Urinary long noncoding RNAs in nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer: new architects in cancer prognostic biomarkers.

Several reports over the last 10 years provided evidence that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are often altered in bladder cancers. lncRNAs are longer than 200 nucleotides and function as important regulators of gene expression, interacting with the major pathways of cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and survival. A large number of lncRNAs has oncogenic function and is more expressed in tumor compared with normal tissues.

Grade and location of power Doppler are predictive of damage progression in rheumatoid arthritis patients in clinical remission by anti-tumour necrosis factor α.

Objectives: To investigate power Doppler (PD) signal, grade and location and their association with radiographic progression in RA patients in remission.

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in 125 consecutive RA patients in stable 28-joint DAS (DAS28) remission (⩾6 months) achieved on anti-TNF-α. At baseline, patients in stable remission underwent radiographic and US examination of the wrists and MCP, PIP and MTP joints.

Predominance of Clostridium difficile 027 during a five-year period in Bolzano, Northern Italy.

Toxigenic Clostridium difficile is responsible for antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and other diseases. The increasing frequency and severity is attributed to highly-virulent ribotypes such as 027. The aim of the study was to collect epidemiological and molecular data for C.

Comparison of hydroxyethyl starch regulatory summaries from the Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.

This article aims to highlight the positions of the Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency regarding use and marketing of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) products, and how these have changed over recent years. In 2013, warnings from both agencies advised against use of HES in critically ill patients, including patients with sepsis, when several large randomized controlled trials on volume resuscitation in critical illness failed to observe clinically beneficial effects of HES. In areas such as patient monitoring and requirements for further clinical trials, the FDA and EMA are very much in agreement in their recommendations.

Implantable Loop Recorder: Diagnostic Yield And Possible Therapeutic Effect In Patients With Neurally Mediated Reflex Syncope.

Through a retrospective study concerning the experience of our center in patients affected by Neurally Mediated reflex Syncope (NMS) we wanted to verify not only the diagnostic yield of the Implantable Loop Recorder (ILR) but its possible placebo therapeutic effect. In the context of patients affected by a severe clinical presentation of NMS identified through a careful clinical evaluation, we selected those who followed a diagnostic iter using the ILR. We analysed 84 patients (39 male and 45 female, mean age 71 years), during the period 2009-2013.

Combined Diagnostic Yield of Tilt Table Test And Implantable Loop Recorder to Identify Patients Affected by Severe Clinical Presentation of Neurally-Mediated Reflex Syncope who Could Respond to Cardiac Pacing.

In this study we wanted to verify the diagnostic value of tilt table test (TTT) to predict the efficacy of cardiac pacing (PM) for preventing recurrences of neurally mediated reflex syncope (NMS) in patients with cardioinhibitory activity (CI) documented by implantable loop recorder (ILR). Among patients selected by ILR in the context of severe clinical presentation of NMS, we analysed those who underwent PM implantation. In this observational and retrospective study we wanted to verify the results of TTT in the groups of treated patients with and without recurrences.

Medication Error When Switching from Warfarin to Rivaroxaban Leading to Spontaneous Large Ecchymosis of the Abdominal and Chest Wall.

Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant (NOAC) therapy may be inappropriate if prescription was incorrect, the patient's physiological parameters change, or interacting concomitant medications are erroneously added. The aim of this report was to illustrate inappropriate NOAC prescription in a 78-year-old woman with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and borderline renal dysfunction who was switched from warfarin to rivaroxaban and subsequently developed bruising with hemorrhagic shock and acute on chronic renal failure. Administration of 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate effectively reversed coagulopathy and stopped bleeding.

Bodybuilding-induced Mondor's disease of the chest wall.

Objective: To describe the association of bodybuilding abdominal exercise with the development of superficial sclerosing thrombophlebitis of the anterolateral thoracoabdominal wall.

Design: A single case study.

Setting: University-affiliated regional community hospital.

Ethical publishing in intensive care medicine: A narrative review.

Ethical standards in the context of scientific publications are increasingly gaining attention. A narrative review of the literature concerning publication ethics was conducted as found in PubMed, Google Scholar, relevant news articles, position papers, websites and other sources. The Committee on Publication Ethics has produced guidelines and schedules for the handling of problem situations that have been adopted by professional journals and publishers worldwide as guidelines to authors.

Prostate cancer changes in clinical presentation and treatments in two decades: an Italian population-based study.

Introduction: The incidence of prostate cancer is on the rise in many industrialised countries, including Italy, most likely because of the spread of PSA testing. In Italy, prostate cancer mortality has been dropping since 2000, but it is difficult to understand whether PSA testing is the main reason, considering the role of treatment in prognosis. The objectives of this study were: (1) to describe Italian trends of prostate cancer risk categories and corresponding changes in treatment patterns and (2) to interpret changes in survival over time.

Achieving Molecular Remission before Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Adult Patients with Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Impact on Relapse and Long-Term Outcome.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) in first complete remission (CR1) remains the consolidation therapy of choice in Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The prognostic value of measurable levels of minimal residual disease (MRD) at time of conditioning is a matter of debate. We analyzed the predictive relevance of MRD levels before transplantation on the clinical outcome of Ph+ ALL patients treated with chemotherapy and imatinib in 2 consecutive prospective clinical trials.

Fluid management in sepsis: The potential beneficial effects of albumin.

Fluid administration is a key intervention in hemodynamic resuscitation. Timely expansion (or restoration) of plasma volume may prevent tissue hypoxia and help to preserve organ function. In septic shock in particular, delaying fluid resuscitation may be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and may promote inflammation.

Malignant Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Neoplasm (PEComa) of the Pelvis: A Case Report.

Perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasms (PEComa) are rare mesenchymal tumors that can occur in any part of the body and have unpredictable pathological behavior. They are usually benign, but may be malignant. We present a case of malignant PEComa of the pelvic retroperitoneum treated with radical surgery.

Predominant expression of truncated EpCAM is associated with a more aggressive phenotype and predicts poor overall survival in colorectal cancer.

Regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) has been shown to be an important mechanism for oncogenic activation of EpCAM through nuclear translocation of the intracellular domain EpICD. Recently, we identified two different membranous EpCAM variants namely EpCAM(MF) (full-length) and EpCAM(MT) (truncated) to be expressed in the majority of human epithelial tumors. The aim of our study was to evaluate the potential role of these two protein variants as additional prognostic biomarkers in colorectal cancer.

Thromboaspiration technique as first approach for endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke: initial experience at nine Italian stroke centers.

Background And Purpose: Aspiration thrombectomy of large vessel occlusions has made a comeback among recanalization techniques thanks to recent advances in catheter technology resulting in faster recanalization and promising clinical results when used either alone or as an adjunct to stent retriever. This multicenter retrospective study reports angiographic data, complications, and clinical outcome in patients treated with aspiration thrombectomy as the first-line option.

Materials And Methods: We analysed the clinical and procedural data of patients treated from January 2014 to March 2015.

Consensus Conference on Clinical Management of pediatric Atopic Dermatitis.

The Italian Consensus Conference on clinical management of atopic dermatitis in children reflects the best and most recent scientific evidence, with the aim to provide specialists with a useful tool for managing this common, but complex clinical condition. Thanks to the contribution of experts in the field and members of the Italian Society of Pediatric Allergology and Immunology (SIAIP) and the Italian Society of Pediatric Dermatology (SIDerP), this Consensus statement integrates the basic principles of the most recent guidelines for the management of atopic dermatitis to facilitate a practical approach to the disease. The therapeutical approach should be adapted to the clinical severity and requires a tailored strategy to ensure good compliance by children and their parents.

The Perioperative Management of Metabolically Active Tumors.

We briefly describe the perioperative management of patients with metabolically active adrenal tumors. The potential intraoperative and postoperative complications that occur in patients with an adrenal tumor are reviewed with emphasis on recognition, treatment, and prevention.