Search results for " Progress"
showing 10 items of 1287 documents
Early and rapidly progressing respiratory failure in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: when FVC% is misleading
2018
Introduction Respiratory failure is the leading cause of death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) [1]. The involvement of respiratory function is a negative predictor of survival, which can be in part overcome by a prompt initiation of non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV). Seated forced vital capacity (FVC%) is a widely used measure to monitor respiratory function, and it is often taken as a surrogate outcome measure in clinical trials. However, it may be within a normal range in ALS patients with respiratory dysfunction [2]. Here we report on a case of an ALS patient with a rapidly evolving respiratory insufficiency, despite a rather normal FVC%. Case presentation The patient, a 6…
Microenvironment in neuroblastoma: isolation and characterization of tumor-derived mesenchymal stromal cells
2018
Background It has been proposed that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) promote tumor progression by interacting with tumor cells and other stroma cells in the complex network of the tumor microenvironment. We characterized MSCs isolated and expanded from tumor tissues of pediatric patients diagnosed with neuroblastomas (NB-MSCs) to define interactions with the tumor microenvironment. Methods Specimens were obtained from 7 pediatric patients diagnosed with neuroblastoma (NB). Morphology, immunophenotype, differentiation capacity, proliferative growth, expression of stemness and neural differentiation markers were evaluated. Moreover, the ability of cells to modulate the immune response, i.e. …
Longitudinal Analysis of Serum Autoantibody-Reactivities in Patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and Optic Disc Hemorrhage.
2015
Background The aim of our current investigation was to analyze the autoantibody-reactivities of primary open angle glaucoma patients with optic disc hemorrhage as possibly correlated to disease progression by means of a protein microarray approach. Methods Sera of patients with primary open angle glaucoma and optic disc hemorrhage (n = 16) were collected directly after study inclusion (0 weeks) and after 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 12 weeks. As a control group patients with primary open angle glaucoma (n = 18) were used (0 weeks and 12 weeks). Microarrays were incubated and occurring antibody-antigen-reactions were visualized with fluorescence labeled anti-human-IgG secondary antibodies. To detect…
Mast cells are associated with the onset and progression of celiac disease
2017
Background Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated disorder characterized by an accumulation of immune cells in the duodenal mucosa as a consequence of both adaptive and innate immune responses to undigested gliadin peptides. Mast cells (MCs) are innate immune cells that are a major source of costimulatory signals and inflammatory mediators in the intestinal mucosa. Although MCs have previously been associated with CD, functional studies have never been performed. Objective We aimed at evaluating the role of MCs in the pathogenesis of CD. Methods Intestinal biopsy specimens of patients with CD were scored according to the Marsh classification and characterized for leukocyte infiltration a…
HLA-C1 ligands are associated with increased susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus.
2017
Recently, the role of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) in autoimmune diseases has received increasing attention. The present study was undertaken to determine the association of KIR genes and the human leukocytes antigen (HLA) ligands with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and accompanying oxidative stress. Presence or absence of 17 KIR and 5 HLA loci was performed using the polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) method by case-control study. A total of 45 SLE patients, and 60 healthy controls, all of Sicilian descent, were enrolled. Plasma values of the anti-oxidant molecule Taurine were determined in all subjects by capillary electrophoresis UV detecti…
Homocysteine concentration in coronary artery disease: Influence of three common single nucleotide polymorphisms.
2017
Whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of homocysteine metabolism enzymes influence the rate of cardiovascular (CV) events in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients remains controversial.In this analysis, 1126 subjects from the AtheroGene study with CAD and 332 control subjects without known CAD were included. The following SNPs were investigated: methylentetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR-C667T), methionin synthetase (MS-D919G), and cystathionin beta synthetase (CBS-I278T). The endpoint was the combination of cardiovascular death, stroke, and non-fatal myocardial infarction (N = 286). The median follow-up time was 6.4 years. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed an increasing event rat…
Subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis: results from the 3-year, multicentre, prospective, observational GIRRCS (Gruppo Ita…
2019
Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, when compared with general population, largely due to enhanced atherosclerotic disease. In this work, we aimed at assessing both occurrence and predictive factors of subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis in RA. Methods From January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2015, consecutive participants with RA, admitted to Italian Rheumatology Units, were assessed in the GIRRCS (Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca in Reumatologia Clinica e Sperimentale) cohort. After that, those participants were followed up in a 3-year, prospective, observational study, assessing the occurrence of subclinical and clinical ather…
Mediterranean diet and knee osteoarthritis outcomes: A longitudinal cohort study.
2018
Objectives: Mediterranean diet has several beneficial effects on health, but data regarding the association between Mediterranean diet and knee osteoarthritis (OA) are limited mainly to cross-sectional studies. We investigated whether higher Mediterranean diet adherence is prospectively associated with lower risk of radiographic OA (ROA), radiographic symptomatic knee OA (SxOA) and pain worsening in North American people at high risk or having knee OA. Methods: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was evaluated using a validated Mediterranean diet score (aMED), categorized in five categories (Q1 to Q5, higher values reflecting higher adherence to Mediterranean diet). Knee OA outcomes include…
Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency: Expanding differential diagnosis.
2016
The differential diagnoses for metabolic liver diseases may be challenging in clinical settings, which represents a critical issue for disorders such as lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D). LAL-D is caused by deficient activity of the LAL enzyme, resulting in the accumulation of cholesteryl esters and triglycerides throughout the body, predominately in the liver, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, and blood vessel walls. LAL-D is a progressive, multi-organ disease with early mortality and significant morbidity characterized by a combination of hepatic dysfunction and dyslipidemia. Evidence suggests LAL-D may be substantially underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, which is critical given that dis…
Great Expectations: Principal Investigator and Trainee Perspectives on Hiring, Supervision, and Mentoring
2018
A functioning mentor–trainee relationship is of high importance in academia. Discrepancies in expectations between principal investigators (PIs) and trainees are a source of misunderstandings and conflicts, endangering scientific progress and career advancement. In this pilot study, we sought to explore the expectations of PIs and trainees, providing consensus data from physician‐scientists and junior researchers who attended an educational workshop, entitled “The EASL/AASLD Masterclass,” in December 2017. Twenty‐three Masterclass attendees, comprising nine trainees (four Ph.D. candidates, five postdoctoral researchers) and 14 PIs, responded to an online survey. Both parties were asked to s…