Relationship between inflammatory laboratory parameters and severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A pilot study.

Background: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a complex condition whose pathogenesis may include inflammation and signs of joint and bone degeneration.

Objective: The main objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and inflammatory blood parameters.

Methods: The study recruited patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who attended the Rehabilitation Center of the Apostolo Foundation in Merate (LC).

COVID-19 in liver transplant recipients: incidence, hospitalization and outcome in an Italian prospective double-centre study.

Liver transplant (LT) recipients are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2-infection (COVID-19), due to immunosuppression and comorbidities. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on LT recipients compared to general population in the Campania region. In this prospective double-centre study, we enrolled all consecutive adult LT recipients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2-infection.

Peripheral blood immunophenotyping in a large cohort of patients with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome.

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is one of the more common inherited bone marrow failure syndromes, characterized by neutropenia, occasional thrombocytopenia, and anemia. Bone marrow evaluation reveals an increased number of monocytes and mature B cells along with decreased granulocytes. However, little is known about the subpopulations of peripheral blood cells, and few previous publications have been based on a small number of patients.

Rituximab increases peripheral natural killer cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: The clinical response of rituximab (RTX) is related to the degree of B cell depletion, although other circulating lymphocytes may be affected. We investigated the changes in lymphocyte sub-populations in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with RTX and their relationship with the therapeutic response, with attention to natural killer (NK) cells.

Methods: In fifty-one RA patients peripheral blood B and T lymphocytes and NK cells subtypes were counted by flow cytometry before and 3, 6 and 12 months after RTX administration.