Vitamin D Levels in the Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Periods and Related Confinement at Pediatric Age.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions have been correlated with vitamin D deficiency in children, but some uncertainties remain. We retrospectively studied vitamin 25-(OH) D blood levels in 2182 Italian children/adolescents hospitalized for various chronic diseases in the year before (n = 1052) and after (n = 1130) the nationwide lockdown. The type of underlying disease, gender, and mean age (91 ± 55 and 91 ± 61 months, respectively) of patients included in the two periods were comparable. Although mean levels were the same (p = 0.24), deficiency status affected a significantly higher number of subjects during the lockdown period than in the pre-COVID period (p = 0.03), particularly in summer (p = 0.02), and there was also a smoothing of seasonal variations in vitamin D levels. Particularly at risk were males (OR = 1.22; p = 0.03), the 1-5 year age group (OR = 1.57; p < 0.01) and the 6-12 year age group (OR = 1.30; p = 0.04). Infants appeared not to be affected (p = 1.00). In the post-COVID period, the risk of vitamin D deficiency was unchanged in disease-specific groups. However, the proportion of deficiency or severe deficiency differed significantly in the subgroup with endocrinopathy (higher; Chi-square p = 0.04), and with respiratory problems and obesity (lower; Chi-square p = 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively). Conflicting/opposite literature results advocate for further studies to clearly indicate the need for supplementation during possible future periods of confinement.

Long term dual antiplatelet therapy after myocardial infarction: retrospective analysis in an outpatient population.

Long term treatment with ticagrelor 60 mg and low-dose aspirin are indicated after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We retrospectively reviewed aggregate data of 187 patients (155 M and 38 F) (mean age 63.8±9 years) in follow up after ACS with at least one high risk condition (Multivessel disease, diabetes, GFR<60 mL/min, history of prior myocardial infarction, age >65 years) treated with ticagrelor 60 mg twice daily (after 90 mg twice daily for 12 months). The results were compared with findings (characteristics of the patients at baseline, outcomes, bleeding) of PEGASUS-TIMI 54 trial and Eu Label. The highrisk groups were represented as follows: multivessel disease 105 pts (82%), diabetes 63 pts (33%), GFR< 60 mL/min 27 pts (14%), history of prior MI 33 pts (17%), >65 year aged 85 pts (45%). Treatment was withdrawn in 7 patients: 3 cases showed atrial fibrillation and were placed on oral anticoagulant drugs, one developed intracranial bleeding, in three patients a temporary withdrawal was due to surgery (1 colon polyposis and 2 cases of bladder papilloma). Chest pain without myocardial infarction occurred in 16 patients (revascularization was required in 9 patients). Dyspnea was present in 15 patients, but was not a cause for discontinuation of therapy. Long term treatment with ticagrelor 60 mg twice daily plus aspirin 100 mg/day showed a favourable benefit/risk profile after ACS.  In this study all patients had been given ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily for 12 months and the 60 mg twice daily dosage was started immediately thereafter, unlike PEGASUS-TIMI 54 trial in which it was prescribed within a period ranging from 1 day to 1 year after discontinuation of the 90 mg dose. This makes our results more consistent with current clinical practice. However, a careful outpatient follow-up and constant counseling are mandatory to check out compliance to therapy and adverse side effects.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a pediatric population from south Italy without symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 has had dramatic consequences on the world population in morbidity and mortality and socially. Clinical manifestations range from common cold-like to more severe disease such as bronchitis, pneumonia, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, multi-organ failure and even death. The pediatric population may be infected with SARS-CoV-2, but is less likely to be symptomatic or develop severe symptoms. METHODS: We analyzed a cohort of pediatric subjects from Campania Region, south Italy, without symptoms of SARS-CoV2, to evaluate the distribution of infection in relation to gender and age. Detection on nasopharyngeal swabs was performed with two different RT-PCR methods, a qualitative rapid test (VitaPCRTM SARS-CoV-2 assay) and a quantitative test (SARS-CoV-2 ELITe MGB® assay). RESULTS: Positive subjects were 52.63% male and 47.36% female. Regarding age distribution, we described a consistent increase of detection rate (82.45%) in 0-2 year-old patients. CONCLUSION: The importance of children in transmitting the virus remains uncertain; however our analysis of the distribution of the infection in these subjects may help monitor SARS-CoV2 spread in the general population.

Effects of AT1 receptor antagonism with candesartan on endothelial function in patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease.

Endothelial dysfunction is a major determinant of atherosclerosis and a negative prognostic factor in patients with coronary artery disease and hypertension. Recovery of endothelial dysfunction has been associated with improved prognosis in these patients. The aim of the present study was to verify whether antagonism of angiotensin II AT1 receptors with an angiotensin receptor blocker, candesartan, improved endothelial function in patients with hypertension, stable coronary artery disease, and endothelial dysfunction. We studied 26 patients who were receiving beta-blockers with optimal blood pressure control, in a randomized, double blind study. Patients were randomized to placebo (n=13) or to candesartan 16 mg/d (n=13) for 2 months. Endothelial function was assessed by ultrasound using hyperemic flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery. Mean arterial blood pressure was unchanged in both groups (from 93.3 +/- 9.2 to 93.2 +/- 17.3 mm Hg in the candesartan group and from 101.3 +/- 14.2 to 102.3 +/- 13.9 mm Hg in the placebo group; both P=ns). Maximal blood flow was similar between placebo and candesartan groups at baseline and at the end of the study, whereas flow-mediated dilation significantly increased in the candesartan group (from 5.27% +/- 1.69% to 7.15% +/- 2.67%; P=0.01) but remained unchanged in the placebo group (from 4.49% +/- 1.97% to 5.88% +/- 2.30%; P=ns). AT1 receptor antagonism with candesartan, in addition to b-blocker therapy, improves endothelial function in high-risk hypertensive patients.

Rest-redistribution 201-Thallium single photon emission computed tomography predicts myocardial infarction and cardiac death in patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction.

UNLABELLED: The prognostic role of rest-redistribution 201-Thallium imaging has not been extensively investigated in patients with left ventricular ischemic dysfunction. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of rest-redistribution 201-Thallium single photon emission computed tomography to predict cardiac death and occurrence of acute myocardial infarction in patients with ischemic mild-to-moderate left ventricular dysfunction. METHODS: One-hundred and twenty-six patients with chronic coronary artery disease and mean left ventricular ejection fraction 39 +/- 11% were followed-up for 30 +/- 17 months after a rest-redistribution 201-Thallium imaging single photon emission computed tomography. Cardiac death and acute myocardial infarction were considered as major cardiac events. RESULTS: During the follow up, 11 (9%) cardiac deaths and 9 (7%) acute myocardial infarctions occurred. The only variable showing significant difference between patients with and without events was the number of severe irreversible defects (1.7 +/- 1.9 versus 0.9 +/- 1.2, respectively; P = 0.02). By Kaplan-Meier analysis, the presence of three or less, or more than three severe defects was selected as the best cutoff to identify patients with longer event-free survival from cardiac death or acute myocardial infarction (log rank 19.84; P < 0.0001). When only cardiac death was considered as clinical event, the presence of at least two severe defects best separated patients who died from those who survived (log rank 8.68; P = 0.0032). CONCLUSION: Rest-redistribution 201-Thallium single photon emission computed tomography provides prognostic information in coronary patients with mild-to-moderate left ventricular dysfunction. The number of severe irreversible defects per patient is a powerful predictor of prognosis.

[Early interventricular septum rupture after systemic thrombolysis in a patient with STEMI]. / Rottura precoce di setto interventricolare dopo trombolisi sistemica nell'infarto miocardico acuto con ST elevation.

Intraventricular septal rupture (ISR) is one of the most dreadful complications during AMI, requiring early diagnosis and urgent surgery. However, medical (90%) and surgical (50%) mortality remain elevated. We report a case of a 59 years old patient with infero-posterior AMI complicated by ISR after thrombolysis. Despite early recognition of this complication by trans-thoracic echocardiography at bedside and prompt surgical intervention the patient died on the second post-surgical day.

Relation of brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation to significant coronary artery disease in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

In patients at risk for coronary atherosclerosis, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) rules out significant coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the value of this approach is unknown in patients with peripheral arterial disease who are at increased risk for CAD. This study assessed whether the noninvasive evaluation of endothelial function by brachial artery FMD rules out significant CAD by dipyridamole myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in patients with peripheral arterial disease who are asymptomatic for CAD. Forty-four patients with peripheral arterial disease who were asymptomatic for CAD underwent, in the same day, FMD evaluation and dipyridamole MPI using technetium-99m sestamibi single photon-emission computed tomography. MPI results were abnormal in 17 of 44 patients (39%). FMD was significantly less (6.0 +/- 2.3%) in patients with abnormal MPI results compared with those with normal MPI results (7.3 +/- 1.8%, p = 0.04). By multivariate analysis, FMD was the only significant predictor of abnormal MPI results (odds ratio 0.63, p = 0.02). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis assessing the ability of FMD to identify patients with summed stress scores > or =3 yielded an area under the curve of 0.74 (p = 0.009). A FMD value >6% provided 92% negative predictive power to rule out abnormal MPI results, with sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 73%. In conclusion, the noninvasive evaluation of endothelial function by FMD has high negative predictive accuracy and good sensitivity and specificity to detect abnormal MPI results in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Thus, it may represent a valuable screening test to rule out significant CAD in these patients.

Relación entre Maculopatía y Catarata en pacientes miopes elevados / Relation between maculopathy and cataract in high myopic patients

Se llevó a cabo una investigación de tipo clínico-epidemiológica para estudiar la relación existente entre maculopatía y catarata en pacientes con miopía elevada. Se elaboraron estadísticamente dos muestras para comparar los resultados: una constituida por pacientes miopes elevados y la otra por emétropes e hipermétropes. Se encontró que la maculopatía está presente en al menos la mitad de los miopes, que es directamente proporcional a la entidad de esta última y que hay un elevado grado de asociación entre los dos ojos por lo que respecta la presencia o ausencia de anomalías. Finalmente se puede decir que hay una relación tendencial entre maculopatía y gravedad de la catarata en pacientes miopes