0000000000148643
AUTHOR
Luana Fianchi
Zygomycosis in Italy: A survey of FIMUA-ECMM (Federazione Italiana di Micopatologia Umana ed Animale and European Confederation of Medical Mycology)
Abstract The aims of the study were to analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and treatments for patients who developed zygomycosis enrolled in Italy during the European Confederation of Medical Mycology of medical mycology survey. This prospective multicenter study was performed between 2004 and 2007 at 49 italian Departments. 60 cases of zygomycosis were enrolled: the median age was 59.5 years (range 1-87), with a prevalence of males (70%). The majority of cases were immunocompromised patients (42 cases, 70%), mainly hematological malignancies (37). Among non-immunocompromised (18 cases, 30%), the main category was represented by patients with penetrating trauma (7/18, 3…
Systemic mastocytosis. A GIMEMA multicenter survey
Abstract To evaluate clinical and biological features, treatments and outcome of patients(pts) with Systemic Mastocytosis(SM). A retrospective study (1995–2006) about pts with SM admitted in 14 Italian hematology divisions in tertiary cares or university hospitals. 30 cases of SM were collected(median age 62 y.o.; M/F 14/16) and classified according to the WHO criteria: Mast Cell Leukemia in 14 pts, Aggressive SM in 12 and Indolent in 3; the remaining one had SM with associated clonal non-mast cell-lineage hematologic disease. Skin was the principal extramedullary organ involved (19 pts) followed by spleen(15), liver(13), and cardiovascular system(12). Molecular biology studies were perform…
Polymorphisms within the TNFSF4 and mapkapk2 loci influence the risk of developing invasive aspergillosis: A two-stage case control study in the context of the aspbiomics consortium
Here, we assessed whether 36 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the TNFSF4 and MAPKAPK2 loci influence the risk of developing invasive aspergillosis (IA). We conducted a twostage case control study including 911 high-risk patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies that were ascertained through the aspBIOmics consortium. The meta-analysis of the discovery and replication populations revealed that carriers of the TNFSF4rs7526628T/T genotype had a significantly increased risk of developing IA (p = 0.00022). We also found that carriers of the TNFSF4rs7526628T allele showed decreased serum levels of TNFSF14 protein (p = 0.0027), and that their macrophages had a decreased fungi…
Caspofungin for the treatment of candidaemia in patients with haematological malignancies
AbstractThis study was prospectively conducted in 11 haematology divisions over a 2-year period to evaluate the efficacy of caspofungin in 24 neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies (HM) and candidaemia. These patients had received chemotherapy for HM and were neutropenic (PNN < 0.5 × 109/L) for a median of 12 days (2–41) before candidaemia. The patients received caspofungin for a median duration of 12 days (range 6–26), obtaining a favourable overall response of 58%. At 30 days, 11 patients had died (46%); candidaemia was responsible for mortality in six patients (25%). These results suggest that treatment of candidaemia with caspofungin in neutropenic HM was efficacious, as …