced a significant, persistent activation of NK cells, whose increased response was significantly associated with prolonged survival. CD8+ T cells underwent rapid expansion and priming but, after the first administration of adjuvant TMZ, failed to generate a memory status. Resistance to TMZ was associated with robust expression of the multidrug resistance protein ABCC3 in NK but not CD8+ T cells. The negative effect of TMZ on the formation of T cell-associated antitumor memory deserves consideration in future clinical trials including immunotherapy.
Published: 2018
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15. When myasthenia gravis is deemed refractory: clinical signposts and treatment strategies

Author: Renato Mantegazza and Carlo Antozzi
Subjects: Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system, RC346-429
Abstract: The prognosis for patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) has improved significantly over the past half century, including substantial reductions in mortality and morbidity. However, approximately 10% of patients fails to respond adequately to current therapies and are considered treatment refractory, or treatment intolerant, and up to 80% have disease that fails to achieve complete stable remission. Although patients with autoantibodies to muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (anti-MuSK positive) are more likely to become treatment refractory than those with autoantibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (anti-AChR positive), each of these serotypes is substantially represented in the refractory MG population. Other risk factors for becoming treatment refractory include history of thymoma or thymectomy and female sex. A modified treatment algorithm for MG is proposed: patients who have disease that fails to respond to the stepwise approach to therapy, are treatment intolerant, or who require chronic rescue measures despite ongoing therapy, should be considered treatment refractory and emerging therapies should be considered. Three emerging monoclonal antibody-based therapies are discussed: the anti-B-cell agent rituximab; the terminal complement activation inhibitor eculizumab; and belimumab, which targets B-cell activating factor. Increased understanding of molecular pathophysiology and accurate antibody subtyping in MG should lead to the use of new therapeutic agents and successful management of treatment-refractory patients.
Published: 2018
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16. Nabiximols oromucosal spray in patients with multiple sclerosis-related bladder dysfunction: A prospective study

Author: Valentina Torri Clerici, Laura Brambilla, Paolo Luca Politi, Federica Viggiani, Simone Mercurio, Simone Tonietti, Marco Ronzoni, Sebastiano Giuseppe Crisafulli, Carlo Antozzi, Irene Tramacere, Chiara Redemagni, and Paolo Confalonieri
Subjects: Neurology, Neurology (clinical), General Medicine
Published: 2023

17. MicroRNA quali biomarcatori di risposta alle terapie immunosoppressive nella miastenia gravis: prospettive per una medicina personalizzata

Author: Tarasco, M, Iacomino, N, Ballardini, M, Frangiamore, R, Vanoli, F, Antozzi, C, Foti, M, Mantegazza, R, Cavalcante, P, Maria Cristina Tarasco, Nicola Iacomino, Marta Ballardini, Rita Frangiamore, Fiammetta Vanoli, Carlo Antozzi, Maria Foti, Renato Mantegazza, Paola Cavalcante, Tarasco, M, Iacomino, N, Ballardini, M, Frangiamore, R, Vanoli, F, Antozzi, C, Foti, M, Mantegazza, R, Cavalcante, P, Maria Cristina Tarasco, Nicola Iacomino, Marta Ballardini, Rita Frangiamore, Fiammetta Vanoli, Carlo Antozzi, Maria Foti, Renato Mantegazza, and Paola Cavalcante
Published: 2022

18. Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

Author: Mantegazza, R., Wolfe, G. I., Muppidi, S., Wiendl, H., Fujita, K. P., O'Brien, F. L., Booth, H. D. E., Howard, J. F., Claudio Gabriel Mazia, Miguel, Wilken, Fabio, Barroso, Juliet, Saba, Marcelo, Rugiero, Mariela, Bettini, Marcelo, Chaves, Gonzalo, Vidal, Alejandra Dalila Garcia, Jan De Bleecker, Guy Van den Abeele, Kathy de Koning, Katrien De Mey, Rudy, Mercelis, Délphine, Mahieu, Linda, Wagemaekers, Philip Van Damme, Annelies, Depreitere, Caroline, Schotte, Charlotte, Smetcoren, Olivier, Stevens, Sien Van Daele, Nicolas, Vandenbussche, Annelies, Vanhee, Sarah, Verjans, Jan, Vynckier, Ann, D'Hont, Petra, Tilkin, Alzira Alves de Siqueira Carvalho, Igor Dias Brockhausen, David, Feder, Daniel, Ambrosio, Gabor Lovasamela César, Ana Paula Melo, Renata Martins Ribeiro, Rosana, Rocha, Bruno Bezerra Rosa, Thabata, Veiga, Luiz Augusto da Silva, Murilo Santos Engel, Jordana Gonçalves Geraldo, Maria da Penha Ananias Morita, Erica Nogueira Coelho, Gabriel, Paiva, Marina, Pozo, Natalia, Prando, Debora Dada Martineli Torres, Cristiani Fernanda Butinhao, Gustavo, Duran, Tomás Augusto Suriane Fialho, Tamires Cristina Gomes da Silva, Luiz Otavio Maia Gonçalves, Lucas Eduardo Pazetto, Luciana Renata Cubas Volpe, Luciana Souza Duca, Maurício AndréGheller Friedrich, Alexandre, Guerreiro, Henrique, Mohr, Maurer Pereira Martins, Daiane da Cruz Pacheco, Luciana, Ferreira, Ana Paula Macagnan, Graziela, Pinto, Aline de Cassia Santos, Acary Souza Bulle Oliveira, Ana Carolina Amaral de Andrade, Marcelo, Annes, Liene Duarte Silva, Valeria Cavalcante Lino, Wladimir, Pinto, Natália, Assis, Fernanda, Carrara, Carolina, Miranda, Iandra, Souza, Patrícia, Fernandes, Zaeem, Siddiqi, Cecile, Phan, Jeffrey, Narayan, Derrick, Blackmore, Ashley, Mallon, Rikki, Roderus, Elizabeth, Watt, Stanislav, Vohanka, Josef, Bednarik, Magda, Chmelikova, Marek, Cierny, Stanislava, Toncrova, Jana, Junkerova, Barbora, Kurkova, Katarina, Reguliova, Olga, Zapletalova, Jiri, Pitha, Iveta, Novakova, Michaela, Tyblova, Ivana, Jurajdova, Marcela, Wolfova, Henning, Andersen, Thomas, Harbo, Lotte, Vinge, Susanne, Krogh, Anita, Mogensen, John, Vissing, Joan, Højgaard, Nanna, Witting, Anne Mette Ostergaard Autzen, Jane, Pedersen, Juha-Pekka, Erälinna, Mikko, Laaksonen, Olli, Oksaranta, Tuula, Harrison, Jaana, Eriksson, Csilla, Rozsa, Melinda, Horvath, Gabor, Lovas, Judit, Matolcsi, Gedeonne, Jakab, Gyorgyi, Szabo, Brigitta, Szabadosne, Laszlo, Vecsei, Livia, Dezsi, Edina, Varga, Monika, Konyane, Antonini, Giovanni, Antonella Di Pasquale, Garibaldi, Matteo, Morino, Stefania, Troili, Fernanda, Fionda, Laura, Amelia, Evoli, Paolo Emilio Alboini, Valentina, D'Amato, Raffaele, Iorio, Inghilleri, Maurizio, Frasca, Vittorio, Elena, Giacomelli, Gori, MARIA CRISTINA, Diego, Lopergolo, Onesti, Emanuela, Maria, Gabriele, Francesco, Saccà, Alessandro, Filla, Teresa, Costabile, Enrico, Marano, Angiola, Fasanaro, Angela, Marsili, Giorgia, Puorro, Carlo, Antozzi, Silvia, Bonanno, Giorgia, Camera, Alberta, Locatelli, Lorenzo, Maggi, Maria, Pasanisi, Angela, Campanella, Akiyuki, Uzawa, Tetsuya, Kanai, Naoki, Kawaguchi, Masahiro, Mori, Yoko, Kaneko, Akiko, Kanzaki, Eri, Kobayashi, Hiroyuki, Murai, Katsuhisa, Masaki, Dai, Matsuse, Takuya, Matsushita, Taira, Uehara, Misa, Shimpo, Maki, Jingu, Keiko, Kikutake, Yumiko, Nakamura, Yoshiko, Sano, Kimiaki, Utsugisawa, Yuriko, Nagane, Ikuko, Kamegamori, Tomoko, Tsuda, Yuko, Fujii, Kazumi, Futono, Yukiko, Ozawa, Aya, Mizugami, Yuka, Saito, Makoto, Samukawa, Hidekazu, Suzuki, Miyuki, Morikawa, Sachiko, Kamakura, Eriko, Miyawaki, Meinoshin, Okumura, Soichiro, Funaka, Tomohiro, Kawamura, Masayuki, Nakamori, Masanori, Takahashi, Namie, Taichi, Tomoya, Hasuike, Eriko, Higuchi, Hisako, Kobayashi, Kaori, Osakada, Hirokazu, Shiraishi, Teiichiro, Miyazaki, Masakatsu, Motomura, Akihiro, Mukaino, Shunsuke, Yoshimura, Shizuka, Asada, Seiko, Yoshida, Shoko, Amamoto, Tomomi, Kobashikawa, Megumi, Koga, Maeda, Yasuko, Kazumi, Takada, Mihoko, Takada, Masako, Tsurumaru, Yumi, Yamashita, Yasushi, Suzuki, Tetsuya, Akiyama, Koichi, Narikawa, Ohito, Tano, Kenichi, Tsukita, Rikako, Kurihara, Fumie, Meguro, Yusuke, Fukuda, Miwako, Sato, Tomihiro, Imai, Emiko, Tsuda, Shun, Shimohama, Takashi, Hayashi, Shin, Hisahara, Jun, Kawamata, Takashi, Murahara, Masaki, Saitoh, Shuichiro, Suzuki, Daisuke, Yamamoto, Yoko, Ishiyama, Naoko, Ishiyama, Mayuko, Noshiro, Rumi, Takeyama, Kaori, Uwasa, Ikuko, Yasuda, Anneke van der Kooi, Marianne de Visser, Tamar, Gibson, Byung-Jo, Kim, Chang Nyoung Lee, Yong Seo Koo, Hung Youl Seok, Hoo Nam Kang, Hyejin, Ra, Byoung Joon Kim, Eun Bin Cho, Misong, Choi, Hyelim, Lee, Ju-Hong, Min, Jinmyoung, Seok, Jieun, Lee, Da Yoon Koh, Juyoung, Kwon, Sangae, Park, Eun Haw Choi, Yoon-Ho, Hong, So-Hyun, Ahn, Dae Lim Koo, Jae-Sung, Lim, Chae Won Shin, Ji Ye Hwang, Miri, Kim, Seung Min Kim, Ha-Neul, Jeong, Jinwoo, Jung, Yool-Hee, Kim, Hyung Seok Lee, Ha Young Shin, Eun Bi Hwang, Miju, Shin, Carlos, Casasnovas, Maria Antonia Alberti Aguilo, Christian, Homedes-Pedret, Natalia Julia Palacios, Laura Diez Porras, Valentina Velez Santamaria, Ana, Lazaro, Josep Gamez Carbonell, Pilar, Sune, Maria Salvado Figueras, Gisela, Gili, Gonzalo, Mazuela, Isabel, Illa, Elena Cortes Vicente, Jordi, Diaz-Manera, Luis Antonio Querol Gutiérrez, Ricardo Rojas Garcia, Nuria, Vidal, Elisabet, Arribas-Ibar, Exuperio Diez Tejedor, Pilar Gomez Salcedo, Mireya, Fernandez-Fournier, Pedro Lopez Ruiz, Francisco Javier Rodriguez de Rivera, Maria, Sastre, Fredrik, Piehl, Albert, Hietala, Lena, Bjarbo, Ihsan, Sengun, Arzu, Meherremova, Pinar, Ozcelik, Bengu, Balkan, Celal, Tuga, Muzeyyen, Ugur, Sevim, Erdem-Ozdamar, Can Ebru Bekircan-Kurt, Nazire Pinar Acar, Ezgi, Yilmaz, Yagmur, Caliskan, Gulsah, Orsel, Husnu, Efendi, Seda, Aydinlik, Hakan, Cavus, Ayse, Kutlu, Gulsah, Becerikli, Cansu, Semiz, Ozlem, Tun, Murat, Terzi, Baki, Dogan, Musa Kazim Onar, Sedat, Sen, Tugce Kirbas Cavdar, Adife, Veske, Fiona, Norwood, Aikaterini, Dimitriou, Jakit, Gollogly, Mohamed, Mahdi-Rogers, Arshira, Seddigh, Giannis, Sokratous, Gal, Maier, Faisal, Sohail, Saiju, Jacob, Girija, Sadalage, Pravin, Torane, Claire, Brown, Amna, Shah, Sivakumar, Sathasivam, Heike, Arndt, Debbie, Davies, Dave, Watling, Anthony, Amato, Thomas, Cochrane, Mohammed, Salajegheh, Kristen, Roe, Katherine, Amato, Shirli, Toska, Nicholas, Silvestri, Kara, Patrick, Karen, Zakalik, Jonathan, Katz, Robert, Miller, Marguerite, Engel, Dallas, Forshew, Elena, Bravver, Benjamin, Brooks, Mohammed, Sanjak, Sarah, Plevka, Maryanne, Burdette, Scott, Cunningham, Megan, Kramer, Joanne, Nemeth, Clara, Schommer, Tierney, Scott, Vern, Juel, Jeffrey, Guptill, Lisa, Hobson-Webb, Janice, Massey, Kate, Beck, Donna, Carnes, John, Loor, Amanda, Anderson, Robert, Pascuzzi, Cynthia, Bodkin, John, Kincaid, Riley, Snook, Sandra, Guingrich, Angela, Micheels, Vinay, Chaudhry, Andrea, Corse, Betsy, Mosmiller, Andrea, Kelley, Doreen, Ho, Jayashri, Srinivasan, Michal, Vytopil, Jordan, Jara, Nicholas, Ventura, Cynthia, Carter, Craig, Donahue, Carol, Herbert, Stephanie, Scala, Elaine, Weiner, Sharmeen, Alam, Jonathan, Mckinnon, Laura, Haar, Naya, Mckinnon, Karan, Alcon, Kaitlyn, Mckenna, Nadia, Sattar, Kevin, Daniels, Dennis, Jeffery, Miriam, Freimer, Joseph Chad Hoyle, John, Kissel, Julie, Agriesti, Sharon, Chelnick, Louisa, Mezache, Colleen, Pineda, Filiz, Muharrem, Chafic, Karam, Julie, Khoury, Tessa, Marburger, Harpreet, Kaur, Diana, Dimitrova, James, Gilchrist, Brajesh, Agrawal, Mona, Elsayed, Stephanie, Kohlrus, Angela, Ardoin, Taylor, Darnell, Laura, Golden, Barbara, Lokaitis, Jenna, Seelbach, Neelam, Goyal, Sarada, Sakamuri, Yuen, T So, Shirley, Paulose, Sabrina, Pol, Lesly, Welsh, Ratna, Bhavaraju-Sanka, Alejandro Tobon Gonzalez, Lorraine, Dishman, Floyd, Jones, Anna, Gonzalez, Patricia, Padilla, Amy, Saklad, Marcela, Silva, Sharon, Nations, Jaya, Trivedi, Steve, Hopkins, Mohamed, Kazamel, Mohammad, Alsharabati, Liang, Lu, Kenkichi, Nozaki, Sandi, Mumfrey-Thomas, Amy, Woodall, Tahseen, Mozaffar, Tiyonnoh, Cash, Namita, Goyal, Gulmohor, Roy, Veena, Mathew, Fatima, Maqsood, Brian, Minton, H James Jones, Jeffrey, Rosenfeld, Rebekah, Garcia, Laura, Echevarria, Sonia, Garcia, Michael, Pulley, Shachie, Aranke, Alan Ross Berger, Jaimin, Shah, Yasmeen, Shabbir, Lisa, Smith, Mary, Varghese, Laurie, Gutmann, Ludwig, Gutmann, Nivedita, Jerath, Christopher, Nance, Andrea, Swenson, Heena, Olalde, Nicole, Kressin, Jeri, Sieren, Richard, Barohn, Mazen, Dimachkie, Melanie, Glenn, April, Mcvey, Mamatha, Pasnoor, Jeffery, Statland, Yunxia, Wang, Tina, Liu, Kelley, Emmons, Nicole, Jenci, Jerry, Locheke, Alex, Fondaw, Kathryn, Johns, Gabrielle, Rico, Maureen, Walsh, Laura, Herbelin, Charlene, Hafer-Macko, Justin, Kwan, Lindsay, Zilliox, Karen, Callison, Valerie, Young, Beth, Disanzo, Kerry, Naunton, Michael, Benatar, Martin, Bilsker, Khema, Sharma, Anne, Cooley, Eliana, Reyes, Sara-Claude, Michon, Danielle, Sheldon, Julie, Steele, Rebecca, Traub, Manisha, Chopra, Tuan, Vu, Lara, Katzin, Terry, Mcclain, Brittany, Harvey, Adam, Hart, Kristin, Huynh, Said, Beydoun, Amaiak, Chilingaryan, Victor, Doan, Brian, Droker, Hui, Gong, Sanaz, Karimi, Frank, Lin, Krishna, Polaka, Akshay, Shah, Anh, Tran, Salma, Akhter, Ali, Malekniazi, Rup, Tandan, Michael, Hehir, Waqar, Waheed, Shannon, Lucy, Michael, Weiss, Jane, Distad, Susan, Strom, Sharon, Downing, Bryan, Kim, Tulio, Bertorini, Thomas, Arnold, Kendrick, Henderson, Rekha, Pillai, Liu, Ye, Lauren, Wheeler, Jasmine, Hewlett, Mollie, Vanderhook, Richard, Nowak, Daniel, Dicapua, Benison, Keung, Aditya, Kumar, Huned, Patwa, Kimberly, Robeson, Irene, Yang, Joan, Nye, and Hong, Vu
Subjects: Adult, Male, 0301 basic medicine, medicine.medical_specialty, Clinical Neurology, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Placebo, Article, Antibodies, Post-intervention, law.invention, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Randomized controlled trial, Refractory, law, Internal medicine, Monoclonal, Myasthenia Gravis, Medicine and Health Sciences, Humans, Medicine, Humanized, Science & Technology, business.industry, Middle Aged, Eculizumab, Complement Inactivating Agents, Female, Treatment Outcome, EFFICACY, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, Clinical trial, 030104 developmental biology, SAFETY, Neurosciences & Neurology, Neurology (clinical), business, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, COMPLEMENT INHIBITOR ECULIZUMAB, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, medicine.drug
Abstract: ObjectiveTo evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti–acetylcholine receptor–positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension.MethodsPatients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study.ResultsA total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1–4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected.ConclusionEculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population.ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierREGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624.Classification of EvidenceThis study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo.
Published: 2020

19. SERUM AUTOANTIBODY LOWERING BY THE ANTI-FCRN MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY, NIPOCALIMAB, CORRELATES WITH CLINICAL IMPROVEMENT IN GENERALIZED MYASTHENIA GRAVIS PATIENTS

Author: Sindhu Ramchandren, Jeff Guptill, Carlo Antozzi, Vera Bril, Josep Gamez, Sven Meuth, Richard Nowak, Dianna Quan, Maria Teresa Sevilla Mantecon, Leona Ling, Yaowei Zhu, Keith Karcher, and Hong Sun
Subjects: Neurology (clinical)
Abstract: ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between clinical improvement in Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scores and the pharmacodynamic effects of IgG autoantibody lowering induced by nipocalimab in the Vivacity MG Phase 2 study.BackgroundNipocalimab is a fully human, aglycosylated, effectorless IgG1 anti-FcRn monoclonal antibody that targets the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) with high affinity, thereby lowering IgG pathogenic antibodies in autoimmune disease.Design/MethodsThe relationship between the reduction in acetylcholine-receptor (AChR)- and Muscle-Specific-Tyrosine-Kinase (MuSK)- autoantibodies with improvement in MG-ADL scores were explored across the four nipocalimab dose arms in the Vivacity MG Phase 2 Study in generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) patients.ResultsOf the 68 patients enrolled, 54 were randomized to one of the four nipocalimab dosing arms. 51 (94%) were seropositive for anti-AChR, 3 (6%) for anti-MuSK. Nipocalimab was well-tolerated and achieved substantial, dose-dependent and rapid reductions in serum total IgG, including all IgG subtypes and anti-AChR autoantibodies. These reductions were associated with dose-dependent, durable and rapid MG-ADL responses in all nipocalimab-treated groups. A similar trend in IgG4 reduction was noted, though the sample size of MuSK positive patients was small.ConclusionsThe results support the rapid, dose-dependent and predictable effect of nipocalimab in lowering pathogenic autoantibodies and inducing clinical improvement in patients with gMG. In addition, the close correlation between serum IgG, anti-AChR and clinical response suggest the potential of using serial serum IgG levels as a biomarker in management of gMG patients treated with nipocalimab; this will be tested in the ongoing Phase 3 gMG trial.
Published: 2022

20. SARS-CoV-2 serology after COVID-19 in multiple sclerosis: An international cohort study

Author: Maria Pia Sormani, Irene Schiavetti, Doriana Landi, Luca Carmisciano, Nicola De Rossi, Cinzia Cordioli, Lucia Moiola, Marta Radaelli, Paolo Immovilli, Marco Capobianco, Vincenzo Brescia Morra, Maria Trojano, Gioacchino Tedeschi, Giancarlo Comi, Mario Alberto Battaglia, Francesco Patti, Yara Dadalti Fragoso, Sedat Sen, Aksel Siva, Roberto Furlan, Marco Salvetti, Gianmarco Abbadessa, Umberto Aguglia, Lia Allegorico, Rossi Beatrice Maria Allegri, Maria Pia Amato, Pietro Annovazzi, Carlo Antozzi, Lucia Appendino, Sebastiano Arena, Viola Baione, Roberto Balgera, Valeria Barcella, Damiano Baroncini, Caterina Barrilà, Mario A. Battaglia, Alessandra Bellacosa, Gianmarco Bellucci, Roberto Bergamaschi, Valeria Bergamaschi, Daiana Bezzini, Beatrice Biolzi, Alvino Bisecco, Simona Bonavita, Giovanna Borriello, Chiara Bosa, Antonio Bosco, Francesca Bovis, Marco Bozzali, Laura Brambilla, Morra Vincenzo Brescia, Giampaolo Brichetto, Maria Buccafusca, Elisabetta Bucciantini, Sebastiano Bucello, Maria Chiara Buscarinu, Maria Paola Cabboi, Massimiliano Calabrese, Francesca Calabria, Francesca Caleri, Federico Camilli, Luisa Maria Caniatti, Roberto Cantello, Ruggero Capra, Rocco Capuano, Patrizia Carta, Paola Cavalla, Maria Grazia Celani, Maria Cellerino, Raffaella Cerqua, Clara Chisari, Raffaella Clerici, Marinella Clerico, Eleonora Cocco, Gaia Cola, Paolo Confalonieri, Antonella Conte, Marta Zaffira Conti, Christian Cordano, Susanna Cordera, Francesco Corea, Claudio Correale, Salvatore Cottone, Francesco Crescenzo, Erica Curti, Alessandro d’Ambrosio, Emanuele D’Amico, Maura Chiara Danni, Alessia d’Arma, Vincenzo Dattola, Stefano de Biase, Giovanna De Luca, Stefania Federica De Mercanti, Paolo De Mitri, Nicola De Stefano, Marco Della Cava, Mario di Napoli, Alessia Di Sapio, Renato Docimo, Anna Dutto, Luana Evangelista, Salvatore Fanara, Diana Ferraro, Maria Teresa Ferrò, Massimo Filippi, Cristina Fioretti, Mario Fratta, Jessica Frau, Marzia Fronza, Alberto Gajofatto, Antonio Gallo, Paolo Gallo, Claudio Gasperini, Anna Ghazaryan, Bruno Giometto, Francesca Gobbin, Flora Govone, Franco Granella, Erica Grange, Maria Grazia Grasso, Angelica Guareschi, Clara Guaschino, Simone Guerrieri, Donata Guidetti, Pietro Iaffaldano, Antonio Ianniello, Luigi Iasevoli, Daniele Imperiale, Maria Teresa Infante, Matilde Inglese, Rosa Iodice, Aniello Iovino, Giovanna Konrad, Roberta Lanzillo, Caterina Lapucci, Luigi Lavorgna, Rita L’Episcopo Maria, Serena Leva, Giuseppe Liberatore, Marianna Lo Re, Marco Longoni, Leonardo Lopiano, Lorena Lorefice, Matteo Lucchini, Giacomo Lus, Davide Maimone, Maria Malentacchi, Giulia Mallucci, Simona Malucchi, Chiara Rosa Mancinelli, Luca Mancinelli, Paolo Manganotti, Teresa Giorgia Maniscalco, Vittorio Mantero, Sabrina Marangoni, Damiano Marastoni, Alessandra Girolama Marfia, Fabiana Marinelli, Alessandro Marti, Filippo Martinelli Boneschi, Federco Masserano Zoli, Francesca Matta, Laura Mendozzi, Giuseppe Meucci, Silvia Miante, Giuseppina Miele, Eva Milano, Massimiliano Mirabella, Rosanna Missione, Marcello Moccia, Sara Montepietra, Margherita Monti Bragadin, Federico Montini, Roberta Motta, Raffaele Nardone, Carolina Gabri Nicoletti, Eduardo Nobile-Orazio, Agostino Nozzolillo, Marco Onofrj, Riccardo Orlandi, Anna Palmieri, Damiano Paolicelli, Livia Pasquali, Luisa Pastò, Elisabetta Pedrazzoli, Paola Perini, Ilaria Pesci, Maria Petracca, Alfredo Petrone, Carlo Piantadosi, Anna M. Pietroboni, Federica Pinardi, Marta Ponzano, Emilio Portaccio, Mattia Pozzato, Carlo Pozzilli, Luca Prosperini, Alessandra Protti, Paolo Ragonese, Sarah Rasia, Sabrina Realmuto, Anna Repice, Eleonora Rigoni, Maria Teresa Rilla, Francesca Rinaldi, Calogero Marcello Romano, Marco Ronzoni, Marco Rovaris, Francesca Ruscica, Loredana Sabattini, Giuseppe Salemi, Lorenzo Saraceno, Alessia Sartori, Arianna Sartori, Elvira Sbragia, Cinzia Scandellari, Ilaria Scarano Giuditta, Valentina Scarano, Valentina Schillaci, Maria Sessa, Caterina Sgarito, Grazia Sibilia, Gabriele Siciliano, Alessio Signori, Elisabetta Signoriello, Leonardo Sinisi, Francesca Sireci, Patrizia Sola, Claudio Solaro, Stefano Sotgiu, Maddalena Sparaco, Maria Laura Stromillo, Silvia Strumia, Laura Emanuela Susani, Giulietta Tabiadon, Francesco Teatini, Valentina Tomassini, Simone Tonietti, Clerici Valentina Torri, Carla Tortorella, Simona Toscano, Rocco Totaro, Maria Trotta, Gabriella Turano, Monica Ulivelli, Manzo Valentino, Giovanna Vaula, Domizia Vecchio, Marco Vercellino, Elena Pinuccia Verrengia, Marika Vianello, Eleonora Virgilio, Francesca Vitetta, Stefano Vollaro, Mauro Zaffaroni, Mauro Zampolini, Ignazio Roberto Zarbo, Antonio Zito, Luigi Zuliani, Sormani, M. P., Schiavetti, I., Landi, D., Carmisciano, L., De Rossi, N., Cordioli, C., Moiola, L., Radaelli, M., Immovilli, P., Capobianco, M., Brescia Morra, V., Trojano, M., Tedeschi, G., Comi, G., Battaglia, M. A., Patti, F., Fragoso, Y. D., Sen, S., Siva, A., Furlan, R., Salvetti, M., Bisecco, Alvino, Pia Sormani, Maria, Schiavetti, Irene, Landi, Doriana, Carmisciano, Luca, De Rossi, Nicola, Cordioli, Cinzia, Moiola, Lucia, Radaelli, Marta, Immovilli, Paolo, Capobianco, Marco, Brescia Morra, Vincenzo, Trojano, Maria, Tedeschi, Gioacchino, Comi, Giancarlo, Alberto Battaglia, Mario, Patti, Francesco, Dadalti Fragoso, Yara, Sen, Sedat, Siva, Aksel, Furlan, Roberto, Salvetti, Marco, Study Group Gianmarco Abbadessa, MuSC-19, Aguglia, Umberto, Allegorico, Lia, Beatrice Maria Allegri, Rossi, Pia Amato, Maria, Annovazzi, Pietro, Antozzi, Carlo, Appendino, Lucia, Arena, Sebastiano, Baione, Viola, Balgera, Roberto, Barcella, Valeria, Baroncini, Damiano, Barrilà, Caterina, A Battaglia, Mario, Bellacosa, Alessandra, Bellucci, Gianmarco, Bergamaschi, Roberto, Bergamaschi, Valeria, Bezzini, Daiana, Biolzi, Beatrice, Bonavita, Simona, Borriello, Giovanna, Bosa, Chiara, Bosco, Antonio, Bovis, Francesca, Bozzali, Marco, Brambilla, Laura, Vincenzo Brescia, Morra, Brichetto, Giampaolo, Buccafusca, Maria, Bucciantini, Elisabetta, Bucello, Sebastiano, Chiara Buscarinu, Maria, Paola Cabboi, Maria, Calabrese, Massimiliano, Calabria, Francesca, Caleri, Francesca, Camilli, Federico, Maria Caniatti, Luisa, Cantello, Roberto, Capra, Ruggero, Capuano, Rocco, Carta, Patrizia, Cavalla, Paola, Grazia Celani, Maria, Cellerino, Maria, Cerqua, Raffaella, Chisari, Clara, Clerici, Raffaella, Clerico, Marinella, Cocco, Eleonora, Cola, Gaia, Confalonieri, Paolo, Conte, Antonella, Zaffira Conti, Marta, Cordano, Christian, Cordera, Susanna, Corea, Francesco, Correale, Claudio, Cottone, Salvatore, Crescenzo, Francesco, Curti, Erica, D'Ambrosio, Alessandro, D'Amico, Emanuele, Chiara Danni, Maura, D'Arma, Alessia, Dattola, Vincenzo, de Biase, Stefano, De Luca, Giovanna, Federica De Mercanti, Stefania, De Mitri, Paolo, De Stefano, Nicola, Della Cava, Marco, di Napoli, Mario, Di Sapio, Alessia, Docimo, Renato, Dutto, Anna, Evangelista, Luana, Fanara, Salvatore, Ferraro, Diana, Teresa Ferrò, Maria, Filippi, Massimo, Fioretti, Cristina, Fratta, Mario, Frau, Jessica, Fronza, Marzia, Gajofatto, Alberto, Gallo, Antonio, Gallo, Paolo, Gasperini, Claudio, Ghazaryan, Anna, Giometto, Bruno, Gobbin, Francesca, Govone, Flora, Granella, Franco, Grange, Erica, Grazia Grasso, Maria, Guareschi, Angelica, Guaschino, Clara, Guerrieri, Simone, Guidetti, Donata, Iaffaldano, Pietro, Ianniello, Antonio, Iasevoli, Luigi, Imperiale, Daniele, Teresa Infante, Maria, Inglese, Matilde, Iodice, Rosa, Iovino, Aniello, Konrad, Giovanna, Lanzillo, Roberta, Lapucci, Caterina, Lavorgna, Luigi, L'Episcopo Maria, Rita, Leva, Serena, Liberatore, Giuseppe, Lo Re, Marianna, Longoni, Marco, Lopiano, Leonardo, Lorefice, Lorena, Lucchini, Matteo, Lus, Giacomo, Maimone, Davide, Malentacchi, Maria, Mallucci, Giulia, Malucchi, Simona, Rosa Mancinelli, Chiara, Mancinelli, Luca, Manganotti, Paolo, Giorgia Maniscalco, Teresa, Mantero, Vittorio, Marangoni, Sabrina, Marastoni, Damiano, Girolama Marfia, Alessandra, Marinelli, Fabiana, Marti, Alessandro, Martinelli Boneschi, Filippo, Masserano Zoli, Federco, Matta, Francesca, Mendozzi, Laura, Meucci, Giuseppe, Miante, Silvia, Miele, Giuseppina, Milano, Eva, Mirabella, Massimiliano, Missione, Rosanna, Moccia, Marcello, Montepietra, Sara, Monti Bragadin, Margherita, Montini, Federico, Motta, Roberta, Nardone, Raffaele, Gabri Nicoletti, Carolina, Nobile-Orazio, Eduardo, Nozzolillo, Agostino, Onofrj, Marco, Orlandi, Riccardo, Palmieri, Anna, Paolicelli, Damiano, Pasquali, Livia, Pastò, Luisa, Pedrazzoli, Elisabetta, Perini, Paola, Pesci, Ilaria, Petracca, Maria, Petrone, Alfredo, Piantadosi, Carlo, M Pietroboni, Anna, Pinardi, Federica, Ponzano, Marta, Portaccio, Emilio, Pozzato, Mattia, Pozzilli, Carlo, Prosperini, Luca, Protti, Alessandra, Ragonese, Paolo, Rasia, Sarah, Realmuto, Sabrina, Repice, Anna, Rigoni, Eleonora, Teresa Rilla, Maria, Rinaldi, Francesca, Marcello Romano, Calogero, Ronzoni, Marco, Rovaris, Marco, Ruscica, Francesca, Sabattini, Loredana, Salemi, Giuseppe, Saraceno, Lorenzo, Sartori, Alessia, Sartori, Arianna, Sbragia, Elvira, Scandellari, Cinzia, Scarano Giuditta, Ilaria, Scarano, Valentina, Schillaci, Valentina, Sessa, Maria, Sgarito, Caterina, Sibilia, Grazia, Siciliano, Gabriele, Signori, Alessio, Signoriello, Elisabetta, Sinisi, Leonardo, Sireci, Francesca, Sola, Patrizia, Solaro, Claudio, Sotgiu, Stefano, Sparaco, Maddalena, Laura Stromillo, Maria, Strumia, Silvia, Emanuela Susani, Laura, Tabiadon, Giulietta, Teatini, Francesco, Tomassini, Valentina, Tonietti, Simone, Valentina Torri, Clerici, Tortorella, Carla, Toscano, Simona, Totaro, Rocco, Trotta, Maria, Turano, Gabriella, Ulivelli, Monica, Valentino, Manzo, Vaula, Giovanna, Vecchio, Domizia, Vercellino, Marco, Pinuccia Verrengia, Elena, Vianello, Marika, Virgilio, Eleonora, Vitetta, Francesca, Vollaro, Stefano, Zaffaroni, Mauro, Zampolini, Mauro, Roberto Zarbo, Ignazio, Zito, Antonio, Zuliani, Luigi, Abbadessa, Gianmarco, Trotta, Maria Consiglia, and Zito, Guido Antonio
Subjects: 0301 basic medicine, 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), immunosuppressive therapie, coronavirus, Settore MED/26, medicine.disease_cause, Antibodies, Viral, immunosuppressive therapies, Antibodies, Serology, Cohort Studies, Multiple sclerosis, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Seroepidemiologic Studies, Pandemic, Medicine, Humans, Multiple sclerosi, Viral, Coronavirus, business.industry, immunomodulatory therapie, immunomodulatory therapies, COVID-19, medicine.disease, Virology, coronaviru, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Sars-COV-2, 030104 developmental biology, Neurology, Neurology (clinical), business, SARS-CoV-2, Multiple Sclerosis, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Cohort study
Abstract: Background: The MuSC-19 project is an Italian cohort study open to international partners that collects data on multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with COVID-19. During the second wave of the pandemic, serological tests became routinely available. Objective: To evaluate the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies according to the use of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in a subset of patients included in the MuSC-19 data set who had undergone a serological test. Methods: We evaluated the association between positive serological test results and time elapsed since infection onset, age, sex, Expanded Disability Status Scale score, comorbidities and DMT exposure using a multivariable logistic model. Results: Data were collected from 423 patients (345 from Italy, 61 from Turkey and 17 from Brazil) with a serological test performed during follow-up. Overall, 325 out of 423 tested patients (76.8%) had a positive serological test. At multivariate analysis, therapy with anti-CD20 was significantly associated with a reduced probability of developing antibodies after COVID-19 (odds ratio (OR) = 0.20, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Patients with MS maintain the capacity to develop humoral immune response against SARS-COV-2, although to a lesser extent when treated with anti-CD20 drugs. Overall, our results are reassuring with respect to the possibility to achieve sufficient immunization with vaccination.
Published: 2021

21. COVID-19 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis: Putting Data Into Context

Author: Maria Pia Sormani, Irene Schiavetti, Luca Carmisciano, Cinzia Cordioli, Massimo Filippi, Marta Radaelli, Paolo Immovilli, Marco Capobianco, Nicola De Rossi, Giampaolo Brichetto, Eleonora Cocco, Cinzia Scandellari, Paola Cavalla, Ilaria Pesci, Antonio Zito, Paolo Confalonieri, Girolama Alessandra Marfia, Paola Perini, Matilde Inglese, Maria Trojano, Vincenzo Brescia Morra, Gioacchino Tedeschi, Giancarlo Comi, Mario Alberto Battaglia, Francesco Patti, Marco Salvetti, Gianmarco Abbadessa, Umberto Aguglia, Lia Allegorico, Beatrice Maria Allegri Rossi, Maria Pia Amato, Pietro Annovazzi, Carlo Antozzi, Lucia Appendino, Sebastiano Arena, Viola Baione, Roberto Balgera, Valeria Barcella, Damiano Baroncini, Caterina Barrilà, Alessandra Bellacosa, Gianmarco Bellucci, Roberto Bergamaschi, Valeria Bergamaschi, Daiana Bezzini, Beatrice Biolzi, Alvino Bisecco, Simona Bonavita, Giovanna Borriello, Chiara Bosa, Antonio Bosco, Francesca Bovis, Marco Bozzali, Laura Brambilla, Maria Buccafusca, Elisabetta Bucciantini, Sebastiano Bucello, Maria Chiara Buscarinu, Maria Paola Cabboi, Massimiliano Calabrese, Francesca Calabria, Francesca Caleri, Federico Camilli, Luisa Maria Caniatti, Roberto Cantello, Ruggero Capra, Rocco Capuano, Patrizia Carta, Maria Grazia Celani, Maria Cellerino, Raffaella Cerqua, Clara Chisari, Raffaella Clerici, Marinella Clerico, Gaia Cola, Antonella Conte, Marta Zaffira Conti, Christian Cordano, Susanna Cordera, Francesco Corea, Claudio Correale, Salvatore Cottone, Francesco Crescenzo, Erica Curti, Alessandro d'Ambrosio, Emanuele D'Amico, Maura Chiara Danni, Alessia d'Arma, Vincenzo Dattola, Stefano de Biase, Giovanna De Luca, Stefania Federica De Mercanti, Paolo De Mitri, Nicola De Stefano, Marco Della Cava, Mario di Napoli, Alessia Di Sapio, Renato Docimo, Anna Dutto, Luana Evangelista, Salvatore Fanara, Ferraro Diana, Maria Teresa Ferrò, Cristina Fioretti, Mario Fratta, Jessica Frau, Marzia Fronza, Roberto Furlan, Alberto Gajofatto, Antonio Gallo, Paolo Gallo, Claudio Gasperini, Anna Ghazaryan, Bruno Giometto, Francesca Gobbin, Flora Govone, Franco Granella, Erica Grange, Maria Grazia Grasso, Angelica Guareschi, Clara Guaschino, Simone Guerrieri, Donata Guidetti, Pietro Iaffaldano, Antonio Ianniello, Luigi Iasevoli, Daniele Imperiale, Maria Teresa Infante, Rosa Iodice, Aniello Iovino, Giovanna Konrad, Doriana Landi, Roberta Lanzillo, Caterina Lapucci, Luigi Lavorgna, Maria Rita L'Episcopo, Serena Leva, Giuseppe Liberatore, Marianna Lo Re, Marco Longoni, Leonardo Lopiano, Lorena Lorefice, Matteo Lucchini, Giacomo Lus, Davide Maimone, Maria Malentacchi, Giulia Mallucci, Simona Malucchi, Chiara Rosa Mancinelli, Luca Mancinelli, Paolo Manganotti, Giorgia Teresa Maniscalco, Vittorio Mantero, Sabrina Marangoni, Damiano Marastoni, Fabiana Marinelli, Alessandro Marti, Filippo Martinelli Boneschi, Federco Masserano Zoli, Francesca Matta, Laura Mendozzi, Giuseppe Meucci, Silvia Miante, Giuseppina Miele, Eva Milano, Massimiliano Mirabella, Rosanna Missione, Marcello Moccia, Lucia Moiola, Sara Montepietra, Margherita MontiBragadin, Federico Montini, Roberta Motta, Raffaele Nardone, Carolina Gabri Nicoletti, Eduardo Nobile-Orazio, Agostino Nozzolillo, Marco Onofrj, Riccardo Orlandi, Anna Palmieri, Damiano Paolicelli, Livia Pasquali, Luisa Pastò, Elisabetta Pedrazzoli, Maria Petracca, Alfredo Petrone, Carlo Piantadosi, Anna M Pietroboni, Federica Pinardi, Marta Ponzano, Emilio Portaccio, Mattia Pozzato, Carlo Pozzilli, Luca Prosperini, Alessandra Protti, Paolo Ragonese, Sarah Rasia, Sabrina Realmuto, Anna Repice, Eleonora Rigoni, Maria Teresa Rilla, Francesca Rinaldi, Calogero Marcello Romano, Marco Ronzoni, Marco Rovaris, Francesca Ruscica, Loredana Sabattini, Giuseppe Salemi, Lorenzo Saraceno, Alessia Sartori, Arianna Sartori, Elvira Sbragia, Giuditta Ilaria Scarano, Valentina Scarano, Valentina Schillaci, Maria Sessa, Caterina Sgarito, Grazia Sibilia, Gabriele Siciliano, Alessio Signori, Elisabetta Signoriello, Leonardo Sinisi, Francesca Sireci, Patrizia Sola, Claudio Solaro, Stefano Sotgiu, Maddalena Sparaco, Maria Laura Stromillo, Silvia Strumia, Emanuela Laura Susani, Giulietta Tabiadon, Francesco Teatini, Valentina Tomassini, Simone Tonietti, Clerici Valentina Torri, Carla Tortorella, Simona Toscano, Rocco Totaro, Maria Trotta, Gabriella Turano, Monica Ulivelli, Manzo Valentino, Giovanna Vaula, Domizia Vecchio, Marco Vercellino, Elena Pinuccia Verrengia, Marika Vianello, Eleonora Virgilio, Francesca Vitetta, Stefano Vollaro, Mauro Zaffaroni, Mauro Zampolini, Ignazio Roberto Zarbo, Luigi Zuliani, Pia Sormani, Maria, Schiavetti, Irene, Carmisciano, Luca, Cordioli, Cinzia, Filippi, Massimo, Radaelli, Marta, Immovilli, Paolo, Capobianco, Marco, De Rossi, Nicola, Brichetto, Giampaolo, Cocco, Eleonora, Scandellari, Cinzia, Cavalla, Paola, Pesci, Ilaria, Zito, Guido Antonio, Confalonieri, Paolo, Alessandra Marfia, Girolama, Perini, Paola, Inglese, Matilde, Trojano, Maria, Brescia Morra, Vincenzo, Tedeschi, Gioacchino, Comi, Giancarlo, Alberto Battaglia, Mario, Patti, Francesco, Salvetti, Marco, Abbadessa, Gianmarco, Aguglia, Umberto, Allegorico, Lia, Maria Allegri Rossi, Beatrice, Pia Amato, Maria, Annovazzi, Pietro, Antozzi, Carlo, Appendino, Lucia, Arena, Sebastiano, Baione, Viola, Balgera, Roberto, Barcella, Valeria, Baroncini, Damiano, Barrilà, Caterina, Bellacosa, Alessandra, Bellucci, Gianmarco, Bergamaschi, Roberto, Bergamaschi, Valeria, Bezzini, Daiana, Biolzi, Beatrice, Bisecco, Alvino, Bonavita, Simona, Borriello, Giovanna, Bosa, Chiara, Bosco, Antonio, Bovis, Francesca, Bozzali, Marco, Brambilla, Laura, Buccafusca, Maria, Bucciantini, Elisabetta, Bucello, Sebastiano, Chiara Buscarinu, Maria, Paola Cabboi, Maria, Calabrese, Massimiliano, Calabria, Francesca, Caleri, Francesca, Camilli, Federico, Maria Caniatti, Luisa, Cantello, Roberto, Capra, Ruggero, Capuano, Rocco, Carta, Patrizia, Grazia Celani, Maria, Cellerino, Maria, Cerqua, Raffaella, Chisari, Clara, Clerici, Raffaella, Clerico, Marinella, Cola, Gaia, Conte, Antonella, Zaffira Conti, Marta, Cordano, Christian, Cordera, Susanna, Corea, Francesco, Correale, Claudio, Cottone, Salvatore, Crescenzo, Francesco, Curti, Erica, D'Ambrosio, Alessandro, D'Amico, Emanuele, Chiara Danni, Maura, D'Arma, Alessia, Dattola, Vincenzo, de Biase, Stefano, De Luca, Giovanna, Federica De Mercanti, Stefania, De Mitri, Paolo, De Stefano, Nicola, Della Cava, Marco, di Napoli, Mario, Di Sapio, Alessia, Docimo, Renato, Dutto, Anna, Evangelista, Luana, Fanara, Salvatore, Diana, Ferraro, Teresa Ferrò, Maria, Fioretti, Cristina, Fratta, Mario, Frau, Jessica, Fronza, Marzia, Furlan, Roberto, Gajofatto, Alberto, Gallo, Antonio, Gallo, Paolo, Gasperini, Claudio, Ghazaryan, Anna, Giometto, Bruno, Gobbin, Francesca, Govone, Flora, Granella, Franco, Grange, Erica, Grazia Grasso, Maria, Guareschi, Angelica, Guaschino, Clara, Guerrieri, Simone, Guidetti, Donata, Iaffaldano, Pietro, Ianniello, Antonio, Iasevoli, Luigi, Imperiale, Daniele, Teresa Infante, Maria, Iodice, Rosa, Iovino, Aniello, Konrad, Giovanna, Landi, Doriana, Lanzillo, Roberta, Lapucci, Caterina, Lavorgna, Luigi, Rita L'Episcopo, Maria, Leva, Serena, Liberatore, Giuseppe, Lo Re, Marianna, Longoni, Marco, Lopiano, Leonardo, Lorefice, Lorena, Lucchini, Matteo, Lus, Giacomo, Maimone, Davide, Malentacchi, Maria, Mallucci, Giulia, Malucchi, Simona, Rosa Mancinelli, Chiara, Mancinelli, Luca, Manganotti, Paolo, Teresa Maniscalco, Giorgia, Mantero, Vittorio, Marangoni, Sabrina, Marastoni, Damiano, Marinelli, Fabiana, Marti, Alessandro, Martinelli Boneschi, Filippo, Masserano Zoli, Federco, Matta, Francesca, Mendozzi, Laura, Meucci, Giuseppe, Miante, Silvia, Miele, Giuseppina, Milano, Eva, Mirabella, Massimiliano, Missione, Rosanna, Moccia, Marcello, Moiola, Lucia, Montepietra, Sara, Montibragadin, Margherita, Montini, Federico, Motta, Roberta, Nardone, Raffaele, Gabri Nicoletti, Carolina, Nobile-Orazio, Eduardo, Nozzolillo, Agostino, Onofrj, Marco, Orlandi, Riccardo, Palmieri, Anna, Paolicelli, Damiano, Pasquali, Livia, Pastò, Luisa, Pedrazzoli, Elisabetta, Petracca, Maria, Petrone, Alfredo, Piantadosi, Carlo, M Pietroboni, Anna, Pinardi, Federica, Ponzano, Marta, Portaccio, Emilio, Pozzato, Mattia, Pozzilli, Carlo, Prosperini, Luca, Protti, Alessandra, Ragonese, Paolo, Rasia, Sarah, Realmuto, Sabrina, Repice, Anna, Rigoni, Eleonora, Teresa Rilla, Maria, Rinaldi, Francesca, Marcello Romano, Calogero, Ronzoni, Marco, Rovaris, Marco, Ruscica, Francesca, Sabattini, Loredana, Salemi, Giuseppe, Saraceno, Lorenzo, Sartori, Alessia, Sartori, Arianna, Sbragia, Elvira, Ilaria Scarano, Giuditta, Scarano, Valentina, Schillaci, Valentina, Sessa, Maria, Sgarito, Caterina, Sibilia, Grazia, Siciliano, Gabriele, Signori, Alessio, Signoriello, Elisabetta, Sinisi, Leonardo, Sireci, Francesca, Sola, Patrizia, Solaro, Claudio, Sotgiu, Stefano, Sparaco, Maddalena, Laura Stromillo, Maria, Strumia, Silvia, Laura Susani, Emanuela, Tabiadon, Giulietta, Teatini, Francesco, Tomassini, Valentina, Tonietti, Simone, Valentina Torri, Clerici, Tortorella, Carla, Toscano, Simona, Totaro, Rocco, Trotta, Maria Consiglia, Turano, Gabriella, Ulivelli, Monica, Valentino, Manzo, Vaula, Giovanna, Vecchio, Domizia, Vercellino, Marco, Pinuccia Verrengia, Elena, Vianello, Marika, Virgilio, Eleonora, Vitetta, Francesca, Vollaro, Stefano, Zaffaroni, Mauro, Zampolini, Mauro, Roberto Zarbo, Ignazio, Zuliani, Luigi, Sormani, M. P., Schiavetti, I., Carmisciano, L., Cordioli, C., Filippi, M., Radaelli, M., Immovilli, P., Capobianco, M., De Rossi, N., Brichetto, G., Cocco, E., Scandellari, C., Cavalla, P., Pesci, I., Zito, A., Confalonieri, P., Marfia, G. A., Perini, P., Inglese, M., Trojano, M., Brescia Morra, V., Tedeschi, G., Comi, G., Battaglia, M. A., Patti, F., Salvetti, M., Zito, Antonio, BRESCIA MORRA, Vincenzo, Trotta, Maria, Sormani, Maria Pia, Marfia, Girolama Alessandra, and Battaglia, Mario Alberto
Subjects: Adult, Male, medicine.medical_specialty, Multiple Sclerosis, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Population, Intensive Care Unit, COVID-19, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Intensive Care Units, Italy, Middle Aged, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Severity of Illness Index, Context (language use), Settore MED/26, Lower risk, Retrospective Studie, Internal medicine, Multiple Sclerosi, Medicine, In patient, National level, education, education.field_of_study, Expanded Disability Status Scale, business.industry, Risk Factor, Ethics committee, medicine.disease, Icu admission, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Neurology, Relative risk, Family medicine, Cohort, Honorarium, Observational study, Neurology (clinical), Cohort Studie, business, Human
Abstract: Background: It is unclear how multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the severity of Covid-19. Methods: Hospitalization, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission and death after Covid-19 diagnosis of 1362 MS patients were compared to the age and sex-matched Italian population in a retrospective observational case-cohort study with population-based control. The observed vs the expected events were compared in the whole MS cohort and in different subgroups (higher-risk: EDSS>3 or at least one comorbidity, lower-risk: EDSS
Published: 2021

22. Disease-Modifying Therapies and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis

Author: Sormani, Maria P., Nicola De Rossi, Irene, Schiavetti, Luca, Carmisciano, Cinzia, Cordioli, Lucia, Moiola, Marta, Radaelli, Paolo, Immovilli, Marco, Capobianco, Maria, Trojano, Paola, Zaratin, Gioacchino, Tedeschi, Giancarlo, Comi, Battaglia, Mario A., Francesco, Patti, Marco, Salvetti, Agostino, Nozzolillo, Alessandra, Bellacosa, Alessandra, Protti, Alessia Di Sapio, Alessio, Signori, Alfredo, Petrone, Alvino, Bisecco, Aniello, Iovino, Anna, Dutto, Anna Maria Repice, Antonella, Conte, Antonio, Bertolotto, Antonio, Bosco, Antonio, Gallo, Antonio, Zito, Arianna, Sartori, Bruno, Giometto, Carla, Tortorella, Carlo, Antozzi, Carlo, Pozzilli, Chiara Rosa Mancinelli, Chiara, Zanetta, Christian, Cordano, Cinzia, Scandellari, Clara, Guaschino, Claudio, Gasperini, Claudio, Solaro, Cristina, Fioretti, Daiana, Bezzini, Damiano, Marastoni, Damiano, Paolicelli, Domizia, Vecchio, Doriana, Landi, Elisabetta, Bucciantini, Elisabetta, Pedrazzoli, Elisabetta, Signoriello, Elvira, Sbragia, Emanuela Laura Susani, Erica, Curti, Eva, Milano, Fabiana, Marinelli, Federico, Camilli, Filippo Martinelli Boneschi, Flora, Govone, Francesca, Bovis, Francesca, Calabria, Francesca, Caleri, Francesca, Rinaldi, Francesca, Vitetta, Francesco, Corea, Francesco, Crescenzo, Francesco, Teatini, Giulietta, Tabiadon, Franco, Granella, Giacomo, Boffa, Giacomo, Lus, Giampaolo, Brichetto, Giorgia Teresa Maniscalco, Giovanna, Borriello, Giovanna De Luca, Giovanna, Konrad, Giovanna, Vaula, Girolama Alessandra Marfia, Giulia, Mallucci, Giuseppe, Liberatore, Giuseppe, Salemi, Giuseppina, Miele, Grazia, Sibilia, Ilaria, Pesci, Laura, Brambilla, Leonardo, Lopiano, Leonardo, Sinisi, Pasquali, Livia, Lorenzo, Saraceno, Luca, Chiveri, Luca, Mancinelli, Grimaldi, Luigi M. E., Luisa Maria Caniatti, Marco Della Cava, Marco, Onofrj, Marco, Rovaris, Marco, Vercellino, Margherita Monti Bragadin, Maria, Buccafusca, Maria Chiara Buscarinu, Maria Grazia Celani, Maria Grazia Grasso, Maria Laura Stromillo, Maria, Petracca, Maria Pia Amato, Maria Pia Sormani, Maria Rita L'Episcopo, Maria, Sessa, Maria Teresa Ferrò, Maria Vittoria Ercolani, Mariangela, Bianco, Marianna Lo Re, Marika, Vianello, Marinella, Clerico, Mario Alberto Battaglia, Mario di Napoli, Marta, Ponzano, Marta Zaffira Conti, Massimiliano, Calabrese, Massimiliano, Mirabella, Massimo, Filippi, Matilde, Inglese, Matteo, Lucchini, Matteo, Pozzato, Maura Chiara Danni, Mauro, Zaffaroni, Mauro, Zampolini, Michela, Ponzio, Milena De Riz, Nicola De Stefano, Paola, Cavalla, Paola De Mitri, Paola, Grossi, Paolo, Confalonieri, Paolo, Gallo, Paolo, Ragonese, Patrizia, Sola, Pietro, Annovazzi, Pietro, Iaffaldano, Raffaele, Nardone, Raffaella, Cerqua, Raffaella, Clerici, Roberta, Lanzillo, Roberta, Motta, Roberto, Balgera, Roberto, Bergamaschi, Rocco, Totaro, Rosa, Iodice, Ruggero, Capra, Sabrina, Marangoni, Sabrina, Realmuto, Salvatore, Cottone, Sara, Montepietra, Sarah, Rasia, Sebastiano, Arena, Sebastiano, Bucello, Silvia, Banfi, Simona, Bonavita, Simona, Malucchi, Simone, Tonietti, Stefano, Vollaro, Susanna, Cordera, Umberto, Aguglia, Valentina Torri Clerici, Valeria, Barcella, Valeria, Bergamaschi, Vincenzo Brescia Morra, Vincenzo, Dattola, and Vittorio Mantero, Sormani, M. P., De Rossi, N., Schiavetti, I., Carmisciano, L., Cordioli, C., Moiola, L., Radaelli, M., Immovilli, P., Capobianco, M., Trojano, M., Zaratin, P., Tedeschi, G., Comi, G., Battaglia, M. A., Patti, F., Salvetti, M., P Sormani, Maria, De Rossi, Nicola, Schiavetti, Irene, Carmisciano, Luca, Cordioli, Cinzia, Moiola, Lucia, Radaelli, Marta, Immovilli, Paolo, Capobianco, Marco, Trojano, Maria, Zaratin, Paola, Tedeschi, Gioacchino, Comi, Giancarlo, A Battaglia, Mario, Patti, Francesco, Salvetti, Marco, Nozzolillo, Agostino, Bellacosa, Alessandra, Protti, Alessandra, Di Sapio, Alessia, Signori, Alessio, Petrone, Alfredo, Bisecco, Alvino, Iovino, Aniello, Dutto, Anna, Maria Repice, Anna, Conte, Antonella, Bertolotto, Antonio, Bosco, Antonio, Gallo, Antonio, Zito, Antonio, Sartori, Arianna, Giometto, Bruno, Tortorella, Carla, Antozzi, Carlo, Pozzilli, Carlo, Rosa Mancinelli, Chiara, Zanetta, Chiara, Cordano, Christian, Scandellari, Cinzia, Guaschino, Clara, Gasperini, Claudio, Solaro, Claudio, Fioretti, Cristina, Bezzini, Daiana, Marastoni, Damiano, Paolicelli, Damiano, Vecchio, Domizia, Landi, Doriana, Bucciantini, Elisabetta, Pedrazzoli, Elisabetta, Signoriello, Elisabetta, Sbragia, Elvira, Laura Susani, Emanuela, Curti, Erica, Milano, Eva, Marinelli, Fabiana, Camilli, Federico, Martinelli Boneschi, Filippo, Govone, Flora, Bovis, Francesca, Calabria, Francesca, Caleri, Francesca, Rinaldi, Francesca, Vitetta, Francesca, Corea, Francesco, Crescenzo, Francesco, Teatini, Francesco, Tabiadon, Giulietta, Granella, Franco, Boffa, Giacomo, Lus, Giacomo, Brichetto, Giampaolo, Teresa Maniscalco, Giorgia, Borriello, Giovanna, De Luca, Giovanna, Konrad, Giovanna, Vaula, Giovanna, Alessandra Marfia, Girolama, Mallucci, Giulia, Liberatore, Giuseppe, Salemi, Giuseppe, Miele, Giuseppina, Sibilia, Grazia, Pesci, Ilaria, Brambilla, Laura, Lopiano, Leonardo, Sinisi, Leonardo, Pasquali, Livia, Saraceno, Lorenzo, Chiveri, Luca, Mancinelli, Luca, E Grimaldi, Luigi M, Maria Caniatti, Luisa, Della Cava, Marco, Onofrj, Marco, Rovaris, Marco, Vercellino, Marco, Monti Bragadin, Margherita, Buccafusca, Maria, Chiara Buscarinu, Maria, Grazia Celani, Maria, Grazia Grasso, Maria, Laura Stromillo, Maria, Petracca, Maria, Pia Amato, Maria, Pia Sormani, Maria, Rita L'Episcopo, Maria, Sessa, Maria, Teresa Ferrò, Maria, Vittoria Ercolani, Maria, Bianco, Mariangela, Lo Re, Marianna, Vianello, Marika, Clerico, Marinella, Alberto Battaglia, Mario, di Napoli, Mario, Ponzano, Marta, Zaffira Conti, Marta, Calabrese, Massimiliano, Mirabella, Massimiliano, Filippi, Massimo, Inglese, Matilde, Lucchini, Matteo, Pozzato, Matteo, Chiara Danni, Maura, Zaffaroni, Mauro, Zampolini, Mauro, Ponzio, Michela, De Riz, Milena, De Stefano, Nicola, Cavalla, Paola, De Mitri, Paola, Grossi, Paola, Confalonieri, Paolo, Gallo, Paolo, Ragonese, Paolo, Sola, Patrizia, Annovazzi, Pietro, Iaffaldano, Pietro, Nardone, Raffaele, Cerqua, Raffaella, Clerici, Raffaella, Lanzillo, Roberta, Motta, Roberta, Balgera, Roberto, Bergamaschi, Roberto, Totaro, Rocco, Iodice, Rosa, Capra, Ruggero, Marangoni, Sabrina, Realmuto, Sabrina, Cottone, Salvatore, Montepietra, Sara, Rasia, Sarah, Arena, Sebastiano, Bucello, Sebastiano, Banfi, Silvia, Bonavita, Simona, Malucchi, Simona, Tonietti, Simone, Vollaro, Stefano, Cordera, Susanna, Aguglia, Umberto, Torri Clerici, Valentina, Barcella, Valeria, Bergamaschi, Valeria, Brescia Morra, Vincenzo, Dattola, Vincenzo, Mantero, Vittorio, Mp, Sormani, N, De Rossi, I, Schiavetti, L, Carmisciano, C, Cordioli, L, Moiola, M, Radaelli, P, Immovilli, M, Capobianco, M, Trojano, P, Zaratin, G, Tedeschi, G, Comi, Ma, Battaglia, F, Patti, M, Salvetti, Study Group Agostino Nozzolillo, Musc-19, Grimaldi, Luigi M. E., Vittorio Mantero, And, Nozzolillo, A., Bellacosa, A., Protti, A., Di Sapio, A., Signori, A., Petrone, A., Bisecco, A., Iovino, A., Dutto, A., Repice, A. M., Conte, A., Bertolotto, A., Bosco, A., Gallo, A., Zito, A., Sartori, A., Giometto, B., Tortorella, C., Antozzi, C., Pozzilli, C., Mancinelli, C. R., Zanetta, C., Cordano, C., Scandellari, C., Guaschino, C., Gasperini, C., Solaro, C., Fioretti, C., Bezzini, D., Marastoni, D., Paolicelli, D., Vecchio, D., Landi, D., Bucciantini, E., Pedrazzoli, E., Signoriello, E., Sbragia, E., Susani, E. L., Curti, E., Milano, E., Marinelli, F., Camilli, F., Boneschi, F. M., Govone, F., Bovis, F., Calabria, F., Caleri, F., Rinaldi, F., Vitetta, F., Corea, F., Crescenzo, F., Teatini, F., Tabiadon, G., Granella, F., Boffa, G., Lus, G., Brichetto, G., Maniscalco, G. T., Borriello, G., De Luca, G., Konrad, G., Vaula, G., Marfia, G. A., Mallucci, G., Liberatore, G., Salemi, G., Miele, G., Sibilia, G., Pesci, I., Brambilla, L., Lopiano, L., Sinisi, L., Pasquali, L., Saraceno, L., Chiveri, L., Mancinelli, L., Grimaldi, L. M. E., Caniatti, L. M., Cava, M. D., Onofrj, M., Rovaris, M., Vercellino, M., Bragadin, M. M., Buccafusca, M., Buscarinu, M. C., Celani, M. G., Grasso, M. G., Stromillo, M. L., Petracca, M., Amato, M. P., L'Episcopo, M. R., Sessa, M., Ferro, M. T., Ercolani, M. V., Bianco, M., Re, M. L., Vianello, M., Clerico, M., di Napoli, M., Ponzano, M., Conti, M. Z., Calabrese, M., Mirabella, M., Filippi, M., Inglese, M., Lucchini, M., Pozzato, M., Danni, M. C., Zaffaroni, M., Zampolini, M., Ponzio, M., De Riz, M., De Stefano, N., Cavalla, P., De Mitri, P., Grossi, P., Confalonieri, P., Gallo, P., Ragonese, P., Sola, P., Annovazzi, P., Iaffaldano, P., Nardone, R., Cerqua, R., Clerici, R., Lanzillo, R., Motta, R., Balgera, R., Bergamaschi, R., Totaro, R., Iodice, R., Capra, R., Marangoni, S., Realmuto, S., Cottone, S., Montepietra, S., Rasia, S., Arena, S., Bucello, S., Banfi, S., Bonavita, S., Malucchi, S., Tonietti, S., Vollaro, S., Cordera, S., Aguglia, U., Clerici, V. T., Barcella, V., Bergamaschi, V., Morra, V. B., Dattola, V., Mantero, V., Sormani M.P., De Rossi N., Schiavetti I., Carmisciano L., Cordioli C., Moiola L., Radaelli M., Immovilli P., Capobianco M., Trojano M., Zaratin P., Tedeschi G., Comi G., Battaglia M.A., Patti F., Salvetti M., Nozzolillo A., Bellacosa A., Protti A., Di Sapio A., Signori A., Petrone A., Bisecco A., Iovino A., Dutto A., Repice A.M., Conte A., Bertolotto A., Bosco A., Gallo A., Zito A., Sartori A., Giometto B., Tortorella C., Antozzi C., Pozzilli C., Mancinelli C.R., Zanetta C., Cordano C., Scandellari C., Guaschino C., Gasperini C., Solaro C., Fioretti C., Bezzini D., Marastoni D., Paolicelli D., Vecchio D., Landi D., Bucciantini E., Pedrazzoli E., Signoriello E., Sbragia E., Susani E.L., Curti E., Milano E., Marinelli F., Camilli F., Boneschi F.M., Govone F., Bovis F., Calabria F., Caleri F., Rinaldi F., Vitetta F., Corea F., Crescenzo F., Teatini F., Tabiadon G., Granella F., Boffa G., Lus G., Brichetto G., Maniscalco G.T., Borriello G., De Luca G., Konrad G., Vaula G., Marfia G.A., Mallucci G., Liberatore G., Salemi G., Miele G., Sibilia G., Pesci I., Brambilla L., Lopiano L., Sinisi L., Pasquali L., Saraceno L., Chiveri L., Mancinelli L., Grimaldi L.M.E., Caniatti L.M., Cava M.D., Onofrj M., Rovaris M., Vercellino M., Bragadin M.M., Buccafusca M., Buscarinu M.C., Celani M.G., Grasso M.G., Stromillo M.L., Petracca M., Amato M.P., L'Episcopo M.R., Sessa M., Ferro M.T., Ercolani M.V., Bianco M., Re M.L., Vianello M., Clerico M., di Napoli M., Ponzano M., Conti M.Z., Calabrese M., Mirabella M., Filippi M., Inglese M., Lucchini M., Pozzato M., Danni M.C., Zaffaroni M., Zampolini M., Ponzio M., De Riz M., De Stefano N., Cavalla P., De Mitri P., Grossi P., Confalonieri P., Gallo P., Ragonese P., Sola P., Annovazzi P., Iaffaldano P., Nardone R., Cerqua R., Clerici R., Lanzillo R., Motta R., Balgera R., Bergamaschi R., Totaro R., Iodice R., Capra R., Marangoni S., Realmuto S., Cottone S., Montepietra S., Rasia S., Arena S., Bucello S., Banfi S., Bonavita S., Malucchi S., Tonietti S., Vollaro S., Cordera S., Aguglia U., Clerici V.T., Barcella V., Bergamaschi V., Morra V.B., Dattola V., and Mantero V.
Subjects: Male, 0301 basic medicine, Dimethyl Fumarate, Neurodegenerative, multiple sclerosis, coronavirus, pneumonia, Severity of Illness Index, law.invention, Immunosuppressive Agent, Immunologic Factor, 0302 clinical medicine, Natalizumab, law, Monoclonal, Multiple Sclerosi, 80 and over, Lung, Humanized, Research Articles, Aged, 80 and over, Middle Aged, Intensive care unit, Hospitalization, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Intensive Care Units, Neurology, Methylprednisolone, Neurological, Pneumonia & Influenza, Interferon, Female, Immunosuppressive Agents, Research Article, Human, medicine.drug, Adult, medicine.medical_specialty, Musc-19 Study Group, Multiple Sclerosis, Adolescent, Clinical Sciences, Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Neurology, Settore MED/26, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Autoimmune Disease, Antibodies, Young Adult, 03 medical and health sciences, Clinical Research, Internal medicine, Severity of illness, medicine, Humans, Immunologic Factors, Mortality, Aged, COVID-19, Fingolimod Hydrochloride, Interferons, SARS-CoV-2, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Expanded Disability Status Scale, business.industry, Multiple sclerosis, Neurosciences, Pneumonia, Odds ratio, medicine.disease, Brain Disorders, Good Health and Well Being, 030104 developmental biology, Ocrelizumab, Neurology (clinical), business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract: Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the impact of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies on the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Methods: We retrospectively collected data of PwMS with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. All the patients had complete follow-up to death or recovery. Severe COVID-19 was defined by a 3-level variable: mild disease not requiring hospitalization versus pneumonia or hospitalization versus intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. We evaluated baseline characteristics and MS therapies associated with severe COVID-19 by multivariate and propensity score (PS)-weighted ordinal logistic models. Sensitivity analyses were run to confirm the results. Results: Of 844 PwMS with suspected (n = 565) or confirmed (n = 279) COVID-19, 13 (1.54%) died; 11 of them were in a progressive MS phase, and 8 were without any therapy. Thirty-eight (4.5%) were admitted to an ICU; 99 (11.7%) had radiologically documented pneumonia; 96 (11.4%) were hospitalized. After adjusting for region, age, sex, progressive MS course, Expanded Disability Status Scale, disease duration, body mass index, comorbidities, and recent methylprednisolone use, therapy with an anti-CD20 agent (ocrelizumab or rituximab) was significantly associated (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18–4.74, p = 0.015) with increased risk of severe COVID-19. Recent use (
Published: 2021

23. Anti-Spike IgG in multiple sclerosis patients after BNT162b2 vaccine: An exploratory case-control study in Italy

Author: Alessandra Consonni, Fiammetta Vanoli, Carlo Antozzi, Antonio Zito, Valentina Torri Clerici, Emilio Ciusani, Sebastiano Giuseppe Crisafulli, Paolo Confalonieri, Francesca Andreetta, Antonella Bellino, Silvia Bonanno, Rita Frangiamore, Renato Mantegazza, Laura Brambilla, Riccardo Giossi, Roberto Bergamaschi, Eleonora Rigoni, Fulvio Baggi, Elena Corsini, Antonella Conte, and Irene Tramacere
Subjects: COVID-19 Vaccines, Multiple Sclerosis, Antibodies, Viral, Article, Antibodies, Medicine, Humans, Disease-modifying therapies, Viral, BNT162 Vaccine, Vaccine, BNT162b2, COVID-19, Multiple sclerosis, Case-Control Studies, Immunoglobulin G, SARS-CoV-2, business.industry, Case-control study, General Medicine, medicine.disease, Neurology, Immunology, Spike (software development), BNT162b2, Neurology (clinical), business, Vaccine
Abstract: Background Patients with neuroimmunological conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) often receive disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) or immunosuppressants which may reduce the response to vaccines. BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) is the first COVID-19 vaccine authorized in Italy. Its clinical efficacy and serological response were not evaluated in MS patients receiving DMTs or immunosuppressants. This early multicenter study evaluated serological response to BNT162b2 and safety in these patients. Methods From February 2021 we enrolled consecutive MS patients, treated with at least one DMT and all healthcare workers (HCWs), having received or being scheduled to receive the first dose of BNT162b2. Blood samples were collected after the second vaccine dose and analyzed to quantitatively detect the presence of anti-Spike antibodies. Serological response was compared to the one from a control population of HCWs, with neither neuroimmunological conditions nor receiving immunosuppressants. Patients receiving treatments associated with a possible reduced response (Under-scrutiny treatment group) were also compared to those undergoing other treatments. Anti-Spike levels were described as median and interquartile range (IQR). Comparisons were performed with Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. Solicited and unsolicited adverse events (AEs) were collected. Results 39 MS patients and a control population of 273 HCWs were included. One patient, under treatment with ocrelizumab, did not respond to BNT162b2, while all the remaining patients and all controls developed a serological response to the vaccine. Median anti-Spike levels were similar between patients (1471.0 BAU/ml; IQR 779.7 to 2357.0) and controls (1479.0 BAU/ml; IQR 813.1 to 2528.0) (p = 0.53). Patients included in the Under-scrutiny treatments group showed reduced anti-Spike levels (156.4 BAU/ml; IQR 33.4 to 559.1) compared to those receiving other treatments (1582.4 BAU/ml; IQR 1296.5 to 2219.0) (p = 0.001). Solicited AEs were all mild to moderate in severity, generally reported in the first days after vaccination, and resolved in the following days. Two MS patients reported a clinical relapse after the second vaccine dose. Conclusion BNT162b2 induced a serological response in MS patients treated with DMTs similar to controls not receiving DMTs or immunosuppressants. Some treatments were associated with reduced levels of anti-Spike antibodies in patients. These observations have relevant implications for treated patients receiving BNT162b2 and the community.
Published: 2021

24. Safety, efficacy, and tolerability of efgartigimod in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis (ADAPT): a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

Author: Lucy Lam, Jiri Pitha, John Vissing, Laura Fionda, Denis Korobko, Michael Pulley, Tony Vangeneugden, Silvia Bonanno, Nobuhiro Ido, Jerrica Farias, Jafar Shabanpour, James Gilchrist, Girolamo Alfieri, Gyorgyi Szabo, Carlayne E. Jackson, Eduardo Ng, Csilla Rozsa, Hans D. Katzberg, Carlo Antozzi, Aleksandra Golenia, Sayaka Ishida, Temur Margania, Andrzej Szczudlik, Richard J. Barohn, Mari Suzuki., Robert Henegar, Kaoru Sakuma, Evanthia Bernitsas, Elena Lapochka, Yukiko Ozawa, Tomihiro Imai, Debbie Hastings, Antonio Guglietta, Benjamin Frishberg, Elena Antipenko, Vera Bril, Stanislav Vohanka, Isela Hernandez, Ivo Bozovic, Ilona Vergunova, Lorenzo Maggi, Andreas Meisel, Ali Malekniazi, Tahseen Mozaffar, Emmanuelle Salort-Campana, Yasmin Camberos, Jan J.G.M. Verschuuren, Masayuki Masuda, Masanori Takahashi, Yoshihiko Okubo, Marek Smilowski, Yasushi Suzuki, Mary Wagoner, Andrew Heim, David Bors, Chiho Watanabe, Fiammetta Vanoli, Antonio Reia, Zubair Quraishi, Omar Jawdat, Makoto Samukawa, Gregory Sahagian, Gedeonne Margo Jakab, Eiichi Nomura, Samantha Colgan, Cindy Benzel, Ayako Mori, Annabel M. Ruiter, Ratna Bharavaju-Sanka, Roman Shakarishvili, Victoria Cannon, Malkova Nadezhda, Tomas Horak, Anna Kostera-Pruszczyk, Eniko Szabo, Emilien Delmont, Alexander Tsiskaridze, Lubna Daniyal, Vidosava Rakocevic Stojanovic, Szilvia Toth, Siegfried Kohler, Iveta Novakova, Katherine Roath, Kazuna Ikeda, Salma Akhter, Claudia Heibutzki, Martijn R. Tannemaat, Marta Pinkosz, Mads Peter Godtfeldt Stemmerik, Chafic Karam, Irys Caristo, Carolyn Paiz, Josef Bednarik, Monika Frasinska, Stefania Morino, Norianne Pimentel, Kanako Minemoto, Rekha Pillai, Linda Wagemaekers, Annelien De Pue, Irina Poverennova, Katerina Reguliova, Jana Junkerova, Angela Marsili, Anne-Marie Peters, Maren Wyckmans, Michaela Tyblova, Debbie Eggleston, Anne Mette Ostergaard Autzen, Takamichi Sugimoto, Kuldeep Kumar Khatri, Niraja Suresh, Jan De Bleecker, Lea Gerischer, Grazyna Zwolinska, Kevin R Keene, Yosuke Onishi, Francesco Saccà, Zaeem A. Siddiqi, Marjolein Van Heur, Jeffrey Statland, Tatiana Romanova, Diana Dimitrova, Stojan Peric, Tomoko Tsuda, Cathy Bailey, Lubov Urtaeva, Lizzie Zafirakos, Katherine Ruzhansky, Tomoya Kubota, Angela Campanella, Nadezhda Kuznetsova, Sarah Jones, Giovanni Antonini, Hiroyuki Murai, Luca Leonardi, Alan R. Berger, Jonathan Baets, Peter Ulrichts, Said R. Beydoun, Michala Jakubikova, Mamatha Pasnoor, James F. Howard, Leila Darki, Katerina Havelkova, Namita Goyal, Akiyuki Uzawa, Tia Nguyen, Miki Takaki, Matteo Garibaldi, Manisha Kak, Ivonne Turner, Aude-Marie Grapperon, Mageda Horakova, Yuebing Li, Ivana Basta, Lech Szczechowski, Shabber Mannan, Aneta Pasko, Caroline Vinck, Riccardo Giossi, Rudolf Mercelis, Ivana Jurajdova, Lesly Welsh, Małgorzata Bilińska, Marek Halas, Dragana Lavrnic, Kimiaki Utsugisawa, Todd Levine, Erik Velasquez, Daisuke Yamamoto, Constantine Farmakidis, John Anthony Morren, Sarah Hoffman, Manisha Chopra, Shingo Konno, Rita Frangiamore, Kelly Jia, Jana Horakova, Anna Melnikova, Piotr Szczudlik, Ali Habib, Giorgia Puorro, Michael D. Weiss, Robert P. Lisak, Hiroyuki Naito, Shahram Attarian, Hiroko Nakamura, Shin Hisahara, Mazen M. Dimachkie, Genya Watanabe, Duaa Jabari, Ekaterina Bulatova, Angela Genge, Makiko Naito, Melissa Currence, Henning Andersen, Katrien De Mey, Kathy de Koning, Yuen T. So, Chiara Pane, Renato Mantegazza, Rebecca Traub, Manato Yasuda, Amy Visser, Dike Remstedt, Yuka Takematsu, Frauke Stascheit, Ayumi Kamei, Tuan Vu, Tulio E. Bertorini, Ludivine Kouton, Neelam Goyal, Flicia Mada, Nizar Chahin, Mihiro Shimizu, Srikanth Muppidi, and Erina Sugano
Subjects: 0301 basic medicine, Adult, Male, medicine.medical_specialty, Population, fc fragment, Placebo, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, law.invention, efgartigimod, myasthenia gravis, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Randomized controlled trial, Double-Blind Method, law, Internal medicine, Activities of Daily Living, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Clinical endpoint, Humans, Receptors, Cholinergic, Dosing, Longitudinal Studies, education, Biology, Autoantibodies, education.field_of_study, business.industry, Headache, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Middle Aged, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, 3. Good health, Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments, Clinical trial, Chemistry, 030104 developmental biology, Tolerability, Female, Human medicine, Neurology (clinical), business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract: Background: There is an unmet need for treatment options for generalised myasthenia gravis that are effective, targeted, well tolerated, and can be used in a broad population of patients. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of efgartigimod (ARGX-113), a human IgG1 antibody Fc fragment engineered to reduce pathogenic IgG autoantibody levels, in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis. Methods: ADAPT was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial done at 56 neuromuscular academic and community centres in 15 countries in North America, Europe, and Japan. Patients aged at least 18 years with generalised myasthenia gravis were eligible to participate in the study, regardless of anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody status, if they had a Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score of at least 5 (>50% non-ocular), and were on a stable dose of at least one treatment for generalised myasthenia gravis. Patients were randomly assigned by interactive response technology (1:1) to efgartigimod (10 mg/kg) or matching placebo, administered as four infusions per cycle (one infusion per week), repeated as needed depending on clinical response no sooner than 8 weeks after initiation of the previous cycle. Patients, investigators, and clinical site staff were all masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was proportion of acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive patients who were MG-ADL responders (≥2-point MG-ADL improvement sustained for ≥4 weeks) in the first treatment cycle. The primary analysis was done in the modified intention-to-treat population of all acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive patients who had a valid baseline MG-ADL assessment and at least one post-baseline MG-ADL assessment. The safety analysis included all randomly assigned patients who received at least one dose or part dose of efgartigimod or placebo. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03669588); an open-label extension is ongoing (ADAPT+, NCT03770403). Findings: Between Sept 5, 2018, and Nov 26, 2019, 167 patients (84 in the efgartigimod group and 83 in the placebo group) were enrolled, randomly assigned, and treated. 129 (77%) were acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive. Of these patients, more of those in the efgartigimod group were MG-ADL responders (44 [68%] of 65) in cycle 1 than in the placebo group (19 [30%] of 64), with an odds ratio of 4·95 (95% CI 2·21–11·53, p
Published: 2020

25. L'aferesi terapeutica nella miastenia grave

Author: Carlo Antozzi
Subjects: Plasmaferesi, Miastenia grave, Malattie autoimmuni, Internal medicine, RC31-1245, Diseases of the genitourinary system. Urology, RC870-923
Abstract: La plasmaferesi terapeutica ha migliorato considerevolmente il trattamento dei pazienti affetti da miastenia grave (MG), in particolare nei casi con deterioramento acuto del quadro clinico con deficit bulbare. Non sono disponibili studi controllati in questo campo, ma le esperienze emerse dagli studi aperti sostengono positivamente l'utilizzo dell'aferesi terapeutica nella MG. Più recentemente sono state introdotte le tecniche aferetiche semiselettive adatte al trattamento cronico dei pazienti farmaco-resistenti.
Published: 2013
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26. Role Preferences of People with Multiple Sclerosis: Image-Revised, Computerized Self-Administered Version of the Control Preference Scale.

Author: Alessandra Solari, Andrea Giordano, Jurgen Kasper, Jelena Drulovic, An van Nunen, Liina Vahter, Frederique Viala, Erika Pietrolongo, Maura Pugliatti, Carlo Antozzi, Davide Radice, Sascha Köpke, Christoph Heesen, and AutoMS project
Subjects: Medicine, Science
Abstract: The Control Preference Scale (CPS) is the most frequently used measure of patients' preferred roles in treatment decisions. We revised the original CPS and developed a new computerized patient self-administered version (eCPS). We used the eCPS to assess role preferences, and their determinants, in Italian and German people with multiple sclerosis (MS).New cartoons were produced, based on MS health professional and patient input/feedback and previous findings, and pilot tested on 26 Italian and German MS patients. eCPS acceptability and reliability (weighted kappa statistic, wK) in comparison to the original tool, was determined in 92 MS patients who received both CPS versions in random order.The new cartoons were well accepted and easily interpreted by patients, who reported they based their choices mainly on the text and considered the images of secondary importance. eCPS reliability was moderate (wK 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40-0.65) and similar to the test-retest reliability of face-to-face administration assessed in a previous publication (wK 0.65, 95% CI 0.45-0.81). Higher education (odds ratio [OR] 3.74, 95% CI 1.00-14.05) and German nationality (OR 10.30, 95% CI 3.10-34.15) were associated with preference for an active role in the logistic model.The newly devised eCPS was well received and considered easy to use by MS patients. Reliability was in line with that of the original version. Role preference appears affected by cultural characteristics and (borderline statistical significance) education.
Published: 2013
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27. Expansion of effector and memory T cells is associated with increased survival in recurrent glioblastomas treated with dendritic cell immunotherapy

Author: Carlo Antozzi, Raffaella Lombardi, Natalia Di Ianni, Sara Pessina, Valeria Cuccarini, Rosina Paterra, Simona Frigerio, Sara Nava, Maria Tardini, Maria Grazia Bruzzone, Cristina Corbetta, Bianca Pollo, Francesco DiMeco, Gaetano Finocchiaro, Silvia Musio, Serena Pellegatta, Elena Anghileri, Paolo Ferroli, Luisa Maddaloni, Micaela Milani, Marica Eoli, and Daniela Lisini
Subjects: 0301 basic medicine, medicine.medical_treatment, Clinical Investigations, CD38, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Immune system, T-cell memory, Medicine, dendritic cells, Temozolomide, business.industry, Tetanus, Toxoid, glioblastoma, Immunotherapy, Dendritic cell, medicine.disease, 030104 developmental biology, 030220 oncology & carcinogenesis, Cancer research, immunotherapy, business, tetanus toxoid, CD8, medicine.drug
Abstract: Background The efficacy of dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy as a single therapeutic modality for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) patients remains limited. In this study, we evaluated in patients with GBM recurrence the immune-mediated effects of DC loaded with autologous tumor lysate combined with temozolomide (TMZ) or tetanus toxoid (TT). Methods In the phase I-II clinical study DENDR2, 12 patients were treated with 5 DC vaccinations combined with dose-dense TMZ. Subsequently, in eight patients, here defined as Variant (V)-DENDR2, the vaccine site was preconditioned with TT 24 hours before DC vaccination and TMZ was avoided. As a survival endpoint for these studies, we considered overall survival 9 months (OS9) after second surgery. Patients were analyzed for the generation of effector, memory, and T helper immune response. Results Four of 12 DENDR2 patients reached OS9, but all failed to show an immunological response. Five of eight V-DENDR2 patients (62%) reached OS9, and one patient is still alive (OS >30 months). A robust CD8+ T-cell activation and memory T-cell formation were observed in V-DENDR2 OS>9. Only in these patients, the vaccine-specific CD4+ T-cell activation (CD38+/HLA-DR+) was paralleled by an increase in TT-induced CD4+/CD38low/CD127high memory T cells. Only V-DENDR2 patients showed the formation of a nodule at the DC injection site infiltrated by CCL3-expressing CD4+ T cells. Conclusions TT preconditioning of the vaccine site and lack of TMZ could contribute to the efficacy of DC immunotherapy by inducing an effector response, memory, and helper T-cell generation.
Published: 2020

28. An optimized method for manufacturing a clinical scale dendritic cell-based vaccine for the treatment of glioblastoma.

Author: Sara Nava, Marta Dossena, Simona Pogliani, Serena Pellegatta, Carlo Antozzi, Fulvio Baggi, Cinzia Gellera, Bianca Pollo, Eugenio A Parati, Gaetano Finocchiaro, and Simona Frigerio
Subjects: Medicine, Science
Abstract: Immune-based treatments represent a promising new class of therapy designed to boost the immune system to specifically eradicate malignant cells. Immunotherapy may generate specific anti-tumor immune responses, and dendritic cells (DC), professional antigen-presenting cells, are widely used in experimental cancer immunotherapy. Several reports describe methods for the generation of mature, antigen-pulsed DC for clinical use. Improved quality and standardization are desirable to obtain GMP-compliant protocols. In this study we describe the generation of DC from 31 Glioblastoma (GB) patients starting from their monocytes isolated by immunomagnetic CD14 selection using the CliniMACS® device. Upon differentiation of CD14+ with IL-4 and GM-CSF, DC were induced to maturation with TNF-α, PGE(2), IL-1β, and IL-6. Whole tumor lysate was obtained, for the first time, in a closed system using the semi-automated dissociator GentleMACS®. The yield of proteins improved by 130% compared to the manual dissociation method. Interestingly the Mean Fluorescence Intensity for CD83 increased significantly in DC pulsed with "new method" lysate compared to DC pulsed with "classical method" lysate. Our results indicate that immunomagnetic isolation of CD14(+) monocytes using the CliniMACS® device and their pulsing with whole tumor lysate proteins is a suitable method for clinical-scale generation of high quality, functional DC under GMP-grade conditions.
Published: 2012
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29. Long-term efficacy and safety of eculizumab in Japanese patients with generalized myasthenia gravis: A subgroup analysis of the REGAIN open-label extension study

Author: Hiroyuki Murai, Akiyuki Uzawa, Yasushi Suzuki, Tomihiro Imai, Hirokazu Shiraishi, Hidekazu Suzuki, Meinoshin Okumura, Fanny O’Brien, Jing-Jing Wang, Kenji P. Fujita, Kimiaki Utsugisawa, Claudio Gabriel Mazia, Miguel Wilken, Fabio Barroso, Juliet Saba, Marcelo Rugiero, Mariela Bettini, Marcelo Chaves, Gonzalo Vidal, Alejandra Dalila Garcia, Jan De Bleecker, Guy Van den Abeele, Kathy de Koning, Katrien De Mey, Rudy Mercelis, Délphine Mahieu, Linda Wagemaekers, Philip Van Damme, Annelies Depreitere, Caroline Schotte, Charlotte Smetcoren, Olivier Stevens, Sien Van Daele, Nicolas Vandenbussche, Annelies Vanhee, Sarah Verjans, Jan Vynckier, Ann D'Hondt, Petra Tilkin, Alzira Alves de Siqueira Carvalho, Igor Dias Brockhausen, David Feder, Daniel Ambrosio, Pamela César, Ana Paula Melo, Renata Martins Ribeiro, Rosana Rocha, Bruno Bezerra Rosa, Thabata Veiga, Luiz Augusto da Silva, Murilo Santos Engel, Jordana Gonçalves Geraldo, Maria da Penha Ananias Morita, Erica Nogueira Coelho, Gabriel Paiva, Marina Pozo, Natalia Prando, Debora Dada Martineli Torres, Cristiani Fernanda Butinhao, Gustavo Duran, Tamires Cristina Gomes da Silva, Luiz Otavio Maia Gonçalves, Lucas Eduardo Pazetto, Tomás Augusto Suriane Fialho, Luciana Renata Cubas Volpe, Luciana Souza Duca, Acary Souza Bulle Oliveira, Ana Carolina Amaral Andrade, Marcelo Annes, Liene Duarte Silva, Valeria Cavalcante Lino, Wladimir Pinto, Natália Assis, Fernanda Carrara, Carolina Miranda, Iandra Souza, Patricia Fernandes, Zaeem Siddiqi, Cecile Phan, Jeffrey Narayan, Derrick Blackmore, Ashley Mallon, Rikki Roderus, Elizabeth Watt, Jana Junkerova, Barbora Kurkova, Katarina Reguliova, Olga Zapletalova, Jiri Pitha, Iveta Novakova, Michaela Tyblova, Ivana Jurajdova, Marcela Wolfova, Henning Andersen, Thomas Harbo, Lotte Vinge, Susanne Krogh, Anita Mogensen, John Vissing, Joan Højgaard, Nanna Witting, Anne Mette Ostergaard Autzen, Jane Pedersen, Juha-Pekka Eralinna, Mikko Laaksonen, Olli Oksaranta, Tuula Harrison, Jaana Eriksson, Csilla Rozsa, Melinda Horvath, Gabor Lovas, Judit Matolcsi, Gyorgyi Szabo, Gedeonne Jakab, Brigitta Szabadosne, Giovanni Antonini, Antonella Di Pasquale, Matteo Garibaldi, Stefania Morino, Fernanda Troili, Laura Fionda, Allessandro Filla, Teresa Costabile, Enrico Marano, Francesco Saccà, Angiola Fasanaro, Angela Marsili, Giorgia Puorro, Renato Mantegazza, Carlo Antozzi, Silvia Bonanno, Giorgia Camera, Alberta Locatelli, Lorenzo Maggi, Maria Pasanisi, Angela Campanella, Amelia Evoli, Paolo Emilio Alboini, Valentina D'Amato, Raffaele Iorio, Tetsuya Kanai, Naoki Kawaguchi, Masahiro Mori, Yoko Kaneko, Akiko Kanzaki, Eri Kobayashi, Katsuhisa Masaki, Dai Matsuse, Takuya Matsushita, Taira Uehara, Misa Shimpo, Maki Jingu, Keiko Kikutake, Yumiko Nakamura, Yoshiko Sano, Yuriko Nagane, Ikuko Kamegamori, Tomoko Tsuda, Yuko Fujii, Kazumi Futono, Yukiko Ozawa, Aya Mizugami, Yuka Saito, Miyuki Morikawa, Makoto Samukawa, Sachiko Kamakura, Eriko Miyawaki, Teiichiro Mitazaki, Masakatsu Motomura, Akihiro Mukaino, Shunsuke Yoshimura, Shizuka Asada, Seiko Yoshida, Shoko Amamoto, Tomomi Kobashikawa, Megumi Koga, Yasuko Maeda, Kazumi Takada, Mihoko Takada, Masako Tsurumaru, Yumi Yamashita, Tetsuya Akiyama, Koichi Narikawa, Ohito Tano, Kenichi Tsukita, Rikako Kurihara, Fumie Meguro, Yusuke Fukuda, Miwako Sato, Soichiro Funaka, Tomohiro Kawamura, Masayuki Makamori, Masanori Takahashi, Namie Taichi, Tomoya Hasuike, Eriko Higuchi, Hisako Kobayashi, Kaori Osakada, Emiko Tsuda, Shun Shimohama, Takashi Hayashi, Shin Hisahara, Jun Kawamata, Takashi Murahara, Masaki Saitoh, Shuichiro Suzuki, Daisuke Yamamoto, Yoko Ishiyama, Naoko Ishiyama, Mayuko Noshiro, Rumi Takeyama, Kaori Uwasa, Ikuko Yasuda, Anneke van der Kooi, Marianne de Visser, Tamar Gibson, Carlos Casasnovas, Maria Antonia Alberti Aguilo, Christian Homedes-Pedret, Natalia Julia Palacios, Laura Diez Porras, Valentina Velez Santamaria, Ana Lazaro, Exuperio Diez Tejedor, Pilar Gomez Salcedo, Mireya Fernandez-Fournier, Pedro Lopez Ruiz, Francisco Javier Rodriguez de Rivera, Maria Sastre, Josep Gamez, Pilar Sune, Maria Salvado, Gisela Gili, Gonzalo Mazuela, Isabel Illa, Elena Cortes Vicente, Jordi Diaz-Manera, Luis Antonio Querol Gutierrez, Ricardo Rojas Garcia, Nuria Vidal, Elisabet Arribas-Ibar, Fredrik Piehl, Albert Hietala, Lena Bjarbo, Ihsan Sengun, Arzu Meherremova, Pinar Ozcelik, Bengu Balkan, Celal Tuga, Muzeyyen Ugur, Sevim Erdem-Ozdamar, Can Ebru Bekircan-Kurt, Nazire Pinar Acar, Ezgi Yilmaz, Yagmur Caliskan, Gulsah Orsel, Husnu Efendi, Seda Aydinlik, Hakan Cavus, Ayse Kutlu, Gulsah Becerikli, Cansu Semiz, Ozlem Tun, Murat Terzi, Baki Dogan, Musa Kazim Onar, Sedat Sen, Tugce Kirbas Cavdar, Adife Veske, Fiona Norwood, Aikaterini Dimitriou, Jakit Gollogly, Mohamed Mahdi-Rogers, Arshira Seddigh, Giannis Sokratous, Gal Maier, Faisal Sohail, Saiju Jacob, Girija Sadalage, Pravin Torane, Claire Brown, Amna Shah, Sivakumar Sathasivam, Heike Arndt, Debbie Davies, Dave Watling, Anthony Amato, Thomas Cochrane, Mohammed Salajegheh, Kristen Roe, Katherine Amato, Shirli Toska, Gil Wolfe, Nicholas Silvestri, Kara Patrick, Karen Zakalik, Jonathan Katz, Robert Miller, Marguerite Engel, Dallas Forshew, Elena Bravver, Benjamin Brooks, Sarah Plevka, Maryanne Burdette, Scott Cunningham, Mohammad Sanjak, Megan Kramer, Joanne Nemeth, Clara Schommer, Scott Tierney, Vern Juel, Jeffrey Guptill, Lisa Hobson-Webb, Janice Massey, Kate Beck, Donna Carnes, John Loor, Amanda Anderson, Robert Pascuzzi, Cynthia Bodkin, John Kincaid, Riley Snook, Sandra Guingrich, Angela Micheels, Vinay Chaudhry, Andrea Corse, Betsy Mosmiller, Andrea Kelley, Doreen Ho, Jayashri Srinivasan, Michal Vytopil, Jordan Jara, Nicholas Ventura, Stephanie Scala, Cynthia Carter, Craig Donahue, Carol Herbert, Elaine Weiner, Sharmeen Alam, Jonathan McKinnon, Laura Haar, Naya McKinnon, Karan Alcon, Kaitlyn McKenna, Nadia Sattar, Kevin Daniels, Dennis Jeffery, Miriam Freimer, Joseph Chad Hoyle, John Kissel, Julie Agriesti, Sharon Chelnick, Louisa Mezache, Colleen Pineda, Filiz Muharrem, Chafic Karam, Julie Khoury, Tessa Marburger, Harpreet Kaur, Diana Dimitrova, James Gilchrist, Brajesh Agrawal, Mona Elsayed, Stephanie Kohlrus, Angela Andoin, Taylor Darnell, Laura Golden, Barbara Lokaitis, Jenna Seelback, Srikanth Muppidi, Neelam Goyal, Sarada Sakamuri, Yuen T. So, Shirley Paulose, Sabrina Pol, Lesly Welsh, Ratna Bhavaraju-Sanka, Alejandro Tobon Gonzales, Lorraine Dishman, Floyd Jones, Anna Gonzalez, Patricia Padilla, Amy Saklad, Marcela Silva, Mohamed Kazamel, Mohammad Alsharabati, Liang Lu, Kenkichi Nozaki, Sandi Mumfrey-Thomas, Amy Woodall, Tahseen Mozaffar, Tiyonnoh Cash, Namita Goyal, Gulmohor Roy, Veena Mathew, Fatima Maqsood, Brian Minton, H. James Jones, Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Rebekah Garcia, Laura Echevarria, Sonia Garcia, Michael Pulley, Shachie Aranke, Alan Ross Berger, Jaimin Shah, Yasmeen Shabbir, Lisa Smith, Mary Varghese, Laurie Gutmann, Ludwig Gutmann, Nivedita Jerath, Christopher Nance, Andrea Swenson, Heena Olalde, Nicole Kressin, Jeri Sieren, Richard Barohn, Mazen Dimachkie, Melanie Glenn, April McVey, Mamatha Pasnoor, Jeffery Statland, Yunxia Wang, Tina Liu, Kelley Emmons, Nicole Jenci, Jerry Locheke, Alex Fondaw, Kathryn Johns, Gabrielle Rico, Maureen Walsh, Laura Herbelin, Charlene Hafer-Macko, Justin Kwan, Lindsay Zilliox, Karen Callison, Valerie Young, Beth DiSanzo, Kerry Naunton, Michael Benatar, Martin Bilsker, Khema Sharma, Anne Cooley, Eliana Reyes, Sara-Claude Michon, Danielle Sheldon, Julie Steele, James Howard Jr, Manisha Chopra, Rebecca Traub, Tuan Vu, Lara Katzin, Terry McClain, Brittany Harvey, Adam Hart, Kristin Huynh, Said Beydoun, Amaiak Chilingaryan, Victor Doan, Brian Droker, Hui Gong, Sanaz Karimi, Frank Lin, Krishna Pokala, Akshay Shah, Anh Tran, Salma Akhter, Ali Malekniazi, Rup Tandan, Michael Hehir, Waqar Waheed, Shannon Lucy, Michael Weiss, Jane Distad, Susan Strom, Sharon Downing, Bryan Kim, Richard Nowak, Daniel Dicapua, Benison Keung, Aditya Kumar, Huned Patwa, Kimberly Robeson, Irene Yang, Joan Nye, Hong Vu, H., Murai, A., Uzawa, Y., Suzuki, T., Imai, H., Shiraishi, H., Suzuki, M., Okumura, F., O'Brien, J. -J., Wang, K. P., Fujita, K., Utsugisawa, Gabriel Mazia 11, Claudio, Wilken 11, Miguel, Barroso 11, Fabio, Saba 11, Juliet, Rugiero 12, Marcelo, Bettini 12, Mariela, Chaves 12, Marcelo, Vidal 12, Gonzalo, Dalila Garcia 12, Alejandra, De Bleecker 13, Jan, Van den Abeele 13, Guy, de Koning 13, Kathy, De Mey 13, Katrien, Mercelis 14, Rudy, Mahieu 14, Délphine, Wagemaekers 14, Linda, Van Damme 15, Philip, Depreitere 16, Annelie, Schotte 16, Caroline, Smetcoren 16, Charlotte, Stevens 16, Olivier, Van Daele 16, Sien, Vandenbussche 16, Nicola, Vanhee 16, Annelie, Verjans 16, Sarah, Vynckier 16, Jan, D'Hondt 16, Ann, Tilkin 16, Petra, Alves de Siqueira Carvalho 17, Alzira, Dias Brockhausen 17, Igor, Feder 17, David, Ambrosio 17, Daniel, César 17, Pamela, Paula Melo 17, Ana, Martins Ribeiro 17, Renata, Rocha 17, Rosana, Bezerra Rosa 17, Bruno, Veiga 17, Thabata, Augusto da Silva 17, Luiz, Santos Engel 17, Murilo, Gonçalves Geraldo 17, Jordana, da Penha Ananias Morita 18, Maria, Nogueira Coelho 18, Erica, Paiva 18, Gabriel, Pozo 18, Marina, Prando 18, Natalia, Dada Martineli Torres 18, Debora, Fernanda Butinhao 18, Cristiani, Duran 18, Gustavo, Cristina Gomes da Silva 18, Tamire, Otavio Maia Gonçalves 18, Luiz, Eduardo Pazetto 18, Luca, Augusto Suriane Fialho 18, Tomá, Renata Cubas Volpe 18, Luciana, Souza Duca 18, Luciana, Souza Bulle Oliveira 19, Acary, Carolina Amaral Andrade 19, Ana, Annes 19, Marcelo, Duarte Silva 19, Liene, Cavalcante Lino 19, Valeria, Pinto 19, Wladimir, Assis 19, Natália, Carrara 19, Fernanda, Miranda 19, Carolina, Souza 19, Iandra, Fernandes 19, Patricia, Siddiqi 20, Zaeem, Phan 20, Cecile, Narayan 20, Jeffrey, Blackmore 20, Derrick, Mallon 20, Ashley, Roderus 20, Rikki, Watt 20, Elizabeth, Junkerova 21, Jana, Kurkova 21, Barbora, Reguliova 21, Katarina, Zapletalova 21, Olga, Pitha 22, Jiri, Novakova 22, Iveta, Tyblova 22, Michaela, Jurajdova 22, Ivana, Wolfova 22, Marcela, Andersen 23, Henning, Harbo 23, Thoma, Vinge 23, Lotte, Krogh 23, Susanne, Mogensen 23, Anita, Vissing 24, John, Højgaard 24, Joan, Witting 24, Nanna, Mette Ostergaard Autzen 24, Anne, Pedersen 24, Jane, Eralinna 25, Juha-Pekka, Laaksonen 25, Mikko, Oksaranta 25, Olli, Harrison 25, Tuula, Eriksson 25, Jaana, Rozsa 26, Csilla, Horvath 26, Melinda, Lovas 26, Gabor, Matolcsi 26, Judit, Szabo 26, Gyorgyi, Jakab 26, Gedeonne, Szabadosne 26, Brigitta, Antonini 27, Giovanni, Di Pasquale 27, Antonella, Garibaldi 27, Matteo, Morino 27, Stefania, Troili 27, Fernanda, Fionda 27, Laura, Filla, Allessandro, Costabile, Teresa, Marano, Enrico, Sacca', Francesco, Fasanaro, Angiola, Marsili, Angela, Puorro, Giorgia, Mantegazza 29, Renato, Antozzi 29, Carlo, Bonanno 29, Silvia, Camera 29, Giorgia, Locatelli 29, Alberta, Maggi 29, Lorenzo, Pasanisi 29, Maria, Campanella 29, Angela, Evoli 30, Amelia, Emilio Alboini 30, Paolo, D'Amato 30, Valentina, Iorio 30, Raffaele, Kanai 31, Tetsuya, Kawaguchi 31, Naoki, Mori 31, Masahiro, Kaneko 31, Yoko, Kanzaki 31, Akiko, Kobayashi 31, Eri, Masaki 32, Katsuhisa, Matsuse 32, Dai, Matsushita 32, Takuya, Uehara 32, Taira, Shimpo 32, Misa, Jingu 32, Maki, Kikutake 32, Keiko, Nakamura 32, Yumiko, Sano 32, Yoshiko, Nagane 33, Yuriko, Kamegamori 33, Ikuko, Tsuda 33, Tomoko, Fujii 33, Yuko, Futono 33, Kazumi, Ozawa 33, Yukiko, Mizugami 33, Aya, Saito 33, Yuka, Morikawa 34, Miyuki, Samukawa 34, Makoto, Kamakura 34, Sachiko, Miyawaki 34, Eriko, Mitazaki 35, Teiichiro, Motomura 35, Masakatsu, Mukaino 35, Akihiro, Yoshimura 35, Shunsuke, Asada 35, Shizuka, Yoshida 35, Seiko, Amamoto 35, Shoko, Kobashikawa 35, Tomomi, Koga 35, Megumi, Maeda 35, Yasuko, Takada 35, Kazumi, Takada 35, Mihoko, Tsurumaru 35, Masako, Yamashita 35, Yumi, Akiyama 36, Tetsuya, Narikawa 36, Koichi, Tano 36, Ohito, Tsukita 36, Kenichi, Kurihara 36, Rikako, Meguro 36, Fumie, Fukuda 36, Yusuke, Sato 36, Miwako, Funaka 37, Soichiro, Kawamura 37, Tomohiro, Makamori 37, Masayuki, Takahashi 37, Masanori, Taichi 37, Namie, Hasuike 37, Tomoya, Higuchi 37, Eriko, Kobayashi 37, Hisako, Osakada 37, Kaori, Tsuda 38, Emiko, Shimohama 38, Shun, Hayashi 38, Takashi, Hisahara 38, Shin, Kawamata 38, Jun, Murahara 38, Takashi, Saitoh 38, Masaki, Suzuki 38, Shuichiro, Yamamoto 38, Daisuke, Ishiyama 38, Yoko, Ishiyama 38, Naoko, Noshiro 38, Mayuko, Takeyama 38, Rumi, Uwasa 38, Kaori, Yasuda 38, Ikuko, van der Kooi 39, Anneke, de Visser 39, Marianne, Gibson 39, Tamar, Casasnovas 40, Carlo, Antonia Alberti Aguilo 40, Maria, Homedes-Pedret 40, Christian, Julia Palacios 40, Natalia, Diez Porras 40, Laura, Velez Santamaria 40, Valentina, Lazaro 40, Ana, Diez Tejedor 41, Exuperio, Gomez Salcedo 41, Pilar, Fernandez-Fournier 41, Mireya, Lopez Ruiz 41, Pedro, Javier Rodriguez de Rivera 41, Francisco, Sastre 41, Maria, Gamez 42, Josep, Sune 42, Pilar, Salvado 42, Maria, Gili 42, Gisela, Mazuela 42, Gonzalo, Illa 43, Isabel, Cortes Vicente 43, Elena, Diaz-Manera 43, Jordi, Antonio Querol Gutierrez 43, Lui, Rojas Garcia 43, Ricardo, Vidal 43, Nuria, Arribas-Ibar 43, Elisabet, Piehl 44, Fredrik, Hietala 44, Albert, Bjarbo 44, Lena, Sengun 45, Ihsan, Meherremova 45, Arzu, Ozcelik 45, Pinar, Balkan 45, Bengu, Tuga 45, Celal, Ugur 45, Muzeyyen, Erdem-Ozdamar 46, Sevim, Ebru Bekircan-Kurt 46, Can, Pinar Acar 46, Nazire, Yilmaz 46, Ezgi, Caliskan 46, Yagmur, Orsel 46, Gulsah, Efendi 47, Husnu, Aydinlik 47, Seda, Cavus 47, Hakan, Kutlu 47, Ayse, Becerikli 47, Gulsah, Semiz 47, Cansu, Tun 47, Ozlem, Terzi 48, Murat, Dogan 48, Baki, Kazim Onar 48, Musa, Sen 48, Sedat, Kirbas Cavdar 48, Tugce, Veske 48, Adife, Norwood 49, Fiona, Dimitriou 49, Aikaterini, Gollogly 49, Jakit, Mahdi-Rogers 49, Mohamed, Seddigh 49, Arshira, Sokratous 49, Gianni, Maier 49, Gal, Sohail 49, Faisal, Jacob 50, Saiju, Sadalage 50, Girija, Torane 50, Pravin, Brown 50, Claire, Shah 50, Amna, Sathasivam 51, Sivakumar, Arndt 51, Heike, Davies 51, Debbie, Watling 51, Dave, Amato 52, Anthony, Cochrane 52, Thoma, Salajegheh 52, Mohammed, Roe 52, Kristen, Amato 52, Katherine, Toska 52, Shirli, Wolfe 53, Gil, Silvestri 53, Nichola, Patrick 53, Kara, Zakalik 53, Karen, Katz 54, Jonathan, Miller 54, Robert, Engel 54, Marguerite, Forshew 54, Dalla, Bravver 55, Elena, Brooks 55, Benjamin, Plevka 55, Sarah, Burdette 55, Maryanne, Cunningham 55, Scott, Sanjak 55, Mohammad, Kramer 55, Megan, Nemeth 55, Joanne, Schommer 55, Clara, Tierney 55, Scott, Juel 56, Vern, Guptill 56, Jeffrey, Hobson-Webb 56, Lisa, Massey 56, Janice, Beck 56, Kate, Carnes 56, Donna, Loor 56, John, Anderson 56, Amanda, Pascuzzi 57, Robert, Bodkin 57, Cynthia, Kincaid 57, John, Snook 57, Riley, Guingrich 57, Sandra, Micheels 57, Angela, Chaudhry 58, Vinay, Corse 58, Andrea, Mosmiller 58, Betsy, Kelley 58, Andrea, Ho 59, Doreen, Srinivasan 59, Jayashri, Vytopil 59, Michal, Jara 59, Jordan, Ventura 59, Nichola, Scala 59, Stephanie, Carter 59, Cynthia, Donahue 59, Craig, Herbert 59, Carol, Weiner 59, Elaine, Alam 59, Sharmeen, McKinnon 60, Jonathan, Haar 60, Laura, McKinnon 60, Naya, Alcon 60, Karan, McKenna 60, Kaitlyn, Sattar 60, Nadia, Daniels 60, Kevin, Jeffery 60, Denni, Freimer 61, Miriam, Chad Hoyle 61, Joseph, Kissel 61, John, Agriesti 61, Julie, Chelnick 61, Sharon, Mezache 61, Louisa, Pineda 61, Colleen, Muharrem 61, Filiz, Karam 62, Chafic, Khoury 62, Julie, Marburger 62, Tessa, Kaur 62, Harpreet, Dimitrova 62, Diana, Gilchrist 63, Jame, Agrawal 63, Brajesh, Elsayed 63, Mona, Kohlrus 63, Stephanie, Andoin 63, Angela, Darnell 63, Taylor, Golden 63, Laura, Lokaitis 63, Barbara, Seelback 63, Jenna, Muppidi 64, Srikanth, Goyal 64, Neelam, Sakamuri 64, Sarada, T So 64, Yuen, Paulose 64, Shirley, Pol 64, Sabrina, Welsh 64, Lesly, Bhavaraju-Sanka 65, Ratna, Tobon Gonzales 65, Alejandro, Dishman 65, Lorraine, Jones 65, Floyd, Gonzalez 65, Anna, Padilla 65, Patricia, Saklad 65, Amy, Silva 65, Marcela, Kazamel 66, Mohamed, Alsharabati 66, Mohammad, Lu 66, Liang, Nozaki 66, Kenkichi, Mumfrey-Thomas 66, Sandi, Woodall 66, Amy, Mozaffar 67, Tahseen, Cash 67, Tiyonnoh, Goyal 67, Namita, Roy 67, Gulmohor, Mathew 67, Veena, Maqsood 67, Fatima, Minton 67, Brian, James Jones 68, H, Rosenfeld 68, Jeffrey, Garcia 68, Rebekah, Echevarria 68, Laura, Garcia 68, Sonia, Pulley 69, Michael, Aranke 69, Shachie, Ross Berger 69, Alan, Shah 69, Jaimin, Shabbir 69, Yasmeen, Smith 69, Lisa, Varghese 69, Mary, Gutmann 70, Laurie, Gutmann 70, Ludwig, Jerath 70, Nivedita, Nance 70, Christopher, Swenson 70, Andrea, Olalde 70, Heena, Kressin 70, Nicole, Sieren 70, Jeri, Barohn 71, Richard, Dimachkie 71, Mazen, Glenn 71, Melanie, McVey 71, April, Pasnoor 71, Mamatha, Statland 71, Jeffery, Wang 71, Yunxia, Liu 71, Tina, Emmons 71, Kelley, Jenci 71, Nicole, Locheke 71, Jerry, Fondaw 71, Alex, Johns 71, Kathryn, Rico 71, Gabrielle, Walsh 71, Maureen, Herbelin 71, Laura, Hafer-Macko 72, Charlene, Kwan 72, Justin, Zilliox 72, Lindsay, Callison 72, Karen, Young 72, Valerie, DiSanzo 72, Beth, Naunton 72, Kerry, Benatar 73, Michael, Bilsker 73, Martin, Sharma 73, Khema, Cooley 73, Anne, Reyes 73, Eliana, Michon 73, Sara-Claude, Sheldon 73, Danielle, Steele 73, Julie, Howard Jr 74, Jame, Karam 74, Chafic, Chopra 74, Manisha, Traub 74, Rebecca, Vu 75, Tuan, Katzin 75, Lara, McClain 75, Terry, Harvey 75, Brittany, Hart 75, Adam, Huynh 75, Kristin, Beydoun 76, Said, Chilingaryan 76, Amaiak, Doan 76, Victor, Droker 76, Brian, Gong 76, Hui, Karimi 76, Sanaz, Lin 76, Frank, McClain 76, Terry, Pokala 76, Krishna, Shah 76, Akshay, Tran 76, Anh, Akhter 76, Salma, Malekniazi 76, Ali, Tandan 77, Rup, Hehir 77, Michael, Waheed 77, Waqar, Lucy 77, Shannon, Weiss 78, Michael, Distad 78, Jane, Strom 78, Susan, Downing 78, Sharon, Kim 78, Bryan, Nowak 79, Richard, Dicapua 79, Daniel, Keung 79, Benison, Kumar 79, Aditya, Patwa 79, Huned, Robeson 79, Kimberly, Yang 79, Irene, Nye 79, Joan, and Hong Vu
Subjects: Male, Pediatrics, Myasthenia gravi, Open-label extension study, Complement inhibitor, 0302 clinical medicine, Quality of life, Japan, Medicine and Health Sciences, Medicine, 030212 general & internal medicine, Myasthenia gravis, education.field_of_study, MG-ADL, Japanese patient, Eculizumab, Middle Aged, HLA, MG-QoL15, Treatment Outcome, Neurology, Female, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, COMPLEMENT INHIBITOR ECULIZUMAB, medicine.drug, Adult, medicine.medical_specialty, Population, Clinical Neurology, Subgroup analysis, Placebo, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, 03 medical and health sciences, Refractory, Asian People, Myasthenia Gravis, Humans, education, Aged, Science & Technology, business.industry, Neurosciences, medicine.disease, Complement Inactivating Agents, Japanese patients, ONSET, Neurology (clinical), Neurosciences & Neurology, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract: The terminal complement inhibitor eculizumab was shown to improve myasthenia gravis-related symptoms in the 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled REGAIN study (NCT01997229). In this 52-week sub-analysis of the open-label extension of REGAIN (NCT02301624), eculizumab's efficacy and safety were assessed in 11 Japanese and 88 Caucasian patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive refractory generalized myasthenia gravis. For patients who had received placebo during REGAIN, treatment with open-label eculizumab resulted in generally similar outcomes in the Japanese and Caucasian populations. Rapid improvements were maintained for 52 weeks, assessed by change in score from open-label extension baseline to week 52 (mean [standard error]) using the following scales (in Japanese and Caucasian patients, respectively): Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (-2.4 [1.34] and - 3.3 [0.65]); Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (-2.9 [1.98] and - 4.3 [0.79]); Myasthenia Gravis Composite (-4.5 [2.63] and - 4.9 [1.19]); and Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life 15-item questionnaire (-8.6 [5.68] and - 6.5 [1.93]). Overall, the safety of eculizumab was consistent with its known safety profile. In this interim sub-analysis, the efficacy and safety of eculizumab in Japanese and Caucasian patients were generally similar, and consistent with the overall REGAIN population. ispartof: JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES vol:407 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published
Published: 2019

30. Atypical Post-Injection Reactions with Delayed Onset Following Glatiramer Acetate 40 mg: Need for Titration?

Author: V. Torri Clerici, Claudio Gobbi, Stefano Rossi, J. Perugini, Chiara Zecca, Carlo Antozzi, A. M. Fiori, Giorgia Camera, L. R. Bernardini, A. Bellino, Giulio Disanto, P. Confalonieri, Chiara Gerardi, G. Bellavia, Liliane Petrini, Renato Mantegazza, Lorena Pareja Gutierrez, and Lucia Brambilla
Subjects: Adult, Male, medicine.medical_specialty, Nausea, Lower risk, Severity of Illness Index, Gastroenterology, Statistics, Nonparametric, 03 medical and health sciences, Drug Delivery Systems, Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting, 0302 clinical medicine, Internal medicine, medicine, Humans, Pharmacology (medical), 030212 general & internal medicine, Glatiramer acetate, Adverse effect, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Proportional hazards model, business.industry, Hazard ratio, Glatiramer Acetate, Middle Aged, Confidence interval, Psychiatry and Mental health, Treatment Outcome, Shivering, Female, Neurology (clinical), medicine.symptom, business, Immunosuppressive Agents, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, medicine.drug
Abstract: Glatiramer acetate (GA) 20 mg/day (GA20) is associated with immediate post-injection reactions (PIRs). For convenience of use, approved GA 40 mg three times weekly (GA40) delivers a similar weekly dose. The dose and concentration of a single GA40 injection are, however, twice as high as for GA20, and post-injection adverse events may differ. Cases of atypical PIRs to GA40 prompted us to systematically monitor such events. The aim was to characterize atypical PIRs in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with GA40. Clinical practice data were prospectively collected in consecutive relapsing–remitting MS patients. Descriptive statistics for categorical and continuous variables, Mann–Whitney and Chi-squared tests for baseline comparisons, and Cox regression models for association of variables to first atypical PIRs were applied. Forty-six out of 173 patients (26.6%) given GA40 experienced any PIRs. Of those, 38 (22.0%) had atypical, 14 (8.1%) had combined typical and atypical, and 26 (15.0%) had recurrent atypical PIRs, most frequently shivering (13.3%) and nausea/vomiting (8.1%). Compared to typical PIRs, onset of atypical PIRs was significantly delayed (median 30 vs 1 min, p
Published: 2018

31. Toll-like receptors 7 and 9 in myasthenia gravis thymus: amplifiers of autoimmunity?

Author: Paola Cavalcante, Claudia Barzago, Lorenzo Maggi, Pia Bernasconi, Fulvio Baggi, Carlo Antozzi, and Renato Mantegazza
Subjects: 0301 basic medicine, Innate immune system, business.industry, General Neuroscience, TLR9, TLR7, medicine.disease_cause, medicine.disease, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Myasthenia gravis, Autoimmunity, 03 medical and health sciences, 030104 developmental biology, medicine.anatomical_structure, History and Philosophy of Science, Autoimmune Process, Immunology, medicine, business, Receptor, B cell
Abstract: Pathogen infections and dysregulated Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated innate immune responses are suspected to play key roles in autoimmunity. Among TLRs, TLR7 and TLR9 have been implicated in several autoimmune conditions, mainly because of their ability to promote abnormal B cell activation and survival. Recently, we provided evidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) persistence and reactivation in the thymus of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, suggesting an involvement of EBV in the intrathymic pathogenesis of the disease. Considerable data highlight the existence of pathogenic crosstalk among EBV, TLR7, and TLR9: EBV elicits TLR7/9 signaling, which in turn can enhance B cell dysfunction and autoimmunity. In this article, after a brief summary of data demonstrating TLR activation in MG thymus, we provide an overview on the contribution of TLR7 and TLR9 to autoimmune diseases and discuss our recent findings indicating a pivotal role for these two receptors, along with EBV, in driving, perpetuating, and/or amplifying intrathymic B cell dysregulation and autoimmune responses in MG. Development of therapeutic approaches targeting TLR7 and TLR9 signaling could be a novel strategy for treating the chronic inflammatory autoimmune process in myasthenia gravis.
Published: 2018

32. Inflammation and Epstein-Barr Virus Infection Are Common Features of Myasthenia Gravis Thymus: Possible Roles in Pathogenesis

Author: Paola Cavalcante, Lorenzo Maggi, Lara Colleoni, Rosa Caldara, Teresio Motta, Carmelo Giardina, Carlo Antozzi, Sonia Berrih-Aknin, Pia Bernasconi, and Renato Mantegazza
Subjects: Immunologic diseases. Allergy, RC581-607
Abstract: The thymus plays a major role in myasthenia gravis (MG). Our recent finding of a persistent Epstein-Barr (EBV) virus infection in some MG thymuses, combined with data showing that the thymus is in a proinflammatory state in most patients, supports a viral contribution to the pathogenesis of MG. Aim of this study was to gain further evidence for intrathymic chronic inflammation and EBV infection in MG patients. Transcriptional profiling by low density array and real-time PCR showed overexpression of genes involved in inflammatory and immune response in MG thymuses. Real-time PCR for EBV genome, latent (EBER1, EBNA1, LMP1) and lytic (BZLF1) transcripts, and immunohistochemistry for LMP1 and BZLF1 proteins confirmed an active intrathymic EBV infection, further supporting the hypothesis that EBV might contribute to onset or perpetuation of the autoimmune response in MG. Altogether, our results support a role of inflammation and EBV infection as pathogenic features of MG thymus.
Published: 2011
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33. Safety and efficacy of eculizumab in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive refractory generalised myasthenia gravis (REGAIN): a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study

Author: Kazumi Takada, Vladislav Abramov, Seiko Yoshida, Pinar Ozcelik, Carolina Miranda, Jennifer Kane, Kaitlyn McKenna, Natasha Campbell, Sharon P. Nations, Shitiz Kumar Sriwastava, Yuko Fujii, Mayumi Murata, Linda Wagemaekers, Angela Andoin, Mollie Vanderhook, Yoshinori Okubo, Martin Bilsker, Taira Uehara, Vera Bril, Julia Wanschitz, Stanislava Toncrova, Mariela Bettini, Kazumi Futono, Shachie Aranke, Yool-hee Kim, Hiroyuki Murai, Anne Nyrhinen, Vinay Chaudhry, Raffaele Iorio, Takashi Kanda, Brittany Harvey, Francisco Javier Rodriguez de Rivera, Henning Andersen, Marianne de Visser, Miwako Sato, Yasuhiro Maeda, Fabienne Deruelle, Marina Pozo, Adam Hart, Masaki Saitoh, Wladimir Bocca Vieira de Rezende Pinto, Said R. Beydoun, Lindsay Zilliox, Akihiro Mukaino, Cinzia Caserta, Mahi Jasinarachchi, Andrea M. Corse, Nikoletta Papadopoulou, JuYoung Kwon, Fernanda Carrara, Juliet Saba, Masayuki Makamori, Vittorio Frasca, Luciana Souza Duca, Hoo Nam Kang, C. Trebst, Celile Phan, Muzeyyen Ugur, Eduardo Ng, Jonathan McKinnon, Hila Bali Kuperman, David Feder, Judit Matolcsi, Jiri Pitha, Martin Stangel, Kate Beck, Gabriel Paiva, Diego Lopergolo, Katrien De Mey, Hidenori Matsuo, Lucas Eduardo Pazetto, Eugene Lai, Amanda Anderson, Ann D'Hondt, Tetsuya Akiyama, Beverly Fyfe, Bella Gross, Elisabet Arribas-Ibar, Kathy de Koning, Gulmohor Roy, Dmitry Pokhabov, Maria Johanna Keijzers, Nicholas Ventura, Tessa Marburger, John Loor, Ji Eun Lee, Alessandro Filla, Celal Tuga, Stephanie Scala, Rudy Mercelis, Marc H. De Baets, Hisako Kobayashi, Stanislav Vohanka, Ana Paula Macagnan, Ana Carolina Amaral de Andrade, Heike Arndt, Giovanni Antonini, Yumi Yamashita, Gwendal Le Masson, Sonia Garcia, Sarah Verjans, James F. Howard, Zaeem A. Siddiqi, Yuen T. So, Megumi Koga, Exuperio Diez Tejedor, Teresa Costabile, Mihoko Takada Takada, Steve Hopkins, Jonathan S. Katz, Charlene Hafer-Macko, Erica Nogueira Coelho, Hung Youl Seok, Carol Herbert, Yuriko Nagane, Didem Altiparmak, Sachiko Kamakura, Mohammad Sanjak, Caroline Moreau, Jordi Díaz-Manera, Sivakumar Sathasivam, Michael Vytopil, Amelia Evoli, Masakatsu Motomura, Ester Reggio, Guy Van den Abeele, Hélène Zéphir, Asya Yarmoschuk, Jasmine Hewlett, Amy Wilson, Sachie Fukui, Cavit Boz, Iandra Souza, Morgane Gaboreau, Ivana Jurajdova, Sonia Decressac, Yong Seo Koo, Valentina Pegoraro, Seung Min Kim, Benison Keung, Rosana Rocha, Nanna Witting, John Vissing, Elaine Weiner, Ali Malekniazi, Larisa Babenko, Amanda C. Guidon, Gal Maier, Charlotte Smetcoren, Robert M. Pascuzzi, Domenico Marco Bonifati, Yumiko Nakamura, Tamires Cristina Gomes da Silva, Takashi Murahara, Sarah Plevka, Tomoko Tsuda, John C. Kincaid, Arnaud Lacour, Ibrez Bandukwala, Alan R. Berger, Chang Nyoung Lee, Jae-Sung Lim, Vern C. Juel, Tulio E. Bertorini, Valeria Cavalcante Lino, Namie Taichi, Ju-Hong Min, Josep Gamez, Nelly Greenbereg, William S. David, Srikanth Muppidi, Husnu Efendi, Pedro Lopez Ruiz, Baki Dogan, Cansu Semiz, Natalia Julia Palacios, Sharon Downing, Paola Cudia, Daniel Jacobs, Can Ebru Bekircan-Kurt, Takayasu Fukudome, Kristen Roe, Lena Bjarbo, Nicole Kassebaum, Makoto Samukawa, Shizuka Asada, Christina Dheel, Fatima Maqsood, Eun Bi Hwang, Kevin Daniels, Sevim Erdem-Ozdamar, Olivier Stevens, Claudio Mazia, Karan Alcon, Sibel Gazioglu, Keiko Kikutake, Luis Lay, Petra Tilkin, Corrado Angelini, Derrick Blackmore, Kimiaki Utsugisawa, Despoina Charalambous, Tuula Harrison, Kristin Huynh, Huned S. Patwa, Laura Echevarria, Henrique Mohr, Christian Homedes-Pedret, Richard J. Barohn, Byung Jo Kim, Daniel DiCapua, Terry McClain, Debora Dada Martineli Torres, Maria Salvado Figueras, Ana Paula Melo, Riley Snook, Miki Ogawa, Marcelo Annes, Yuka Saito, Isabel Illa, Evanthia Bernitsas, Nicole Smalley, Molly Lindsay, Robert G. Miller, Olga Azrilin, Silvia Bonanno, Evgeniya Kosykh, Marcela Wolfova, Olivier Outteryck, Shirli Toska, Anna Kostera-Pruszczyk, HyeJin Ra, Rup Tandan, Sotirios Papagiannopoulos, Natasha Willlems, Anne Mette Ostergaard Autzen, Meinoshin Okumura, Patrick Vermersch, Sarada Sakamuri, Maria Antonia Alberti Aguilo, Shigemi Shimose, Cynthia Carter, Ira Blount, Lisa Thompson, Maurer Pereira Martins, Richard Nowak, Hyung Seok Lee, Anna Kaminska, Joan Bratton, Nazire Pinar Acar, Junichi Ogasawara, Mohamed Mahdi-Rogers, Teiichiro Mitazaki, Marek Čierny, Craig Donahue, Jaya Trivedi, Neelam Goyal, Gonzalo Vidal, Brandy Quarles, Akiko Kanzaki, Yasuko Ikeda, Tomomi Kobashikawa, Morris Brown, Daisuke Yamamoto, Michel Deneve, Denis Korobko, Beth DiSanzo, Benedikt Schoser, Heidi Boterhoven, Eri Kobayashi, Maoko Shirane, Cristiani Fernanda Butinhao, Eriko Higuchi, Takashi Hayashi, Masanori Takahashi, Anne-Cécile Wielanek-Bachelet, Benjamin Rix Brooks, Emanuela Onesti, Tahseen Mozaffar, Liang Lu, Sevasti Bostantzopoulou, Christophe Vial, Shawn J. Bird, Sandi Mumfrey-Thomas, Julie Khoury, Kara Patrick, Kenichi Tsukita, Yoshiko Sano, Hiroshi Nakazora, David P. Richman, Gavin Brown, Yoon-Ho Hong, Tomohiro Kawamura, Igor Dias Brockhausen, Ye Liu, Acary Souza Bulle Oliveira, Soichiro Funaka, Tomoya Hasuike, Frank Lin, Luis Antonio Querol Gutierrez, Namita Goyal, Elena Pinzan, Michelle Mellion, Silvia Messina, Christopher Lindberg, Csilla Rozsa, J. Chad Hoyle, Yoko Kaneko, Gustavo Duran, Francesco Patti, Arshira Seddigh, Ele Kim Perez, Jayashri Srinivasan, Michael Benatar, Philip Van Damme, Salma Akhter, Daniel Ambrosio, Maria Salvado, Floyd Jones, Mark Sivak, Anneke J. van der Kooi, Karen Callison, Catherine Nigro, Rebekah Garcia, Thomas Arnold, Hideki Arima, Brigid Crabtree, Mary Varghese, Aditya Kumar, Miri Kim, Fanny O'Brien, Naya McKinnon, Lauren Wheeler, Hong Vu, Shunsuke Yoshimura, Masatoshi Omoto, Jeffrey T. Guptill, Maria Gabriele, Francoise Bouhour, Veena Mathew, Ritsu Nakayama, Rosa Hasan, Francesco Saccà, Mohammed Salajegheh, Diana Dimitrova, Alzira Alves de Siqueira Carvalho, Maurizio Inghilleri, George Sachs, Rekha Pillai, Enrico Marano, Monika Konyane, Anh Tran, Seda Aydinlik, Kendrick Henderson, Fumie Meguro, Alexandre Guerreiro, Amaiak Chilingaryan, Tiyonnoh Cash, Jun Kawamata, Julie Steele, Helene Gervais-Bernard, Thomas Harbo, Alejandra Dalila Garcia, Musa Kazim Onar, Sabrina Sacconi, Carlos Casasnovas Pons, Nadezhda Malkova, Denis Sazonov, Mireya Fernandez-Fournier, Karin Fricke, Laurie Gutmann, Amy Saklad, Clara Schommer, Sandra Taber, Fiona Norwood, Tugce Kirbas Cavdar, Monique Miesen, Fernanda Troili, Masanori Watanabe, Ratna Bhavaraju-Sanka, Ted M. Burns, Sari Atula, Faisal Sohail, Barbora Kurkova, Brigitta Szabadosne, Luciana Renata Cubas Volpe, Jane Pedersen, Jing Jing Wang, Masashi Inoue, Antonella Di Pasquale, Megan Kramer, Magda Chmelikova, Mehran Soltani, Tuan Vu, Laura Fionda, Eliz Agopian, Susan Shin, Anthony A. Amato, Lotte Vinge, Hakan Cavus, Gil I. Wolfe, Joan Nye, Delphine Mahieu, Miguel Wilken, Markus Färkkilä, Catherine Faber, Erin Manning, Emiko Tsuda, Rami Massie, Paolo Emilio Alboini, Yasmeen Shabbir, Angela Campanella, Aikaterini Dimitriou, Marcelo Rugiero, Cynthia Bodkin, Gyorgyi Szabo, Sharon Halton, Akshay Shah, Yasuko Maeda, Hans D. Katzberg, Yagmur Caliskan, Jaimin Shah, Katsuhisa Masaki, Valentina Damato, Blanka Andersson, Aline de Cassia Santos, Masahiro Mori, Renato Mantegazza, Misa Shimpo, Joanne Nemeth, Livia Dezsi, Anna De Rosa, Doreen Ho, Julie Moutarde, Efstathia Mitropoulou, Amy Woodall, Angela Micheels, László Vécsei, Byoung Joon Kim, Lisa Smith, Tomihiro Imai, Harpreet Kaur, Lorenzo Maggi, Jane Distad, Anita Mogensen, Ericka Simpson, Anne Cooley, Eliana Reyes, Ha Young Shin, Da Yoon Koh, Stefan Gingele, Susan Strom, Ezgi Yilmaz, Manisha Chopra, Anna Melnikova, Edouard Millois, Ludwig Gutmann, Miriam Freimer, Hirokazu Shinozaki, Heena Olalde, Kerry Naunton, Shunya Nakane, Ihsan Sengun, Dimos-Dimitrios Mitsikostas, Edina Varga, Juha-Pekka Erälinna, Wolfgang Löscher, Jan De Bleecker, Elena Bravver, Ana Lazaro, Eun Bin Cho, Thomas Cochrane, Jonathan Goldstein, Lisa D. Hobson-Webb, Michaela Tyblova, Angela Marsil, J. Edward Hartmann, Miyuki Morikawa, Karen Zakalik, Claude Desnuelle, Iveta Novakova, Michiaki Koga, Melinda Horvath, Luiz Otavio Maia Gonçalves, Elena Cortes Vicente, Alejandro Tobon Gonzalez, Stanley H. Appel, Brian Minton, Daniele Orrico, Brian Droker, Jacob Kaufman, Erica Coelho, Chafic Karam, Mikko Laaksonen, Katherine Amato, Jinmyoung Seok, Natalia Prando, Pauline Lahaut, Kaori Osakada, Phillipa Lamont, Alexandros Tselis, Daiane da Cruz Pacheco, Joan Højgaard, Hirokazu Shiraishi, Josef Bednarik, Stefania Morino, Mark Levine-Weinberg, Sara-Claude Michon, Yusuke Fukuda, Michael Pulley, Koichi Narikawa, Ricardo Rojas Garcia, Betsy Mosmiller, James Gilchrist, Maria da Penha Morita Ananias, Maryanne Burdette, Shingo Konno, Janelle Butters, Stephan Wenninger, Debbie Davies, Thomas Skripuletz, Mohammad Alsharabati, Katarina Reguliova, Gabor Lovas, Yuichiro Gondo, Miju Shin, HyeLim Lee, Bruno Bezerra Rosa, Michael D. Weiss, Martha Zampaki, Andrea Caramma, Jeffrey V. Rosenfeld, Cigdem Ozen Aydin, Shara Holzberg, Hélène Merle, Olga Zapletalova, Kurt-Wolfram Suehs, Robert P. Lisak, Dale J. Lange, Albert Hietala, Sedat Sen, Elena Giacomelli, Akiyuki Uzawa, Tomás Augusto Suriane Fialho, Matteo Garibaldi, Nadia Sattar, Wai-Kuen Leong, Lindsay Kaplan, Tetsuya Kanai, Jaana Eriksson, Akiko Nagaishi, Khema Sharma, Tamar Gibson, Mohamed Kazamel, Yulia Nesterova, Sascha Alvermann, Murat Terzi, Taylor Darnell, Donna Carnes, Victor Balyazin, John T. Kissel, Waqar Waheed, Jana Junkerova, Kimberly Robeson, Nicholas Vlaikidis, Nicholas Silvestri, Fredrik Piehl, Maurício André Gheller Friedrich, Shun Shimohama, Nuria Vidal, Eleni Kasioti, H. James Jones, Michael K. Hehir, Luiz Augusto da Silva, Dave Watling, Leslie Roberts, Casey Faigle, Caroline Hourquin, Olli Oksaranta, Tomomi Imamura, Shin Hisahara, Dennis Jeffery, Marie-Hélène Soriani, M. Kawai, Chieko Yoshikawa, Roseann Keo, Angela Genge, Michelangelo Maestri Tassoni, Milvia Pleitez, Michael H. Rivner, Maki Jingu, Giorgia Puorro, Andrea Swenson, Saiju Jacob, Carolina Ortea, Shuichiro Suzuki, Marguerite Engel, Ikuko Kamegamori, SangAe Park, Guilhem Sole, Lesly Welsh, Nichole Gallatti, Jakit Gollogly, Daniel Jons, Yasuteru Sano, Takuya Matsushita, Omar Khan, Maria Cristina Gori, Thabata Veiga, Julie Agriesti, Jos Maessen, Sandra Guinrich, Francesca Bevilacqua, Laura Haar, Jordana Gonçalves Geraldo, Justin Y. Kwan, Hidekazu Suzuki, Dai Matsuse, Kelly Jia, Ozlem Tun, Lara Katzin, Yasushi Suzuki, Shannon Lucy, Carlo Antozzi, ANS - Neuroinfection & -inflammation, Neurology, Howard, James F, Utsugisawa, Kimiaki, Benatar, Michael, Murai, Hiroyuki, Barohn, Richard J, Illa, Isabel, Jacob, Saiju, Vissing, John, Burns, Ted M, Kissel, John T, Muppidi, Srikanth, Nowak, Richard J, O'Brien, Fanny, Wang, Jing-Jing, Mantegazza, Renato, Mazia, Claudio Gabriel, Wilken, Miguel, Ortea, Carolina, Saba, Juliet, Rugiero, Marcelo, Bettini, Mariela, Vidal, Gonzalo, Garcia, Alejandra Dalila, Lamont, Phillipa, Leong, Wai-Kuen, Boterhoven, Heidi, Fyfe, Beverly, Roberts, Leslie, Jasinarachchi, Mahi, Willlems, Natasha, Wanschitz, Julia, Löscher, Wolfgang, De Bleecker, Jan, Van den Abeele, Guy, de Koning, Kathy, De Mey, Katrien, Mercelis, Rudy, Wagemaekers, Linda, Mahieu, Delphine, Van Damme, Philip, Smetcoren, Charlotte, Stevens, Olivier, Verjans, Sarah, D'Hondt, Ann, Tilkin, Petra, Alves de Siqueira Carvalho, Alzira, Hasan, Rosa, Dias Brockhausen, Igor, Feder, David, Ambrosio, Daniel, Melo, Ana Paula, Rocha, Rosana, Rosa, Bruno, Veiga, Thabata, Augusto da Silva, Luiz, Gonçalves Geraldo, Jordana, da Penha Morita Ananias, Maria, Nogueira Coelho, Erica, Paiva, Gabriel, Pozo, Marina, Prando, Natalia, Dada Martineli Torres, Debora, Fernanda Butinhao, Cristiani, Coelho, Erica, Renata Cubas Volpe, Luciana, Duran, Gustavo, Gomes da Silva, Tamires Cristina, Otavio Maia Gonçalves, Luiz, Pazetto, Lucas Eduardo, Souza Duca, Luciana, Suriane Fialho, Tomás Augusto, Gheller Friedrich, Maurício André, Guerreiro, Alexandre, Mohr, Henrique, Pereira Martins, Maurer, da Cruz Pacheco, Daiane, Macagnan, Ana Paula, de Cassia Santos, Aline, Bulle Oliveira, Acary Souza, Amaral de Andrade, Ana Carolina, Annes, Marcelo, Cavalcante Lino, Valeria, Pinto, Wladimir, Miranda, Carolina, Carrara, Fernanda, Souza, Iandra, Genge, Angela, Massie, Rami, Campbell, Natasha, Bril, Vera, Katzberg, Han, Soltani, Mehran, Ng, Eduardo, Siddiqi, Zaeem, Phan, Celile, Blackmore, Derrick, Vohanka, Stanislav, Bednarik, Josef, Chmelikova, Magda, Cierny, Marek, Toncrova, Stanislava, Junkerova, Jana, Kurkova, Barbora, Reguliova, Katarina, Zapletalova, Olga, Pitha, Jiri, Novakova, Iveta, Tyblova, Michaela, Wolfova, Marcela, Jurajdova, Ivana, Andersen, Henning, Harbo, Thoma, Vinge, Lotte, Mogensen, Anita, Højgaard, Joan, Witting, Nanna, Autzen, Anne Mette, Pedersen, Jane, Färkkilä, Marku, Atula, Sari, Nyrhinen, Anne, Erälinna, Juha-Pekka, Laaksonen, Mikko, Oksaranta, Olli, Eriksson, Jaana, Harrison, Tuula, Desnuelle, Claude, Sacconi, Sabrina, Soriani, Marie-Hélène, Decressac, Sonia, Moutarde, Julie, Lahaut, Pauline, Solé, Guilhem, Le Masson, Gwendal, Wielanek-Bachelet, Anne-Cécile, Gaboreau, Morgane, Moreau, Caroline, Wilson, Amy, Vial, Christophe, Bouhour, Françoise, Gervais-Bernard, Helene, Merle, Hélène, Hourquin, Caroline, Lacour, Arnaud, Outteryck, Olivier, Vermersch, Patrick, Zephir, Hélène, Millois, Edouard, Deneve, Michel, Deruelle, Fabienne, Schoser, Benedikt, Wenninger, Stephan, Stangel, Martin, Alvermann, Sascha, Gingele, Stefan, Skripuletz, Thoma, Suehs, Kurt-Wolfram, Trebst, Corinna, Fricke, Karin, Papagiannopoulos, Sotirio, Bostantzopoulou, Sevasti, Vlaikidis, Nichola, Zampaki, Martha, Papadopoulou, Nikoletta, Mitsikostas, Dimos-Dimitrio, Kasioti, Eleni, Mitropoulou, Efstathia, Charalambous, Despoina, Rozsa, Csilla, Horvath, Melinda, Lovas, Gabor, Matolcsi, Judit, Szabo, Gyorgyi, Szabadosne, Brigitta, Vecsei, Laszlo, Dezsi, Livia, Varga, Edina, Konyane, Monika, Gross, Bella, Azrilin, Olga, Greenbereg, Nelly, Bali Kuperman, Hila, Antonini, Giovanni, Garibaldi, Matteo, Morino, Stefania, Troili, Fernanda, Di Pasquale, Antonella, Filla, Alessandro, Costabile, Teresa, Marano, Enrico, Sacca, Francesco, Marsili, Angela, Puorro, Giorgia, Maestri Tassoni, Michelangelo, De Rosa, Anna, Bonanno, Silvia, Antozzi, Carlo, Maggi, Lorenzo, Campanella, Angela, Angelini, Corrado, Cudia, Paola, Pegoraro, Valentina, Pinzan, Elena, Bevilacqua, Francesca, Orrico, Daniele, Bonifati, Domenico Marco, Evoli, Amelia, Alboini, Paolo Emilio, D'Amato, Valentina, Iorio, Raffaele, Inghilleri, Maurizio, Fionda, Laura, Frasca, Vittorio, Giacomelli, Elena, Gori, Maria, Lopergolo, Diego, Onesti, Emanuela, Gabriele, Maria, Patti, Francesco, Salvatore Caramma, Andrea, Messina, Silvia, Reggio, Ester, Caserta, Cinzia, Uzawa, Akiyuki, Kanai, Tetsuya, Mori, Masahiro, Kaneko, Yoko, Kanzaki, Akiko, Kobayashi, Eri, Masaki, Katsuhisa, Matsuse, Dai, Matsushita, Takuya, Uehara, Taira, Shimpo, Misa, Jingu, Maki, Kikutake, Keiko, Nakamura, Yumiko, Sano, Yoshiko, Nagane, Yuriko, Kamegamori, Ikuko, Fujii, Yuko, Futono, Kazumi, Tsuda, Tomoko, Saito, Yuka, Suzuki, Hidekazu, Morikawa, Miyuki, Samukawa, Makoto, Kamakura, Sachiko, Shiraishi, Hirokazu, Mitazaki, Teiichiro, Motomura, Masakatsu, Mukaino, Akihiro, Yoshimura, Shunsuke, Asada, Shizuka, Kobashikawa, Tomomi, Koga, Megumi, Maeda, Yasuko, Takada, Kazumi, Takada, Mihoko Takada, Yamashita, Yumi, Yoshida, Seiko, Suzuki, Yasushi, Akiyama, Tetsuya, Narikawa, Koichi, Tsukita, Kenichi, Meguro, Fumie, Fukuda, Yusuke, Sato, Miwako, Matsuo, Hidenori, Fukudome, Takayasu, Gondo, Yuichiro, Maeda, Yasuhiro, Nagaishi, Akiko, Nakane, Shunya, Okubo, Yoshinori, Okumura, Meinoshin, Funaka, Soichiro, Kawamura, Tomohiro, Makamori, Masayuki, Takahashi, Masanori, Hasuike, Tomoya, Higuchi, Eriko, Kobayashi, Hisako, Osakada, Kaori, Taichi, Namie, Tsuda, Emiko, Hayashi, Takashi, Hisahara, Shin, Imai, Tomihiro, Kawamata, Jun, Murahara, Takashi, Saitoh, Masaki, Shimohama, Shun, Suzuki, Shuichiro, Yamamoto, Daisuke, Konno, Shingo, Imamura, Tomomi, Inoue, Masashi, Murata, Mayumi, Nakazora, Hiroshi, Nakayama, Ritsu, Ikeda, Yasuko, Ogawa, Miki, Shirane, Maoko, Kanda, Takashi, Kawai, Motoharu, Koga, Michiaki, Ogasawara, Junichi, Omoto, Masatoshi, Sano, Yasuteru, Arima, Hideki, Fukui, Sachie, Shimose, Shigemi, Shinozaki, Hirokazu, Watanabe, Masanori, Yoshikawa, Chieko, van der Kooi, Anneke, de Visser, Marianne, Gibson, Tamar, Maessen, Jo, de Baets, Marc, Faber, Catherine, Keijzers, Maria Johanna, Miesen, Monique, Kostera-Pruszczyk, Anna, Kaminska, Anna, Kim, Byung-Jo, Lee, Chang Nyoung, Koo, Yong Seo, Seok, Hung Youl, Kang, Hoo Nam, Ra, Hyejin, Kim, Byoung Joon, Cho, Eun Bin, Lee, Hyelim, Min, Ju-Hong, Seok, Jinmyoung, Koh, Da Yoon, Kwon, Juyoung, Lee, Jieun, Park, Sangae, Hong, Yoon-Ho, Lim, Jae-Sung, Kim, Miri, Kim, Seung Min, Kim, Yool-hee, Lee, Hyung Seok, Shin, Ha Young, Hwang, Eun Bi, Shin, Miju, Sazonov, Deni, Yarmoschuk, Asya, Babenko, Larisa, Malkova, Nadezhda, Melnikova, Anna, Korobko, Deni, Kosykh, Evgeniya, Pokhabov, Dmitry, Nesterova, Yulia, Abramov, Vladislav, Balyazin, Victor, Casasnovas Pons, Carlo, Alberti Aguilo, Maria, Homedes-Pedret, Christian, Palacios, Natalia Julia, Lazaro, Ana, Diez Tejedor, Exuperio, Fernandez-Fournier, Mireya, Lopez Ruiz, Pedro, Rodriguez de Rivera, Francisco Javier, Salvado Figueras, Maria, Gamez, Josep, Salvado, Maria, Cortes Vicente, Elena, Diaz-Manera, Jordi, Querol Gutierrez, Lui, Rojas Garcia, Ricardo, Vidal, Nuria, Arribas-Ibar, Elisabet, Piehl, Fredrik, Hietala, Albert, Bjarbo, Lena, Lindberg, Christopher, Jons, Daniel, Andersson, Blanka, Sengun, Ihsan, Ozcelik, Pinar, Tuga, Celal, Ugur, Muzeyyen, Boz, Cavit, Altiparmak, Didem, Gazioglu, Sibel, Ozen Aydin, Cigdem, Erdem-Ozdamar, Sevim, Bekircan-Kurt, Can Ebru, Yilmaz, Ezgi, Acar, Nazire Pinar, Caliskan, Yagmur, Efendi, Husnu, Aydinlik, Seda, Cavus, Hakan, Semiz, Cansu, Tun, Ozlem, Terzi, Murat, Dogan, Baki, Onar, Musa Kazim, Sen, Sedat, Cavdar, Tugce Kirba, Norwood, Fiona, Dimitriou, Aikaterini, Gollogly, Jakit, Mahdi-Rogers, Mohamed, Seddigh, Arshira, Maier, Gal, Sohail, Faisal, Sathasivam, Sivakumar, Arndt, Heike, Davies, Debbie, Watling, Dave, Rivner, Michael, Hartmann, J. Edward, Quarles, Brandy, Smalley, Nicole, Amato, Anthony, Cochrane, Thoma, Salajegheh, Mohammed, Roe, Kristen, Amato, Katherine, Toska, Shirli, Wolfe, Gil, Silvestri, Nichola, Patrick, Kara, Zakalik, Karen, Katz, Jonathan, Miller, Robert, Engel, Marguerite, Bravver, Elena, Brooks, Benjamin, Plevka, Sarah, Burdette, Maryanne, Sanjak, Mohammad, Kramer, Megan, Nemeth, Joanne, Schommer, Clara, Juel, Vern, Guptill, Jeffrey, Hobson-Webb, Lisa, Beck, Kate, Carnes, Donna, Loor, John, Anderson, Amanda, Lange, Dale, Agopian, Eliz, Goldstein, Jonathan, Manning, Erin, Kaplan, Lindsay, Holzberg, Shara, Kassebaum, Nicole, Pascuzzi, Robert, Bodkin, Cynthia, Kincaid, John, Snook, Riley, Guinrich, Sandra, Micheels, Angela, Chaudhry, Vinay, Corse, Andrea, Mosmiller, Betsy, Ho, Doreen, Srinivasan, Jayashri, Vytopil, Michael, Ventura, Nichola, Scala, Stephanie, Carter, Cynthia, Donahue, Craig, Herbert, Carol, Weiner, Elaine, Mckinnon, Jonathan, Haar, Laura, Mckinnon, Naya, Alcon, Karan, Daniels, Kevin, Sattar, Nadia, Jeffery, Denni, Mckenna, Kaitlyn, Guidon, Amanda, David, William, Dheel, Christina, Levine-Weinberg, Mark, Nigro, Catherine, Simpson, Ericka, Appel, Stanley H, Lai, Eugene, Lay, Lui, Pleitez, Milvia, Halton, Sharon, Faigle, Casey, Thompson, Lisa, Sivak, Mark, Shin, Susan, Bratton, Joan, Jacobs, Daniel, Brown, Gavin, Bandukwala, Ibrez, Brown, Morri, Kane, Jennifer, Blount, Ira, Freimer, Miriam, Hoyle, J. Chad, Agriesti, Julie, Khoury, Julie, Marburger, Tessa, Kaur, Harpreet, Dimitrova, Diana, Mellion, Michelle, Sachs, George, Crabtree, Brigid, Keo, Roseann, Perez, Ele Kim, Taber, Sandra, Gilchrist, Jame, Andoin, Angela, Darnell, Taylor, Goyal, Neelam, Sakamuri, Sarada, So, Yuen T, Welsh, Lesly Welsh, Bhavaraju-Sanka, Ratna, Tobon Gonzalez, Alejandro, Jones, Floyd, Saklad, Amy, Nations, Sharon, Trivedi, Jaya, Hopkins, Steve, Kazamel, Mohamed, Alsharabati, Mohammad, Lu, Liang, Mumfrey-Thomas, Sandi, Woodall, Amy, Richman, David, Butters, Janelle, Lindsay, Molly, Mozaffar, Tahseen, Cash, Tiyonnoh, Goyal, Namita, Roy, Gulmohor, Mathew, Veena, Maqsood, Fatima, Minton, Brian, Jones, H. Jame, Rosenfeld, Jeffrey, Garcia, Rebekah, Garcia, Sonia, Echevarria, Laura, Pulley, Michael, Aranke, Shachie, Berger, Alan Ro, Shah, Jaimin, Shabbir, Yasmeen, Smith, Lisa, Varghese, Mary, Gutmann, Laurie, Gutmann, Ludwig, Swenson, Andrea, Olalde, Heena, Hafer-Macko, Charlene, Kwan, Justin, Zilliox, Lindsay, Callison, Karen, Disanzo, Beth, Naunton, Kerry, Bilsker, Martin, Sharma, Khema, Reyes, Eliana, Cooley, Anne, Michon, Sara-Claude, Steele, Julie, Karam, Chafic Karam, Chopra, Manisha, Bird, Shawn, Kaufman, Jacob, Gallatti, Nichole, Vu, Tuan, Katzin, Lara, Mcclain, Terry, Harvey, Brittany, Hart, Adam, Huynh, Kristin, Beydoun, Said, Chilingaryan, Amaiak, Droker, Brian, Lin, Frank, Shah, Akshay, Tran, Anh, Akhter, Salma, Malekniazi, Ali, Tandan, Rup, Hehir, Michael, Waheed, Waqar, Lucy, Shannon, Weiss, Michael, Distad, Jane, Downing, Sharon, Strom, Susan, Lisak, Robert, Bernitsas, Evanthia, Khan, Omar, Kumar Sriwastava, Shitiz, Tselis, Alexandro, Jia, Kelly, Bertorini, Tulio, Arnold, Thoma, Henderson, Kendrick, Pillai, Rekha, Liu, Ye, Wheeler, Lauren, Hewlett, Jasmine, Vanderhook, Mollie, Dicapua, Daniel, Keung, Benison, Kumar, Aditya, Patwa, Huned, Robeson, Kimberly, Nye, Joan, Vu, Hong, Howard, J, Utsugisawa, K, Benatar, M, Murai, H, Barohn, R, Illa, I, Jacob, S, Vissing, J, Burns, T, Kissel, J, Muppidi, S, Nowak, R, O'Brien, F, Wang, J, Mantegazza, R, and Bonanno, S
Subjects: Male, 0301 basic medicine, medicine.medical_treatment, Drug Resistance, Adult, Aged, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Autoantibodies, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Myasthenia Gravis, Receptors, Cholinergic, Outcome Assessment (Health Care), Severity of Illness Index, Neurology (clinical), law.invention, Complement inhibitor, 0302 clinical medicine, Randomized controlled trial, law, Monoclonal, Receptors, Clinical endpoint, Humanized, Cholinergic, education.field_of_study, Eculizumab, Autoantibodie, Myasthenia Gravi, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Human, medicine.drug, Meningitides, medicine.medical_specialty, Population, Placebo, Antibodies, 03 medical and health sciences, Internal medicine, medicine, education, business.industry, Surgery, Thymectomy, 030104 developmental biology, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract: Background Complement is likely to have a role in refractory generalised myasthenia gravis, but no approved therapies specifically target this system. Results from a phase 2 study suggested that eculizumab, a terminal complement inhibitor, produced clinically meaningful improvements in patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive refractory generalised myasthenia gravis. We further assessed the efficacy and safety of eculizumab in this patient population in a phase 3 trial. Methods We did a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study (REGAIN) in 76 hospitals and specialised clinics in 17 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Eligible patients were aged at least 18 years, with a Myasthenia Gravis-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score of 6 or more, Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) class II-IV disease, vaccination against Neisseria meningitides, and previous treatment with at least two immunosuppressive therapies or one immunosuppressive therapy and chronic intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange for 12 months without symptom control. Patients with a history of thymoma or thymic neoplasms, thymectomy within 12 months before screening, or use of intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange within 4 weeks before randomisation, or rituximab within 6 months before screening, were excluded. We randomly assigned participants (1:1) to either intravenous eculizumab or intravenous matched placebo for 26 weeks. Dosing for eculizumab was 900 mg on day 1 and at weeks 1, 2, and 3; 1200 mg at week 4; and 1200 mg given every second week thereafter as maintenance dosing. Randomisation was done centrally with an interactive voice or web-response system with patients stratified to one of four groups based on MGFA disease classification. Where possible, patients were maintained on existing myasthenia gravis therapies and rescue medication was allowed at the study physician's discretion. Patients, investigators, staff, and outcome assessors were masked to treatment assignment. The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline to week 26 in MG-ADL total score measured by worst-rank ANCOVA. The efficacy population set was defined as all patients randomly assigned to treatment groups who received at least one dose of study drug, had a valid baseline MG-ADL assessment, and at least one post-baseline MG-ADL assessment. The safety analyses included all randomly assigned patients who received eculizumab or placebo. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01997229. Findings Between April 30, 2014, and Feb 19, 2016, we randomly assigned and treated 125 patients, 62 with eculizumab and 63 with placebo. The primary analysis showed no significant difference between eculizumab and placebo (least-squares mean rank 56·6 [SEM 4·5] vs 68·3 [4·5]; rank-based treatment difference -11·7, 95% CI -24·3 to 0·96; p=0·0698). No deaths or cases of meningococcal infection occurred during the study. The most common adverse events in both groups were headache and upper respiratory tract infection (ten [16%] for both events in the eculizumab group and 12 [19%] for both in the placebo group). Myasthenia gravis exacerbations were reported by six (10%) patients in the eculizumab group and 15 (24%) in the placebo group. Six (10%) patients in the eculizumab group and 12 (19%) in the placebo group required rescue therapy. Interpretation The change in the MG-ADL score was not statistically significant between eculizumab and placebo, as measured by the worst-rank analysis. Eculizumab was well tolerated. The use of a worst-rank analytical approach proved to be an important limitation of this study since the secondary and sensitivity analyses results were inconsistent with the primary endpoint result; further research into the role of complement is needed. Funding Alexion Pharmaceuticals.
Published: 2017

34. Development and validation of the myasthenia gravis telescore (MGTS)

Author: Domenico Marco Bonifati, Renato Mantegazza, Mario Ermani, Carlo Antozzi, Rita Frangiamore, Francesca Pasqualin, Silvia Vittoria Guidoni, and Elisa Albertini
Subjects: medicine.medical_specialty, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Correlation coefficient, business.industry, Construct validity, Gold standard (test), medicine.disease, Physical strength, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Myasthenia gravis, Correlation, Neurology, Internal medicine, medicine, Neurology (clinical), business
Abstract: Background and aims: Covid-19 pandemic has boosted telemedicine in clinical practice. It could be crucial in the care of neurological patients with chronic disease. However there is a lack of specific disease tools to evaluate patients in telemedicine. The aim of our study was to validate the Myasthenia Gravis TeleScore (MGTS), a scale for the evaluation of MG patients in telemedicine. Methods: The MGTS included ten items divided in four districts: ocular, generalized muscular strength, bulbar, respiratory. Patients were assessed with two different scales: the MGTS, and the INCB-MG chosen as gold standard and from whom MGTS was partially derived. Visit in presence with INCB-MG and televisit with MGTS were performed consecutively. Televisit was conducted by another neurologist between two rooms. A blind method was adopted. The strength of correlation was determined by the correlation coefficient (r);analysis of covariance (ANOVA-Kruskal Wallis test) was used to compare subgroups. Significance was set to p
Published: 2021

35. Multimorbidity in multiple sclerosis: Impact on disability, quality of life and health status

Author: Claudia Toppo, Alberto Raggi, Matilde Leonardi, Renato Mantegazza, Laura Brambilla, Valentina Torri Clerici, Maria Teresa Pugliese, Paolo Confalonieri, Erika Guastafierro, and Carlo Antozzi
Subjects: Gerontology, Quality of life (healthcare), Neurology, business.industry, Multiple sclerosis, medicine, Multimorbidity, Neurology (clinical), medicine.disease, business
Published: 2021

36. Epstein-Barr virus in tumor-infiltrating B cells of myasthenia gravis thymoma: an innocent bystander or an autoimmunity mediator?

Author: Raffaella Ghislandi, Barbara Galbardi, Stefania Marcuzzo, Carlo Antozzi, Pia Bernasconi, Lorenzo Maggi, Teresio Motta, Massimo Barberis, Sara Franzi, Tommaso De Pas, Paola Cavalcante, Luisella Spinelli, Lorenzo Novellino, Fabio Conforti, Antonella Buzzi, Renato Mantegazza, and Fulvio Baggi
Subjects: 0301 basic medicine, Thymoma, medicine.disease_cause, Virus, Autoimmunity, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, hemic and lymphatic diseases, medicine, Epstein-Barr virus, B cell, myasthenia gravis, business.industry, autoimmunity, thymoma, medicine.disease, Epstein–Barr virus, Myasthenia gravis, BZLF1, 030104 developmental biology, medicine.anatomical_structure, Oncology, Lytic cycle, toll-like receptors, Immunology, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Research Paper
Abstract: The thymus plays a key role in myasthenia gravis (MG), a B cell-mediated autoimmune disorder affecting neuromuscular junction. Most MG patients have thymic abnormalities, including hyperplasia and thymoma, a neoplasm of thymic epithelial cells. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with autoimmune diseases and tumors. Recently, we showed EBV persistence and reactivation in hyperplastic MG thymuses, suggesting that EBV might contribute to intra-thymic B cell dysregulation in MG patients. Here, we investigated EBV involvement in thymoma-associated MG, by searching for EBV markers in MG (n=26) and non-MG (n=14) thymomas. EBV DNA and EBV-encoded small nuclear RNA (EBER) 1 transcript were detected in 14/26 (53.8%) and 22/26 (84.6%) MG thymomas, and only in 3 of 14 (21.4%) non-MG thymomas. Latent EBNA2 and late gp350/220 lytic transcripts were undetectable in all, but one, thymomas, and early lytic BZLF1 transcript was absent in all samples, suggesting that early infection events and EBV reactivation were very rare in thymomas. EBER1 and 2-positive cells were detected in MG, but not in non-MG, thymomas, as well as cells expressing EBV latency proteins (EBNA1, LMP1, LMP2A), that were mainly of B cell phenotype, indicating EBV association with MG rather than with thymoma. Toll-like receptor (TLR) 3 transcriptional levels were higher in MG than non-MG thymomas and positively correlated with EBER1 levels, suggesting a role for EBERs in TLR3 activation. Our findings show that EBV is commonly present in thymoma-infiltrating B cells of myasthenic patients, indicating a contribution of EBV to B cell-mediated autoreactivity in MG associated with thymic tumor.
Published: 2017

37. Validity, reliability, and sensitivity to change of the myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile in a sample of Italian myasthenic patients

Author: Matilde Leonardi, Lorenzo Maggi, Renato Mantegazza, Alberto Raggi, Fulvio Baggi, and Carlo Antozzi
Subjects: Male, medicine.medical_specialty, Activities of daily living, Correlation coefficient, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Dermatology, Disability Evaluation, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Cronbach's alpha, Rating scale, Activities of Daily Living, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Humans, Patient Reported Outcome Measures, 030212 general & internal medicine, Sensitivity to change, Reliability (statistics), Reproducibility of Results, General Medicine, Middle Aged, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, Psychiatry and Mental health, Italy, Physical therapy, Female, Self Report, Neurology (clinical), Psychology, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Follow-Up Studies
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to report on the validity, reliability, and sensitivity of the myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile (MG-ADL) in a sample of Italian patients. Patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) completed a protocol that included the MG-ADL, the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0), the Besta Neurological Institute rating scale for myasthenia gravis, and the MG-composite. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test reliability, Spearman’s correlation and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) to test short-term test-retest, Kruskal-Wallis test to assess differences in MG-ADL between patients with different disease severity, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test to assess sensitivity to change. In total, 58 patients were enrolled: 44 were females, mean MG duration 10.5 ± 10.4 years, mean MG-ADL 3.98 ± 3.07. The MG-ADL showed good internal consistency (alpha = .774), stability (test-retest correlation = .98, ICC = .97). It was superior to the WHODAS 2.0 in differentiating patients with different MG type and severity (P
Published: 2017

38. A propensity score analysis for comparison of T-3b and VATET in myasthenia gravis

Author: Cristina Montomoli, Laura Brambilla, Silvia Bonanno, Carlo Antozzi, Confalonieri Paolo, Renato Mantegazza, Fulvio Baggi, Francesca Andreetta, Brenna, G, Antozzi, C, Montomoli, C, Baggi, F, and Mantegazza, R
Subjects: Adult, Male, Sternum, medicine.medical_specialty, medicine.medical_treatment, Aftercare, Extended thymectomy, 030204 cardiovascular system & hematology, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Thoracoscopy, Humans, Treatment effect, In patient, Propensity Score, Aged, Surgical approach, medicine.diagnostic_test, business.industry, Remission Induction, Middle Aged, Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care), Thymectomy, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, Myasthenia Gravi, Surgery, Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care, Propensity score matching, Female, Neurology (clinical), business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Human
Abstract: Objective:We performed propensity score (PS) models to compare the outcome of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) submitted to 2 different surgical approaches: extended transsternal (T-3b) or thoracoscopic extended thymectomy (VATET).Methods:Patients' clinical data were retrieved from the MG database of the C. Besta Neurologic Institute Foundation. In the PS analysis, a matching ratio of 1:1 of the main clinical variables was obtained for the 2 groups of patients and treatment effect was estimated by comparing their outcome.Results:A total of 210 patients met the inclusion criteria, by having a complete set of clinical data, and were included in the PS model; a matched dataset of 122 participants (61 per group) showed an adequate balance of all the covariates. Our analysis demonstrated that 68.9% of patients who had thymectomy by the VATET technique reached the pharmacologic remission/remission status at 2 years from thymectomy compared to 34.4% of those operated on by the T-3b technique (p < 0.001), had a lower INCB-MG score (p < 0.001), and had less muscle fatigability (p = 0.004). Similar results were found considering only nonthymomatous patients with MG. Results were also confirmed by paired statistical tests.Conclusions:Our PS matching analysis showed that VATET is a reliable and effective surgical approach alternative to T-3b in patients with MG who are candidates for thymectomy.Classification of evidence:This study provides Class IV evidence that for patients with MG, VATET is more effective than T-3b thymectomy.
Published: 2017

39. Validation of the italian version of the 15‐item Myasthenia Gravis Quality‐of‐Life questionnaire

Author: Alberto Raggi, Lorenzo Maggi, Carlo Antozzi, Matilde Leonardi, Roberta Ayadi, Renato Mantegazza, and Fulvio Baggi
Subjects: Adult, Male, 0301 basic medicine, medicine.medical_specialty, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, SF-36, Physiology, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, 03 medical and health sciences, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, 0302 clinical medicine, Cronbach's alpha, Quality of life, Rating scale, Surveys and Questionnaires, Physiology (medical), Internal medicine, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Humans, Aged, business.industry, Middle Aged, Translating, medicine.disease, Health Surveys, Myasthenia gravis, Test (assessment), 030104 developmental biology, Italy, Quality of Life, Female, Neurology (clinical), business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Follow-Up Studies
Abstract: Introduction In this study we assess the Italian version of the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality-of-Life questionnaire (MG-QOL15). Methods The validation protocol included the MG-QOL15, the 36-item Short Form (SF-36), the Besta Neurological Institute Rating Scale for Myasthenia Gravis, and the MG-Composite. We used the Cronbach α to test reliability, the Spearman correlation to test short-term test–retest, the Kruskal–Wallis test to assess differences in MG-QOL15 between patients with different disease severity, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to assess sensitivity to change. Results Seventy-two patients were enrolled in the study. The mean MG-QOL15 score was 15.2 ± 12.2, with α = 0.93 and test–retest correlation = 0.93. Compared with the SF-36, the MG-QOL15 was superior in differentiating patients with different MG types (P = 0.041) and severity (P = 0.004), showed higher sensitivity to change (P = 0.003 for improved and P = 0.024 for worsened patients), and had higher correlations with the MG-Composite (rho = 0.367 vs. –0.213 and –0.154). Conclusion The Italian version of the MG-QOL15 is valid, reliable, stable, and sensitive to changes. Muscle Nerve 56: 716–720, 2017
Published: 2017

40. miR-146a in Myasthenia Gravis Thymus Bridges Innate Immunity With Autoimmunity and Is Linked to Therapeutic Effects of Corticosteroids

Author: Teresio Motta, Rita Frangiamore, Letizia Scandiffio, Carlo Antozzi, Federica Bortone, Paola Cavalcante, Stefania Marcuzzo, Pia Bernasconi, Renato Mantegazza, and Silvia Bonanno
Subjects: lcsh:Immunologic diseases. Allergy, Adult, Male, Adolescent, Immunology, Inflammation, Autoimmunity, Thymus Gland, Biology, medicine.disease_cause, Young Adult, Downregulation and upregulation, thymus, Adrenal Cortex Hormones, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Immunology and Allergy, Humans, RNA, Messenger, Receptor, Child, innate immunity, Cells, Cultured, Original Research, B-Lymphocytes, Innate immune system, Toll-Like Receptors, Germinal center, Middle Aged, medicine.disease, Germinal Center, Myasthenia gravis, Immunity, Innate, miR-146a, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, MicroRNAs, Treatment Outcome, Prednisone, Tumor necrosis factor alpha, Female, medicine.symptom, lcsh:RC581-607, Signal Transduction
Abstract: Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated innate immune responses are critically involved in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune disorder affecting neuromuscular junction mainly mediated by antiacetylcholine receptor antibodies. Considerable evidence indicate that uncontrolled TLR activation and chronic inflammation significantly contribute to hyperplastic changes and germinal center (GC) formation in the MG thymus, ultimately leading to autoantibody production and autoimmunity. miR-146a is a key modulator of innate immunity, whose dysregulation has been associated with autoimmune diseases. It acts as inhibitor of TLR pathways, mainly by targeting the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling transducers, interleukin 1 receptor associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6); miR-146a is also able to target c-REL, inducible T-cell costimulator (ICOS), and Fas cell surface death receptor (FAS), known to regulate B-cell function and GC response. Herein, we investigated the miR-146a contribution to the intrathymic MG pathogenesis. By real-time PCR, we found that miR-146a expression was significantly downregulated in hyperplastic MG compared to control thymuses; contrariwise, IRAK1, TRAF6, c-REL, and ICOS messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were upregulated and negatively correlated with miR-146a levels. Microdissection experiments revealed that miR-146a deficiency in hyperplastic MG thymuses was not due to GCs, but restricted to the GC-surrounding medulla, characterized by IRAK1 overexpression. We also showed higher c-REL and ICOS mRNA levels, and lower FAS mRNA levels, in GCs than in the remaining medulla, according to the contribution of these molecules in GC formation. By double immunofluorescence, an increased proportion of IRAK1-expressing dendritic cells and macrophages was found in hyperplastic MG compared to control thymuses, along with GC immunoreactivity for c-REL. Interestingly, in corticosteroid-treated MG patients intrathymic miR-146a and mRNA target levels were comparable to those of controls, suggesting that immunosuppressive therapy may restore the microRNA (miRNA) levels. Indeed, an effect of prednisone on miR-146a expression was demonstrated in vitro on peripheral blood cells. Serum miR-146a levels were lower in MG patients compared to controls, indicating dysregulation of the circulating miRNA. Our overall findings strongly suggest that defective miR-146a expression could contribute to persistent TLR activation, lack of inflammation resolution, and hyperplastic changes in MG thymuses, thus linking TLR-mediated innate immunity to B-cell-mediated autoimmunity. Furthermore, they unraveled a new mechanism of action of corticosteroids in inducing control of autoimmunity in MG via miR-146a.
Published: 2019

41. Severe multiple sclerosis reactivation during prolonged lymphopenia after dimethyl fumarate discontinuation

Author: M. Ferrazzini, Claudio Gobbi, Chiara Zecca, Carlo Antozzi, Stefano Rossi, Renato Mantegazza, and V. Torri Clerici
Subjects: Adult, medicine.medical_specialty, Multiple Sclerosis, Dimethyl Fumarate, Lymphocyte, Disease, Severity of Illness Index, Gastroenterology, 03 medical and health sciences, chemistry.chemical_compound, Therapeutic approach, 0302 clinical medicine, Recurrence, Interferon, Lymphopenia, Internal medicine, medicine, Humans, 030212 general & internal medicine, Dimethyl fumarate, business.industry, Multiple sclerosis, General Medicine, medicine.disease, Discontinuation, medicine.anatomical_structure, Neurology, chemistry, Methylprednisolone, Female, Neurology (clinical), business, Immunosuppressive Agents, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, medicine.drug
Abstract: Background Delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (DMF) treatment can be associated with reduced lymphocyte and leucocyte counts, which might persist after DMF discontinuation. Case presentation We report the case of a patient with severe disease reactivation despite prolonged lymphopenia after DMF discontinuation. We describe the frequency and impact of prolonged lymphopenia after DMF discontinuation at two tertiary MS centres. A 36-year-old female patient with multiple sclerosis was switched to DMF after 14 years of treatment with interferon beta-1a. DMF was suspended after 4 months because of persistent lymphopenia for 3 months. Six months later, the patient had a severe relapse with multiple enhancing brain lesions at MRI although lymphopenia was still persistent. Haematological assessment excluded other causes of lymphopenia, which was evaluated as a probable iatrogenic complication of DMF. The patient was treated with i.v. methylprednisolone 1 gr daily for 3 days with clinical recovery. Conclusions Prolonged lymphopenia after DMT discontinuation does not protect against disease reactivation. Starting a new immune therapy should be balanced against the option of a "wait and see." A different immunotherapeutic strategy such as an anti-B therapeutic approach could be considered.
Published: 2017

42. Early effect of dalfampridine in patients with MS: A multi-instrumental approach to better investigate responsiveness

Author: Greta Brenna, Carlo Antozzi, Alessandra Erbetta, Domenico Aquino, Marco Moscatelli, Lucia Brambilla, Maria Grazia Bruzzone, D. Rossi Sebastiano, Ambra Mara Giovannetti, V. Torri Clerici, P. Confalonieri, Rita Frangiamore, Silvana Franceschetti, and Renato Mantegazza
Subjects: Adult, Male, medicine.medical_specialty, Multiple Sclerosis, Statistics as Topic, Walking, Severity of Illness Index, Statistics, Nonparametric, 030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging, Developmental psychology, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Potassium Channel Blockers, medicine, Humans, In patient, Longitudinal Studies, 4-Aminopyridine, Early effect, Significant difference, Middle Aged, Neurophysiology, Evoked Potentials, Motor, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Preferred walking speed, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Neurology, Exercise Test, Female, Neurology (clinical), Psychology, Conduction time, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, After treatment, Diffusion MRI
Abstract: Background 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) is a potassium-channel blocker able to enhance walking speed in MS improving the action potentials of demyelinated axons on which internodal potassium channels are exposed. Objective to study early 4-AP effect with clinical, subjective, neurophysiological and neuroradiological tools. Methods Clinical (Timed 25-Foot Walk - T25FW, Timed Up-And-Go - TUG), subjective (MS Walking Scale-12 - MSWS-12), neurophysiological (Motor Evoked Potentials - MEPs) and imaging (Diffusion Tensor Imaging - DTI) evaluations were performed before (T0) and after (T1) 14 days of 4-AP treatment. MEPs were recorded from Abductor Hallucis of both legs. A Tract-Based-Spatial-Statistics (TBSS) was performed on DTI. Results We found a significant difference between T0 and T1 for T25FW, TUG, MSWS-12 (p ≤ 0.001) in the whole patients' sample (23 subjects, median EDSS 6.0) and decrease of Central Motor Conduction Time and increase of mean Amplitude (Amp) at T1 (p = 0.008 and p = 0.006). We also recorded a significant difference of T25FW, TUG, MSWS-12 and Amp in clinical responder (CR) patients (CR: amelioration > 20% at T25FW). TBSS showed a significant Mean and Radial Diffusivity reduction in the corticospinal tracts (p Conclusion Neurophysiological and neuroradiological parameters were modified in MS patients treated with 4-AP, and most of them reported a subjective improvement of their motor performances after treatment. The use of clinical, subjective, neurophysiological and neuroradiological tools could help to better explore MS patients responsiveness to 4-AP.
Published: 2016

43. Increased expression of Toll-like receptors 7 and 9 in myasthenia gravis thymus characterized by active Epstein–Barr virus infection

Author: Amelia Biasiucci, Carmelo Giardina, Carlo Antozzi, Claudia Barzago, Silvia Bonanno, Barbara Galbardi, Lorenzo Maggi, Francesca Andreetta, Teresio Motta, Giorgia Camera, Renato Mantegazza, Stefania Marcuzzo, Dimos Kapetis, Pia Bernasconi, Paola Cavalcante, Sara Franzi, Fulvio Baggi, Cavalcante, P, Galbardi, B, Franzi, S, Marcuzzo, S, Barzago, C, Bonanno, S, Camera, G, Maggi, L, Kapetis, D, Andreetta, F, Biasiucci, A, Motta, T, Giardina, C, Antozzi, C, Baggi, F, Mantegazza, R, and Bernasconi, P
Subjects: Adult, Male, 0301 basic medicine, Epstein-Barr Virus Infections, Herpesvirus 4, Human, Myeloid, Adolescent, Immunology, Myasthenia gravi, Thymus Gland, Biology, Lymphocyte Activation, 03 medical and health sciences, Antigen, Interferon, Myasthenia Gravis, medicine, Humans, Immunology and Allergy, RNA, Messenger, Thymu, Antigens, Viral, Cell Proliferation, Autoimmune disease, B-Lymphocytes, Innate immune system, Macrophages, virus diseases, TLR9, Germinal center, Toll-like receptor 9, Dendritic Cells, Interferon-beta, Epstein-Barr viru, Hematology, Germinal Center, medicine.disease, Myasthenia gravis, Toll-like receptor 7, Ki-67 Antigen, 030104 developmental biology, medicine.anatomical_structure, Gene Expression Regulation, Female, Signal Transduction, medicine.drug
Abstract: Considerable data implicate the thymus as the main site of autosensitization to the acetylcholine receptor in myasthenia gravis (MG), a B-cell-mediated autoimmune disease affecting the neuromuscular junction. We recently demonstrated an active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in the thymus of MG patients, suggesting that EBV might contribute to the onset or maintenance of the autoimmune response within MG thymus, because of its ability to activate and immortalize autoreactive B cells. EBV has been reported to elicit and modulate Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7- and TLR9-mediated innate immune responses, which are known to favor B-cell dysfunction and autoimmunity. Aim of this study was to investigate whether EBV infection is associated with altered expression of TLR7 and TLR9 in MG thymus. By real-time PCR, we found that TLR7 and TLR9 mRNA levels were significantly higher in EBV-positive MG compared to EBV-negative normal thymuses. By confocal microscopy, high expression levels of TLR7 and TLR9 proteins were observed in B cells and plasma cells of MG thymic germinal centers (GCs) and lymphoid infiltrates, where the two receptors co-localized with EBV antigens. An increased frequency of Ki67-positive proliferating B cells was found in MG thymuses, where we also detected proliferating cells expressing TLR7, TLR9 and EBV antigens, thus supporting the idea that EBV-associated TLR7/9 signaling may promote abnormal B-cell activation and proliferation. Along with B cells and plasma cells, thymic epithelium, plasmacytoid dendritic cells and macrophages exhibited enhanced TLR7 and TLR9 expression in MG thymus; TLR7 was also increased in thymic myeloid dendritic cells and its transcriptional levels positively correlated with those of interferon (IFN)-β. We suggested that TLR7/9 signaling may be involved in antiviral type I IFN production and long-term inflammation in EBV-infected MG thymuses. Our overall findings indicate that EBV-driven TLR7- and TLR9-mediated innate immune responses may participate in the intra-thymic pathogenesis of MG.
Published: 2016

44. Italian recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of myasthenia gravis

Author: Antonio DiMuzio, Maurizio Inghilleri, Carlo Antozzi, Cesare Iani, Renato Mantegazza, Amelia Evoli, Elena Pegoraro, Rocco Liguori, Carmelo Rodolico, Roberta Ricciardi, Giovanni Antonini, Francesco Habetswallner, Roberto Massa, Evoli, Amelia, Antonini, Giovanni, Antozzi, Carlo, DiMuzio, Antonio, Habetswallner, Francesco, Iani, Cesare, Inghilleri, Maurizio, Liguori, Rocco, Mantegazza, Renato, Massa, Roberto, Pegoraro, Elena, Ricciardi, Roberta, and Rodolico, Carmelo
Subjects: Male, medicine.medical_specialty, Weakness, medicine.medical_treatment, Immunosuppressive therapy, Myasthenia gravis, Plasma exchange, Rituximab, Thymectomy, Female, Humans, Italy, Myasthenia Gravis, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Patient characteristics, Myasthenia gravi, Dermatology, Disease, Settore MED/26, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, myasthenia gravis, thymectomy, plasma exchange, rituximab, medicine, 030212 general & internal medicine, Intensive care medicine, Adverse effect, Radiation treatment planning, business.industry, Immunosuppression, General Medicine, medicine.disease, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Specific antibody, Psychiatry and Mental Health, 2708, Neurology (clinical), medicine.symptom, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract: Myasthenia gravis is a well-treatable disease, in which a prompt diagnosis and an adequate management can achieve satisfactory control of symptoms in the great majority of patients. Improved knowledge of the disease pathogenesis has led to recognition of patient subgroups, according to associated antibodies, age at onset and thymus pathology, and to a more personalized treatment. When myasthenia gravis is suspected on clinical grounds, diagnostic confirmation relies mainly on the detection of specific antibodies. Neurophysiological studies and, to a lesser extent, clinical response to cholinesterase inhibitors support the diagnosis in seronegative patients. In these cases, the differentiation from congenital myasthenia can be challenging. Treatment planning must consider weakness extension and severity, disease subtype, thymus pathology, together with patient characteristics and comorbidities. Since most subjects with myasthenia gravis require long-term immunosuppressive therapy, surveillance of expected and potential adverse events is critical. For patients refractory to conventional immunosuppression, the use of biologic agents is highly promising. These recommendations are addressed to non-experts on neuromuscular transmission disorders. The diagnostic procedures and therapeutic approaches hereafter described are largely accessible in Italy.
Published: 2018

45. Survival gain in glioblastoma patients treated with dendritic cell immunotherapy is associated with increased NK but not CD8+ T cell activation in the presence of adjuvant temozolomide

Author: Rosina Paterra, Francesco DiMeco, Eugenio Parati, Laura Fariselli, Francesco Acerbi, Marica Eoli, Paolo Ferroli, Gaetano Finocchiaro, Bianca Pollo, Maria Grazia Bruzzone, Simona Frigerio, Carlo Antozzi, Cristina Corbetta, Valeria Cuccarini, Maura Servida, Sara Pessina, Stefania Cuzzubbo, Serena Pellegatta, Lucia Cuppini, Elena Anghileri, Pellegatta, S, Eoli, M, Cuccarini, V, Anghileri, E, Pollo, B, Pessina, S, Frigerio, S, Servida, M, Cuppini, L, Antozzi, C, Cuzzubbo, S, Corbetta, C, Paterra, R, Acerbi, F, Ferroli, P, Dimeco, F, Fariselli, L, Parati, E, Bruzzone, M, and Finocchiaro, G
Subjects: lcsh:Immunologic diseases. Allergy, 0301 basic medicine, Oncology, medicine.medical_specialty, dendritic cell, medicine.medical_treatment, Immunology, Phases of clinical research, lcsh:RC254-282, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Internal medicine, medicine, Immunology and Allergy, Cytotoxic T cell, dendritic cells, Chemotherapy, natural killer cells, Temozolomide, business.industry, Dendritic cell, Immunotherapy, natural killer cell, lcsh:Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens, adjuvant chemotherapy, 030104 developmental biology, 030220 oncology & carcinogenesis, immunotherapy, lcsh:RC581-607, Glioblastoma, business, Adjuvant, CD8, medicine.drug
Abstract: In a two-stage phase II study, 24 patients with first diagnosis of glioblastoma (GBM) were treated with dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy associated to standard radiochemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ) followed by adjuvant TMZ. Three intradermal injections of mature DC loaded with autologous GBM lysate were administered before adjuvant TMZ, while 4 injections were performed during adjuvant TMZ. According to a two-stage Simon design, to proceed to the second stage progression-free survival (PFS) 12 months after surgery was expected in at least 8 cases enrolled in the first stage. Evidence of immune response and interaction with chemotherapy were investigated. After a median follow up of 17.4 months, 9 patients reached PFS12. In these patients (responders, 37.5%), DC vaccination induced a significant, persistent activation of NK cells, whose increased response was significantly associated with prolonged survival. CD8+ T cells underwent rapid expansion and priming but, after the first administration of adjuvant TMZ, failed to generate a memory status. Resistance to TMZ was associated with robust expression of the multidrug resistance protein ABCC3 in NK but not CD8+ T cells. The negative effect of TMZ on the formation of T cell-associated antitumor memory deserves consideration in future clinical trials including immunotherapy.
Published: 2018

46. Interpreting Genetic Variants in Titin in Patients With Muscle Disorders

Author: H. Luque, Maria Barbara Pasanisi, Giorgio Tasca, Marco Savarese, Corrado Angelini, Luisa Politano, Marina Mora, Chiara Fiorillo, Sandra Janssens, Marika Pane, Liliana Vercelli, Lorenzo Maggi, Alessandra Ruggieri, Francesca Magri, Giuseppina Di Fruscio, Jan De Bleecker, Eugenio Mercuri, Filippo M. Santorelli, Carlo Minetti, Tiziana Mongini, Per Harald Jonson, Claudio Bruno, Bjarne Udd, Teresa Giugliano, Sara Gibertini, Monika Raimondi, Giacomo P. Comi, Elena Pegoraro, Anna Vihola, Maurizio Moggio, Carlo Antozzi, Luca Bello, Peter Hackman, Vincenzo Nigro, Annalaura Torella, Lucia Ruggiero, Anna Rubegni, Olivier Vanakker, Lucio Santoro, Anni Evilä, Manuela Ergoli, Savarese, Marco, Maggi, Lorenzo, Vihola, Anna, Jonson, Per Harald, Tasca, Giorgio, Ruggiero, Lucia, Bello, Luca, Magri, Francesca, Giugliano, Teresa, Torella, Annalaura, Evilä, Anni, Di Fruscio, Giuseppina, Vanakker, Olivier, Gibertini, Sara, Vercelli, Liliana, Ruggieri, Alessandra, Antozzi, Carlo, Luque, Helena, Janssens, Sandra, Pasanisi, Maria Barbara, Fiorillo, Chiara, Raimondi, Monika, Ergoli, Manuela, Politano, Luisa, Bruno, Claudio, Rubegni, Anna, Pane, Marika, Santorelli, Filippo M, Minetti, Carlo, Angelini, Corrado, De Bleecker, Jan, Moggio, Maurizio, Mongini, Tiziana, Comi, Giacomo Pietro, Santoro, Lucio, Mercuri, Eugenio, Pegoraro, Elena, Mora, Marina, Hackman, Peter, Udd, Bjarne, Nigro, Vincenzo, and DI FRUSCIO, Giuseppina
Subjects: 0301 basic medicine, Adult, Male, genetic variant, Candidate gene, DNA Mutational Analysis, Gene mutation, Muscle disorder, Bioinformatics, muscle disorders, Cohort Studies, 03 medical and health sciences, symbols.namesake, Young Adult, 0302 clinical medicine, Settore MED/39 - NEUROPSICHIATRIA INFANTILE, Muscular Diseases, medicine, Humans, Connectin, titin, Muscular dystrophy, Myopathy, Original Investigation, Sanger sequencing, biology, business.industry, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Genetic Variation, Skeletal, Middle Aged, medicine.disease, Europe, Female, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Muscle, Skeletal, Congenital myopathy, 3. Good health, 030104 developmental biology, Mutation, biology.protein, symbols, Muscle, Titin, muscular dystrophies, Neurology (clinical), medicine.symptom, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract: Importance Mutations in the titin gene (TTN) cause a wide spectrum of genetic diseases. The interpretation of the numerous rare variants identified inTTNis a difficult challenge given its large size. Objective To identify genetic variants in titin in a cohort of patients with muscle disorders. Design, Setting, and Participants In this case series, 9 patients with titinopathy and 4 other patients with possibly disease-causing variants inTTNwere identified. Titin mutations were detected through targeted resequencing performed on DNA from 504 patients with muscular dystrophy, congenital myopathy, or other skeletal muscle disorders. Patients were enrolled from 10 clinical centers in April 2012 to December 2013. All of them had not received a diagnosis after undergoing an extensive investigation, including Sanger sequencing of candidate genes. The data analysis was performed between September 2013 and January 2017. Sequencing data were analyzed using an internal custom bioinformatics pipeline. Main Outcomes and Measures The identification of novel mutations in theTTNgene and novel patients with titinopathy. We performed an evaluation of putative causative variants in theTTNgene, combining genetic, clinical, and imaging data with messenger RNA and/or protein studies. Results Of the 9 novel patients with titinopathy, 5 (55.5%) were men and the mean (SD) age at onset was 25 (15.8) years (range, 0-46 years). Of the 4 other patients (3 men and 1 woman) with possibly disease-causingTTNvariants, 2 (50%) had a congenital myopathy and 2 (50%) had a slowly progressive distal myopathy with onset in the second decade. Most of the identified mutations were previously unreported. However, all the variants, even the already described mutations, require careful clinical and molecular evaluation of probands and relatives. Heterozygous truncating variants or unique missense changes are not sufficient to make a diagnosis of titinopathy. Conclusions and Relevance The interpretation ofTTNvariants often requires further analyses, including a comprehensive evaluation of the clinical phenotype (deep phenotyping) as well as messenger RNA and protein studies. We propose a specific workflow for the clinical interpretation of genetic findings in titin.
Published: 2018

47. Validation of the besta neurological institute rating scale for myasthenia gravis

Author: Greta Brenna, Carlo Antozzi, Renato Mantegazza, Cristina Montomoli, Cristiana Rezzani, Fulvio Baggi, Giorgia Camera, and Lorenzo Maggi
Subjects: medicine.medical_specialty, Scale (ratio), Physiology, Gold standard (test), medicine.disease, Mg composite, Myasthenia gravis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, 03 medical and health sciences, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, symbols.namesake, 0302 clinical medicine, Cronbach's alpha, Rating scale, Physiology (medical), medicine, Physical therapy, symbols, 030212 general & internal medicine, Neurology (clinical), Psychology, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Reliability (statistics)
Abstract: Introduction: We validated the scale for myasthenia gravis (MG) developed at the Neurological Institute Foundation of Milan (INCB-MG scale). Methods: A total of 174 patients were evaluated with the INCB-MG and compared with the MG Composite (MGC) as the gold standard. Dimensionality, reliability, and validity of the INCB-MG scale were studied by principal component factor analysis, Cronbach alpha, and Pearson correlation coefficients; interobserver reliability was calculated by the weighted Cohen K coefficient. Results: Generalized and bulbar INCB-MG subscales were unidimensional with excellent consistency; the INCB-MG and MGC scales were strongly correlated. Fatigability assessment was correlated with the INCB-MG generalized, bulbar, and respiratory subscales. Conclusions: The INCB-MG scale is a reliable tool to assess MG and is strongly correlated with the MGC. The INCB-MG scale is a valid tool for every day practice and should be further investigated for its application in clinical trials. Muscle Nerve 53: 32–37, 2016
Published: 2015

48. MuSK autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis detected by cell based assay - A multinational study

Author: John Tzartos, Anastasios Tsonis, Kleopas A. Kleopa, Chantal M. E. Tallaksen, Dragana Lavrnic, Ivana Basta, Anthony Behin, Socrates J. Tzartos, Feza Deymeer, Stojan Peric, Mario Losen, C. Casasnovas Pons, Angelina H. Maniaol, Carlo Antozzi, Sonia Berrih-Aknin, Amelia Evoli, M. De Baets, F. Hanisch, E. Matsigkou, Renato Mantegazza, Tassos C. Kyriakides, Francesca Andreetta, Anna Kostera-Pruszczyk, Piotr Szczudlik, Güher Saruhan-Direskeneli, Konstantinos Lazaridis, Tarek Sharshar, Paraskevi Zisimopoulou, M. Jakubíkova, A. Vaknin, Hacer Durmus, Vasiliki Zouvelou, Eleni Zamba-Papanicolaou, Talma Brenner, Pilar Martinez-Martinez, Beata Szyluk, Jiri Pitha, Psychiatrie & Neuropsychologie, and RS: MHeNs - R3 - Neuroscience
Subjects: Adult, Male, International Cooperation, Immunology, Radioimmunoassay, Thymus Gland, Diagnosis, medicine, Immunology and Allergy, Humans, Receptors, Cholinergic, Cell based assay, Myasthenia gravis, LDL-Receptor Related Proteins, Acetylcholine receptor, Aged, MuSK, Autoantibodies, Neuromyelitis optica, biology, business.industry, Multiple sclerosis, Neuromyelitis Optica, Autoantibody, Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, Hyperplasia, Middle Aged, medicine.disease, Flow Cytometry, 3. Good health, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Neurology, biology.protein, Cell-based assay, Female, Neurology (clinical), Thymus Hyperplasia, Antibody, business
Abstract: Seronegativemyastheniagravis(MG) presents a serious gap in MG diagnosis and understanding. We applied acellbasedassay(CBA) for the detection of muscle specific kinase (MuSK) antibodies undetectable by radioimmunoassay. We tested 633 triple-seronegative MG patients' sera from 13 countries, detecting 13% as positive.MuSKantibodies were found, at significantly lower frequencies, in 1.9% of healthy controls and 5.1% of other neuroimmune disease patients, including multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica. The clinical data of the newly diagnosedMuSK-MG patients are presented. 27% of ocular seronegative patients wereMuSKantibody positive. Moreover, 23% had thymic hyperplasia suggesting that thymic abnormalities are more common than believed.
Published: 2015

49. When myasthenia gravis is deemed refractory: clinical signposts and treatment strategies

Author: Renato Mantegazza and Carlo Antozzi
Subjects: 0301 basic medicine, Oncology, medicine.medical_specialty, Thymoma, medicine.medical_treatment, Population, lcsh:RC346-429, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Refractory, Internal medicine, medicine, education, lcsh:Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system, Pharmacology, education.field_of_study, business.industry, Eculizumab, medicine.disease, Belimumab, Myasthenia gravis, Thymectomy, 030104 developmental biology, Neurology, Rituximab, Neurology (clinical), business, Corrigendum, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, medicine.drug
Abstract: The prognosis for patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) has improved significantly over the past half century, including substantial reductions in mortality and morbidity. However, approximately 10% of patients fails to respond adequately to current therapies and are considered treatment refractory, or treatment intolerant, and up to 80% have disease that fails to achieve complete stable remission. Although patients with autoantibodies to muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (anti-MuSK positive) are more likely to become treatment refractory than those with autoantibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (anti-AChR positive), each of these serotypes is substantially represented in the refractory MG population. Other risk factors for becoming treatment refractory include history of thymoma or thymectomy and female sex. A modified treatment algorithm for MG is proposed: patients who have disease that fails to respond to the stepwise approach to therapy, are treatment intolerant, or who require chronic rescue measures despite ongoing therapy, should be considered treatment refractory and emerging therapies should be considered. Three emerging monoclonal antibody-based therapies are discussed: the anti-B-cell agent rituximab; the terminal complement activation inhibitor eculizumab; and belimumab, which targets B-cell activating factor. Increased understanding of molecular pathophysiology and accurate antibody subtyping in MG should lead to the use of new therapeutic agents and successful management of treatment-refractory patients.
Published: 2017

50. Survival gain in glioblastoma patients treated with dendritic cell immunotherapy is associated with increased NK but not CD8

Author: Serena, Pellegatta, Marica, Eoli, Valeria, Cuccarini, Elena, Anghileri, Bianca, Pollo, Sara, Pessina, Simona, Frigerio, Maura, Servida, Lucia, Cuppini, Carlo, Antozzi, Stefania, Cuzzubbo, Cristina, Corbetta, Rosina, Paterra, Francesco, Acerbi, Paolo, Ferroli, Francesco, DiMeco, Laura, Fariselli, Eugenio A, Parati, Maria Grazia, Bruzzone, and Gaetano, Finocchiaro
Subjects: adjuvant chemotherapy, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, immunotherapy, Glioblastoma, Original Research
Abstract: In a two-stage phase II study, 24 patients with first diagnosis of glioblastoma (GBM) were treated with dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy associated to standard radiochemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ) followed by adjuvant TMZ. Three intradermal injections of mature DC loaded with autologous GBM lysate were administered before adjuvant TMZ, while 4 injections were performed during adjuvant TMZ. According to a two-stage Simon design, to proceed to the second stage progression-free survival (PFS) 12 months after surgery was expected in at least 8 cases enrolled in the first stage. Evidence of immune response and interaction with chemotherapy were investigated. After a median follow up of 17.4 months, 9 patients reached PFS12. In these patients (responders, 37.5%), DC vaccination induced a significant, persistent activation of NK cells, whose increased response was significantly associated with prolonged survival. CD8+ T cells underwent rapid expansion and priming but, after the first administration of adjuvant TMZ, failed to generate a memory status. Resistance to TMZ was associated with robust expression of the multidrug resistance protein ABCC3 in NK but not CD8+ T cells. The negative effect of TMZ on the formation of T cell-associated antitumor memory deserves consideration in future clinical trials including immunotherapy.
Published: 2017

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