Peripheral nervous system involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus: a review of the evidence.

In the past years the peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has received little attention despite its potential significant impact. The true prevalence of PNS in SLE reported in studies is variable and strongly influenced by American College of Rheumatology (ACR) case definition that includes seven PNS manifestations (acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, autonomic disorder, mononeuropathy, myasthenia gravis, cranial neuropathy, plexopathy and polyneuropathy). Other peripheral manifestations, such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and small fibre neuropathy, not included in the ACR nomenclature, have not been well characterised in SLE.

Umbilical Cord Hematoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Objectives: To deepen the knowledge in obstetrics on a very rare pregnancy complication: umbilical cord hematoma.

Methods: A review of the case reports described in the last ten years in the literature was conducted in order to evaluate epidemiology, predisposing factors, potential outcomes, prenatal diagnosis, and clinical management.

Results: Spontaneous umbilical cord hematoma is a rare complication of pregnancy which represents a serious cause of fetal morbidity and mortality.

The effects of blood transfusion on red blood cell distribution width in critically ill patients: a pilot study.

Background: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a measure of anisocytosis, generally used in the differential diagnosis of anemia. Recently, RDW was associated with increased mortality in critically ill patients. Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are potential confounders on RDW values interpretation.

Relationship between uric acid levels and cardiometabolic findings in a large cohort of β-thalassemia major patients.

Aim: to evaluate the relationship between uric acid (UA), hepatic and cardiac iron overload (T2*-MRI), ferritin, endocrinological diseases and cardiac complications in a large thalassemia major (TM) cohort.

Methods: A total of 369 TM patients (187 men; 33 ± 6 years) were retrospectively studied, from the myocardial iron overload in thalassemia (MIOT) electronic databank.

Results: Multiple regression model identified male sex (p < 0.

Gene-gene interactions among coding genes of iron-homeostasis proteins and APOE-alleles in cognitive impairment diseases.

Cognitive impairments of different aetiology share alterations in iron and lipid homeostasis with mutual relationships. Since iron and cholesterol accumulation impact on neurodegenerative disease, the associated gene variants are appealing candidate targets for risk and disease progression assessment. In this light, we explored the role of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the main iron homeostasis genes and in the main lipoprotein transporter gene (APOE) in a cohort of 765 patients with dementia of different origin: Alzheimer's disease (AD) n = 276; vascular dementia (VaD), n = 255; mild cognitive impairment (MCI), n = 234; and in normal controls (n = 1086).

Gender differences in the development of cardiac complications: a multicentre study in a large cohort of thalassaemia major patients to optimize the timing of cardiac follow-up.

We assessed whether male gender was associated with a higher risk of cardiac iron accumulation and fibrosis, heart dysfunction and complications in a large, multicentre cohort of thalassaemia major (TM) patients, in order to optimize the timing in cardiac follow-up. We considered 1711 TM patients (899 females, 31·09 ± 9·08 years), enrolled in the Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassaemia Network. Clinical/instrumental data are recorded from birth to the first Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan.

Levels of Circulating mRNA for the Tenascin-X (TNXB) Gene in Maternal Plasma at the Second Trimester in Pregnancies with Isolated Congenital Ventricular Septal Defects.

Objective: Maternal plasma is a source of circulating placental nucleic acids. In this study, we validated previous observations on abnormal levels of circulating messenger RNA (mRNA) for the tenascin-X gene in pregnancies with ventricular septal defects in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Methods: This was a bicentric retrospective study conducted from March 2016 to July 2017.

Oxidative Stress and Endometriosis: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynaecologic diseases in women of reproductive age. It is characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. The women affected suffer from pelvic pain and infertility.

Are Evidence-Based Guidelines Reflected in Clinical Practice? An Analysis of Prospectively Collected Data of the Italian Thyroid Cancer Observatory.

Objectives: The goal of evidence-based practice guidelines is to optimize the management of emerging diseases, such as differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The aim of this study was to assess therapeutic approaches for DTC in Italy and to see how closely these practices conformed to those recommended in the 2009 American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines.

Methods: The Italian Thyroid Cancer Observatory was established to collect data prospectively on thyroid cancers consecutively diagnosed in participating centers (uniformly distributed across the nation).

BRS implantation in long lesions requiring device overlapping: myth or reality?

Dealing with bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) implantation in long lesions requiring device overlapping in this particular moment might seem a little provocative for several reasons. First, most studies testing BVS have focused on their safety and efficacy profile in simple patients with simple lesions. Second, ABSORB II did not meet its primary endpoint, while ABSORB III showed a higher rate of target vessel-myocardial infarction (TV-MI) at 2 years.

Inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting bronchodilator treatment mitigates STEMI clinical presentation in COPD patients.

Background: Patients with myocardial infarction and concomitant COPD are at increased risk of poor clinical outcomes, including death, as compared to patients without COPD.

Aim: To investigate and compare the severity of the clinical presentation of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and of the short-(7days) and long-term-(end of follow up) mortality in COPD patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)/long-acting bronchodilator (LABD) - either long-acting beta2 agonist (LABA) or long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) - vs. any other inhaled treatments.

Timing of onset affects arthritis presentation pattern in antisyntethase syndrome.

Objectives: To evaluate if the timing of appearance with respect to disease onset may influence the arthritis presentation pattern in antisynthetase syndrome (ASSD).

Methods: The patients were selected from a retrospective large international cohort of ASSD patients regularly followed-up in centres referring to AENEAS collaborative group. Patients were eligible if they had an antisynthetase antibody testing positive in at least two determinations along with arthritis occurring either at ASSD onset (Group 1) or during the course of the disease (Group 2).

Tocilizumab in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in real clinical practice: results of an Italian observational study.

Objectives: To describe the effectiveness and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ), an interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor, in a cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) recruited in clinical practice.

Methods: TRUST was an observational study in RA patients who started treatment with TCZ in the 6 months prior to site activation and were still on treatment at start of study; patients were followed up to 12 months after the first TCZ infusion.

Results: 322 RA patients were enrolled in 59 Italian centres (mean age: 55.

Context-dependent function of ROS in the vascular endothelium: The role of the Notch pathway and shear stress.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as signal molecules in several biological processes whereas excessive, unregulated, ROS production contributes to the development of pathological conditions including endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. The maintenance of a healthy endothelium depends on many factors and on their reciprocal interactions; in this framework, the Notch pathway and shear stress (SS) play two lead roles. Recently, evidence of a crosstalk between ROS, Notch, and SS, is emerging.

Can TAD and CalTAD predict cut-out after extra-medullary fixation with new generation devices of proximal femoral fractures? A retrospective study.

Background: Intramedullary and extramedullary strategies of pertrochanteric fracture fixation are still controversial, but new percutaneous devices may give advantages regarding operative time, blood loss and rate of cardiovascular complications. We retrospectively analyze our cases regarding Anteversa plate (Intrauma, Turin, Italy) fixation of pertrochanteric femoral fractures, focusing on the correlation between two radiographical parameters (tip-apex distance "TAD" and calcar referenced tip-apex distance "CalTAD") and the occurrence of cut-out. The purpose of this study was to determine if these predicting factors of cut-out are reliable in the treatment of proximal femoral fractures with the Anteversa plate.

Biological effects of ticagrelor over clopidogrel in patients with stable coronary artery disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Patients with SCAD and concomitant COPD are at high risk of cardiovascular adverse events, due to chronic inflammation, responsible of endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and heightened platelet reactivity (PR). The objective of this randomised clinical trial was to test if ticagrelor is superior to clopidogrel in improving endothelial function in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Forty-six patients with SCAD and COPD undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomly assigned to receive clopidogrel (n=23) or ticagrelor (n=23) on top of standard therapy with aspirin.

The Interplay among BMI z-Score, Peer Victmization, and Self-Concept in Outpatient Children and Adolescents with Overweight or Obesity.

Background: Research has provided evidence that obesity is associated with peer victimization and low levels of self-concept. No study has examined the relationship between BMI z-score, self-concept in multiple domains, and peer victimization.

Methods: The aim of the research was to investigate the interplay between BMI z-score, self-concept in multiple domains (physical, athletic, social), and peer victimization, testing direct, mediated, and moderated associations.

Clinical follow-up predictors of disease pattern change in anti-Jo1 positive anti-synthetase syndrome: Results from a multicenter, international and retrospective study.

Objective: Arthritis, myositis and interstitial lung disease (ILD) constitute the classic clinical triad of anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD). These patients experience other accompanying features, such as Raynaud's phenomenon, fever or mechanic's hands. Most ASSD patients develop the complete triad during the follow-up.

A Genome-wide Association Study Identifies Risk Alleles in Plasminogen and P4HA2 Associated with Giant Cell Arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common form of vasculitis in individuals older than 50 years in Western countries. To shed light onto the genetic background influencing susceptibility for GCA, we performed a genome-wide association screening in a well-powered study cohort. After imputation, 1,844,133 genetic variants were analyzed in 2,134 case subjects and 9,125 unaffected individuals from ten independent populations of European ancestry.

Short Physical Performance Battery and all-cause mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is a well-established tool to assess lower extremity physical performance status. Its predictive ability for all-cause mortality has been sparsely reported, but with conflicting results in different subsets of participants. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis investigating the relationship between SPPB score and all-cause mortality.

Amino terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide predicts all-cause mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are a family of prognostic biomarkers in patients with heart failure (HF). HF is one of the most frequent comorbidities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the prognostic role of NP in COPD patients remains unclear.

Identifying High-Risk Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Pathogenesis-Oriented Appraisal of Prognostic and Predictive Factors in Patients Treated with Chemotherapy with or without Immunotherapy.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) displays an extremely variable clinical behaviour. Accurate prognostication and prediction of response to treatment are important in an era of effective first-line regimens and novel molecules for high risk patients. Because a plethora of prognostic biomarkers were identified, but few of them were validated by multivariable analysis in comprehensive prospective studies, we applied in this survey stringent criteria to select papers from the literature in order to identify the most reproducible prognostic/predictive markers.

Prospective Identification of Stent Fracture by Enhanced Stent Visualization System During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: No study has evaluated the clinical consequences of stent fracture (SF) detected during the index percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Thus, we sought to investigate the relationship between SF detected during PCI and clinical outcome.

Methods and results: We consecutively enrolled 832 patients with SF-predisposing factors undergoing 2nd-generation drug-eluting stent implantation and enhanced stent visualization (ESV) system evaluation to detect SF at index PCI.