Publications by authors named "Elisa Calzaducca"
The Potential Role of Vitamin D Supplementation in Cognitive Impairment Prevention.
CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets
April 2024
Background: Vitamin D is implicated in many processes in the central nervous system (CNS), such as neurogenesis, neurotransmitter synthesis, synaptogenesis and protection against oxidative stress, thereby exerting a neuroprotective effect.
Objective: In the present review, we aimed to evaluate the potential benefit(s) of vitamin D supplementation for CNS aging in different clinical contexts.
Methods: We performed a literature search, looking for clinical trials and randomized clinical trials evaluating the effect of vitamin D supplementation on different endpoints related to cognitive outcomes.
Vaccines are the most effective means to prevent the potentially deadly effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but not all vaccinated individuals gain the same degree of protection. Patients undergoing chronic immunosuppressive therapy due to autoimmune diseases or liver transplants, for example, may show impaired anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response after vaccination. We performed a prospective observational study with parallel arms, aiming to (a) evaluate seroconversion after anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine administration in different subgroups of patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment for rheumatological or autoimmune diseases or to prevent organ rejection after liver transplantation and (b) identify negative predictors of IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 development.
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- The study investigates the risk of severe infections associated with different biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) used for rheumatoid arthritis, using data from the Piedmont Region in Italy.
- Out of 1780 new bDMARD users, 50 hospitalizations for infections were recorded, revealing that Tocilizumab significantly increases the risk of infections compared to TNF inhibitors, while abatacept does not show a heightened risk.
- Overall, bDMARDs are considered safe for clinical use, but the increased infection risk linked to Tocilizumab warrants careful consideration when deciding on treatment options.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on understanding the varied prognosis of COVID-19 by identifying clinical and laboratory indicators that can predict poor outcomes in hospitalized patients.
- Researchers analyzed data from 664 COVID-19 patients in Northern Italy, discovering that factors like red cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NL) ratio, and platelet count are significant predictors of in-hospital mortality.
- The results suggest that using simple blood tests could help in classifying the severity of COVID-19, ultimately guiding treatment and monitoring strategies for better patient management.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe complication of connective tissue diseases (CTD). Its early diagnosis is essential to start effective treatment. In the present paper, we aimed to evaluate the role of plasma osteopontin (OPN) as a candidate biomarker of PAH in a cohort of CTD patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe early diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a major determinant of prognosis in patients affected by connective tissue diseases (CTDs) complicated by PAH. In the present paper we investigated the diagnostic accuracy of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in this specific setting. We recorded clinical and laboratory data of 131 patients who underwent a CPET at a pulmonary hypertension clinic.
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- The study examined COVID-19 case fatality rates (CFR) and mortality predictors in Northern Italy during March-April 2020.
- Out of 1,697 hospitalized patients, 504 died, resulting in an overall CFR of 29.7%.
- Key predictors of mortality identified were age, cancer diagnosis, obesity, and smoking, with laboratory data reinforcing the significance of age, cancer diagnosis, and baseline PaO/FiO ratio.