Immunofluorescence evaluation of Myf5 and MyoD in masseter muscle of unilateral posterior crossbite patients

A unilateral posterior crossbite is a malocclusion where the low activity of the affected masseter muscle is compensated by the contralateral muscle hypertrophy. It is still unknown if, in the same condition, myogenesis with new fibre formation takes place. Aim: the aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of myogenesis markers, such as Myf5 and MyoD, in masseter muscles of unilateral posterior crossbite patients. Materials and methods: biopsies from fifteen surgical patients with unilateral posterior crossbites have been analysed by immunofluorescence reactions. The results show the expression of Myf5 and MyoD in the contralateral muscle but not in the ipsilateral one. Moreover, statistical analysis shows the higher number of satellite cells in the contralateral side if compared to the ipsilateral one. Conclusions: these results suggest that in contralateral muscle, hyperplastic events take place, as well as hypertrophy

Comparison of Travoprost and Bimatoprost plus timolol fixed combinations in open-angle glaucoma patients previously treated with latanoprost plus timolol fixed combination

To compare the ocular hypotensive effect of bimatoprost plus timolol and travoprost plus timolol fixed combinations in glaucoma patients whose disease was controlled but had not reached their target intraocular pressure (IOP) with the fixed combination of latanoprost plus timolol

DT-MRI study on masticatory muscles in normal and pathological subjects

In our recent research we tested the use of DTI in the study of muscles, considering anatomical and clinical application. We have demonstrated the possibility to detect even minor muscle injuries of athletes undetectable with traditional ultrasound techniques. In this report we intend to apply this method to the study of the anatomical and volumetric masticatory muscles and particularly of masseter muscle. We selected a sample of 5 healthy subjects and 5 patients with cross-bite. Our results demonstrate the possibility to distinguish, on the basis of the different orientation of the muscle fibers, masseter muscles from pterygoid muscles. In addition, with post-elaboration of DTI anisotropy map, we evaluated different masticatory muscles density revealing their reduction along cross-bite side and a light increment in contralateral muscle. These evidences confirm our previous results obtained with elettromiography and histochemistry techniques

Torque teno virus (TTV): A gentle spy virus of immune status, predictive marker of seroconversion to COVID-19 vaccine in kidney and lung transplant recipients

To date, no comprehensive marker to monitor the immune status of patients is available. Given that Torque teno virus (TTV), a known human virome component, has previously been identified as a marker of immunocompetence, it was retrospectively investigated whether TTV viral load may also represent a marker of ability to develop antibody in response to COVID-19-BNT162B2 vaccine in solid organ transplant recipients (SOT). Specifically, 273 samples from 146 kidney and 26 lung transplant recipients after successive doses of vaccine were analyzed. An inverse correlation was observed within the TTV copy number and anti-Spike IgG antibody titer with a progressive decrease in viremia the further away from the transplant date. Analyzing the data obtained after the second dose, a significant difference in TTV copy number between responsive and nonresponsive patients was observed, considering a 5 log10 TTV copies/mL threshold to discriminate between the two groups. Moreover, for 86 patients followed in their response to the second and third vaccination doses a 6 log10 TTV copies/mL threshold was used to predict responsivity to the booster dose. Although further investigation is necessary, possibly extending the analysis to other patient categories, this study suggests that TTV can be used as a good marker of vaccine response in transplant patients

An immunofluorescence study of the sarcoglycan sub- complex in gingival epithelium both in normal and in pathological conditions

Sarcoglycans are transmembrane glycoproteins which provide the connection between cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix. Sarcoglycans have been found in many kind of tissues as epithelial tissues where they seem to be involved in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion by their cadherin-like domains; by that, it was supported that sarcoglycans could be also involved in pathological condition of epithelial tissue. Moreover, we have already tested sarcoglycans in altered gingival epithelia of patients treated with bisphosphonates where we have observed that the sarcoglycans staining pattern is influenced by inflammatory condition. For these reasons we have continued our immunofluorescence study on sarcoglycans in gingival epithelia of patients treated with bisphosphonates and also in gingival epithelia of patients affected by periodontitis and scleroderma, two different pathological conditions where it is possible to observe inflammation and alteration of the gingival epithelium. Results obtained from normal samples have shown the presence of a staining pattern for each sarcoglycan in gingival epithelium; pathological results, instead, have shown that the entire sarcoglycan sub-complex changes in staining pattern level depending on the inflammation and alteration degree of the gingival epithelia. All these finding suggest us that sarcoglycans could play a key role in maintenance of epithelia architecture by their machanosignaling function, providing cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion using their cadherin like domain

Primary cardiac sarcoma presenting as acute left-sided heart failure

Primary cardiac sarcomas are rare malignant tumors of the heart. Clinical features depend on the site of tumor and vary from symptoms of congestive heart failure to thromboembolism and arrhythmias. Echocardiography is helpful but definitive diagnosis is established by histopathology. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment, and the role of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is unclear. We report a case of primary cardiac sarcoma which presented with signs and symptoms of acute left-sided heart failure

1089 Cardiac metastasis of endometrial cancer: a multidisciplinary approach

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Carney-Complex: Multiple resections of recurrent cardiac myxoma

We report a case of a female patient who was operated at the third relapse of an atrial myxoma caused by Carney complex. The difficult operation was performed without any complications despite extensive adhesions caused by the previous operations. The further inpatient course went without complications and the patient was discharged to the consecutive treatment on the 9th postoperative day. The echocardiographic finding postoperative showed no abnormalities