Unveiling preferences in multiple sclerosis care: insights from an Italian discrete-choice experiment with patients and healthcare professionals.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating, neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Understanding patient and healthcare professional (HCP) preferences for MS treatments is crucial for optimizing therapeutic strategies and improving adherence and outcomes. This Discrete-Choice Experiment (DCE) assesses preferences for various MS treatment attributes among Italian patients and HCPs.

Effect of Oral Bisphosphonates on Vertebral Fractures in Males Living with HIV: A Seven Year Study.

Osteoporosis and vertebral fractures (VFs) are frequently observed in males living with HIV (MLWH). While bisphosphonates seem effective on bone mineral density (BMD) in MLWH, data on VFs are lacking. In this real-life longitudinal study performed on 118 MLWH (median age 53) who were followed-up for a median of 7 years, we aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of oral bisphosphonates on VFs in MLWH.

The impact of time since SARS-Cov-2 vaccination, age, sex and comorbidities on COVID-19 outcome in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

We evaluated the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on disease outcome in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection with a prospective study. 745 vaccinated and 451 unvaccinated patients consecutively admitted to a COVID-19 Hospital from 1st September 2021 to 1st September 2022 were included. Compared with unvaccinated cases, vaccinated patients were older, had more comorbidities, but had a lower risk of O2 need (odds ratio, OR, 0.

Intravenous or subcutaneous natalizumab in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: investigation on efficiency and savings-the EASIER study.

Introduction: EASIER is a multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study investigating the consumption of healthcare resources, including healthcare professional (HCP) active working time, the costs associated with the current natalizumab intravenous (IV) administration, and the potential impact of the adoption of subcutaneous (SC) route.

Methods: The EASIER study has three parts: (1) time and motion study to measure healthcare resources and working time needed for natalizumab IV administration using a digital data collection tool operated directly by HCPs; (2) HCP structured questionnaire-based estimation of the potential impact of natalizumab SC vs. IV administration; and (3) patient survey on the burden of natalizumab administration.

Symptomatic COVID-19 course and outcomes after three mRNA vaccine doses in multiple sclerosis patients treated with high-efficacy DMTs.

Background: Little is known about COVID-19 course and outcomes after a third booster dose of mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 (mRNA-Vax) in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) treated with ocrelizumab (OCR) and fingolimod (FNG), which showed a weakened immune response to mRNA-vax.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate COVID-19 course and outcomes in pwMS on OCR and FNG after receiving the third dose of mRNA-Vax and to compare it with pwMS on natalizumab (NTZ).

Methods: Inclusion criteria: >18 years of age, being treated with OCR/FNG/NTZ since the first mRNA-Vax dose; COVID-19 after a third booster dose of mRNA-Vax; no steroids use.

COVID-19 pandemic: is it time for shared surgical guidelines? A systematic review of the literature.

Introduction: The recent COrona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a massive disruption of surgical activity and after a year from its first outbreak surgeons still struggle to keep their regular activity coexisting with the virus exhausting requests of healthcare resources. The aim of this paper is to offer a comprehensive overview of the most important recommendations by the International Guidelines about general surgery, and possibly to invite building common shared guidelines to preserve the potential to provide surgical assistance despite the pandemic.

Evidence Acquisition: This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis statement.

Management of hepatitis B virus prophylaxis in patients treated with disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis: a multicentric Italian retrospective study.

Background: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) often receive disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that can expose them to reactivation of potential occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (pOBI). We aimed to evaluate the MS Centers behavior regarding HBV screening and prophylaxis in a large cohort of MS patients receiving anti-CD20 or cladribine.

Methods: Retrospective, multicentric study recruiting Italian MS patients treated with rituximab, ocrelizumab and cladribine.

The influence of media representations on citizens' perceptions towards nurses: a comparison between before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background And Aim Of The Work: In December 2019 in Wuhan, China, an outbreak related to a new Coronavirus (Covid-19) rapidly spread to other countries, including Italy, emerged. On 11 March 2020, the WHO declared a state of pandemic. During the ensuing health crisis, the media exposure of Italian nurses increased.

Genomic characterisation of Escherichia coli isolates co-producing NDM-5 and OXA-1 from hospitalised patients with invasive infections.

Objectives: Carbapenems are one of the last-report therapeutic choices to treat infections due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) micro-organisms. For this reason, the spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae represents a serious health-public problem. Here we describe isolates co-producing bla and bla.

A real-world study of alemtuzumab in a cohort of Italian patients.

Background And Purpose: Real-world data on alemtuzumab are limited and do not provide evidence of its effectiveness after various disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Our aim was to provide real-world data on the impact of clinical variables and previous DMTs on clinical response to alemtuzumab.

Methods: Sixteen Italian multiple sclerosis centers retrospectively included patients who started alemtuzumab from January 2015 to December 2018, and recorded demographics, previous therapies, washout duration, relapses, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, and magnetic resonance imaging data.

Impact of hypogonadism on bone mineral density and vertebral fractures in HIV-infected men.

Purpose: Hypogonadism and osteoporosis are frequently reported in HIV-infected men and, besides multifactorial pathogenesis, they might be directly linked because of testicular involvement in bone health. We evaluated the prevalence of osteoporosis and vertebral fractures (VFs) in HIV-infected men, and assessed their relationship with gonadal function.

Methods: We enrolled 168 HIV-infected men (median age 53).

Expanding the variability of the ADPKD-GANAB clinical phenotype in a family of Italian ancestry.

Background: Causative mutations in the GANAB gene have been described in only 14 families, 9 diagnosed with late-onset Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) and 5 with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Liver Disease (ADPLD).

Case: Diagnosis of ADPKD was made in a 45-year old man during screening for hernia repair. CT scan showed enlarged cystic kidneys, nephrolithiasis and normal-sized liver with multiple cysts.

Rituximab or Cyclophosphamide in the Treatment of Membranous Nephropathy: The RI-CYCLO Randomized Trial.

Background: A cyclic corticosteroid-cyclophosphamide regimen is the first-line therapy for membranous nephropathy. Compared with this regimen, rituximab therapy might have a more favorable safety profile, but a head-to-head comparison is lacking.

Methods: We randomly assigned 74 adults with membranous nephropathy and proteinuria >3.

Hypogonadism and liver fibrosis in HIV-infected patients.

Purpose: Hypogonadism is frequent in HIV-infected men and might impact on metabolic and sexual health. Low testosterone results from either primary testicular damage, secondary hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction, or from liver-derived sex-hormone-binding-globulin (SHBG) elevation, with consequent reduction of free testosterone. The relationship between liver fibrosis and hypogonadism in HIV-infected men is unknown.

Noninvasive Ventilatory Support of Patients with COVID-19 outside the Intensive Care Units (WARd-COVID).

Treatment with noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is frequent. Shortage of intensive care unit (ICU) beds led clinicians to deliver NIV also outside ICUs. Data about the use of NIV in COVID-19 is limited.

The importance of SHBG and calculated free testosterone for the diagnosis of symptomatic hypogonadism in HIV-infected men: a single-centre real-life experience.

Purpose: The prevalence of low testosterone and symptoms of hypogonadism in HIV-infected men is still debated. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and type of hypogonadism in HIV-infected males complaining about sexual symptoms, and to evaluate the role of calculated free testosterone (cFT) vs total testosterone (TT) for diagnosis. Furthermore, we evaluated relationship between sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), gonadal status and clinical and virologic parameters.

Multi-Autoantibody Signature and Clinical Outcome in Membranous Nephropathy.

Background And Objectives: Patients with membranous nephropathy can have circulating autoantibodies against membrane-bound (phospholipase A2 receptor 1 [PLA2R1] and thrombospondin type-1 domain containing 7A [THSD7A]) and intracellular (aldose reductase, SOD2, and α-enolase) podocyte autoantigens. We studied their combined association with clinical outcomes.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Serum levels of anti-PLA2R1, anti-THSD7A, anti-aldose reductase, anti-SOD2, and anti-α-enolase autoantibodies were determined in 285 patients at diagnosis and during follow-up using standardized and homemade assays.

Hypogonadism and bone health in men with HIV.

The advent of new classes of antiretroviral drugs has improved the survival of people with HIV, and several ageing-related conditions, including hypogonadism and osteoporosis, have emerged. However, both are silent conditions, and are underestimated, underdiagnosed, and not adequately treated. Several factors, including the effects of the virus, antiretroviral therapy, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities, contribute to testicular dysfunction, which in turn has important effects on bone health.

Early use of low dose tocilizumab in patients with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study with a complete follow-up.

Background: Pneumonia with severe respiratory failure represents the principal cause of death in COVID-19, where hyper-inflammation plays an important role in lung damage. An effective treatment aiming at reducing the inflammation without preventing virus clearance is thus urgently needed. Tocilizumab, an anti-soluble IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, has been proposed for treatment of patients with COVID-19.