Publications by authors named "Costanzo M"

The development of targeted therapies that correct the effect of mutations in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and the relevant heterogeneity of the clinical expression of the disease require biomarkers correlated to the severity of the disease useful for monitoring the therapeutic effects. We applied a targeted metabolomic approach by LC-MS/MS on saliva samples from 70 adult CF patients and 63 age/sex-matched controls to investigate alterations in metabolic pathways related to pancreatic insufficiency (PI), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) colonization, CF liver disease (CFLD), and CF related diabetes (CFRD). Sixty salivary metabolites were differentially expressed, with 11 being less abundant and 49 more abundant in CF patients.

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A hallmark event in neurodegenerative diseases is represented by the misfolding, aggregation and accumulation of proteins, leading to cellular and network dysfunction preceding the development of clinical symptoms by years. Early diagnosis represents a crucial issue in the field of neuroscience as it offers the potential to utilize this therapeutic window in the future to manage disease-modifying therapy. Seed amplification assays, including Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) and Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA), have emerged in recent years as innovative techniques developed to detect minute amounts of amyloidogenic proteins.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, omics-based methodologies were extensively used to study the pathological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication in human cells at a large scale [...

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Interactions among proteins are fundamental in driving functions and activities that regulate cell biology, mechanotransduction, and cell-to-cell communication/recognition. Recently, cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) has emerged as a powerful tool for interaction discovery and characterization, driving the enlightenment of novel binding partners otherwise undetected. Covalent linkages of two amino acid residues of proteins (or within complexes) in close proximity can be identified by MS, thus providing structural insights such as distance restraints or unraveling interaction dynamics.

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Background: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a rare, heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease for which no treatment is currently available. In the context of clinical trials, the representativeness of the included patients is crucial for the generalizability of the results. Herein, we present results from a multicenter perspective study to identify the most restrictive criteria for patient selection and to assess the representativeness of eligible patients.

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Background And Objectives: According to the dual syndrome hypothesis, patients with Parkinson disease (PD) with visuospatial deficits are more likely to progress to dementia, compared with patients with a prevalent dysexecutive syndrome. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether early connectivity changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the precuneus (PCun)-which are critical to fronto-executive and visuospatial functions, respectively-can identify distinct cognitive phenotypes in cognitively intact newly diagnosed patients with PD.

Methods: Newly diagnosed, drug-naïve patients with PD (≤2 years from clinical onset) with normal Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), were consecutively enrolled from our Movement Disorders Clinics in Italy.

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Sarcoptic mange is a highly contagious disease and represents one of the main health concerns for humans and non-human mammals worldwide. It is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei and can course with different morphological and physiological presentations. Accordingly, aside from skin inflammation, hosts may experience changes in body condition, immune system, biochemistry, reproduction, and thermoregulation, although the understanding of the downstream metabolic burden is still missing.

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Background: In Parkinson's Disease (PD), upper limb tremor during walking (TW) is observed and clinical observations suggest it may represent a variant of rest tremor. However, its neurophysiological characteristics remain unexplored.

Objectives: This study compared the neurophysiological features of TW with other PD tremors and tested whether TW arises from reduced ipsilateral arm swing.

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Background: Resolvins, which are divided into series D (RvD) and E (RvE), originate from omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA and were recently found to be involved in the modulation of inflammation in some tumors, including breast cancer (BC). We aimed to assess the resolvin profiles (RvD1, RvD2, RvD3 and RvE1) in the plasma of BC patients compared with those of controls and to determine differences in their concentrations according to BC presentation and immunohistochemical characteristics.

Methods: We considered BC patients (sporadic, familiar and BRCA1/2-mutated forms) naïve to any anticancer treatment and controls affected by nonmalignant breast disease.

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Purpose: Breast cancer remains a major public health challenge worldwide, and understanding the trends and changes in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment over time is crucial for improving patient outcomes and guiding public health strategies. The Argentine Society of Mastology has maintained a comprehensive Breast Cancer Registry that provides valuable data for analyzing these trends.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective analysis of the Breast Cancer Registry database evaluated changes in stages at the time of surgery, patterns of surgical care, and factors associated with higher stage diagnoses in patients with breast cancer in Argentina from January 2000 to December 2019.

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Objectives: Neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as apathy, disinhibition and irritability, are common in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). The Frontal Behaviour Inventory (FBI) is a useful instrument for the evaluation of behavioural disorders in neurodegenerative diseases. The main goal of the present study was to explore the psychometric properties of the FBI in PSP.

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The brain-related phenotypes observed in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DS) patients are highly variable, and their origin is poorly understood. Changes in brain metabolism might contribute to these phenotypes, as many of the deleted genes are involved in metabolic processes, but this is unknown.

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Soil health is crucial for global food production in the context of an ever-growing global population. Microbiomes, a combination of microorganisms and their activities, play a pivotal role by biodegrading contaminants, maintaining soil structure, controlling nutrients' cycles, and regulating the plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Microbiome-based solutions along the soil-plant continuum, and their scaling up from laboratory experiments to field applications, hold promise for enhancing agricultural sustainability by harnessing the power of microbial consortia.

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Alzheimer disease (AD) remains a significant global health concern. The progression from preclinical stages to overt dementia has become a crucial point of interest for researchers. This paper reviews the potential of neurophysiological biomarkers in predicting AD progression, based on a systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines, including 55 studies.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the effectiveness of transvenous phrenic nerve stimulation (TPNS) as a treatment for central sleep apnea (CSA) in heart failure (HF) patients, who often have poor health outcomes related to CSA.
  • - Researchers used a win ratio (WR) method to analyze data from a pivotal trial, comparing outcomes such as survival rates, hospitalization for heart failure, and patient-reported health status between those treated with TPNS and a control group.
  • - Results indicate that TPNS significantly improves clinical outcomes for HF patients with CSA, showing a higher number of positive outcomes for those receiving treatment compared to the control group.
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  • Our understanding of how the atria (upper chambers of the heart) work and how they can become dysfunctional (atrial cardiomyopathy) has improved, especially regarding their impact on various heart conditions.
  • Different atrial medical procedures can affect the way the atria function, and it's important for healthcare professionals to be aware of potential negative effects that may not show up right away.
  • By identifying early signs of atrial dysfunction, clinicians can intervene sooner, potentially preventing serious changes in atrial structure and function before they lead to visible health issues.
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  • Mixed tree plantations with nitrogen-fixing species like Acacia mangium and Eucalyptus urophilla x E. grandis can improve carbon sequestration, soil health, and forestry productivity.
  • Research showed that Eucalyptus monocultures had higher fungal diversity compared to Acacia, and that different plant species significantly influenced the fungal community structure.
  • Key findings indicated that soil sulfur negatively correlated with certain fungal phyla, while nitrogen and phosphorus were positively associated, suggesting that soil properties impact the diversity and adaptability of mycobiota in these mixed plantations.
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  • The combined approach of performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) simultaneously offers a new treatment option for patients with both coronary artery disease and aortic aneurysms, addressing a significant gap in cardiovascular care.
  • A study involved seven patients who underwent this dual procedure while monitoring various complications and effectiveness; the main focus was on intraoperative and postoperative complications, with length of procedure and recovery times as secondary metrics.
  • Postoperative results showed minor complications like acute renal failure in chronic patients, but there were no significant issues like cardiac or limb ischemia, with an average procedure time of 198 minutes and fluoroscopy time of about 41.7 minutes.
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  • An interatrial shunt is being studied as a potential treatment for heart failure, aimed at lowering left atrial pressure and improving symptoms and outcomes for patients.
  • In a clinical trial involving 508 patients, participants were randomly assigned to receive either the shunt or a placebo, with their progress tracked over a maximum of two years.
  • Results showed that while the shunt had no major safety issues, it did not significantly improve overall effectiveness compared to the placebo, although it appeared to reduce adverse cardiovascular events in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.
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Currently, therapy for early-stage human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC) is based on the combination of trastuzumab and pertuzumab plus chemotherapy in a neoadjuvant regimen. The INMUNOHER study aimed to detect immunological markers in peripheral blood and their association with treatment response. Sixty-two HER2+ BC patients were recruited.

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The absence of one or both testicles in the scrotal position is defined as cryptorchidism. It occurs in 1 - 8 % of full-term newborns and up to 45 % of preterm newborns. Its detection is of great importance due to its association with fertility disorders and the risk of malignancy.

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We report on a 4-year-old boy affected by Gaucher disease (GD) type 3, who presented with splenomegaly and a history of oculomotor apraxia. GD is a rare lysosomal storage disorder caused by glucocerebrosidase deficiency with multi-organ involvement. Besides common clinical features such as hepatosplenomegaly and skeletal involvement, less frequent neurological symptoms, such as oculomotor apraxia, are indicative of neuronopathic forms of the disease, namely GD type 3, to be confirmed both by enzyme activity and genetic testing.

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The number of adrenal incidentaloma (AI) cases has increased in the last few years due to the widespread use of imaging diagnostics. Management requires evaluation of the malignant nature and hormonal activity. The aim of the present study is to assess possible clinical abnormalities in 132 AI patients both at baseline and during follow-up (mean 48.

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Background: The continuous increase in the rate of nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM), the development of several reconstructive techniques and the following introduction of acellular derma matrix (ADM) has revolutionized implant-based breast reconstruction. This study aimed to investigate postoperative complications, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patients' satisfaction in patients undergoing NSM and breast reconstruction with or without ADM.

Methods: Enrolled patients were divided into three groups: immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) with definitive implant and ADM (Group A), IBR only with definitive prosthesis (Group B), and two-stage breast reconstruction (Group C).

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Nanoparticles (NPs) interact with biological fluids after being injected into the bloodstream. The interactions between NPs and plasma proteins at the nano-bio interface affect their biopharmaceutical properties and distribution in the organ and tissues due to protein corona (PrC) composition, and in turn, modification of the resulting targeting capability. Moreover, lipid and polymer NPs, at their interface, affect the composition of PrC and the relative adsorption and abundance of specific proteins.

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