Our findings support prior literature implicating Th17.1 cells in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. However, we demonstrate these findings in patients with melanoma prior to administration of checkpoint therapy and before the onset of clinically symptomatic sarcoidosis. The identification of elevated Th17.1 cells in melanoma patients who have not developed sarcoidosis may reflect the established association between melanoma and sarcoidosis. With some patients receiving these agents over a prolonged period, the clinical course of immunotherapy-induced sarcoidosis is uncertain.

We examined the natural history of mitral-valve prolapse in 53 patients who had had a midsystolic click or late systolic murmur (or both) documented phonocardiographically a mean of 13.7 years earlier. Thirty-eight patients were alive without serious complications, and seven had died of unrelated causes. In two patients prolapse was implicated in the cause of death. Other complications were ventricular fibrillation in one patient and bacterial endocarditis in three. Progressive mitral regurgitation developed in five patients, requiring valve replacement in two. These complications occurred in a total of eight patients (15 per cent), and were significantly (P = 0.15) associated with a late systolic murmur rather than an isolated midsystolic click. Thus it appears that the diagnosis of mitral-valve prolapse should not be regarded as ominous; however, patients in whom this diagnosis is associated with a late systolic murmur should be followed carefully.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the impact of Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) platform reputation directly and indirectly (mediate effect) affects investors’ (lenders) investment choices. Design/methodology/approach Using data collected from 478 P2P platforms, this paper calculates platform reputation via a β function after establishing a reputation mechanism by game analysis. This is followed by testing both the direct effect of platform reputation on investors’ investment choices (proxying by transaction volume) and the indirect effect through credit-enhancing information using three regression models (median regression, OLS regression and random effect OLS regression). A robustness test by adding instrument variables is conducted to confirm the findings from the main regressions. Findings In China, P2P lending platform reputations have played both a direct and indirect (through credit-enhancing information) role on investors’ investment choices. Originality/value This paper expands the boundary of P2P online lending research by not only examining the direct, but also, importantly, the indirect effects of platform reputations.

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