139 research outputs found

    DB-HERITAGE: A database of mortars composition and characteristics

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    Mortars are materials that are present in constructions from the antiquity to nowadays, being complex in terms of their constituents, incorporating traditions and techniques related to the local knowledge. Furthermore, mortar characteristics are also dependent of its role and use in a particular local and environment. The knowledge of the mortars constituents, characteristics and behavior in their specific conditions is important in several contexts, namely in terms of materials history and for better definition of conservation strategies. That knowledge, obtained by many different researchers and practitioners of the area, should be easily available for all the people who need it, both for research and for direct use in the field. This was the context of the DB-HERITAGE database project (http://dbheritage.lnec.pt/), which intends to build a repository for historical building materials, and a free-access IT-tool to collect the related data on this construction material, including from conservative interventions made on mortars applied on historic constructions. An overview of the database tools will be presented in this paper, exemplifying some of its outputs and potentialities related to historic mortars in different case studies in Portugal.authorsversionpublishe

    Different fracture risk profile in patients treated with anti-osteoporotic drugs in real-life

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    In this retrospective study, we intended to investigate the baseline fracture risk profile in patients who started treatment with different anti-osteoporotic medications. We analyzed retrospectively the fracture risk calculated with DeFRA, a validated FRAX derived tool, in women who started an anti-osteoporotic treatment from 2010 to 2017. We analyzed baseline data of 12,024 post-menopausal women aged over 50 years. Teriparatide initiators had a baseline 10-year risk of major osteoporotic fracture of 82.1% with a Standard Deviation (SD) of 66.5%. Denosumab initiators and zoledronic acid initiators had a greater 10-year baseline risk of fracture (54.3%, SD 46.5% and 47.0%, SD 42.0 respectively) than patients initiated on alendronate (24.9%, SD 34.6%) and patients initiated on risedronate (23.9%, SD 24.1%). Using DeFRA, a FRAX™ derived tool, we showed significantly different fracture risk profiles in women who were started on various therapeutic agents for the treatment of osteoporosis in routine clinical practice

    FARMAPRICE: A Pharmacogenetic Clinical decision support system for precise and Cost-Effective Therapy

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    Pharmacogenetic (PGx) guidelines for the precise dosing and selection of drugs remain poorly implemented in current clinical practice. Among the barriers to the implementation process is the lack of clinical decision support system (CDSS) tools to aid health providers in managing PGx information in the clinical context. The present study aimed to describe the first Italian endeavor to develop a PGx CDSS, called FARMAPRICE. FARMAPRICE prototype was conceived for integration of patient molecular data into the clinical prescription process in the Italian Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO)-Aviano Hospital. It was developed through a coordinated partnership between two high-tech companies active in the computerization of the Italian healthcare system. Introducing FARMAPRICE into the clinical setting can aid physicians in prescribing the most efficacious and cost-effective pharmacological therapy available

    POS0054 THE IMPACT AND OUTCOME OF COVID-19 ON SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS PATIENTS FROM THE EUROPEAN SCLERODERMA TRIAL AND RESEARCH GROUP (EUSTAR)

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    Background:Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has been a major clinical challenge worldwide. Sex, age and comorbidities have been associated with worse outcome in the general population. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe, autoimmune disease with frequent multi-organ involvement.Objectives:To assess the impact of COVID-19 and to determine factors associated with worse outcome in SSc patients from the European Scleroderma Trial and Research (EUSTAR) database.Methods:SSc patients from the EUSTAR database with COVID-19 were prospectively collected between 15.03.-31.12.2020. Two outcomes were chosen: (1) hospitalization; and (2) severe outcome defined as either non-invasive ventilation, mechanical ventilation/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or death. General risk factors assessed were sex, age and number of comorbidities. SSc related risk factors were SSc subtype, autoantibodies, disease duration, SSc associated organ manifestations including interstitial lung disease (ILD), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), cardiac, gastrointestinal (GI), and musculoskeletal involvement; digital ulcers (DU), CRP at last visit, renal disease (scleroderma renal crisis and SSc associated renal insufficiency), modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) and immunosuppressive treatment. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were applied.Results:In total, 178 European SSc patients with COVID-19 were registered with a median observation time of 5.5 weeks (Table 1). 95 patients (53%) could recall SAR-Cov-2 contact, while 47 (26%) had no contact. 156 (88%) were symptomatic at COVID-19 onset with fever, cough, malaise and dyspnea being most prevalent. Over the disease course, 63 (36%) developed pneumonia. In total, 67/176 (38%) were hospitalized which were in 84% due to COVID-19. 41/170 (24%) had a severe outcome including 21 (12%) deaths. 128 (72%) recovered completely, while 14 (8%) complained of sequela, with 7 (50%) stating respiratory complications. Age, non-SSc comorbidities, presence of ILD, PAH and SSc associated renal or cardiac disease were numerically associated with hospitalization and severe outcome (Table 1). Univariable logistic analyses for hospitalization and severe outcome are shown in Figure 1. In multivariable logistic regression, age (OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01-1.07, p=0.019), presence of non-SSc comorbidities (OR 2.52, 95%CI 1.16-5.47, p=0.019) and SSc-related renal disease (predicting success perfectly) were associated with hospitalization and for severe outcome age (OR 1.05, 95%CI 1.01-1.08).Conclusion:SSc patients at older age, with non-SSc comorbidities, SSc related renal disease or ILD are at risk of a more severe outcome and should follow precautions to avoid COVID-19 infections and need careful monitoring in case of COVID-19.Table 1.SSc disease characteristics of COVID-19 patientsAll(n=172)Hospitalized(n=67)Severe outcome(n=41)Age at COVID-19, yrs (SD)57 (14.0)63 (13.8)65 (12.2)Male sex, n (%)38 (21)18 (27)12 (29)≥1 comorbidity, n (%)63/176 (36)37 (55)30 (58)SSc disease duration at COVID, yrs (SD)11.5 (8.8)13.3 (9.7)12.7 (10.2)Diffuse cutaneous SSc, n (%)74 (42)29 (43)19 (46)mRSS, median (IQR)5 (8)5 (9)5 (7)ILD, n (%)90/175 (51)36/65 (55)26/40 (65)PAH, n (%)21/175 (12)11/65 (17)8/40 (20)GI disease, n (%)112/176 (64)45 (67)30 (73)Cardiac disease, n (%)37/166 (22)19/59 (32)16/36 (44)Musculoskeletal disease, n (%)40/175 (23)15/65 (23)6/40 (15)Renal disease, n (%)8/175 (5)7/65 (11)5/40 (13)Ever DU, n (%)69/175 (39)27/65 (42)14/40 (35)CRP, ng/ml (SD)35/177 (20)14 (21)9 (22)Immunosuppressive treatment, n (%)104/177 (59)41/66 (62)26 (63)Figure 1.Univariable logistic analyses for hospitalization and severe outcomeDisclosure of Interests:Anna-Maria Hoffmann-Vold Speakers bureau: Actelion, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, Merck Sharp & Dohme, ARXX, Lilly and Medscape, Consultant of: Actelion, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bayer, ARXX, and Medscape, Grant/research support from: Boehringer Ingelheim, Cathrine Brunborg: None declared, Francesca Tirelli: None declared, Patricia Carreira: None declared, Nicoletta Del Papa: None declared, Arsene Mekinian: None declared, Madelon Vonk: None declared, Alessandro Giollo: None declared, Giacomo De Luca: None declared, Maria De Santis: None declared, Corrado Campochiaro: None declared, Carina Mihai: None declared, Paolo Airò Speakers bureau: Bristol Myers Squibb, Bohringer Ingelheim, Consultant of: Bristol Myers Squibb, Bohringer Ingelheim, non-financial support from CSL Behring, SOBI, Janssen, Roche, Sanofi, Pfizer, Maria Grazia Lazzaroni: None declared, Elisabetta Zanatta: None declared, Rosario Foti: None declared, Yannick Allanore: None declared, Daniel Furst: None declared, Marco Matucci-Cerinic: None declared, Armando Gabrielli: None declared, Oliver Distler Speakers bureau: Actelion, Kymera Therapeutics, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Abbvie, Acceleron, Alexion, Amgen, AnaMar, Arxx Therapeutics, Baecon, Discovery, Blade Therapeutics, Corbus Pharmaceuticals, Drug Development International, Ltd, CSL Behring, Galapagos NV, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, GSK, Horizon (Curzion) Pharmaceuticals, Inventiva, iQvia, Kymera Therapeutics, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Topadur and UCB, Consultant of: Actelion, Kymera Therapeutics, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Abbvie, Acceleron, Alexion, Amgen, AnaMar, Arxx Therapeutics, Baecon, Discovery, Blade Therapeutics, Corbus Pharmaceuticals, Drug Development International, Ltd, CSL Behring, Galapagos NV, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, GSK, Horizon (Curzion) Pharmaceuticals, Inventiva, iQvia, Kymera Therapeutics, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Topadur and UCB, Grant/research support from: Boehringer Ingelheim

    Validation of the Italian version of the ANCA-associated vasculitis patient-reported outcome (AAV-PRO) questionnaire

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    Objectives: The primary objective of this study was the translation and validation of the ANCA-associated vasculitis patient-reported outcome (AAV-PRO) questionnaire into Italian, denoted as AAV-PRO_ita. The secondary objective was to evaluate the impact of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) on quality of life (QoL) and work impairment in a large cohort of Italian patients. Methods: The study design took a prospective cohort study approach. First, the AAV-PRO was translated into Italian following the step guidelines for translations. The new AAV-PRO_ita questionnaire covered three disease domains: organ-specific and systemic symptoms and signs; physical function; and social and emotional impact. Second, Italian-speaking AAV patients were recruited from 17 Italian centres belonging to the Italian Vasculitis Study Group. Participants completed the AAV-PRO_ita questionnaire at three time points. Participants were also requested to complete the work productivity and activity impairment: general health questionnaire. Results: A total of 276 AAV patients (56.5% women) completed the questionnaires. The AAV-PRO_ita questionnaire demonstrated a good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Female AAV patients scored higher (i.e. worse) in all thee domains, especially in the social and emotional impact domain (P < 0.001). Patients on glucocorticoid therapy (n 1⁄4 199) had higher scores in all domains, especially in the physical function domain (P < 0.001), compared with patients not on glucocorticoid therapy (n 1⁄4 77). Furthermore, patients who had at least one relapse of disease (n 1⁄4 114) had higher scores compared with those who had never had one (n 1⁄4 161) in any domain (P < 0.05). Finally, nearly 30% of the patients reported work impairment. Conclusion: The AAV-PRO_ita questionnaire is a new 29-item, disease-specific patient-reported outcome measuring tool that can be used in AAV research in the Italian language. Sex, glucocorticoids and relapsing disease showed the greatest impact on QoL

    OP0063 QUANTITATIVE COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY PREDICTS 10-YEAR MORTALITY IN INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE RELATED TO SYSTEMIC SCLEROSI

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    Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the main cause of death in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Chest CT is the gold standard in detecting ILD although it is not easy to understand its prognostic value. ILD qualitative assessment is almost worthless. Goh et al. semi quantitative score of ILD extent is related to mortality risk but it is burdened by relevant inter/intra-readers variability. An operator independent algorithm based on voxel-wise analysis proved to identify SSc patients with an increased risk of mortality according to prediction models. Objectives: To verify if quantitative analysis of chest CT (QCT) predict 10 years-mortality in SSc patients. Methods: SSc patients with availability of a chest CT were enrolled in 13 different centers. The CT voxel-wise analysis with a free software (www.horosproject.com) provided QCT indexes: kurtosis, skewness, mean lung attenuation and standard deviation. Patients

    Patient-reported impact of spondyloarthritis on work disability and working life: the ATLANTIS survey

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    Background: The aim was to establish how patients experience the impact of spondyloarthritis (SpA) on work disability and working life. Methods: The survey was performed in 17/20 regions in Italy (1 January to 31 March 2013). A multiple-choice questionnaire was published on the official website of the sponsor - the National Association of Rheumatic Patients (ANMAR) - and hard-copies were distributed at outpatient clinics for rheumatic patients. Results: Respondents (n = 770) were of both sexes (56 % men), educated (62 % at high school or more), of working age (75 % aged 6460 years), and affected by SpA. The most common types diagnosed were ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (39 %) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (36 %). Respondents were working full-time (45 %), part-time (8 %) or had retired (22 %); 15 % were unemployed (for reasons linked to the disease or for other reasons, students or housewives). Patients reported disability (39 %), were receiving disability benefits (34 %), were experiencing important limitations that were hindering their professional development/career (36 %) and some had to change/leave their job or lost it because of SpA (21 %). Employed respondents (n = 383) had worked on average 32.2 h in the last 7 days. More hours of work were lost over the last 7 days due to SpA (2.39 h vs 1.67 h). The indirect costs of the disease amounted to \u20ac106/week for patients reporting well-being/good physical conditions/improvement and \u20ac216/week for those reporting permanent impairment. Conclusions: Most patients were in the midst of their productive years and were experiencing considerable difficulties in carrying out their job because of the disease: half of them reported disability and one third were experiencing important limitations in their career perspective

    Patient-reported impact of spondyloarthritis on work disability and working life: the ATLANTIS survey

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    Background: The aim was to establish how patients experience the impact of spondyloarthritis (SpA) on work disability and working life. Methods: The survey was performed in 17/20 regions in Italy (1 January to 31 March 2013). A multiple-choice questionnaire was published on the official website of the sponsor - the National Association of Rheumatic Patients (ANMAR) - and hard-copies were distributed at outpatient clinics for rheumatic patients. Results: Respondents (n = 770) were of both sexes (56 % men), educated (62 % at high school or more), of working age (75 % aged ≤60 years), and affected by SpA. The most common types diagnosed were ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (39 %) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (36 %). Respondents were working full-time (45 %), part-time (8 %) or had retired (22 %); 15 % were unemployed (for reasons linked to the disease or for other reasons, students or housewives). Patients reported disability (39 %), were receiving disability benefits (34 %), were experiencing important limitations that were hindering their professional development/career (36 %) and some had to change/leave their job or lost it because of SpA (21 %). Employed respondents (n = 383) had worked on average 32.2 h in the last 7 days. More hours of work were lost over the last 7 days due to SpA (2.39 h vs 1.67 h). The indirect costs of the disease amounted to €106/week for patients reporting well-being/good physical conditions/improvement and €216/week for those reporting permanent impairment. Conclusions: Most patients were in the midst of their productive years and were experiencing considerable difficulties in carrying out their job because of the disease: half of them reported disability and one third were experiencing important limitations in their career perspective

    Primary systemic sclerosis heart involvement: A systematic literature review and preliminary data-driven, consensus-based WSF/HFA definition

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    Introduction: Primary heart involvement in systemic sclerosis may cause morpho-functional and electrical cardiac abnormalities and is a common cause of death. The absence of a clear definition of primary heart involvement in systemic sclerosis limits our understanding and ability to focus on clinical research. We aimed to create an expert consensus definition for primary heart involvement in systemic sclerosis. Methods: A systematic literature review of cardiac involvement and manifestations in systemic sclerosis was conducted to inform an international and multi-disciplinary task force. In addition, the nominal group technique was used to derive a definition that was then subject to voting. A total of 16 clinical cases were evaluated to test face validity, feasibility, reliability and criterion validity of the newly created definition. Results: In total, 171 publications met eligibility criteria. Using the nominal group technique, experts added their opinion, provided statements to consider and ranked them to create the consensus definition, which received 100% agreement on face validity. A median 60(5–300) seconds was taken for the feasibility on a single case. Inter-rater agreement was moderate (mKappa (95% CI) = 0.56 (0.46–1.00) for the first round and 0.55 (0.44–1.00) for the second round) and intra-rater agreement was good (mKappa (95% CI) = 0.77 (0.47–1.00)). Criterion validity showed a 78 (73–84)% correctness versus gold standard. Conclusion: A preliminary primary heart involvement in systemic sclerosis consensus-based definition was created and partially validated, for use in future clinical research

    Consensus on the assessment of systemic sclerosis–associated primary heart involvement: World Scleroderma Foundation/Heart Failure Association guidance on screening, diagnosis, and follow-up assessment

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    INTRODUCTION: Heart involvement is a common problem in systemic sclerosis. Recently, a definition of systemic sclerosis primary heart involvement had been proposed. Our aim was to establish consensus guidance on the screening, diagnosis and follow-up of systemic sclerosis primary heart involvement patients. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed to investigate the tests used to evaluate heart involvement in systemic sclerosis. The extracted data were categorized into relevant domains (conventional radiology, electrocardiography, echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, laboratory, and others) and presented to experts and one patient research partner, who discussed the data and added their opinion. This led to the formulation of overarching principles and guidance statements, then reviewed and voted on for agreement. Consensus was attained when the mean agreement was ⩾7/10 and of ⩾70% of voters. RESULTS: Among 2650 publications, 168 met eligibility criteria; the data extracted were discussed over three meetings. Seven overarching principles and 10 guidance points were created, revised and voted on. The consensus highlighted the importance of patient counseling, differential diagnosis and multidisciplinary team management, as well as defining screening and diagnostic approaches. The initial core evaluation should integrate history, physical examination, rest electrocardiography, trans-thoracic echocardiography and standard serum cardiac biomarkers. Further investigations should be individually tailored and decided through a multidisciplinary management. The overall mean agreement was 9.1/10, with mean 93% of experts voting above 7/10. CONCLUSION: This consensus-based guidance on screening, diagnosis and follow-up of systemic sclerosis primary heart involvement provides a foundation for standard of care and future feasibility studies that are ongoing to support its application in clinical practice
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