Le lesioni da decubito: fra sofferenze individuali e costi sociali

Le ulcere/lesioni da pressione hanno una genesi multifattoriale e possono essere causa di svariate complicanze. Un aspetto troppo spesso dimenticato è il loro costo per il Sistema Sanitario Nazionale (SSN). I casi di due pazienti ricoverate presso il reparto di Geriatria e Lungodegenza dell’Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria “Paolo Giaccone” di Palermo sono in proposito emblematic

MYC Rearranged Aggressive B-Cell Lymphomas: A Report on 100 Patients of the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL)

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F-18 FDG PET/CT quantization parameters as predictors of outcome in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

AimWe evaluated the prognostic significance of standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) obtained by F-18 FDG PET/CT (PET/CT) in patients with diffuse large B-cell Lymphomas (DLBCL) presenting intermediate IPI score.Material and MethodsFifty-two patients (61 +/- 13yr) underwent PET/CT before the first-line chemotherapy. The mean SUVmax value, the summed MTV (cm(3); 42% threshold), and the cumulative TLG (g) were registered. The patients were followed up 18months thereafter (range 3-41months). The PET/CT results were compared to the event-free survival (EFS).ResultsAt univariate analysis, SUVmax and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were predictive, but discordantly. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for SUVmax showed a significant better EFS in patients presenting higher values as compared to those having lesser (P=0.0002, HR 0.13). Summed MTV and cumulative TLG were not suitable for predicting EFS.ConclusionDespite the availability of new tools for the quantitative assessment of disease activity on PET/CT, the SUVmax rather than MTV and TLG remains the only predictor for EFS in DLBCL patients. The magnitude of glycolytic activity rather than the amount of metabolically active burden holds a predominant value for determining the response to chemotherapy in DLBCL

CCDC6 represses CREB1 activity by recruiting histone deacetylase 1 and protein phosphatase 1.

RET/papillary thyroid carcinoma 1 (PTC1) oncogene is frequently activated in human PTCs. It is characterized by the fusion of the intracellular kinase-encoding domain of RET to the first 101 amino acids of CCDC6. The aim of our work is to characterize the function of the CCDC6 protein to better understand the function of its truncation, that results in the loss of the expression of one allele, in the process of thyroid carcinogenesis. Here, we report that CCDC6 interacts with CREB1 and represses its transcriptional activity by recruiting histone deacetylase 1 and protein phosphatase 1 proteins at the CRE site of the CREB1 target genes. Finally, we show an increased CREB1 phosphorylation and activity in PTCs carrying the RET/PTC1 oncogene. Consistently, an increased expression of two known CREB1 target genes, AREG and cyclin A, was observed in this subgroup of thyroid papillary carcinomas. Therefore, the repression of CREB1 activity by CCDC6 has a critical function in the development of human thyroid papillary carcinomas carrying RET/PTC1 activation.Oncogene advance online publication, 24 May 2010

Promising Effects of 3-Month Period of Quercetin Phytosome^® Supplementation in the Prevention of Symptomatic COVID-19 Disease in Healthcare Workers: A Pilot Study

Quercetin, for its crucial properties, fulfills the need for a multifactor action that is useful for the potential counterbalance of a COVID-19 infection. Given this background, the aim of the study was to evaluate the potential effect of 3 months’ supplementation with Quercetin Phytosome® (250 mg twice a day) as prevention against symptomatic COVID-19. In total, 120 subjects were enrolled (males, 63; females, 57; age 49 ± 12), with 60 in the supplementation group and 60 in the placebo group. No significant differences were detected between groups in terms of gender, smoking, and chronic disease. Subjects underwent rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tests every 3 weeks. During our study, 5 subjects had COVID-19, 1 out of 60 subjects in the quercetin group and 4 out of 60 in the control group. Complete clinical remission was recorded at 7 and 15 days in the quercetin and placebo groups, respectively. Analysis showed that, at 5 months, the COVID free survival function (risk of infection) was 99.8% in subjects under quercetin supplementation and 96.5% in control group. As shown by the value of EXP(B), those who had taken the supplement had a protection factor of 14% more to not contract the COVID-19 infection than that of those who had taken a placebo. Obtained results are encouraging, but further studies are required to add quercetin as regular prophylaxis

Preliminary analysis of double‐negative T, double‐positive T, and natural killer T‐like cells in B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract Background B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B‐CLL) is characterized by the expansion of CD5+ malignant B lymphocytes. Recent discoveries have shown that double‐negative T (DNT) cells, double‐positive T (DPT) cells, and natural killer T (NKT)‐cells may be involved in tumor surveillance. Methods A detailed immunophenotypic analysis of the peripheral blood T‐cell compartment of 50 patients with B‐CLL (classified in three prognostic groups) and 38 healthy donors (as controls) matched for age was performed. The samples were analyzed by flow cytometry using a stain‐lyse‐no wash technique and a comprehensive six‐color antibody panels. Results Our data confirmed a reduction in percentage values and an increase in absolute values of T lymphocytes in patients with B‐CLL, as already reported. In particular, DNT, DPT, and NKT‐like percentages were significantly lower than in the controls, except for NKT‐like in the low‐risk prognostic group. Moreover, a significant rise in the absolute counts of DNT cells in each prognostic group and in the low‐risk prognostic group of NKT‐like cells was found. A significant correlation of the absolute values of NKT‐like cells in the intermediate‐risk prognostic group versus B cells was observed. Furthermore, we analyzed whether the increase in T cells was related to the subpopulations of interest. Only DNT cells were positively correlated with the increase in CD3+ T lymphocytes, regardless of the stage of the disease, supporting the hypothesis that this T‐cell subset plays a key role in the immune T response in B‐CLL. Conclusion These early results supported that DNT, DPT, and NKT‐like subsets may be related to disease progression and should encourage further studies aimed at identifying the potential immune surveillance role of these minority T subpopulations

Nitrogen Stereodynamics and Complexation Phenomena as Key Factors in the Deprotonative Dynamic Resolution of Alkylideneaziridines: A Spectroscopic and Computational Study

The present work is aimed at shedding light on the origin of the stereoselectivity observed in the reactions of chiral heterosubstituted organolithiums, generated by lithiation of alkylideneaziridines. Factors such as the nitrogen inversion barrier, the stereochemistry at the nitrogen atom, the substitution pattern of the alkylideneaziridines, and the reaction conditions are taken into consideration. The interplay between nitrogen stereodynamics and complexation phenomena seems to be crucial in determining the stereochemical outcome of the lithiation/trapping sequence. The findings were rationalized by a synergistic use of NMR experiments, run on the lithiated intermediates, alongside computational data. It has been demonstrated that, in such systems, the stereochemistry-determining step is the deprotonation reaction, and a model based on a deprotonative dynamic resolution has been proposed. Such findings could find application in dynamic systems other than aziridines