Effectiveness and safety of IL1 inhibition with anakinra in chronic refractory idiopathic myocarditis.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the anti-IL-1 receptor anakinra in patients with chronic active myocarditis refractory to standard therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this retrospective, observational study, we enrolled 6 patients with chronically active myocarditis treated with anakinra on-top-of standard treatment. Response to treatment was evaluated at different time points [disease onset (T0), anakinra beginning (T1), three months from anakinra beginning (T2), last available follow-up (T3)], and was assessed by variations in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, laboratory tests [C-reactive protein (CRP), a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (cTnT), and Nt-proBNP], left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) edema or late gadolinium enhancement. The number of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) at 24-h EKG-recordings was considered in patients with arrhythmic manifestations. No differences were found between T0 and T1 in terms of CRP, Nt-ProBNP, and LVEF. Before anakinra beginning, all patients were still symptomatic. At T2, all patients were symptom-free, in NYHA class I. A significant decrease in CRP (p = 0.03) and a significant improvement in LVEF (p = 0.03) were observed. Sustained arrhythmic manifestations were found in 4 out of 6 patients. In this subgroup, anakinra showed effectiveness in reducing the arrhythmic burden. At T3, the improvement in laboratory values and cardiac function persisted. The arrhythmic burden remained abated. CONCLUSIONS: All patients had a rapid improvement in systemic inflammation, cardiac function, and arrhythmic burden with anti-IL1 therapy, indicating that anakinra may be an effective treatment in chronic active idiopathic myocarditis, refractory to standard treatment.

Interstitial lung disease with and without progressive fibrosing phenotype in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: data from a large multicentric cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with connective tissue diseases can develop interstitial lung disease (ILD), leading to a progressive fibrosing ILD (PF-ILD) phenotype in some cases. We aimed to investigate the occurrence of PF-ILD in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), and factors potentially predicting this phenotype. Secondary aims were to assess the radiological pattern and factors associated with IIMs-ILD. METHODS: Patients with IIMs from our multicentric prospective cohort were retrospectively evaluated. Data were recorded at IIMs and ILD diagnosis, and during follow-up. Patients with ILD were classified according to the predominant high-resolution CT (HRCT) pattern: non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and organising pneumonia (OP). PF-ILD was defined according to the 2022 American Thoracic Society (ATS), European Respiratory Society (ERS), Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) and Latin American Thoracic Society (ALAT) guidelines. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated to ILD and to PF-ILD. RESULTS: Of 253 patients with IIMs, 125 (49%) had ILD: 99 (78%) at IIMs diagnosis and 26 (22%) during follow-up (21/26 within 5 years). Multivariate analysis identified anti-Jo-1, anti-MDA5, anti-Ro52, high score on manual muscle test, mechanic's hands and Raynaud's phenomenon as independently associated with ILD. The predominant HRCT pattern was NSIP (50% of patients), followed by UIP (28%) and OP (22%). At 1-year follow-up, PF-ILD occurred in 18% of IIMs-ILD. PF-ILD was predicted by anti-MDA5, heliotropic rash, xerostomia and xerophthalmia at univariate but not at multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Patients with IIM should be carefully screened for ILD at IIMs diagnosis and yearly during follow-up. All patients with IIMs-ILD should be carefully monitored to capture ILD progression since a consistent proportion of them are expected to develop PF-ILD.

Prevalence and clinical associations of ultrasound-confirmed enthesitis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of US-confirmed enthesitis in a cohort of patients with SLE and to analyse the clinical associations to enthesitis during the course of SLE. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis of the SLE cohort of the Lupus Unit of the Careggi University Hospital, US examinations of SLE patients presenting with tender and/or swollen joints were retrieved to assess the presence of enthesitis. Patients with US-proven enthesitis were compared with SLE controls with tender and/or swollen joints who showed no US evidence of enthesitis. Clinical and laboratory features were compared at disease onset and during follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 400 patients fulfilling EULAR/ACR classification criteria for SLE were assessed. Of these, 106 underwent articular US examination. Evidence of enthesitis was found in 31/106 (29.2%) patients. Seventy-one patients without US-enthesitis were included as controls; four were excluded due to lack of follow-up data. Laboratory and clinical features were comparable between cases and controls at disease onset. Throughout a median follow-up of 10.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 8.3-23.3) years for cases and 12.4 (IQR 7.2-13.3) years for controls, patients with enthesitis were less likely to develop renal involvement (22.6% vs 46.5%, P = 0.028) and failed B cell depletion more frequently (75.0% vs 0%). CONCLUSION: In SLE patients with clinically active joints, US-proven enthesitis is a fairly common finding. Enthesitis in SLE could be the hallmark of a distinct disease phenotype with less renal involvement, more arthritis and low response to anti-CD 20 therapy, potentially requiring a tailored treatment.

Non-anti TNFα biologic agents for noninfectious uveitis associated with systemic inflammatory diseases: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Noninfectious uveitis related to systemic inflammatory diseases represents a leading cause of blindness. Anti-TNFα agents are the first-line biologic therapy after traditional immunosuppressants, for ocular and systemic involvement. However, some patients fails anti-TNFα agents, due to primary inefficacy, loss of efficacy or adverse events. AREAS COVERED: This systematic review summarizes evidence on the efficacy and safety of non-anti-TNFα biologics in adult patients with noninfectious uveitis associated with systemic inflammatory diseases. The systematic review of PubMed and Embase yielded 3663 records, from which 16 studies were included (13 non-controlled, 3 controlled trials). Most studies focused on Behçet's syndrome (BS) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and assessed the efficacy of tocilizumab (n = 11), rituximab (n = 3), secukinumab (n = 1), or anakinra/canakinumab (n = 1). A body of evidence supports the use of tocilizumab BS and JIA-associated uveitis, for improving visual acuity, reducing central macular thickness, inducing ocular remission, and sparing corticosteroids. Preliminary data suggest that rituximab may represent a valid alternative, particularly in JIA, while anakinra/canakinumab might play a role in BS-associated uveitis. The role of secukinumab appears limited. EXPERT OPINION: Current evidence encourages investigations on the efficacy and safety of non-anti-TNFα agents in noninfectious non-idiopathic uveitis.

Evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

OBJECTIVES: Patients affected by eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) display an increased risk of atherothrombotic events compared with the general population. An increased frequency of subclinical markers of atherosclerosis has been observed in other ANCA-associated vasculitis, but no specific study focused on EGPA. We therefore evaluated subclinical atherosclerosis in EGPA patients and in a control population. METHODS: Forty EGPA patients and 80 controls matched by age, sex and traditional cardiovascular risk factors underwent sonographic assessment of common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness (IMT). The presence of plaques of the CCA was also investigated. The correlation between CCA-IMT and clinical and laboratory features was also assessed. RESULTS: Median CCA-IMT was significantly higher in EGPA patients compared with controls (P = 0.002). Also, the proportion of subjects with increased CCA-IMT and with presence of plaques was significantly higher among EGPA patients (P < 0.001 for both). Moreover, within the EGPA cohort, CCA-IMT tended to increase with disease duration (P = 0.034) and corticosteroid cumulative dose (P = 0.004). No significant associations were found between CCA-IMT, ANCA status, other clinical features and therapeutic regimens. Notably, the prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors was comparable in patients with vs without an increased CCA-IMT. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound markers of subclinical atherosclerosis are increased in EGPA patients as compared with controls, independently of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Validity of Machine Learning in Predicting Giant Cell Arteritis Flare After Glucocorticoids Tapering.

Background: Inferential statistical methods failed in identifying reliable biomarkers and risk factors for relapsing giant cell arteritis (GCA) after glucocorticoids (GCs) tapering. A ML approach allows to handle complex non-linear relationships between patient attributes that are hard to model with traditional statistical methods, merging them to output a forecast or a probability for a given outcome. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess whether ML algorithms can predict GCA relapse after GCs tapering. Methods: GCA patients who underwent GCs therapy and regular follow-up visits for at least 12 months, were retrospectively analyzed and used for implementing 3 ML algorithms, namely, Logistic Regression (LR), Decision Tree (DT), and Random Forest (RF). The outcome of interest was disease relapse within 3 months during GCs tapering. After a ML variable selection method, based on a XGBoost wrapper, an attribute core set was used to train and test each algorithm using 5-fold cross-validation. The performance of each algorithm in both phases was assessed in terms of accuracy and area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Results: The dataset consisted of 107 GCA patients (73 women, 68.2%) with mean age ( ± SD) 74.1 ( ± 8.5) years at presentation. GCA flare occurred in 40/107 patients (37.4%) within 3 months after GCs tapering. As a result of ML wrapper, the attribute core set with the least number of variables used for algorithm training included presence/absence of diabetes mellitus and concomitant polymyalgia rheumatica as well as erythrocyte sedimentation rate level at GCs baseline. RF showed the best performance, being significantly superior to other algorithms in accuracy (RF 71.4% vs LR 70.4% vs DT 62.9%). Consistently, RF precision (72.1%) was significantly greater than those of LR (62.6%) and DT (50.8%). Conversely, LR was superior to RF and DT in recall (RF 60% vs LR 62.5% vs DT 47.5%). Moreover, RF AUROC (0.76) was more significant compared to LR (0.73) and DT (0.65). Conclusions: RF algorithm can predict GCA relapse after GCs tapering with sufficient accuracy. To date, this is one of the most accurate predictive modelings for such outcome. This ML method represents a reproducible tool, capable of supporting clinicians in GCA patient management.

Anakinra effectiveness in refractory polyserositis: An Italian multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: Polyserositis is an inflammatory condition involving different serosal membranes at the same time, specifically the pericardium, pleura, and peritoneum with exudates in the respective cavities. Treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), colchicine and glucocorticoids may be effective in patients with polyserositis, but relapses often occur when these drugs are tapered or discontinued. The interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist anakinra has shown a beneficial effect in idiopathic recurrent pericarditis, mostly in unresponsive patients who develop steroid dependence and/or colchicine resistance. To date, there are no data suggesting the best therapy for managing acute episodes and/or relapses of polyserositis. On this basis, we performed a retrospective study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness and safety profile of anakinra in treating patients with refractory polyserositis. METHODS: Patients with idiopathic polyserositis or rheumatic diseases presenting inflammation of 2 or more serous membranes were included. Serositis had to be confirmed by imaging tests comprising either echocardiography, abdominal ultrasound, chest or abdomen computed tomography and/or chest x-ray scan. We included patients with polyserositis who started anakinra from January 2011 to January 2019 due to a poorly controlled disease despite treatment with NSAIDs, conventional immunosuppressant drugs, or the need to minimize oral corticosteroids intake. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), and imaging tests, were recorded to monitor serositis at baseline and either at 3, 6 and 12-month follow-up. Patients with malignancies and infectious diseases were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: Forty-five patients with recurrent polyserositis (23 women) (mean age 43.2±15.8 years and mean disease duration 23.1±28 years) were analysed. Polyserositis was idiopathic in 26 (57.8%) patients. Thirteen patients suffered from autoinflammatory diseases, whereas 6 were affected by autoimmune diseases. Combination treatment with colchicine and NSAIDs at anakinra baseline was administered in 38/45 (84.4%) and 37/45 (82.2%) patients, respectively. After starting anakinra, 84.5% of patients experienced a resolution of serositis with a dramatic decrease in ESR and CRP (P<0.001, for both) already at 3 months, furthermore the same beneficial effect was observed up to 12 months. No relapse was seen at 3 months, whereas the median number of relapses at 6 and 12 months was 0 (interquartile range 0-1). Glucocorticoids were discontinued in 22/45 (48.9%) patients already after 3 months (P<0.001). After 12 months 32/37 (86.5%) patients were steroid-free. Similarly, NSAIDs use significantly was decreased at 3 months (7/45 [15.6%] patients, P<0.001), whereas at 12-month follow-up no patient was on NSAIDs. Urticarial rashes at anakinra injection site occurring in 3 patients were the most common adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Anakinra appeared to be a safe and useful therapeutic choice for patients refractory to optimal anti-inflammatory therapy (NSAIDs, colchicine and corticosteroids), allowing not only a dramatic reduction of recurrences but also of corticosteroids use. Anakinra was effective both in the idiopathic forms of polyserositis and in those with an underlying rheumatic disease, suggesting a common pathogenic pathway leading to serositis onset.

Neutrophil-mediated mechanisms of damage and in-vitro protective effect of colchicine in non-vascular Behçet's syndrome.

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a systemic vasculitis with several clinical manifestations. Neutrophil hyperactivation mediates vascular BS pathogenesis, via both a massive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) release. Here, we investigated neutrophil-mediated mechanisms of damage in non-vascular BS manifestations and explored the in-vitro effects of colchicine in counteracting these mechanisms. NETs and intracellular ROS production was assessed in blood samples from 80 BS patients (46 with active non-vascular BS, 34 with inactive disease) and 80 healthy controls. Moreover, isolated neutrophils were incubated for 1 h with an oxidating agent [2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride; 250 nM] and the ability of pure colchicine pretreatment (100 ng/ml) to counteract oxidation-induced damage was assessed. Patients with active non-vascular BS showed remarkably increased NET levels [21.2, interquartile range (IQR) = 18.3-25.9 mU/ml] compared to patients with inactive disease (16.8, IQR = 13.3-20.2 mU/ml) and to controls (7.1, IQR = 5.1-8.7 mU/ml, p < 0.001]. Also, intracellular ROS tended to increase in active BS, although not significantly. In active non-vascular BS, NETs correlated with neutrophil ROS production (p < 0.001) and were particularly increased in patients with active mucosal (p < 0.001), articular (p = 0.004) and gastrointestinal symptoms (p = 0.006). In isolated neutrophils, colchicine significantly reduced oxidation-induced NET production and cell apoptosis, although not via an anti-oxidant activity. Neutrophil-mediated mechanisms might be directly involved in non-vascular BS, and NETs, more than ROS, might drive the pathogenesis of mucosal, articular and intestinal manifestations. Colchicine might be effective in counteracting neutrophils-mediated damage in BS, although further studies are needed.

Prevalence and clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with Behçet's syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among Behçet's syndrome (BS) patients, evaluating the possible association between demographic and clinical features and the risk of infection. Moreover, we aimed to evaluate the possible association between BS disease activity and treatment, and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: A survey was conducted on BS patients followed at the Behçet's Centre of the Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy. We further evaluated the possible association between BS disease activity and treatment, and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: Out of 335 BS patients contacted, fourteen cases of SARS-CoV-2 were identified between April 1st, 2020 and February 9th, 2021, suggesting a prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among BS patients of 4.2%, in line with the data of the general population in Italy (4.4%). When comparing clinical features between SARS-CoV-2 cases and matched SARS-CoV-2 negative BS patients, we found that the presence of different disease manifestations did not significantly differ between the two groups. SARS-CoV-2 cases and controls were also comparable in terms of immunosuppressive therapy, with the only exception of corticosteroids (71.4% vs. 35.7%, p=0.030), whose daily dose was significantly higher in cases than controls [5mg/day (IQR 0-10,) vs. 0 mg/day (IQR 0-5), p=0.005], suggesting that the right timing of usage and the more appropriate dosage of corticosteroid are a key question for the better management of these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, patients with BS do not seem to be at a greater risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe complications compared with the general population.

Serum sodium alterations in SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection: impact on patient outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder in hospitalized patients and occurs in about 30% of patients with pneumonia. Hyponatremia has been associated with a worse outcome in several pathologic conditions The main objective of this study was to determine whether serum sodium alterations may be independent predictors of the outcome of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this observational study, data from 441 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to a University Hospital were collected. After excluding 61 patients (no serum sodium at admission available, saline solution infusion before sodium assessment, transfer from another hospital), data from 380 patients were analyzed. RESULTS: 274 (72.1%) patients had normonatremia at admission, 87 (22.9%) patients had hyponatremia and 19 (5%) patients had hypernatremia. We found an inverse correlation between serum sodium and IL-6, whereas a direct correlation between serum sodium and PaO2/FiO2 ratio was observed. Patients with hyponatremia had a higher prevalence of non-invasive ventilation and ICU transfer than those with normonatremia or hypernatremia. Hyponatremia was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (2.7-fold increase vs normonatremia) and each mEq/L of serum sodium reduction was associated with a 14.4% increased risk of death. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that serum sodium at admission may be considered as an early prognostic marker of disease severity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Compassionate use of JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib for severe COVID-19: a prospective observational study.

Overwhelming inflammatory reactions contribute to respiratory distress in patients with COVID-19. Ruxolitinib is a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor with potent anti-inflammatory properties. We report on a prospective, observational study in 34 patients with COVID-19 who received ruxolitinib on a compassionate-use protocol. Patients had severe pulmonary disease defined by pulmonary infiltrates on imaging and an oxygen saturation ≤ 93% in air and/or PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≤ 300 mmHg. Median age was 80.5 years, and 85.3% had ≥ 2 comorbidities. Median exposure time to ruxolitinib was 13 days, median dose intensity was 20 mg/day. Overall survival by day 28 was 94.1%. Cumulative incidence of clinical improvement of ≥2 points in the ordinal scale was 82.4% (95% confidence interval, 71-93). Clinical improvement was not affected by low-flow versus high-flow oxygen support but was less frequent in patients with PaO2/FiO2 < 200 mmHg. The most frequent adverse events were anemia, urinary tract infections, and thrombocytopenia. Improvement of inflammatory cytokine profile and activated lymphocyte subsets was observed at day 14. In this prospective cohort of aged and high-risk comorbidity patients with severe COVID-19, compassionate-use ruxolitinib was safe and was associated with improvement of pulmonary function and discharge home in 85.3%. Controlled clinical trials are necessary to establish efficacy of ruxolitinib in COVID-19.

Leukostasis retinopathy with leukemic infiltrates as onset manifestation of chronic myeloid leukemia: a case report.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of retinopathy as onset manifestation of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), successfully treated with leukapheresis and medical therapy. METHODS: A 28-year-old male patient presented complaining painless acute visual impairment in his right eye (RE). He reported moderate asthenia and episodes of night sweats during the previous month. His past medical history was unremarkable. BCVA at presentation was 20/80 in RE and 20/32 in left eye (LE). Fundus examination revealed venous congestion, diffuse Roth spots, and whitish macular infiltrates in both eyes. OCT showed hyperreflective foveal infiltrates, in both eyes. Blood test showed markedly elevated white blood cells (WBCs) count (430 × 103/mm3). Clinical-instrumental examination revealed hepatosplenomegaly. These features were consistent with CML. The patient was treated with leukapheresis and nilotinib. RESULTS: After 2 weeks of treatment, the WBCs count dropped (71 × 103/mm3), and the patient reported subjective improvement of symptoms. At 1-month follow-up, BCVA and retinopathy signs were improved in both eyes. OCT showed the almost complete resolution of foveal infiltrates with ellipsoid zone focal defects. At 4-months follow-up, we observed complete resolution of retinopathy. BCVA was 20/32 in RE and 20/25 in LE. OCT showed the persistence of ellipsoid zone focal defects in RE and complete anatomical restoration in LE. At 6-months follow-up, the patient was clinically well and his WBCs count was normal. CONCLUSION: In our case, the CML-related retinopathy represented the onset sign of the underlying systemic pathology, leading to proper management and treatment, with hematological normalization and resolution of the retinopathy.

Successful use of caplacizumab in a case of refractory acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura following subacute thyroiditis.

Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP) is a rare condition mainly characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, reported in approximately three cases per one million adults per year. Some reports describing co-occurrence of aTTP and other autoimmune disorders, as Graves' thyroiditis, are reported. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report describing co-occurrence of subacute thyroiditis and aTTP. The patient was refractory to conventional therapy with plasma exchange, steroids and rituximab but was successfully treated with the addition of caplacizumab, an anti-VWF bivalent variable-domain-only immunoglobulin fragment that inhibits interaction between VWF multimers and platelets.

Prompt Predicting of Early Clinical Deterioration of Moderate-to-Severe COVID-19 Patients: Usefulness of a Combined Score Using IL-6 in a Preliminary Study.

BACKGROUND: The early identification of patients at risk of clinical deterioration is of interest considering the timeline of COVID-19 after the onset of symptoms. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of testing serum IL-6 and other serological and clinical biomarkers, to predict a short-term negative clinical course of patients with noncritical COVID-19. METHODS: A total of 208 patients with noncritical COVID-19 pneumonia at admission were consecutively enrolled. Clinical and laboratory findings obtained on admission were analyzed by using survival analysis and stepwise logistic regression for variable selection. Three-day worsening as outcome in a logistic model to generate a prognostic score was used. RESULTS: Clinical worsening occurred in 63 patients (16 = died; 39 = transferred to intensive care unit; 8 worsening of respiratory failure). Forty-five of them worsened within 3 days after admission. The risk of clinical worsening was progressively enhanced along with increasing quartiles of IL-6 levels. Multivariate analysis showed that IL-6 (P = .005), C-reactive protein (CRP) (P = .003), and SaO2/FiO2 (P = .014) were the best predictors for clinical deterioration in the first 3 days after admission. The combined score yielded an area under the curve = 0.88 (95% confidence interval: 0.83-0.93). A nomogram predicting the probability of 3-day worsening was generated. The score also showed good performance for 7-day and 14- or 21-day worsening and in predicting death occurring during all the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Combining IL-6, CRP, and SaO2/FiO2 in a score may help clinicians to identify on admission those patients with COVID-19 who are at high risk for a further 3-day clinical deterioration.

Comparison of type 2 diabetes prevalence in Chinese migrants vs Caucasians and new perspectives for screening of cerebrovascular disease in Chinese: A proof of concept study.

AIMS: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a recognized risk factor for intracranial stenosis (ICS) in China where ischemic stroke is a health priority. In Europe little information is available on T2DM prevalence among Chinese minority groups and vascular screening is commonly limited to extracranial vessels. Feasibility of community-based T2DM screening, differences in T2DM prevalence between Chinese migrants and Italians, and prevalence of ICS among Chinese patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were investigated. METHODS: Chinese first generation migrants (n=1200) and native Italians (n=291) aged 35-59years were enrolled in a cross-sectional survey. Diagnosis of T2DM was based on fasting plasma glucose and/or current treatment with glucose-lowering drugs. Newly diagnosed Chinese patients were screened for ICS using Doppler ultrasound. RESULTS: T2DM was more prevalent among Chinese (n=168, 14.0%) than Italians (n=21, 7.3%) (age- and gender adjusted OR 2.29; 95% C.L. 1.41-3.72). Prevalence of ICS among newly diagnosed Chinese was 18.2%. Nine out of the 17 patients with any ICS (52%) had >1 intracranial lesion. CONCLUSIONS: T2DM screening within the Chinese community was feasible revealing prevalence twice as much as in the Italian cohort; the 18% prevalence of ICS in newly diagnosed Chinese patients stresses the need of implementing appropriate vascular screening strategies.

Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension among Chinese First-Generation Migrants and Italians in Prato, Italy: The CHIP Study.

Data on health needs of Chinese living in the South of Europe are lacking. To compare prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and risk factors for hypertension between Chinese migrants and Italian adults, a sample of 1200 first-generation Chinese migrants and 291 native Italians aged 35-59 years living in Prato (Italy) was recruited in a community-based participatory cross-sectional survey. Primary outcome measure was hypertension, diagnosed for blood pressure values ≥ 140/90 mmHg or current use of antihypertensive medications. Associations with exposures (including age, gender, body mass index, waist, education level, total cholesterol, and triglycerides) were examined using logistic regression. When compared with Italians, Chinese had higher hypertension prevalence (27.2% versus 21.3%, p < 0.01), with comparable levels of awareness (57.4% and 48.4%) but lower treatment rates (70.6% and 90.0%, resp.). In both ethnic groups age and parental history of hypertension were predictors of awareness and treatment, body mass index being predictor of hypertension diagnosis. In Chinese participants, where the optimum cut-off point for body mass index was ≥23.9 kg/m2, the sensibility and specificity prediction for hypertension were 61.7% and 59.8%, respectively (area under the ROC curve = 0.629). Implementation of specific, culturally adapted health programs for the Chinese community is now needed.

New findings on type 2 diabetes in first-generation Chinese migrants settled in Italy: Chinese in Prato (CHIP) cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Chinese people are one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in Europe, and their health has become a key issue to host nations. Although type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a big burden among migrant populations, data on Chinese immigrants in Europe are limited. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was performed in 2014, adopting principles of community-based participatory research to investigate T2DM, diagnosed by the American Diabetes Association fasting criteria, in Chinese first-generation migrants aged 16 to 59 years settled in Prato (Italy). Association with different factors was investigated using logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the 1608 participants, 177 had T2DM (11.0%), 119 being newly diagnosed (7.4%). Among subjects with diabetes, 58 (32.8%) were aware of the disease; among subjects with diabetes aware of their condition, 46 (79%) were treated with glucose lowering drugs. Age-standardized (World Health Organization 2001 population) prevalence of T2DM was 9.6% (95% CI 9.1 to 10.2%), being 12.0% (95% CI 11.0 to 12.9%) in men, and 7.8% (95% CI 7.1 to 8.4%) in women. At adjusted logistic regression, diabetes was associated with hypertension, current smoking, adiposity indices (waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, and body mass index), and high triglycerides. T2DM, adiposity indices, and high triglycerides were not associated with duration of stay in Italy. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of T2DM among first-generation Chinese immigrants in Europe stresses the need for specific health programs for T2DM early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. There is an urgent need for policies to support this group because current policies will produce major social and economic costs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.