Publications by authors named "Francesca RIcci"

Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to investigate the relationship between CT measurements of fat, body mass index (BMI), and the role of sarcopenia in early and long-term complications following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
  • Researchers analyzed data from 85 patients, finding significant positive correlations between fat measurements and BMI, as well as a negative relation between fat density and quantity.
  • The results confirmed the 'obesity paradox,' indicating that being overweight or obese can be beneficial for TAVI outcomes, while sarcopenia is linked to poorer prognosis, highlighting the potential of using CT for better patient outcome predictions.
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We investigated the relationship between the degree of alveolarization and ultrasound-assessed lung aeration in a validated preterm rabbit model of experimental bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Lung ultrasound findings were heterogeneously abnormal and consisted of zones with interstitial, interstitial-alveolar or consolidated patterns. The median radial alveolar count was 10.

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Article Synopsis
  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common chronic lung disease in premature newborns, with treatment focusing on supportive care rather than a cure.
  • This study examined the effects of a new glucocorticoid, ciclesonide, on lung health and brain effects in a rat model of BPD induced by chorioamnionitis.
  • Results showed that ciclesonide treatment improved lung function and structure and reduced pulmonary hypertension without negatively impacting brain development.
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Background: Cushing's syndrome due to ectopic ACTH secretion is a rare clinical condition resulting from a dysregulated ACTH secretion by neuroendocrine tumors. The overall incidence of endogenous Cushing's syndrome is 0.7-2.

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Objectives: The aim of the study was to establish an international multicenter registry to collect data on patients with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), in order to highlight a relationship between clinical presentation, age of onset and geographical distribution on the clinical outcome.

Study Design: Multicenter retrospective study involving different international societies for rare immunological disorders.1009 patients diagnosed with MIS-C between March and September 2022, from 48 centers and 22 countries were collected.

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BACKGROUNDPredicting immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) in patients infused with CAR T cells is still a conundrum. This complication, thought to be consequent to CAR T cell activation, arises a few days after infusion, when circulating CAR T cells are scarce and specific CAR T cell-derived biomarkers are lacking.METHODSCAR+ extracellular vesicle (CAR+EV) release was assessed in human CD19.

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The introduction of novel drugs ( inhibitors and/or brentuximab vedotin) into salvage regimens has improved the response rate and the outcome of patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. However, the impact of new drugs on the outcome has not been adequately investigated so far. We retrospectively analyzed 42 consecutive patients treated at our institution with high-dose chemotherapy/autologous stem cell transplantation after either one standard chemotherapy represented by BEGEV ( = 28) or >1 salvage therapy (ST) comprising novel drugs ( = 14).

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Typical hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is mainly caused by Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) releasing Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2). Two different structures of this AB5 toxin have been described: uncleaved, with intact B and A chains, and cleaved, with intact B and a nicked A chain consisting of two fragments, A1 and A2, connected by a disulfide bond. Despite having the same toxic effect on sensitive cells, the two forms differ in their binding properties for circulating cells, serum components and complement factors, thus contributing to the pathogenesis of HUS differently.

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Adrenal hemorrhage is a rare, but important, diagnosis to recognize, in particular when there is involvement of both adrenal glands. Bilateral adrenal hemorrhage can in fact lead to adrenal insufficiency, with dramatic consequences if not promptly recognized and treated. It is normally caused by systemic conditions that lead to the vasoconstriction and thrombosis of the adrenal vein.

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Behçet's disease (BD) is a heterogeneous multifactorial autoinflammatory disease characterized by a plethora of clinical manifestations. Cutaneous lesions are considered hallmarks of the disease. However, their evolution over time and a thorough description are scarcely reported in non-endemic regions.

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Objective: The main aim of this study was to define the best treatment option for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and to analyse the role of anakinra.

Methods: This is a multicentre retrospective cohort study. Patients were treated according to the attending physician's decision.

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Background: The sublingual administration of short-acting nitroglycerin (NTG) before coronary computed tomography (CCT) improves the visualization of coronary arteries, causing vasodilatation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether and how nitroglycerin can influence the concordance between radiologists and cardiologists in the evaluation of vessel stenosis measured in CCT by the former and during the following coronarography by the latter.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 131 patients who underwent CCT for cardiac symptoms in 2022, followed by coronarography performed six months later because of significant stenosis revealed by the CCT.

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Purpose: Work ability indicates an individual's capacity to match job demands according to his/her physical and mental conditions and work circumstances. Occupational physicians should take into consideration the global health status of a worker in order to correctly assess if he/she is fit for the job. The aim of this study was to verify the association between fitness for work evaluation and Work Ability Index scores, as well as individual factors (age, gender, and anthropometric characteristics) and work-related variables (job type, years of working duration).

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Small molecules that can modulate or stabilize cell-cell interactions are valuable tools for investigating the impact of collective cell behavior on various biological processes such as development/morphogenesis, tissue regeneration and cancer progression. Recently, we showed that budesonide, a glucocorticoid widely used as an anti-asthmatic drug, is a potent regulator of stem cell pluripotency. Here we tested the effect of different budesonide derivatives and identified CHD-030498 as a more effective analogue of budesonide.

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Background: Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a severe complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection caused by hyperactivation of the immune system.

Methods: this is a retrospective analysis of clinical data, biochemical parameters, and immune cell subsets in 40 MIS-C patients from hospital admission to outpatient long-term follow-up.

Results: MIS-C patients had elevated inflammatory markers, associated with T- and NK-cell lymphopenia, a profound depletion of dendritic cells, and altered monocyte phenotype at disease onset, while the subacute phase of the disease was characterized by a significant increase in T- and B-cell counts and a rapid decline in activated T cells and terminally differentiated B cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cardiac CT has become a key non-invasive tool for assessing the risk and characteristics of coronary artery disease (CAD), a leading cause of health issues globally.
  • Technological advancements have improved cardiac CT, allowing for better image quality with reduced radiation exposure, and making coronary artery calcium a reliable indicator for assessing heart disease risk in individuals at lower risk levels.
  • Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is now essential in evaluating acute chest pain cases, as it not only measures blockage severity but also offers insights into plaque features and inflammation, potentially identifying unstable lesions at risk of rupture.
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  • The study is about a type of chemotherapy drug called anthracyclines, which can hurt the heart, and it tests a heart-protecting medicine called nebivolol to see if it can prevent this damage.
  • It involves patients with breast cancer or a specific type of lymphoma who have healthy hearts and are starting treatment with anthracyclines.
  • The trial will compare nebivolol to a placebo (like a fake medicine) over a year to see if it helps protect the heart better than not taking it.
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Introduction: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) and particles (EPs) represent reliable biomarkers for disease detection. Their role in the inflammatory microenvironment of severe COVID-19 patients is not well determined. Here, we characterized the immunophenotype, the lipidomic cargo and the functional activity of circulating EPs from severe COVID-19 patients (Co-19-EPs) and healthy controls (HC-EPs) correlating the data with the clinical parameters including the partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (PaO2/FiO2) and the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study examined the effects of various less-invasive surfactant administration (LISA) methods during non-invasive ventilation (NIV) on neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in piglets, aiming to understand the cerebral impacts through near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).
  • - Five groups of piglets with induced RDS underwent different treatments: control (NIPPV only), INSURE-like surfactant delivery, and three LISA methods using various catheters, revealing that LISA techniques were effective and well-tolerated.
  • - Results indicated that the vascular catheter and LISAcath® provided better lung compliance and reduced lung damage compared to other methods, while neither surfactant administration approach significantly affected brain
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Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare entity whose neoplastic cells retain a B-cell phenotype with expression of CD20. Radiotherapy is recommended for favorable stage IA disease while for other stages guidelines suggest therapeutic strategies similar to those used for classic HL. The role of rituximab, although quite widespread, is not completely elucidated.

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Background: Premature birth, perinatal inflammation, and life-saving therapies such as postnatal oxygen and mechanical ventilation are strongly associated with the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD); these risk factors, alone or combined, cause lung inflammation and alter programmed molecular patterns of normal lung development. The current knowledge on the molecular regulation of lung development mainly derives from mechanistic studies conducted in newborn rodents exposed to postnatal hyperoxia, which have been proven useful but have some limitations.

Methods: Here, we used the rabbit model of BPD as a cost-effective alternative model that mirrors human lung development and, in addition, enables investigating the impact of premature birth per se on the pathophysiology of BPD without further perinatal insults (e.

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Background: Decorative tattooing is a very widespread and constantly increasing practice, especially among young people.

Objectives: Here, we report a case study of melanoma occurring on a tattoo on the left arm and provide an overview of all cases reported so far.

Materials & Methods: A systematic literature search of publications was conducted from inception to September 2021 via Medline (PubMed), Scopus and Google Scholar, in order to identify all cases of primitive melanomas arising on tattoos.

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Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Rabbit anti-T lymphocyte globulin (ATLG) in addition to calcineurin inhibitors and antimetabolites is a suitable strategy to prevent GVHD in several transplant settings. Randomized studies already demonstrated its efficacy in terms of GVHD prevention, although the effect on relapse remains the major concern for a wider use.

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Pulmonary surfactant (PS) has been proposed as an efficient drug delivery vehicle for inhaled therapies. Its ability to adsorb and spread interfacially and transport different drugs associated with it has been studied mainly by different surface balance designs, typically interconnecting various compartments by interfacial paper bridges, mimicking in vitro the respiratory air-liquid interface. It has been demonstrated that only a monomolecular surface layer of PS/drug is able to cross this bridge.

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