Synergistic effects of glucose tolerance and BMI on cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in a healthy population: CA.ME.LI.A study 7 years follow-up.

The CA.ME.LI.

Case Report: Resolution of Lichen Planus Pemphigoides as an unexpected outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

It is well known that viral infections play a relevant role in inducing or protecting from autoimmune diseases, thus representing a major environmental factor in the disruption of the immune system in genetically susceptible individuals. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic a great number of clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 infection is no exception to the rule by interfering on many different levels in the normal functioning of our immune system. Even though a growing number of case series and case reports has been cited in the literature linking the infection to the new onset of autoimmune diseases, to date very little has been reported concerning a possible correlation between the virus and the clinical resolution of any kind of autoimmune pathology.

Clinical Patterns, Survival, Comorbidities, and Treatment Regimens in 149 Patients With Pemphigus in Tuscany (Italy): A 12-Year Hospital-Based Study.

Introduction: Pemphigus encompasses a group of muco-cutaneous autoimmune bullous diseases characterized by the loss of adhesion between keratinocytes. The disease is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Materials And Methods: We characterized clinical patterns, survival, comorbidities, and drug prescriptions in patients with pemphigus referred to the Section of Dermatology of the University of Florence from January 2010 to December 2021.

The Influence of Hearing Impairment on Mental Age in Down Syndrome: Preliminary Results.

The increased life expectancy for patients with Down Syndrome (DS) has elicited the need to improve their quality of life by enhancing functional outcomes and identifying the factors that contribute to their long-term cognitive decline. Although the majority of individuals with DS have issues with hearing impairment (HI) since early childhood, to our knowledge no study has investigated whether HI represents a potential modulator of cognitive decline over time. The present explorative cohort study, albeit very preliminary due to the limited cohort (17 children), highlights the significant relation of a significant HI not only with receptive language abilities, but also with mental age in young patients with DS.

Overexpression of helper T cell type 2-related molecules in the skin of patients with eosinophilic dermatosis of hematologic malignancy.

Background: Eosinophilic dermatosis of hematologic malignancy (EDHM) is a rare dermatosis associated with blood tumors.

Objective: To characterize the expression of T-cell and B-cell markers and pruritogenic mediators in EDHM skin.

Methods: Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analysis were performed in 12 skin samples of EDHM, 11 samples of bullous pemphigoid (BP), and 5 samples from healthy controls (HC).

CA.ME.LI.A. An epidemiological study on the prevalence of CArdiovascular, MEtabolic, LIver and Autoimmune diseases in Northern Italy.

Background And Aims: CA.ME.LI.

Granular Deposits of IgA in the Skin of Coeliac Patients Without Dermatitis Herpetiformis: A Prospective Multicentric Analysis.

Granular deposits of IgA represent the specific cutaneous marker of dermatitis herpetiformis. The prevalence of IgA deposits in the skin of patients with coeliac disease without dermatitis herpetiformis remains unknown. In this prospective case-control study, skin biopsies from newly diagnosed coeliac patients without dermatitis herpetiformis were analysed by direct immunofluorescence.

Granular IgA Deposits in the Skin of Patients with Coeliac Disease: Is it Always Dermatitis Herpetiformis?

Coeliac disease is an immune-mediated enteropathy driven by gluten, which can be associated with dermatitis herpetiformis. The presence of granular IgA deposits, detected by direct immunofluorescence, is the hallmark of dermatitis herpetiformis; nevertheless, IgA deposits have also been demonstrated in healthy skin of patients with coeliac disease. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether IgA deposits could be found in the skin of patients with coeliac disease who have non-dermatitis herpetiformis inflammatory skin diseases.

Homocysteine serum levels are increased and correlate with disease severity in patients with lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: To determine homocysteine (Hcy) serum levels in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) and a possible correlation with the disease activity.

Methods: Ninety-three patients with LE and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. For each patient, disease activity was calculated and plasma levels of Hcy was measured by enzymatic colorimetric assay.

Cutaneous Manifestations of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Clinical Histological and Immunopathological Features.

Background: The dermatological manifestations associated with intestinal diseases are becoming more frequent, especially now when new clinical entities, such as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS), are identified. The existence of this new entity is still debated. However, many patients with diagnosed NCGS that present intestinal manifestations have skin lesions that need appropriate characterization.

Oral Curcumin (Meriva) Is Effective as an Adjuvant Treatment and Is Able to Reduce IL-22 Serum Levels in Patients with Psoriasis Vulgaris.

Curcumin is a complementary therapy that may be helpful for the treatment of psoriasis due to its anti-inflammatory, antiangiogenic, antioxidant, and antiproliferative effects. In the present study we performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of a bioavailable oral curcumin in the treatment of psoriasis. Sixty-three patients with mild-to-moderate psoriasis vulgaris (PASI < 10) were randomly divided into two groups treated with topical steroids and Meriva, a commercially available lecithin based delivery system of curcumin, at 2 g per day (arm 1), or with topical steroids alone (arm 2), both for 12 weeks.

Regulatory T cells as well as IL-10 are reduced in the skin of patients with dermatitis herpetiformis.

Background: Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) and celiac disease (CD) are considered as autoimmune diseases that share a defined trigger (gluten) and a common genetic background (HLA-DQ2/DQ8). However, the pathogenesis of DH is not fully understood and no data are available about the immune regulation in such a disease.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess if alterations in the pattern of the immune response and, in particular, impairments of regulatory T (Tregs) cells may contribute to the phenotypic differences between DH and CD.

The CD40/CD40 ligand system is involved in the pathogenesis of pemphigus.

The CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) system has never been investigated in autoimmune bullous diseases belonging to the pemphigus group in humans. Skin biopsy specimens from 21 patients with pemphigus vulgaris, 10 with pemphigus foliaceous and healthy volunteers were studied by immunohistochemistry (for CD40 and CD40L) and reversal transcriptase polymerase-chain reaction (for CD40L), while sera were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for soluble CD40L. In all pemphigus specimens, the basal and suprabasal layers of the epidermis and perivascular infiltrating cells were CD40+.

Serum levels of the Th1 promoter IL-12 and the Th2 chemokine TARC are elevated in erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis and correlate with soluble Fas ligand expression. An immunoenzymatic study from the Italian Group of Immunopathology.

Background: No data exist as to Th2 chemokines in erythema multiforme (EM) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).

Objective: To evaluate thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) and regulated upon activation, normal T-lymphocyte-expressed and secreted chemokine (RANTES) expression in EM and SJS/TEN and to correlate with the serum levels of the Th1 promoter interleukin (IL)-12 and soluble Fas ligand (sFasL).

Materials And Methods: IL-12, sFasL, TARC, MDC and RANTES expression were analyzed by ELISA techniques in 31 untreated EM (n = 24) or SJS/TEN (n = 7) patients and in 28 healthy donors (HD).

The effects of tacrolimus ointment on regulatory T lymphocytes in atopic dermatitis.

Only very recently studies were conducted in order to evaluate the impact of regulatory T (Treg) cells in the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis (AD). Nine adult patients with moderate-to-severe AD in riacutization period of a chronic disease were given tacrolimus ointment, while seven hydrocortisone butyrate ointment, that served as controls. We performed lesional-skin biopsies before and after treatment, that were stained immunohistochemically with monoclonal antibodies to CD4, CD25, forkhead/winged helix transcription factor (FoxP3), interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta.