Publications by authors named "Alessandra Ruffa"
Article Synopsis
- A 6-year study investigated cancer risk factors in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) across 16 centers in Italy, focusing on clinical characteristics and immunomodulator use.
- The study identified 403 cancer cases among IBD patients, most commonly affecting the digestive system, with colorectal cancer more prevalent in ulcerative colitis (UC) and small bowel adenocarcinoma more common in Crohn's disease (CD).
- Key risk factors included disease behavior types in CD, and for UC, factors such as undergoing abdominal surgery and having extensive disease increased overall cancer risk.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated cancer risk in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and identified various risk factors through a multicenter, nested case-control approach.
- Out of 44,619 IBD patients, 174 developed cancer, with a higher incidence in those with Crohn's disease (CD) compared to ulcerative colitis (UC).
- Key risk factors included penetrating behavior in CD and extensive disease in UC, underscoring the importance of disease characteristics and certain treatments in cancer development among IBD patients.
Background: We aimed to prospectively assess whether endoscopic recurrence severity at 1 year in Crohn's disease is predictive of clinical recurrence within 5 years.
Methods: Clinical recurrence (Crohn's Disease Activity Index>150) was assessed yearly for 5 years in Crohn's disease patients undergoing ileo-colonic resection. At 1 year, recurrence was assessed by colonoscopy (Rutgeerts' score ≥i1 or ≥2i) and small intestine contrast ultrasonography.
Background: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases involving a genetically determined inappropriate mucosal immune response towards luminal antigens, including resident bacterial flora. Recent studies identified susceptibility genes involved in autophagy.
Aims: We analyzed known autophagic loci (IRGM, ULK1 and AMBRA1) previously described as associated with inflammatory bowel diseases or with other autoimmune and/or inflammatory disorders in a sample of Italian inflammatory bowel diseases patients in order to confirm their possible involvement and relative contribution in the disease.
Subtle abnormalities of cardiac structure or function are often identified in patients with liver cirrhosis and have been termed cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. However, in the absence of a precise definition, its diagnosis remains a challenge. Cardiac dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis can often be attributed to concomitant diseases such as hypertension, ischaemic heart disease or excess alcohol consumption in many patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) plays a major role in the tissue-damaging immune response in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). The tissue concentration of TNF-α is related to the activity of "A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease" (ADAMs), enzymes that process membrane-bound TNF-α and liberate the TNF-α trimer into the extracellular environment. Although IBD-related inflammation is associated with high ADAM17 levels, the contribution of other members of the ADAMs family is not known.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cirrhotic cardiomiopathy is described as the presence of cardiac dysfunction in cirrhotic patients. The aim of the study was to investigate factors associated with cardiac dysfunction in cirrhotic patients.
Patients And Methods: Seventy-four cirrhotic patients and twenty-six controls performed a conventional echocardiography and Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) for systolic and diastolic function.