Research on IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), an autoimmune condition recognized to be a unique disease entity only two decades ago, has processed from describing patients' symptoms and signs to summarizing its critical pathological features, and further to investigating key pathogenic mechanisms. Challenges in gaining a better understanding of the disease, however, stem from its relative rarity-potentially attributed to underrecognition-and the absence of ideal experimental animal models. Recently, with the development of various high-throughput techniques, "omics" studies at different levels (particularly the single-cell omics) have shown promise in providing detailed molecular features of IgG4-RD. While, the application of omics approaches in IgG4-RD is still at an early stage. In this paper, we review the current progress of omics research in IgG4-RD and discuss the value of machine learning methods in analyzing the data with high dimensionality.
Humans ; Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease/metabolism* ; Immunoglobulin G/metabolism* ; Machine Learning ; Animals ; Proteomics/methods*

There has been a conscious effort to address osteoporosis in the aging population. As bisphosphonate and intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) therapy become more widely prescribed to treat osteoporosis, it is important to understand their effects on other physiologic processes, particularly the impact on spinal fusion. Despite early animal model studies and more recent clinical studies, the impact of these medications on spinal fusion is not fully understood. Previous animal studies suggest that bisphosphonate therapy resulted in inhibition of fusion mass with impeded maturity and an unknown effect on biomechanical strength. Prior animal studies demonstrate an improved fusion rate and fusion mass microstructure with the use of intermittent PTH. The purpose of this study was to determine if bisphosphonates and intermittent PTH treatment have impact on human spinal fusion. A systematic review of the literature published between 1980 and 2015 was conducted using major electronic databases. Studies reporting outcomes of human subjects undergoing 1, 2, or 3-level spinal fusion while receiving bisphosphonates and/or intermittent PTH treatment were included. The results of relevant human studies were analyzed for consensus on the effects of these medications in regards to spinal fusion. There were nine human studies evaluating the impact of these medications on spinal fusion. Improved fusion rates were noted in patients receiving bisphosphonates compared to control groups, and greater fusion rates in patients receiving PTH compared to control groups. Prior studies involving animal models found an improved fusion rate and fusion mass microstructure with the use of intermittent PTH. No significant complications were demonstrated in any study included in the analysis. Bisphosphonate use in humans may not be a deterrent to spinal fusion. Intermittent parathyroid use has shown early promise to increase fusion mass in both animal and human studies but further studies are needed to support routine use.
Aging ; Animals ; Consensus ; Diphosphonates ; Humans* ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Models, Animal ; Osteoporosis ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Spinal Fusion*

The AV node is a structure in the atrial septum at the atrioventricular junction. The atrial septum is important for various types of supravenricular arrgythmia especially for AV node reentrant tachycardia. In this study, it was aimed to understand the electrical propagation in the atrium and the atrial septum, as well as the effects of perinodal cryosurgery. Eleven mongrel dogs weighing between 26.0kg and 34.5kg were divided into control(d dogs) and cryosurgery(6 dogs) group. The animals were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium(30 mg/kg) and under a normothermic total cardiopulmonary bypass, endocardial template electrodes(left atrium ; 124, right atrium; 128 bipolar electrodes) were placed into the both atria. The endocardial electrocal activation was recorded using a 256 channel computerized mapping system during normal sinus rhythm, atrial pacing, and ventricular pacing. For the cryosurgery group, the endocardial electrical activation was recorded after eight weeks of discrete perinodal cryosurgery. The results are as followings : 1) The electrical propagation from the SA node to the AV node occurred mainly through thick muscle band of the crista terminalis of the right atrium and anterior limbus fossa ovalis. 2) Electrophysiologically, the atrial septum appeared to be 2 layers. 3) During ventricular pacing, the center of the Koch triangle was the first to respond to activation. When the atrial septum of the AV nodal area was activated, the electrical activations propagated asymmetrically and the activity of the left atrium was propagated through the Bachmann's bundle. The left atrial side of the atrial septum was activated 10-15 msec later than the right side during ventricular pacing. 4) The cryosurgery did not change any significant difference in the AH, HV, AV node effective refractory period and AV node Wenckebach period. However, the ventriculo-atrial conduction was blocked in 50% of the animals. 5) In cryosurgery group, the electrical propagation from the SA nodal area to both atrial was similar to the control group except along side the vertical right atrial incision site. 6) The endocardial activation map in the cryosurgery group showed that the activation was spread out from the lateral atrial tissue outside of the cryolesions. The left atrial side of the atrial septum was was activated 6-19 msec later than the right atrial side. In conclusion, electrophysiologically the atrial septum appears to be composed of 2 layers and there is no direct electrical propagation between the AV node and the left atrial side of the atrial septum. The cryosurgery did not influence the electrial activation sequence from the SA node to the AV node except the site of cryolesion.
Animals ; Atrial Septum* ; Atrioventricular Node ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Cryosurgery* ; Dogs ; Heart Atria ; Pentobarbital ; Tachycardia