Complex gene-dependent and-independent mechanisms control daily rhythms of hematopoietic cells.

The abundance and behaviour of all hematopoietic components display daily oscillations, supporting the involvement of circadian clock mechanisms. The daily variations of immune cell functions, such as trafficking between blood and tissues, differentiation, proliferation, and effector capabilities are regulated by complex intrinsic (cell-based) and extrinsic (neuro-hormonal, organism-based) mechanisms. While the role of the transcriptional/translational molecular machinery, driven by a set of well-conserved genes (Clock genes), in nucleated immune cells is increasingly recognized and understood, the presence of non-transcriptional mechanisms remains almost entirely unexplored.

Circadian clock disruption impairs immune oscillation in chronic endogenous hypercortisolism: a multi-level analysis from a multicentre clinical trial.

Background: Glucocorticoids (GC) are potent entrainers of the circadian clock. However, their effects on biological rhythms in chronic human exposure have yet to be studied. Endogenous hypercortisolism (Cushing's Syndrome, CS) is a rare condition in which circadian disruption is sustained by a tumorous source of GC excess, offering the unique opportunity to investigate GC's chronic effects in vivo.

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Features and Medico-Legal Implications of Diagnostic Omission.

Early diagnosis of oncologic pathologies has a crucial role to determine patient's prognosis and therapeutic path. Nonetheless, clinical errors and omissions that can occur during diagnostic, as well as detection of preneoplastic or neoplastic condition, may result in devasting consequences both for patients in terms of health and for professionals in terms of medico-legal responsibility. This study is aimed at examining in depth, through the presentation of a specific clinical case, the medico-legal aspects inherent to the diagnosis of oral cancer, analyzing the preventive, interceptive, and diagnostic strategies, the legal implications of clinical evaluation errors and diagnostic omission, and the type of medical damage produced and professional liability.

Thromboembolic prevention in athletes: management of anticoagulation in sports players affected by atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia that poses a significant risk of stroke and thromboembolic events. Anticoagulation therapy is essential for preventing stroke in patients with AF. An increasing number of people of all ages, including cardiac patients, approach physical activity as both a leisure-time exercise and a competitive sport.

DHEA-S, Androstenedione, 17-β-estradiol signature as novel biomarkers for early prediction of risk of malignant pleural mesothelioma linked to asbestos-exposure: A preliminary investigation.

17-β-estradiol, involved in mesothelioma pathogenesis, and its precursors were explored as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of mesothelioma. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) for 17-β-estradiol and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS) for 19 17-β-estradiol precursors, a comprehensive analysis of 20steroid hormones was conducted in the serum of mesothelioma patients(n=67), asbestos-exposed healthy subjects(n=39), and non-asbestos-exposed healthy subjects(n=35). Bioinformatics analysis explored three potential serum biomarkers: 17-β-estradiol, DHEA-S, and androstenedione.

Iron overload disorders: Growth and gonadal dysfunction in childhood and adolescence.

Hemochromatosis (HC) is characterized by the progressive accumulation of iron in the body, resulting in organ damage. Endocrine complications are particularly common, especially when the condition manifests in childhood or adolescence, when HC can adversely affect linear growth or pubertal development, with significant repercussions on quality of life even into adulthood. Therefore, a timely and accurate diagnosis of these disorders is mandatory, but sometimes complex for hematologists without endocrinological support.

Exploring sexual function in adrenal insufficiency: findings from the Dual RElease hydrocortisone versus conventionAl glucocorticoid replaceMent therapy in hypocortisolism (DREAM) trial.

Background: Data on sexual function in patients with adrenal insufficiency are scarce and largely controversial.

Objectives: To investigate sexual dysfunction in patients with primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency and the effects of switching to once-daily dual-release hydrocortisone on sexual function in outcome assessors blinded, randomized, multicenter, active comparator clinical trial.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-nine adrenal insufficiency patients on conventional, multiple daily doses of glucocorticoid replacement, enrolled in the Dual RElease hydrocortisone versus conventionAl glucocorticoid replaceMent in hypocortisolism (DREAM) trial, were randomly assigned to continue their therapy or to switch to an equivalent dose of dual-release hydrocortisone.

Clinical management of androgen excess and defect in women.

Introduction: Hyperandrogenism and hypoandrogenism are complex disorders involving multiple-organ systems. While androgen excess is a well-characterized condition, androgen deficiency still needs diagnostic criteria, as there are no specific cutoffs.

Areas Covered: We highlight the most recent findings on the role of androgens in female pathophysiology, investigating clinically relevant conditions of androgen insufficiency or excess throughout a woman's life, and their possible therapeutic management.

How Food Choices Impact on Male Fertility.

Purpose Of Review: Increasing evidence on the significance of nutrition in reproduction is emerging from both animal and human studies, suggesting an association between nutrition and male fertility. Here, we have highlighted the impact of the various food groups on reproductive hormones and on spermatogenesis, and the effects of classical and latest dietary patterns such as Mediterranean diet, Western diet, intermittent fasting, ketogenic diet, and vegan/vegetarian diet on male fertility.

Recent Findings: Nutrients are the precursors of molecules involved in various body's reactions; therefore, their balance is essential to ensure the correct regulation of different systems including the endocrine system.

Palatal Rugae as a Discriminating Factor in Determining Sex: A New Method Applicable in Forensic Odontology?

The purpose of this study is a new method that can help to identify the sex through the study of palatal rugae, comparing sagittal sections of the hard palate using Cartesian coordinates and evaluating the assistance given by digital technology and its applicability in this method. In this study, 57 digital impressions were examined and divided in two groups based on sex. Results: 2223 impression sections were studied and 145 coordinates that were present with a frequency greater than 50% in one or both groups were obtained: 52 discriminating traits (DT) in the male group, 29 discriminating traits in the female group, and 64 common traits (CT).

Molecular study of the presence and transcriptional activity of HPV in semen.

Purpose: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in semen represents a controversial topic. Recent evidence suggests a correlation with poor semen quality, but its detection is still unstandardized in this biological fluid. Thus, the aims of this study were to verify the ability of nested PCR to reveal HPV-DNA in semen; to evaluate association of seminal HPV with sperm parameters and risk factors for infection; to investigate the rate of HPV-DNA positivity in patients with and without risk factors; to assess HPV transcriptional activity.

Circulating Natural Killer Cells as Prognostic Value for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Correlation with Sarcopenia.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of tumors. Natural killer (NK) cells can play an important role in cancer immune surveillance. The aim of this prospective observational study was to analyze peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving ICIs in order to identify predictive factors for better survival outcomes.

The Diagnostic Potential of the Human Blood Microbiome: Are We Dreaming or Awake?

Human blood has historically been considered a sterile environment. Recently, a thriving microbiome dominated by Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes phyla was detected in healthy blood. The localization of these microbes is restricted to some blood cell populations, particularly the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and erythrocytes.

Gender-Specific Impact of Sex Hormones on the Immune System.

Sex hormones are key determinants of gender-related differences and regulate growth and development during puberty. They also exert a broad range modulation of immune cell functions, and a dichotomy exists in the immune response between the sexes. Both clinical and animal models have demonstrated that androgens, estrogens, and progestogens mediate many of the gender-specific differences in immune responses, from the susceptibility to infectious diseases to the prevalence of autoimmune disorders.

Cellular Immune Profiling of Lung and Blood Compartments in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 related immunopathology may be the driving cause underlying severe COVID-19. Through an immunophenotyping analysis on paired bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and blood samples collected from mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19-associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (CARDS), this study aimed to evaluate the cellular immune responses in survivors and non-survivors of COVID-19.

Methods: A total of 36 paired clinical samples of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) mononuclear cells (BALF-MC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from 18 SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University Hospital in Rome (Italy) for severe interstitial pneumonia.

Characterization of circulating immune cells and correlation with Tie2/Angiopoietins level in well differentiated neuroendocrine gastroenteropancreatic tumors: a cross-sectional analysis.

Purpose: The immune environment represents a new, but little explored, tool for understanding neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) behavior. An immunosuppressed microenvironment is hypothesized to promote NENs progression. A missing profiling of circulating leukocyte and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) subpopulations would open new perspectives in the still limited diagnostic-therapeutic management of NENs.

Revisiting the physiological role of androgens in women.

Introduction: Extensive research underlines the critical functions of androgens in females. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms of their action are poorly understood. Here, we review the existing literature regarding the physiological role of androgens in women throughout life.

Human genital tracts microbiota: dysbiosis crucial for infertility.

Human body is colonized by trillions of microbes, influenced by several factors, both endogenous, as hormones and circadian regulation, and exogenous as, life-style habits and nutrition. The alteration of such factors can lead to microbial dysbiosis, a phenomenon which, in turn, represents a risk factor in many different pathologies including cancer, diabetes, autoimmune and cardiovascular disease, and infertility. Female microbiota dysbiosis (vaginal, endometrial, placental) and male microbiota dysbiosis (seminal fluid) can influence the fertility, determining a detrimental impact on various conditions, as pre-term birth, neonatal illnesses, and macroscopic sperm parameters impairments.

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous analysis of androgens, estrogens, glucocorticoids and progestagens in human serum.

We present a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous analysis of 16 endogenous steroids (androgens, estrogens, glucocorticoids and progestogens) in human serum. Samples (250 μl of matrix) were extracted with t-butylmethyl ether prior to LC-MS/MS analysis. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a reversed-phase column using a methanol-water gradient.

Impaired Immune Function in Patients With Chronic Postsurgical Hypoparathyroidism: Results of the EMPATHY Study.

Context: Despite the pivotal role of calcium signaling in immune response, little is known about immune function in patients affected by hypoparathyroidism.

Objective: This work aimed to evaluate immune function in hypoparathyroidism.

Methods: The Evaluation of iMmune function in Postsurgical and AuToimmune HYpoparathyroidism (NCT04059380) is a case-control, cross-sectional study set in an Italian referral center.

Disruption of Circadian Rhythms: A Crucial Factor in the Etiology of Infertility.

Infertility represents a growing health problem in industrialized countries. Thus, a greater understanding of the molecular networks involved in this disease could be critical for the development of new therapies. A recent finding revealed that circadian rhythmicity disruption is one of the main causes of poor reproductive outcome.