Using metabolomic profiling of fecal samples of children with enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), researchers found that children with ERA may have lower levels of tryptophan metabolites. This finding may be attributable to differences in the gut microbiota that contribute to their pro-inflammatory phenotype…
Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer with a PhD in microbiology/immunology from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. As a medical writer she has covered topics as diverse as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and autism. Her favorite subject, however, is the role of the immune system in health and disease. Dr. Pullen is also the mother of three children, the youngest of whom has Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). She is an active member of the PWS community and a thought leader on the importance of the ketogenic diet for this patient population.
Articles by Lara C. Pullen, PhD
New Insights into the Structure of Collagen Fibril
A study of knee and hip articular cartilage found that thick fibers were bundles of thin fibrils—like a multi-thread rope in which each thread corresponds to a prototypic sub-fibril. The organization of the fibers also differed between the cartilages of distinct tissues, which may explain how a breakdown in the fiber pattern contributes to pathology…
Varicella Zoster Virus Downregulates Programmed Death & Promotes Inflammation
A recent study found that the varicella zoster virus downregulates expression of programmed death ligand 1 and major histocompatibility complex 1 in brain fibroblasts, perineurial cells and lung fibroblasts. These effects may lead to persistent inflammation in the vessels and lungs, as well as promote subsequent infection of T cells and the spread of the virus…
Patients with Parkinson’s Disease Are at Risk for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Patients with Parkinson’s disease may be at risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). New research examined why patients with Parkinson’s have a higher incidence of CTS than that of the general population. The study found that those patients who underwent subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation to monitor them for neuropathy may develop CTS…
Lateral Hip Pain: Could It Be Gluteal Tendinopathy?
Researchers recently found that physical tests that involve an active muscle contraction were most useful in identifying gluteal tendinopathy in patients with lateral hip pain. However, patients who were not palpably tender over the greater trochanter were unlikely to have GT detected during an MRI…
Metabolomic Profiles: A Biomarker for the Biological Treatment of RA
A recent study suggests that metabolites may be a biomarker for disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). For the first time, researchers identified serum metabolomic profiles and 16 clinical parameters that serve as a reasonably predictive model for a patient’s therapeutic response to biological treatment of RA, specifically TNF-α inhibitor therapy…
SSRIs Act Centrally to Cause Bone Loss
In a recent study, investigators examined the effects of both the short- and long-term use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the development and loss of bone. The study results describe the mechanisms by which SSRIs, specifically fluoxetine, affect osteoclasts short term to increase bone mass, but also how the treatment may cause bone loss at six weeks in mice…
Otulipenia: From Inflammatory Case Studies to Treatment
Otulipenia is a recently discovered autoinflammatory disease caused by germline mutations, which results in dysregulated ubiquitination in patients. In a small-scale study, researchers used exome sequencing and candidate gene screening to identify three different loss-of-function mutations in the OTULIN/FAM105B gene in patients…
Do Fatty Acids Underlie Rheumatoid Arthritis Pathology?
According to a new study, patients with aggressive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have lower levels of non-esterified fatty acids, which coincide with an enhanced Th1 response. Researchers suggest that lower EPA and DHA at the onset of RA may exacerbate inflammation, and fatty acids may become a novel therapeutic target for the disease…
The Role of Benign Joint Hypermobility in Functional Pain Disorders
Physicians have been puzzled by the role of benign joint hypermobility syndrome in the development of gastrointestinal disorders and other autonomic symptoms and co-morbidities. However, new research found that benign joint hypermobility syndrome only minimally affects autonomic abnormalities…
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