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1.
Demography ; 58(4): 1473-1498, 2021 08 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34228054

RESUMO

Throughout history, technological progress has transformed population health, but the distributional effects of these gains are unclear. New substitutes for older, more expensive health technologies can produce convergence in population health outcomes but may also be prone to elite capture and thus divergence. We study the case of penicillin using detailed historical mortality statistics and exploiting its abruptly timed introduction in Italy after WWII. We find that penicillin reduced both the mean and standard deviation of infectious disease mortality, leading to substantial convergence across disparate regions of Italy. Our results do not appear to be driven by competing risks or confounded by mortality patterns associated with WWII.


Assuntos
Mortalidade , Penicilinas , Humanos , Itália/epidemiologia , Penicilinas/uso terapêutico , Dinâmica Populacional
2.
Respirology ; 25(1): 80-88, 2020 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31251440

RESUMO

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Symptoms negatively impact the quality of life and long-term prognosis of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Little is known about the relationship linking airway inflammation and symptoms in stable COPD. In this study, we evaluated whether respiratory symptoms in COPD are related to sputum inflammatory cellular profile and whether symptom changes are associated with changes in airway inflammation. METHODS: A total of 40 patients with stable COPD with moderate-to-severe airflow obstruction were enrolled. Patients were visited weekly over 4 weeks. At each visit, patients underwent clinical assessments, lung function tests and sputum induction. Patients recorded daily dyspnoea, sputum and cough scores. RESULTS: The changes between two consecutive visits in the percent of sputum neutrophils and eosinophils were related to the changes in the cough (P < 0.001; r = 0.63) and dyspnoea scores (P < 0.001; r = 0.58) of the prior week. Furthermore, using regression analyses, we were able to demonstrate that changes in the cough score were specifically associated to the change in neutrophils, while changes in the dyspnoea score and use of rescue medications were associated with changes in eosinophils numbers. CONCLUSION: Our study showed an association between symptoms and the sputum inflammatory profile. In particular, changes in symptoms (cough and dyspnoea) were correlated with changes in the specific sputum inflammatory cell components of airway inflammation (neutrophils and eosinophils, respectively), providing novel information on the mechanisms of disease manifestation.


Assuntos
Tosse/etiologia , Dispneia/etiologia , Eosinófilos , Neutrófilos , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/complicações , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Inflamação/patologia , Contagem de Leucócitos , Estudos Longitudinais , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudo de Prova de Conceito , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/tratamento farmacológico , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/fisiopatologia , Testes de Função Respiratória , Escarro/citologia , Avaliação de Sintomas
3.
Development ; 141(9): 1821-34, 2014 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24757004

RESUMO

The embryonic endothelium is a known source of hematopoietic stem cells. Moreover, vessel-associated progenitors/stem cells with multilineage mesodermal differentiation potential, such as the 'embryonic mesoangioblasts', originate in vitro from the endothelium. Using a genetic lineage tracing approach, we show that early extra-embryonic endothelium generates, in a narrow time-window and prior to the hemogenic endothelium in the major embryonic arteries, hematopoietic cells that migrate to the embryo proper, and are subsequently found within the mesenchyme. A subpopulation of these cells, distinct from embryonic macrophages, co-expresses mesenchymal and hematopoietic markers. In addition, hemogenic endothelium-derived cells contribute to skeletal and smooth muscle, and to other mesodermal cells in vivo, and display features of embryonic mesoangioblasts in vitro. Therefore, we provide new insights on the distinctive characteristics of the extra-embryonic and embryonic hemogenic endothelium, and we identify the putative in vivo counterpart of embryonic mesoangioblasts, suggesting their identity and developmental ontogeny.


Assuntos
Linhagem da Célula , Hemangioblastos/citologia , Mesoderma/citologia , Animais , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , Caderinas/metabolismo , Embrião de Mamíferos/citologia , Embrião de Mamíferos/metabolismo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/citologia , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/metabolismo , Integrases/metabolismo , Macrófagos/citologia , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Mesoderma/embriologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Modelos Biológicos , Músculo Esquelético/citologia , Músculo Esquelético/embriologia , Músculo Liso/citologia , Músculo Liso/embriologia , Receptores de Complemento 3b/metabolismo , Recombinação Genética/genética
4.
Stem Cells ; 33(5): 1377-89, 2015 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25639612

RESUMO

microRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs, which regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and play crucial roles in relevant biological and pathological processes. Here, we investigated the putative role of miRNAs in modulating the tumor-initiating potential of mouse medulloblastoma (MB)-derived cancer stem cells (CSCs). We first subjected bona fide highly tumorigenic (HT) CSCs as well as lowly tumorigenic MB CSCs and normal neural stem cells to miRNA profiling, which identified a HT CSC-specific miRNA signature. Next, by cross-checking CSC mRNA/miRNA profiles, we pinpointed miR-135a as a potential tumor suppressor gene, which was strongly downregulated in HT CSCs as well as in the highly malignant experimental tumors derived from them. Remarkably, enforced expression of miR-135a in HT CSCs strongly inhibited tumorigenesis by repressing the miR-135a direct target gene Arhgef6. Considering the upregulation of Arhgef6 in human MBs and its involvement in mediating experimental medulloblastomagenesis, its efficient suppression by miR-135a might make available an effective therapeutic strategy to selectively impair the tumorigenic potential of MB CSCs. Stem Cells 2015;33:1377-1389.


Assuntos
Carcinogênese/patologia , Meduloblastoma/patologia , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/metabolismo , Fatores de Troca de Nucleotídeo Guanina Rho/genética , Animais , Carcinogênese/genética , Agregação Celular , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/genética , Regulação para Baixo , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Meduloblastoma/genética , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , MicroRNAs/genética , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/patologia , Células-Tronco Neurais/metabolismo , Fatores de Troca de Nucleotídeo Guanina Rho/metabolismo , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/metabolismo
5.
Indian Pacing Electrophysiol J ; 16(2): 59-65, 2016.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27676162

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: AtrioVentricular (AV) and InterVentricular (VV) delay optimization can improve ventricular function in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) and is usually performed by means of echocardiography. St Jude Medical has developed an automated algorhythm which calculates the optimal AV and VV delays (QuickOpt™) based on Intracardiac ElectroGrams, (IEGM), within 2 min. So far, the efficacy of the algorhythm has been tested acutely with standard lead position at right ventricular (RV) apex. Aim of this project is to evaluate the algorhythm performance in the mid- and long-term with RV lead located in mid-septum. METHODS: AV and VV delays optimization data were collected in 13 centers using both echocardiographic and QuickOpt™ guidance in CRTD implanted patients provided with this algorhythm. Measurements of the aortic Velocity Time Integral (aVTI) were performed with both methods in a random order at pre-discharge, 6-month and 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were studied (46 males; age 68 ± 10y; EF 28 ± 7%). Maximum aVTI obtained by echocardiography at different AV delays, were compared with aVTI acquired at AV delays suggested by QuickOpt. The AV Pearson correlations were 0.96 at pre-discharge, 0.95 and 0,98 at 6- and 12- month follow-up respectively. After programming optimal AV, the same approach was used to compare echocardiographic aVTI with aVTI corresponding to the VV values provided by QuickOpt. The VV Pearson Correlation were 0,92 at pre-discharge, 0,88 and 0.90 at 6-month and 12- month follow-up respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IEGM-based optimization provides comparable results with echocardiographic method (maximum aVTI) used as reference with mid-septum RV lead location.

6.
J Allergy Clin Immunol ; 134(2): 401-10, 2014 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24792875

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by B-cell dysfunction and, in a subgroup, by expansion of CD21(low) B cells. The CD21(low) B cells display defects in early B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling resembling those of anergic B cells. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate whether B cells from patients with CVID, like anergic B cells, have defects in extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation and in endocytic trafficking of the BCR. METHODS: Using flow cytometry, we evaluated phosphorylated ERK (pERK) expression and internalization of cross-linked BCR in B-cell subsets. The localization of internalized BCR to lysosome-associated membrane protein 1-positive late endosomes was evaluated with confocal microscopy. RESULTS: Constitutive pERK levels were increased in naive and IgM(+) memory B cells of patients with CVID compared with those of healthy donors, whereas the pERK increment induced by BCR cross-linking was relatively reduced. Intravenous immunoglobulin administration enhanced these anomalies, but they appeared to be intrinsic to B cells from patients with CVID. Cross-linking-induced BCR endocytosis was decreased in the IgM(+) memory B cells, especially in those with a CD21(low) phenotype, but not in the naive B cells of patients with CVID with CD21(low) expansion. Internalized BCR localized normally to late endosomes. Pharmacologic inhibition of ERK phosphorylation suppressed BCR endocytosis in B cells of healthy patients and those with CVID. CONCLUSIONS: The B cells of patients with CVID with CD21(low) B-cell expansion resemble anergic B cells based on high constitutive pERK expression. The IgM(+) memory B cells of these patients, especially those that are CD21(low), have a defect in BCR endocytosis seemingly caused by dysregulated ERK signaling.


Assuntos
Subpopulações de Linfócitos B/metabolismo , Imunodeficiência de Variável Comum/metabolismo , MAP Quinases Reguladas por Sinal Extracelular/imunologia , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos B/imunologia , Transdução de Sinais/imunologia , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Subpopulações de Linfócitos B/imunologia , Subpopulações de Linfócitos B/patologia , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Imunodeficiência de Variável Comum/genética , Imunodeficiência de Variável Comum/imunologia , Imunodeficiência de Variável Comum/patologia , Endocitose , Endossomos/imunologia , Endossomos/metabolismo , MAP Quinases Reguladas por Sinal Extracelular/genética , Feminino , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Imunoglobulina M/genética , Imunoglobulina M/imunologia , Imunoglobulinas Intravenosas/administração & dosagem , Memória Imunológica , Proteínas de Membrana Lisossomal/genética , Proteínas de Membrana Lisossomal/imunologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fosforilação , Transporte Proteico , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos B/genética , Receptores de Complemento 3d/genética , Receptores de Complemento 3d/imunologia
7.
Muscle Nerve ; 49(4): 528-33, 2014 Apr.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23835743

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated the gene expression levels of atrogin-1, MuRF1, myostatin, follistatin, activin A, and inhibin alpha in skeletal muscle samples of patients with gastric cancer and controls. METHODS: We studied 38 cancer patients and 12 controls who underwent surgery for gastric adenocarcinoma and benign abdominal diseases, respectively. A biopsy specimen was obtained from the rectus abdominis muscle from all participants. The relative gene expression of atrogin-1, MuRF1, myostatin, follistatin, activin A, and inhibin alpha was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 mRNA expression was similar between cancer patients and controls and was unaffected by the disease stage or the severity of body weight loss. Transcript levels of myostatin and follistatin did not differ between cases and controls and were similar across disease stages and categories of weight loss. Finally, no differences were detected in activin A and inhibin alpha gene expression between cancer patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: In skeletal muscle, the gene expression of atrogin-1, MuRF1, myostatin, follistatin, activin A, and inhibin alpha is not affected by the presence of cancer. The expression of atrophy-related genes is unaffected by the disease stage and the degree of weight loss.


Assuntos
Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Proteínas Musculares/biossíntese , Músculo Esquelético/metabolismo , Atrofia Muscular/metabolismo , Neoplasias Gástricas/metabolismo , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Proteínas Musculares/genética , Músculo Esquelético/patologia , Atrofia Muscular/genética , Proteínas Ligases SKP Culina F-Box/biossíntese , Proteínas Ligases SKP Culina F-Box/genética , Neoplasias Gástricas/genética , Proteínas com Motivo Tripartido , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/biossíntese , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/genética
8.
Physiother Res Int ; 29(1): e2060, 2024 Jan.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37916455

RESUMO

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Physiotherapy is gaining a central role in oncology. However, the training and competencies needed by physiotherapists in oncology rehabilitation are still unclear. This study aims to articulate the training trajectory of physiotherapists in oncology rehabilitation from entry-level education to advanced education degrees. METHODS: Qualitative focus group study following a 'Reflexive Thematic Analysis' for data analysis. Participants were Italian physiotherapists with expertise in Oncology Rehabilitation (either clinically or academically) and Physiotherapy Bachelor of Science (BSc) course leaders, selected through purposive sampling. RESULTS: Two focus groups were conducted with 14 participants. Six themes were developed: 1. 'Entry-Level Education in Oncology Rehabilitation: Let's Have a Taste', as the BSc introduces oncology rehabilitation. 2. 'Basic Knowledge: Building up the Library' as students acquire basic knowledge on oncology rehabilitation during their BSc; 3. 'Learning by Experience: The Relevance of the Placement' to answer the question "Is this the right road for me?"; 4. 'Clinical Reasoning and Competencies in Oncology Rehabilitation Embedded in Uncertainty' because oncology physiotherapists need to deal with the uncertainty of their patients' status; 5. 'Advanced Education Degree Skills: from Appetiser to the Main Course', as advanced education degree courses allow for becoming an expert in the field; 6. 'A Call to Action for Physiotherapists: Prevention-Diagnosis-Survivorship & End of Life', to realise their critical role in all the phases of the oncology path. CONCLUSIONS: The BSc in Physiotherapy provides a foundation for future physiotherapists to understand oncology rehabilitation, but advanced education is necessary for expertise. The findings of this study have important implications for creating a shared physiotherapy curriculum in oncology rehabilitation. IMPLICATION FOR PHYSIOTHERAPY PRACTICE: This study has significant implications for improving physiotherapy curricula in oncology rehabilitation, positively impacting the skills and competencies of practitioners in this paramount field.


Assuntos
Fisioterapeutas , Humanos , Fisioterapeutas/educação , Pesquisa Qualitativa , Currículo , Grupos Focais , Modalidades de Fisioterapia
9.
Eur J Immunol ; 42(6): 1468-76, 2012 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22678901

RESUMO

A clonal population of B cells expressing a V(H) 1-69-encoded idiotype accumulates in hepatitis C virus (HCV) associated mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC). These cells are phenotypically heterogeneous, resembling either typical marginal zone (MZ) B cells (IgM(+) IgD(+) CD27(+) CD21(+) ) or the exhausted CD21(low) B cells that accumulate in HIV infection or in common variable immunodeficiency. We show that both the MZ-like and the CD21(low) V(H) 1-69(+) B cells of MC patients are functionally exhausted, since they fail to respond to TLR and BCR ligands. The proliferative defect of V(H) 1-69(+) B cells can be overcome by co-stimulation of TLR9 and BCR in the presence of interleukin(IL)-2 and IL-10. The MZ-like V(H) 1-69(+) B cells do not express the inhibitory receptors distinctive of CD21(low) B cells, but display constitutive activation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and attenuated BCR/ERK signaling. These cells also express abundant transcripts of Stra13 (DEC1, Bhlhb2, Sharp2, Clast5), a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that acts as a powerful negative regulator of B-cell proliferation and homeostasis. Our findings suggest that MZ B cells activated by HCV undergo functional exhaustion associated with BCR signaling defects and overexpression of a key antiproliferative gene, and may subsequently become terminally spent CD21(low) B cells. Premature exhaustion may serve to prevent the outgrowth of chronically stimulated MZ B cells.


Assuntos
Linfócitos B/imunologia , Crioglobulinemia/imunologia , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/fisiologia , Hepatite C/complicações , Proteínas Nucleares/fisiologia , Receptores de Complemento 3d/análise , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/análise , Feminino , Humanos , Ativação Linfocitária , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Proteínas Nucleares/análise , Fenótipo , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos B/fisiologia , Transdução de Sinais , Receptor Toll-Like 9/fisiologia
10.
Recenti Prog Med ; 104(4): 156-8, 2013 Apr.
Artigo em Italiano | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23748638

RESUMO

We report a case of idiopathic tracheal stenosis in a 75-year-old woman, who presented to our observation with a diagnosis of asthmatic bronchitis characterized by cough and exertional dyspnea, later complicated by the appearance of tirage. Biopsy of the lesion showed focal squamous metaplasia of the epithelium lining, multiple sclerosis and chronic inflammatory infiltration of the corium. The patient was treated with endoscopic destruction via rigid bronchoscopy, through the combined action of YAG laser and mechanical debulking.


Assuntos
Bronquite/etiologia , Tosse/etiologia , Dispneia/etiologia , Estenose Traqueal/complicações , Idoso , Asma/complicações , Broncoscopia , Progressão da Doença , Epitélio/patologia , Feminino , Humanos , Terapia a Laser , Metaplasia , Esclerose , Estenose Traqueal/diagnóstico , Estenose Traqueal/patologia , Estenose Traqueal/cirurgia
11.
Cancer Res ; 83(2): 195-218, 2023 01 18.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36409826

RESUMO

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a common and deadly form of brain tumor in adults. Dysregulated metabolism in GBM offers an opportunity to deploy metabolic interventions as precise therapeutic strategies. To identify the molecular drivers and the modalities by which different molecular subgroups of GBM exploit metabolic rewiring to sustain tumor progression, we interrogated the transcriptome, the metabolome, and the glycoproteome of human subgroup-specific GBM sphere-forming cells (GSC). L-fucose abundance and core fucosylation activation were elevated in mesenchymal (MES) compared with proneural GSCs; this pattern was retained in subgroup-specific xenografts and in subgroup-affiliated human patient samples. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of core fucosylation significantly reduced tumor growth in MES GBM preclinical models. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based glycoproteomic screening indicated that most MES-restricted core-fucosylated proteins are involved in therapeutically relevant GBM pathological processes, such as extracellular matrix interaction, cell adhesion, and integrin-mediated signaling. Selective L-fucose accumulation in MES GBMs was observed using preclinical minimally invasive PET, implicating this metabolite as a potential subgroup-restricted biomarker.Overall, these findings indicate that L-fucose pathway activation in MES GBM is a subgroup-specific dependency that could provide diagnostic markers and actionable therapeutic targets. SIGNIFICANCE: Metabolic characterization of subgroup-specific glioblastoma (GBM) sphere-forming cells identifies the L-fucose pathway as a vulnerability restricted to mesenchymal GBM, disclosing a potential precision medicine strategy for targeting cancer metabolism.


Assuntos
Neoplasias Encefálicas , Glioblastoma , Humanos , Glioblastoma/patologia , Fucose/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Neoplasias Encefálicas/patologia , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral
12.
J Clin Immunol ; 32(4): 729-35, 2012 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22382878

RESUMO

PURPOSE: Functionally exhausted and mostly autoreactive B-cells with a peculiar CD21(low)CD11c(+) phenotype accumulate in several human immunological disorders including common variable immunodeficiency, HIV infection and rheumatoid arthritis. In HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) there is accumulation of exhausted clonal B cells expressing a V(H)1-69-encoded cross-reactive idiotype; these cells are phenotypically heterogeneous, displaying either a CD21(low)CD11c(+) or a marginal zone (MZ)-like (IgM(+)CD27(+)CD21(+)CD11c(-)) phenotype. Irrespective of their phenotype, V(H)1-69(+) B-cells are unresponsive to the stimulation of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). We investigated the fate of these cells after the eradication of HCV. METHODS: Fourteen MC patients were studied before and after antiviral therapy. V(H)1-69(+) B-cells were identified using the G6 monoclonal antibody and their phenotype and responsiveness to the stimulation of TLR9 were investigated. RESULTS: In seven virological non-responders, cryoglobulin levels and the number and phenotype of V(H)1-69(+) B cells remained substantially unchanged. By contrast, in sustained viral responders cryoglobulinemia subsided and the number of V(H)1-69(+) B cells declined. However, high proportions of MZ-like V(H)1-69(+) B cells retaining unresponsiveness to TLR9 stimulation persisted for several months in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Clonal expansion of CD21(low) V(H)1-69(+) B cells may depend on continual stimulation by HCV, whereas their MZ-like counterparts may persist for years after the eradication of infection. Prolonged survival of exhausted MZ-like B cells after withdrawal of the initial inciting stimulus may contribute to the accumulation of autoreactive B cells in immunological disorders.


Assuntos
Anticorpos Monoclonais/sangue , Subpopulações de Linfócitos B/imunologia , Crioglobulinemia/imunologia , Hepatite C/imunologia , Adulto , Idoso , Antígeno CD11c/análise , Crioglobulinemia/virologia , Crioglobulinas/análise , Feminino , Hepacivirus/genética , Hepacivirus/imunologia , Hepatite C/terapia , Humanos , Idiótipos de Imunoglobulinas/biossíntese , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , RNA Viral/sangue , Receptores de Complemento 3d/análise , Receptor Toll-Like 9/imunologia
13.
Eur J Immunol ; 41(3): 854-62, 2011 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21287551

RESUMO

A subset of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), group 1a of the Freiburg classification, is characterized by increased B cells expressing low levels of CD21 (CD21(low) ), lymphoproliferation and autoimmunity. The CD21(low) B cells have been shown to be profoundly anergic, and defects of BCR-mediated calcium signaling and of T cells have been described in CVID 1a. We found that also the classical naïve B cells from CVID 1a patients, but not from CVID non-1a patients, proliferated poorly. The B cells of CVID 1a patients had a reduced capacity to divide reminiscent of the proliferative arrest associated with replicative senescence. Thus, we investigated whether lymphocyte dysfunction in CVID 1a was related to telomere-dependent replicative senescence, and found that both the B and the T cells from CVID 1a patients had significantly shorter telomeres compared with B and T cells from CVID non-1a patients. Telomere lengths in B and T cells were significantly correlated, indicating that the rate of telomere attrition in lymphocytes is an individual characteristic of CVID patients. Our findings suggest that telomere-dependent replicative senescence contributes to the immune dysfunction of CVID 1a patients, and may provide an important clue for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of CVID.


Assuntos
Linfócitos B/imunologia , Imunodeficiência de Variável Comum/imunologia , Linfócitos T/imunologia , Telômero/patologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Linfócitos B/patologia , Sinalização do Cálcio/imunologia , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Senescência Celular/imunologia , Imunodeficiência de Variável Comum/classificação , Imunodeficiência de Variável Comum/etiologia , Imunodeficiência de Variável Comum/patologia , Feminino , Humanos , Ativação Linfocitária , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Receptores de Complemento 3d/metabolismo , Linfócitos T/patologia , Telômero/genética , Adulto Jovem
14.
BMC Cancer ; 12: 18, 2012 Jan 17.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22251777

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Case-control studies of mass screening for lung cancer (LC) by chest x-rays (CXR) performed in the 1990s in scarcely defined Japanese target populations indicated significant mortality reductions, but these results are yet to be confirmed in western countries. To ascertain whether CXR screening decreases LC mortality at community level, we studied a clearly defined population-based cohort of smokers invited to screening. We present here the LC detection results and the 10-year survival rates. METHODS: The cohort of all smokers of > 10 pack-years resident in 50 communities of Varese, screening-eligible (n = 5,815), in July 1997 was invited to nonrandomized CXR screening. Self-selected participants (21% of cohort) underwent screening in addition to usual care; nonparticipants received usual care. The cohort was followed-up until December 2010. Kaplan-Meier LC-specific survival was estimated in participants, in nonparticipants, in the whole cohort, and in an uninvited, unscreened population (control group). RESULTS: Over the initial 9.5 years of study, 67 LCs were diagnosed in screening participants (51% were screen-detected) and 178 in nonparticipants. The rates of stage I LC, resectability and 5-year survival were nearly twice as high in participants (32% stage I; 48% resected; 30.5% 5-year survival) as in nonparticipants (17% stage I; 27% resected; 13.5% 5-year survival). There were no bronchioloalveolar carcinomas among screen-detected cancers, and median volume doubling time of incidence screen-detected LCs was 80 days (range, 44-318), suggesting that screening overdiagnosis was minimal. The 10-year LC-specific survival was greater in screening participants than in nonparticipants (log-rank, p = 0.005), and greater in the whole cohort invited to screening than in the control group (log-rank, p = 0.001). This favourable long-term effect was independently related to CXR screening exposure. CONCLUSION: In the setting of CXR screening offered to a population-based cohort of smokers, screening participants who were diagnosed with LC had more frequently early-stage resectable disease and significantly enhanced long-term LC survival. These results translated into enhanced 10-year LC survival, independently related to CXR screening exposure, in the entire population-based cohort. Whether increased long-term LC-specific survival in the cohort corresponds to mortality reduction remains to be evaluated. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN90639073.


Assuntos
Neoplasias Pulmonares/diagnóstico por imagem , Radiografia Pulmonar de Massa , Fumar/efeitos adversos , Idoso , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Itália , Neoplasias Pulmonares/mortalidade , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Taxa de Sobrevida
15.
AIDS Res Ther ; 8: 9, 2011 Mar 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21362160

RESUMO

In HIV-1 infected patients, increase of liver enzymes may be mainly due to viral coinfections, alcohol intake, hepatotoxic drugs or autoimmune diseases. Three cases of aminotransferase elevation occurred during a phase of uncontrolled viral replication combined with a severe immunodeficiency and resolved by an effective HAART are described, focusing on the etio-pathogenetic role possibly played by HIV-1 infection.

16.
JCI Insight ; 6(23)2021 12 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34673573

RESUMO

Medulloblastoma (MB), one of the most malignant brain tumors of childhood, comprises distinct molecular subgroups, with p53 mutant sonic hedgehog-activated (SHH-activated) MB patients having a very severe outcome that is associated with unfavorable histological large cell/anaplastic (LC/A) features. To identify the molecular underpinnings of this phenotype, we analyzed a large cohort of MB developing in p53-deficient Ptch+/- SHH mice that, unexpectedly, showed LC/A traits that correlated with mTORC1 hyperactivation. Mechanistically, mTORC1 hyperactivation was mediated by a decrease in the p53-dependent expression of mTORC1 negative regulator Tsc2. Ectopic mTORC1 activation in mouse MB cancer stem cells (CSCs) promoted the in vivo acquisition of LC/A features and increased malignancy; accordingly, mTORC1 inhibition in p53-mutant Ptch+/- SHH MB and CSC-derived MB resulted in reduced tumor burden and aggressiveness. Most remarkably, mTORC1 hyperactivation was detected only in p53-mutant SHH MB patient samples, and treatment with rapamycin of a human preclinical model phenocopying this subgroup decreased tumor growth and malignancy. Thus, mTORC1 may act as a specific druggable target for this subset of SHH MB, resulting in the implementation of a stringent risk stratification and in the potentially rapid translation of this precision medicine approach into the clinical setting.


Assuntos
Proteínas Hedgehog/metabolismo , Alvo Mecanístico do Complexo 1 de Rapamicina/metabolismo , Meduloblastoma/genética , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/metabolismo , Animais , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Humanos , Meduloblastoma/patologia , Camundongos
17.
Mol Oncol ; 14(9): 2163-2175, 2020 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32441866

RESUMO

Cytopathological analyses of bronchial washings (BWs) collected during fibre-optic bronchoscopy are often inconclusive for lung cancer diagnosis. To address this issue, we assessed the suitability of conducting molecular analyses on BWs, with the aim to improve the diagnosis and outcome prediction of lung cancer. The methylation status of RASSF1A, CDH1, DLC1 and PRPH was analysed in BW samples from 91 lung cancer patients and 31 controls, using a novel two-colour droplet digital methylation-specific PCR (ddMSP) technique. Mutations in ALK, BRAF, EGFR, ERBB2, KRAS, MAP2K1, MET, NRAS, PIK3CA, ROS1 and TP53 and gene fusions of ALK, RET and ROS1 were also investigated, using next-generation sequencing on 73 lung cancer patients and 14 tumour-free individuals. Our four-gene methylation panel had significant diagnostic power, with 97% sensitivity and 74% specificity (relative risk, 7.3; odds ratio, 6.1; 95% confidence interval, 12.7-127). In contrast, gene mutation analysis had a remarkable value for predictive, but not for diagnostic, purposes. Actionable mutations in EGFR, HER2 and ROS1 as well as in other cancer genes (KRAS, PIK3CA and TP53) were detected. Concordance with gene mutations uncovered in tumour biopsies was higher than 90%. In addition, bronchial-washing analyses permitted complete patient coverage and the detection of additional actionable mutations. In conclusion, BWs are a useful material on which to perform molecular tests based on gene panels: aberrant gene methylation and mutation analyses could be performed as approaches accompanying current diagnostic and predictive assays during the initial workup phase. This study establishes the grounds for further prospective investigation.


Assuntos
Lavagem Broncoalveolar , Neoplasias Pulmonares/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Técnicas de Diagnóstico Molecular , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/diagnóstico , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/genética , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/patologia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Biomarcadores Tumorais/metabolismo , Metilação de DNA/genética , Feminino , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mutação/genética
18.
J Cardiol Cases ; 20(6): 228-231, 2019 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31762840

RESUMO

Inadvertent malposition of a pacemaker lead in the left ventricle is uncommon, but it should not be misdiagnosed. We report the case of a 68-year-old woman with symptomatic sick-sinus syndrome requiring pacemaker implantation. Shortly afterwards the lead was extracted and a new pacemaker was contralaterally implanted due to pocket hematoma and suspected lead fracture. Three months later, she was referred to our echocardiography laboratory complaining of asthenia. At transthoracic echocardiography an echo-bright linear structure was recognized in left atrium, passing through the mitral valve and leaning against the posterior left ventricular wall. In short-axis and apical views, the lead apparently crossed the interatrial septum through patent foramen ovale. The QRS-paced electrocardiogram showed right bundle branch block morphology. The lead was apparently well positioned, examining the chest X-ray postero-anterior view. On the contrary, by latero-lateral view and left-anterior oblique view, lead curvature was consistent with misplacement into the left ventricle. Malposition was confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography. Given the relatively recent implant, system revision with lead extraction was scheduled and completed without complications. This case report is intended to improve our awareness in the prevention and in the prompt detection of misplaced pacemaker leads in order to manage an immediate correction. .

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