Early transtympanic administration of rhBDNF exerts a multifaceted neuroprotective effect against cisplatin-induced hearing loss.

Background And Purpose: Cisplatin-induced sensorineural hearing loss is a significant clinical challenge. Although the potential effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have previously been investigated in some ototoxicity models, its efficacy in cisplatin-induced hearing loss remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of recombinant human BDNF (rhBDNF) in protecting cells against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.

A deep learning approach to identify the fetal head position using transperineal ultrasound during labor.

Objectives: To develop a deep learning (DL)-model using convolutional neural networks (CNN) to automatically identify the fetal head position at transperineal ultrasound in the second stage of labor.

Material And Methods: Prospective, multicenter study including singleton, term, cephalic pregnancies in the second stage of labor. We assessed the fetal head position using transabdominal ultrasound and subsequently, obtained an image of the fetal head on the axial plane using transperineal ultrasound and labeled it according to the transabdominal ultrasound findings.

Unveiling therapeutic potentials and exploring maternal-fetal health benefits of metformin in pregnancy: A scoping review.

This scoping review synthesizes evidence on metformin's use during pregnancy, encompassing diverse conditions like gestational diabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and obesity. Metformin demonstrates comparable efficacy to insulin in gestational diabetes, positive outcomes in type 2 diabetes pregnancies, and potential benefits in reducing complications. The review highlights nuances in its effects across conditions, indicating advantages such as reduced risk of macrosomia and cesarean section in gestational diabetes.

Role of SLC7A11/xCT in Ovarian Cancer.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most dangerous gynecologic cancers worldwide and has a high fatality rate due to diagnosis at an advanced stage of the disease as well as a high recurrence rate due to the occurrence of chemotherapy resistance. In fact, chemoresistance weakens the therapeutic effects, worsening the outcome of this pathology. Solute Carrier Family 7 Member 11 (SLC7A11, also known as xCT) is the functional subunit of the Xc- system, an anionic L-cystine/L-glutamate antiporter expressed on the cell surface.

BDNF and NGF Expression in Preneoplastic Cervical Disease According to HIV Status.

Background: Neurotrophins, such as BDNF and NGF, are overexpressed in tumor cells in cervical cancer, and HIV infection is associated with the upregulation of neurotrophin expression. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether BDNF and NGF are overexpressed in preneoplastic cervical disease from HIV-infected women.

Methods: Women with preneoplastic cervical lesions (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or 3) were prospectively enrolled and grouped according to their HIV status.

Lights and shadows on the use of metformin in pregnancy: from the preconception phase to breastfeeding and beyond.

During pregnancy, the complex hormonal changes lead to a progressive decrease of insulin sensitivity that can drive the onset of gestational diabetes (GDM) or worsen an already-known condition of insulin resistance like type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and obesity, with complications for the mother and the fetus. Metformin during pregnancy is proving to be safe in a growing number of studies, although it freely crosses the placenta, leading to a fetal level similar to maternal concentration. The aim of this literature review is to analyze the main available evidence on the use of metformin during, throughout, and beyond pregnancy, including fertilization, lactation, and medium-term effects on offspring.

Low Interferon-γ Levels in Cord and Peripheral Blood of Pregnant Women Infected with SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 is characterized by the immune system's overreaction resulting in a 'cytokine storm', consisting in a massive release of cytokine into the bloodstream, leading to local and systemic inflammatory response. This clinical picture is further complicated in case of infection of patients with a peculiar immunological status, such as pregnancy. In this paper, we focused on Interferon-γ, which plays a pivotal immunomodulatory role in normal pregnancy and fetal development, as well as in defense against pathogens.

Impact of COVID-19 on Breastfeeding among SARS-CoV-2 Infected Pregnant Women: A Single Centre Survey Study.

Background: Although current guidelines recommend that mothers with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection should be encouraged to initiate and continue breastfeeding, up-to-date literature shows conflicting data regarding breastfeeding experiences in infected women. This survey aimed to report on the psychological impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on breastfeeding practice and medical counselling in a single tertiary center in Southern Italy. Methods: One-hundred breastfeeding women with SARS-CoV-2 infection at delivery were given an anonymous questionnaire regarding breastfeeding and women’s perception of the impact of COVID-19 on breastfeeding.

Trends in Caesarean Section Rate According to Robson Group Classification among Pregnant Women with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Single-Center Large Cohort Study in Italy.

Background: Since there is no available data on temporal trends of caesarean section (CS) rates in pregnant women with COVID-19 through the pandemic, we aimed to analyze the trends in caesarean section rate in a large cohort of pregnant women with COVID-19, according to the Robson Ten Group Classification System of deliveries.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled pregnant women with a diagnosis of COVID-19 who delivered in our center between March 2020 and November 2021. Deliveries were classified, according to the Robson group classification, and according to three time periods: (1) deliveries from March 2020 to December 2020; (2) deliveries from January 2021 to April 2021; (3) deliveries from May 2021 to November 2021.

The role of C5a-C5aR1 axis in bone pathophysiology: A mini-review.

Bone remodeling is a physiological, dynamic process that mainly depends on the functions of 2 cell types: osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Emerging evidence suggests that complement system is crucially involved in the regulation of functions of these cells, especially during inflammatory states. In this context, complement component 5a (C5a), a powerful pro-inflammatory anaphylatoxin that binds the receptor C5aR1, is known to regulate osteoclast formation and osteoblast inflammatory responses, and has thus been proposed as potential therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory bone diseases.

Placental diabesity: placental VEGF and CD31 expression according to pregestational BMI and gestational weight gain in women with gestational diabetes.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the placental expression of VEGF and CD31 in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes (GDM) and the influence of pregestational BMI and gestational weight gain (GWG) on this expression.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled pregnant women with diagnosis of GDM and healthy controls who delivered in our Center between December 2016 and May 2017. Patients were grouped according to the presence of GDM and we compared pregnancy characteristics, placental VEGF and CD31 expression between the cases and controls.

Paclitaxel binds and activates C5aR1: A new potential therapeutic target for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and hypersensitivity reactions.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) are among the most frequent and impairing side effects of the antineoplastic agent paclitaxel. Here, we demonstrated that paclitaxel can bind and activate complement component 5a receptor 1 (C5aR1) and that this binding is crucial in the etiology of paclitaxel-induced CIPN and anaphylaxis. Starting from our previous data demonstrating the role of interleukin (IL)-8 in paclitaxel-induced neuronal toxicity, we searched for proteins that activate IL-8 expression and, by using the Exscalate platform for molecular docking simulations, we predicted the high affinity of C5aR1 with paclitaxel.

Bleeding epulis gravidarum: what to evaluate?

Introduction: Hormonal changes during pregnancy may induce modifications in oral mucosa. Epulis gravidarum (EG) is an oral disease arising during pregnancy, usually regressing after delivery. A case of EG managed at our department is described and those previously reported in literature are reviewed in order to define EG clinical features for stratifying the risk of complications and the need of surgery during pregnancy as well as which factors should be considered more relevant in EG management.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Women with Normal OGTT in Pregnancy.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) might be an effective tool to improve glycemic control in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Few data are available about its utilization as a diagnostic tool to find potential alterations of glycemia in subjects with normal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). In this preliminary prospective real-life observational study, we aimed to analyze the glycemic pattern in normal and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) women by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in order to detect potential differences between the two groups and glycemic alterations despite a normal OGTT.

Association between lymphadenopathy after toxoplasmosis seroconversion in pregnancy and risk of congenital infection.

The aim of the study was to describe the pregnancy outcome of a large cohort of women with toxoplasmosis seroconversion in pregnancy and to investigate the relation between maternal lymphadenopathy and risk of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). This was a retrospective study involving women with confirmed toxoplasmosis seroconversion in pregnancy between 2001 and 2017. Women were clinically evaluated for lymphadenopathy and classified as follows: lymphadenopathy absent (L-) or lymphadenopathy present (L+).

PTH-rP and PTH-R1 Expression in Placentas from Pregnancies Complicated by Gestational Diabetes: New Insights into the Pathophysiology of Hyperglycemia in Pregnancy.

Background: this study investigated the expression of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rP) and PTH/PTH-rP receptor PTH-R1 in placentas from women with gestational DM (GDM), and the relationship between PTH-R1 and PTH-rP expression and pregnancy characteristics.

Methods: we prospectively enrolled 78 pregnant women with GDM, and immunochemistry for PTH-rP and PTH-R1 was performed on placentas. Patients were grouped according to the positivity of PTH-R1 or PTH-rP expression, and pregnancy characteristics were compared between the two groups.

Third Trimester Myocardial Performance Index in Fetuses from Women with Hyperglycemia in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction:  The myocardial performance index (MPI) has been proposed to evaluate cardiac dysfunction in newborns from diabetic mothers. Although MPI is routinely assessed in newborns, its role in the evaluation of fetuses from women with hyperglycemia in pregnancy (HIP) is still under evaluation. We aimed to evaluate the differences in third trimester fetal MPI in pregnant women with hyperglycemia compared to healthy controls.

A new synthetic dual agonist of GPR120/GPR40 induces GLP-1 secretion and improves glucose homeostasis in mice.

G-protein coupled receptors 40 and 120 (GPR40 and GPR120) are increasingly emerging as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of altered glucose homeostasis, and their agonists are under evaluation for their glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-mediated therapeutic effects on insulin production and sensitivity. Here, we characterized a new dual GPR40 and GPR120 agonist (DFL23916) and demonstrated that it can induce GLP-1 secretion and improve glucose homeostasis. Resulting from a rational drug design approach aimed at identifying new dual GPR120/40 agonists able to delay receptor internalization, DFL23916 had a good activity and a very high selectivity towards human GPR120 (long and short isoforms) and GPR40, as well as towards their mouse orthologous, by which it induced both Gαq/11-initiated signal transduction pathways with subsequent Ca intracellular spikes and G protein-independent signaling via β-arrestin with the same activity.

Pregnant women's perspectives on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine.

Background: Since coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines have been distributed, a debate has raised on whether pregnant women should get the vaccine. No available data exist so far regarding the safety, efficacy, and toxicology of these vaccines when administered during pregnancy. Most of the Obstetrics and Gynecology societies suggested that pregnant could agree to be vaccinated, after a thorough counseling of risks and benefits with their gynecologists, thus leading to an autonomous decision.

Risk factors associated with adverse fetal outcomes in pregnancies affected by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a secondary analysis of the WAPM study on COVID-19.

Objectives To evaluate the strength of association between maternal and pregnancy characteristics and the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnancies with laboratory confirmed COVID-19. Methods Secondary analysis of a multinational, cohort study on all consecutive pregnant women with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from February 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020 from 73 centers from 22 different countries. A confirmed case of COVID-19 was defined as a positive result on real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assay of nasal and pharyngeal swab specimens.

Leadership and mentoring in medical physics: The experience of a medical physics international mentoring program.

Mentoring aims to improve careers and create benefits for the participants' personal and professional lives. Mentoring can be an individual or a shared experience for a group, while the mentor's role remains the same in both models. Mentors should increase confidence, teach, inspire, and set examples, helping the mentees to mould their path, contributing to the pursuit of their personal and professional goals.

First trimester detection of fetal open spina bifida using BS/BSOB ratio.

Background: Despite the well-known second trimester ultrasound signs, current possibilities of in utero surgical repair of open spina bifida require a timely detection of the spine defect.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the ratio between brain stem (BS) diameter and its distance to the occipital bone (BSOB) (BS/BSOB ratio) in the detection of fetuses with open spina bifida at first trimester ultrasound.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy was performed by searching seven electronic databases from their inception to February 2019 for all studies assessing the association between BS/BSOB ratio and diagnosis of spine bifida.