Quality of Life (QoL) in Patients with Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: How Much Better with Biological Drugs?

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are chronic and disabling diseases that affect patient health-related quality of life (HRQoL). IBD patients are frequently exposed to high levels of stress and psychological distress. Biological drugs have been proven to reduce inflammation, hospitalization, and most of the complications that characterize IBDs; their potential contribution to patients' HRQoL remains to be explored.

Fatty Liver as Potential Biomarker of Atherosclerotic Damage in Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia.

Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCH) is a very common inherited lipid disorder, characterized by a high risk of developing cardiovascular (CV) disease and metabolic complications, including insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increased in FCH patients, especially in those with IR or T2DM. However, it is unknown how precociously metabolic and cardiovascular complications appear in FCH patients.

Role of Vitamin K in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Focus on Bone and Cardiovascular Health.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is commonly associated with vitamin K deficiency. Some of the serious complications of CKD are represented by cardiovascular disease (CVD) and skeletal fragility with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. A complex pathogenetic link between hormonal and ionic disturbances, bone tissue and metabolism alterations, and vascular calcification (VC) exists and has been defined as chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD).

PCSK9 Plasma Levels Are Associated with Mechanical Vascular Impairment in Familial Hypercholesterolemia Subjects without a History of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Results of Six-Month Add-On PCSK9 Inhibitor Therapy.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-9 (PCSK9) is a key regulator of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) metabolism involved in the degradation of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) through complex mechanisms. The PCSK9 plasma levels change according to lipid lowering therapy (LLT). Few data exist regarding the role of PCSK9 in vascular damage.

Late recognition of Gore Helex atrial septal occluder fracture and migration.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure is indicated in cryptogenic stroke. Percutaneous PFO closure is both feasible and highly efficacious with low incidence of device-related complications. When complications occur, they are usually discovered within 6 weeks of device deployment.

Expression and Change of miRs 145, 221 and 222 in Hypertensive Subjects Treated with Enalapril, Losartan or Olmesartan.

miR profile could be associated to CV risk, and also to prognosis/outcome in response to therapeutic approach. We aimed to evaluate if anti-hypertensive drugs enalapril, losartan or olmesartan have effects on monocyte miR profile in essential hypertensives without target organ involvement. For this purpose, 82 hypertensives and 49 controls were included; we evaluated SBP/DBP, lipid profile, glucose, CRP, fibrinogen, arterial stiffness indices (PWV; AIx), and cIMT at baseline (T0) and after 24 weeks of treatment (T1).

Abnormal left ventricular global strain during exercise-test in young healthy smokers.

Background: It is unknown how much precociously the cigarette smoking (CS) may compromise the integrity of the cardiovascular (CV) system. Myocardial function can be routinely assessed by conventional echocardiography, but abnormalities are only detected when somewhat a remodelling has already occurred. These limitations could be overcome by strain imaging.

Impact of a Transplantation Critical Care Model on Short-Term Outcomes Following Liver Transplantation in High Acuity Patients: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Patients with high acuity ESLD are frequently denied life-saving OLT by transplant centers due to reported inferior outcomes. We sought to analyze the impact of a specialized transplant critical care model (TCCM) on patient access to OLT and survival outcomes in high acuity patients.

Hypoceruloplasminemia: an unusual biochemical finding in a girl with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and severe hypothyroidism.

Clinical picture of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) may significantly vary in pediatric age, ranging from euthyroidism to subclinical hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism; only rarely HT presentation may be characterized by a severe hypothyroidism also in pediatric age. Here we describe a 3-year-old Caucasian girl who was admitted to our Clinic due to pericardial effusion, muscle weakness and weight gain. At clinical examination, she presented with bradycardia, pale and round face, pseudohypertrophy of calf muscles and no pitting edema of the limbs.

Platypnea-Orthodeoxia: A Case of Unexplained Hypoxia.

Introduction: Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome is a rare clinical syndrome defined by worsening deoxygenation and dyspnea when changing to an upright sitting or standing position. It is seen in 3 different clinical scenarios: intracardiac shunts, pulmonary arteriovenous shunts, and ventilation/perfusion mismatch in the lungs.

Case: An 82-year-old woman with a history of nonischemic cardiomyopathy with reduced ejection fraction was admitted with dyspnea and hypoxemia.

Biglycan expression, earlier vascular damage and pro-atherogenic profile improvement after smoke cessation in young people.

Background And Aims: Young cigarette smokers may already present with early signs of vascular inflammation and damage; biglycan (BGN) has been shown to play a critical role in the initiation and progression of vascular lesions, also in young smokers. We investigated whether after smoke cessation, monocyte BGN expression is reduced; moreover, we evaluated any improvement of pro-atherogenic profile and arterial stiffness (AS), and their relationship with BGN in abstinent smokers.

Methods: Two-hundred-fifty-one young people who had decided to quit smoking were enrolled; of these, 71 had completed the 12-month observation period maintaining smoking abstinence.

Nutrition, aging and cancer: lessons from dietary intervention studies.

There is convincing epidemiological and clinical evidence that, independent of aging, lifestyle and, notably, nutrition are associated with development or progression of major human cancers, including breast, prostate, colorectal tumors, and an increasingly large collection of diet-related cancers. Mechanisms underlying this association are mostly related to the distinct epigenetic effects of different dietary patterns. In this context, Mediterranean diet has been reported to significantly reduce mortality rates for various chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.

In Vivo CT Direct Volume Rendering: A Three-Dimensional Anatomical Description of the Heart.

Background: Since cardiac anatomy continues to play an important role in the practice of medicine and in the development of medical devices, the study of the heart in three dimensions is particularly useful to understand its real structure, function and proper location in the body.

Material/methods: This study demonstrates a fine use of direct volume rendering, processing the data set images obtained by Computed Tomography (CT) of the heart of 5 subjects with age range between 18 and 42 years (2 male, 3 female), with no history of any overt cardiac disease. The cardiac structure in CT images was first extracted from the thorax by marking manually the regions of interest on the computer, and then it was stacked to create new volumetric data.

Takeuchi repair of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare form of congenital heart disease that has been successfully palliated for decades. Prior to coronary reimplantation, the Takeuchi repair was the most common operative palliation. The Takeuchi repair is still seen today at less experienced congenital centers or when reimplantation is not possible.

Biglycan expression in current cigarette smokers: a possible link between active smoking and atherogenesis.

Objective: Cigarette smokers present early signs of vascular damage and systemic inflammation. Biglycan (BGN), an ubiquitous component of extracellular matrix orchestrating several physiological functions, has recently been indicated as a major source of low-density lipoprotein retention in the normal arterial intima-media layer. We evaluated whether BGN-mRNA expression was enhanced in peripheral monocytes of smokers with no additional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), and if it was associated with altered carotid arterial stiffness (AS) or intima media thickness (cIMT).

Propylthiouracil prevents cutaneous and pulmonary fibrosis in the reactive oxygen species murine model of systemic sclerosis.

Introduction: Recent advances suggest that the cellular redox state may play a significant role in the progression of fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Another, and as yet poorly accounted for, feature of SSc is its overlap with thyroid abnormalities. Previous reports demonstrate that hypothyroidism reduces oxidant stress.

Simvastatin attenuates the development of pulmonary and cutaneous fibrosis in a murine model of systemic sclerosis.

Objective: The antifibrotic effect of simvastatin has been demonstrated in human lung fibroblasts. This study aimed to measure the effects of simvastatin in the development of pulmonary and cutaneous fibrosis in a murine model of SSc and to explore the mechanisms of these effects.

Methods: Chronic oxidant stress SSc was induced in BALB/c mice by daily s.

Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia occurring in an estimated 2.7 to 6.1 million people in the United States.

Doppler perfusion index and colorectal hepatic metastases: personal experience and review of the literature.

Background/aims: To evaluate the role of the hepatic perfusion in the assessment of the colorectal cancer.

Methodology: For this research 18 patients affected by colorectal cancer were enrolled. All the patients were submitted to the evaluation of the Doppler Perfusion Index (DPI) which represents the ratio of hepatic arterial to total liver blood flow.

Circulating progenitor cells and the elderly: a seven-year observational study.

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases and related complications are the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. CV progenitor cells, including CD34+ cells, play a role in delaying the progression of atherosclerosis. In the present study we observed 100 octogenarians for seven years, in order to address the question of whether CD34+ cell number is a predictor of longevity in selected survivors.

Circulating progenitor cells are increased in newly diagnosed untreated hypertensive patients with arterial stiffening but normal carotid intima-media thickness.

Circulating progenitor cells (CPCs), including endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), have a key role in endothelium repair. Cellular NADPH oxidase (Nox) enzymes, including Nox-containing gp91phox, represent a source of reactive oxygen species (ROS); ROS trigger protective signals but may also have detrimental effects. Cellular defenses against ROS include the enzymes manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase type-1 (GPx-1).

Actinomadura pelletieri mycetoma--an atypical case with spine and abdominal wall involvement.

We describe a case of mycetoma caused by Actinomadura pelletieri with simultaneous involvement of the spine, abdominal wall and retroperitoneal space in a man who had suffered from 'Madura foot' 10 years earlier. The characteristics of this case were analysed and contextualized among those of other cases of mycetoma caused by other micro-organisms found through a review of the international literature. The rarity of the disease in industrialized countries and its possible atypical presentations may hinder a prompt diagnosis.