Effectiveness of cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil in a child with refractory evans syndrome

Evans Syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease consisting of hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and/or neutropenia. It may be associated with other autoimmune or lymphoproliferative diseases. Its course can be extremely serious and, rarely, even life-threatening; thus it represents a excellent treatment challenge for the pediatric hematologist. First line treatment consists of steroids and/or immunoglobulin; further therapy with rituximab, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and other immunosuppressive drugs can be considered in unresponsive patients. We describe a baby with refractory Evans Syndrome that was cured by prolonged administration of mycophenolate mofetil and remained disease-free for 4 years after the discontinuation of treatment

Investigation of disease hazards in cattle in South of Italy (Sicily)

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale, Palermo, Italy. Objective: Infectious diseases represent a serious limitation of bovine production. The etiology of these diseases is diverse and comprises a variety of viral, bacterial, protozoan and chlamydial agents, some of which are zoonotic [1]. Infectious- parasitic agents associated with reproductive disorders in ruminants include Neospora caninum, Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia abortus and Toxoplasma gondii; they cause the greatest economic losses for the livestock industry. This is a cross-sectional study to assess the presence of antibodies in ruminants against selected pathogens including the zoonotic agents C. burnetii, T gondii, N. caninum, Clamydia spp. and Theileria annulata in cattle in Sicily region and to determine the molecular status for T. gondii in order to determine the serological and molecular status of bovine in the Sicily region

Viral Encephalopathy and Retinopathy (VER) in Mediterranean wild and farmed fish species : the experience of the ‘Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale’ in Sicily

Betanodavirus infection is widespread in a broad spectrum of fish species worldwide. In Italy, it is responsible for outbreaks of Viral Encephalo-Retinopathy (VER) that causes mortality and economic losses in sea fish farming. The infection is also widespread in the wild and not only in managed systems, where there are generally no observed clinical manifestations.peer-reviewe

Acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with tumor lysis syndrome in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Tumor lysis syndrome is a serious and dangerous complication usually associated with antiblastic treatment in some malignancies characterized by high cell turn-over. Mild or severe electrolyte abnormalities including high serum levels of uric acid, potassium, phosphorus, creatinine, bun and reduction of calcium can be responsible for multi-organ failure, involving mostly kidneys, heart and central nervous system. Renal damage can be followed by acute renal failure, weight gain, progressive liver impairment, overproduction of cytokines, and subsequent maintenance of multi-organ damage. Life-threatening acute respiratory failure associated with tumor lysis syndrome is rare. We describe a child with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, who developed an unusually dramatic tumor lysis syndrome, after administration of the first low doses of steroid, that was rapidly associated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Subsequent clinical course and treatment modalities that resulted in the gradual and full recovery of the child are also described

Residues of 165 pesticides in citrus fruits using LC-MS/MS: a study of the pesticides distribution from the peel to the pulp

Abstract A sensitive LC–ESI-MS/MS method was developed for the determination of 165 pesticides in 50 citrus fruit samples collected in Sicily. Moreover, an evaluation of pesticides levels in the citrus layers (peel, albedo, and pulp) was carried out. The method presented acceptable trueness, precision, and linearity with LOQ of 5 μg/kg. The results obtained showed a high frequency of fungicides class pesticides in all the citrus samples examined (>95%) with the highest concentrations in the peel (4468 µg/Kg). A significant difference of concentrations was found between the layers of the citrus fruits analysed (p < 0.05). In particular, the peel and albedo present higher pesticides significantly higher than the pulp. Our findings confirming the widespread use of these substances in citrus cultivation and suggesting the importance of pesticides analysis in all the citrus fruit layers separately, considering the different interactions between the physicochemical characteristics of the matrices and the pesticides

Hsp60 expression in skeletal muscle increases after endurance training

Adult skeletal muscle is remarkably plastic. Increased contractile activity, such as endurance exercise, elicits multiple signals to activate a large set of genes, leading to phenotypic changes in skeletal muscle, including IIb-to-IIa fiber type switching, enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis, and angiogenesis, to match physiologic capability to functional demand. Heat shock protein (Hsp) 60 is a mitochondrial protein which plays a key role in the translocation of proteins from the cytoplasm to mitochondria. Apart from its mitochondrial localization, Hsp60 has been detected in the cytoplasm, in the cellular membrane and inside exosomes [1]. In the skeletal muscle the expression of Hsp60 is fibre type specific, being expressed more in type IIa and I fibers compared to IIx and IIb. Upon endurance training Hsp60 increases particularly in type I fibers (unpublished data). To investigate the role of Hsp60 in skeletal muscle plasticity and mitochondrial biogenesis, we used three experimental models: 1) Forty-eight trained young healthy male mice; 2) in vitro C2C12, where Hsp60 was over expressed by plasmids or repressed by siRNAs; 3) in vivo transfected muscles where Hsp60 was over expressed by plasmids and inhibited by siRNAs

Toxic mineral elements in Mytilus galloprovincialis from Sicilian coasts (Southern Italy)

We assessed the relationship between V, Cr, Mn, Hg, As, Cd, Sn, Sb and Pb concentrations in Mytilus galloprovincialis samples from the coasts of Sicily and the expression of metallothioneins. Toxic mineral elements assessment was carried out by A.A. Spectrometry and ICP-MS. The metallothioneins expression was performed by q-PCR method. Low metals' levels were found in the mussel samples examined, in comparison with what was reported in literature. The highest mean values of toxic mineral elements were found in Gela (Cr 0.178 ± 0.03 mg/Kg, Mn 4.325 ± 0.012 mg/Kg, As 3.706 ± 0.009 mg/Kg, Sn 0.148 ± 0.014 mg/Kg, Sb 0.009 ± 0.004 mg/Kg e Pb 0.364 ± 0.01 mg/Kg). Significant levels of Hg were found in samples from Catania (0.014 ± 0.005 mg/Kg). Only vanadium and lead concentrations showed significant differences between sampling areas (p < 0.05). Molecular analysis verified a basal expression of Mt1 and the absence of over-expression of Mt2, confirming the low mineral's concentrations found in the samples examined

L’impresa mafiosa? Colletti bianchi e crimini di potere

Assumendo una prospettiva multidisciplinare e partendo dai risultati di una ricerca condotta sul campo tra il 2013 e il 2015, il volume esamina il complesso network delle relazioni interne ed esterne a due gruppi di imprese sequestrate e confiscate per infiltrazioni mafiose, osservandone i cambiamenti negli aspetti economici, finanziari, organizzativi e sociali sia nel periodo che precede il sequestro o la confisca, sia nel periodo in cui il provvedimento è in corso. L’elevato dinamismo che caratterizza i crimini messi in atto dagli imprenditori coinvolti e il contesto in cui avvengono rendono assimilabili, sotto molti punti di vista, i casi considerati alla cosiddetta criminalità dei colletti bianchi. Una fitta rete lega, infatti, settori del mondo imprenditoriale, politico e istituzionale, assicurando il funzionamento di quello che gli studiosi definiscono un network mafioso. Il tema è attuale e rilevante dal momento che influenza la qualità della vita democratica e introduce potenziali distorsioni del libero mercato, mettendo a rischio la possibilità di costruire una società equa, innovativa e sicura. Prendendo le mosse da questi fattori di contesto, il libro sottopone ad analisi il nebuloso costrutto di impresa mafiosa, che – invocato alla stregua di un vero e proprio principio unificatore – si rivela, alla prova dei fatti, un concetto dalle maglie troppo lasche, più utile alle necessità processuali e sanzionatorie che alle esigenze analitiche della ricerca.Assuming a multidisciplinary perspective and moving from the results of a field research conducted between 2013 and 2015, the book examines the complex network of internal and external relations of two groups of companies seized and confiscated for mafia infiltration, observing the changes occurred in their economic, financial, organizational and social aspects both in the period before the seizure or confiscation, both in the period in which the measure was in progress. The high dynamism that characterizes the crimes implemented by the involved entrepreneurs and their context make these cases, in many respects, similar to the so-called white-collar crime. A dense network connects, in fact, business sectors, political and institutional areas, ensuring the working of what scholars call a mafia network. The topic is current and relevant since it affects the quality of democratic life and introduces potential distortions of the free market, jeopardizing the possibility of building an equitable, innovative and safe society. Moving from these contextual factors, the book examines the vague construct of mafia enterprise - invoked as a real unifying principle – it is revealed, the test of facts, a weak concept, more useful for the procedural needs and for sanctions, than for analytical needs