Publications by authors named "Pastori C"
CCR5 is the main co-receptor for HIV-1 cell entry and it plays key roles in HIV-1 mucosal transmission. Natural anti-CCR5 antibodies were found in HIV-1-exposed seronegative and long-term non-progressor subjects, suggesting a role in controlling viral replication in vivo. We assessed the effect of sera containing or not natural anti-CCR5 antibodies, on membrane CCR5 level and HIV-1 infection in primary macrophages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Myelin is altered in several neurologic disorders. Published data demonstrate reduced white matter myelin content and lower oligodendrocyte cell number in postsurgical brain specimens obtained from patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) and temporal lobe epilepsy; a pathogenic role of dysfunctional myelin in focal epilepsies has been proposed. Based on this evidence, our study aims to investigate the myelination status in the gray matter in postsurgical brain specimens from patients with FCDIIb.
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- This case report emphasizes the need for comprehensive testing methods, including video-EEG, MEG, and MRI, to accurately diagnose negative motor seizures (NMSs) and differentiate them from other conditions.
- The study presents a 62-year-old patient with drug-resistant focal epilepsy and NMSs, highlighting the importance of monitoring that indicated specific brain activity and muscular responses during seizures.
- Findings from the multimodal evaluations revealed an epileptic zone in the right opercular region, associated with brain abnormalities, thereby improving our understanding of NMSs and their underlying brain mechanisms.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated In-Dex sedation against melatonin and hydroxyzine for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during EEG recordings, aiming to identify which patients respond best to In-Dex.
- In a retrospective analysis of EEGs conducted before and after implementing In-Dex, the failure rate dropped from 10.8% to 7.3%, with In-Dex showing particularly favorable outcomes compared to other sedatives.
- Results indicated that In-Dex is a safe option that significantly reduces EEG failure rates, especially in patients with severe behavioral disturbances or those on antipsychotic medication.
Article Synopsis
- - The transition from pediatric to adult care for epilepsy is complex and involves multiple stakeholders, essential for providing high-quality care and preventing negative outcomes in young patients.
- - The study aimed to address the challenges and needs in this transition process from the perspective of adult neurologists through a survey assessing their views on the issue.
- - Results indicate that adult neurologists find the transition challenging and recommend a collaborative approach between child and adult neurologists, along with better training in childhood epilepsy.
Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still poses a significant burden on global health and economy, especially for symptoms persisting beyond the acute disease. COVID-19 manifests with various degrees of severity and the identification of early biomarkers capable of stratifying patient based on risk of progression could allow tailored treatments.
Methods: We longitudinally analyzed 67 patients, classified according to a WHO ordinal scale as having Mild, Moderate, or Severe COVID-19.
Objectives: Sensitivity to moral and conventional rules (SMCR) is supported by bilateral brain networks and psychosocial input both of which may be altered in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). This study evaluated the components of SMCR in patients with TLE, aiming to clarify their preservation and link to psychopathological and cognitive aspects.
Methods: Adult patients with unilateral TLE and healthy controls were evaluated using neuropsychological tests for SMCR, memory, language, and executive functions, the Empathy Questionnaire (EQ), and the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R).
Objective: To investigate the Italian experience on the surgical and radiosurgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy due to hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) in the period 2011-2021 in six Italian epilepsy surgery centers, and to compare safety and efficacy profiles of the different techniques.
Methods: We collected pseudo-anonymized patient's data with at least 12 months of follow-up. Surgical outcome was defined according to Engel classification of seizure outcome.
Chemo-immunotherapy uses combined systemic therapies for resectable and unresectable tumors. This approach is gaining clinical momentum, but survival increases leave considerable room for improvement. A novel form of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) ablation combines focal tissue destruction with immune activation in preclinical settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To compare the immune response and survival after size-matched radiofrequency (RF) ablation and a proprietary form of pulsed electric field (PEF) ablation in murine tumors.
Material And Methods: Orthotopically inoculated EMT6 or 4T1 murine tumors received sham, RF ablation, or PEF ablation. 4T1 tumor ablations included subgroups with intraperitoneal checkpoint inhibition immunotherapy (αPD-1).
Objective: Encephaloceles (ENCs) may cause clinical complications, including drug-resistant epilepsy that can be cured with epilepsy surgery.
Methods: We describe clinical, diagnostic, and neuropathological findings of 12 patients with temporal ENC and epilepsy evaluated for surgery and compare them with a control group of 26 temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients.
Results: Six patients had unilateral and 6 bilateral temporal ENCs.
Peripheral nerve injuries impair the patient's functional capacity, including those occurring in the facial nerve, which require effective medical treatment. Thus, we investigated the use of heterologous fibrin biopolymer (HFB) in the repair of the buccal branch of the facial nerve (BBFN) associated with photobiomodulation (PBM), using a low-level laser (LLLT), analyzing the effects on axons, muscles facials, and functional recovery. This experimental study used twenty-one rats randomly divided into three groups of seven animals, using the BBFN bilaterally (the left nerve was used for LLLT): Control group-normal and laser (CGn and CGl); Denervated group-normal and laser (DGn and DGl); Experimental Repair Group-normal and laser (ERGn and ERGl).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCoronaviruses infections, culminating in the recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic beginning in 2019, have highlighted the importance of effective vaccines to induce an antibody response with cross-neutralizing activity. COVID-19 vaccines have been rapidly developed to reduce the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infections and disease severity. Cross-protection from seasonal human coronaviruses (hCoVs) infections has been hypothesized but is still controversial.
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- The study examines the mucosal antibody response in the lungs of patients with severe COVID-19, focusing on the roles of IgG and IgA antibodies against different viral proteins.
- The researchers found that mucosal IgA levels were higher than IgG in the lung and persisted even after the virus was cleared, especially in patients who experienced fatal outcomes.
- Low levels of IL-1β in the lungs and the presence of non-neutralizing mucosal IgA were linked to worse COVID-19 outcomes, suggesting that these antibodies might have harmful effects despite their potential protective roles.*
Article Synopsis
- Late-onset Rasmussen encephalitis (LoRE) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by progressive inflammation in one hemisphere, leading to neurological deficits and seizures.
- A study of 13 patients analyzed multiple MR images to observe changes like volume loss and abnormalities over time, revealing that the frontal and temporal lobes were most impacted.
- The study found milder atrophy in other regions and highlighted that changes in LoRE's MRI are less severe and progress more slowly compared to those seen in the childhood version of the disease.
In this experimental protocol, the objective was to evaluate the biological behavior of two xenogenic scaffolds in alcohol-induced rats through histomorphometric and Picrosirius Red staining analysis of non-critical defects in the tibia of rats submitted or not to alcohol ingestion at 25% /. Eighty male rats were randomly divided into four groups ( = 20 each): CG/B (water diet + Bio-Oss graft, Geistlich Pharma AG, Wolhusen, Switzerland), CG/O (water diet + OrthoGen graft, Baumer, Mogi Mirim, Brazil), AG/B (25% / alcohol diet + Bio-Oss graft), and AG/O (25% / alcohol diet + OrthoGen graft). After 90 days of liquid diet, the rats were surgically obtained, with a defect in the tibia proximal epiphysis; filled in according to their respective groups; and euthanized at 10, 20, 40 and 60 days.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis contribution explores in a new statistical perspective the antibody responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 141 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients exhibiting a broad range of clinical manifestations. This cohort accurately reflects the characteristics of the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Italy. We determined the IgM, IgA, and IgG levels towards SARS-CoV-2 S1, S2, and NP antigens, evaluating their neutralizing activity and relationship with clinical signatures.
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- * Research demonstrated that SLE mice could produce antibodies that neutralize tier 2 HIV-1 strains after Env immunization, and similar experiments in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed a few had neutralizing antibodies.
- * Attempts to induce these antibodies in an EAE mouse model of MS were unsuccessful, indicating the need for a better understanding of autoimmune disease characteristics and improved vaccination strategies to create effective HIV-1 vaccines.
Objective: We use co-registration of foramen-ovale and scalp-EEG to investigate network alterations in temporal-lobe epilepsy during focal seizures without (aura) or with impairment of awareness (SIA).
Methods: One aura and one SIA were selected from six patients. Temporal dynamic among 4 epochs, as well as the differences between aura and SIA, were analyzed through partial directed coherence and graph theory-based indices of centrality.
Objectives: Few studies have investigated chronically infected individuals after antiretroviral therapy (ART) interruption (ATI, analytical therapy interruption); thus, we investigated the association between some HIV-specific antibodies and viral control.
Design: All enrolled patients were previously described in the APACHE study. Briefly, the study was conducted on HIV-1 chronically infected patients, with HIV-RNA less than 50 copies/ml for at least 10 years, CD4+ cell count greater than 500 cells/μl and HIV-DNA less than 100 copies/106 PBMC.