Publications by authors named "Flaminia Bardanzellu"

The integrity of the gastrointestinal tract structure and function is seriously compromised by two pathological conditions sharing, at least in part, several pathogenetic mechanisms: inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. IBD and COVID-19 are marked by gut inflammation, intestinal barrier breakdown, resulting in mucosal hyperpermeability, gut bacterial overgrowth, and dysbiosis together with perturbations in microbial and human metabolic pathways originating changes in the blood and fecal metabolome. This review compared the most relevant metabolic and microbial alterations reported from the literature in patients with IBD with those in patients with COVID-19.

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COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact worldwide, from the point of view of public health, social, and economic aspects. The correct strategies of diagnosis and global management are still under debate. In the next future, we firmly believe that combining the so-called 3 M's (metabolomics, microbiomics, and machine learning [artificial intelligence]) will be the optimal, accurate tool for the early diagnosis of COVID-19 subjects, risk assessment and stratification, patient management, and decision-making.

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On the basis that similar biochemical and histological sequences of events occur in the brain during thiamine deficiency and hypoxia/ischemia related brain damage, we have planned this review to discuss the possible therapeutic role of thiamine and its derivatives in the management of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Among the many benefits, thiamine as antioxidant, given intravenously (IV) at high doses, defined as dosage greater than 100 mg IV daily, should counteract the damaging effects of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the brain, including the reaction of peroxynitrite with the tyrosine residues of the major enzymes involved in intracellular glucose metabolism, which plays a key pathophysiological role in HIE in neonates. Accordingly, it is conceivable that, in neonatal HIE, the blockade of intracellular progressive oxidative stress and the rescue of mitochondrial function mediated by thiamine and its derivatives can lead to a definite neuroprotective effect.

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Background: A safe and effective vaccine represents the best way to control the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused more than 4 million deaths to date. Several vaccines have now been approved worldwide, depending on the country. Being administered to healthy people, anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines must meet high safety standards, and this is even more important among the pediatric population in which the risk of developing severe disease is significantly lower than adults.

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Susceptibility and disease course of COVID-19 among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are unclear and epidemiological data on the topic are still limited. There is some concern that patients with immuno-mediated diseases such as IBD, which are frequently treated with immunosuppressive therapies, may have an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection with its related serious adverse outcomes, including intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death. Corticosteroids, immunomodulators, and biologic drugs, which are commonly prescribed to these patients, have been associated with higher rates of severe viral and bacterial infections including influenza and pneumonia.

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Hyponatremia, especially if acute and severe, can be a life-threatening condition. Several conditions can trigger hyponatremia. In this review, we will discuss two conditions that can determine euvolemic hyponatremia: the cerebral/renal salt wasting (CRSW) syndrome and the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), including the two subtypes: reset osmostat (RO) and nephrogenic syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (NSIAD) and their differential diagnoses.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented closure of schools in terms of duration. The option of school closure, SARS-CoV-2 initially being poorly known, was influenced by the epidemiological aspects of the influenza virus. However, school closure is still under debate and seems unsupported by sure evidence of efficacy in the COVID-19 era.

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Introduction: Pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity, depending on maternal nutrition and metabolic state, can influence fetal, neonatal, and long-term offspring health, regarding cardio-metabolic, respiratory, immunological, and cognitive outcomes. Thus, maternal weight can act, through mechanisms not fully understood, on the physiology and metabolism of some fetal organs and tissues, to adapt themselves to the intrauterine environment and nutritional reserves. These effects can occur by modulating gene expression, neonatal microbiome, and through breastfeeding.

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In this context of COVID-19 pandemic, great interest has been aroused by the potential maternal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by transplacental route, during delivery, and, subsequently, through breastfeeding. Some open questions still remain, especially regarding the possibility of finding viable SARS-CoV-2 in breast milk (BM), although this is not considered a worrying route of transmission. However, in BM, it was pointed out the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and other bioactive components that could protect the infant from infection.

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In recent years, the role of human microbiota as a short- and long-term health promoter and modulator has been affirmed and progressively strengthened. In the course of one's life, each subject is colonized by a great number of bacteria, which constitute its specific and individual microbiota. Human bacterial colonization starts during fetal life, in opposition to the previous paradigm of the "sterile womb".

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In premature neonates, the persistence of hemodynamically significant ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) can be associated with short- and long-term consequences, impairing their outcome. The correct strategy of management for such condition is under debate, especially regarding contraindications and/or side effects. In recent years, metabolomics was applied to several perinatal, pediatric, and adult conditions to investigate potential biomarkers of disease, which have become useful for early diagnosis and/or therapeutic management.

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Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) are serious emergencies in the neonatal period. Although these conditions are recognized as distinct pathologies, literature reports suggest that recurrent episodes of SVT may predispose patients to NEC via disturbances in mesenteric blood flow and a decrease in tissue perfusion.

Case Presentation: We present a case of a preterm infant affected by recurrent episodes of SVT who developed the initial stage of NEC on the 17th day of life.

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Pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) is a major relevance factor, since maternal overweight and obesity can impair the pregnancy outcome and represent risk factors for several neonatal, childhood, and adult conditions, including excessive weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and even behavioral disorders. Currently, breast milk (BM) composition in such category of mothers was not completely defined. In this field, metabolomics represents the ideal technology, able to detect the whole profile of low molecular weight molecules in BM.

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Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease widespread in the world. Sardinia represents, together with Finland, the region with the highest incidence of type 1 DM (DM1), as well as a high prevalence of gestational DM (GDM).Despite the improvement in obstetric surveillance, perinatal and long-term adverse outcomes are still frequent in the offspring of diabetic mothers.

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Introduction: Breast Milk (BM), containing nutrients and bioactive components, represents the best source for neonatal nutrition and determines short- and long- term benefits. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) play an active role in these pathophysiological mechanisms. In fact, they influence the shaping of breastfed infant's gut microbiota, promote intestinal development, confer protection against intestinal or systemic infections modulating immune system; moreover, HMOs determine extra-intestinal effects on several target organs, i.

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In the last years, 'omics' technologies, and especially metabolomics, emerged as expanding scientific disciplines and promising technologies in the characterization of several pathophysiological processes.In detail, metabolomics, able to detect in a dynamic way the whole set of molecules of low molecular weight in cells, tissues, organs, and biological fluids, can provide a detailed phenotypic portray, representing a metabolic "snapshot."Thanks to its numerous strength points, metabolomics could become a fundamental tool in human health, allowing the exact evaluation of individual metabolic responses to pathophysiological stimuli including drugs, environmental changes, lifestyle, a great number of diseases and other epigenetics factors.

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Purpose Of Review: Breast milk (BM) is a peculiar fluid owing unique properties and resulting the ideal food during early neonatal period. As widely known, it can improve the outcome of both neonate and lactating mother, influencing their whole life. BM is characterized by several beneficial components; among these, a great role is played by BM own and specific microbiome, deeply investigated in many studies.

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: Among the OMICS technologies, that have emerged in recent years, metabolomics has allowed relevant step forwards in clinical research. Several improvements in disease diagnosis and clinical management have been permitted, even in neonatology. Among potentially evaluable biofluids, breast milk (BM) results are highly interesting, representing a fluid of conjunction between mothers newborns, describing their interaction.

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Exclusive breastfeeding is currently recommended until at least 6 months of postnatal age, due to maternal breast milk (BM) unique composition and beneficial properties. In fact, BM modifies itself according to gestational age (GA) at birth, adapting its composition to neonatal requests during lactation. Multiple births represent about 3% of the whole pregnancies; such neonates result more vulnerable than full-term newborns, due to lower GA and birth weight (BW) and the higher incidence of perinatal complications.

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Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), also referred with the expression "Ondine's Curse", is a rare genetic life-long disease resulting from the mutation of PHOX2B gene on chromosome 4p12.3. CCHS represents an autonomic nervous system disorder; its more fearsome manifestation is central hypoventilation, due to a deficient response of chemoreceptors to hypercapnia and hypoxia.

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