Publications by authors named "Francesca Todaro"
Article Synopsis
- Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus/human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) poses serious health risks for solid organ transplant recipients, with higher seroprevalence noted in recipients (8.4%) compared to donors (3.3%).
- Among transplant patients, a specific group of donors (D+) and recipients (R-) showed notable rates of HHV-8-related diseases, like Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and associated inflammatory cytokine syndrome (KICS), emphasizing the importance of careful monitoring.
- Effective management of HHV-8 diseases, such as KICS, suggests that treatment options like rituximab can significantly impact patient outcomes, highlighting the need for serologic screening and timely interventions.
Article Synopsis
- The STAT1 gain-of-function syndrome leads to chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and can also cause various other infections, autoimmune issues, and malignancies due to severe lymphopenia.
- In a study of seven patients with this condition, it was found that increased T lymphocyte apoptosis occurs, especially when stimulated, and treatment with the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib showed promise in reducing this apoptosis and improving lymphopenia.
- The findings suggest that JAKinib therapy could be beneficial for treating not only chronic candidiasis and lymphopenia but also for managing increased interferon responses in patients with autoimmune or autoinflammatory symptoms.
Phaeohyphomycosis comprises a variety of infections caused by pigmented fungi. Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are particularly at risk of invasive infections due to their prolonged immunosuppression. Here, we describe three cases of phaeohyphomycosis in SOT recipients who were successfully treated with surgical excision and/or antifungal therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntithrombin (AT) is a glycoprotein produced by the liver and a principal antagonist of active clotting proteases. A deficit in AT function leads to AT qualitative deficiency, challenging to diagnose. Here we report that active AT may travel physiosorbed on the surface of plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs), contributing to form the "EV-protein corona.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS) is an international standardized swallowing assessment tool. However, its psychometric characteristics have not been analysed in patients with dysphagia.
Aims: To analyse TOMASS's (1) inter- and intra-rater reliability in a clinical population of patients with dysphagia, (2) known-group validity, (3) concurrent validity and (4) correlation with meal duration.
Purpose Of Review: To describe primary immunodeficiencies caused by gain-of-function (GOF) mutations of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) genes, a group of genetically determined disorders characterized by susceptibility to infections and, in many cases, autoimmune manifestations.
Recent Findings: GOF mutations affecting STAT1 result in increased STAT tyrosine phosphorylation and secondarily increased response to STAT1-signaling cytokines, such as interferons. In contrast, STAT3 hyperactivity is not usually related to hyperphosphorylation but rather to increased STAT3-mediated transcriptional activity.