Protective Effects of Hydroxychloroquine against Accelerated Atherosclerosis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality are a challenge in management of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Higher risk of CV disease in SLE patients is mostly related to accelerated atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, high prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors in SLE patients does not fully explain the increased CV risk.

Enhanced recovery pathways in thoracic surgery from Italian VATS Group: perioperative analgesia protocols.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive technique that allows a faster recovery after thoracic surgery. Although enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) principles seem reasonably applicable to thoracic surgery, there is little literature on the application of such a strategy in this context. In regard to pain management, ERAS pathways promote the adoption of a multimodal strategy, tailored to the patients.

Attribution of Neuropsychiatric Manifestations to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Neuropsychiatric (NP) involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one of the most severe manifestations of the disease that has a heavy impact on patient's functioning, quality of life, and disease outcome. The prevalence is highly variable and the clinical phenotypes vary from common syndromes to rare NP entities. Its occurrence may be the result of a primary manifestation of SLE, secondary to other conditions (such as infections or metabolic disturbances) or the effect of concomitant comorbidities that often complicate the disease course.

Identification of calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) by ultrasound: reliability of the OMERACT definitions in an extended set of joints-an international multiobserver study by the OMERACT Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease Ultrasound Subtask Force.

Objectives: To assess the reliability of the OMERACT ultrasound (US) definitions for the identification of calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) at the metacarpal-phalangeal, triangular fibrocartilage of the wrist (TFC), acromioclavicular (AC) and hip joints.

Methods: A web-based exercise and subsequent patient-based exercise were carried out. A panel of 30 OMERACT members, participated at the web-based exercise by evaluating twice a set of US images for the presence/absence of CPPD.

Long-term results of the AIEOP MH'96 childhood Hodgkin's lymphoma trial and focus on significance of response to chemotherapy and its implication in low risk patients to avoid radiotherapy.

Identify a subset of early-stage HL children (GR1) curable with limited chemotherapy+/-radiotherapy; improve outcome of intermediate (GR2) and high-risk (GR3) patients; establish impact of response to chemotherapy evaluated with conventional imaging (CI). One hundred and sixty GR1-patients received 3ABVD + involved-field (IF) low-dose (LD) (20 Gy) irradiation if mediastinal mass or partial response (PR) after chemotherapy. Eighty-five GR2- and 315 GR3-patients received 4 and 6 COPP/ABV + IFRT, respectively.

Anesthesia and analgesia: how does the role of anesthetists changes in the ERAS program for VATS lobectomy.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs are developed to prevent factors that delay postoperative recovery as well as issues that cause complications. The development of video-assist thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) techniques favors the fast recovery after thoracic procedures. ERAS strategies are based on multidisciplinary approach in which the anesthetist plays an important role from the preoperative to the postoperative phase with several goals.

The UltraSound-CLinical ARthritis Activity (US-CLARA) index: Properties of a new composite disease activity index for rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To assess validity, responsiveness and interpretability of the UltraSound-CLinical ARthritis Activity (US-CLARA) index in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: In this longitudinal study were involved RA patients starting treatment with abatacept. Subjects were followed along three visits in the first 6 months of therapy and underwent a comprehensive clinimetric evaluation.

Lower airways inflammation in patients with ARDS measured using endotracheal aspirates: a pilot study.

Introduction: Our knowledge of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) pathogenesis is incomplete. The goal of this pilot study is to investigate the feasibility of measuring lower airways inflammation in patients with ARDS using repeated endotracheal aspirates (ETAs).

Methods: ETAs were obtained within 24 hours by intensive care unit admission from 25 mechanically ventilated patients with ARDS and 10 of them underwent a second ETA within 96 hours after the first sampling.

Real-world experience of tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis: sub-analysis of data from the Italian biologics' register GISEA.

To assess the long-term effectiveness and safety of tocilizumab, abatacept, and tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors (TNFi), in the Italian real-world setting of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The records of adult RA patients from the Italian biologics' registry Gruppo Italiano Studio Early Arthritis (GISEA) were analyzed. Demographic and clinical data were obtained at entry.

Validation of the OPportunity for Treatment In ONcology (OPTION) questionnaire measuring continuity of care.

Increasing efforts are ongoing to deliver effective cancer care through integrated networks of services. Measuring patients' experience of care is essential to identify problematic areas that require organisational adjustments. The aim of the present study was to examine the validity of OPTION questionnaire, designed to measure patient's perceived continuity of care across different phases of their care pathway.

The effects of storage of red blood cells on the development of postoperative infections after noncardiac surgery.

Background: Prolonged storage of red blood cells (RBCs) is a potential risk factor for postoperative infections. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of age of RBCs transfused on development of postoperative infection.

Study Design And Methods: In this prospective, double-blind randomized trial, 199 patients undergoing elective noncardiac surgery and requiring RBC transfusion were assigned to receive nonleukoreduced RBCs stored for not more than 14 days ("fresh blood" group, n = 101) or for more than 14 days ("old blood" group, n = 98).

Randomised clinical trial: sofosbuvir and ledipasvir in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassaemia and HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection.

Background: Patients with thalassaemia major depend on blood transfusions. In Italy, up to 80% of thalassaemia patients bear HCV antibodies due to HCV contaminated transfusions before 1990. Thalassaemia patients with HCV infection have high risk of developing HCC.

Validity of the Italian algorithm for the attribution of neuropsychiatric events in systemic lupus erythematosus: a retrospective multicentre international diagnostic cohort study.

Objective: To validate the Italian algorithm of attribution of neuropsychiatric (NP) events to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in an external international cohort of patients with SLE.

Methods: A retrospective cohort diagnostic accuracy design was followed. SLE patients attending three tertiary care lupus clinics, with one or more NP events, were included.

Role and Function of A and A₃ Adenosine Receptors in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis, Psoriatic Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases that affect joints, causing debilitating pain and disability. Adenosine receptors (ARs) play a key role in the mechanism of inflammation, and the activation of A and A₃AR subtypes is often associated with a reduction of the inflammatory status. The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of ARs in patients suffering from early-RA (ERA), RA, AS and PsA.

The diagnosis and clinical management of the neuropsychiatric manifestations of lupus.

Neuropsychiatric (NP) involvement in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), can be a severe and troubling manifestation of the disease that heavily impacts patient's health, quality of life and disease outcome. It is one of the most complex expressions of SLE which can affect central, peripheral and autonomous nervous system. Complex interrelated pathogenetic mechanisms, including genetic factors, vasculopathy, vascular occlusion, neuroendocrine-immune imbalance, tissue and neuronal damage mediated by autoantibodies, inflammatory mediators, blood brain barrier dysfunction and direct neuronal cell death can be all involved.

Application of SLICC classification criteria in undifferentiated connective tissue disease and evolution in systemic lupus erythematosus: analysis of a large monocentric cohort with a long-term follow-up.

Objectives The objectives of this study were to analyse the performance of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) 2012 classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a large cohort of undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) population at onset of the disease and during a long-term follow-up of 15 years (1999-2013) and to evaluate the transition from UCTD to SLE, according to American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1997 and SLICC 2012 classification criteria. Methods A cohort of patients who met the classification criteria proposed by Mosca et al. for UCTD, were analysed.

A2A adenosine receptor upregulation correlates with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Adenosine is a purine nucleoside implicated in the regulation of the innate and adaptive immune systems, acting through its interaction with four cell surface receptors: A1, A2A, A2B, and A3. There is intense interest in understanding how adenosine functions in health and during disease, but surprisingly little is known about the actual role of adenosine-mediated mechanisms in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). With this background, the aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that dysregulation of A1, A2A, A2B, and A3 adenosine receptors (ARs) in lymphocytes of patients with SLE may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease and to examine the correlations between the status of the ARs and the clinical parameters of SLE.

Impact of proton pump inhibitors on clinical outcomes in patients treated with a 6- or 24-month dual-antiplatelet therapy duration: Insights from the PROlonging Dual-antiplatelet treatment after Grading stent-induced Intimal hyperplasia studY trial.

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently prescribed in combination with clopidogrel, but conflicting data exist as to whether PPIs diminish the efficacy of clopidogrel. We assessed the association between PPI use and clinical outcomes for patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with clopidogrel plus aspirin.

Methods And Results: In the PRODIGY trial, 1,970 patients were randomized to 6- or 24-month DAPT at 30 days from index procedure.

Brain unidentified bright objects ("UBO") in systemic lupus erythematosus: sometimes they come back. A study of microembolism by cMRI and Transcranial Doppler ultrasound.

Objectives: The objectives of this report are to assess the occurrence of microembolic signals (MES) detected by transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with (NPSLE) and without (SLE) neuropsychiatric involvement, and to verify the correlation between MES, clinical characteristics, especially the patent foramen ovale (PFO), and the presence of punctuate T2-hyperintense white matter lesions (WMHLs) detected by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI).

Methods: A TCD registration to detect MES from the middle cerebral artery was carried out in SLE and NPSLE patients after exclusion of aortic and/or carotid atheromatous disease. In all patients conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) and transesophageal echocardiography were performed.

Development and validation of a new algorithm for attribution of neuropsychiatric events in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and validate an algorithm to assist the attribution of neuropsychiatric (NP) events to underlying disease in SLE patients.

Methods: Phase 1 identified and categorized candidate items to be included in the algorithm for the attribution of an NP event to SLE and their relative weights through a literature-informed consensus-driven process. Using a retrospective training cohort of SLE, phase 2 validated items selected in phase 1 and refined weights through a data-driven process, fitting items as independent variables and expert evaluation (clinical judgement) as reference standard in logistic models.

Bendamustine in combination with ofatumumab in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a GIMEMA Multicenter Phase II Trial.

We conducted a phase II, noncomparative, open-label, multicenter GIMEMA (Gruppo Italiano Malattie EMatologiche dell'Adulto) study (CLL0809) to assess the efficacy and safety of bendamustine in combination with ofatumumab (BendOfa) in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Forty-seven patients from 14 centers were evaluated. Therapy consisted of bendamustine (70 mg/m(2)) for 2 consecutive days every 28 days, and ofatumumab 300 mg on day 1 and 1000 mg on day 8 during the first cycle, and 1000 mg on day 1 subsequently.

Short- versus long-term duration of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients treated for in-stent restenosis: a PRODIGY trial substudy (Prolonging Dual Antiplatelet Treatment After Grading Stent-Induced Intimal Hyperplasia).

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the clinical outcome of patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for in-stent restenosis (ISR) randomized to short (6 months) versus long (24 months) dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) regimen.

Background: It is still unclear if patients treated for ISR may benefit from a long DAPT regimen.

Methods: For the present purpose, we selected 224 patients undergoing the PCI procedure for ISR enrolled in the PRODIGY (Prolonging Dual Antiplatelet Treatment After Grading Stent-Induced Intimal Hyperplasia) trial and randomized to short (6 months) versus long (24 months) DAPT regimen.

Latest clinical data on testing for high on-treatment platelet reactivity.

Antiplatelet therapy is the cornerstone of treatment for patients with acute coronary syndromes and in those who are undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Clopidogrel, a second-generation thienopyridine antiplatelet agent, is currently used to prevent vascular complications in atherothrombotic patients, to prevent stent thrombosis in patients undergoing PCI, and in the long-term prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Unfortunately, despite treatment with clopidogrel, some patients continue to have cardiovascular events.

Epidemiology of systemic sclerosis in a district of northern Italy.

Objectives: To estimate, using both the American College of Rheumatology-ACR 1980 classification criteria and revised LeRoy and Medsger 2001 criteria, the incidence and prevalence of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in an area in north-eastern Italy with a referral base population of about 346,000 inhabitants.

Methods: Retrospective examination of all patients 16 years and older of native Italian origin and resident in the Ferrara district who had either been admitted to hospital or referred to our outpatient clinic with a diagnosis of SSc between 1st January 1999 and 31st December 2007. SSc subjects were identified both by a search of hospital discharge code 710.