RItA: The Italian severe/uncontrolled asthma registry.

BACKGROUND: The Italian severe/uncontrolled asthma (SUA) web-based registry encompasses demographic, clinical, functional, and inflammatory data; it aims to raise SUA awareness, identifying specific phenotypes and promoting optimal care. METHODS: Four hundred and ninety three adult patients from 27 Italian centers (recruited in 2011-2014) were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean age was 53.8 years. SUA patients were more frequently female (60.6%), with allergic asthma (83.1%). About 30% showed late onset of asthma diagnosis/symptoms (>40 years); the mean age for asthma symptoms onset was 30.2 years and for asthma diagnosis 34.4 years. 97.1% used ICS (dose 2000 BDP), 93.6% LABA in association with ICS, 53.3% LTRAs, 64.1% anti-IgE, 10.7% theophylline, and 16.0% oral corticosteroids. Mean FEV1 % pred of 75.1%, median values of 300/mm3 of blood eosinophil count, 323 kU/L of serum total IgE, and 24 ppb of FENO were shown. Most common comorbidities were allergic rhinitis (62.4%), gastroesophageal reflux (42.1%), sinusitis (37.9%), nasal polyposis (30.2%), and allergic conjunctivitis (30.2%). 55.7% of SUA patients had exacerbations in the last 12 months, 9.7% emergency department visits, and 7.3% hospitalizations. Factors associated with exacerbation risk were obesity (OR, 95% CI 2.46, 1.11-5.41), psychic disorders (2.87, 0.89-9.30-borderline), nasal polyps (1.86, 0.88-3.89-borderline), partial/poor asthma treatment adherence (2.54, 0.97-6.67-borderline), and anti-IgE use in a protective way (0.26, 0.12-0.53). Comparisons to severe asthma multicenter studies and available registries showed data consistency across European and American populations. CONCLUSIONS: An international effort in the implementation of SUA patients' registries could help to better understand the clinical features and to manage severe asthma, representing a non-negligible socioeconomic burden for health services.

Differences in the in vitro susceptibility to resveratrol and other chemical compounds among several Philasterides dicentrarchi isolates from turbot.

Philasterides dicentrarchi is a histophagous scuticociliate that causes important losses in aquaculture. Several strains that differ in morphological, genetic and serological characteristics and virulence have been isolated from outbreaks of turbot scuticociliatosis. In the present study, seven isolates of the ciliate were exposed in vitro to formalin, hydrogen peroxide and resveratrol (a phytoalexin produced by plants) in order to evaluate the susceptibility of the isolates to the different compounds. The LD50 values for the three compounds tested varied widely among the isolates. The LD100 values were similar among isolates for formalin (25-30 ppm) and resveratrol (60-70 ppm) but were very different for hydrogen peroxide (25->80 ppm). The results indicate that there are many physiological differences among isolates and even among specimens of the same isolates, which must be taken into account in designing control programmes. The naturally occurring resveratrol may be a good alternative to other compounds for reducing the amounts of viable ciliates in water.