0000000000170375
AUTHOR
A. Pinto
DESCRIPTION OF THE FOURTH CASE OF ACERULOPLASMINEMIA FOUND IN ITALY
Carotid plaque detection improves the predictve value of CHA2DS2-VASc score in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrilation: The ARAPACIS Study
Abstract Background and aims Vascular disease (VD), as assessed by history of myocardial infarction or peripheral artery disease or aortic plaque, increases stroke risk in atrial fibrillation (AF), and is a component of risk assessment using the CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score. We investigated if systemic atherosclerosis as detected by ultrasound carotid plaque (CP) could improve the predictive value of the CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score. Methods We analysed data from the ARAPACIS study, an observational study including 2027 Italian patients with non-valvular AF, in whom CP was detected using Doppler Ultrasonography. Results VD was reported in 351 (17.3%) patients while CP was detected in 16.6% patients. Ad…
Survey on the prevalence of leptospira infections in the Italian population.
This investigation is the first nationwide survey on the circulation of leptospira infections in human beings in Italy. In nine out of twenty Italian regions, representative samples of the population were investigated for the presence of leptospira infections. Unexpectedly, leptospira infections were found to be widespread, the number of cases being much higher than the diagnosed clinical cases. There were found to be high, medium, and low risk areas. On the whole, the risk for the rural population was no higher than the risk for urban dwellers; leisure activities, contact with animals and residence on the plain versus residence in the hills were important risk factors. There was an unident…
Authors’ reply
No abstract available.
The burden and epidemiology of community-acquired central nervous system infections: a multinational study
Ghaydaa, Shehata/0000-0002-3631-893X; Radic, Ljiljana Betica/0000-0002-8778-106X; Silva-Pinto, Andre/0000-0002-2077-3356; Cascio, Antonio/0000-0002-1992-1796; Bossi, Paolo/0000-0003-0135-0224; Stebel, Roman/0000-0001-6922-4465; Namani, Sadie/0000-0002-2411-8623; Chan, Phillip/0000-0002-4071-4409; Hargreaves, Sally/0000-0003-2974-4348; Artuk, Cumhur/0000-0003-0827-990X; Harxhi, Arjan/0000-0001-8518-7377; Larsen, Lykke/0000-0002-4113-4182; Uysal, Serhat/0000-0002-4294-5999 WOS: 000407582200010 PubMed: 28397100 Risk assessment of central nervous system (CNS) infection patients is of key importance in predicting likely pathogens. However, data are lacking on the epidemiology globally. We perfor…
SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study
Abstract Background Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling. Methods The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18–49, 50–69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty. Results NNVs were more favourable in su…
Major adverse cardiovascular events in non-valvular atrial fibrillation with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the ARAPACIS study
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increases the risk of mortality in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients. Data on the relationship of COPD to major cardiovascular events (MACE) in AF have not been defined. The aim of the study is to assess the predictive value of COPD on incident MACE in NVAF patients over a 3-year follow-up. In the Atrial Fibrillation Registry for Ankle-Brachial Index Prevalence Assessment-Collaborative Italian Study (ARAPACIS) cohort, we evaluate the impact of COPD on the following clinical endpoints: MACE (including vascular death, fatal/non-fatal MI and stroke/TIA), cardiovascular (CV) death and all-cause mortality. Among 2027 NVAF patients, pati…
Immunoinflammatory activation during the acute phase of lacunar and non-lacunar ischemic stroke: Association with time of onset and diabetic state
Several studies have stressed the involvement of inflammation in the pathophysiology of acute brain ischemia, but the role of immunoinflammatory activation in diabetic stroke patients has not yet been fully evaluated. The aim of our study was to evaluate immunoinflammatory activation of acute phase of stroke in relation to time of symptoms onset, diabetic state and diagnostic subtype. We enrolled 60 patients (32 diabetics; 28 non- diabetics) with acute ischemic stroke and 123 subjects without acute ischemic stroke, and measured levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, E-selectin, P-selectin, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, VWF, 24–72 h and 7–10 days after stroke onset; TPA, PAI-1 plasma levels at 24–72h. Ou…
Diuretic Treatment in Heart Failure.
Intavenous high dose furosemide plus small volume of hypertonic saline solutions (HSS) versus seriated paracentesis in treatment of refractory ascites: a pilot study
RANDOMIZED PHASE II STUDY OF FIRST-LINE EVEROLIMUS (EVE) + BEVACIZUMAB (BEV) VERSUS INTERFERON ALFA-2A (IFN) + BEV IN PATIENTS (PTS) WITH METASTATIC RENAL CELL CARCINOMA (MRCC): RECORD-2
ABSTRACT Background Study results demonstrated that IFN augments BEV activity and improves median PFS in pts with mRCC. Thus, combination BEV + IFN is a standard first-line treatment option for mRCC. Combining BEV with the mTOR inhibitor EVE may be an efficacious and well-tolerated treatment option. The open-label, phase II RECORD-2 trial compared first-line EVE + BEV and IFN + BEV in mRCC. Patients and methods: Therapy-naive pts with clear cell mRCC and prior nephrectomy were randomized 1:1 to BEV 10 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks with either EVE 10 mg oral daily or IFN (9 MIU SC 3 times/week, if tolerated). Tumour assessments were every 12 weeks. Primary objective was treatment effect on progress…
CD40 ligand and MCP-1 as predictors of cardiovascular events in diabetic patients with stroke.
Aim: Up-regulation of soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) has been found in diabetes and in patients with acute cerebral ischemia. We asked whether (i) the two molecules are similarly upregulated among non-lacunar and lacunar diabetic strokes and (ii) sCD40L and/or MCP-1 predict the risk of cardiovascular events in this setting.Methods: Ninety patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus presenting with an acute ischemic stroke (compared with 45 control subjects) were evaluated on admission and up to 36 months (median 24 months) after the event.Results: Diabetic patients with acute stroke had higher plasma CD40L and MCP-1 than controls (p<0.0001), wit…
Electrocardiographic Diagnosis of Atrial Tachycardia: Classification, P-Wave Morphology, and Differential Diagnosis with Other Supraventricular Tachycardias
Atrial tachycardia is defined as a regular atrial activation from atrial areas with centrifugal spread, caused by enhanced automaticity, triggered activity or microreentry. New ECG classification differentiates between focal and macroreentrant atrial tachycardia. Macroreentrant atrial tachycardias include typical atrial flutter and other well characterized macroreentrant circuits in right and left atrium. Typical atrial flutter has been described as counterclockwise reentry within right atrial and it presents a characteristic ECG “sawtooth” pattern on the inferior leads. The foci responsible for focal atrial tachycardia do not occur randomly throughout the atria but tend to cluster at chara…
Citotoxic saponins from Schefflera fagueti
Immunity, Inflammation and Heart Failure. Their Role on Cardiac Function and Iron Status
Aims: Heart failure is a clinical syndrome characterized by subclinical systemic inflammation and immune system activation associated with iron deficiency. No data exist on the various activations of immune-mediated mechanisms of inflammation in heart failure patients with reduced/preserved ejection fraction. We aimed to (1) investigate possible differences in inflammatory parameters and oxidative stress, and (2) detect a different iron status between groups. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 50 consecutive Caucasian outpatients with heart failure. All patients underwent echocardiographic measurements, laboratory determinations, evaluation of iron status and Toll-like receptors, and NF-κB …