Hospital discharge diagnoses in patients with positive blood cultures in an Italian academic hospital.

Objective: To assess the sensitivity of hospital discharge diagnoses for identifying sepsis in patients with blood culture confirmation.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Italian 1000-bed University Hospital of Udine. The administrative databases of the Hospital were used as the source of information.

B-lymphocyte stimulator and a proliferation-inducing ligand serum levels in IgA-deficient patients with and without celiac disease.

IgA deficiency (IgAD) is the most common form of immunodeficiency and frequently associates with autoimmunity, especially with celiac disease (CD). The mechanisms underlying IgAD and the development of autoimmunity are still relatively unknown. Elevated B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) and APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand) serum levels characterize several autoimmune diseases.

Diagnostic efficacy of the ELISA test for the detection of deamidated anti-gliadin peptide antibodies in the diagnosis and monitoring of celiac disease.

Background And Aim: We evaluated the diagnostic performance of an ELISA test for anti-gliadin IgA and IgG antibodies, which uses synthetic deamidated gliadin peptides (anti-gliadin antibodies, AGAs) as coating; the results were compared with a test that uses extracted gliadin (AGAe).

Methods: The study was conducted on the sera of 144 patients suffering from celiac disease (CD), including 20 patients with IgA deficiency and 9 who were following a gluten-free diet (GFD), and 129 controls.

Results: In the 115 CD patients (without IgA deficiency), the sensitivity of AGAe IgA and IgG was 32.

Elevated B cell-activating factor of the tumour necrosis factor family in coeliac disease.

Objective: The B cell-activating factor of the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) family (BAFF) was recently described as a critical survival factor for B cells, and its expression is increased in several autoimmune diseases. Abnormal production of BAFF disturbs immune tolerance allowing the survival of autoreactive B cells and participates in the progression of B-cell lymphomas. Coeliac disease (CD) is a common autoimmune disorder induced by gluten intake in genetically predisposed individuals, associated with autoantibody production and with an increased risk of lymphoma at follow-up.