Current and emerging treatments for neonatal sepsis.

: Mortality due to sepsis is still prevalent, peaking at extreme ages of life including infancy. Despite many efforts, the peculiarity of the infant immune system has limited further advances in its treatment. Indeed, neonates experience a dramatic physiological transition from immune tolerance to the maternal antigens to functional maturity.

Inflamm-ageing: the role of inflammation in age-dependent cardiovascular disease.

The ongoing worldwide increase in life expectancy portends a rising prevalence of age-related cardiovascular (CV) diseases in the coming decades that demands a deeper understanding of their molecular mechanisms. Inflammation has recently emerged as an important contributor for CV disease development. Indeed, a state of chronic sterile low-grade inflammation characterizes older organisms (also known as inflamm-ageing) and participates pivotally in the development of frailty, disability, and most chronic degenerative diseases including age-related CV and cerebrovascular afflictions.

Neutrophil Extracellular Traps and Cardiovascular Diseases: An Update.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are formed by decondensed chromatin, histones, and neutrophil granular proteins and have a role in entrapping microbial pathogens. NETs, however, have pro-thrombotic properties by stimulating fibrin deposition, and increased NET levels correlate with larger infarct size and predict major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events. NETs have been involved also in the pathogenesis of diabetes, as high glucose levels were found to induce NETosis.

Management of Acute and Recurrent Pericarditis: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

Pericarditis refers to the inflammation of the pericardial layers, resulting from a variety of stimuli triggering a stereotyped immune response, and characterized by chest pain associated often with peculiar electrocardiographic changes and, at times, accompanied by pericardial effusion. Acute pericarditis is generally self-limited and not life-threatening; yet, it may cause significant short-term disability, be complicated by either a large pericardial effusion or tamponade, and carry a significant risk of recurrence. The mainstay of treatment of pericarditis is represented by anti-inflammatory drugs.

Cardiomyocyte-Specific JunD Overexpression Increases Infarct Size following Ischemia/Reperfusion Cardiac Injury by Downregulating Sirt3.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in acute myocardial infarction activates several deleterious molecular mechanisms. The transcription factor JunD regulates pathways involved in oxidative stress as well as in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and death. The present study investigated the potential role of JunD as a modulator of myocardial injury pathways in a mouse model of cardiac I/R injury.

Apold1 deficiency associates with increased arterial thrombosis in vivo.

Background: Endothelial cells regulate the formation of blood clots; thus, genes selectively expressed in these cells could primarily determine thrombus formation. Apold1 (apolipoprotein L domain containing 1) is a gene expressed by endothelial cells; whether Apold1 directly contributes to arterial thrombosis has not yet been investigated. Here, we assessed the effect of Apold1 deletion on arterial thrombus formation using an in vivo model of carotid thrombosis induced by photochemical injury.

Circulating CRP Levels Are Associated with Epicardial and Visceral Fat Depots in Women with Metabolic Syndrome Criteria.

Sexual dimorphism accounts for significant differences in adipose tissue mass and distribution. However, how the crosstalk between visceral and ectopic fat depots occurs and which are the determinants of ectopic fat expansion and dysfunction remains unknown. Here, we focused on the impact of gender in the crosstalk between visceral and epicardial fat depots and the role of adipocytokines and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).

Interleukin-1β Mediates Arterial Thrombus Formation via NET-Associated Tissue Factor.

CANTOS reported reduced secondary atherothrombotic events in patients with residual inflammatory risk treated with the inhibitory anti-IL-1β antibody, Canakinumab. Yet, mechanisms that underlie this benefit remain elusive. Recent work has implicated formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETosis) in arterial thrombosis.

IL-1β and Statin Treatment in Patients with Myocardial Infarction and Diabetic Cardiomyopathy.

Statins are effective lipid-lowering drugs with a good safety profile that have become, over the years, the first-line therapy for patients with dyslipidemia and a real cornerstone of cardiovascular (CV) preventive therapy. Thanks to both cholesterol-related and "pleiotropic" effects, statins have a beneficial impact against CV diseases. In particular, by reducing lipids and inflammation statins, they can influence the pathogenesis of both myocardial infarction and diabetic cardiomyopathy.

The atherogenic role of immune cells in familial hypercholesterolemia.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disorder of lipoprotein metabolism that mainly occurs due to mutations in the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene and is characterized by increased levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, leading to accelerated atherogenesis and premature coronary heart disease. Both innate and adaptive immune responses, which mainly include monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, T lymphocytes, and B lymphocytes, have been shown to play a key role for the initiation and progression of atherogenesis in the general population. In FH patients, these immune cells have been suggested to play specific pro-atherosclerotic activities, from the initial leukocyte recruitment to plaque rupture.

Endothelial SIRT6 blunts stroke size and neurological deficit by preserving blood-brain barrier integrity: a translational study.

Aims: Aging is an established risk factor for stroke; genes regulating longevity are implicated in the pathogenesis of ischaemic stroke where to date, therapeutic options remain limited. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is crucially involved in ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) brain injury thus representing an attractive target for developing novel therapeutic agents. Given the role of endothelial cells in the BBB, we hypothesized that the endothelial-specific expression of the recently described longevity gene SIRT6 may exhibit protective properties in stroke.

Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Is It All About Glycemia?

Background: Diabetes is increasing over time, mainly driven by obesity, aging, and urbanization. Classical macro- and microvascular complications represent the final result of a complex interplay involving atherosclerosis at all stages.

Methods: In this review, we aim at focusing on current updates in the pathophysiology of vascular disease in diabetes and discussing how new therapies might influence the management of these patients at high cardiovascular risk.

The Therapeutic Potential of Nanoparticles to Reduce Inflammation in Atherosclerosis.

Chronic inflammation is one of the main determinants of atherogenesis. The traditional medications for treatment of atherosclerosis are not very efficient in targeting atherosclerotic inflammation. Most of these drugs are non-selective, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents that have adverse effects and very limited anti-atherosclerotic effects, which limits their systemic administration.