Hypocalcemia is associated with adverse outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Purpose: Calcium ions are involved in the regulation of several cellular processes and may also influence viral replication. Hypocalcemia has been frequently reported during infectious diseases and in critically ill patients, including also COVID-19 patients, significantly related with the pro-inflammatory state and mortality. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of hypocalcemia at admission in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) and to evaluate association of hypocalcemia with in-hospital COVID-19 outcomes.

Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Pulmonary Function Tests and Exercise Tolerance.

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been shown to cause long-term pulmonary sequelae. Objects: The aim of this study was to evaluate the consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 infection on pulmonary function and on the 6-min walk test related to the severity of the disease. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the “Policlinico Tor Vergata” Academic Hospital (Rome, Italy), including 75 patients evaluated in post-COVID clinics at the Respiratory Units between November 2020 and September 2021.

Ceiling effect of beclomethasone/formoterol/glycopyrronium triple fixed-dose combination in COPD: A translational bench-to-bedside study.

Background: Currently, data on the possible synergy of adding a LAMA to ICS/LABA combination are missing and no studies assessed whether triple therapy may induce ceiling bronchodilator effect. A translational study was performed to investigate the interaction between glycopyrronium bromide (GB) and beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP)/formoterol fumarate (FF) combination in human isolated airways and the effect on FEV and small airway resistance of BDP/FF/GB in COPD.

Methods: The interaction of adding GB to BDP/FF combination was tested in vitro in medium and small airways via Bliss, Loewe, and Highest Single Agent models.

Air pollution as a contributor to the inflammatory activity of multiple sclerosis.

Objective: Air pollution has been recently identified as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis. Aim of this study was to investigate the immunological mechanism underlying the clinical association between air pollution, namely exposure to particulate matter 10 (PM10), and inflammatory activity of multiple sclerosis (MS) METHODS: Daily recording of PM10 was obtained by monitors depending on the residence of subjects. Expression of molecules involved in activation, adhesion, and migration of T lymphocytes were tested by flow cytometry in 57 MS patients and 19 healthy controls.

Efficacy and cardiovascular safety profile of dual bronchodilation therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A bidimensional comparative analysis across fixed-dose combinations.

Despite several long-acting β-adrenoceptor agonist (LABA)/long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) are currently approved for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), there are limited findings concerning the direct comparison across the different LABA/LAMA FDCs. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy/safety profile of approved LABA/LAMA FDCs in COPD. A network meta-analysis was performed by linking the efficacy (forced expiratory volume in 1 s, St' George Respiratory Questionnaire, transitional dyspnea index) and safety (cardiovascular serious adverse events) outcomes resulting from randomized controlled trials that directly compared LABA/LAMA FDCs with placebo and/or each other.

De Novo Donor-Specific HLA Antibodies Developing Early or Late after Transplant Are Associated with the Same Risk of Graft Damage and Loss in Nonsensitized Kidney Recipients.

De novo posttransplant donor-specific HLA-antibody (DSA) detection is now recognized as a tool to identify patients at risk for antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and graft loss. It is still unclear whether the time interval from transplant to DSA occurrence influences graft damage. Utilizing sera collected longitudinally, we evaluated 114 consecutive primary pediatric kidney recipients grafted between 2002 and 2013 for DSA occurrence by Luminex platform.

BCR-ABL-specific T-cell therapy in Ph+ ALL patients on tyrosine-kinase inhibitors.

Although the emergence of bone marrow (BM)-resident BCR-ABL-specific T lymphocytes has been correlated with hematologic and cytogenetic remissions in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph ALL) undergoing maintenance tyrosine-kinase inhibitor treatment, little is known about the possibility of culturing these cells ex vivo and using them in T-cell therapy strategies. We investigated the feasibility of expanding/priming BCR-ABL-specific T cells in vitro by stimulation with dendritic cells pulsed with BCR-ABL peptides derived from the BCR-ABL junctional region and alternative splicing, and of adoptively administering them to patients with relapsed disease. We report on the feasibility of producing clinical-grade BCR-ABL-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), endowed with antileukemia activity, from Ph ALL patients and healthy donors.

Posttransplant soluble B-cell activating factor kinetics in pediatric recipients of first kidney allograft.

Background: Development of de novo donor-specific antibodies (dnDSA) is associated with late or chronic antibody-mediated rejection (CAMR) and poor graft outcome in low-risk kidney transplant recipients. High-level soluble B-cell activating factor (sBAFF) was observed in kidney recipients at higher risk of developing dnDSA.

Methods: We longitudinally analyzed sBAFF levels in 81 consecutive primary pediatric kidney recipients monitored for de novo human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibody (Ab) occurrence to gain insight into the events conditioning B-cell activation posttransplant and to analyze the usefulness of paired DSA-sBAFF monitoring in this clinical setting.

Successful treatment of a classic Hodgkin lymphoma-type post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder with tailored chemotherapy and Epstein-Barr virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in a pediatric heart transplant recipient.

CHL type is the least common major form of EBV-related PTLD but rarely occurs in pediatric recipients; development of CHL subsequent to other PTLD subtypes in the same transplant recipient is even more unusual. Because of its rarity, indications on the best treatment strategy are limited. Patients have been mostly treated with standard HL chemotherapy/radiotherapy, and prognosis seems more favorable than other monomorphic PTLDs.