Human lower leg muscles grow asynchronously.

Muscle volume must increase substantially during childhood growth to generate the power required to propel the growing body. One unresolved but fundamental question about childhood muscle growth is whether muscles grow at equal rates; that is, if muscles grow in synchrony with each other. In this study, we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and advances in artificial intelligence methods (deep learning) for medical image segmentation to investigate whether human lower leg muscles grow in synchrony. Muscle volumes were measured in 10 lower leg muscles in 208 typically developing children (eight infants aged less than 3 months and 200 children aged 5 to 15 years). We tested the hypothesis that human lower leg muscles grow synchronously by investigating whether the volume of individual lower leg muscles, expressed as a proportion of total lower leg muscle volume, remains constant with age. There were substantial age-related changes in the relative volume of most muscles in both boys and girls (p < 0.001). This was most evident between birth and five years of age but was still evident after five years. The medial gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, the largest muscles in infancy, grew faster than other muscles in the first five years. The findings demonstrate that muscles in the human lower leg grow asynchronously. This finding may assist early detection of atypical growth and allow targeted muscle-specific interventions to improve the quality of life, particularly for children with neuromotor conditions such as cerebral palsy.

Enhancing patient-centered care: a randomized study on G-CSF administration preferences in chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

PURPOSE: Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia poses a significant risk to cancer patients, with pegfilgrastim being commonly used for its prevention. While pegfilgrastim can be administered via prefilled syringe or pen device, patient preferences and experiences with these delivery methods remain unclear. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, open-label, randomized, observational trial (NCT05910164) at the Rafael Institute, France, comparing patient preferences for pegfilgrastim administration using a prefilled syringe versus a prefilled pen device. Patients undergoing chemotherapy and requiring pegfilgrastim were enrolled and randomized 1:1 to receive either syringe or pen first, with crossover administration. Questionnaires assessed patient preferences, learning experiences, autonomy, pain levels, emotional responses, satisfaction with nursing care, and empowerment. RESULTS: Among 150 randomized patients (mean age 58 years; 69% female), both groups showed a preference for the pen device, with significantly higher mean scores favoring pen administration (4.94 ± 1.70 vs. 4.27 ± 1.84; p = 0.00106). Patients reported significantly lower perceived pain with pen administration and stronger positive emotions compared to syringe use. Satisfaction with nursing care was higher with syringe use. Empowerment levels were similar across groups but significantly stronger when using the pen in complete autonomy. CONCLUSION: A preference for pegfilgrastim administration via the pen device was observed, though this may have been influenced by the administration sequence and the absence of syringe self-administration. The insights gained can help inform clinical decision-making and improve patient-centered care in managing chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05910164 on June 15, 2023.

Oncological, cognitive, and employment outcomes in a series of patients with IDH-mutated glioma resected following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: Maximal safe tumor resection is the first line of treatment for IDH-mutated gliomas. However, when upfront surgical resection is deemed unsatisfactory due to tumor size and location, chemotherapy could represent an interesting alternative for reducing glioma extension and allowing for a safer and more efficient removal. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study (June 2011 to December 2021) on patients with IDH-mutated gliomas undergoing chemotherapy with a neoadjuvant intent, followed by surgical excision in awake conditions. MRI-imaging follow-up was conducted every 3-6 months. Neuropsychological assessments (NPSA) were performed for all patients before surgery, during post-operative period, and at later follow-up, and patients were periodically interviewed about their clinical and job status. RESULTS: We included 6 patients who underwent awake surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (temozolomide in 5 cases, PCV in 1 case) for an IDH-mutated glioma (3 oligodendrogliomas and 3 astrocytomas). Median tumor volume reduction was 47%, allowing for complete resection in one patient, subtotal resection in 4 patients, and partial resection in 1 patient. No major adverse effects were observed under chemotherapy. At the 4 months NPSA, a worsening of flexibility was observed in 2 patients (verbal fluencies in one case and trail making test in the other). Three out of the four patients working full time before procedure resumed their job full time, after a 7 to 10 months delay. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by maximal safe resection can be offered to patients affected by IDH-mutated gliomas for whom upfront surgery would be inadequate. More studies are necessary given the limited size of our sample.

Albumin versus solvent/detergent-treated pooled plasma as replacement fluid for long-term plasma exchange therapy in a patient with primary hypertriglyceridemia and recurrent hyperlipidemic pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Chylomicronemia syndrome is a metabolic condition characterized by severe fasting hypertrigliceridemia (≥ 1000 mg/dL) and other clinical features including chronic abdominal pain and recurrent acute pancreatitis. In patients with acute or recurrent pancreatitis, plasma exchange (PEx) is indicated for the treatment of acute disease and prevention of recurrence. The use of plasma instead of albumin as replacement fluid has been suggested for its putative ability to replace the deficient enzyme possibly leading to better clinical improvement. CASE REPORT: A 40-year-old man with chylomicronemia syndrome due to a newly identified loss-of-function mutation in the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene (IVS2, c.250-1G/C) has been treated at our hospital since the age of 13. From age 18 to age 34, the patient had five episodes of acute pancreatitis while his triglyceride (TG) levels were extremely high (2500-4000 mg/dL). As the TG levels remained stable over 4000 mg/dL despite the maximum medical treatment, the patient started long-term PEx treatment on a weekly basIs. Both albumin and plasma have been used as replacement solution. Thirty months from the beginning of this treatment, no episode of acute pancreatitis has been reported, and the chronic abdominal pain fully disappeared. No differences were observed between the use of albumin or plasma as replacement solution. CONCLUSION: Long-term PEx is effective in preventing the recurrence of acute pancreatitis and in treatment of chronic abdominal pain in this patient with chylomicronemia syndrome. Plasma is not more effective than albumin in lipid reduction, likely because of its extremely low enzyme content. Therefore, in patients with LPL deficiency serum albumin should be preferred to plasma as replacement fluid because of the low rate of side effects and reduced costs.

Control of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii outbreak in an intensive care unit of a teaching hospital in Southern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that has become a major cause of concern, since it is a frequent cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The aim of the study was to describe the occurrence, the management and the control of an outbreak that occurred in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a teaching hospital in Southern Italy caused by multiple strains of extensively drug-resistant A. baumannii (XDRAB). METHODS: Case-patient was defined as a patient with an healthcare-associated infection caused by an XDRAB isolate identified in a clinically significant culture. Environmental samples were collected from different surfaces. The isolates were identified by typical Gram stain morphology, using the Vitek 2 system (bioMérieux, France) and by MALDI-TOF MS mass spectrometry (bioMèrieux, France). Genotyping was performed through rep-PCR analysis. RESULTS: A patient presented an XDRAB ventilator-associated pneumonia at admission and was managed with strict isolation precautions until discharge. Five patients had a ventilator-associated pneumonia and two had a central line-associated bloodstream infection. Of the environmental samples, 1 sample obtained from the side of the bed of an infected patient yielded growth of XDRAB. Infection control measures were adopted. Rep-PCR analysis identified four patterns. CONCLUSIONS: The integration of epidemiological and microbiological data and the application of infection control measures were crucial to bring such an outbreak to a rapid halt. The distinctive characteristic of this study was the complex molecular pattern of the outbreak, which subsided in a short period of time due to adherence to infection-control measures, confirming the fundamental role of molecular typing in the comprehension of outbreaks dynamics and of integrated control interventions for the interruption of epidemic events.

Possible role of ABO system in age-related diseases and longevity: a narrative review.

ABO blood group antigens are expressed either on the surface of red blood cells either on a variety of other cells. Based on the available knowledge of the genes involved in their biosynthesis and their tissue distribution, their polymorphism has been suggested to provide intraspecies diversity allowing to cope with diverse and rapidly evolving pathogens. Accordingly, the different prevalence of ABO group genotypes among the populations has been demonstrated to be driven by malaria selection. In the similar manner, a particular ABO blood group may contribute to favour life-extension via biological mechanisms important for surviving or eluding serious disease. In this review, we will suggest the possible association of ABO group with age-related diseases and longevity taking into account the biological role of the ABO glycosyltransferases on some inflammatory mediators as adhesion molecules.

The role of platelet gel in osteoarticular injuries of young and old patients.

BACKGROUND: The use of autologous platelet gel in orthopedics is effective in accelerating the healing process of osteochondral, muscle, tendon and ligament lesions. The aim of our study was to verify whether the variability in response to infiltration with platelet gel was dependent on the underlying disease treated, sex and age of the patients. During four years, 140 patients have been treated for musculoskeletal injuries by infiltration of gel platelet and lysate platelet obtained from autologous thrombin, with echo-ultrasound guided. The response to treatment was assessed at different time points T0, T1, T2 with respect to pain estimation (VAS), joint mobility (ROM scale) and echo-ultrasound evaluation. This data collection has allowed classifying the response to treated lesions in three categories: NR (no response), PR (partial response), CR (complete response). RESULTS: The data here reported showed that the ability to physical recovery response is evident in tendon injuries, while the large joints injuries gave a poor response. Almost all patients showed a significant pain relief after the first infiltration, but in terms of echo-ultrasound evaluation and tissue repair, only the muscle and tendon injuries showed hyperechoic areas, signs or evidences of repair. Concerning the correlation between response to infiltration with platelet gel and gender/age of the patients, the clinical results appear not influenced by the age and the gender of the patient. DISCUSSION: Our data indicate that, pain relief and ability to physical recovery of muscles, tendons and ligaments depend on tissue repair clearly visible by echo ultrasound evaluation. On the other hand tissue repair seems not occur in the large joints (hip and knee) where arthritis and /or corrosion of articular cartilage cannot be repaired and the only relief is exclusively linked to the reduction of periarticular inflammation (reduction of the inflammatory leakage and signs).

Centenarians and diet: what they eat in the Western part of Sicily.

This paper pays attention to the modifiable lifestyle factors such as diet and nutrition that might influence life extension and successful ageing. Previous data reported that in Sicily, the biggest Mediterranean island, there are some places where there is a high frequency of male centenarians with respect to the Italian average. The present data show that in Sicani Mountain zone there are more centenarians with respect to the Italian average. In fact, in five villages of Sicani Mountains, there were 19 people with an age range of 100-107 years old from a total population of 18,328 inhabitants. So, the centenarian number was 4.32-fold higher than the national average (10.37 vs. 2.4/10,000); the female/male ratio was 1.1:1 in the study area, while the national ratio is 4.54:1. Unequivocally, their nutritional assessment showed a high adherence to the Mediterranean nutritional profile with low glycemic index food consumed. To reach successful ageing it is advisable to follow a diet with low quantity of saturated fat and high amount of fruits and vegetables rich in phytochemicals.

Blood group does not appear to affect longevity a pilot study in centenarians from Western Sicily.

Centenarians are the best example of extreme human longevity, and they represent a selected population in which the appearance of major age-related diseases, such as cancer, and cardiovascular diseases among others, has been consistently delayed or escaped. The study of the long-lived individual genetic profile has the purpose to possibly identify the genes and the allelic variations influencing extended life expectancy, hence considering them as biomarkers of age-related diseases onset and development. The present study shows no significant differences between allelic variations of ABO blood groups among a group of centenarians from Western Sicily.

Pathophysiology of vascular dementia.

The concept of Vascular Dementia (VaD) has been recognized for over a century, but its definition and diagnostic criteria remain unclear. Conventional definitions identify the patients too late, miss subjects with cognitive impairment short of dementia, and emphasize consequences rather than causes, the true bases for treatment and prevention. We should throw out current diagnostic categories and describe cognitive impairment clinically and according to commonly agreed instruments that document the demographic data in a standardized manner and undertake a systematic effort to identify the underlying aetiology in each case. Increased effort should be targeted towards the concept of and criteria for Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Post-Stroke Dementia as well as for genetic factors involved, especially as these categories hold promise for early prevention and treatment.

Percutaneous restoration of bone continuity with screws and PMMA cement in an extensive destruction of the pelvis.

We report a case of combined percutaneous screw placement and cementoplasty guided by CT and fluoroscopy in a 66-year-old man with extensive osteolytic destruction of the right iliac bone and sacral wing due to metastasic infiltrative vesical carcinoma. The medical condition was responsible for very limited and painful walking. Two perpendicular screws were inserted into the iliac bone and sacroiliac joint, and bone cement injection was used to anchor the screws and restore the mechanical continuity of the pelvis ring. This minimally invasive procedure allowed for significant and rapid resumption of painless walking.

Dietary Supplements as Surrogate of Mediterranean Diet in Healthy Smoking Subjects.

The interventions to slow aging, favoring active life expectancy, represent the new perspectives in ageing investigation. Some mechanisms that delay or prevent the onset of aging pathologies have been identified. Between them, a healthy lifestyle seems to reduce many risk factors. In particular, eating habits represent the most concrete, low-cost way to act on aging process. Mediterranean diet has received much attention since its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects have been consistently demonstrated. Unfortunately, many people follow a Western diet, poor in phytochemicals that represent the main source of beneficial effects of this dietary pattern. So, supplements administration should be considered, especially in subjects exposed to high level of oxidative stress and inflammation. So, we tested the properties of a commercial food supplement containing a series of plant polyphenols in combination with caffeine, bioperine (black pepper extract), and selenium in smoking healthy volunteers. Fifty participants have been recruited and hematochemical analyses and biochemistry tests have been performed, before and after 60 days of supplement intake. Thirteen subjects dropped out of the study. At the end of the intervention, the variation of inflammatory and oxidant markers has been evaluated, measuring urinary isoprostanes, serum advanced glycation end products, and oxidized low-density lipoproteins. The results showed that this supplement exhibits promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses, especially in women, highlighting the role of supplementation in certain groups of subjects, for the control of oxidative stress as well as inflammatory status. So, its intake should be useful in delaying the onset of age-related diseases.

Patterns of multi-drug resistant bacteria at first culture from patients admitted to a third level University hospital in Calabria from 2011 to 2014: implications for empirical therapy and infection control.

Surveillance of antimicrobial drug resistance is fundamental to guide empirical treatment. However, the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network provides a general picture, which might not be applicable to clinical settings that are excluded from this survey. We evaluated resistance patterns of ESKAPE isolates over a four-year period in a third level University hospital in the province of Catanzaro (Southern Italy). In this retrospective study, we evaluated the frequency of ESKAPE isolates with different resistance patterns (group 1=low-resistant bacteria; group 2=multi-drug and extremely drug-resistant bacteria; group 3=pan-resistant bacteria), stratified by year (2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014), hospital units (intensive care units, medical and surgical units) and by sample type (urine, blood, wound swabs, respiratory samples, other samples). Chi square test was applied to find differences between isolates with different resistance patterns by hospital unit and by organs and systems. Cochran-Armitage trend test was applied to assess the trend in resistance patterns during the four years analyzed. Amongst 2385 isolates, Escherichia coli (38%) was the most frequent, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (14%), Staphylococcus aureus (13%), Acinetobacter baumannii (9%), Enterococcus faecalis (8%) and Enterococcus faecium (3%). From 2011 to 2014, frequency of isolates in group 2 plus 3 decreased from 23% to 14% (chi square=55.093; p<0.0001), particularly for E. coli and K. pneumoniae, but the trend increased for S. aureus (from 5% in 2011 to 10% in 2014), and remained stable for the other species. Frequency of isolates in group 2 plus 3 was higher in intensive care units for K. pneumoniae (chi square =32.292; p<0.0001), A. baumannii (chi square =6.947; p<0.0001) and S. aureus (chi square =22.079; p<0.0001). It was also higher from blood than from different sources for most species.

Myofascial pain syndrome after head and neck cancer treatment: Prevalence, risk factors, and influence on quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer may develop myofascial pain syndrome as sequelae. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and quality of life (QOL) related to myofascial pain syndrome. METHODS: This was a prospective study including patients with head and neck cancer with at least a 1-year disease-free interval. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-seven patients were analyzed, and myofascial pain syndrome was diagnosed in 20 (11.9%). In the multivariate analysis, hypopharyngeal tumors (odds ratio [OR] = 6.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.58-25.56) and neck dissection (OR = 3.43; 95% CI = 1.16-10.17) were independent factors for myofascial pain syndrome. The pain (p < .001) and shoulder domain (p < .001) as well as overall University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) score (p = .006) were significantly lower in the patients with myofascial pain syndrome. CONCLUSION: Myofascial pain syndrome was observed in 1 of 9 patients after head and neck cancer treatment and a worse QOL was observed among them. Tumor site and neck dissection were found to be risk factors for myofascial pain syndrome.

Mediterranean diet and longevity: an example of nutraceuticals?

The Mediterranean diet (Mediet) is an eating pattern characterizing a lifestyle and culture that has been reported to contribute to better health and quality of life. The Mediet reflects food patterns typical of Mediterranean regions, where olive oil plays an essential role in the food pyramid. Olive oil is located in the middle and it is considered the principal source of dietary fat because of its high nutritional quality (particularly extra virgin olive oil). Several studies have shown the effect of the Mediet on healthy status by lowering the rates of coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and some other age-related chronic diseases. Although the scientific literature regarding diet and life span is complex and with different opinions, there are studies that demonstrate the beneficial effects of the Mediet on longevity. Therefore, the Mediet may be considered as including several nutraceuticals that favourably influence health. In the present review we discuss two Mediterranean populations from the island of Ikaria (Greece) and the Sicani Mounts (Sicily, Italy) whose longevity is attributed to a close adherence to the Mediet.

Association between interleukin-10 polymorphisms and Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

It has been hypothesized that polymorphisms of interleukin (IL)-10 genes affect the risk of developing late onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, results of different studies are often inconsistent. Our aim was to investigate by meta-analysis the association of the common polymorphisms comprehensively defining the genetic variability of the IL-10 gene with AD risk. Fifteen studies investigating the association between IL-10 polymorphisms (-1082, -819, -592) and AD were found and analyzed. The model-free approach was applied to meta-analyze these case-control genetic association studies. Available data suggested an association between -1082 polymorphism and AD risk with a marginal statistical significance (GG versus AG/AA: pooled odds ratio [OR]: 0.82, 95% confidence interval CI: 0.65-1.02) and evidence of a moderate degree of between-study heterogeneity (χ2 = 27.13, d.f. = 13, p = 0.01, I2 = 52%). For the -819 and -592 polymorphisms, we did not find an association with AD, but significant between-study heterogeneity made genotype data pooling unacceptable. Analysis by IL-10 haplotype showed that the -1082G/-819C/-592C haplotype is associated with a lower risk of AD, although with a marginal statistical significance, probably due to the low number of studies included (GCC versus other genotypes: OR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.32-1.15; I2: 85%). Current findings suggest a possible association between -1082 A > G polymorphism and the risk of developing AD; this effect is more evident in the oldest patients. The high degree of between-study heterogeneity, due to several underpowered studies and to other methodological problems of individual studies underlies the need for further methodologically adequate studies.

Mediterranean diet and longevity in Sicily: survey in a Sicani Mountains population.

Over the past several years, increasing evidence suggests that the Mediterranean diet has a beneficial influence on several age-related diseases, showing protective effect on health and longevity. Mediterranean diet refers to dietary patterns found in olive-growing regions of the Mediterranean countries. Previous data reported that in Sicily, Italy, the largest Mediterranean island, there are some mountainous regions where there is a high frequency of male centenarians with respect to the Italian average. The aim of the present study was to characterize centenarians living in one of this region, the Sicani Mountains, located in western Sicily. Present data shows that in this zone there are more centenarians with respect to the Italian average. In fact, in the three villages of the Sicani Mountains, there were 15 people ranging from 100 to 107 years old, of the total population of about 10,000 inhabitants. This centenarian number was more than six-fold higher the national average (15.0 vs. 2.4/10,000); the female/male ratio was 1.5 in the study area, whereas the national ratio is 4.54. Centenarians living in these villages had anthropometric measurements within normal limits and moderate sensory disability without any sign of age-related diseases, including cognitive deterioration and dementia. In addition, their clinical chemistry profile was similar to young controls and far better than that of old controls. Unequivocally, their nutritional assessment showed a high adherence to the Mediterranean nutritional profile, with low glycemic index food consumed. Overall, close adherence to Mediterranean diet seems to play a key role in age-related disease prevention and in attaining longevity.

Biomarkes of aging.

Ageing is a complex process that negatively impacts the development of the different systems and its ability to function. On the other hand, the rate of ageing in humans is not uniform, due to genetic heterogeneity and the influence of environmental factors. Thus, the ageing rate, measured as the decline of functional capacity and stress resistance, seems to be different in every individual. Therefore, attempts have been made to analyse this individual age, the so-called biological age, in comparison to chronological age. Age-related changes in body function or composition that could serve as a measure of biological age and predict the onset of age-related diseases and/or residual lifetime are termed biomarkers of ageing. Such biomarkers of ageing should help on the one hand to characterise this biological age and, as age is a major risk factor in many degenerative diseases, could be subsequently used on the other hand to identify individuals at high risk of developing age-associated diseases or disabilities. Unfortunately, most of the markers under discussion are related to age-related diseases rather than to age, so none of these markers discussed in literature is a true biomarker of ageing. Hence, we discuss some disease-related biomarkers useful for a better understanding of ageing and the development of new strategies to counteract it, essential for improving the quality of life of the elderly population. Biomarkers discussed are based on immunosenescence, inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, since the review is based on data from author laboratories rather than on an extensive review of the literature. However, this kind of knowledge is useful to anti-ageing strategies aimed to slow ageing and to postpone death by preventing infectious diseases and delaying the onset of age-related diseases.

Inflammation, cytokines, immune response, apolipoprotein E, cholesterol, and oxidative stress in Alzheimer disease: therapeutic implications.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a heterogeneous and progressive neurodegenerative disease, which in Western society mainly accounts for senile dementia. Today many countries have rising aging populations and are facing an increased prevalence of age-related diseases, such as AD, with increasing health-care costs. Understanding the pathophysiology process of AD plays a prominent role in new strategies for extending the health of the elderly population. Considering the future epidemic of AD, prevention and treatment are important goals of ongoing research. However, a better understanding of AD pathophysiology must be accomplished to make this objective feasible. In this paper, we review some hot topics concerning AD pathophysiology that have an important impact on therapeutic perspectives. Hence, we have focused our attention on inflammation, cytokines, immune response, apolipoprotein E (APOE), cholesterol, oxidative stress, as well as exploring the related therapeutic possibilities, i.e., nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, cytokine blocking antibodies, immunotherapy, diet, and curcumin.