The "best practices for farming" successfully contributed to decrease the antibiotic resistance gene abundances within dairy farms.

Introduction: Farms are significant hotspots for the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes (ARGs) into the environment and directly to humans. The prevalence of ARGs on farms underscores the need for effective strategies to reduce their spread. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a guideline on "best practices for farming" aimed at reducing the dissemination of antibiotic resistance.

No viable bacterial communities reside in the urinary bladder of cats with feline idiopathic cystitis.

Urinary microbial diversities have been reported in humans according to sex, age and clinical status, including painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC). To date, the role of the urinary microbiome in the pathogenesis of PBS/IC is debated. Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is a chronic lower urinary tract disorder affecting cats with similarities to PBS/IC in women and represents an important problem in veterinary medicine as its aetiology is currently unknown.

Chronic idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases: the histology report.

The incidence of chronic idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is growing in western countries, making their histological diagnosis an everyday task for all pathologists. Reviews from the literature strongly suggest that such diagnosis cannot be performed on the histological ground alone but requires a clinical-pathological approach. Moreover, bewildering variations can be observed in the terminology employed to report either individual lesions or diagnostic categories.

Low- and high-grade non-invasive gastric neoplasia (formerly dysplasia): cytological differentiation (gastro-entero-pancreatic antigens) in association with p53 pattern expression.

Background/aims: In order to better define the evolutive potentiality of non-invasive neoplasia (formerly dysplasia) a study of the cytological differentiation and of the behavior of p53 in relation to the clinical progress has been performed.

Methodology: Gastro-entero-pancreatic antigens, p53 and Ki-67 expression were evaluated in 120 cases of epithelial gastric dysplasia: 70 cases of low-grade dysplasia (LGD) and 50 cases of high-grade dysplasia (HGD). For the cytological study four antigens were studied: two of them gastric (pepsinogen C, gastric foveolar M1), one enteric (CAR-5) and one pancreatic (DU-PAN-2).

Role of chronic atrophic gastritis of the body-fundus and achlorhydria in the development of epithelial dysplasia and gastric carcinoma.

Background/aim: Chronic atrophic gastritis of the body-fundus with hypo-achlorhydria has been long since considered the precursor of gastric cancer (GC). A study has been made about the histological pattern of the body-fundic mucosa (oxyntic area) in course of preneoplastic lesions (epithelial dysplasia), associated or progressed to gastric cancer, in order to evaluate the real association with chronic atrophic gastritis and, therefore, with a reduced acid secretion.

Methodology: The study of the histological condition of the body-fundic mucosa and of the acid secretion has been effected in 120 cases of epithelial dysplasia (ED) from January 1990 to November 1997.

[High and low grade gastric epithelial dysplasia: clinical management, endoscopic assessment of p53].

Epithelial dysplasia is considered the only one true histological marker of gastric cancer. In the present study we have evaluated the real clinical importance of epithelial dysplasia divided into low-grade (70 patients, mean age 59.2 years) and high-grade (50 patients, mean age 58 years) dysplasia.

p53 and Ki-67 expression in epithelial gastric dysplasia and in gastric cancer.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine p53 and Ki-67 expression in relation to high grade dysplasia (HGD) clinical behaviour.

Methods: A retrospective, cross sectional study was conducted on mucosal biopsies from the stomach of 38 consecutive cases of HGD (25 males, average age: 57.5).

Is it possible with an immunophenotypic study to foresee the oncologic risk of epithelial gastric dysplasia?

Background/aims: Epithelial gastric dysplasia is considered the only true marker of gastric cancer. High-grade dysplasia is a surgical therapy needing lesion and low-grade dysplasia is considered a lesion with a low oncologic risk. The aim of this experience was to verify whether there are any immunohistochemical evaluations which may enable one to foresee more precisely the evolution of epithelial gastric dysplasia.

Helicobacter pylori influence on gastric acid secretion in duodenal ulcer patients diagnosed for the first time.

Background: Many experiences have hypothesised that Helicobacter pylori induced hypergastrinemia could lead to an increase of the parietal cell mass and, consequently, of acid secretion.

Methods: The parietal cell mass and maximal acid output have been studied in patients with duodenal ulcer diagnosed for the first time, not due to drugs assumption. In particular, it has been evaluated the parietal cell mass and the acid secretion subdividing duodenal ulcer patients in relation to gastrinemia values (hypergastrinemia and normogastrinemia).

The role of histological investigation in prognostic evaluation of advanced gastric cancer. Analysis of histological structure and molecular changes compared with invasive pattern and stage.

The relative contribution of tumour histology or molecular changes, compared with invasion pattern or stage, to prognostic assessment of gastric cancer was investigated in a series of 185 advanced (T2 to T4, stage IB to IV) cancers that had undergone intentionally curative surgery at Varese General Hospital. Survival analysis of the histological types considered in commonly used classifications, such as Lauren, Kubo, the World Health Organization (WHO) and related classifications, allowed separation of a small high-grade (Hg, 12 cases) group of adenosquamous, anaplastic and small cell endocrine carcinomas from a large cohesive group (C, 86 glandular or solid cancers) and from another large (87 cases) group of tumours with dissociated cells [29 diffuse (D) and 58 mixed (M) tumours]. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed the independent prognostic value of this C/M+D/Hg classification approach, which proved superior to other classifications and to cell dissociation at the growing front or angio, lympho and neuro-invasion.

[Endoscopic surveillance of precancerous changes in the stomach].

Undoubtedly, one of the most important achievements of gastroenterology is the demonstration that, for many pathological conditions with future neoplastic degeneration risk, a periodical endoscopic surveillance is a determining element for the restraining of possible evolutive complications. Nonetheless, it is to be considered how, during the last years, the prevention and follow-up procedures for the stomach disease have been sometimes emphasized. In fact, various recent evidences originated from precise scientific evaluations have contained same prevention strategic attitudes so as to reach the best cost-benefit ratio.

[Primary gastric lymphomas. Clinico-pathological study and evaluation of prognostic factors in 65 cases treated surgically].

Based on the histological criteria proposed by the REAL and adopted by the WHO Classification, 30 cases of MALT type lymphoma, 18 cases of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLCL), and 17 cases of DLCLs, associated with a MALT type, were identified in a series of 65 surgically treated primary gastric lymphomas. The clinical records of the patients were analyzed retrospectively and the resected specimens were immunostained for bcl-2, p53 and Ki-67. Primary gastric DLBCLs, with or without a MALT type component, disclosed a higher stage of local extension, a more frequent nodal involvement and a significantly worse survival than pure MALT types.

Low incidence of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome in a selected area of the Lombardy Cancer Registry.

Aims And Background: Epidemiological investigations on the frequency of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome are few and have shown a variable worldwide incidence ranging from 1% to 7% of all colorectal cancers (CRCs). In Italy, relevant differences have been observed: 2.8-3% of all CRCs in northern regions and less than 1% in southern regions.

[Gastric epithelial dysplasia].

Gastric epithelial dysplasia represents the only true histological marker of gastric cancer. In this bringing up to date, such subject is reproposed in consideration of taking into account the most recent acquisitions, subdividing gastric dysplasia into two degrees only: moderate and severe. For the first time an immunophenotypic study is made by means of the evaluation of gastric-entero-pancreatic antigens, which better identify the evolutive potential of the two degrees of gastric dysplasia and, furthermore, the clinical development is evaluated, thus showing the necessity of a strict endoscopic surveillance of such lesion.

Mixed endocrine-exocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.

Mixed endocrine-exocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract are rare neoplasms, which have been reported in the literature mainly as case reports and have been designated with a various and rather confusing terminology. In this review, on the basis of personally studied cases and of the analysis of cases reported in the literature, we have tried to identify types of mixed endocrine-exocrine tumors showing different clinicopathologic and biological characteristics. We have also tried to group the different clinicopathologic entities in prognostic classes which include: benign, low-grade, intermediate grade, and high-grade malignant mixed endocrine-exocrine tumors.

[The physiopathological aspects of chronic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori and precancerous gastric changes].

Chronic gastritis represents the paradigmatic histological condition by means of which the various clinical displays develop. Among the several etiologic factors, Helicobacter pylori (Hp) certainly represents a determining element for the promotion of such condition. Several morpho-functional evaluations (parietal cells, peptic cells, acid secretion, peptic secretion, gastrinemia) point out how Hp has on the mucosa a mainly direct action, without any substantial modifications of the gastric milieu.