Efficacy and safety of tixagevimab-cilgavimab versus SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection in the hematological conditions.

BACKGROUND: Managing SARS-CoV-2 infection in frail and immunosuppressed patients still represents an open challenge, but, starting from the phase 3 PROVENT study, prophylaxis with tixagevimab-cilgavimab has improved the approach in this category of patients, guaranteeing a better outcome and inferior mortality. Real-life data in a heterogeneous cohort are few. METHODS: The aim of this study is to evaluate the benefit of prophylaxis with tixagevimab-cilgavimab in a cohort of 202 patients affected by different hematological diseases (lymphoproliferative, myeloproliferative, autoimmune, patients recently receiving a bone marrow transplant), active (with ongoing treatment), or in watch-and-wait strategy, followed in our center, during a median follow-up of 249 (45-325) days. RESULTS: An incidence of 44 breakthrough infections (21.8%) is reported, with no treatment-related adverse effects. Age ≥70 years, ongoing treatment (above all with monoclonal antibodies), baseline lymphoproliferative disorders, and prior virus exposure are identified as risk factors related to subsequent infection (p < 0.05). Moreover, the incidence is higher in low/nonresponse to prior vaccination (p = .002). Patients treated with tixagevimab-cilgavimab had a mild course of the infection and a reduction of the duration compared with preprophylaxis infection (11 vs. 15 days, p < .001). The concurrent treatment with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies and B-non-Hodgkin lymphoma still confers a higher duration of infection despite prophylaxis. No deaths attributable to the infection occurred. CONCLUSION: Prophylaxis treatment seems to be a valid and safe strategy, although not preventing breakthrough infection, but the severe complications associated with the infection and the possible delays in administering lifesaving therapies from long positivity.

A mean-field theory for predicting single polymer collapse induced by neutral crowders.

Macromolecular crowding can induce the collapse of a single long polymer into a globular form due to depletion forces of entropic nature. This phenomenon has been shown to play a significant role in compacting the genome within the bacterium Escherichia coli into a well-defined region of the cell known as the nucleoid. Motivated by the biological significance of this process, numerous theoretical and computational studies have searched for the primary determinants of the behavior of polymer-crowder phases. However, our understanding of this process remains incomplete and there is debate on a quantitatively unified description. In particular, different simulation studies with explicit crowders have proposed different order parameters as potential predictors for the collapse transition. In this work, we present a comprehensive analysis of published simulation data obtained from different sources. Based on the common behavior we find in this data, we develop a unified phenomenological model that we show to be predictive. Finally, to further validate the accuracy of the model, we conduct new simulations on polymers of various sizes, and investigate the role of jamming of the crowders.

Understanding the balance between additives' miscibility and plasticisation effect in polymer composites: a computational study.

Plasticisers are small organic molecules routinely added to polymer composites that modify the processability of the compounds by adsorbing on the filler's surface or dispersing into the polymer matrix. Here using a simple yet chemically specific coarse-grained model, we demonstrate that the filler surface coverage and the degree of dispersion into the polymer matrix can be tuned without modifying the chemistry of the plasticisers but only by varying their conformational flexibility. We show that when the adsorption mechanism and clustering into the bulk are entropically driven as in this work, this is a general phenomenon independent on the polymer chemistry and its molecular weight. Our findings suggest a simple practical design rule that requires only minor modifications of the plasticisers' chemistry to achieve maximum adsorption onto the filler surface or dispersion into the polymer matrix.

Shape-induced crystallization of binary DNA-functionalized nanocubes.

Leveraging the anisotropic shape of DNA-functionalized nanoparticles holds potential for shape-directed crystallization of a wide collection of superlattice structures. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we study the self-assembly of a binary mixture of cubic gold nanoparticles, which are functionalized by complementary DNA strands. We observe the spontaneous self-assembly of simple cubic (SC), plastic body-centered tetragonal (pBCT), and compositionally disordered plastic body-centered tetragonal (d-pBCT) phases due to hybridization of the DNA strands. We systematically investigate the effect of length, grafting density, as well as rigidity of the DNA strands on the self-assembly behavior of cubic nanoparticles. We measure the potential of mean force between DNA-functionalized nanocubes for varying rigidity of the DNA strands and DNA lengths. Using free-energy calculations, we find that longer and flexible DNA strands can lead to a phase transformation from SC to the pBCT phase due to a gain in entropy arising from the orientational degrees of freedom of the nanocubes in the pBCT phase. Our results may serve as a guide for self-assembly experiments on DNA-functionalized cubic nanoparticles.

Machine-learning effective many-body potentials for anisotropic particles using orientation-dependent symmetry functions.

Spherically symmetric atom-centered descriptors of atomic environments have been widely used for constructing potential or free energy surfaces of atomistic and colloidal systems and to characterize local structures using machine learning techniques. However, when particle shapes are non-spherical, as in the case of rods and ellipsoids, standard spherically symmetric structure functions alone produce imprecise descriptions of local environments. In order to account for the effects of orientation, we introduce two- and three-body orientation-dependent particle-centered descriptors for systems composed of rod-like particles. To demonstrate the suitability of the proposed functions, we use an efficient feature selection scheme and simple linear regression to construct coarse-grained many-body interaction potentials for computationally efficient simulations of model systems consisting of colloidal particles with an anisotropic shape: mixtures of colloidal rods and non-adsorbing polymer coils, hard rods enclosed by an elastic microgel shell, and ligand-stabilized nanorods. We validate the machine-learning (ML) effective many-body potentials based on orientation-dependent symmetry functions by using them in direct coexistence simulations to map out the phase behavior of colloidal rods and non-adsorbing polymer coils. We find good agreement with the results obtained from simulations of the true binary mixture, demonstrating that the effective interactions are well described by the orientation-dependent ML potentials.

The Impact of Socio-Demographic Factors on Breastfeeding: Findings from the "Mamma & Bambino" Cohort.

Background and objectives: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends women (1) to initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth; (2) to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months; and (3) to continue breastfeeding until two years of age. However, women do not always adhere to these recommendations, threatening the health of their children. The present study aims to evaluate breastfeeding status and the main maternal factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding for six months among women from the "Mamma & Bambino" study, a prospective cohort settled in Catania, Italy. Materials and Methods: We used data from 220 women (median age = 37 years) enrolled in the "Mamma & Bambino" cohort during prenatal obstetric counselling. Self-reported breastfeeding status was collected during the follow-up interviews at 1 and 2 years, referring to breastfeeding status (i.e., yes or no) and type of breastfeeding (i.e., exclusive or predominant). We also collected data about duration of breastfeeding to classify women into those who adhered to the WHO recommendation and those who did not. Results: In the general population, we noted that the proportion of women who have breastfed increased with increasing educational level. Accordingly, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that medium (OR = 3.171; 95% CI = 1.285-7.822; p = 0.012) and high educational levels (OR = 4.549; 95% CI = 1.525-13.570; p = 0.007) were positively associated with breastfeeding if compared to low educational level. Among women who have breastfed, instead, the proportion of adherents to the WHO recommendation was higher among those with medium-high educational level and those who were employed. In line with this, we demonstrated that full-time employment (OR = 2.158; 95% CI = 1.033-4.508; p = 0.041) and medium educational level (OR = 4.632; 95% CI = 1.227-17.484; p = 0.024) were positively associated with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. Conclusions: Socio-demographic factors should be taken into account through public health strategies for improving maternal knowledge about health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.

Comparative randomized study on the sexual function and quality of life of women on contraceptive vaginal ring containing ethinylestradiol/etonogestrel 3.47/11.00mg or 2.7/11.7mg.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the sexual function and quality of life (QoL) of healthy women on a new contraceptive vaginal ring (CVR) containing ethinylestradiol (EE) 3.47 mg and etonogestrel (ENG) 11.00 mg (study group) manufactured with a new polymer composition compared to EE 2.7 mg/ENG11.7 mg CVR (control group). Fifty-eight women were randomly allocated to the study group and the control group. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS) and the Short Form-36, were used to assess sexual function, sexual distress and QoL, respectively. The study included two follow-ups, at 90 days and at 180 days. The control group reported more adverse events, mainly breakthrough bleeding, than the study group. The sexual function scores in the women in the study group improved with respect to those of the control group both at the 1st (FSFI, p = .009; FSDS, p = .001) and at the 2nd (FSFI, p = .001; FSDS, p = .002) follow-up. QoL of the study group improved at the 1st follow-up (p < .05) and 2nd (p < .01) follow-up. The control group improved their QoL at the 2nd follow-up (p < .01). The more gradual EE release of the new polymer composition could justify the behavioral differences of the women of the two groups.

Neurovegetative disorders of perimenopausal women treated with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 625 mg).

The study evaluated the effect of DHA 625 mg in women who experience menopausal symptoms, on sexuality and quality of life (QoL), and on the auditory brainstem response (ABR). Forty-two perimenopausal women were enrolled. The Kupperman Index (KI) was used to evaluate menopause symptoms. The Short Form-36 (SF-36), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS) were used to assess QoL, sexual function, and sexual distress, respectively. Auditory evoked potentials to measure the ABR. The study had one follow-up at 6 months. The women reported an improvement in the KI total score (p < .001). Moreover, women reported QoL improvements in all the psychological categories (p < .001), but not in physical categories (p = NS). FSFI and FSDS total scores increased (p < .01) and the FSDS score decreased (p < .01), mainly due to arousal (p < .03) and lubrication (p < .05) sexual aspects. The ABR wave latencies were lower than the baseline values (p < .05). DHA could be effective in modulating some perimenopausal symptoms in women and, consequently could contribute to improve their QoL and sexual life. Finally, DHA seems to have a direct activity on the neuronal conduction time into the audiological system.

Bacterial biota of women with bacterial vaginosis treated with lactoferrin: an open prospective randomized trial.

Background: Bacterial vaginosis is the most frequent condition associated to the vaginal microbiota imbalance, affecting about the 40-50% of women in the world. Even if antibiotics are effcetive for bacterial vaginosis treatment a long-term recurrence rates, higher than 70%, is recorded. Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein with bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties. It owns the ability to protect the host against infection, by binding and regulating the iron needed for the bacterial proliferation. Objective: The present study was an open prospective randomized trial (registration no. SHI-EVE-2014.01) aimed at characterizing the bacterial biota of women affected by bacterial vaginosis (BV) and assessing the effects of two different lactoferrin concentrations (100 mg and 200 mg vaginal pessaries) on the composition and dynamics of the vaginal bacterial biota. Design: Sixty women with BV were recruited and randomized into two groups to receive lactoferrin pessaries for 10 days. Clinical evaluation was based on Amsel criteria and Nugent scores. Culture-dependent methods and Ion Torrent PGM sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were applied to study in depth the overall structure of the vaginal bacterial biota and its dynamics during the treatment. Results: Vaginal lactoferrin administration modified the vaginal microbiota composition in patients with BV. During treatment, both 100 mg and 200 mg lactoferrin vaginal pessaries significantly decreased the occurrence of bacteria associated with BV, such as Gardnerella, Prevotella, and Lachnospira, and increased the occurrence of Lactobacillus species. The bacterial biota balance was maintained up to 2 weeks after treatment only in women treated with 200 mg lactoferrin pessaries. Conclusions: This study indicates that lactoferrin could be proposed as an alternative therapeutic approach for BV. Our data showed, for the first time, the dominance of Lactobacillus helveticus species during and after vaginal lactoferrin treatment.

Framework for a High-Throughput Screening Method to Assess Polymer/Plasticizer Miscibility: The Case of Hydrocarbons in Polyolefins.

Polymer composite materials require softening to reduce their glass transition temperature and improve processability. To this end, plasticizers (PLs), which are small organic molecules, are added to the polymer matrix. The miscibility of these PLs has a large impact on their effectiveness and, therefore, their interactions with the polymer matrix must be carefully considered. Many PL characteristics, including their size, topology, and flexibility, can impact their miscibility and, because of the exponentially large number of PLs, the current trial-and-error approach is very ineffective. In this work, we show that using coarse-grained molecular simulations of a small dataset of 48 PLs, it is possible to identify topological and thermodynamic descriptors that are proxy for their miscibility. Using ad-hoc molecular dynamics simulation setups that are relatively computationally inexpensive, we establish correlations between the PLs' topology, internal flexibility, thermodynamics of aggregation, and degree of miscibility, and use these descriptors to classify the molecules as miscible or immiscible. With all available data, we also construct a decision tree model, which achieves a F1 score of 0.86 ± 0.01 with repeated, stratified 5-fold cross-validation, indicating that this machine learning method can be a promising route to fully automate the screening. By evaluating the individual performance of the descriptors, we show this procedure enables a 10-fold reduction of the test space and provides the basis for the development of workflows that can efficiently screen PLs with a variety of topological features. The approach is used here to screen for apolar PLs in polyisoprene melts, but similar proxies would be valid for other polyolefins, while, in cases where polar interactions drive the miscibility, other descriptors are likely to be needed.

Acute GVHD classification based on the dynamics of GVHD skin involvement from its appearance to the start of systemic treatment.

We conducted a prospective study aimed at investigating the prognostic value of the dynamic of a-GVHD progression from cutaneous to visceral involvement. In 108 consecutive patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT, we classified a-GVHD according to a "GHVD skin dynamic": 18/82 patients started Corticosteroid (CS) within 48 h (Group 1); 13/82 started CS within days 3-7 (Group 2); Group 3A (n 31) was defined when Skin GVHD Overall Grade 1, left untreated for 1 week, showed an increase in involved body surface area <5 %; Group 3B (n 20), was defined when Skin GVHD Overall Grade 1, left untreated at 1 week, had an increase in involved body surface area >5%. These four groups had distinctive 2-y OS. Patients could be then grouped into "poor risk" (Group 1 and Group 3B) and "good risk" (Group 2 and Group 3A). "Poor risk" had inferior OS in univariate and multivariate analysis, (HR 2.222; 95% CL: 1.017-4.855; p 0.04). Among the patients with skin-only Grade 1 GVHD, subgroup 3A had an OS of 75.1% versus 39.8% found in subgroup 3B (p = 0.03). The dynamic of skin GVHD may be used to classify a-GVHD and guide treatment in Overall Grade 1 skin-only GVHD.

Three-Way Translocation t(12;15;17) (p13;q24;q21) Found in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia with Basophilic Differentiation.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia is a rare form of acute myeloid leukemia in which immature promyelocytes abnormally proliferate in the bone marrow. In most cases, the disease is characterised by the translocation t(15;17) (q24;q21), which causes the formation of PML::RARA, an oncogenic fusion protein responsible for blocking myeloid differentiation and survival advantage. Here, we present a case of acute promyelocytic leukemia with two unusual features: basophilic differentiation and a three-way translocation involving chromosomes 12, 15 and 17. In the few cases reported, basophilic differentiation was associated with a poor prognosis. In contrast, our patient responded promptly to the standard treatment with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) and obtained complete remission. To our knowledge, this is the first report of basophilic acute promyelocytic leukemia with the three-way translocation t(12;17;15) (p13; q24;q21).

Feasibility and complications in bipolar resectoscopy: preliminary experience.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the new bipolar resectoscope (BR) 22 Fr (Karl Storz) represents a reliable improvement in operative hysteroscopy and to compare the new device to the 26 Fr BR (Karl Storz). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective observational study. From June 2010 through May 2011, 158 consecutive patients treated with bipolar resectoscope 22 Fr and 26 Fr for endocavitary pathologies were registered. Data analysis included patients'characteristics, surgical indications, operative time and complications. 140 patients were eligible. RESULTS: 115/140 (82.1%) patients were treated by BR 22; 55 (39.2%) metroplastics, 34 (24.2%) polipectomies, 25 (17.8%) myomectomies and one (0.71%) sinechiolisis were performed. 25/140 (17.8%) patients were treated by BR 26; 6 (4.2%) polipectomies and 19 (13.5%) myomectomies were performed. Mean time of cervical dilatation by Hegar series was 57 sec for BR 22 Fr and 102 sec for BR 26 Fr (p = 0.034). 4/25 (16%) with 26BR and 1/115 (0.8%) with 22BR complications were observed (p = 0.002) : One uterine perforation, two post operative bleedings > 7 days, one intravasation syndrome and one cervical laceration. CONCLUSION: Bipolar resectoscopy is feasible and safe. The new device BR 22 Fr is preferable to 26 Fr because it requires lower cervical dilatation limiting operative time and complications.

Coarse-Grained Many-Body Potentials of Ligand-Stabilized Nanoparticles from Machine-Learned Mean Forces.

Colloidal nanoparticles self-assemble into a variety of superstructures with distinctive optical, structural, and electronic properties. These nanoparticles are usually stabilized by a capping layer of organic ligands to prevent aggregation in the solvent. When the ligands are sufficiently long compared to the dimensions of the nanocrystal cores, the effective coarse-grained forces between pairs of nanoparticles are largely affected by the presence of neighboring particles. In order to efficiently investigate the self-assembly behavior of these complex colloidal systems, we propose a machine-learning approach to construct effective coarse-grained many-body interaction potentials. The multiscale methodology presented in this work constitutes a general bottom-up coarse-graining strategy where the coarse-grained forces acting on coarse-grained sites are extracted from measuring the vectorial mean forces on these sites in reference fine-grained simulations. These effective coarse-grained forces, i.e., gradients of the potential of mean force or of the free-energy surface, are represented by a simple linear model in terms of gradients of structural descriptors, which are scalar functions that are rotationally invariant. In this way, we also directly obtain the free-energy surface of the coarse-grained model as a function of all coarse-grained coordinates. We expect that this simple yet accurate coarse-graining framework for the many-body potential of mean force will enable the characterization, understanding, and prediction of the structure and phase behavior of relevant soft-matter systems by direct simulations. The key advantage of this method is its generality, which allows it to be applicable to a broad range of systems. To demonstrate the generality of our method, we also apply it to a colloid-polymer model system, where coarse-grained many-body interactions are pronounced.

Leishmania Infection during Ruxolitinib Treatment: The Cytokines-Based Immune Response in the Setting of Immunocompromised Patients.

Ruxolitinib is a JAK1/2 inhibitor that has revolutionized the approach to myelofibrosis. On the one side, this drug can rapidly improve the symptoms related to the hematological disease; on the other side, the inhibition of JAK1/2 can lead to immunosuppression which may increase the risk of infections, due to a change in the cytokine balance in favor of anti-inflammatory cytokines, to direct inhibition of immune cells, and to the suppression in the production of specific antibodies. In this patient setting, much is known about possible viral and bacterial infections, while little is reported in the literature concerning parasitic infections, specifically leishmaniasis. Leishmania is a parasitic infection that can cause serious problems in immunosuppressed patients. The parasite can invade the bloodstream and cause a wide range of symptoms, including fever, weight loss, and anemia. In severe cases, it can lead to multi-organ failure and, rapidly, death. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential especially for these patients, unable to respond adequately. In this case and the following review of the existing literature, the cytokine kinetics and the production of specific anti-Leishmania antibodies represent characteristic aspects capable of providing a more in-depth understanding of the mechanisms underlying these complex clinical cases in an immunocompromised patient.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Dietary Patterns of Pregnant Women: A Comparison between Two Mother-Child Cohorts in Sicily, Italy.

A maternal diet, before and during pregnancy, plays a key role in ensuring maternal and newborn health. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, may have compromised dietary habits in the general population and in specific subgroups of individuals. Here, we evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on the diet of pregnant women, using data from two mother-child cohorts in Sicily (Italy). Dietary data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire and analyzed through the Mediterranean diet (MD) score and principal component analysis (PCA). The comparison of maternal dietary consumption before and during the COVID-19 pandemic showed differences in terms of vegetables (p < 0.001), fruit (p < 0.001), dairy products (p < 0.001), fish (p < 0.001), and legumes (p = 0.001). Accordingly, after adjusting for covariates, mothers enrolled during the pandemic were more likely to report low adherence to MD than those enrolled before (OR = 1.65; 95%CI = 1.12−2.42; p = 0.011). A similar result was obtained by analyzing the adherence to a prudent dietary pattern, derived through PCA and characterized by high intake of cooked and row vegetables, legumes, fruit, fish, and soup. Overall, these findings suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced maternal diet during pregnancy. However, further efforts are needed to investigate the main causes and consequences of this change.

Nutrient intakes and telomere length of cell-free circulating DNA from amniotic fluid: findings from the Mamma & Bambino cohort.

Pregnancy represents a crucial period in which several exposures-and especially maternal diet-might shape children's health. Thus, identifying how maternal dietary intakes early affect biological aging in children represents a public health mission. We aimed to assess the relationship between maternal intake of nutrients in early pregnancy and telomere length of cell-free circulating DNA (cfDNA) from amniotic fluid. We used data and samples from the ongoing prospective "Mamma & Bambino" study, which recruits mother-child pairs from Catania at the first prenatal visit. Maternal nutrient intakes were assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire, while relative telomere length of cfDNA was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Our analysis included 174 mother-child pairs. The intakes of iron, vitamin B1, and magnesium were positively correlated with relative telomere length (p-values < 0.05). However, only the intake of magnesium was positively associated with relative telomere length, after applying a linear regression model (ß = 0.002; SE = 0.001; p = 0.024). Magnesium deficiency was negatively associated with relative telomere length after adjusting for the same covariates (ß = -0.467; SE = 0.176; p = 0.009). To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of a positive relationship between maternal nutrient intake and telomere length of cfDNA. Further efforts are needed for deeply investigating the effect of maternal dietary intakes on telomere length, in order to develop effective public health strategies.

Vaccination Status of Mothers and Children from the 'Mamma & Bambino' Cohort.

According to the evidence demonstrating vaccines' safety and effectiveness in anticipation of and during pregnancy, several countries have established immunization programs during the periconceptional period. Here, we evaluated vaccination status among 220 mother-child pairs, using data from the 'Mamma & Bambino' cohort. The self-reported data were evaluated at delivery, and with planned follow-ups at 1-2 years after delivery. In general, we noted that the vaccination status among the women was heterogeneous, ranging from 8.3% (vaccine against Human Papillomavirus, HPV) to 65.6% (vaccine against Diphtheria Tetanus and Pertussis, DTaP). Excluding the women who contracted the diseases in the past, the main ground for refusal was the lack of information. We also demonstrated that increasing age was associated with higher odds of not being vaccinated against Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR; OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 1.04-1.21; p = 0.004), HPV (OR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.08-1.33; p = 0.001) and DTaP (OR =1.09; 95% CI = 1.01-1.18; p = 0.040). As expected, we showed that the proportion of newborns vaccinated with the Hexavalent and Pneumococcal vaccines was high (99.5% and 98.6%, respectively), while the vaccination coverage against MMRV did not reach the auspicated threshold (84.1%). Overall, these results underlined the need for the improvement of women's knowledge about the recommendations for vaccination, especially during pregnancy.

The Effect of Alcohol on Telomere Length: A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Evidence and a Pilot Study during Pregnancy.

Several studies-albeit with still inconclusive and limited findings-began to focus on the effect of drinking alcohol on telomere length (TL). Here, we present results from a systematic review of these epidemiological studies to investigate the potential association between alcohol consumption, alcohol-related disorders, and TL. The analysis of fourteen studies-selected from PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science databases-showed that people with alcohol-related disorders exhibited shorter TL, but also that alcohol consumption per se did not appear to affect TL in the absence of alcohol abuse or dependence. Our work also revealed a lack of studies in the periconceptional period, raising the need for evaluating this potential relationship during pregnancy. To fill this gap, we conducted a pilot study using data and samples form the Mamma & Bambino cohort. We compared five non-smoking but drinking women with ten non-smoking and non-drinking women, matched for maternal age, gestational age at recruitment, pregestational body mass index, and fetal sex. Interestingly, we detected a significant difference when analyzing relative TL of leukocyte DNA of cord blood samples from newborns. In particular, newborns from drinking women exhibited shorter relative TL than those born from non-drinking women (p = 0.024). Although these findings appeared promising, further research should be encouraged to test any dose-response relationship, to adjust for the effect of other exposures, and to understand the molecular mechanisms involved.