Molecular Diagnosis of Malaria Infection: A Survey in a Hospital in Central Italy

Malaria is a dramatic disease caused by the protozoan parasites Plasmodium. The diagnosis is mainly based on microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT). Molecular approaches based on PCR techniques may be an alternative tool particularly favourable in regions with declining prevalence. This work aimed to assess pros and cons of molecular diagnosis of malaria in a district of Central Italy were several tens of imported malaria cases are diagnosed every year. Thirty-three blood samples were analysed by microscopy, RDT and molecular techniques to monitor the relative efficiency in malaria diagnosis. Molecular analysis and microscopy diagnosed 32 out of 33 samples as positive for malaria, while RDT only 29. More differences concerned the diagnosis of mixed infections. Our findings remark the importance of the molecular approach in supporting and improving malaria diagnosis. In the cases here presented, the molecular analysis was particularly useful to unveil parasites presence in infections not detectable by blood smear analysis and to additionally solve real and/or presumed mixed infections

Tackling Inequalities in Oral Health: Bone Augmentation in Dental Surgery through the 3D Printing of Poly(ε-caprolactone) Combined with 20% Tricalcium Phosphate

Personalized medicine and overcoming healthcare inequalities have gained significant popularity in recent years. Polymers offer an ideal solution due to their cost-effectiveness, ease of customized 3D printing, and potential for wide-scale expansion. Poly- mers blended with β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) have been found to synergize with the environ- mental tissues of maxillary bones and promote osteoconductivity. However, little is known about their properties after printing and their ability to maintain their biological role; additionally, limi- tations exist in 3D printing when high TPC concentrations are added. Our study demonstrated that poly ε-caprolactone (PCL)+β-TCP 20% composite can be successfully printed and is a suitable ma- terial for commercial 3D printing. The material also demonstrated biocompatibility, supporting osteoblast adhesion and promoting cell proliferation and differentiation. The composite can also sustain ISO14937:200935 sterilization procedures, which makes it an ideal material for printing medical devices that can be used by clinicians worldwide

Prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in a sample of outpatients with ATTR cardiac amyloidosis

Patients with ATTR cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) face rare disease that could negatively influence psychological well-being with consequences on the course of the disease and quality of life. However, to date, no study analyzed the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with ATTR-CA and which clinical and sociodemographic characteristics are linked with these psychopathological conditions. A total of 109 consecutive patients (83% males) aged 62–90 years with ATTR-CA were recruited. In order to better understand the prevalence of anxiety and depression in ATTR-CA, a control group composed by 33 individuals equaling gender, education, and age were recruited. The level of anxiety and depression was measured using the Italian version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Sociodemographic and clinic characteristics were registered. Almost half of patients (49%) reported a clinical level of depression or anxiety, or both. ATTR-CA patients reported higher levels of anxiety and depression than control group. Results showed that older patients with ATTR-CA, especially females, with more advanced disease could be more at risk to develop an anxious disorder. Furthermore, being a woman, and presenting with a greater severity of symptoms, would appear to be a risk factor for developing a depressive disorder. Overall, these results highlighted the high presence of anxiety and depression in ATTR-CA patients, suggesting to physicians to pay attention to the psychological well-being of ATTR-CA patients. In fact, a psychological support for patients with high level of psychopathological disease could reduce disease burden and improve quality of life in ATTR-CA population

Chapter Facing Malaria Parasite with Mosquito Symbionts

Optical physic

Facing Malaria Parasite with Mosquito Symbionts

Optical physic

Clinical scenarios of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-related mortality : Relevance of age and stage of disease at presentation

The evolving epidemiology of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has progressively changed our perception of HCM-related mortality. However, recent studies detailing individual causes of death based on age and clinical setting are lacking. Thus, the present study aimed to describe the modes of death in a consecutive cohort of HCM patients based on presenting clinical features and stage of disease.By retrospective analysis of a large HCM cohort, we identified 161 patients with >1 year follow-up who died between 2000 and 2020 and thoroughly investigated their modes of death. HCM stage at presentation was defined as "classic", "adverse remodeling" or "overt dysfunction".Of the 161 patients, 103 (64%) died of HCM-related causes, whereas 58 (36%) died of non-HCM-related causes. Patients who died of HCM-related causes were younger than those who died of non-HCM related causes. The most common cause of death was heart failure (HF). Sudden cardiac death (SCD) ranked third, after non cardiovascular death, and mostly occurred in young individuals. The proportion of HF related death and SCD per stage of disease was 14% and 27% in "classic", 38% and 21% in "adverse remodeling" and 74% and 10% in "overt dysfunction".Most HCM patients die due to complications of their own disease, mainly in the context of HF. While SCD tends to be juvenile, HF related deaths often occur in age groups no longer amenable to cardiac transplant. Modes of death vary with the stage of disease, with SCD becoming less prevalent in more advanced phases, when competitive risk of HF becomes overwhelming

Inhibition of Asaia in adult mosquitoes causes male-specific mortality and diverse transcriptome changes

Mosquitoes can transmit many infectious diseases, such as malaria, dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and lymphatic filariasis. Current mosquito control strategies are failing to reduce the severity of outbreaks that still cause high human morbidity and mortality worldwide. Great expectations have been placed on genetic control methods. Among other methods, genetic modification of the bacteria colonizing different mosquito species and expressing anti-pathogen molecules may represent an innovative tool to combat mosquito-borne diseases. Nevertheless, this emerging approach, known as paratransgenesis, requires a detailed understanding of the mosquito microbiota and an accurate characterization of selected bacteria candidates. The acetic acid bacteria Asaia is a promising candidate for paratransgenic approaches. We have previously reported that Asaia symbionts play a beneficial role in the normal development of Anopheles mosquito larvae, but no study has yet investigated the role(s) of Asaia in adult mosquito biology. Here we report evidence on how treatment with a highly specific anti-Asaia monoclonal antibody impacts the survival and physiology of adult Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. Our findings offer useful insight on the role of Asaia in several physiological systems of adult mosquitoes, where the influence differs between males and females