Publications by authors named "Serena Gracci"
Article Synopsis
- * The food industry is exploring ways to use legumes as substitutes for cereals, but this could lead to a rise in legume allergies.
- * The prevalence of legume allergies differs by region, with peanuts and soybeans being common in Western countries, while lentils and chickpeas are more problematic in areas like the Mediterranean and India; the review also outlines diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for children with these allergies.
Treatment of IgE-mediated food allergy involves avoiding the food causing the allergic reaction. In association, an action plan for allergic reactions is indicated, sometimes including self-injectable adrenaline. In addition to these dietary and medical implications, there are two equally important ones: nutritional and psychosocial.
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- Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disorder that affects ciliary function, leading to airway clearance issues and sometimes organ positioning defects (laterality defects), with a study conducted across 19 countries to analyze gene defects and their clinical implications.
- The study involved 1236 individuals with a variety of pathogenic DNA variants and found significant geographical differences in PCD genotypes, with varying rates of laterality defects and distinct genetic characteristics linked to different countries.
- Results revealed that individuals with PCD often have lower lung function (measured by forced expiratory volume) and that the presence of certain genetic variants can correlate with more severe clinical outcomes, highlighting the importance of genetic understanding in diagnosing
Background: International guidelines disagree on how best to diagnose primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), not least because many tests rely on pattern recognition. We hypothesized that quantitative distribution of ciliary ultrastructural and motion abnormalities would detect most frequent PCD-causing groups of genes by soft computing analysis.
Methods: Archived data on transmission electron microscopy and high-speed video analysis from 212 PCD patients were re-examined to quantitate distribution of ultrastructural (10 parameters) and functional ciliary features (4 beat pattern and 2 frequency parameters).
Fish is one of the "big nine" foods triggering allergic reactions. For this reason, fish allergens must be accurately specified on food labels. Fish allergy affects less than 1% of the world population, but a higher prevalence is observed in pediatric cohorts, up to 7%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Hyper IgE Syndromes are rare primary immunodeficiencies characterized by eczema, recurrent skin and respiratory infections and elevated serum IgE levels. Nowadays a geneticmolecular characterization is possible and allows the distinction in various monogenic pathologies, which share some clinical characteristics but also important differences. In addition to long-known STAT3 and DOCK8 gene mutations, in fact, also ZNF341, CARD11, ERBB2IP, IL6R and IL6ST genes mutations can cause the disease.
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- The link between preterm birth and the risk of developing asthma is still debated, with many factors contributing to this complex issue.
- Preterm infants often face various respiratory challenges, like viral infections and wheezing, which may lead to asthma later in life.
- The review highlights the importance of factors such as atopic sensitization, gut microbiome, diet, and pollution in understanding how prematurity influences asthma onset.
Background: We hypothesized that differences in nasal nitric oxide (nNO) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (Feno) relate to prognosis in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD).
Research Question: What is the relationship between baseline values and longitudinal evolution of nNO and Feno and ultrastructure, genotype, and respiratory infections in PCD?
Study Design And Methods: Prospective, longitudinal, single-center study in adults and children evaluated biannually for up to 10 years. We compared cross-sectional and longitudinal values of nNO and Feno in ultrastructural (inner dynein arm [IDA] and microtubular disorganization [MTD]) and genetic (CCDC39 and CCDC40) groups known to have worse pulmonary function with patients within the ultrastructural and genetic groups with a better prognosis.
The Effect of Outdoor Aeroallergens on Asthma Hospitalizations in Children in North-Western Tuscany, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
March 2022
Few data are currently available on the effects of aeroallergens in triggering respiratory symptoms in children. To evaluate the potential effects of daily outdoor aeroallergens loads on childhood admissions, in this case-crossover study, we analyzed data from 85 children hospitalized at the University Hospital of Pisa, Italy, for asthma or asthma-like symptoms without respiratory infection, between 2010 and 2019. Data were linked to outdoor allergens, temperature, nitrogen dioxide, and relative humidity observed during the same period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenotype-phenotype relationships are emerging in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), but little is known about lung volume changes over time. To investigate the evolution of static lung volumes with ultrastructural defects, gene mutations, body mass index, and specific infections in PCD. Prospective, longitudinal, single-center study in children and adults evaluated twice yearly for up to 10 years.
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