Search results for "Sclerosis"
showing 10 items of 1583 documents
A 12-month prospective, observational study evaluating the impact of disease-modifying treatment on emotional burden in recently-diagnosed multiple s…
2016
Abstract Introduction Depression and anxiety are common among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and are frequently present at the time of MS diagnosis. Methods POSIDONIA was a 12-month, observational, prospective study conducted in Italy to evaluate the impact of disease-modifying treatment (DMT) on emotional burden in patients with recently-diagnosed MS. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), specifically HADS anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D) subscale scores, the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and the Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R) were used to measure patient-reported outcomes. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), HDRS-17, was used as a measure…
Effect of one-year dextromethorphan/quinidine treatment on management of respiratory impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
2021
Abstract Treatment with Dextromethorphan/Quinidine (DM/Q) has demonstrated benefit on pseudobulbar affect and bulbar function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The aim of this study was to assess whether DM/Q could provide long-term improvement in bulbar function and thereby prolong noninvasive respiratory management in ALS. Materials and methods This prospective, case-cohort study, recruited ALS patients with bulbar dysfunction. Subjects included were compared with cross-matched historical controls. Cases received DM/Q (20/10 mg twice daily) during one-year follow-up; bulbar dysfunction was evaluated with the Norris scale bulbar subscore (NBS) and bulbar subscale of AlSFRS-R (ALSFRSb…
Predictors of Ineffective Cough during a Chest Infection in Patients with Stable Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
2007
In patients with neuromuscular diseases, a chest infection is associated with a reduction in respiratory muscle function that may result in decreased cough effectiveness.To determine if a clinical or functional parameter in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a stable condition could predict spontaneous cough ineffectiveness during a respiratory tract infection.Forty consecutive patients with ALS referred to our Respiratory Care Unit were studied during a one-year follow-up.FEV(1), FVC, FEV(1)/FVC, peak cough flow (PCF), peak velocity time (PVT), maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures, and bulbar dysfunction evaluation using the Norris scale bulbar subscore (NBS). A t…
Development of chronic hypoventilation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients
2006
SummaryEarly prediction of respiratory muscle involvement and chronic hypoventilation (CH) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients can help to plan mechanical ventilatory aids and palliative care interventions well before respiratory failure occurs. To describe the natural history of the progressive pulmonary dysfunction leading to CH, and to identify potential parameters associated with its development in ALS, we prospectively followed 38 ALS patients up to 26 months, starting from their first presentation at our Clinic. At study entry, median FVC was 87% (interquartile range: 72–104%) and declined by 10% after 6 months (range: 2–49%), showing a very high inter-patient variability.…
Multiple sclerosis in twins from continental Italy and Sardinia: a nationwide study.
2005
Knowledge about the balance between heritable and nonheritable risk in multiple sclerosis (MS) is based on twin studies in high-prevalence areas. In a study that avoided ascertainment limitations and directly compared continental Italy (medium-prevalence) and Sardinia (high-prevalence), we ascertained 216 pairs from 34,549 patients. This gives a twinning rate of 0.62% among MS patients, significantly less than that of the general population. In continental Italy, probandwise concordance was 14.5% (95% confidence interval, 5.1-23.8) for monozygotic and 4.0% (95% confidence interval, 0.8-7.1) for dizygotic twins. Results in Sardinia resemble those in northern populations but in limited number…
Risk of Persistent Disability in Patients With Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis
2021
Importance Availability of new disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and changes of therapeutic paradigms have led to a general improvement of multiple sclerosis (MS) prognosis in adults. It is still unclear whether this improvement also involves patients with pediatric-onset MS (POMS), whose early management is more challenging. Objective To evaluate changes in the prognosis of POMS over time in association with changes in therapeutic and managing standards. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective, multicenter, observational study. Data were extracted and collected in May 2019 from the Italian MS Registry, a digital database including more than 59 000 patients. Inclusion criteria were…
Recent insights into the relationship between inflammatory liver diseases and atherosclerosis.
2011
Atherosclerosis is a dynamic process in the human body. Many studies have evaluated atherosclerosis and its relationship with other systems in the body. Our perception of its pathogenesis is evolving with the introduction of new players in the game. It is no longer possible to consider the atherosclerosis as an independent process, unaffected by the liver and its function. Although several tasks performed by the liver, such as lipid metabolism, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, the role of other disorders of the liver (autoimmune diseases, viral hepatitis, and cirrhosis) are not fully understood. In this review, the most commonly encountered inflammatory liver di…
The REALIST (REsiduAl risk, LIpids and Standard Therapies) study: an analysis of residual risk attributable to lipid profile in acute coronary syndro…
2010
The R3i Foundation (Residual Risk Reduction Initiative), an independent, multinational and academic organization, is conducting the REALIST (Residual Risk, Lipids and Standard Therapies) study in 40 centers in different countries. This is a retrospective epidemiological study, designed to provide new data on the residual risk of major coronary events attributable to lipid abnormalities in patients receiving the current standard treatment. The initial results are expected in mid 2010, and the overall results at the end of 2010.
Soluble CD40L and Cardiovascular Risk in Asymptomatic Low-Grade Carotid Stenosis
2005
Background and Purpose— We investigated whether soluble CD40L (sCD40L) may predict the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with asymptomatic carotid plaques. Methods— Forty-two patients with asymptomatic low-grade carotid stenosis (ALCS) and 21 controls without any carotid stenosis were enrolled. All subjects had at least a major cardiovascular risk factor (CRF). Plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-6, and sCD40L were measured. Subjects were reviewed every 12 months (median follow-up, 8 years). Results— ALCS patients had higher ( P <0.0001) CRP, IL-6, and sCD40L than controls. Fourteen patients experienced a CV event. Cox regression analysis showed that only high sCD…
Vitamin D increases the production of IL-10 by regulatory T cells in patients with systemic sclerosis
2019
OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D status influences the risk to develop autoimmune diseases affecting the percentage and/or functions of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Since low levels of 25 (OH) D have been decreased in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), we aimed to study the effect of Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplementation on Tregs frequencies and functions. METHODS: Peripheral blood and sera samples were obtained from 45 SSc patients and controls (HC). A number of eighteen SSc patients had consumed Cholecalciferol (orally) at the dose of 25.000 UI/month for 6 months at the time of enrollment. 25(OH)D serum levels were measured and VDR polymorphisms, were genotyped by polymerase chain reactio…