Publications by authors named "Fabio Francesco di Mola"

A 74-year-old man with advanced heart failure was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, and he underwent surgery. To maintain stable hemodynamics, the Impella CP device was used. The patient was weaned from the device shortly after surgery, and he had an uneventful postoperative course.

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  • * Researchers analyzed blood samples from pancreatic cancer patients and healthy individuals, finding higher levels of certain blood-circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cancer patients.
  • * Increased levels of leukocyte-derived EVs (LEVs) were linked to better survival rates and disease control in patients undergoing chemotherapy, suggesting their potential as biomarkers for pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Background: colorectal cancer (CRC) has a multifactorial etiology which comprises microbiota, genetic predisposition, diet, environmental factors, and last but not least, a substantial contribution by inflammation. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the literature regarding the strong link between inflammation and colorectal cancer.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature on PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Cochrane and EMBase databases was performed, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

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Background: Laparoscopic reversal of Hartmann's procedure (LHR) offers reduced morbidity compared with open Hartmann's reversal (OHR). The aim of this study is to compare the outcome of laparoscopic versus open Hartmann reversal.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-four patients who underwent Hartmann reversal between January 2017 and July 2019 were evaluated.

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Trans-duodenal surgical ampullectomy (TSA) was first described in 1899. Nowadays its role in ampullary tumor surgery is still a matter of debate and requires a multidisciplinary approach. The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of TSA as a curative treatment for benign and selected malignant tumors arising from the ampulla in a single-institution experience.

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Article Synopsis
  • Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the standard treatment for gallbladder issues, and single-site robotic cholecystectomy (SSRC) offers improved ergonomics and cosmetic outcomes, potentially reducing surgical trauma.
  • A study involving 27 patients showed SSRC to be technically feasible with no major complications; however, 11.5% experienced post-operative incisional hernias, and patients reported improvements in body image and scar appearance.
  • The initial findings suggest that SSRC could be a preferred method for patients who prioritize cosmetic results, and the lower costs associated with robotic surgeries might encourage wider adoption for this technique in gallbladder surgery.
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MiRNA expression abnormalities in adenocarcinoma arising from pancreatic ductal system (PDAC) and Vater's papilla (PVAC) could be associated with distinctive pathologic features and clinical cancer behaviours. Our previous miRNA expression profiling data on PDAC (n=9) and PVAC (n=4) were revaluated to define differences/similarities in miRNA expression patterns. Afterwards, in order to uncover target genes and core signalling pathways regulated by specific miRNAs in these two tumour entities, miRNA interaction networks were wired for each tumour entity, and experimentally validated target genes underwent pathways enrichment analysis.

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Adenocarcinomas of Vater's papilla (PVAC) may originate from either the pancreatic duct or the intestinal epithelium. Conflicting data have been reported about the frequency of the 2 anatomical entities and their influence on patients' prognosis. To ascertain the anatomical origin of PVAC in a family member of a Lynch syndrome kindred, we searched for microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles on resected tumor specimens.

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The incidence and death rate of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have increased in recent years, therefore the identification of novel targets for treatment is extremely important. Interactions between cancer and stromal cells are critically involved in tumour formation and development of metastasis. Here we report that PDAC cells secrete BAG3, which binds and activates macrophages, inducing their activation and the secretion of PDAC supporting factors.

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Pancreatic cancer (PC), the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths, is characterized by high aggressiveness and resistance to chemotherapy. Pancreatic carcinogenesis is kept going by derangement of essential cell processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism and autophagy, characterized by rhythmic variations with 24-h periodicity driven by the biological clock. We assessed the expression of the circadian genes ARNLT, ARNLT2, CLOCK, PER1, PER2, PER3, CRY1, CRY2 and the starvation-activated histone/protein deacetylase SIRT1 in 34 matched tumor and non-tumor tissue specimens of PC patients, and evaluated in PC derived cell lines if the modulation of SIRT1 expression through starvation could influence the temporal pattern of expression of the circadian genes.

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Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely aggressive malignancy, characterized by largely unsatisfactory responses to the currently available therapeutic strategies. In this study we evaluated the expression of genes involved in gemcitabine uptake in a selected cohort of patients with PDAC, with well-defined clinical-pathological features.

Methods: mRNA levels of hENT1, CHOP, MRP1 and DCK were evaluated by means of qRT-PCR in matched pairs of tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples collected from PDAC patients treated with gemcitabine after surgical tumor resection.

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Background: The substance P pathway modulates neuroimmune interactions during intestinal inflammation.

Aims: To analyse mucosal expression and genetic variants of the genes coding for substance P, neurokinin-1 receptor and neutral endopeptidase in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods: qRT-PCR was used to analyse mRNA levels in matched, paired samples of inflamed colonic mucosa and adjacent non-inflamed endoscopic tissue from 26 Crohn's disease and 25 ulcerative colitis patients.

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Carcinogenesis is related to the loss of homeostatic control of cellular processes regulated by transcriptional circuits and epigenetic mechanisms. Among these, the activities of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are crucial and intertwined. PPARγ is a key regulator of cell fate, linking nutrient sensing to transcription processes, and its expression oscillates with circadian rhythmicity.

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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most deadly cancers, being the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Long-term survival reaching 15% is achieved in less than 5% of patients who undergo surgery, and median survival is only 6 months in those with inoperable lesions. A deeper understanding of PDAC biologic characteristics as well as novel prognostic markers are therefore required to improve outcomes.

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Emerging evidence indicates that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) play a role in carcinogenesis. In this study we aimed to evaluate the expression of PPARγ, DNMT1, and DNMT3B and their correlation with clinical-pathological features in patients with pancreatic cancer (PC), and to define the effect of PPARγ activation on DNMTs expression in PC cell lines. qRT-PCR analysis showed that DNMT3B expression was downregulated in tumors compared to normal tissues (P = 0.

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Background: Neuropeptides, such as substance P (SP), are mediators of neurogenic inflammation and play an important role in inflammatory disorders. To further investigate the role of the SP pathway in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we analyzed the following in normal intestinal tissue specimens and in tissue specimens from patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC): neurokinin receptor-1 (NK-1R); its isoforms (NK-1R-L and NK-1R-S); its ligand SP, encoded by preprotachykinin-A (PPT-A); and the SP-degradation enzyme, neutral endopeptidase (NEP).

Methods: Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to simultaneously determine the expression of NK-1R-L, NK-1R-S, and PPT-A.

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Background: There is increasing evidence that bacterial infection of the intestinal mucosa may contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In pigs, an obligate intracellular bacterium, Lawsonia intracellularis (LI), was shown to cause proliferative enteropathy (PE) of which some forms display histological and clinical similarities to human IBD. Since LI-similar Desulfovibrio spp.

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and significance of decorin in pancreatic cancer.

Experimental Design: Decorin expression in normal pancreas and excised tumors was examined by real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Reverse transcription-PCR was used to analyze cultures of pancreatic cancer and stellate cells.

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