Persistent viremia and urine shedding of tick-borne encephalitis virus in an infected immunosuppressed patient from a new epidemic cluster in North-Eastern Italy.

A persistent tick-borne encephalitis virus infection in an immune-suppressed patient is presented. Such an unusual clinical case offers the unique chance of detecting persistent viremia associated to the erythrocyte fraction and shedding of the virus in the urine for more than six weeks. The infection occurred in a new area of the Friuli Venezia-Giulia region (North Eastern Italy) where two additional cases are also being reported.

[Myelodysplastic syndromes]. / Sindromi mielodisplastiche. Attualità e prospettive terapeutiche.

The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of haematological disorders with an indolent course, but invariable leukaemic transformation. Despite this, data on MDS are seldom collected by cancer registries and unbiased results from population-based studies remain rare. For decades, MDS has been a most challenging disease for biologists as well as for physicians and haematologists in terms of both diagnosis and treatment. The therapeutic dilemma that confronts the management of patients with MDS is illustrated by the absence both in Italy and in USA of an approved-agent with a specific indication for this disease. However, because of improving in prognostic instruments and because of continuing research into new treatment strategies, patients with MDS now have more articulate options than even before, with a consequent better chance of long-term survival.