Evaluation of Tooth Movement Accuracy with Aligners: A Prospective Study.

Background. Clear aligners treatment (CAT) is a common solution in orthodontics to treat both simple and complex malocclusions. This study aimed to evaluate the predictability of CAT, comparing the virtually planned and the achieved tooth movement at the end of stage 15, which is often the time of first refinement.

Home Monitoring trends during COVID-19 infection.

Background: Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) recipients could have an unfavorable prognosis if infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). We aimed to analyze the data daily transmitted by the Home Monitoring (HM) system (BIOTRONIK, Berlin, Germany) of CIEDs during the infection.

Methods: We identified CIED patients followed with the HM who experienced COVID-19 clinical manifestations.

Telecardiology during the Covid-19 pandemic: past mistakes and future hopes.

Covid-19 has caused a striking global impact on public health services. The inevitable suspension of all scheduled visits without urgency and non-urgent hospitalizations has resulted in relevant modifications in our management of cardiac patients. Our goal should be to maintain high standards in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, reducing the risk of esposure to Covid-19 for patients and healthcare professionals.

Direct oral anticoagulants for patients aged over 80 years in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: the impact of frailty.

Aims: In patients aged at least 80 years, atrial fibrillation is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, with a high incidence of stroke. Four new direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been introduced in Italy for the prevention of thromboembolism. Their safety and efficacy in the elderly have already been confirmed.

Reduction in pulmonary artery pressures with use of sacubitril/valsartan.

Pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease (PH-LHD) frequently complicates heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Specific therapies for PH have not offered an advantage in patients with PH-LHD. The combined angiotensin receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), sacubitril/valsartan, is a novel therapy that can increase levels of natriuretic peptides (NPs).

Effects of remote monitoring of cardiac implantable electronic devices after stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Aims: Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) recipients who experienced an ischemic cerebral event may particularly benefit from continuous remote monitoring. We aimed to assess the effect of remote monitoring on the occurrence of 1-year serious adverse events in CIED recipients after ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Methods: Patients were eligible if they suffered a TIA/stroke.

Direct targets of Klf5 transcription factor contribute to the maintenance of mouse embryonic stem cell undifferentiated state.

Background: A growing body of evidence has shown that Krüppel-like transcription factors play a crucial role in maintaining embryonic stem cell (ESC) pluripotency and in governing ESC fate decisions. Krüppel-like factor 5 (Klf5) appears to play a critical role in these processes, but detailed knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of this function is still not completely addressed.

Results: By combining genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation and microarray analysis, we have identified 161 putative primary targets of Klf5 in ESCs.

RIFLE criteria for acute kidney injury in valvular surgery.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The RIFLE classification, which defines three grades of increasing severity of acute kidney injury--risk (RIFLE R), injury (RIFLE I) and failure (RIFLE F), and two outcome classes (L, loss) and E (end-stage kidney disease)--represents a valuable method for evaluating acute renal failure. Risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) according to the RIFLE criteria and for operative mortality were identified in patients undergoing valvular procedures.

Methods: A single-center prospective cohort study of 1424 patients who were not receiving renal replacement therapy preoperatively was conducted between January 2004 and December 2007.

Preoperative anemia in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting predicts acute kidney injury.

Objectives: Recent authoritative studies suggested that low preoperative hemoglobin concentration may affect cardiac surgery outcomes. This study aimed, primarily, to investigate whether preoperative anemia is an independent determinant of adverse events after coronary artery bypass grafting and, secondarily, to evaluate the potential dose responsiveness between anemia severity and primary end points.

Methods: This single-center prospective study investigated 1214 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting between January 2004 and June 2007, collecting 100 variables per patient.

Visceral adiposity and arterial stiffness: echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness reflects, better than waist circumference, carotid arterial stiffness in a large population of hypertensives.

Aims: Relationship between obesity and cardiovascular (CV) disease depends not only on the amount of body fat, but also on its distribution. For example, individuals with increased fat accumulation in the abdominal region have atherogenic lipid profiles and are at increased CV risk. The loss of elasticity in medium and large arteries is an early manifestation of atherosclerosis.

Feasibility, accuracy, and clinical relevance of a rapid thyroid evaluation during carotid duplex ultrasonography in hypertensive patients.

Carotid ultrasonography can detect thyroid nodules without increasing examination duration. The authors analyzed whether management is influenced by reporting such findings during routine carotid ultrasonography in hypertensive patients vs waiting for 6 months to repeat them. This is a population-based study of 1216 hypertensive patients.

Short and highly efficient synthetic promoters for melanoma-specific gene expression.

Here, we report the construction and functional analysis of synthetic promoters designed for gene therapy applications requiring strong and specific gene expression in melanoma cell lines. We have analysed the transcriptional activity of different combinations of two transcriptional regulatory modules, a melanocyte-specific element from the human tyrosinase promoter and a cell-cycle-specific element from the human alpha-fetoprotein promoter. Transient expression assays in different cell lines show that several of these composite synthetic promoters can drive a strong and selective expression of a reporter gene in melanoma cell, providing us with a new powerful tool for gene therapy of melanomas.

High prevalence of non-HFE gene-associated haemochromatosis in patients from southern Italy.

Hereditary haemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disorder of iron regulation that results in abnormal intestinal iron absorption with progressive iron overloading of parenchymal cells. Two specific, single point mutations of the HFE gene (C282Y and H63D) have been described in haemochromatosis patients. Epidemiological studies have revealed a strict association between hereditary haemochromatosis and C282Y homozygosis or C282Y/H63D compound heterozygosis, suggesting that these mutations may provide a useful tool for diagnosis.

Increased carotid artery intima-media thickness is associated with a novel mutation of low-density lipoprotein receptor independently of major cardiovascular risk factors.

The current study sought to investigate the role of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) mutations in assessing the risk profile of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients, independently of major cardiovascular risk factors. FH due to LDLr mutations is associated with premature atherosclerosis. The variable clinical severity of the disease in heterozygotes has been related to cholesterol levels and the coexistence of other cardiovascular risk factors, but the independent role of different LDLr mutations is still unclear.

A rapid method for detecting mutations of the human LDL receptor gene by complete cDNA sequencing.

We have developed and clinically tested a rapid and largely automated procedure to detect mutations in the coding region of a gene of interest. Our method relies on the automated sequencing of the complete cDNA, followed by an advanced mutation search-and-verification routine using an integrated set of computer analysis tools. We have applied our automated procedure to the diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in 52 unrelated FH families, by sequencing the whole cDNA coding region of the LDLR gene.