0000000000513666
AUTHOR
Ilenia Pepe
showing 36 related works from this author
Fecal assays detect hypersensitivity to cow's milk protein and gluten in adults with irritable bowel syndrome.
2011
Background & Aims Some patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-like symptoms suffer from food hypersensitivity (FH); their symptoms improve when they are placed on elimination diets. No assays identify patients with FH with satisfactory levels of sensitivity. We determined the frequency of FH among patients with symptoms of IBS and the ability of fecal assays for tryptase, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), or calprotectin to diagnose FH. Methods The study included 160 patients with IBS, 40 patients with other gastrointestinal diseases, and 50 healthy individuals (controls). At the start of the study, patients completed a symptom severity questionnaire, fecal samples were assayed, and …
Atherogenic forms of dyslipidaemia in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
2009
OBJECTIVE: Dyslipidaemia is very common in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) but, beyond plasma lipids, atherogenic lipoprotein (Lp) and apolipoprotein (apo) alterations are still ill defined. DESIGN: We measured concentrations of apoB, Lp(a) and small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in 42 patients with PCOS [age: 28 +/- 7 years, body mass index (BMI): 27 +/- 5 kg/m(2)] vs. 37 age- and BMI-matched healthy controls. METHODS: Elevated Lp(a) levels considered were those > 30 mg/dl while elevated apoB concentrations were those > 100 g/l. RESULTS: Polycystic ovary syndrome showed increased triglycerides levels (p = 0.0011) and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol co…
Clinical importance of eosinophil count in nasal fluid in patients with allergic and non-allergic rhinitis
2009
Eosinophil count in nasal fluid (ECNF) was used to differentiate nasal pathologies. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and the area under the curve (AUC) were performed to evaluate the ECNF's accuracy in distinguishing allergic rhinitis (AR) from non-allergic rhinitis (NAR). We also evaluated the accuracy of ECNF in recognizing patients with mild and severe symptoms of rhinitis and patients with ineffective and effective clinical responses to antihistamines. 1,170 consecutive adult patients with a clinical history of rhinitis were studied. ECNF's median in AR was 6.0 and 2.0 in NAR and the best cut-off value was > 3.0, AUC = 0.75. ECNF's median in AR with mild nasal …
Significance of persistence of antibodies against Leishmania infantum in Sicilian patients affected by acute visceral leishmaniasis.
2012
The background of this article is as follows: Few data are available about the persistence of serum-specific IgG antibodies to L. infantum after acute VL. The objective of this article is to evaluate the persistence of antibodies against L. infantum in patients healed from acute VL, and the kinetic of the same antibodies observed in 2 cases of VL relapse and 2 cases of resistance to therapy. The methods which we used to obtain our objective are the following: 55 apparently immunocompetent, HIV-negative patients were examined for antibodies to L. infantum by IFAT over 14 years period, and we got the following results: Serum-specific IgG antibodies titers decrease slowly, but constantly. In t…
Milder forms of atherogenic dyslipidemia in ovulatory versus anovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome phenotype
2017
BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is common in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) but its prevalence in different PCOS phenotypes is still largely unknown. METHODS: We measured plasma lipids and lipoproteins in 35 anovulatory PCOS (age: 25 ± 6 years, BMI: 28 ± 6 kg/m2), 15 ovulatory PCOS (age: 30 ± 6 years, BMI: 25 ± 3 kg/m2) and 27 healthy women (controls) age- and BMI-matched with ovulatory PCOS. PCOS was diagnosed by the presence of clinical or biologic hyperandrogenism associated with chronic anovulation and/or polycystic ovaries at ultrasound. In women with normal menses chronic anovulation was indicated by low serum progesterone levels (<9.54 nmol/l) during midluteal phase (days 21…
Antiendomysium antibodies assay in the culture medium of intestinal mucosa: an accurate method for celiac disease diagnosis
2011
Background Celiac disease (CD) diagnosis is becoming more difficult as patients with no intestinal histology lesions may also be suffering from CD. Aim To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of antiendomysium (EmA) assay in the culture medium of intestinal biopsies for CD diagnosis. Patients and methods The clinical charts of 418 patients with CD and 705 non-CD controls who had all undergone EmA assay in the culture medium were reviewed. Results EmA assay in the culture medium had a higher sensitivity (98 vs. 80%) and specificity (99 vs. 95%) than serum EmA/antibodies to tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) assay. All patients with CD who were tested as false-negatives for serum EmA and/or anti-…
Leukotriene receptor antagonists in monotherapy or in combination with antihistamines in the treatment of chronic urticaria: A systematic review
2008
In vitro and in vivo clinical and experimental data have suggested that leukotrienes play a key role in inflammatory reactions of the skin. Antileukotriene drugs, ie, leukotriene receptor antagonists and synthesis inhibitors, are a class of anti-inflammatory drugs that have shown clinical efficacy in the management of asthma and in rhinitis with asthma. We searched MEDLINE database and carried out a manual search on journals specializing in allergy and dermatology for the use of antileukotriene drugs in urticaria. Montelukast might be effective in chronic urticaria associated with aspirin (ASA) or food additive hypersensitivity or with autoreactivity to intradermal serum injection (ASST) wh…
New Insight into Immunity and Immunopathology of Rickettsial Diseases
2011
Human rickettsial diseases comprise a variety of clinical entities caused by microorganisms belonging to the generaRickettsia,Orientia,Ehrlichia, andAnaplasma. These microorganisms are characterized by a strictly intracellular location which has, for long, impaired their detailed study. In this paper, the critical steps taken by these microorganisms to play their pathogenic roles are discussed in detail on the basis of recent advances in our understanding of molecularRickettsia-host interactions, preferential target cells, virulence mechanisms, three-dimensional structures of bacteria effector proteins, upstream signalling pathways and signal transduction systems, and modulation of gene exp…
PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODIES ANTI-BARTONELLA HENSELAEIN WESTERN SICILY: CHILDREN, BLOOD DONORS, AND CATS
2011
To evaluate seroprevalence of B. henselae infection both in Sicilian children and healthy blood donors. Furthermore, circulation of Bartonella in the natural reservoir was also studied. Two hundred forty-three children, living in Sicily (Palermo), affected by various diseases, without clinical features suggesting B. henselae infection, together with 122 healthy blood donors were serologically investigated for IgG and IgM antibodies by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). One hundred twenty stray and 62 pet cats were also analyzed only for IgG. Among children 25.1% had IgG antibodies to B. henselae; 18.5% showed a titer 1:64, 2.4% 1:128, 2.4% 1:256, 0.8% 1:512, 0.4% 1:1024, and 0.4% 1:…
Effects of hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic agents on atherogenic small, dense LDL in Type 2 diabetes
2011
Type 2 diabetes is associated with a cluster of inter-related plasma lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities, including reduced HDL-C, a predominance of small, dense LDL and elevated triglycerides. These abnormalities occur even in prediabetes, before blood sugars rise sufficiently in order to confirm a diagnosis of diabetes, and this transition phase incurs important cardiovascular risk. This is the rationale for paying attention to dyslipidemia through the use of the hypolipidemic, rather than hypoglycemic drugs only. A literature search (by Medline and Scopus) was performed. The authors also manually reviewed the references of selected articles for any pertinent material. Beyond the ‘quantit…
High prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in women with mild hirsutism and no other significant clinical symptoms
2010
Objective To verify the conclusions of the Endocrine Society Guidelines that patients with mild hirsutism and no other important clinical signs (menstrual irregularities, infertility, central obesity, acanthosis nigricans, rapid progression of the hirsutism, clitoromegaly) should not be further studied. Design Retrospective study in patients referred because of mild hirsutism and no other clinical signs. Setting Department of Clinical Medicine of the University of Palermo. Patient(s) One hundred fifty-two patients with mild hirsutism. Intervention(s) Measurement of serum testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, 17-OH-Progesterone, assessment of ovulation by measurement of progesterone …
Necrotizing fasciitis of the face: A life-threatening condition
2009
Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a highly aggressive infectious process, polymicrobial in nature, involving soft tissues with a high risk of rapid spread through superficial and deep fascial planes and muscular layers. Cervical NF is quite rare, is mostly of odontogenic origin, and may be complicated by descendant mediastinitis with a very high mortality rate. Systemic conditions impairing the patient's immune competence, such as diabetes, may play a predisposing role. An effective treatment strategy includes prompt diagnosis (clinical findings, local microbiological tests, blood culture and, if deemed necessary, histopathology), broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy as early as possible which sho…
Aging and Oral Health: Effects in Hard and Soft Tissues
2009
Changing demographics, including an increase in life expectancy and the growing numbers of elderly has recently focused attention on the need for geriatric dental care. Ageing affects oral tissues in addition to other parts of the human body, and oral health (including oral mucosa, lips, teeth and associated structures, and their functional activity) is an integral component of general health; indeed, oral disease can cause pain, difficulty in speaking, mastication, swallowing, maintaining a balanced diet, not to mention aesthetical considerations and facial alterations leading to anxiety and depression. The World Health Organization recommends the adoption of certain strategies for improvi…
The predictive role of atherogenic dyslipidemia in subjects with non-coronary atherosclerosis
2009
Abstract Background Recent findings have suggested that subjects with non-coronary atherosclerosis may show elevated prevalence of atherogenic dyslipidemia, including higher triglyceride levels, reduced HDL-cholesterol concentrations and increased levels of small, dense low-density lipoproteins (LDL). These three lipid abnormalities constitute the so-called “atherogenic-lipoprotein-phenotype” (ALP) but its predictive role in these patients still remains to be established. Methods We performed a 2-year follow-up study to assess clinical and biochemical predictors of cardiovascular events in 44 male patients (64 ± 5 years, BMI: 27 ± 3), 26 with peripheral arterial disease and 18 with abdomina…
Heart failure and chronic kidney disease in a registry of internal medicine wards
2014
Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in tertiary care centers using the clinical records of patients enrolled in internal medicine departments.Patients and methods: We used the clinical records of 1380 elderly patients to identify patients with a history of HF and CKD using admission ICD codes and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) formulas. Magnitude and strength of such associations were investigated by univariable and multivariable analysis.Results: Of the 1380 patients enrolled, 27.9% had HF (age 80 ± 7, BMI 27 ± 6 kg/m2) and 17.4% CKD (age 81 ± 7, BMI 26.8 ± 6 kg/m2). Both groups were signific…
Low circulating levels of HDL-cholesterol in women with PCOS and no other lipid abnormalities are associated to increased carotid intima media thickn…
2009
Mevolonate Pathway:role of bisphosphonates and statins
2006
Cardiovascular diseases, i.e. high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and stroke, and osteoporosis are public health problems, with several epidemiological links, and they might be related to each other in terms of pathogenesis and therapeutic agents. Bisphosphonates inhibit bone resorption and are used in the treatment of osteoporosis, whereas statins inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis and are used for the treatment of atherosclerosis and lipid metabolic disorders. Some late clinical studies suggested bisphosphonates may have beneficial effect in vivo on atherosclerotic progression, lipid profiles, and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, whereas statins might increase bone density, …
Choice and Outcomes of Rate Control versus Rhythm Control in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Report from the REPOSI Study
2018
Background: Among rate-control or rhythm-control strategies, there is conflicting evidence as to which is the best management approach for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) in elderly patients. Design: We performed an ancillary analysis from the ‘Registro Politerapie SIMI’ study, enrolling elderly inpatients from internal medicine and geriatric wards. Methods: We considered patients enrolled from 2008 to 2014 with an AF diagnosis at admission, treated with a rate-control-only or rhythm-control-only strategy. Results: Among 1114 patients, 241 (21.6%) were managed with observation only and 122 (11%) were managed with both the rate- and rhythm-control approaches. Of the remaining 751 patie…
Rare Candida albicans overgrowth in an immunosuppressed patient: case report of a malignant tumor-like gastric lesion.
2011
Bisphosphonate-associated femoral fracture: implication for management
2008
Studies carried out on individuals being treated long term with bisphosphonates have provoked considerable interest and perplexity about the effect that these drugs have on bone turnover in the long run. In fact the experiences reported by numerous researchers tend to highlight how treatment with high doses of bisphosphonates over many years, of individuals with osteoporosis complicated by or secondary to neoplastic pathologies, causes a suppression of bone turnover that over time predisposes the bone to the accumulation of micro damage that can then result in complicated fractures, as in the case described here.
Bartonella henselae, a widespread, silent infectious agent: serum antibodies prevalente in Western Sicily.
2011
Milder forms of atherogenic dyslipidemia in ovulatory vs. anovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome phenotype.
2009
Non-classic forms of atherogenic dyslipidemia in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
2008
Ortopantomografia nel sospetto diagnostico di osteoporosi
2009
Senescenza ed allergia respiratoria.
2009
The atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype and LDL size and subclasses in women with gestational diabetes.
2008
Osteoporosi-malattie dello scheletro e bifosfonati per os: rischio limitato ma emergente di osteonecrosi dei mascellari. Task force (Promab) e propos…
2007
Utilità della citologia nasale.
2009
Atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype and LDL size and subclasses in drug-naïve patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.
2009
Improving diagnostic accuracy in celiac disease diagnosis: antiendomysium antibody assay in the culture medium of duodenal biopsies.
2011
Adherence to antithrombotic therapy guidelines improves mortality among elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: insights from the REPOSI study
2016
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a substantial risk of thromboembolism and mortality, significantly reduced by oral anticoagulation. Adherence to guidelines may lower the risks for both all cause and cardiovascular (CV) deaths. Methods: Our objective was to evaluate if antithrombotic prophylaxis according to the 2012 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines is associated to a lower rate of adverse outcomes. Data were obtained from REPOSI; a prospective observational study enrolling inpatients aged ≥65 years. Patients enrolled in 2012 and 2014 discharged with an AF diagnosis were analysed. Results: Among 2535 patients, 558 (22.0 %) were discharged with a diagnos…