A B S T R A C T Using a hemagglutination test which can detect antibodies to (a) native and denatured deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and (b) an extractable nuclear antigen (ENA), a comparative study of patterns of autoantibody formation has been done in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and related rheumatic diseases. Antibody to native DNA was present in the serum in 96% of patients with active SLE and disappeared during remissions. Antibody to ENA was found in 86% of those patients with SLE nephritis who responded to treatment but in only 8% of those who did not. The highest titers of antibody to ENA were found in patients having a mixed connective tissue disease syndrome with features of SLE, scleroderma, and myositis. The latter syndrome was notable for the absence of renal disease and for a striking responsiveness to corticosteroid therapy. Hemagglutination testing of 277 sera from normal persons and patients with a wide variety of acute diseases other than SLE revealed the presence of antibody to native DNA in only 1.4% and antibody to ENA in only 0.4%.These results yield significant correlations among the pattern of autoimmune reactivity, the clinical form of the rheumatic disease, and responsiveness to treatment. They implicate the qualitative nature of the patient's immune response as a conditioning factor in the type of disease. Together with other correlations they may allow classification of rheumatic diseases into more biologically meaningful groups and lead to more selective methods of therapy.

R. A. (2021). Altered white matter microstructural organization in posttraumatic stress disorder across 3047 adults: results from the PGC-ENIGMA PTSD consortium. Molecular Psychiatry,26,[4315][4316][4317][4318][4319][4320][4321][4322][4323][4324][4325][4326][4327][4328][4329][4330]

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a major health concern among active duty service members and Veterans returning from combat operations, and it can result in variable clinical and cognitive outcomes. Identifying biomarkers that can improve diagnosis and prognostication has been at the forefront of recent research efforts. The purpose of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of abnormalities identified using more traditional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences such as fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) to more advanced MRI sequences such as susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) among a cohort of active duty service members experiencing persistent cognitive symptoms after mTBI. One-hundred and fifty-two active duty service members (77 mTBI, 58 orthopedically injured [OI] only, 17 post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] only) underwent MRI and neuropsychological evaluation at a large military treatment facility. Results demonstrated that FLAIR white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) were present in all three groups at statistically similar rates (41% mTBI, 49% OI, and 29% PTSD). With the exception of a single OI participant showing a small discrete SWI lesion, SWI abnormalities were overwhelmingly present in mTBI patients (22% mTBI, 1% OI, and 0% PTSD). Functionally, mTBI participants with and without SWI abnormalities did not differ in demographics, symptom reporting, or cognitive performance. However, mTBI participants with and without WMH did differ for on measures of working memory with the mTBI participants with WMH having worse cognitive performance. No other significant differences were noted for those participants with and without imaging abnormalities for either the OI or PTSD only cohorts. These results appear to illustrate the sensitivity and specificity of SWI findings though these results did not have any significant functional impact in this cohort. In contrast, WMHs noted on FLAIR imaging were not sensitive or specific findings, but functionally relevant among mTBI participants. These findings emphasize the complexity of injury and functional outcome in mTBI patients that requires additional examination.