Root and basal stem rot caused by Phytophthora nicotianae on thyme in Liguria

Phytophthora taxon niederhauserii, a New Root and Crown Rot Pathogen of Banksia spp. in Italy

In the last 10 years, various species of Banksia (family Proteaceae) endemic to Australia have been introduced into Italy where cultivation as flower plants is expanding. In the spring of 2003, a decline associated with root and basal stem rot of 2- to 3-year-old plants of Banksia speciosa R. Br., B. baxteri R. Br., and B. prionotes Lindl. grown in the ground was observed in a commercial nursery in Liguria (northern Italy). Aboveground symptoms included leaf chlorosis and wilt. Plants collapsed within 1 to 2 weeks after the appearance of leaf symptoms. A Phytophthora species was consistently isolated from roots and basal stem on BNPRAH selective medium (3). On V8 juice agar (V8A), axenic c…

Pruritus characteristics in a large Italian cohort of psoriatic patients

Background: Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease associated with pruritus in 64–98% of patients. However, few modestly sized studies assess factors associated with psoriatic pruritus. Objective: To investigate factors associated with Ps pruritus intensity. Methods: Psoriasis patients 18 years or older seen in one of 155 centres in Italy between September 2005 and 2009 were identified from the Italian PsoCare registry. Patients without cutaneous psoriasis and those with missed information on pruritus were excluded. Results: We identified 10 802 patients, with a mean age 48.8 ± 14.3 years. Mild itch was present in 33.2% of patients, moderate in 34.4%, severe in 18.7% and ve…

Efficacy of switching between tumor necrosis factor-alfa inhibitors in psoriasis: results from the Italian Psocare registry

Background: Some studies have shown that switching patients from one tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alfa inhibitor to another may be beneficial when they have an inadequate response or an adverse event. Objective: We sought to assess the variables predicting the efficacy of the second TNF-alfa inhibitor in patients discontinuing the first TNF-alfa inhibitor. Methods: Data from all 5423 consecutive patients starting TNF-alfa inhibitor therapy for psoriasis between September 2005 and September 2010 who were included in the Italian Psocare registry were analyzed. Results: In 105 patients who switched to a second TNF-alfa inhibitor who had complete follow-up data, 75% improvement in the Psoriasis …