TAS2R38 Genotype Does Not Affect SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia.

Several chronic respiratory diseases could be risk factors for acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection: among them, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare (about 1:10.000) inherited ciliopathy (MIM 242650) characterized by recurrent upper and lower respiratory tract infections due to a dysfunction of the respiratory cilia. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether PCD subjects are more susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2 and whether some polymorphisms of the bitter taste receptor correlate with an increased prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity of symptoms.

Impact of COVID-19 containment measures on antibiotic prescribing for respiratory and ear diseases in pediatric primary care.

Background: In Italy, the antibiotic prescription rate for children is very high. The aim of this study is to evaluate the change in the monthly rate of antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory and ear infections among children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This retrospective study included all children aged <14 years who referred to a pediatric primary care clinic in Milan (Italy) between January 1, 2019, and April 30, 2022.

Hip pain in childhood.

Hip pain in a child can have infectious, inflammatory, traumatic, neoplastic, or developmental causes, which can make the diagnosis challenging. Meticulous history taking and a detailed clinical examination guide the radiological investigation. In this article, we address some of the main causes of hip pain in childhood and their findings on diagnostic imaging.

Absence of arteriosclerosis in intramyocardial coronary arteries: a mystery to be solved?

Several studies show that portions of intramyocardial coronary arteries are spared of arteriosclerosis, involving morphological, embryological, biochemical and pathophysiological aspects. Endothelial function is significantly affected in the segment of transition, as estimated by the vasoactive response to Ach. These findings suggest that myocardial bridge can provide protection against arteriosclerosis by counteracting the negative effects of endothelial dysfunction.