Preliminary clinical experience of low-level laser therapy for the treatment of canine osteoarthritis-associated pain: A retrospective investigation on 17 dogs

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is common in dogs and causes chronic pain that affects quality of life and may not respond to analgesics. Objective: To determine whether low-level laser therapy (LLLT) would improve quality of life, and help reducing systemic analgesics, in dogs with OA. Methods: Seventeen client-owned dogs diagnosed with OA and associated pain were included; the diagnosis of OA was confirmed by orthopaedic and radiographic examination. Pain was evaluated in each dog with the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI), compiled by the dog owners, as well as with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Colorado State Canine Chronic Pain Scale, used by the clinician. Low-level laser therapy was performed weekly in each study dog, for a total of six week-period. The CBPI was then repeated at two, four, six and eight weeks after the first laser session, while the VAS was reassessed at weeks two and six. The dogs were observed for occurrence of laser-related side effects. Results: Both CBPI and VAS were significantly reduced after the first laser session (9.2 ± 3.8 and 5.2 ± 1.1, respectively) compared to pre-treatment values (11.8 ± 3.6 and 7.6 ± 0.9, respectively; P = .018 and P < .001, respectively) and continued to decrease over time until the end of the therapy. Based on these results and on improved function, as assessed by the orthopaedic surgeon, the pharmacological analgesic therapy was reduced by the clinician at week two in 13 out of 17 dogs. Laser-related side effects were not observed. Conclusion: This retrospective report provides a basis for future investigations, needed to clarify whether laser therapy may be beneficial to treat canine OA-associated pain. The preliminary findings are promising and suggest that LLLT may help reducing the analgesics administration and improving client satisfaction and quality of life of dogs with OA

Successful treatment with Omalizumab of a child affected by Systemic Mastocytosis: clinical and biological implications

Abstract Background Pediatric Mastocytosis is a rare and heterogeneous disease, characterized by accumulation of mast cells in the skin (Cutaneous Mastocytosis) and/or, less frequently, in other organs, mainly liver, spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes and gastrointestinal tract (Systemic Mastocytosis). Patients affected by Systemic Mastocytosis show symptoms caused by  a massive release of mast cell mediators: itching, flushing, abdominal pain, generalized weakness, fatigue and neuropsychiatric disorders. Moreover, children with Systemic Mastocytosis are at greater risk of anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reactions, often poorly controlled by the conventional therapy with antihistamines, mast cells stabilizers and steroids. As a result, children affected by Systemic Mastocytosis have a poor quality of life and suffer the consequence of prolonged steroidal treatment. Case presentation A child with Systemic Mastocytosis and severe symptoms, refractory to symptomatic and steroidal therapy, has been successfully treated with Omalizumab, an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody usually employed in allergic patients with severe asthma and orticaria. The onset of clinical benefit of Omalizumab therapy was extraordinarily rapid, but proved to be strictly dependent on drug administration. The child has become completely and steadily asymptomatic. No other anaphylactic episodes have been reported. Steroid treatment could be definitively withdrawn after the second dose of Omalizumab, and all the other medications were later reduced. Twenty months after beginning, Omalizumab therapy is still ongoing with good symptomatology control; no side effects have been observed so far. Conclusions In our experience, Omalizumab is an effective treatment for children affected by Systemic Mastocytosis not responding to conventional medical treatments. The main strengths of this therapy are its rapid and extraordinary efficacy to control the severe mast cells mediator-related symptoms, the lack of side effects and its steroid-sparing effect. However, more extensive and controlled studies in pediatric patients affected by Systemic Mastocytosis are needed to substantiate these promising findings

Heart failure in patients with human immunodeficiency virus. a review of the literature

Coronary artery disease represents the leading cause of death for HIV patients treated with highly active antiretroviral treatment. Besides this, an extensive amount of data related to the risk of overt heart failure and consequently of atrial fibrillation and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in this population has been reported. It seems that persistent deregulation of immunity in HIV-infected patients is a common pathway related to both of these adverse clinical outcomes. Despite the fact that atrial fibrillation and heart failure are relatively common in HIV, few data are reported about screening, diagnosis, and potential treatment of these conditions

Consumo di suolo, dinamiche territoriali e servizi ecosistemici

Il Rapporto “Consumo di suolo, dinamiche territoriali e servizi ecosistemici” è un prodotto del Sistema Nazionale per la Protezione dell’Ambiente (SNPA), che assicura le attività di monitoraggio del territorio e del consumo di suolo. Il Rapporto, insieme alla cartografia e alle banche dati di indicatori allegati, fornisce il quadro aggiornato dei processi di trasformazione della copertura del suolo e permette di valutare il degrado del territorio e l’impatto del consumo di suolo sul paesaggio e sui servizi ecosistemici

Consumo di suolo, dinamiche territoriali e servizi ecosistemici. Edizione 2023.

Il Rapporto “Consumo di suolo, dinamiche territoriali e servizi ecosistemici” è un prodotto del Sistema Nazionale per la Protezione dell’Ambiente (SNPA), che assicura le attività di monitoraggio del territorio e del consumo di suolo. Il Rapporto, insieme alla cartografia e alle banche dati di indicatori allegati, fornisce il quadro aggiornato dei processi di trasformazione della copertura del suolo e permette di valutare il degrado del territorio e l’impatto del consumo di suolo sul paesaggio e sui servizi ecosistemici