Impact of Systemic Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases on apoA-I and HDL Plasma Levels and Functions

The cholesterol of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and its major proteic component, apoA-I, have been widely investigated as potential predictors of acute cardiovascular (CV) events. In particular, HDL cholesterol levels were shown to be inversely and independently associated with the risk of acute CV diseases in different patient populations, including autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorders. Some relevant and direct anti-inflammatory activities of HDL have been also recently identified targeting both immune and vascular cell subsets. These studies recently highlighted the improvement of HDL function (instead of circulating levels) as a promising treatment strategy to reduce inflammation and associated CV risk in several diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. In these diseases, anti-inflammatory treatments targeting HDL function might improve both disease activity and CV risk. In this narrative review, we will focus on the pathophysiological relevance of HDL and apoA-I levels/functions in different acute and chronic inflammatory pathophysiological conditions

Research on Culicidae attracted to dog bait in Piedmont

Dog attracted mosquitoes were collected in Piedmont (NW Italy) in 1992 and 1993. Sampling sites where chosen on ecological and epidemiological basis, according to the results of a previous study on the distribution and prevalence of canine filariosis in this region. Dog baited traps were operated monthly (two nights/site from June to September) in six plain sites differing in the prevalence of heartworm infected dogs (including two sites where no positivity was recorded). A single capture was carried out in July-August in three more plain and four hill localities, as well as in a prealpine and a suburban zone inside the heartworm endemic area. The following species were collected (number of specimens in brackets): Aedes caspius (2255), Ae, cantans (1), Ae. cinereus (1), Ae, geniculatus (7), Ae. vexans (58), Aedes spp. (221), Anopheles claviger (1), An. maculipennis s.l. (405), Coquillettidia richiardii (16), Culex modestus (6361), Cx. pipiens (2032), Cx. territans (2), Culex spp. (94), Culiseta annulata (1). Cx. pipiens was captured in 15 sites, Cx. modestus and Ae. caspius in 13 and 12, respectively, An. maculipennis s.l. in 7, Ae. vexans in 6, Cq. richiardiiin 4, Ae. geniculatus in 3, Cx. territans in 2, Ae. cantans, Ae. cinereus, An. claviger and Cs. annulata in one. Species abundance and relative composition differed between habitats and between similar habitats with a different prevalence of microfillaraemic dogs. Regression analysis of heartworm prevalence vs. mosquitoes abundance demonstrated a positive linear relationship. Data suggest that four species (Ae. caspius, An. maculipennis s.l., Cx. modestus and Cx. pipiens) are playing a major role in the transmission of canine filariosis in Piedmont

Congenital malformation syndromes associated with peripheral neuroblastic tumors: A systematic review

Malformation syndromes with predisposition to peripheral neuroblastic tumors (pNT), including neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroblastoma, and ganglioneuroma, may provide clues to critical mutations influencing pNT development. Our objective was to identify and characterize features of pNT associated with specific malformation syndromes. A systematic review of the literature was performed using MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science. We identified 154 of 1014 papers that met eligibility, comprising 207 cases. The patient's age, tumor histology, and frequency of multiple primary tumors varied by malformation syndrome. Genomic studies and systematized reporting are necessary to elucidate cancer risk and the distinct clinical and biological pNT patterns within syndromes