Publications by authors named "Gaspari Valeria"

Syphilis has resurged globally, especially in urban areas of developed countries. This study analyses syphilis cases over a decade at an STD centre in Bologna, Italy, examining new diagnoses, reinfections, and impacts on high-risk subgroups, compared with national and European data. Data from 2009-2019 were retrospectively reviewed, including primary, secondary, early latent, late latent, and indeterminate syphilis cases, as per WHO guidelines.

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Objectives: Scabies infestation, caused by the mite, has recently emerged as a public health concern in Western nations, with increased incidence worldwide. In Bologna, Italy, local health authorities report a rise in scabies diagnoses, although detailed data are limited. This study aimed to analyse the temporal trends of scabies cases diagnosed at S.

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Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection poses a significant health risk, particularly for high-risk groups such as men who have sex with men (MSM), people living with HIV (PLHIV), and transgender individuals. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, uptake among these groups remains suboptimal due to various social and behavioral barriers (BeSD). A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) clinic in Bologna, Italy, from 8 April to 12 April 2024 using a paper questionnaire, investigating HPV vaccine uptake and BeSD factors influencing vaccination decisions.

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Background And Objectives: We assessed the prevalence of oral lichen sclerosus in a cohort of women affected with vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS).

Patients And Methods: This prospective, observational study included adult female patients with a histologically proven VLS who attended the Vulva Clinics of three Dermatology Units from January 2020 to July 2023. During this period, all VLS patients were asked to be examined in their oral cavities in order to detect any possible sign of oral diseases, which were then biopsied.

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Over the last decades, the incidence of anal cancer has increased worldwide. The discovery of the HPV virus as its primary cause and the natural progression of the disease, involving precancerous lesions, have resulted in significant interest in screening for anal cancer. The use of cytology testing, high-risk HPV DNA research, high-resolution anoscopy, and their combination has been adopted with variable success in detecting anal HPV precancerous lesions.

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Background: The addition of pertuzumab (P) to trastuzumab (H) and standard chemotherapy (CT) as neoadjuvant treatment (NaT) for patients with HER2 + breast cancer (BC), has shown to increase the pathological complete response (pCR) rate, without main safety concerns. The aim of NeoPowER trial is to evaluate safety and efficacy of P + H + CT in a real-world population.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of stage II-III, HER2 + BC patients treated with NaT: who received P + H + CT (neopower group) in 5 Emilia Romagna institutions were compared with an historical group who received H + CT (control group).

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Article Synopsis
  • MSM (men having sex with men) have high rates of pharyngeal gonorrhea and antimicrobial resistance genes in their throat microbiome, making it crucial to monitor these resistance factors.
  • A study of 164 MSM showed the most common resistance genes, with factors like age, smoking, and antibiotic use influencing their presence, while pharyngeal gonorrhea and HIV status did not.
  • The findings emphasize the need for targeted screening and antimicrobial stewardship programs for MSM to address the rising concern of resistant gonorrhea strains.
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Herpetic gingivostomatitis and anogenital herpes are widely known manifestations of sexually transmitted herpesvirus infections. What is less recognized is the potential causative role of such infections in triggering immune-mediated skin disorders such as guttate psoriasis. We describe the case of a 23-year-old man with an acute episode of guttate psoriasis related to primary herpetic gingivostomatitis.

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Men having sex with men (MSM) represent a key population, in which sexually transmitted rectal infections (STIs) caused by Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) are very common and linked to significant morbidity. Investigating the anorectal microbiome associated with rectal STIs holds potential for deeper insights into the pathogenesis of these infections and the development of innovative control strategies. In this study, we explored the interplay at the rectal site between C.

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BackgroundHuman leishmaniasis is a protozoan disease transmitted by sand flies and endemic in the Mediterranean region. In Italy, leishmaniasis is present in the south and the western coastal regions, with an epidemic peak detected in northern Italy in the early 1970s.AimTo examine temporal trends, and demographic, clinical, geographical and environmental features of human leishmaniasis cases recorded by the local health unit (LHU) of Bologna, northern Italy.

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Tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) is endemic but neglected in southern Europe. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the strains causing TL cases in northeastern Italy, where an upsurge of TL cases has been observed in the last decade. Sections from 109 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies of skin and mucosal tissues were collected from TL cases in the selected area.

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Commensal species of the oropharynx represent a significant reservoir of antimicrobial resistance determinants that can be transferred to . This aspect is particularly crucial in 'men having sex with men' (MSM), a key population in which pharyngeal co-colonization by and non-pathogenic species is frequent and associated with the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Here, we explored the antimicrobial susceptibility of a large panel of non-pathogenic species isolated from the oropharynx of two populations: a group of MSM attending a 'sexually transmitted infection' clinic in Bologna (Italy) (n=108) and a group of males representing a 'general population' (n=119).

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Background: In triple negative breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, residual disease at surgery is the most relevant unfavorable prognostic factor. Current guidelines consider the use of adjuvant capecitabine, based on the results of the randomized study, carried out in Asian patients and including a small subset of triple negative tumors. Thus far, evidence on Caucasian patients is limited, and no real-world data are available.

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There is no evidence of seasonal variation in visits to clinics dedicated to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Italy, nor of changes after the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. An observational, retrospective, multicentric study was conducted to record and analyze all the visits to the STI clinics of the Dermatology Units of the University Hospitals of Ferrara and Bologna and of the Infectious Disease Unit of Ferrara, Italy, between January 2016 and November 2021. Overall, 11.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a systemic STI primarily affecting men who have sex with men (MSM), currently presenting as anorectal syndrome in Europe, caused by specific bacterial serovars (L1 to L3).
  • - The study focused on the whole genome of a LGV strain (LGV/17) isolated in 2017 from an HIV-positive MSM in Italy, utilizing whole-genome sequencing to understand its characteristics and improve prevention strategies.
  • - LGV/17 was identified as sequence type ST44 and genovariant L2f, showing similarities to other international strains, indicating complex transmission patterns, and contained genes linked to membrane and glycoprotein functions. *
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Monkeypox infection is a zoonosis first described in humans in 1970 in Congo. While previously manifesting in small, confined outbreaks, the disease is rapidly spreading globally. The aim of this study was to investigate microbiological samples (skin, rectal, and oropharyngeal swab samples and plasma and urine samples) that can help in adequate diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic management.

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Tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) includes cutaneous (CL) and mucosal (ML) leishmaniasis; despite being endemic in southern Europe, it is often underdiagnosed and underreported. This study aimed to retrospectively examine data collected from patients with TL in a selected area of northeastern Italy (Emilia-Romagna region, RER). A network of 10 diagnostic units within RER was established, and TL cases diagnosed in RER from 2017 to 2020 were evaluated.

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Parapoxvirus (PPV) infections are considered neglected zoonoses because their incidence is often unknown or greatly underestimated despite being endemic globally. Here, we report the comprehensive diagnostic workflow that led to the identification of two cases of persistent PPV infections. The results obtained underline the importance of adopting a "One Health" approach and cross-sectoral collaboration between human and veterinary medicine for precise aetiological diagnosis and correct management of patients affected by zoonotic diseases.

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