PLASMA LEVELS OF TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR a AND INTERFERON g IN SICILIAN CHILDREN WITH MEDITERRANEAN SPOTTED FEVER

The plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma were measured in 53 consecutive children with serologically confirmed Mediterranean spotted fever and were found to be increased during the acute phase compared with the convalescent phase (tumor necrosis factor-alpha mean 32.17 vs. 4.12 pg/ml, P < 0.0001; interferon-gamma mean 84.17 vs. 2.65 pg/ml, P = 0.0006). Plasma levels of both cytokines were higher in patients with a typical exanthema rather than those with a very mild or no exanthema; tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels were significantly lower in the latter (tumor necrosis factor-alpha 32.17 vs. 9.85 pg/ml, P < 0.0001; interferon-gamma 84.17 vs. 38.14 pg/ml, P = 0…

EBV reactivation in a patient undergoing chemotherapy for invasive thymoma

Over the last few years evidence has emerged to indicate the involvement of herpes viruses in several infectious complications observed in patients undergoing antiblastic chemotherapy. We present a case of bilateral parotiditis due to EBV reactivation in a patient who had received chemotherapy because of an invasive thymoma. In October 2006, a 53-year-old man with pulmonary and pleural metastases owing to an invasive thymoma, was started on chemotherapy with cisplatin, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide. In January 2007, after consultation with an infectious disease specialist, the patient was admitted to the oncology department because of bilateral swelling of the parotid glands which was mos…

Prothrombotic gene variants in AMI young women

La narrazione del "passaggio" nella relazione genitori-figli. Un'applicazione dell'intervista clinica generazionale

Idatidosi polmonare in età pediatrica: descrizione di un caso.

Haemophagocytic syndrome and rickettsial diseases. A new case and systematic review of the literature

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a rare but potentially fatal disease resulting from dysregulated activation and proliferation of lymphocytes. We present a case of haemophagocytic syndrome occurring in a 5-year-old Italian boy as a complication of Mediterranean spotted fever. The characteristics of this case have been analysed and contextualized among those of another 15 cases of haemophagocytic syndrome associated with rickettsial diseases found through a systematic review of the international literature.

Echinococcosi polmonare: un caso clinico

La narrazione del "passaggio" nella relazione genitori-figli. Un'applicazione dell'intervista clinica generazionale.

L’intervista clinica generazionale (ICG, Cigoli e Tamanza, 2009) è uno strumento di indagine e valutazione delle relazioni familiari, concepito come una misura di sintesi della complessità delle relazioni familiari e del loro dipanarsi attraverso il tempo; lo strumento riprende la tradizione sistemica della intervista strutturata e si pone come obiettivo l’indagine sulla qualità dello scambio che si sviluppa tra le generazioni nella vicenda familiare. L’intervista si articola in tre dimensioni: le origini di ciascun partner (asse I), la formazione e lo sviluppo delle relazioni di coppia (asse II), il passaggio e la trasmissione alla generazione successiva (asse III). In questo contributo si…