Publications by authors named "Gelzo M"

The development of targeted therapies that correct the effect of mutations in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and the relevant heterogeneity of the clinical expression of the disease require biomarkers correlated to the severity of the disease useful for monitoring the therapeutic effects. We applied a targeted metabolomic approach by LC-MS/MS on saliva samples from 70 adult CF patients and 63 age/sex-matched controls to investigate alterations in metabolic pathways related to pancreatic insufficiency (PI), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) colonization, CF liver disease (CFLD), and CF related diabetes (CFRD). Sixty salivary metabolites were differentially expressed, with 11 being less abundant and 49 more abundant in CF patients.

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Sarcoptic mange is a highly contagious disease and represents one of the main health concerns for humans and non-human mammals worldwide. It is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei and can course with different morphological and physiological presentations. Accordingly, aside from skin inflammation, hosts may experience changes in body condition, immune system, biochemistry, reproduction, and thermoregulation, although the understanding of the downstream metabolic burden is still missing.

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Article Synopsis
  • Endothelial-cell-specific molecule-1 (ESM-1), also known as endocan, is identified as a significant biomarker for inflammation and cardiovascular risk in COVID-19 patients, particularly in the context of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C).
  • In a study comparing ESM-1 levels between MIS-C patients and healthy controls, MIS-C patients showed significantly higher levels of ESM-1, suggesting its potential diagnostic value.
  • The research indicates that ESM-1 not only correlates with other inflammatory markers but is also associated with cardiac complications, highlighting its role in assessing cardiovascular risks in MIS-C patients and aiding in treatment strategies.
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The emergence of COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), presented a global health challenge since its identification in December 2019. With clinical manifestations ranging from mild respiratory symptoms to severe multi-organ dysfunction, COVID-19 continues to affect populations worldwide. The complex interactions between SARS-CoV-2 variants and the human immune system are crucial for developing effective therapies, vaccines, and preventive measures.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzed saliva from 63 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 30 healthy controls using advanced techniques to identify biochemical changes and potential noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers.
  • It found significant differences in the levels of 77 proteins, with unique and varied expressions among COVID-19 patients, highlighting a complex interplay between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses.
  • The research also noted alterations in peptides and amino acids, establishing a diagnostic algorithm with high efficiency to differentiate between COVID-19 patients and healthy individuals.
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Modulators of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) improved cystic fibrosis (CF) patients' outcome. The elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) combination was safe and effective improving lung function in patients with different CFTR genotypes, including at least one F508del mutation. However, cases with liver damage were reported.

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  • Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare tumors often linked to immune issues, like Good's syndrome (GS), which increases mortality risk from infections.
  • The study reviewed COVID-19 incidence and severity among TET patients from March 2020 to April 2023, noting that about 66% of participants contracted COVID-19, regardless of GS presence.
  • Results showed a significant correlation between GS and increased COVID-19 severity, with 45% of GS patients experiencing higher severity scores compared to just 7.7% in patients without GS.
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  • * Researchers created PeptiVAX, a novel vaccine platform using PeptiCRAd technology, which targets broader T-cell responses by focusing on conserved regions across coronaviruses instead of just the SPIKE protein.
  • * Initial tests in human immune cells and mice showed that PeptiVAX effectively stimulated specific T-cell responses, suggesting it could be a fast and flexible solution for enhancing vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2.
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Modulators of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutated protein significantly improved the outcome of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). We describe 63 patients who were independently followed up in two CF regional centers (i.e.

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  • Thymic epithelial tumor (TET) patients are at risk for autoimmune issues, prompting a study on the effects of the SARS-Cov-2 vaccine on inflammatory reactions in these individuals compared to healthy controls.
  • The study evaluated serum biomarkers related to inflammation and vascular damage in 44 TET patients and 30 healthy individuals, finding that about 50% showed increased markers after vaccination, with TET patients experiencing changes primarily after the second dose.
  • The vaccine was deemed safe for TET patients as no serious complications occurred, but the researchers call for more studies to understand the implications of the biomarker increases observed.
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  • Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare cancers often linked to autoimmune disorders and severe immunodeficiency, which complicates responses to COVID-19 vaccines.
  • A study was conducted to assess immune responses to the SARS-Cov-2 mRNA vaccine in TET patients, focusing on humoral and cellular responses and vaccination safety over a full cycle including a booster.
  • The results showed significant immune responses post-vaccination, with a correlation between baseline lymphocyte levels and vaccine effectiveness, and most patients did not experience severe COVID-19 even when infected during the study period.
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  • Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare cancers that affect the immune system, and this study investigates how patients with TET respond to the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine after two doses.
  • The study involved 39 patients, analyzing their antibody levels before and after vaccination, revealing that all had negative antibody levels before vaccination, with differences in seroconversion based on their disease status.
  • Results indicated that patients with evidence of disease (ED) had a significantly lower chance of generating an immune response compared to those with no evidence of disease, highlighting the impact of their existing health conditions on vaccine effectiveness.
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The diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD) is challenging and often delayed mainly in case of young infants and in presence of an incomplete disease and atypical features. Facial nerve palsy is one of the rare neurologic symptoms of KD, associated with a higher incidence of coronary arteries lesions and may be an indicator of a more severe disease. Here, we describe a case of lower motor neuron facial nerve palsy complicating KD and perform an extensive literature review to better characterize clinical features and treatment of patients with KD-associated facial nerve palsy.

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Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that may occur in any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Asymptomatic or untreated inflammation along with malnutrition can often coexist in patients with CD, impairing clinical outcomes, therefore the aim of this study was to assess the relationship between inflammation, malnutrition risk and nutritional status in CD patients. Consecutive adult CD outpatients aged 18-65 years were recruited.

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Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary metabolic disorder characterized by impaired traffic of chloride ions and water through membranes of the respiratory and gastrointestinal, that causes inadequate hydration of airway surfaces, dehydrated mucous secretions and a high-sodium chloride sweat. Although the classical presentation of the condition is well known, a better characterization of metabolic alterations related is need. In particular, the metabolic composition alterations of biological fluids may be influence by the disease state and could be captured as putative signature to set targeted therapeutic strategies.

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The last ten years have been characterized by an enormous step forward in the therapy and management of patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), thanks to the development and combination of () correctors and potentiators. Specifically, the last approved triple combination elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor has been demonstrated to improve lung function in CF patients with both homozygous Phe508del and Phe508del/minimal function genotypes. Here we have assessed the effect of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor in patients carrying the Phe508del/minimal function genotype ( = 20) after one year of treatments on liver function and nutrient absorption with a focus on lipid metabolism.

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Objective: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common type of cancer. Biomarkers help researchers to understand the mechanisms of disease and refine diagnostic panels. We measured urinary 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-IsoF2α) to assess oxidative stress damage in PCa patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

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Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare, severe complication of COVID-19. A better knowledge of immunological, cellular, and genetic characteristics of MIS-C could help better understand the pathogenesis of the disease and contribute to identifying specific diagnostic biomarkers and develop targeted therapies. We studied 37 MIS-C children at hospital admission and 24 healthy controls analyzing serum cytokines (IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-12p70 and TNF), lymphocyte populations by flow cytometry and 386 genes related to autoimmune diseases, autoinflammation and primary immunodeficiencies by NGS.

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Background: The pathogenesis of the novel described multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and Kawasaki disease (KD) is still debated as it is not clear if they are the same or different nosological entities. However, for both the diseases a rapid and unequivocal diagnosis is mandatory to start the therapy before the onset of severe complications. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the white cell populations in MIS-C and KD as potential markers to discriminate between the two diseases.

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We previously observed an increase of serum interleukins (IL) and a reduction of most lymphocyte subpopulations in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the changes in serum IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17A levels and cytometric lymphocyte profiles in 144 COVID-19 patients at admission and after one week, also in relation to steroid treatment before hospitalization. After one week of hospitalization, we found that: (i) total lymphocytes were increased in all patients; (ii) neutrophils and IL-6 were reduced in mild/moderate patients; (iii) B lymphocytes were increased in severe patients; (iv) T lymphocyte populations increased in mild/moderate patients.

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Endothelial hyperinflammation and vasculitis are known hallmarks of acute COVID-19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). They are due to the direct effect of the virus on endothelial cells enhanced by pro-inflammatory modulators and may cause venous/arterial thrombosis. Therefore, it is essential to identify patients with endothelial damage early in order to establish specific therapies.

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Metabolomics helps identify metabolites to characterize/refine perturbations of biological pathways in living organisms. Pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical limitations that have hampered a wide implementation of metabolomics have been addressed. Several potential biomarkers originating from current targeted metabolomics-based approaches have been discovered.

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Oxylipins are signaling molecules originated by fatty acids that modulate vascular and bronchial tone, bronchial secretion, cytokine production and immune cell activity. The unbalanced production of pro-inflammatory and pro-resolving (i.e.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Clinical outcomes between the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Europe showed that patients in the second wave had significantly lower levels of iNOS, IL-6, and IL-10 compared to those in the first wave, indicating a less severe illness.
  • - Serum levels of iNOS and inflammatory markers (IL-6 and IL-10) correlated with the severity of COVID-19 in the first wave but did not do so in the second wave, suggesting a shift in the disease's impact over time.
  • - In severe cases during the second wave, patients who were treated with steroids or azithromycin before hospitalization had decreased iNOS levels, leading to concerns about their immune response, and highlighting the potential need for
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Background: Despite severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-Coronavirus (CoV-2) primarily targeting the lungs, the heart represents another critical virus target. Thus, the identification of SARS-CoV-2 disease of 2019 (COVID-19)-associated biomarkers would be beneficial to stratify prognosis and the risk of developing cardiac complications. Aldosterone and galectin-3 promote fibrosis and inflammation and are considered a prognostic biomarker of lung and adverse cardiac remodeling.

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