A Case-Crossover Study to Investigate the Effects of Atmospheric Particulate Matter Concentrations, Season, and Air Temperature on Accident and Emergency Presentations for Cardiovascular Events in Northern Italy.

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) has multiple adverse effects on human health, high temperatures are also associated with adverse health outcomes, and the frequency of cardiovascular events (CVEs) varies with season. We investigated a hypothesized increase in PM-related accident and emergency (A&E) presentations for CVE with high temperature, warm season, days of high influenza incidence, and in people with a cancer diagnosis, using a time-stratified case-crossover study design. Outcomes were associations of A&E presentation for CVE with atmospheric PM ≤ 10 μm (PM), season, and air temperature.

Idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis with pure calcium oxalate composition: clinical correlates of the calcium oxalate dihydrate/monohydrate (COD/COM) stone ratio.

Pure calcium oxalate is the most frequent type of idiopathic kidney stone composition. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) allows to detect the ratio of calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) and monohydrate (COM) crystals in stones, but the clinical significance of this parameter remains uncertain. The objective of this observational study was to verify the association of clinical and laboratory parameters of kidney stone disease with COD/COM ratio in a group of 465 (322 M, age 46 ± 14) patients suffering from idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis with pure calcium oxalate stones (≥ 97%).

Insights about urinary hippuric and citric acid as biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake in patients with kidney stones: The role of age and sex.

Objectives: Urinary hippuric acid (HA) and citrate can represent useful biomarkers of fruit and vegetable (FAV) intake in nephrolithiasis. However, their clinical significance across the life span has been poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the two biomarkers with FAV intake across different age groups and sexes in a large group of stone formers (SFs).

Understanding the gut-kidney axis in nephrolithiasis: an analysis of the gut microbiota composition and functionality of stone formers.

Objectives: The involvement of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of calcium nephrolithiasis has been hypothesised since the discovery of the oxalate-degrading activity of , but never comprehensively studied with metagenomics. The aim of this case-control study was to compare the faecal microbiota composition and functionality between recurrent idiopathic calcium stone formers (SFs) and controls.

Design: Faecal samples were collected from 52 SFs and 48 controls (mean age 48±11).