Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Incidence in Scleroderma Patients Treated with Bosentan for Digital Ulcers: Evidence from the Italian SPRING Registry.

Objective: Bosentan (BOS) is approved for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and preventing digital ulcers (DU) in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Our study aimed to evaluate whether BOS prescribed for DU could reduce the incidence of PAH in a large SSc cohort from the SPRING registry.

Methods: Patients with SSc from the SPRING registry, meeting ACR/EULAR 2013 classification criteria with data on PAH onset, DU status, BOS exposure, and at least a one-year follow-up between 2015 and 2020, and no known PAH at baseline were included.

Epidemiology and Resistance Profiles of Bacteria Isolated from Blood Samples in Septic Patients at Emergency Department Admission: A 6-year Single Center Retrospective Analysis from Northern Italy.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the microbiological and clinical heterogeneity of community-onset bloodstream infections (BSIs) and identify features to support targeted empirical antibiotic therapy in the Emergency Department (ED).

Methods: Clinical and microbiological data from 992 BSI cases (1,135 isolates) diagnosed within 24 hours of ED admission at IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy (January 2015-June 2022), were analyzed. Drug resistance was interpreted using EUCAST-2023.

Enhancing emergency care for older persons: the role and impact of the electronic Frailty Index.

As the elderly population expands, enhancing emergency department (ED) care by assessing frailty becomes increasingly vital. To address this, we developed a novel electronic Frailty Index (eFI) from ED health records, specifically designed to assess frailty and predict hospitalization, in-hospital mortality, ICU admissions, and 30-day ED readmissions. This retrospective, single-center study included patients 65 years old or older who presented to the ED of IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital in Milan, Italy, between January 2015 and December 2019.

Comparative Analysis of Antithrombotic Therapy Outcomes in Mild Traumatic Brain-Injury Patients: A Focus on Bleeding Risk and Hospital-Stay Duration.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the elderly is a noteworthy pathology due to the exponential increase in population age, and the effects of antiplatelet and anticoagulation on patients' outcomes are still a matter of dispute. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of various antithrombotic agents on patients with mild TBI, focusing on the risk of intracranial bleeding (ICH) and length of hospitalization (LOS).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted, including patients with a diagnosis of TBI admitted to the Emergency Department between 2021 and 2022.

Practice pattern for the use of intravenous iloprost for the treatment of peripheral vasculopathy in systemic sclerosis: A case-control study from the Italian national multicenter "SPRING" (Systemic Sclerosis Progression InvestiGation) Registry.

Background: Intravenous iloprost has been widely used for the treatment of systemic sclerosis peripheral vasculopathy. No agreement has been found on the regimen and the dosage of intravenous iloprost in different scleroderma subset conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the modalities of intravenous iloprost administration within a large cohort of systemic sclerosis patients from the SPRING Registry and to identify any associated clinical-demographic, instrumental or therapeutic data.

Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma: clinical and serological features and relationship with other cutaneous subsets in a large series of patients from the national registry 'SPRING' of the Italian Society for Rheumatology.

Objective: To describe demographic, clinical and laboratory features of systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma (ssSSc) in a large multicentre systemic sclerosis (SSc) cohort.

Methods: Data involving 1808 SSc patients from Italian Systemic sclerosis PRogression INvestiGation registry were collected. The ssSSc was defined by the absence of any cutaneous sclerosis and/or puffy fingers.

Negative prognostic impact of electrolyte disorders in patients hospitalized for Covid-19 in a large multicenter study.

Background: The prognostic impact of electrolyte disorders in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is unclear.

Methods: The study included all adult patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in four hospitals in Northern Italy between January 2020 and May 2021 with at least one serum potassium and sodium measurement performed within 3 days since admission. Primary outcome was in-hospital death; secondary outcome was Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission.

Geographical heterogeneity of clinical and serological phenotypes of systemic sclerosis observed at tertiary referral centres. The experience of the Italian SIR-SPRING registry and review of the world literature.

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by a complex etiopathogenesis encompassing both host genetic and environmental -infectious/toxic- factors responsible for altered fibrogenesis and diffuse microangiopathy. A wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes may be observed in patients' populations from different geographical areas. We investigated the prevalence of specific clinical and serological phenotypes in patients with definite SSc enrolled at tertiary referral centres in different Italian geographical macro-areas.

An individualized algorithm to predict mortality in COVID-19 pneumonia: a machine learning based study.

Introduction: Identifying SARS-CoV-2 patients at higher risk of mortality is crucial in the management of a pandemic. Artificial intelligence techniques allow one to analyze large amounts of data to find hidden patterns. We aimed to develop and validate a mortality score at admission for COVID-19 based on high-level machine learning.

The added value of artificial intelligence to LI-RADS categorization: A systematic review.

Purpose: The objective of this systematic review was to critically assess the available literature on deep learning (DL) and radiomics applied to the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) in terms of 1) automatic LI-RADS classification of liver nodules; 2) the contribution of DL and radiomics to human evaluation in the classification of liver nodules following LI-RADS protocol.

Materials And Methods: A literature search was conducted to identify original research studies published up to April 2021. The inclusion criteria were: English language, focus on computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance (MR) with specified number of patients and lesions, adoption of LI-RADS classification for the detected hepatic lesions, and application of AI in the classification of liver nodules.

Non-adherence and discontinuation rate for oral and parenteral methotrexate: A retrospective-cohort study in 8,952 patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Background And Aims: Treatment options for PsA, following non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), include conventional synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDS), particularly methotrexate (MTX). The present study was performed to determine the non-adherence and discontinuation rates of different methotrexate (MTX) formulations in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Approach And Results: We performed a retrospective-cohort study on patients with PsA identified by disease-specific code in the administrative-health-databases of a Northern Italian region (Lombardy) between 2004 and 2015.

Antimitochondrial Antibodies: from Bench to Bedside.

Anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) are directed against the E2 subunits of the 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complexes (PDC-E2) and are the typical biomarkers of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), being present in 90-95% of patients, with increasing sensitivity at increasing titers. Albeit being highly specific for PBC diagnosis, AMA can be detected in less than 1% of healthy subjects, and thus the management subjects with no sign or symptom of liver disease is still a challenge and data concerning clinical risk of developing PBC in this subgroup of patients are controversial. Moreover, AMA can also be detected in patients affected by overlap syndrome, as well as hepatic diseases (i.

Covid-19 And Rheumatic Autoimmune Systemic Diseases: Role of Pre-Existing Lung Involvement and Ongoing Treatments.

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic may have a deleterious impact on patients with autoimmune systemic diseases (ASD) due to their deep immune-system alterations.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of symptomatic Covid-19 and its correlations with both organ involvement and ongoing treatments in a large series of Italian ASD patients during the first wave of pandemic.

Methods: Our multicenter telephone 6-week survey included 3,029 unselected ASD patients enrolled at 36 tertiary referral centers of northern, central, and southern Italian macro-areas with different diffusion of the pandemic.

Long-term Outcome of Children Born to Women with Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases: A Multicentre, Nationwide Study on 299 Randomly Selected Individuals.

The concern about the offspring's health is one of the reasons for a reduced family size of women with rheumatic diseases (RD). Increased risk of autoimmune diseases (AD) and neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) has been reported in children born to patients with RD. Within a nationwide survey about reproductive issues of women with RD, we aimed at exploring the long-term outcome of their children.

Rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies in the general population: hepatitis B and C virus association and 15-year-risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated peptides (ACPA), to estimate the association with hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) virus infections and the 15-year risk of developing RA in a large cohort from a Northern Italian region.

Methods: In 1998, 15,907 subjects between the ages of 18 and 75 were randomly selected 1:4 for HBV and HCV testing; more recently, we tested a subgroup of sera for RF (n=2196) and ACPA (n=2525). Administrative databases were searched after 15 years for incident RA diagnoses occurring between 1998 and 2013.

High mortality in COVID-19 patients with mild respiratory disease.

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected 189 000 people in Italy, with more than 25 000 deaths. Several predictive factors of mortality have been identified; however, none has been validated in patients presenting with mild disease.

Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of interstitial pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2, presenting with mild symptoms, and requiring hospitalization in a non-intensive care unit with known discharge status were prospectively collected and retrospectively analysed.

Systemic sclerosis Progression INvestiGation (SPRING) Italian registry: demographic and clinico-serological features of the scleroderma spectrum.

Objectives: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe multiple-organ disease characterised by unpredictable clinical course, inadequate response to treatment, and poor prognosis. National SSc registries may provide large and representative patients cohorts required for descriptive and prognostic studies. Therefore, the Italian Society for Rheumatology promoted the registry SPRING (Systemic sclerosis Progression INvestiGation).

Anti-phospholipid antibody prevalence and association with subclinical atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis in the general population.

Background: There is no agreement on the prevalence of anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPLs) and the correlation with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (CV) events in the general population.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study on 1712 randomly enrolled subjects from a Northern Italian city to investigate the presence of aPLs and the association with subclinical atherosclerosis (using the carotid artery intima media thickness measured as inter-adventitia common carotid artery diameters - ICCAD) and retrospectively collected CV factors and events (i.e.

Serum IFI16 and anti-IFI16 antibodies in psoriatic arthritis.

Nuclear interferon-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) and anti-IFI16 antibodies have been detected in subjects with several rheumatic diseases, often correlating with disease severity, and in this study we investigated their prevalence and clinical associations in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) compared to psoriasis (Pso). We tested sera and synovial fluids of patients with PsA for IFI16 protein levels by capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and for anti-IFI16 immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA by ELISA, protein radio-immunoprecipitation and immunoprecipitation-Western blot of IgG. Sera from patients with Pso and healthy subjects were used as controls, and in a subgroup of patients with PsA we also studied sera after treatment with etanercept.