High-resolution ultrasound of peripheral nerves in systemic sclerosis: a pilot study of computer-aided quantitative assessment of nerve density.

Objectives: To quantitatively evaluate and compare nerve density in patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) and control subjects using high-resolution ultrasound (US) with a computer-aided assessment.

Methods: Forty patients and 40 age- and sex-matched control subjects were prospectively enrolled. Ultrasound (US) examination (17-5 MHz probe) of the median nerve at the elbow was performed bilaterally by one radiologist.

Redox distress and genetic defects conspire in systemic autoinflammatory diseases.

Inflammation is initiated by innate immune cell activation after contact with pathogens or tissue injury. An increasing number of observations have suggested that cellular stress, in the absence of infection or evident damage, can also induce inflammation. Thus, inflammation can be triggered by exogenous pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs)-so-called classic inflammation-or by endogenous stress resulting from tissue or cellular dysfunction.

Ciprofloxacin as a Trigger for Bullous Pemphigoid: The Second Case in the Literature.

Drug-induced bullous pemphigoid (DIBP) has been reported to be an autoimmune bullous disease induced or precipitated by several drugs, immunopathologically similar to classic bullous pemphigoid. Several medications may not only cause DIBP, including diuretics, antiarrythmics-antihypertensives, and recently antitumor necrosis factor agents, other drugs as chloroquine, but also rarely by antibiotics as amoxicillin and penicillin. The authors present the third case of DIBP induced by quinolones and the second case of localized DIBP triggered by oral ciprofloxacin.

Remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema associated with parvovirus B19 infection: two new cases and review of the comorbidities.

Background: Remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema (RS3PE) is a rare syndrome consisting of acute symmetrical tenosynovitis of the hands and wrists associated with pain and marked pitting edema of the dorsum of the hands or the feet. Persistent rheumatoid factor seronegativity and elevated acute phase reactants are the rule, while radiographic findings are characterized by the absence of bony erosions. The syndrome has occasionally been associated with a wide range of diseases including solid and hematological malignancies, polymyalgia rheumatica, and other inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Imaging of mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis testis.

Objectives: To describe the imaging findings in a series of patients with mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis.

Methods: We reviewed clinical data, imaging findings and follow-up information in a series of 10 pathology-proven cases of mesothelioma (all had US; 2 had MR) of the tunica vaginalis.

Results: A variety of patterns could be observed, the most common (5/10) being a hydrocele with parietal, solid and hypervascular vegetations; one patient had a septated hydrocele with hypervascular walls; one had multiple, solid nodules surrounded by a small, physiological quantity of fluid; one a cystic lesion with thick walls and vegetations compressing the testis; two had a solid paratesticular mass.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with left ventricular dilatation in primary hypertension.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) has been shown to predict cardiovascular events in hypertension. Recently, a new four-group left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy classification based on both LV dilatation and concentricity was proposed. This classification has been shown to provide a more accurate prediction of cardiovascular events, suggesting that the presence of LV dilatation may add prognostic information.

Update on strategies limiting iatrogenic hypoglycemia.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing all over the world. Targeting good glycemic control is fundamental to avoid the complications of diabetes linked to hyperglycemia. This narrative review is based on material searched for and obtained via PubMed up to April 2015.

Stairs instead of elevators at the workplace decreases PCSK9 levels in a healthy population.

Backgound: Regular physical activity is recommended to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in a healthy population. Inhibition of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) was shown to reduce (LDL-C) levels; however, the impact of physical exercise on PCSK9 levels remains unclear.

Materials And Methods: We used data from 67 healthy hospital employees who participated in a 6-month intervention promoting active use of stairs instead of elevators during 3 months, followed by 3 months without recommendation.

Role of HCV-RNA decay and IP-10 levels after 48 hours of standard HCV therapy as predictors of rapid virological response.

Background And Objectives: Rapid virological response (RVR) is a critical end-point in the era of the new direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value in achieving RVR of HCV-RNA load and IP10 after 48 hours of standard anti HCV therapy.

Methods: HCV mono-infected and HIV/HCV co-infected patients naives to interferon were included.

Limited advances in therapy of glioblastoma trigger re-consideration of research policy.

Glioblastoma (GB - WHO grade IV) is the most frequent and lethal primary brain tumour with median overall survival of 7-15 months after diagnosis. As in other cancer research areas, an overwhelming amount of pre-clinical research acquisitions in the GB field have not been translated to patients' benefit, potentially due to inappropriate treatment schedules and/or trial designs in the clinical setting. The recent failure of promising anti-VEGF bevacizumab to improve GB patients' overall survival recapitulates this sense of frustration.

Tumor vascular targeted liposomal-bortezomib minimizes side effects and increases therapeutic activity in human neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer with poor long-term prognosis in advanced stages. A major aim in neuroblastoma therapy is to develop targeted drug delivery systems to ameliorate drug therapeutic index and efficacy. In this study, a novel bortezomib (BTZ) liposomal formulation was set-up and characterized.

The glioblastoma problem: targeting by combined medicinal chemistry approaches.

Whilst knowledge of basic biology, diagnosis and prognosis of glioblastoma (GB - WHO grade IV) are steadily improving, advancements of therapy are discouragingly slow, with the only significant novelty during last ten years represented by introduction of temozolomide in chemotherapy. In order to analyze the current status of clinical research on GB, a literature search was conducted in PubMed using the terms: "glioma AND trial" over a 500 day period elapsing from Jan 1, 2013 to May 15, 2014 and results of Phase I, II and III trials were reviewed. Results in the pediatric setting were included as well.

Switch to etravirine for HIV-positive patients receiving statin treatment: a prospective study.

Background: Lifestyle changes and statins are the cornerstones in management of dyslipidaemia in patients with HIV infection. Replacement of an antiretroviral therapy (ART) component is a proposed therapeutic strategy to reduce cardiovascular risk. In dyslipidaemic patients with HIV infection, we assessed the efficacy of replacing boosted protease inhibitor (bPI) or efavirenz (EFV) by etravirine (ETR) as an alternative to statin therapy.

Treatment with KLEPTOSE® CRYSMEB reduces mouse atherogenesis by impacting on lipid profile and Th1 lymphocyte response.

The ability of pharmacological agents to target both "classical" risk factors and inflammation may be key for successful outcomes in the prevention and treatment of atherogenesis. Among the promising drugs interfering with cholesterol metabolism, we investigated whether methyl beta-cyclodextrin (KLEPTOSE® CRYSMEB) could positively impact on atherogenesis, lipid profile and atherosclerotic plaque inflammation in ApoE-/- mice. Eleven-week old ApoE-/- mice were fed either a normal diet (N.

Achievement of therapeutic targets in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease: insights from the Associazione Medici Diabetologi Annals initiative.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) entails a worse cardiovascular outcome. The aim of our work was to study the relationship between CKD and the achievement of recommended targets for glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and blood pressure (BP) in a real-life sample of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: We analysed a sample of 116 777 outpatients from the Network of the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists; all patients had T2DM and at least one measurement of HbA1c, LDL-c, BP, serum creatinine and albuminuria in the year 2010.

Treatment with sulphated galactan inhibits macrophage chemotaxis and reduces intraplaque macrophage content in atherosclerotic mice.

Experimental data from animal models and clinical studies support connections between the haemostasis and inflammation in atherogenesis. These interfaces among inflammation and thrombogenesis have been suggested as targets for pharmacological intervention to reduce disease progression. We hypothesize that the recently discovered antithrombotic drug Sulphated Galactan (SG) (isolated from the red marine alga Acanthophora muscoides) might reduce atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability and inflammatory gene expression in 10-week aged apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE-/-) mice under high-cholesterol diet for additional 11weeks.

Uncovering the genomic heterogeneity of multifocal breast cancer.

Multifocal breast cancer (MFBC), defined as multiple synchronous unilateral lesions of invasive breast cancer, is relatively frequent and has been associated with more aggressive features than unifocal cancer. Here, we aimed to investigate the genomic heterogeneity between MFBC lesions sharing similar histopathological parameters. Characterization of different lesions from 36 patients with ductal MFBC involved the identification of non-silent coding mutations in 360 protein-coding genes (171 tumour and 36 matched normal samples).

Serum osteopontin levels are upregulated and predict disability after an ischaemic stroke.

Background: After an acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), several inflammatory biomarkers have been investigated, but their predictive role on functional recovery remains to be validated. Here, we investigated the prognostic relevance of biomarkers related to atherosclerotic plaque calcification, such as osteopontin (OPN), osteoprotegerin (OPG) and the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) in a cohort of patients with AIS (n = 90) during 90-day follow-up.

Materials And Methods: Radiological and clinical examinations as well as blood sampling were performed at admission and at days 1, 7 and 90 from the event.

Brentuximab vedotin as consolidation therapy after autologous stem-cell transplantation in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma at risk of relapse or progression (AETHERA): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.

Background: High-dose therapy followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation is standard of care for patients with relapsed or primary refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma. Roughly 50% of patients might be cured after autologous stem-cell transplantation; however, most patients with unfavourable risk factors progress after transplantation. We aimed to assess whether brentuximab vedotin improves progression-free survival when given as early consolidation after autologous stem-cell transplantation.

Buccal micronucleus cytome assay: results of an intra- and inter-laboratory scoring comparison.

The buccal micronucleus cytome (BMCyt) assay is a minimally invasive approach for measuring DNA damage, cell proliferation, cell differentiation and cell death in exfoliated buccal cells. The main limitation for its use is the lack of knowledge about inter- and intra-laboratory variability in scoring micronuclei and other end points included in the cytome approach. In order to identify the main sources of variability across the BMCyt biomarkers, a scoring exercise was carried out between three experienced laboratories using the same set of slides and an identical set of detailed scoring criteria and associated images for the different end points.

Improving reconstituted HDL composition for efficient post-ischemic reduction of ischemia reperfusion injury.

Background: New evidence shows that high density lipoproteins (HDL) have protective effects beyond their role in reverse cholesterol transport. Reconstituted HDL (rHDL) offer an attractive means of clinically exploiting these novel effects including cardioprotection against ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). However, basic rHDL composition is limited to apolipoprotein AI (apoAI) and phospholipids; addition of bioactive compound may enhance its beneficial effects.