Forscher am Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center haben einen molekularen Test entwickelt, der Borrelia burgdorferi früher und zuverlässiger nachweist als herkömmliche Verfahren. Die Methode basiert auf droplet digital PCR und könnte Fehldiagnosen vermeiden sowie die Behandlung beschleunigen. Lyme-Borreliose nimmt in den USA seit 30 Jahren zu, besonders im Nordosten, wo Zecken mit Borrelia burgdorferi von Spätfrühling bis Frühherbst aktiv sind. Unbehandelt drohen Gelenk-, Herz- und Nervenschäden. Das typische ringförmige Erythem tritt nur bei etwa 25 Prozent der Betroffenen auf, viele entwickeln Hautveränderungen, die andere Erkrankungen imitieren. Antikörpertests fallen in den ersten Infektionswochen oft negativ aus. Ausgangspunkt war eine 73-jährige Patientin mit über vier Jahre fortschreitender Hautverhärtung, Entzündung und Gelenksteife. Zunächst als Morphea eingestuft, sprach sie nicht auf Immunsuppressiva an, wohl aber auf Doxycyclin. Serologische Tests deuteten lediglich auf eine frühere Infektion hin. Das Team um Guohong Huang entwickelte drei ddPCR-Assays: einen… 

A current review in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology summarizes the state of research on the role of the hormone leptin in metabolically associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). MAFLD is considered one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide and is closely related to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Leptin, a polypeptide consisting of 167 amino acids, is primarily produced by white adipose tissue and correlates with body fat mass. It binds to the receptor Ob-R, with the long isoform Ob-Rb mediating the central signaling effect. This is expressed in both the central nervous system and the liver. Animal models with leptin or receptor deficiency show severe fatty liver and insulin resistance. Signaling pathways include the activation of JAK2-STAT3 as well as PI3K/Akt and AMPK, which promote insulin sensitivity and fatty acid oxidation. Dysregulation leads to leptin resistance, which arises from increased SOCS3 expression and impaired transport across the blood-brain barrier. This exacerbates insulin resistance and fat accumulation in the…

According to a new study published in Nature Genetics by researchers from the Karolinska Institutet, among others, depression in young adulthood has a stronger hereditary component and is associated with a higher risk of suicide attempts than depression that begins later in life. "We hope that genetic information can help medical professionals identify individuals at high risk of suicide who may need more support and closer follow-up," says Lu Yi, senior researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Karolinska Institutet and one of the corresponding authors of the study. Depression is a common mental illness that can affect people at different stages of life. The new study shows that depression that begins before the age of 25 has a stronger hereditary component than depression that occurs later in life. Significant genetic differences The study, based on medical records and genetic data…