Search results for "case-control"
showing 10 items of 1685 documents
Second trimester uterine arteries pulsatility index is a function of placental pathology and provides insights on stillbirth aetiology: A multicenter…
2022
Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between maternal vascular malperfusions (MVM) and second trimester uterine arteries pulsatility index (UtA-PI) in cases of stillbirth (SB), compared to live-birth (LB) matched controls. Methods: This was a multicentre, observational, matched case-control study performed at five referral maternity centres over a 4-year period including SB and LB control pregnancies at high-risk for preeclampsia (PE) and/or fetal growth restriction (FGR), matched and stratified for UtA-PI MoM quartiles values of the SB cases. Logistic regression was used to assess the rates of each MVM finding, within each increasing MoM quartile subcate…
Genetic Determined Downregulation of Both Type 1 and Type 2 Cytokine Pathways Might Be Protective against Pancreatic Cancer
2009
Many cytokine polymorphisms have been studied for associations with susceptibility to breast, gastric, liver, lung, prostate, and ovarian cancer without conclusive results. The cytokine network, indeed, is characterized by complex interactions, and the final biological effect of a single genetic variation depends on the balance among different molecular signals. As is well known, Th1/Th2 cytokine unbalanced production might predispose to different pathologies, cancer included. In general, a prolonged type 1 inflammatory response might allow that cells accumulating enough "genetic hits" are promoted to neoplastic transformation. On the other hand, IL-13-producing cells through the IL-13/IL-4…
Potential impact of a nonavalent anti HPV vaccine in Italian men with and without clinical manifestations
2021
AbstractHuman papilloma virus infection (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease. Little is known about male infection. Nonavalent vaccine against types 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 was approved and neutral gender immunization programs have been proposed. This study evaluates the potential impact of nonavalent vaccine compared to quadrivalent in male living in Sicily (Italy). 58.7% of samples were HPV positive and forty-four types of HPV were identified. A significant higher estimated coverage of nonavalent vaccine than quadrivalent was observed (64.3% vs. 45.8%), with absolute and relative additional impact of 20.1% and 47.2%, respectively. Low impact of the vaccine were calculat…
Toxic megacolon and human Cytomegalovirus in a series of severe ulcerative colitis patients
2015
Abstract Background Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been reported to be a cause of refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). Toxic megacolon (TM) is a rare but severe complication of an acute attack of UC. Objectives Aim of this study is to evaluate in a case-control study the association between HCMV and TM. Study design All patients who were admitted at Medicine Department of V. Cervello Hospital in Palermo (tertiary referral center) for a severe UC flare-up complicated by the onset of TM (diameter of the transverse colon > 6 cm) between January 1990 and November 2011 were identified through the electronic database. A total of 24 consecutive patients (16 male/8 female) with TM were i…
High Immunoglobulin A Levels Mediate the Association Between High Anger Expression and Low Somatic Symptoms in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators.
2014
It has been hypothesized that anger expression may be associated with increased salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels, which is associated with decreased somatic symptoms, and therefore anger expression may be associated with reduced somatic symptoms in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators. This study tested the potential mediating effect of sIgA levels on the relationship between anger expression and respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms in IPV perpetrators and non-violent controls. The sample consisted of IPV perpetrators ( n = 19) and controls ( n = 21). Saliva samples were collected for assessing sIgA levels. The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory–2 was used to assess…
Altered metabolism of gut microbiota contributes to chronic immune activation in HIV-infected individuals.
2015
Altered interplay between gut mucosa and microbiota during treated HIV infection may possibly contribute to increased bacterial translocation and chronic immune activation, both of which are predictors of morbidity and mortality. Although a dysbiotic gut microbiota has recently been reported in HIV + individuals, the metagenome gene pool associated with HIV infection remains unknown. The aim of this study is to characterize the functional gene content of gut microbiota in HIV + patients and to define the metabolic pathways of this bacterial community, which is potentially associated with immune dysfunction. We determined systemic markers of innate and adaptive immunity in a cohort of HIV-in…
Sperm cryopreservation in oncological patients: a 14-year follow-up study.
2006
Objective Oncologic treatments can destroy spermatogenic dividing cells and cause azoospermia which could be irreversible. Sperm banking is the best option to preserve male fertility after these treatments. It is easy, inexpensive, and safe. To date, few clinical data are available about large series of cancer patients. Our objective was to determine the usefulness of these preventive sperm freezing protocols. Design Prospective study. Setting University-affiliated private fertility center. Patient(s) One hundred eighty-six cancer patients who banked sperm samples at our center before surgery or chemo- or radiotherapy treatments from 1991 to 2004. Intervention(s) Conjugal status, age, type …
Inflammation, genetic background and longevity
2010
Ageing is an inexorable intrinsic process that affects all cells, tissues, organs and individuals. Due to a diminished homeostasis and increased organism frailty, ageing causes a reduction of the response to environmental stimuli and, in general, is associated to an increased predisposition to illness and death. Actually, it is characterized by a state of reduced ability to maintain health and general homeodynamics of the organism. A large part of the ageing phenotype is explained by an imbalance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory networks, which results in the low grade chronic pro-inflammatory status of ageing, "inflamm-ageing". It is strictly linked to immunosenescence, and on th…
Keratin 7 expression as an early marker of reflux-related columnar mucosa without intestinal metaplasia in the esophagus
2009
BACKGROUND: The role of Barrett esophagus in carcinogenesis is widely accepted, but the significance of esophageal columnar mucosa without histological intestinal metaplasia, known as columnar-lined esophagus, is debated. MATERIAL/METHODS: We studied 128 patients free of Helicobacter pylori with reflux-related symptoms and columnar mucosa in the esophagus at endoscopy, 106 patients with Barrett esophagus (referred to as the Barrett group) and 22 patients without intestinal metaplasia (columnar group). Samples from 20 subjects free of H. pylori were used as controls. Immunostaining for keratin 7 (KRT7), keratin 20 (KRT20), caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2), mucin 2, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming …
Tonographic Effect of Ocular Response Analyzer in Comparison to Goldmann Applanation Tonometry.
2016
AIMS The tonographic effect is a phenomenon of intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction following repeated tonometry. This study examines whether the tonographic effect occurs following IOP measurement performed with Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA). METHODS Both eyes of 31 glaucoma patients and 35 healthy controls underwent nine IOP-measurements performed with GAT and ORA. The number of GAT and ORA measurements performed on each eye differed depending on the randomly allocated investigation scheme. Central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber volume (ACV) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were assessed with Pentacam before and after the repeated GAT/ORA measurements. RESULTS There was no sta…