Heterogenous forms of dyslipidemiain women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Forms of dyslipidemia are very common in individuals affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but in addition to plasmatic lipids, it is necessary to evaluate the alterations in the atherogenic lipoproteins (Lp) and apolipoproteins (apo). In our study we measured the concentrations of apoB, Lp(a) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) in 42 patients with PCOS (age: 28 +/- 7 years, body mass index: 27 +/- 5 kg/m-) and 37 healthy women (of the same age and body mass index). Methods: values of Lp(a) >30 mg/dl were considered high, whereas for apoB, values >100 g/l were considered high. Results: the patients with PCOS showed an increase in triglycerides (p=0.0011) and low levels of high density lipoproteins (HDL) (p=0.0131), but the total cholesterol and the LDLs were not significantly different to those of the control group. High levels of Lp(a) were found in 24% of the individuals with PCOS, and a smaller number showed high levels of apoB (14%). This analysis shows that the concentrations of Lp(a) are only correlated to the HDL levels (r =0.378, p= 0.0431). 36% of the patients with PCOS with normal levels of plasmatic lipids show high levels of Lp(a) and apoB, and small and dense LDLs. Conclusions: alterations in the plasmatic lipids are present in 1/3 of the women affected by PCOS. More research is necessary to better understand the mechanisms responsible to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Adherence issues related to sublingual immunotherapy as perceived by allergists

Objectives: Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is a viable alternative to subcutaneous immunotherapy to treat allergic rhinitis and asthma, and is widely used in clinical practice in many European countries. The clinical efficacy of SLIT has been established in a number of clinical trials and meta-analyses. However, because SLIT is self-administered by patients without medical supervision, the degree of patient adherence with treatment is still a concern. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perception by allergists of issues related to SLIT adherence. Methods: We performed a questionnaire-based survey of 296 Italian allergists, based on the adherence issues known from previous studies. The perception of importance of each item was assessed by a VAS scale ranging from 0 to 10. Results: Patient perception of clinical efficacy was considered the most important factor (ranked 1 by 54% of allergists), followed by the possibility of reimbursement (ranked 1 by 34%), and by the absence of side effects (ranked 1 by 21%). Patient education, regular follow-up, and ease of use of SLIT were ranked first by less than 20% of allergists. Conclusion: These findings indicate that clinical efficacy, cost, and side effects are perceived as the major issues influencing patient adherence to SLIT, and that further improvement of adherence is likely to be achieved by improving the patient information provided by prescribers. © 2010 Scurati et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd

A community effort in SARS-CoV-2 drug discovery.

peer reviewedThe COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a substantial threat to human lives and is likely to do so for years to come. Despite the availability of vaccines, searching for efficient small-molecule drugs that are widely available, including in low- and middle-income countries, is an ongoing challenge. In this work, we report the results of an open science community effort, the "Billion molecules against Covid-19 challenge", to identify small-molecule inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 or relevant human receptors. Participating teams used a wide variety of computational methods to screen a minimum of 1 billion virtual molecules against 6 protein targets. Overall, 31 teams participated, and they suggested a total of 639,024 molecules, which were subsequently ranked to find 'consensus compounds'. The organizing team coordinated with various contract research organizations (CROs) and collaborating institutions to synthesize and test 878 compounds for biological activity against proteases (Nsp5, Nsp3, TMPRSS2), nucleocapsid N, RdRP (only the Nsp12 domain), and (alpha) spike protein S. Overall, 27 compounds with weak inhibition/binding were experimentally identified by binding-, cleavage-, and/or viral suppression assays and are presented here. Open science approaches such as the one presented here contribute to the knowledge base of future drug discovery efforts in finding better SARS-CoV-2 treatments.R-AGR-3826 - COVID19-14715687-CovScreen (01/06/2020 - 31/01/2021) - GLAAB Enric

Le ipocolesterolemie primitive

Hypobetalipoproteinemia (HBL) is characterized by cholesterol levels below the 5th percentile of the population distribution. Familial HBL (FHBL) is characterized by an inherited HBL trait within a family. In the last years gene defects underlying some cases of FHBL, but not all, have been identified. The molecular basis of some gene defect and the clinical onset of FHBL are presented in this paper

IL GENE PCSK9: UN NUOVO GENE IMPLICATO NEL CONTROLLO DELLA COLESTEROLEMIA

The distribution of cholesterol plasma is regulated by complex interactions between genes and environmental factors. Mutations of PCSK9 gene seem to modulate the levels of LDL-C. Mutations of PCSK9 gene with gain of function are associated to hypercholesterolemia and mutations with loss of function determine hypocholesterolemia

Early anchor displacement after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Methods: A total of 5,327 patients who had arthroscopic rotator cuff reconstruction for full thickness tear were included in the study. Radiographs taken immediately after surgery were observed and occurrent anchor displacement was recorded. Patient-specific, tendon-specific, bone-specific and implant-specific variables were studied. Any possible relationship between these factors and anchor displacement was investigated.Purpose: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is a success and became the mainstream method of reconstruction in recent years. Due to the technical development in shoulder surgery, novel suture anchors and high-strength sutures are widely used providing convincing fixation, however anchor pullout still remains a problem. The aim of our study was to observe early anchor movement on a large patient cohort, and identify clinical, biological and technical variables that can lead to this complication.Results: Early anchor movement occurred in six cases (0.1 %). The involvement of two or more tendons, retraction of the tendon by more than 2 cm and the use of four anchors was associated with higher incidence of anchor displacement, however the difference was not significant.Conclusions: Based on our study, anchor pullout occurring immediately after surgery is a relatively rare complication. Instead of timing the radiologic examination directly after the procedure, assessment of the anchors\u2019 position four to six weeks after surgery should be considered