EVALUACIÓN DE LA EXACTITUD DIAGNÓSTICA DE ANTICUERPOS ANTIGLIADINA DEAMINADA IgG (a-DGP) EN ENFERMEDAD CELÍACA

Introducción: Si bien la biopsia intestinal es la técnica-patrón para el diagnóstico de la Enfermedad Celíaca (EC), los ensayos serológicos son un importante complemento en el screening, diagnóstico y seguimiento de la misma. Estos son anticuerpos anti-Transglutaminasa IgA (aTgt), anticuerpos anti-endomisio IgA (EMA) y anticuerpos anti-péptidos de gliadina-deaminados IgG (a-DGP). Nuestros objetivos fueron evaluar la exactitud diagnóstica de a-DGP en pacientes adultos con diagnóstico de EC que concurrieron al Hospital Córdoba y comparar la concordancia de a-DGP con aTgt y EMA. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio experimental en el Hospital Córdoba. Se analizaron sueros conservados a - 20° C, de 54 pacientes (Marzo de 2015 a Diciembre 2017) sometidos a biopsia intestinal. Las muestras de tejido permitieron determinar los siguientes grupos:´ Grupo Enfermedad Celíaca (GEC): 25 pacientes con biopsia positiva para EC, de acuerdo a la clasificación de Marsh. Grupo Control (GC): 29 pacientes con biopsia negativa para EC. Se determinaron niveles de: a-DGP y aTgt por ELISA comercial, EMA por Inmunofluorescencia indirecta e Ig A sérica por inmunoturbidimetría. Análisis estadísticos de los datos: Se utilizaron los programas estadísticos "InfoStat" y "MedCalc" 10.2.0.0. La concordancia se determinó por el índice kappa (κ). Un valor de p <0,05 fue considerado estadísticamente significativo. Resultados: El valor de corte para a-DGP fue de 15,4 U/ml. La exactitud diagnostica para el título de corte fue de 94,44%. El valor de corte para aTgt fue de 9,3 U/ml. La exactitud diagnostica fue de 92,59 %. La concordancia entre a-DGP y aTgt fue sustancial (κ= 0.740) y casi perfecto entre a-DGP y EMA (κ=0,851). Conclusiones: El ELISA para a-DGP demostró una elevada exactitud diagnóstica. Se observó una mejor concordancia de a-DGP con EMA que con aTgt. Los resultados obtenidos confirman el potencial clínico de este marcador serológico como complemento diagnóstico de EC.

Introduction: Although intestinal biopsy is the standard technique for the diagnosis of Celiac Disease (CD), serological tests are an important complement in the screening, diagnosis and follow-up of the same. These are antibodies IgA to transglutaminase antibodies (aTgt), Ig A antibodies to endomysium (EMA) and antibodies to deamidated gliadin peptides (a-DGP). Our objectives were to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a-DGP in adult patients with a diagnosis of CD who attended the Córdoba Hospital and compare the concordance of a-DGP with aTgt and EMA. Materials and methods: An experimental study was carried out at the Hospital Córdoba. Serums conserved at -20 ° C were analyzed, from 54 patients (March 2015 to December 2017) submitted to intestinal biopsy. The tissue samples allowed to determine the following groups: Celiac Disease Group (GEC): 25 patients with a positive biopsy for CD, according to the Marsh classification. Control Group (GC): 29 patients with negative biopsy for CD. Levels of: a-DGP and aTgt were determined by commercial ELISA, EMA by indirect Immunofluorescence and serum IgA by immunoturbidimetry. Statistical analysis of the data: Statistical programs "InfoStat" and "MedCalc" 10.2.0.0 were used. The concordance was determined by the kappa index (κ). A value of p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The cut-off value for a-DGP was 15.4 U / ml. The diagnostic accuracy for the cutoff title was 94.44%. The cut-off value for aTgt was 9.3 U / ml. The diagnostic accuracy was 92.59%. The agreement between a-DGP and aTgt was substantial (κ = 0.740) and almost perfect between a-DGP and EMA (κ = 0.851). Conclusions: The ELISA for a-DGP demonstrated a high diagnostic accuracy. A better concordance of a-DGP with EMA was observed than with aTgt. The results obtained confirm the clinical potential of this serological marker as a diagnostic complement of CD.

Comparative study between obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome and obstetric morbidity related with antiphospholipid antibodies / Estudio comparativo entre síndrome antifisfolipídico obstétrico y morbilidad obstétrica relacionada con anticuerpos antifosfolípido

Background and objectives: To compare clinical, laboratory, treatment and live birth rate data between women with aPL-related obstetric complications (OMAPS) not fulfilling the Sydney criteria and women fulfilling them (OAPS). Materials and methods: Retrospective and prospective multicentre study. Data comparison between groups from The European Registry on Antiphospholipid Syndrome included within the framework of the European Forum on Antiphospholipid Antibody projects. Results: 338 women were analysed: 247 fulfilled the Sydney criteria (OAPS group) and 91 did not (OMAPS group). In the OMAPS group, 24/91 (26.37%) fulfilled laboratory Sydney criteria (subgroup A) and 67/91 (74.63%) had a low titre and/or non-persistent aPL-positivity (subgroup B). Overall, aPL laboratory categories in OAPS vs. OMAPS showed significant differences: 34% vs. 11% (p<0.0001) for category I, 66% vs. 89% (p<0.0001) for category II. No differences were observed when current obstetric complications were compared (p=0.481). 86.20% of OAPS women were treated vs. 75.82% of OMAPS (p=0.0224), particularly regarding the LDA+LMWH schedule (p=0.006). No differences between groups were observed in live births, gestational, puerperal arterial and/or venous thrombosis. Conclusions: Significant differences were found among aPL categories between groups. Treatment rates were higher in OAPS. Both OAPS and OMAPS groups had similarly good foetal-maternal outcomes when treated. The proposal to modify OAPS classification criteria, mostly laboratory requirements, is reinforced by these results

Fundamento Y objetivos: Comparar características clínicas, analíticas, tratamiento y tasa de hijos vivos entre gestantes con Síndrome Antifosfolípido Obstétrico (SAFO) y gestantes con morbilidad obstétrica relacionada con el síndrome que no cumplen los criterios de clasificación actuales. Material Y métodos: Estudio observacional retrospectivo y prospectivo multicéntrico: datos de once hospitales terciarios europeos recogidos en el European Registry on Antiphospholipid Syndrome. Resultados: Se analizaron 338 mujeres: 247 cumplían criterios de Sydney para SAFO (grupo OAPS), y 91 no (grupo OMAPS). En el grupo OMAPS, 24/91(26.37%) cumplían criterios analíticos, pero no clínicos para SAFO (subgrupo A) y 67/91(74.63%) presentaban títulos medio-bajos o títulos positivos no persistentes de anticuerpos antifosfolípido, con o sin cumplir criterios clínicos (subgrupo B). Se observaron diferencias significativas entre los 2 grupos en cuanto a las categorías analíticas: 34% vs. 11% (p<0.0001) para la categoría I y 66% vs. 89% (p<0.0001) para la categoría II, OAPS vs OMAPS, respectivamente. No se observaron diferencias significativas en cuanto a las complicaciones obstétricas (p=0.481). El 86.20% del grupo OAPS recibió tratamiento vs.el 75.82% del grupo OMAPS (p=0.0224). No se observaron diferencias en la tasa de hijos vivos, ni en la tasa de trombosis arterial y/o venosa gestacional y/o puerperal. Conclusiones: Ambos grupos fueron muy homogéneos, excepto en cuanto a la distribución de las categorías analíticas y en la tasa de tratamiento. Ambos grupos mostraron buenos resultados al ser tratados. Los resultados respaldan la opinión de muchos expertos de tener que revisar los criterios de clasificación actuales del Síndrome Antifosfolípido Obstétrico

Ebola virus and arthropods: a literature review and entomological consideration on the vector role.

Ebola virus is a pathogen responsible for a severe disease that affects humans and several animal species. To date, the natural reservoir of this virus is not known with certainty, although it is believed that fruit bats (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) play an important role in maintaining the virus in nature. Although information on viral transmission from animals to humans is not clear, the role of arthropods has come under suspicion. In this article, we review the potential role of arthropods in spreading Ebola virus, acting as mechanical or biological vectors.

Analytical and clinical comparison of different immunoassay systems for the detection of antiphospholipid antibodies.

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated analytical and clinical performances of IgG and IgM anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies and anti-ß2-glycoprotein I (a-ß2GpI) antibodies and upper limit reference ranges (99th percentiles) in comparison with manufacturer's cutoff values with different commercial methods. METHODS: We assayed aCL and a-ß2GpI in serum samples from 30 healthy individuals, 77 patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) diagnosed according to the Sydney criteria, 51 patients with autoimmune diseases, eight patients with previous thrombotic events, six patients with other diseases, and 18 patients with infectious diseases, using ELISA Inova Diagnostics; EliA Phadia Laboratory Systems; CliA Zenit-RA; and CliA Bio-Flash. RESULTS: Anticardiolipin and a-ß2GpI IgG and IgM immunoassays showed good analytic performances with both 99th percentile and manufacturer's cutoff reference values. Our results showed fair to moderate agreement among assays. In-house cutoff values gave significantly better performances only for a-ß2GpI IgG with all the immunoassays analyzed with the exception of Inova CliA Bio-Flash where we obtained the same performances with in-house and manufacturer's cutoffs. CONCLUSIONS: By guidelines, all laboratories are strongly advised to validate/verify the manufacturer's cutoff values. We recommend establishing low-positive, medium-/high-positive, and high-positive CliA IgG aCL and a-ß2GpI ranges in order to help clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of APS.

Patients with antiphosholipid syndrome and thrombotic recurrences: A real world observation (the Piedmont cohort study).

BACKGROUND: Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) often have thrombotic recurrences, sometimes despite appropriate ongoing anticoagulant treatment. Identifying APS vascular patients at high risk for thrombotic recurrences is still an unsolved issue. OBJECTIVES: To report the real-life experience of thrombotic recurrences in APS patients included in the Piedmont observational cohort study, and evaluate clinical and laboratory risk factors for thrombotic recurrences. PATIENTS: A multi-centre observational study was performed by enrolling 177 patients with vascular APS (primary APS in 99 subjects (56%)); the median follow-up was five years (range 1-26 years). RESULTS: The observed thrombotic recurrence rate was about 7.5/100 patient years in the first five years after the first thrombotic event. While the first recurrence often occurred (45%) in patients who were not on oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT), the second recurrence mainly occurred despite ongoing OAT (80%). However, due to the real-life observational nature of this study, treatment was based on the treating physician's judgement, and no structured therapeutic protocol was applied. Moreover, compliance with OAT was not available. No differences in antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) profile were observed between patients with or without thrombotic recurrences, but a high risk aPL profile (Miyakis type 1 and 2a) was present in 96% of our patients, 26% of whom had triple positivity. Diabetes (p < 0.01, OR 10), inherited thrombophilia (p < 0.0078, OR 4) and OAT withdrawal were independent risk factors for recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: With the limit of a real-life observational cohort study, the thrombotic recurrence rate in APS was as high as 7.5/100 patient years in the first five years after the first thrombotic event. OAT discontinuation, diabetes and inherited thrombophilia, when associated with a high-risk aPL profile, are risk factors for thrombotic recurrences.

Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita in a preterm female newborn: case report and review of the literature.

Cutis Marmorata Telangiectatica Congenita (CMTC) is a rare, sporadic condition usually present at birth characterized by localized or generalized persistent cutis marmorata, telangiectasia and phlebectasia. We report a preterm female newborn, the third child of non-related caucasian parents, with CMTC at birth who showed typical cutaneous features and monolateral congenital glaucoma. The pathogenesis of this disorder is unknown and the cause is probably multifactorial. Teratogens and autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with incomplete penetrance have been considered as etiological factors. Prognosis, in uncomplicated cases, is good.

Risk assessment in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the association of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) with thrombosis and/or pregnancy loss: classification criteria were defined in the updated international consensus held in Sidney in 2005. Vascular and obstetric manifestations display partially different pathogenetic mechanisms. Thrombosis develop as a result of local procoagulative changes upon triggers influence (second-hit theory). Pregnancy morbidity is thought to be dependent on placental thrombosis and complement activation. The laboratory tests include Lupus Anticoagulant (LA), a functional assay, and anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-ß2-glycoprotein I antibodies detected by solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The LA testing is relatively standardized while there's still significant interlaboratory discrepancy in ELISA tests. Current APS criteria are under discussion: since for vascular and obstetric APS, different pathogenetic mechanisms have been shown, some criteria variation could also be contemplated. What is the weight of aPL antibodies in provoking thrombosis and which contribution could be expected from aPL per se is debated. As thrombosis is generally considered to be multi-factorial, each case needs a risk-stratified approach. Any primary prophylaxis, intensity and duration of secondary prophylaxis should take into account aPL profile, other cardiovascular risk factors and systemic autoimmune diseases associated. We look forward to the publication of recommendations of the leading experts in the field, developed during the recent 14th International Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Towards real-time image deconvolution: application to confocal and STED microscopy.

Although deconvolution can improve the quality of any type of microscope, the high computational time required has so far limited its massive spreading. Here we demonstrate the ability of the scaled-gradient-projection (SGP) method to provide accelerated versions of the most used algorithms in microscopy. To achieve further increases in efficiency, we also consider implementations on graphic processing units (GPUs). We test the proposed algorithms both on synthetic and real data of confocal and STED microscopy. Combining the SGP method with the GPU implementation we achieve a speed-up factor from about a factor 25 to 690 (with respect the conventional algorithm). The excellent results obtained on STED microscopy images demonstrate the synergy between super-resolution techniques and image-deconvolution. Further, the real-time processing allows conserving one of the most important property of STED microscopy, i.e the ability to provide fast sub-diffraction resolution recordings.

Dermatosis caused by Corythuca ciliata (Say, 1932) (Heteroptera, Tingidae). diagnostic and clinical aspects of an unrecognized pseudoparasitosis.

The present article discusses three cases of human infestation by Corythuca ciliata (Lace bugs), a parasite of plane trees. The cases were all in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy and the symptoms involved a large number of hives on the subjects' bodies which were scarcely or not at all itchy and which spontaneously cleared up in all the cases in less than 24 hours. It can be concluded that the Lace bug can be an agent of insect-caused dermatosis and this should be considered in examining subjects who visit or live near wooded areas which are infested.

Thrombotic recurrences and bleeding events in APS vascular patients: a review from the literature and a comparison with the APS Piedmont Cohort.

In APS vascular patients, thrombotic recurrences are more frequent than in non-APS thrombotic patients. To better define this clinical setting, a systematic review of the literature after 1999 was performed: 8 cohort studies (including the recent APS Piedmont Cohort) and 6 intervention studies were selected and evaluated. Thrombotic recurrences, bleeding events, therapeutic strategies, antiphospholipid (aPL) profile, inherited and acquired risk factors (when present) were calculated and compared. Emerging risk factors for thrombotic recurrences include withdrawal of oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT), high intensity OAT (INR range 3-4), aPL profile (triple positivity, Miyakis types 1 and 2a profiles) and association with inherited or acquired pro-thrombotic risk factors. Moreover, there are evidences that high risk (mainly for aPL profile) APS vascular patients have a high recurrence rate in spite of correct OAT treatment. Clinical trials in this clinical setting are needed.

Primary prevention in antiphospholipid antibody carriers.

The discovery of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) positivity in individuals who have never experienced thrombosis or pregnancy complications is not a rare event, and is one of the unresolved issues in the field of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). This paper focuses on primary prophylaxis for thrombotic events in aPL carriers. In our view, patients with high risk aPL profiles and/or other cardiovascular risk factors, concomitant diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and patients with an history of obstetric APS (OAPS) should be offered thromboprophylaxis. Chronic thromboprophylaxis with low-dose aspirin and hydroxychloroquine in aPL positive SLE patients should be prescribed both to prevent thrombosis and to avoid early organ damage.

Anti-cardiolipin and anti-ß2-glycoprotein I antibodies: normal reference ranges in northwestern Italy.

Laboratory tests for anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and anti-ß2glycoprotein I antibodies (a-ß2GPI) face problems common to many autoantibody assays: the lack of a reference standard and the need for each laboratory to assess assay-specific cut-off values. The aims of the study were to evaluate the reference range upper limits (99th percentile) used for aCL and a-ß2GPI in the northwest of Italy and to investigate the analytical performances of these assays with the newly obtained reference ranges. We assayed aCL and a-ß2GPI in 104 serum samples from patients without a history of thrombosis, pregnancy morbidity, tumours, infections and/or autoimmune diseases (30 males and 74 non-pregnant females). We tested all the commercial assays available in our regions (i.e. Orgentec Diagnostika, Aesku Diagnostics and Inova Diagnostics ELISA; CliA Zenit-RA and EliA Phadia Laboratory Systems). A further 30 serum samples, including 10 from healthy subjects, 10 from antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients and 10 from septic patients were assessed to investigate the analytical performance of the obtained cut-off limits. Reference range upper limits obtained with the commercial kits differ among assays and from the values reported by the manufacturer. Moreover, normal reference ranges calculated for IgG and IgM aCL differed from the arbitrary selected laboratory classification values suggested in the guidelines of 40 GPL and MPL.

Antiphospholipid syndrome in northwest Italy (APS Piedmont Cohort): demographic features, risk factors, clinical and laboratory profile.

We report the experience from the Antiphospholipid Antibodies (aPL) Regional Consortium in northwest Italy, meant to support clinical research and foster collaboration among health professionals regarding the diagnosis and management of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients. This cohort-study (APS Piedmont Cohort) was designed to register the clinical characteristics at inception and associated immunological manifestations at diagnosis (if any) of patients who strictly fulfilled the current criteria for APS, all recruited at the Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta regions. Clinical and laboratory data from 217 APS patients (171 with vascular events, 33 with pregnancy morbidity and 13 with both), from 16 centres within the geographical area were collected. Venous thrombosis was recorded in 45.6% of patients, arterial thrombosis in 35%, small-vessel thrombosis in 1.12% and mixed arterial and venous thrombosis in the remaining 19.4% of the cases. Pregnancy morbidity included 19 patients with unexplained fetal death beyond the 10th week of pregnancy, 17 with premature birth before the 34th week and 10 with three or more unexplained spontaneous abortions before the 10th week of gestation. This consortium represents an instrument by which to audit clinical practice, to provide counselling to local centres and to sustain future basic and clinical APS research.

Stings from Euscorpius flavicaudis (De Geer, 1778) (Scorpiones, Euscorpiidae) during pregnancy: a clinical case report

We report a case in which a 21-week pregnant woman was stung by a Euscorpius flavicaudis (De Geer, 1778) scorpion. Symptoms and signs experienced by the patient were the same as those documented in the literature and with no ill-effects for the pregnancy. Envenoming was local and of low degree of intensity. It is important to emphasize that the patient was stung in her home, which differs from stings in most other parts of the world, in which scorpionism is mostly a risk in outdoor areas.(AU)

Local intense and systemic reactions to Aedes albopictus (Diptera, Culicidae) bites: a clinical case report.

We present here our experience with a 34-year-old woman living in the province of Cuneo in northwest Italy. The patient had no prior allergic disease history and in the place of bite by Aedes albopictus, she sustained significant reactions (ecchymosis), along with fever and localized lymphadenopathy. Thirty days later, the bites were still visible, characterized by cutaneous thickening and localized paresthesia. This clinical case represents a hypersensitive reaction and can be considered the first documented case of Skeeter syndrome in Italy.

Traumatic myiasis from Sarcophaga (Bercaeal cruentata Meigen, 1826 (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) in a hospital environment: reporting of a clinical case following polytrauma.

We present a case of cutaneous myiasis occurring in a hospital environment (nosocomial myiasis) in an patient with serious multiple traumas sustained in a motorcycle accident. The agent responsible for the myiasis was identified as Sarcophaga cruentata (Meigen 1826). The larvae found in the necrotic wound were removed and the necessary environmental measures were taken to avoid further infestation. Although nonocomial myiasis is a form of parasitosis already cited in the in literature, it is a rare event and worthy of attention to aid in identifying parasitosis in hospitalized subjects in order to expedite proper diagnosis and treatment.

Failure of intravenous immunoglobulin to prevent congenital heart block: Findings of a multicenter, prospective, observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Congenital heart block (CHB) is presumed to be caused by transplacental passage of maternal immunoglobulin against Ro and La ribonucleoproteins. The recurrence rate in subsequent pregnancies following the birth of a child with CHB is approximately 19%. The purpose of this study was to determine whether intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy could prevent the development of CHB in the fetuses of high-risk pregnant women. METHODS: A total of 24 pregnancies in 22 women who had a previous pregnancy in which CHB developed, were over the age of 18 years, were <12 weeks pregnant, and had anti-Ro, anti-La, or both antibodies were monitored in this multicenter, prospective, observational study. Fifteen patients received infusions of IVIG. The 9 pregnancies in the remaining 7 patients served as controls. IVIG was administered at a dose of 400 mg/kg at weeks 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 of pregnancy. Echocardiograms were performed at least every 3 weeks from week 15 to week 30 of gestation. Electrocardiograms were obtained at birth. The outcome measure was the development of third-degree CHB detected by fetal echocardiogram. RESULTS: CHB developed in 3 babies among the 15 pregnancies in the treatment group (20%) and in 1 baby among the 9 pregnancies in the control group (11%). CHB was detected at weeks 18, 23, and 26, respectively, in the 3 babies in the treated group and at week 19 in the baby in the control group. Three of the affected pregnancies ended in termination; 2 for reasons related to the fetal disease and 1 for reasons related to both maternal (severe pulmonary hypertension) and fetal disease (at 21 weeks of gestation). CONCLUSION: IVIG at the dose and frequency used in this study was not effective as prophylactic therapy for CHB in high-risk mothers.

Euscorpius (Scorpiones, Euscorpiidae): three cases of stings in northwestern Italy

In the period between June 2008 and August 2009, three cases of stings of Euscorpius scorpions indigenous to Italy were treated at two different emergency departments (ED) in hospitals of the Piedmont region, northwest Italy: Santa Croce e Carle General Hospital in Cuneo, and Santissima Annunziata Hospital in Savigliano. Scorpion stings in Italy are rare and not well documented in the literature; this situation may raise doubts among medical personnel as to how such lesions are best treated. Analysis of the incidents confirms that the venom of Euscorpius do not provokes systemic poisoning in humans and in these cases even dermatological reactions were not significant.(AU)

Application of the split-gradient method to 3D image deconvolution in fluorescence microscopy.

The methods of image deconvolution are important for improving the quality of the detected images in the different modalities of fluorescence microscopy such as wide-field, confocal, two-photon excitation and 4Pi. Because deconvolution is an ill-posed problem, it is, in general, reformulated in a statistical framework such as maximum likelihood or Bayes and reduced to the minimization of a suitable functional, more precisely, to a constrained minimization, because non-negativity of the solution is an important requirement. Next, iterative methods are designed for approximating such a solution. In this paper, we consider the Bayesian approach based on the assumption that the noise is dominated by photon counting, so the likelihood is of the Poisson-type, and that the prior is edge-preserving, as derived from a simple Markov random field model. By considering the negative logarithm of the a posteriori probability distribution, the computation of the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate is reduced to the constrained minimization of a functional that is the sum of the Csiszár I-divergence and a regularization term. For the solution of this problem, we propose an iterative algorithm derived from a general approach known as split-gradient method (SGM) and based on a suitable decomposition of the gradient of the functional into a negative and positive part. The result is a simple modification of the standard Richardson-Lucy algorithm, very easily implementable and assuring automatically the non-negativity of the iterates. Next, we apply this method to the particular case of confocal microscopy for investigating the effect of several edge-preserving priors proposed in the literature using both synthetic and real confocal images. The quality of the restoration is estimated both by computation of the Kullback-Leibler divergence of the restored image from the detected one and by visual inspection. It is observed that the noise artefacts are considerably reduced and desired characteristics (edges and minute features as islets) are retained in the restored images. The algorithm is stable, robust and tolerant at various noise (Poisson) levels. Finally, by remarking that the proposed method is essentially a scaled gradient method, a possible modification of the algorithm is briefly discussed in view of obtaining fast convergence and reduction in computational time.

Neonatal lupus in triplet pregnancy of a patient with undifferentiated connective tissue disease evolving to systemic lupus erythematosus.

Pregnancy in patients suffering from undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) represents a risk situation for both the mother and the child. SSA/SSB autoantibodies can determine neonatal lupus (NL) in the foetus, regardless of the maternal disease. Furthermore, pregnancy increases the risk of flares and evolution to differentiated connective tissue disease (CTD). We report an uncommon case in which these complications occurred in a mother and in her foetuses. A 37-year-old woman affected by UCTD developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) after her triplet pregnancy. The only manifestation of neonatal lupus we observed in the three newborns was SSA positivity associated with asymptomatic transient neutropenia.