Self-reported history of Pap-smear in HIV-positive women in Northern Italy: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The incidence of invasive cervical cancer in HIV-positive women is higher than in the general population. There is evidence that HIV-positive women do not participate sufficiently in cervical cancer screening in Italy, where cervical cancer is more than 10-fold higher in women with AIDS than in the general population. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the history of Pap-smear in HIV-positive women in Italy in recent years. We also examined the sociodemographic, clinical, and organizational factors associated with adherence to cervical cancer screening.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2006 and June 2007 in Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy). All HIV-positive women who received a follow-up visit in one of the 10 regional infectivology units were invited to participate. History of Pap-smear, including abnormal smears and subsequent treatment, was investigated through a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. The association between lack of Pap-smear in the year preceding the interview and selected characteristics was assessed by means of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for study centre and age.RESULTS: A total of 1,002 HIV-positive women were interviewed. Nine percent reported no history of Pap-smear, and 39% had no Pap-smear in the year prior to the date of questionnaire (last year). The lack of Pap-smear in the last year was significantly associated with age <35 years (OR = 1.4, compared to age > or =45 years), lower education level (OR = 1.3), first HIV-positive test in the last 2 years (OR = 1.4), and CD4 count <200 cells/microl (OR = 1.6). Conversely, when women were advised by a gynecologist rather than other health workers to undergo screening, it significantly increased adherence. Non-significantly higher proportions of lack of Pap-smear in the last year were found in women born in Central-Eastern Europe (OR = 1.8) and Africa (OR = 1.3). No difference in history of Pap-smear emerged by mode of HIV-acquisition or AIDS status.Three hundred five (34%) women reported a previous abnormal Pap-smear, and of the 178 (58%) referred for treatment, 97% complied.CONCLUSIONS: In recent years the self-reported history of Pap-smear in HIV-positive women, in some public clinics in Italy, is higher than previously reported, but further efforts are required to make sure cervical cancer screening is accessible to all HIV-positive women

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy during the Omicron wave: the prospective cohort study of the Italian obstetric surveillance system

Objectives: Evidence on the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant on vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant women is sparse. This study aimed to compare maternal and perinatal outcomes of women infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the Omicron wave in Italy, according to their vaccine protection.Methods: This national prospective cohort study enrolled pregnant women with a positive SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab within 7 days of hospital admission between 1 January and 31 May, 2022. Women who received at least one dose of vaccine during pregnancy and those who completed the vaccine cycle with the first booster were considered protected against moderate or severe COVID-19 (MSCD). A multivariable logistic regression model evaluated the association between vaccine protection and disease severity. Maternal age, educational level, citizenship, area of birth, previous comorbidities, and obesity were analysed as potential risk factors. Results: MSCD was rare (41/2147, 1.9%; 95% CI, 1.4-2.6), and the odds of developing it were significantly higher among unprotected women (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.39-5.57). Compared with protected women (n = 1069), the unprotected (n = 1078) were more often younger, with lower educational degrees, and foreigners. A higher probability of MSCD was found among women with previous comorbidities (OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.34-6.12) and those born in Asian countries (OR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.23-7.56). The percentage of preterm birth was higher among women with MSCD compared with milder cases (32.0% [8/25] versus 8.4% [161/1917], p < 0.001) as well as the percentage of caesarean section (52.0% [13/25] versus 31.6% [606/1919], p 0.029). Discussion: Although severe maternal and perinatal outcomes were rare, their prevalence was significantly higher among women without vaccine protection. Vaccination during pregnancy has the potential to protect both the mother and the baby, and it is therefore strongly recommended. Edoardo Corsi Decenti, Clin Microbiol Infect 2023;29:772 (c) 2023 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The imitation of coloured marbles in a first style wall painting from the Etruscan-Roman town of Populonia (LI – Italy), Proceedings

Recently (2000-2004) a First Style wall painting (end of 2nd century BC) was found in the Etruscan-Roman town of Populonia (LI – Italy). The richness and variety of marbling in the multicoloured courses of ashlar block-work are extremely interesting if compared to other contemporary examples, up till now known, in Italy. The marbling, especially for some types, resembles the real stones surprisingly, not only for the realistic pattern but also for the accurate modelling, the colours tones and the smoothing and shimmering gloss of the surface. The plasterers and painters had a great technical skill that allowed to make a surface appearance very similar to real marbles. The minero-petrographic analysis of the tectorium and pigments, carried out in order to identify the raw materials and the different painting techniques used, have emphasized the great accuracy of the wall painting

The white marble quarries of Campiglia Marittima (Livorno, Italy) and the provenance of marble artefacts from Populonia

The aim of this work was to localize and to sample the ancient marble quarries of Campiglia Marittima (Livorno, Italy) in order to characterize them minero-petrographically (by X-ray powder diffraction and optical microscopy for thin sections) and isotopically (measuring the stable C and O isotope ratio by standard mass spectrometry) to create a first database for use in archaeometric studies. The results can help distinguish this marble from that of Carrara and other similar fine-grained marbles used in antiquity and make it possible to determine the provenance of different types of Late-Republican artefacts (mortars, inscriptions, architectural elements, pavements and sculptures) from the archaeological area of Populonia. Given the good quality of the marble, further analyses may be able to shed light on its possible regional distribution or even its export to neighbouring regions, also considering Populonia’s strategic position on the important Tyrrhenian sea trade routes

The white marble quarries of Campiglia Marittima (Livorno, Italy) and the provenance of marble artefacts from Populonia

The aim of this work was to localize and to sample the ancient marble quarries of Campiglia Marittima (Livorno, Italy) in order to characterize them minero-petrographically (by X-ray powder diffraction and optical microscopy for thin sections) and isotopically (measuring the stable C and O isotope ratio by standard mass spectrometry) to create a first database for use in archaeometric studies. The results can help distinguish this marble from that of Carrara and other similar fine-grained marbles used in antiquity and make it possible to determine the provenance of different types of Late-Republican artefacts (mortars, inscriptions, architectural elements, pavements and sculptures) from the archaeological area of Populonia. Given the good quality of the marble, further analyses may be able to shed light on its possible regional distribution or even its export to neighbouring regions, also considering Populonia’s strategic position on the important Tyrrhenian sea trade routes

Intracellular magnesium is reduced in patients at risk for developing pregnancy-induced hypertension

The aim of the present study was to correlate the maternal Mg levels with increased resistance of uterine arteries, in patients at risk of developing PIH