Personalize, participate, predict, and prevent: 4Ps in inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a complex, immune-mediated, disorder which leads to several gastrointestinal and systemic manifestations determining a poor quality of life, disability, and other negative health outcomes. Our knowledge of this condition has greatly improved over the last few decades, and a comprehensive management should take into account both biological (i.e.

Role of ER Stress Mediated Unfolded Protein Responses and ER Stress Inhibitors in the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Previous investigations have increased the knowledge about the pathological processes of inflammatory bowel diseases. Besides the complex organization of immune reactions, the mucosal epithelial lining has been recognized as a crucial regulator in the commencement and persistence of intestinal inflammation. As the intestinal epithelium is exposed to various environmental factors, the intestinal epithelial cells are confronted with diverse cellular stress conditions.

Obesity and Monitoring Iodine Nutritional Status in Schoolchildren: is Body Mass Index a Factor to Consider?

The frequency of overweight (OW) and obese (OB) children has increased worldwide, particularly in economically developed countries. No studies have been conducted to verify whether the increasing frequency of OW and obesity in schoolchildren may affect the evaluation of iodine nutritional status in populations. The aim of this study was to verify whether urinary iodine concentration (UIC), thyroid volume (TV), and thyroid hypoechoic pattern may be affected by body mass index (BMI) in schoolchildren.

Immunolocalization of leptin and leptin receptor in colorectal mucosa of ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and control subjects with no inflammatory bowel disease.

The expression of leptin and leptin receptor (Ob-R) has been partially elucidated in colon of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), even though leptin is involved in angiogenesis and inflammation. We previously reported overexpression of GLUT5 fructose transporter, in aberrant clusters of lymphatic vessels in lamina propria of IBD and controls. Here, we examine leptin and Ob-R expression in the same biopsies.

Faecal microbiota transplantation in Clostridioides difficile infection: real-life experience from an academic Italian hospital.

Background: Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a reasonable therapeutic option for the treatment of infection (CDI) recurrent and refractory (RCDI) to therapy, but little evidence on the long-term impact of this therapy is currently available in the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FMT in recurrent and refractory CDI and the modifications of the recipient's gut microbiota in the medium-long term.

Methods: This prospective study collects the clinical and laboratory data of RCDI patients treated with FMT by colonoscopy from February 2016 to October 2019.

Microbiota changes induced by microencapsulated sodium butyrate in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Butyrate has shown anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties, providing symptomatic relief when orally supplemented in patients suffering from various colonic diseases. We investigated the effect of a colonic-delivery formulation of butyrate on the fecal microbiota of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs).

Methods: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot study, 49 IBD patients (n = 19 Crohn's disease, CD and n = 30 ulcerative colitis, UC) were randomized to oral administration of microencapsulated-sodium-butyrate (BLM) or placebo for 2 months, in addition to conventional therapy.

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance for assessing fibrosis in Crohn's disease.

Background: Intestinal fibrosis is a key feature of Crohn's Disease lesions, and mucosal biopsies do not exactly represent transmural damage. Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) allows for a panoramic study of the bowel loops. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) through the restriction of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) allows for an accurate evaluation of disease activity in Crohn's Disease patients avoiding contrast agents.

Hyperthyroidism in the pregnant woman: Maternal and fetal aspects.

Hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is uncommon. Nonetheless, prompt identification and adequate management of hyperthyroidism in a pregnant woman is essential, because uncontrolled thyrotoxicosis significantly increases the risk of maternal and fetal complications. Also, fetal prognosis may be affected by the transplacental passage of maternal thyroid stimulating antibodies or thyrostatic agents, both of which may disrupt fetal thyroid function.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Therapies Adversely Affect Fertility in Men- A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Sexual functions are sometimes adversely affected by the therapeutic drugs delivered for treating IBD. Much attention has been focused on pregnancy/sexual issues in women. Relatively less attention has been poured in to address this issue in men.

Quality of life after laparoscopic sigmoid resection for uncomplicated diverticular disease.

Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate the QoL in patients who underwent elective surgery for uncomplicated diverticulitis using a recently developed diverticulitis quality of life questionnaire (DV-QoL).

Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent surgery for uncomplicated diverticulitis or who were hospitalized and treated conservatively for acute uncomplicated diverticulitis episodes in three referral centers, in a 5-year period, were included in the study. The 36-Item Short Form Survey and the DV-QoL were administered to the patients to assess their QoL before and after treatment of diverticular disease.

Addition of Granulocyte/Monocyte Apheresis to Oral Prednisone for Steroid-dependent Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized Multicentre Clinical Trial.

Background And Aims: Steroid-dependency occurs in up to 30% of patients with ulcerative colitis [UC]. In this setting, few drugs have demonstrated efficacy in inducing steroid-free remission. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding granulocyte/monocyte apheresis [GMA] to oral prednisone in patients with steroid-dependent UC.

Glucose transporter expression in the human colon.

Aim: To investigate by immunostaining glucose transporter expression in human colorectal mucosa in controls and patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: Colorectal samples were obtained from patients undergoing lower endoscopic colonoscopy or recto-sigmoidoscopy. Patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis ( = 18) or Crohn's disease ( = 10) and scheduled for diagnostic colonoscopy were enrolled.

Prediction of clinical outcomes in Crohn's disease by using confocal laser endomicroscopy: results from a prospective multicenter study.

Background And Aims: Assessment of prognostic factors in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) is of pivotal importance for early intervention and "treat-to-target" strategies. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) enables on-demand in vivo characterization of mucosal inflammatory and architectural changes during endoscopy. We prospectively assessed the value of CLE for prediction of clinical outcome parameters in CD.

Female Reproductive Factors and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is markedly more common in women than men, the highest female-to-male ratio being recorded during the reproductive period. This evidence has led to the suggestion that female hormonal and reproductive factors may account for the observed DTC gender disparity. This review focuses on current evidence on the risk of DTC in conjunction with major female reproductive factors, including the impact of pregnancy on DTC occurrence and progression/recurrence.

Immunohistochemical Expression of Estrogen Receptor-α and Progesterone Receptor in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) prevalence is nearly 3 times higher in females than in males. This gender difference suggests that growth and progression of PTC might be influenced by female sex hormones.

Objectives: To analyze the expression of both estrogen receptor (ER)-α and progesterone receptor (PR) by immunohistochemistry in 203 PTC patients.

The changing phenotype of iodine deficiency disorders: a review of thirty-five years of research in north-eastern Sicily.

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) still represent a major public health problem, with almost 30% of the world population being exposed to the consequences of nutritional iodine deficiency (ID). In Italy, despite a sustained policy of iodine prophylaxis, more than 10% of people is still affected with goiter, and a presumably higher rate of subjects may suffer from minor cognitive deficits due to inadequate iodine supply during antenatal life. This review of systematic observational studies carried out over thirty-five years (1980-2015) in a sentinel ID area in North-eastern Sicily highlights the changing phenotypes of IDD in this region.

Thyroid cancer in lingual thyroid and thyroglossal duct cyst.

Ectopy is the most common embryogenetic defect of the thyroid gland, representing between 48 and 61% of all thyroid dysgeneses. Persistence of thyroid tissue in the context of a thyroglossal duct remnant and lingual thyroid tissue are the most common defects. Although most cases of ectopic thyroid are asymptomatic, any disease affecting the thyroid may potentially involve the ectopic tissue, including malignancies.

Acute liver damage following intravenous glucocorticoid treatment for Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Purpose: Over the last years, there have been several reports on the occurrence of acute liver damage (ALD) in patients affected with Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) receiving intravenous glucocorticoids (ivGCs). This article is aimed at reviewing the literature on this specific topic and reporting two new cases of ALD occurring in GO patients while on ivGCs.

Methods: The terms "glucocorticoid therapy" and "Graves' Ophthalmopathy"/"Graves' Orbitopathy"/"Thyroid eye disease" were used both separately and in conjunction with the terms "liver disease," "liver damage," "hepatotoxicity," "liver failure," to search MEDLINE for articles published since the first report of ALD in 2000 and up to 2015.

Immunoreactions for P53 isoforms are associated with ultrastructural proliferative profiles in benign thyroid nodules.

Background: P53 isoforms originate from the alternative initiation of P53 gene translation through usage of an internal promoter located in intron 4. All P53 isoforms are spliced in intron 9 and may modulate cell proliferation and cell fate outcome in response to DNA damage.

Aim: To examine immunoexpression of P53 isoforms in benign proliferative lesions occurring in multinodular thyroids and to assess the ultrastructural phenotype of P53 distribution in the thyrocytes of those lesions by electron microscopy.