Modulation of adipose-derived stem cell behavior by prostate pathology-associated plasma: insights from in vitro exposure.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are promising in regenerative medicine. Their proliferation, survival and activation are influenced by specific signals within their microenvironment, also known as niche. The stem cell niche is regulated by complex interactions between multiple cell types.

Use of etonogestrel subcutaneous implant in Sardinia, Italy: women's compliance and satisfaction.

Purpose Of The Article: The main aim of the study was to analyze the population of women who used etonogestrel implant, the reason that led them to this type of contraception, and the degree of compliance with it. Materials and methods: We carried out a retrospective study on women who had etonogestrel subcutaneous implant placed (n°47) over a 6-year period (2015-2021). We submitted the women a series of questions by telephone questionnaire (range 10-72 months after placements, mean 40 months) that investigated the comorbidities and side effects related to etonogestrel implant.

External validation of a nomogram for outcome prediction in management of medium-sized (1-2 cm) kidney stones.

Background: Stone nomogram by Micali et al., able topredict treatment failure of shock-wave lithotripsy (SWL), retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) in the management of single 1-2 cm renal stones, was developed on 2605 patients and showed a high predictive accuracy, with an area under ROC curve of 0.793 at internal validation.

Diagnosis and treatment of unusual multiorgan hydatid cysts.

Background: Echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by . Usually, the liver is the most affected organ, accounting for approximately 70% to 85% of cases. The lungs represent 20% of the cases.

PD-L1 immunohistochemical expression in bladder urothelial cancer with SP263, SP142 and 22C3 antibodies: A comparative study.

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is currently the only biomarker used for the selection of patients with bladder urothelial cancer for immunotherapy. Several platforms, antibodies and scores are currently available for the evaluation of the expression of PD-L1 in immunohistochemistry (IHC). In this study three different antibodies (SP263, SP142 and 22C3) were compared to establish their performances and concordance rates.

Assessing the Predictive Power of the Hemoglobin/Red Cell Distribution Width Ratio in Cancer: A Systematic Review and Future Directions.

: The hemoglobin (Hb)/red cell distribution width (RDW) ratio has emerged as an accessible, repeatable, and inexpensive prognostic factor that may predict survival in cancer patients. The focus of this systematic review is to investigate the prognostic role of the Hb/RDW ratio in cancer and the implications for clinical practice. : A literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases was performed by an independent author between 18 March and 30 March 2023 to collect relevant literature that assessed the prognostic value of the Hb/RDW ratio in cancer.

Association of HLA-A*11:01, -A*24:02, and -B*18:01 with Prostate Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study.

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci, the most polymorphic regions within the human genome, encode protein complexes responsible for antigen presentation and CD4+ and CD8+ cell activation. In prostate cancer (PCa), the second most diagnosed cancer in the male population, MHC loci undergo significant changes in their expression patterns, which affect the ability of the immune system to attack and eliminate malignant cells. The purpose of this study was to explore the genetic diversity of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A and HLA-B in patients with PCa and healthy controls (HCs) by performing HLA genotyping using NGS technology.

Current Trends in Mucosal Melanomas: An Overview.

Primary mucosal melanomas (MMs) are uncommon tumors originating from melanocytes located in the mucous membranes at various anatomic sites within the body. MM significantly differs from cutaneous melanoma (CM) regarding epidemiology, genetic profile, clinical presentation, and response to therapies. Despite these differences, that have important implications for both disease diagnosis and prognosis, MMs are usually treated in the same way as CM but exhibit a lower response rate to immunotherapy leading to a poorer survival rate.

Native tissue repair (NTR) versus transvaginal mesh interventions for the treatment of anterior vaginal prolapse: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare native tissue repair (NTR) against transvaginal mesh augmentation for the repair of anterior vaginal prolapse. A total of 2289 articles were found but only 27 (24.8 %) were included in the review.

miRNAs as Molecular Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer.

miRNAs are short noncoding RNAs able to regulate specific mRNA stability, thus influencing target gene expression. Disrupted levels of several miRNAs have been associated with prostate cancer (PC), the leading cause of cancer death among men and the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. Herein, we investigated whether miR-145, miR-148, and miR-185 circulating levels in plasma could be used as molecular biomarkers, to allow distinguishing between individuals with benign prostatic hyperplasia, precancerous lesions, and PC.

Plasma Polyamine Biomarker Panels: Agmatine in Support of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis.

Prostate cancer is the most frequent malignant tumour among males (19%), often clinically silent and of difficult prognosis. Although several studies have highlighted the diagnostic and prognostic role of circulating biomarkers, such as PSA, their measurement does not necessarily allow the detection of the disease. Within this context, many authors suggest that the evaluation of circulating polyamines could represent a valuable tool, although several analytical problems still counteract their clinical practice.

HERV-K and HERV-H Env Proteins Induce a Humoral Response in Prostate Cancer Patients.

A higher expression of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) has been associated with several malignancies, including prostate cancer, implying a possible use as a diagnostic or prognostic cancer biomarker. For this reason, we examined the humoral response against different epitopes obtained from the envelope protein of HERV-K (HERV-K env-su, HERV-K env-su), HERV-H (HERV-H env-su, HERV-H env) and HERV-W (HERV-W env-su, HERV-W env-su) in the plasma of patients affected by prostate cancer (PCa), and compared to that of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and a borderline group of patients with atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) and prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and healthy controls. A significant antibody response was observed against HERV-K env-su ( = 0.

The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Time to Primary, Secondary Resection and Adjuvant Intravesical Therapy in Patients with High-Risk Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Retrospective Multi-Institutional Cohort Analysis.

Background: To investigate the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the diagnosis and treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using an Italian multi-institutional database of TURBT patients with high-risk urothelial NMIBC between January 2019 and February 2021, followed by Re-TURBT and/or adjuvant intravesical BCG.

Results: A total of 2591 patients from 27 institutions with primary TURBT were included.

High Incidence of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease in a Third-Level University-Hospital, Italy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: to assess incidence, prognosis and obstetric outcome of patients treated for gestational trophoblastic disease GTD in a twenty-year period. Incidence, prognosis and obstetric outcome of gestational throphoblastic disease.

Methods: retrospective study.

The role of surgery in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: A call to the scientific community.

In the last decade, a growing attention has been focused on identifying effective therapeutic strategies also in the orphan clinical setting of women with platinum-resistant disease. In this context, secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS) remains a potential approach only in women with platinum sensitive relapse, but experimental data have been published supporting the role of SCS also in patients with platinum-resistant recurrence. In particular, surgery is emerging as a potential option in specific subgroups of women, such as those patients with low-grade serous histology, or low-volume relapse with disease located in the so-called pharmacological sanctuaries.

A preliminary study procedure for detection of polyamines in plasma samples as a potential diagnostic tool in prostate cancer.

Background: Many scientific contributions recognize polyamines as important biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Several authors have suggested the use of LC/MS instruments as an elective method for their measurement, providing good detection limits and specificity; however, many of these procedures suffer from long chromatographic run times, high detection limits and lengthy and expensive sample pre-treatment steps.

Methods: UHPLC coupled with high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC/Orbitrap) was set up for the identification and separation ofpolyamines, together with some of their metabolites and catabolites, in the plasma of healthy and prostate cancer human patients.

How Can the COVID-19 Pandemic Lead to Positive Changes in Urology Residency?

The COVID-19 outbreak, in a few weeks, overloaded Italian hospitals, and the majority of medical procedures were postponed. During the pandemic, with hospital reorganization, clinical and learning activities performed by residents suffered a forced remodulation. The objective of this study is to investigate how urology training in Italy has been affected during the COVID-19 era.

Adherence to Mediterranean diet and prostate cancer risk in Sicily: population-based case-control study.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and the sixth leading cause of death from cancer worldwide. Countries following a Mediterranean-type dietary pattern, has been reported to have lower PCa incidence and mortality compared with other European regions. A population-based case-control study has been conducted from January 2015 to December 2016 in a single institution of the municipality of Catania, southern Italy.

Serenoa repens + selenium + lycopene vs tadalafil 5 mg for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic obstruction: a Phase IV, non-inferiority, open-label, clinical study (SPRITE study).

Objective: To compare in a randomised, open-label, non-inferiority clinical study, the efficacy and tolerability of Serenoa repens (SeR) + selenium (Se) + lycopene (Ly) (SeR-Se-Ly) therapy vs tadalafil 5 mg in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Patients And Methods: From May 2015 to January 2017, 427 patients were enrolled in 21 different centres (International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register [ISRCTN] 73316039). Inclusion criteria included: age between 50 and 80 years, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) ≥12, maximum urinary flow rate (Q ) ≤ 15 mL/s, and post-void residual (PVR) <100 mL.

Management of female stress urinary incontinence: A care pathway and update.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a condition characterized by an involuntary loss of urine occurring as result of an increase in intra-abdominal pressure due to effort or exertion or on sneezing or coughing. Estimates of its prevalence in the female population range from 10% to 40%. A literature search of the Medline, Cochrane library, EMBASE, NLH, ClinicalTrials.

Dietary Consumption of Phenolic Acids and Prostate Cancer: A Case-Control Study in Sicily, Southern Italy.

Dietary polyphenols gained the interest of the scientific community due to their wide content in a variety of plant-derived foods and beverages commonly consumed, such as fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, and cocoa We aimed to investigate whether there was an association between dietary phenolic acid consumption and prostate cancer (PCa) in South Italy. We conducted a population-based case-control study from January 2015 to December 2016 in a single institution of the municipality of Catania, southern Italy (Registration number: 41/2015). Patients with elevated PSA and/or suspicious PCa underwent transperineal prostate biopsy.

Association between dietary phytoestrogens intakes and prostate cancer risk in Sicily.

Objective: In this study we aimed to investigate the association between dietary phytoestrogen consumption and prostate cancer in a sample of southern Italian individuals.

Methods: A population-based case-control study on the association between prostate cancer and dietary factors was conducted from January 2015 to December 2016 in a single institution of the municipality of Catania, southern Italy (Registration number: 41/2015). A total of 118 histopathological-verified prostate cancer (PCa) cases and a total of 222 controls were collected.