The Effect of Maternal Dietary Patterns on Birth Weight for Gestational Age: Findings from the MAMI-MED Cohort.

Limited evidence exists on the effects of maternal dietary patterns on birth weight, and most studies conducted so far did not adjust their findings for gestational age and sex, leading to potentially biased conclusions. In the present study, we applied a novel method, namely the clustering on principal components, to derive dietary patterns among 667 pregnant women from Catania (Italy) and to evaluate the associations with birth weight for gestational age. We identified two clusters reflecting distinct dietary patterns: the first one was mainly characterized by plant-based foods (e.

Body Stalk Anomaly Complicated by Ectopia Cordis: First-Trimester Diagnosis of Two Cases Using 2- and 3-Dimensional Sonography.

Introduction: Body stalk anomaly is a severe defect of the abdominal wall, characterized by the evisceration of abdominal organs and, in more severe cases, thoracic organs as well. The most serious condition in a body stalk anomaly may be complicated by ectopia cordis, an abnormal location of the heart outside the thorax. The aim of this scientific work is to describe our experience with the prenatal diagnosis of ectopia cordis as part of the first-trimester sonographic screening for aneuploidy.

Factor V Leiden but not the factor II 20210G>A mutation is a risk factor for premature coronary artery disease: a case-control study in Iran.

Background: Factor V Leiden (FVL) and factor II c.∗97G>A (rs1799963) are genetic risk factors for venous thromboembolism. Their contribution to coronary artery disease (CAD) is less clear.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dietary Patterns of Pregnant Women: A Comparison between Two Mother-Child Cohorts in Sicily, Italy.

A maternal diet, before and during pregnancy, plays a key role in ensuring maternal and newborn health. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, may have compromised dietary habits in the general population and in specific subgroups of individuals. Here, we evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on the diet of pregnant women, using data from two mother-child cohorts in Sicily (Italy).

Uterine Rupture in Pregnancy following Two Abdominal Myomectomies and IVF.

Objective: Uterine rupture (UR) during pregnancy is an obstetric emergency that could determine poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. There are many factors that could increase the risk of UR, such as a previous myomectomy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of a previous myomectomy in a spontaneous UR in pregnancy.

Integrative omics reveals subtle molecular perturbations following ischemic conditioning in a porcine kidney transplant model.

Background: Remote Ischemic Conditioning (RIC) has been proposed as a therapeutic intervention to circumvent the ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) that is inherent to organ transplantation. Using a porcine kidney transplant model, we aimed to decipher the subclinical molecular effects of a RIC regime, compared to non-RIC controls.

Methods: Kidney pairs (n = 8 + 8) were extracted from brain dead donor pigs and transplanted in juvenile recipient pigs following a period of cold ischemia.

The role of serum free light chain as biomarker of Myasthenia Gravis.

Background And Aim: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a B lymphocyte-mediated disease affecting neuromuscular transmission. The clinical course of MG is unpredictable due to the fluctuating nature and heterogeneity of the disease. Increased levels of free light chains (FLC), which reflect B cell activation, have been detected in different autoimmune disorders.

Role of ADAMTS13, VWF and F8 genes in deep vein thrombosis.

Background: We previously described the association between rare ADAMTS13 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Moreover, DVT patients with at least one rare ADAMTS13 SNV had a lower ADAMTS13 activity than non-carriers.

Aims: To confirm ADAMTS13 variants association with DVT and reduced plasma ADAMTS13 activity levels in a larger population.

Risk factors for dysfunctional grief and functional impairment for all causes of death during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of meaning.

The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with significant social changes due to legislative and public health requirements, has changed the way in which people experience grief. We examined whether dysfunctional grief symptoms, disrupted meaning, risk factors, and functional impairment differed between people bereaved from COVID-19 and from other natural or violent causes in this same period. A sample of 409 participants (67.

The HLA Variant rs6903608 Is Associated with Disease Onset and Relapse of Immune-Mediated Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Caucasians.

Immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) is a rare, life-threatening thrombotic microangiopathy caused by severe ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 13) deficiency, recurring in 30-50% of patients. The common human leukocyte antigen (HLA) variant rs6903608 was found to be associated with prevalent iTTP, but whether this variant is associated with disease relapse is unknown. To estimate the impact of rs6903608 on iTTP onset and relapse, we performed a case-control and cohort study in 161 Italian patients with a first iTTP episode between 2002 and 2018, and in 456 Italian controls.

Caesarean scar pregnancy: descriptive paper of three different types of management on a series of clinical cases.

Introduction: A caesarean scar pregnancy is a complex iatrogenic pathology, which represents a consequence of a previous caesarean section. It increased in recent years due to parallel increase of cesarean sections.

Material And Methods: We present a retrospective study on patients with caesarean scar pregnancy diagnosed in our department from June 2016 to June 2019.

A primary lesion of advanced melanoma in pregnancy: case report and review of literature of the advanced cases in the last ten years.

Introduction: Pregnancy- associated melanoma (PAM) is reported between 2.8 and 5.0 per 100,000 pregnancies and approximately 35% of women with melanoma are of childbearing age.

Clinically significant fear and anxiety of COVID-19: A psychometric examination of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale.

The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) using an online survey of 398 adult Amazon MTurk workers in the U.S. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the CAS measures a reliable (α = 0.

Clinical Use of κ Free Light Chains Index as a Screening Test for Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: To assess the usefulness of the κ free light chain index (κFLCi) as a screening test to identify patients with suspected MS.

Methods: The study included 56 patients with a request to test for oligoclonal bands (OCBs). OCBs were detected by isoelectric focusing, followed by immunofixation.

General practice registrars' experiences of antenatal care: A cross-sectional analysis.

Background: General practitioners play an important role in diagnosis and ongoing management of pregnancies. Some GP registrars entering GP training may have had no post-graduate experience in obstetrics and gynaecology. GP registrars' involvement in antenatal care is under-researched.

Complications of whole-exome sequencing for causal gene discovery in primary platelet secretion defects.

Primary platelet secretion defects constitute a heterogeneous group of functional defects characterized by reduced platelet granule secretion upon stimulation by different agonists. The clinical and laboratory heterogeneity of primary platelet secretion defects warrants a tailored approach. We performed a pilot study in order to develop DNA sequence analysis pipelines for gene discovery and to create a list of candidate causal genes for platelet secretion defects.

Next-generation DNA sequencing to identify novel genetic risk factors for cerebral vein thrombosis.

Background: Cerebral vein thrombosis (CVT) is a rare, life-threatening disease affecting one adult per 100,000 per year. Genetic risk factors are deficiencies of the natural anticoagulant proteins antithrombin, protein C, protein S or single nucleotide polymorphisms such as factor V Leiden and prothrombin 20210A. In 20% of patients, the cause of CVT remains unknown.