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1.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 28(4): 1632-1638, 2024 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38436196

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and autoimmune liver disease (AILD) has been already described so far in the last three years. This rise has set up some diagnostic and therapeutic concerns, although steroid therapy has mostly been efficient, avoiding main significant side effects. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 52-year-old subject displaying liver function impairment at the laboratory tests while positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) swab. Needle liver biopsy showed severe portal inflammation, interface hepatitis, lobular inflammation, abundant plasma cells, bridging necrosis, endothelialitis, bile duct vanishing disease, and ductular reaction. The diagnosis of autoimmune liver disease (AILD) was performed. After a month of steroid and ursodeoxycholic acid medications, liver function fully recovered. Azathioprine was introduced, and steroids were gradually reduced. CONCLUSIONS: Probably triggered by the SARS-CoV-2-induced cytokine storm, the association between COVID-19 and autoimmune-related inflammatory injury may display a particular paradigm of AILD pathogenesis.


Assuntos
Doenças dos Ductos Biliares , COVID-19 , Hepatite Autoimune , Hepatopatias , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19/complicações , Hepatopatias/diagnóstico , Hepatopatias/tratamento farmacológico , Hepatopatias/etiologia , Hepatite Autoimune/diagnóstico , Hepatite Autoimune/tratamento farmacológico , Inflamação , Ácido Ursodesoxicólico/uso terapêutico
2.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 27(8): 3784-3792, 2023 04.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37140327

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: The atherosclerotic plaque is a complex dynamic pathological lesion of the arterial wall, characterized by multiple elementary lesions of different diagnostic and prognostic significance. Fibrous cap thickness, lipid necrotic core dimension, inflammation, intra-plaque hemorrhage (IPH), plaque neovascularization and endothelial dysfunction (erosions) are generally considered the most relevant morphological details of plaque morphology. In this review, the most relevant features able to discriminate between stable and vulnerable plaques at histological level are discussed. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Retrospectively, we have evaluated the laboratory results from one hundred old histological samples from patients treated with carotid endarterectomy. These results were analyzed to assess elementary lesions that characterize stable and unstable plaques. RESULTS: A thin fibrous cap (<65 micron), loss of smooth muscle cells, collagen depletion, a large lipid-rich necrotic core, infiltrating macrophages, IPH and intra-plaque vascularization are identified as the most important risk factors associated with plaque rupture. CONCLUSIONS: Immunohistochemistry for smooth muscle actin (smooth muscle cell marker) and for CD68 (marker of monocytes/macrophages) and glycophorin (marker of red blood cells) are suggested as useful tools for an in deep characterization of any carotid plaque and for distinguishing plaque phenotypes at histology. Since patients with a carotid vulnerable plaque are at higher risk of developing vulnerable plaques in other arteries as well, the definition of the vulnerability index is underlined, in order to stratify patients at higher risk for undergoing cardiovascular events.


Assuntos
Aterosclerose , Estenose das Carótidas , Endarterectomia das Carótidas , Placa Aterosclerótica , Humanos , Placa Aterosclerótica/patologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Artérias Carótidas , Aterosclerose/patologia , Hemorragia , Fibrose , Lipídeos , Estudos Observacionais como Assunto
3.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 26(22): 8502-8507, 2022 11.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36459031

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: The notochord acts as a patterning structure, playing a key role in the formation of the vertebral column, both indirectly by inducing sclerotome cell differentiation and directly by forming the nucleus pulposus of intervertebral discs. The abnormal development of the notochord results in an easy equation with a variety of birth defects. Therefore, we focused our attention on the analysis of the early stages of human notochord development by highlighting the role of progenitor stem cells involved in the origin of intervertebral discs (IVDs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight human fetuses, ranging from 8 up to 21 weeks of gestational age, were obtained from spontaneous abortion or voluntary interruption of gestation. Samples were 10% formalin-fixed, routinely processed, and paraffin-embedded. Five micron-tick paraffin sections were obtained from each sample. Sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and PAS stain for a morphological examination. Tissue samples were immunostained with a commercial anti-human CD44 rabbit monoclonal antibody at 1:100 dilution. RESULTS: Immunoreactivity for CD44 was detected in six out of eight notochords examined in this study. Reactivity for CD44 was restricted to progenitor cells giving rise to the nucleus pulposus (NP) of the developing IVDs. Positive cells showed a membranous and/or cytoplasmic immunostaining, no reactivity was observed in the nuclear compartment. CD44 expression was always restricted to IVD precursor cells, whereas cartilage precursors were devoid of labelling. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows, for the first time, that the stem cell marker CD44 selectively marks intervertebral disc progenitor cells, paralleling their differentiation toward a discogenic phenotype. Therefore, our results suggest that CD44 plays a key role in IVD development, allowing its differentiation from surrounding undifferentiated notochordal cells toward a IVD phenotype. Given the role of CD44 in IVD development, we may hypothesize that low CD44 levels might be associated with changes in IVD development and with susceptibility to develop back pain later in life.


Assuntos
Notocorda , Núcleo Pulposo , Feminino , Gravidez , Humanos , Células-Tronco , Diferenciação Celular , Coluna Vertebral , Receptores de Hialuronatos
4.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 26(17): 6273-6282, 2022 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36111928

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: L1  cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) is a glycoprotein characterized by three components: an extracellular region, a transmembrane segment, and a cytoplasmic tail. L1CAM is expressed in multiple human cells, including neurons. The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 has been implicated in a variety of neurologic processes, including neuritogenesis and cerebellar cell migration. The presence of L1CAM on the surface of nerve cells allows the adhesion of neurons among them. Furthermore, when it is bound to itself or to other proteins, L1-CAM induces signals inside the cell. The aim of this work was to study L1CAM expression in the human spinal cord during development, at different gestational ages, through immunohistochemistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis for L1CAM was performed in five human spinal cord samples, including three embryos and two fetuses of different gestational ages, ranging from 8 to 12 weeks. RESULTS: L1CAM expression was detected in all 5 spinal cords examined in this study. The adhesion molecule was found in the vast majority of cells. The highest levels of immunoreactivity for L1CAM were detected at the periphery of the developing organs, in the spinal cord zones occupied by sensory and motor fibers. In the alar and basal columns, immunoreactivity for L1CAM was characterized by a reticular pattern, being mainly expressed in axons. Strong reactivity of L1CAM was also found in extracellular vesicles. This extracellular localization might indicate the ability of L1CAM to mediate the transduction of extracellular signals that support axon outgrowth. CONCLUSIONS: The high reactivity of L1cam in the axons of developing neurons in the fetal spinal cord confirms previous studies on the ability of L1CAM to promote axon sprouting and branching in the developing nervous system. In this work, a new actor is reported to have a role in the complex field of human spinal cord development: L1CAM, whose expression is highly found in the developing neuronal and glial precursors.


Assuntos
Vesículas Extracelulares , Molécula L1 de Adesão de Célula Nervosa , Medula Espinal , Axônios/metabolismo , Embrião de Mamíferos , Vesículas Extracelulares/metabolismo , Humanos , Lactente , Molécula L1 de Adesão de Célula Nervosa/genética , Molécula L1 de Adesão de Célula Nervosa/metabolismo , Medula Espinal/embriologia , Medula Espinal/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Medula Espinal/metabolismo
5.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 26(12): 4346-4353, 2022 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35776035

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules. The present study investigated the expression of L1CAM during the development in the fetal human kidney at different gestational ages, to reach a better knowledge on the role of L1CAM in renal morphogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The immunohistochemical analysis for L1CAM was performed in 24 fetal kidneys of different gestational ages, ranging from 10 to 38 weeks. L1CAM expression was observed in all 24 kidneys examined. RESULTS: Immunoreactivity for L1CAM was restricted to the collecting tubules, of the developing fetal kidneys. Moreover, L1CAM was detected in the ureteric bud tips, near the subcapsular metanephric mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells. L1CAM was also expressed in the collecting tubules undergoing fusion with the distal tubules of the developing nephrons. L1CAM was mainly expressed along the cell membrane. In fetal kidneys in which the renal pelvis was observed, epithelial cells of the renal pelvis showed strong membranous reactivity for L1CAM. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that L1CAM is expressed in all stages of human kidney nephrogenesis, being restricted to the renal structures derived from the ureteric bud. The expression of L1CAM in the cells of the ureteric bud tips suggests a major role for this adhesion molecule in the induction of metanephric mesenchymal cells to undergo mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and differentiation into new nephrons. The interindividual variability in L1CAM expression observed in this study might be related to different levels of nephrogenesis, suggesting L1CAM involvement in the fetal programming of adult kidney diseases.


Assuntos
Nefropatias/genética , Rim/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Molécula L1 de Adesão de Célula Nervosa/genética , Adulto , Idade Gestacional , Humanos , Lactente , Rim/metabolismo , Néfrons
6.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 26(10): 3585-3592, 2022 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35647840

RESUMO

The growing incidence of cancers is pushing oncologists to find out new explanations other than the somatic mutation theory, based on the accumulation of DNA mutations. In particular, the embryo-fetal exposure to an increasing number of environmental factors during gestation might represent a trigger able to influence the susceptibility of the newborn to develop cancer later in life. This idea agrees with the fetal programming theory, also known as the Barker hypothesis. Here the role of insulin-like growth factors, thymosin beta-4, and epigenome are discussed as mediators of cancer in prenatal human development. The role of epigenetic factors that during gestation increase the predisposition to develop cancer and the similarities in the gene expression (like MMP9, OPN, TP53 and CDKN2A) between embryonic development and cancer are key factors. Likewise, maternal obesity might be able to re-program embryo-fetal development with long-term changes, including an increased risk to develop neuroblastoma and acute leukemia. Birth weight alone and birth weight corrected for gestational age are proposed as important variables capable of predicting the vulnerability to develop cancers. According to the findings here reported, we hypothesize that cancer prevention should start during gestation by improving the quality of maternal diet. In conclusion, the Barker hypothesis should be applied to cancer as well. Therefore, the identification of the epigenetic factors of cancer appears mandatory, so that the cancer prevention might start in the womb before birth.


Assuntos
Desenvolvimento Fetal , Neoplasias , Peso ao Nascer , Carcinogênese , Epigenômica , Feminino , Desenvolvimento Fetal/genética , Humanos , Recém-Nascido , Neoplasias/genética , Gravidez
7.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 26(8): 3025-3029, 2022 04.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35503602

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have confirmed the key mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 enters human cells. It is well established that ACE2 is the receptor that can mark the beginning of the infection. In light of this, the organs that express higher levels of ACE2 are generally considered at higher risk, while those with lower levels should be somehow more protected. This - if related to the scarcity of ace2-expressing cells in the brain - seems to contrast with the presence of a variety of neurological symptoms that follow infection with ace2.  The aim of this work was to analyze ACE2 expression in the human brain, focusing on the choroid plexuses. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty brain samples were obtained at autopsy from ten human fetuses and from ten adult subjects. All samples were selected to contain the choroid plexus. Specimens were fixed in 10% formalin, routinely processed and paraffin embedded. 5-micron sections were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and immunostained with a commercial anti-human ACE2 rabbit monoclonal antibody at 1:100 dilution. RESULTS: We analyzed 20 samples by immunohistochemistry, and we noted that, as far as fetal samples are concerned, a strong reactivity for ACE2 was detected in the myxoid stroma of the choroid plexuses and in the endothelial cells in fetuses. The complete absence of the ACE2 marker was detected in epithelial cells, neurons and glial cells of the cerebral cortex, both in fetuses and in adults. Whereas a  strong but selective reactivity for ACE2 was also detected in adult choroid plexuses, mainly localized in the endothelial cells of the choroid capillaries. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a strong expression of ACE in the fetal and adult brain choroid plexuses. This new histopathological finding may clarify the susceptibility of the human brain to SARS-COV-2 infection. Our data indicate the choroid plexus as the entry gate of virus for in the human brain; therefore, the entrance of SARS-CoV-2 into the cerebrospinal fluid through the choroid plexuses might represent the mechanism utilized by this coronavirus to cause direct injury to brain cells.


Assuntos
Enzima de Conversão de Angiotensina 2 , COVID-19 , Corioide , Plexo Corióideo , Células Endoteliais , Humanos , SARS-CoV-2
8.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 26(9): 3301-3309, 2022 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35587082

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP), also known as diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI), is a small phylogenetically conserved protein. This ancestral peptide is multifunctional, performing intracellular activities as ACBP protein or extracellular roles as DBI. Several studies showed its endless facets, including a relevant activity as appetite stimulator and as anabolic factor. High levels of ACBP have been described in erythrocytes, liver, kidney, and gut cells. The aim of this study was to analyze, at immunohistochemical level, the expression of ACBP in fetal human tissues during development, focusing on the developing kidney. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemistry for ACBP was performed on 30 human fetal kidneys, from 15 fetuses of gestational age ranging from 13 to 19 weeks. At autopsy, all kidney samples were 10% formalin-fixed, routinely processed and paraffin-embedded. Five micron-thick paraffin sections were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin and PAS stain for a morphological examination. RESULTS: ACBP was detected in all 30 kidneys analyzed in this study. No significant changes in ACBP expression were observed at different gestational ages. Immunostaining for ACBP was restricted to the epithelium covering the renal pelvis, the papillae, the collecting tubules, and the proximal and distal tubules. On the other hand, medullary regions and in the metanephric mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells did not show any reactivity for ACBP. CONCLUSIONS: According to our findings, ACBP should be considered as a new player in the complex field of human nephrogenesis, given that it was detected in all fetal kidneys immunostained. Its preferential localization in the renal structures derived from the Wolf duct, such as pelvis epithelium and collecting ducts, suggests a major role for ACBP in the induction of the metanephric mesenchymal cells toward the differentiation into glomerular structures. ACBP expression in proximal and distal tubules, two structures originating from the metanephric mesenchyme, indicates a further role of this protein in nephron development. In conclusion, ACBP should be added to the multiple molecules involved in human nephrogenesis.


Assuntos
Inibidor da Ligação a Diazepam , Rim , Coenzima A/metabolismo , Humanos , Rim/embriologia , Rim/metabolismo
9.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 26(1): 270-277, 2022 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35049004

RESUMO

Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a rare new syndrome occurring after the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine immunization. Patients with VITT are characterized by a variable clinical presentation, likewise also the outcome of these patients is very variable. Here we report the lung ultrastructural findings in the course of VITT of a 58-year-old male patient. Alveoli were mainly dilated, irregular in shape, and occupied by a reticular network of fibrin, while interalveolar septa appeared thickened. The proliferation of small capillaries gave rise to plexiform structures and pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis-like features. Near the alveoli occupied by a dense fibrin network, the medium-sized arteries showed a modified wall and an intraluminal thrombus. This scenario looks quite similar to that found during COVID-19, where the lungs suffer from the attack of the antigen-antibodies complexes and the virus respectively. In both diseases, the final outcome is a severe inflammation, activation of the haemostatic system and fibrinolysis.


Assuntos
ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/efeitos adversos , Lesão Pulmonar/etiologia , Lesão Pulmonar/patologia , Púrpura Trombocitopênica Idiopática/induzido quimicamente , Vacinação/efeitos adversos , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/imunologia , Fibrina , Humanos , Lesão Pulmonar/diagnóstico por imagem , Lesão Pulmonar/imunologia , Masculino , Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Tecido Parenquimatoso/patologia , Púrpura Trombocitopênica Idiopática/diagnóstico , Púrpura Trombocitopênica Idiopática/imunologia
10.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 25(23): 7285-7296, 2021 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34919228

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a complicated tumor, involving several oncogenic signaling pathways, and with a molecular mechanism not fully understood yet. The implication of thymosin ß4 (Tß4) with tumor insurgence and in migration of CRC cells was evidenced in the past with different methodologies, while Tß10 connection with CRC has been sporadically investigated. This study focused on the implication of both types of thymosin in CRC progression and invasion by analyzing the changes in their levels according to different zones of the tumor, and to Dukes stage and budding index. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tß4 and Tß10 were analyzed in deep and superficial tumor samples, and normal mucosa from 18 patients. Concentrations of Tß4 and Tß10 have been measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to electrospray-ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS). MS data were compared by t-test and ANOVA statistical analysis. Identification of thymosin and their proteoforms has been performed by HPLC-high resolution-ESI-IT-MSMS. RESULTS: Both Tß4 and Tß10, exhibited intra-tumoral quantitative differences, being upregulated in the deep part of the CRC. They exhibited, moreover, strong association with the Dukes stage and the budding grade, being more concentrated in patients at Dukes stage B and with budding index "2". CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained in the present investigation encouraged the hypothesis that the two thymosin are involved in colorectal cancer progression, and in promoting cancer invasion. Thus, they are good candidates to be diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and therapy targets.


Assuntos
Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Timosina/metabolismo , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão/métodos , Progressão da Doença , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Invasividade Neoplásica , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Prognóstico , Transdução de Sinais , Espectrometria de Massas por Ionização por Electrospray/métodos
11.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 25(20): 6439-6442, 2021 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34730226

RESUMO

Arterial thromboembolic complications reported in patients with COVID-19 infection suggested that SARS-CoV-2 can trigger atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability. While endothelial cells in healthy subjects protect against thrombus formation, after injury they show prothrombotic activity. In addition, it has been hypothesized that "cytokine storm" might stimulate the production of neo-platelets triggering an abnormal "immunothrombosis" responsible for the hypercoagulable state induced in COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study is to report a case of severe COVID-19 infection characterized by the occurrence of microthrombosis in the vasa vasorum of the aorta. A 67-year-old male patient, in good health status and without comorbidities, who underwent a severe COVID-19 infection with fatal outcome, showed scattered aortic atherosclerotic plaques, characterized by multiple occlusive micro-thromboses in the vasa vasorum, spread out lymphocytic infiltrates and foci of endotheliitis and endothelial detachment. This case report confirms the previously described thrombotic involvement of vasa vasorum in COVID-19. The occurrence of the synchronous damage involving both the lumen surface (endothelial dysfunction, endotheliitis and endothelial detachment) and the adventitia (inflammation and occlusive thrombosis of vasa vasorum) could be the key points related to the fatal outcome of the SARS-CoV-2 patients. In our opinion, vasa vasorum thrombosis may thus initiate an atherogenic process that could be characterized by a much more rapid development.


Assuntos
Doenças da Aorta/complicações , COVID-19/patologia , Microvasos/patologia , Placa Aterosclerótica/patologia , Vasa Vasorum/patologia , Idoso , Doenças da Aorta/patologia , Humanos , Masculino
12.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 25(21): 6633-6641, 2021 Nov.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34787867

RESUMO

The risk stratification of young adults between subjects who will develop a mild form of atherosclerosis and subjects who will undergo a severe disease remains inaccurate. In the eighties of the previous century, David JP Barker has demonstrated the relationship between fetal conditions and occurrence of pathologies in adulthood. In this paper, the multiple evidence that might explain the increased susceptibility to severe forms of atherosclerosis, including stroke and cardiac infarct, in subjects who underwent intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) will be analyzed. Specifically, we will review those inter-connected data indicating an association between a low weight at birth and an adult phenotype which might favor a severe outcome of atherosclerosis. Young and adult subjects born too small (IUGR) or too early (pre-terms) might represent a subgroup of "at risk subjects", more susceptible toward severe forms of atherosclerosis. Given that low birth weight (LBW) may be considered a surrogate of IUGR, this phenotypic feature could be considered among those indispensable clinical data collected in every patient presenting with atherosclerosis, irrespectively of age. According to the hypothesis that structural arterial changes might represent the link between LBW and susceptibility to atherosclerosis later in life, we suggest that the prevention of atherosclerosis should begin at birth. Regenerative and physiological substances such as thymosin Beta-4 could be challenged for a new "arterial regenerative medicine" in the perinatal period. The goal of this new approach should be the reinforcement of the structure of the arterial wall, allowing LBW newborns to avoid the most severe complications of atherosclerosis later in life: a dream that our research could contribute to bringing to life.


Assuntos
Aterosclerose/epidemiologia , Desenvolvimento Fetal , Infarto do Miocárdio/epidemiologia , Acidente Vascular Cerebral/epidemiologia , Adulto , Suscetibilidade a Doenças , Retardo do Crescimento Fetal , Humanos , Recém-Nascido de Baixo Peso , Recém-Nascido , Fatores de Risco
13.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 25(18): 5876-5884, 2021 Sep.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34604981

RESUMO

The risk stratification of young adults between subjects who will develop a mild form COVID-19 and subjects who will undergo a severe disease remains inaccurate. In this review, we propose that the Barker hypothesis might explain the increased susceptibility to severe forms of COVID-19 in subjects who underwent intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In this paper evidence indicating an association between a low birth weight and an adult phenotype which might favor a severe outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection are presented: lower lung functional capacity; increased respiratory morbidity; changes in fibrinogen and Factor VII serum levels and dysregulation of the hemostasis and thrombosis system; acquisition of a pro-thrombotic phenotype; low nephron number, with decreased ability to sustain renal function and increased renal morbidity; heart remodeling, with a less efficient cardiac function; endothelial dysfunction, a risk factor for the insurgence of the multiple organ failure; remodeling of arteries, with changes in the elastic properties of the arterial wall, predisposing to the insurgence and progression of atherosclerosis; dysfunction of the innate immune system, a risk factor for immune diseases in adulthood. These data suggest that young and adult subjects born too small (IUGR) or too early (pre-terms) might represent a subgroup of "at risk subjects", more susceptible toward severe forms of COVID-19. Given that LBW may be considered a surrogate of IUGR, this phenotypic marker should be included among the indispensable clinical data collected in every patient presenting with SARS-COV-2 infection, irrespectively of his/her age.


Assuntos
COVID-19/epidemiologia , Suscetibilidade a Doenças/epidemiologia , Desenvolvimento Fetal , Suscetibilidade a Doenças/virologia , Retardo do Crescimento Fetal , Humanos , Recém-Nascido de Baixo Peso , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Adulto Jovem
14.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 25(19): 5904-5912, 2021 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34661248

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Liver injury has been reported in patients with COVID-19. This condition is characterized by severe outcome and could be related with the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to activate cytotoxic T cells. The purpose of this study is to show the histological and scanning electron microscopy features of liver involvement in COVID-19 to characterize the liver changes caused by the activation of multiple molecular pathways following this infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Liver biopsies from 4 patients (3 post-mortems and 1 in vivo) with COVID-19 were analyzed with histology and by scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: The liver changes showed significant heterogeneity. The first case showed ground glass hepatocytes and scattered fibrin aggregates in the sinusoidal lumen. The second evidenced intra-sinusoidal thrombi. The third was characterized by sinusoidal dilatation, atrophy of hepatocytes, Disse's spaces dilatation and intra-sinusoidal aggregates of fibrin and red blood cells. The fourth case exhibited diffuse fibrin aggregates in the dilated Disse spaces and microthrombi in the sinusoidal lumen. CONCLUSIONS: In COVID-19-related liver injury, a large spectrum of pathological changes was observed. The most peculiar features were very mild inflammation, intra-sinusoidal changes, including sinusoidal dilatation, thrombotic sinusoiditis and diffuse intra-sinusoidal fibrin deposition. These findings suggested that a thrombotic sinusoiditis followed by a local diffuse intra-vascular (intra-sinusoidal) coagulation could be the typical features of the SARS-CoV-2-related liver injury.


Assuntos
Transtornos da Coagulação Sanguínea/patologia , COVID-19/patologia , Hepatopatias/patologia , Fígado/patologia , Trombose/patologia , Idoso , Autopsia , Biópsia , Eritrócitos/patologia , Fibrina , Hepatócitos/patologia , Humanos , Masculino , Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Trombose/complicações , Adulto Jovem
15.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 25(17): 5518-5524, 2021 Sep.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34533802

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: In liver cirrhosis, a complex coagulopathy does exist. The aim was to investigate whether a possible chronic consumption coagulopathy is the underlying phenomenon of the disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We measured endogenous thrombin generation with and without thrombomodulin (ETP ratio) along with D-Dimer in a group of consecutive 282 cirrhotic patients. Fibrinogen, Platelet count and the Hemorrhagic score were previously computed in the same patients. The ETP ratio represents the resistance to the anticoagulant activity of TM and should be considered as an index of a procoagulant imbalance. RESULTS: ETP ratio and D-Dimer showed higher values in the cirrhotic patients when compared to controls thus showing a hypercoagulable state. When the patients were divided based on the Hemorrhagic score >7, we found that Fibrinogen, ETP ratio, D-Dimer and the platelet count were significantly different between the two groups. Again, when we considered ETP ratio >0.88, the median value of the cirrhotic patients, all parameters, were statistically different between the two groups. D-Dimer were higher while fibrinogen and platelet count were statistically lower in cirrhotic patients with higher ETP ratio values. Even when the same patients were divided based on their platelet count ( 100 x 109/L) the results showed a similar behavior. ROC curves showed significant AUCs when the hemorrhagic score was challenged against Fibrinogen, D-Dimer, Platelet count and ETP ratio. CONCLUSIONS: In liver cirrhosis hypercoagulable state is associated with an increase in D-Dimer levels along with a decrease in fibrinogen and platelet count thus indicating a low-grade intravascular coagulation which predicts a high hemorrhagic risk.


Assuntos
Transtornos da Coagulação Sanguínea/fisiopatologia , Coagulação Intravascular Disseminada/fisiopatologia , Hemorragia/epidemiologia , Cirrose Hepática/complicações , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Produtos de Degradação da Fibrina e do Fibrinogênio/metabolismo , Hemorragia/etiologia , Humanos , Cirrose Hepática/sangue , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Contagem de Plaquetas , Estudos Retrospectivos , Risco , Trombina/metabolismo , Trombomodulina/metabolismo
16.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 25(15): 5063-5069, 2021 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34355379

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a new syndrome occurring primarily in healthy young adults, with a female predominance, after receiving the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine. We describe VITT syndrome characterized by severe thrombosis and thrombocytopenia found in our patient, with fatal outcome. CASE REPORT: A 58-year-old man, after 13 days from the first administration of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca), presented with abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomitus. Laboratory tests revealed a severe thrombocytopenia, low fibrinogen serum levels and marked increase of D-dimer serum levels. The patient quickly developed a multiple organ failure, till death, three days after the hospital admission. RESULTS: At histology, in the lungs, interalveolar septa appeared thickened with microthrombi in the capillaries and veins. Interalveolar septa appeared thickened and showed vascular proliferation. Thrombi were detected in the capillaries of glomerular tufts. In the hearth, thrombi were observed in veins and capillaries. In the liver, voluminous fibrin thrombi were diffusely observed in the branches of the portal vein. Microthrombi were also found in the vasa vasorum of the wall of abdominal aorta. In the brain, microthrombi were observed in the capillaries of the choroid plexuses. Diffuse hemorrhagic necrosis was observed in the intestinal wall with marked congestion of the venous vessels. CONCLUSIONS: In our patient, the majority of data necessary for a VITT final diagnosis were present: thrombocytopenia and thrombosis in pulmonary, portal, hepatic, renal and mesenteric veins, associated with a marked increase of D-dimer serum levels. The finding of cerebral thrombosis in choroid plexuses, is a new finding in VITT. These features are suggestive for a very aggressive form of VITT.


Assuntos
Vacinas contra COVID-19/efeitos adversos , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , Púrpura Trombocitopênica Idiopática/etiologia , Trombose/etiologia , Aorta/patologia , COVID-19/sangue , Vacinas contra COVID-19/administração & dosagem , ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 , Plexo Corióideo/patologia , Produtos de Degradação da Fibrina e do Fibrinogênio/metabolismo , Humanos , Íleo/patologia , Rim/patologia , Fígado/patologia , Pulmão/patologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Miocárdio/patologia , Púrpura Trombocitopênica Idiopática/sangue , Trombose/sangue
17.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 25(12): 4336-4344, 2021 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34227068

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Wilson's Disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive copper overload. Several mutations of the copper pump named ATP7B have been involved. WD is difficult to diagnose mainly because of its heterogeneity of presentation. The histologic spectrum is wide and not specific, ranging from very mild changes to severe disease. The histological picture of WD may overlap different conditions, including ALD, NAFLD, viral hepatitis or autoimmune liver disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We describe our experience on WD based on a single-center series of liver biopsies. One-hundred twenty-seven liver samples from 43 Sardinian WD patients were reviewed. The most reported pattern was steatohepatitis, accounting 82/127 biopsies (64.6%), followed by hepatitis in 25 biopsies (19.7%), and steatosis in 20 biopsies (15.7%). RESULTS: As for the elementary lesions, inflammation, steatosis, glycogenated nuclei and ballooning were the most frequent, being found in 107, 102, 90 and 86 biopsies out of the 127. Notably, all these lesions showed a predominant periportal location. There was no significant difference in the diagnostic pattern or in each elementary lesion between the biopsies performed at presentation and those performed during the follow-up. Lipogranuloma (significantly more numerous in the follow-up biopsies) and fibrosis (likewise significantly progressed in follow-up biopsies) were the only exceptions. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm the variability of the histological pattern in WD. However, the preferential localization of steatosis and balloon cells in periportal zone can be a useful clue for the diagnosis of WD.


Assuntos
Degeneração Hepatolenticular/diagnóstico , Fígado/patologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto Jovem
18.
Cell Regen ; 10(1): 22, 2021 Jul 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34219203

RESUMO

Microanatomy of the vast majority of human organs at birth is characterized by marked differences as compared to adult organs, regarding their architecture and the cell types detectable at histology. In preterm neonates, these differences are even more evident, due to the lower level of organ maturation and to ongoing cell differentiation. One of the most remarkable finding in preterm tissues is the presence of huge amounts of stem/progenitor cells in multiple organs, including kidney, brain, heart, adrenals, and lungs. In other organs, such as liver, the completely different burden of cell types in preterm infants is mainly related to the different function of the liver during gestation, mainly focused on hematopoiesis, a function that is taken by bone marrow after birth. Our preliminary studies showed that the antigens expressed by stem/progenitors differ significantly from one organ to the next. Moreover, within each developing human tissue, reactivity for different stem cell markers also changes during gestation, according with the multiple differentiation steps encountered by each progenitor during development. A better knowledge of stem/progenitor cells of preterms will allow neonatologists to boost preterm organ maturation, favoring the differentiation of the multiple cells types that characterize each organ in at term neonates.

19.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 25(13): 4639-4643, 2021 Jul.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34286505

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by quantitative and qualitative changes in surfactant composition, leading to surfactant dysregulation with alveolar collapse and acute respiratory hypoxic failure. Recently, surfactant has been hypothesized to play a relevant role in COVID-19, representing a strong defender against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of our work was the study of immunohistochemical surfactant expression in the lungs of patients died following SARS-CoV-2 ARDS, in order to shed light on a possible therapeutic surfactant administration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated four patients who died due to ARDS following SARS-COV-2 infection and four patients submitted to lung biopsy, in the absence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In all 8 cases, lung specimens were immunostained with anti-surfactant protein A (SP-A) and B (SP-B). RESULTS: In control subjects, reactivity for SP-B was restricted to type II alveolar cells. Immunostaining for SP-A was observed on the surface of alveolar spaces. In the COVID-19 positive lungs, immunoreactivity for SP-B was similar to that observed in control lungs; SP-A was strongly expressed along the alveolar wall. Moreover, dense aggregates of SP-A positive material were observed in the alveolar spaces. CONCLUSIONS: Our immunohistochemical data show the dysregulation of surfactant production in COVID-19 patients, particularly regarding SP-A expression. The increased presence of SP-A in condensed masses inside alveolar spaces could invalidate the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment with exogenous surfactant.


Assuntos
COVID-19/metabolismo , Imuno-Histoquímica , Precursores de Proteínas/análise , Proteína A Associada a Surfactante Pulmonar/análise , Proteínas Associadas a Surfactantes Pulmonares/análise , COVID-19/diagnóstico por imagem , Humanos , Precursores de Proteínas/genética , Precursores de Proteínas/metabolismo , Alvéolos Pulmonares/diagnóstico por imagem , Alvéolos Pulmonares/metabolismo , Proteína A Associada a Surfactante Pulmonar/genética , Proteína A Associada a Surfactante Pulmonar/metabolismo , Proteínas Associadas a Surfactantes Pulmonares/genética , Proteínas Associadas a Surfactantes Pulmonares/metabolismo , Estudos Retrospectivos , SARS-CoV-2/isolamento & purificação , SARS-CoV-2/metabolismo
20.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci ; 25(11): 4064-4068, 2021 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34156684

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. Inflammation, including monocytes, T and B cells, plays a key role in its pathogenesis. Our purpose was to evaluate plasma cells' presence in a large series of carotid artery plaques and the clinical association. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight consecutive patients treated with carotid endarterectomy were retrospectively analyzed to assess plasma cells' presence inside the plaque. A semiquantitative grading score was applied, ranging from absence, scattered, clusters of 5-10, and sheets of >10 plasma cells. Plasma cell's location, as intraplaque, subendothelial or peri-adventitial, was also defined. RESULTS: In 75% of plaques analyzed, plasma cells were detected: scattered in 63.9%, in clusters in 22.2%, and in sheets in 13.9% of cases. In all cases, plasma cells were observed only inside the plaque. In 13.9% and in 11.1% of cases, plasma cells showed, respectively, a concomitant subendothelial or peri-adventitial distribution. In 5.6% of plaques, there was a simultaneous distribution in subendothelial, peri-adventitial layer, and intraplaque. Association between the presence of symptoms and plasma cells infiltrate was found. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that plasma cells could be a key parameter linked to plaque instability. Some types of configurations are significantly associated with the occurrence of cerebrovascular symptoms.


Assuntos
Estenose das Carótidas/imunologia , Plasmócitos/imunologia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Estenose das Carótidas/cirurgia , Endarterectomia das Carótidas , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade
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