Carpal tunnel syndrome in HIV-positive patients coinfected with HCV

A wide range of rheumatic and peripheral nervous system disorders may develop in patients with HIV infection, leading to pain, sensory symptoms, and muscle weakness. Over the past three decades, the progress in management of HIV disease with anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has resulted in increased life expectancy for people living with HIV disease. With this new chronicity of the disease has a constellation of chronic musculoskeletal, orthopaedic and rheumatic manifestations has emerged, as potential complications of the disease itself and/or the results of ART treatment regimen and/or because of expected age-related symptoms/manifestations. The incidence of CTS in the general population is around 3.8% with clinical examination and, when electroneuromyography is used, it is 2.7%. In the HIV-positive population, the incidence is very close to that of the general population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of CTS and to identify factors influencing the development of CTS in HIV-infected patients attending our clinic. This syndrome has been associated with advanced HIV disease and the use of ART possibly due to an increased inflammatory state and the presence of concurrent HCV infection

The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of bergamot (citrus bergamia) in professional athletes during endurance training

Introduction: many studies have shown that endurance sports athletes have a biochemical profile of inflammation and high oxidative stress, due to the high load of training. Recent studies have shown that bergamot, in addition to the already known lipidlowering properties, also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of bergamot juice on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in professional athletes who practice cross-country skiing. Methods: 10 international-level cross-country skiing male athletes were enrolled in the study and as a control group we enrolled 10 national-level cross-country skiing male athletes. We performed a blood sample during the unloading phase of the athletic training (T0) and we dosed high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL). The international-level athletes took 500 ml/day of bergamot juice, which instead the athletes of the control group did not take. Afterwards, the athletes started the training load period and after 30 days of intense training (T1) we re-evaluated the same blood parameters. The two groups had the same training patterns, but athletes of group I sustained a significantly higher volume of training sessions than the athletes of group II. Results: In group I there was a significant reduction in hsCRP (p<0.05), while there was no significant increase in oxLDL despite the greater training load. In group II, on the other hand, there was no significant change in hsCPR levels between T0 and T1, while there was a significant increase in oxLDL (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our data showed that supplementation with bergamot juice in professional cross-country skiing athletes could reduce inflammation and oxidative stress due to the intense training. More studies with a higher number of subjects will be needed to understand better the role of bergamot in this category of athletes

Influence of physical activity and lifestyle on nutritional status and cardiovascular prevention of countryside school adolescents in Italy

BACKGROUND: Assess nutritional status and cardiovascular prevention of adolescents and their parents, besides the influence of physical activity and eating habits, in countryside. METHODS: Nutritional status was evaluated measuring weight, height, BMI, blood pressure, waist-hip circumference and body fat by skinfolds. Eating habits were evaluated by food frequency questionnaire to form two clusters, one closer to Mediterranean diet and the other to Western diet. Questionnaires have also been used to evaluate physical activity and family environment. RESULTS: No differences were found in anthropometric and body composition data between clusters, but an association was observed between adolescents BMI and family environment. Non-curricular physical activity was able to prevent gain of weight. CONCLUSIONS: To reduce the negative effect of obesogenic elements and to promote the non-curricular and curricular physical activity in countryside healthy policies measures are needed

Ileal tract and Peyer's patch innervation in scrapie-free versus scrapie-affected ovines

Ileal Peyer's patches (PPs) are involved early during sheep scrapie infection. This study qualitatively and semi-quantitatively evaluated ileal tract and PP innervation in 29 Sarda ovines of different age, PrP genotype and scrapie status. A prominent network of fibres was detected within PPs, mainly located in interfollicular lymphoid and stromal components. Intrafollicular fibres were rarely observed, with no apparent differences between scrapie-free and scrapie-affected animals, or among ovines carrying different PrP genotypes. In adult sheep, independent of their scrapie status, nerve fibres could be detected infrequently, close to the follicle-associated epithelium. Fibres were also detected within newly formed follicles and intrafollicular microgranulomas