A multi-element psychosocial intervention for early psychosis (GET UP PIANO TRIAL) conducted in a catchment area of 10 million inhabitants: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Multi-element interventions for first-episode psychosis (FEP) are promising, but have mostly been conducted in non-epidemiologically representative samples, thereby raising the risk of underestimating the complexities involved in treating FEP in 'real-world' services.

Methods/design: The Psychosis early Intervention and Assessment of Needs and Outcome (PIANO) trial is part of a larger research program (Genetics, Endophenotypes and Treatment: Understanding early Psychosis - GET UP) which aims to compare, at 9 months, the effectiveness of a multi-component psychosocial intervention versus treatment as usual (TAU) in a large epidemiologically based cohort of patients with FEP and their family members recruited from all public community mental health centers (CMHCs) located in two entire regions of Italy (Veneto and Emilia Romagna), and in the cities of Florence, Milan and Bolzano. The GET UP PIANO trial has a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled design.

No change in glomerular heparan sulfate structure in early human and experimental diabetic nephropathy.

Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans are major anionic glycoconjugates of the glomerular basement membrane and are thought to contribute to the permeability properties of the glomerular capillary wall. In this study we evaluated whether the development of (micro) albuminuria in early human and experimental diabetic nephropathy is related to changes in glomerular HS expression or structure. Using a panel of recently characterized antibodies, glomerular HS expression was studied in kidney biopsies of type I diabetic patients with microalbuminuria or early albuminuria and in rat renal tissue after 5 months diabetes duration.

Antibody-based assay for N-deacetylase activity of heparan sulfate/heparin N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase (NDST): novel characteristics of NDST-1 and -2.

A new assay was developed to measure the N-deacetylase activity of the glucosaminyl N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferases (NDSTs), which are key enzymes in sulfation of heparan sulfate (HS)/heparin. The assay is based on the recognition of NDST-generated N-unsubstituted glucosamine units in Escherichia coli K5 capsular polysaccharide or in HSs by monoclonal antibody JM-403. Substrate specificity and potential product inhibition of the NDST isoforms 1 and 2 were analyzed by comparing lysates of human 293 kidney cells stably transfected with mouse NDST-1 or -2.

Medical costs of intravascular ultrasound optimization of stent deployment. Results of the multicenter randomized 'REStenosis after Intravascular ultrasound STenting' (RESIST) study.

OBJECTIVE: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) can be used to optimize the deployment of stents. The aim of this study was to assess the acute and long-term medical costs of the use of IVUS through the results of the 'REStenosis after Intravascular ultrasound STenting' (RESIST) study. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-five patients were randomized to routine stent deployment with (n = 79) versus without (n = 76) IVUS guidance, with clinical follow-up over 18 months.

Expression of agrin, dystroglycan, and utrophin in normal renal tissue and in experimental glomerulopathies.

The dystrophin-glycoprotein complex, which comprises alpha- and beta-dystroglycan, sarcoglycans, and utrophin/dystrophin, links the cytoskeleton to agrin and laminin in the basal lamina in muscle and epithelial cells. Recently, agrin was identified as a major heparan sulfate proteoglycan in the glomerular basement membrane. In the present study, we found mRNA expression for agrin, dystroglycan, and utrophin in kidney cortex, isolated glomeruli, and cultured podocytes and mesangial cells.