Publications by authors named "F Pascarella"

The high-altitude hypoxia model demonstrates that insufficiently oxygenated placentas activate compensatory mechanisms to ensure fetal survival, hinging on the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether and when similar mechanisms are also activated during intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). A retrospective observational study evaluated a series of umbilical cord blood samples, which provide a realistic representation of the fetal intrauterine status, collected from a cohort of preterm and term neonates, both affected and not affected by IUGR.

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At different stages of life, from embryonic to postnatal, varying oxygen concentrations modulate cellular gene expression by enhancing or repressing hypoxia-inducible transcription factors. During embryonic/fetal life, these genes encode proteins involved in adapting to a low-oxygen environment, including the induction of specific enzymes related to glycolytic metabolism, erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, and vasculogenesis. However, oxygen concentrations fluctuate during intrauterine life, enabling the induction of tissue-specific differentiation processes.

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Unlabelled: Familial hyperlysinemia is a rare autosomal recessive disorder due to defects of the AASS (α-aminoadipate δ-semialdehyde synthase) gene, which encodes for a bifunctional enzyme. Two types of hyperlysinemia have been identified namely type 1, due to the deficit of the alfa-ketoglutarate activity, and type 2, due to the deficit of the saccharopine dehydrogenase activity.

Methods: To better characterize the phenotypic spectrum of familial hyperlysinemia type 1, we conducted a systematic review of cases in the literature following PRISMA guidelines.

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Aims: To analyze metabolic outcomes, diabetes impact and device satisfaction in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in Italy who used different treatment modalities for diabetes care in a real-life context.

Methods: In this multicenter, nationwide, cross-sectional study, 1464 participants were enrolled at a routine visit. The following treatment modalities were considered MDI + SMBG; MDI + CGM; Sensor Augmented Pump Therapy; predictive management of low glucose; Hybrid Closed Loop (HCL); Advanced Hybrid Closed Loop (AHCL).

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Article Synopsis
  • - Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant risk for premature infants due to insufficient understanding of its causes and the absence of effective treatments, primarily linked to issues with retinal vascular development influenced by oxygen levels.
  • - The disease progresses through two phases: initially, hyperoxia disrupts vascularization, leading to ischemia, followed by a phase where hypoxia triggers excessive vascular growth (proliferative retinopathy).
  • - Recent studies suggest that propranolol, a drug known to treat infantile hemangiomas, could be effective for ROP by helping to restore retinal vascularization, with ongoing trials assessing its safety and efficiency when administered topically.
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