Publications by authors named "Alessandra Tozzo"
Background: Cerebrospinal fluid myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein IgG (CSF MOG-IgG) are found in a proportion of patients with MOG antibody-associated disorder (MOGAD) and have been associated with severe disease presentations. However, most studies did not systematically investigate the role of MOG-IgG intrathecal synthesis (ITS).
Methods: We retrospectively studied 960 consecutive patients with paired serum and CSF samples screened for MOG-IgG using a live cell-based assays.
Article Synopsis
- DOACs are effective in treating pediatric venous thromboembolism (VTE) and may reduce recurrence without major safety concerns.
- A systematic review of RCTs showed significant findings for treatment, indicating DOACs lower the risk of VTE recurrence compared to standard care.
- Prophylaxis with DOACs appears comparable to standard care, with no significant differences in major bleeding or serious adverse events noted.
Article Synopsis
- Behcet's disease (BD) is a rare condition marked by widespread inflammation; neurological symptoms, especially in children, are infrequent and can complicate diagnosis.
- The case study highlights a 13-month-old girl with severe neurological episodes that initially resembled acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, before evolving into signs indicative of Behcet's disease such as polyarthritis and uveitis.
- Successful treatment involved a team of specialists and emphasized the importance of recognizing early-onset demyelinating syndromes and the need for a thorough literature review on BD's neurological aspects.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to identify early indicators of relapse and outcomes in pediatric patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disorders (MOGAD).* -
- Researchers analyzed data from 75 children, finding differences in disease presentation based on age; younger patients were more likely to present with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, while older patients saw more cases of optic neuritis.* -
- Results highlighted specific early treatment factors, such as starting immunotherapy within 7 days or prolonged corticosteroid use, as associated with lower relapse risks; 21.1% of patients had moderate to severe disability at final follow-up, particularly among those with relapsing disease.*
The role of inflammation is increasingly recognized in triggering or sustaining epileptic activity. In the last decades, increasing research has provided definite evidence to support the link between immunity, inflammatory process, and epilepsy. Neuro- and systemic inflammation play a pivotal role in driving epileptogenesis through different pathogenetic mechanisms: the activation of innate immunity in glia, neurons, and microvasculature, the brain mediated by blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment, and the imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules produced by both arms of immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychiatric autoimmune conditions in children and adolescents: Is catatonia a severity marker?
Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
January 2021
Objectives: Patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) are likely to exhibit an acute onset of severe psychiatric features, including psychosis and/or catatonia. Based on the high prevalence of catatonia in AE and our clinical experience, we hypothesized that catatonia might be a marker of severity requiring more aggressive treatment approaches.
Methods: To reach a sufficient number of cases with brain-autoimmune conditions, we pooled two samples (N = 58): the first from the French National Network of Rare Psychiatric diseases and the second from the largest Italian neuro-pediatrics center for encephalopathies.
An understanding of natural killer (NK) cell physiology in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has led to the use of NK cell transfer in patients, demonstrating promising clinical results. However, AML is still characterized by a high relapse rate and poor overall survival. In addition to conventional NKs that can be considered the innate counterparts of CD8 T cells, another family of innate lymphocytes has been recently described with phenotypes and functions mirroring those of helper CD4 T cells.
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