Segnalazioni di maltrattamento in età infantile: valutazione qualitativa sul territorio calabrese

Il presente lavoro si propone di indagare il fenomeno del maltrattamento in età pediatrica sul territorio calabrese, fornendo una lettura qualitativa “indiretta” del fenomeno ed individuando cause e fattori di rischio in grado di determinare la “predisposizione” dei minori all’essere vittima di violenza.È stato condotto uno studio retrospettivo, nel quale sono stati arruolati casi di segnalazioni provenienti dai servizi sanitari territoriali. Il confronto dei risultati del nostro studio con i dati di letteratura mostra un andamento del fenomeno sostanzialmente sovrapponibile. La conoscenza delle caratteristiche qualitative delle segnalazioni di maltrattamento consente altresì la possibilità di suggerire programmi di prevenzione

The Effect of Bergamot-Derived Polyphenolic Fraction on LDL Small Dense Particles and Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

The occurrence of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) represents an independent risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease states in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus. Moreover, both the size of LDL particles and liver dysfunction identified as non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represent important biomarkers for the development of cardiometabolic risk in patients with MS. Here we studied the effect of bergamot polyphenolic fraction (BPF) in patients with MS and NAFLD. 107 patients were enrolled at the San Raffaele IRCCS (Rome). All of them showed ultrasonografic evidences of NAFLD and at least three out of five previous identified criteria for the diagnosis of MS. Patients were divided into two groups: one receiving placebo and the second receiving BPF 650 mg twice a day for 120 consecutive days. In the group receiving BPF 650 mg twice a day, a significant reduction of fasting plasma glucose, serum LDL cholesterol and triglycerides alongside with an increase of HDL cholesterol was found. This effect was accompanied by significant reduction of both ultrasonographic and metabolic biomarkers of NAFLD. Moreover, a significant reduction of small dense LDL particles, as detected via proton NMR Spectroscopy, was found after BPF treatment. In conclusion, our data confirm the beneficial effect of bergamot-extract in patients with MS an effect highlighted by significant reduction of small dense LDL particles and by improvement of NAFLD biomarkers. This suggests a potential preventive role of bergamot derivatives in reducing cardiometabolic risk

Regulation of uric acid metabolism and excretion

AbstractPurines perform many important functions in the cell, being the formation of the monomeric precursors of nucleic acids DNA and RNA the most relevant one. Purines which also contribute to modulate energy metabolism and signal transduction, are structural components of some coenzymes and have been shown to play important roles in the physiology of platelets, muscles and neurotransmission. All cells require a balanced quantity of purines for growth, proliferation and survival. Under physiological conditions the enzymes involved in the purine metabolism maintain in the cell a balanced ratio between their synthesis and degradation. In humans the final compound of purines catabolism is uric acid. All other mammals possess the enzyme uricase that converts uric acid to allantoin that is easily eliminated through urine. Overproduction of uric acid, generated from the metabolism of purines, has been proven to play emerging roles in human disease. In fact the increase of serum uric acid is inversely associated with disease severity and especially with cardiovascular disease states. This review describes the enzymatic pathways involved in the degradation of purines, getting into their structure and biochemistry until the uric acid formation

Sudden cardiac death: focus on the genetics of channelopathies and cardiomyopathies

Abstract Sudden cardiac death (SCD) describes a natural and unexpected death from cardiac causes occurring within a short period of time (generally within 1 h of symptom onset) in the absence of any other potentially lethal condition. Most SCD-related diseases have a genetic basis; in particular congenital cardiac channelopathies and cardiomyopathies have been described as leading causes of SCD. Congenital cardiac channelopathies are primary electric disorders caused by mutations affecting genes encoding cardiac ion channels or associated proteins, whereas cardiomyopathies are related to mutations in genes encoding several categories of proteins, including those of sarcomeres, desmosomes, the cytoskeleton, and the nuclear envelope. The purpose of this review is to provide a general overview of the main genetic variants that have been linked to the major congenital cardiac channelopathies and cardiomyopathies. Functional alterations of the related proteins are also described

Challenges and Opportunities from Targeting Inflammatory Responses to SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Narrative Review

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic that continues to sweep across the world, posing an urgent need for effective therapies and prevention of the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome related to coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). A major hypothesis that is currently guiding research and clinical care posits that an excessive and uncontrolled surge of pro-inflammatory cytokines (the so-called "cytokine storm") drives morbidity and mortality in the most severe cases. In the overall efforts made to develop effective and safe therapies (including vaccines) for COVID-19, clinicians are thus repurposing ready-to-use drugs with direct or indirect anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. Speculatively, there are many opportunities and challenges in targeting immune/inflammatory processes in the evolving settings of COVID-19 disease because of the need to safely balance the fight against virus and aggressive inflammation versus the suppression of host immune defenses and the risk of additional harms in already compromised patients. To this end, many studies are globally underway to weigh the pros and cons of tailoring drugs used for inflammatory-driven conditions to COVID-19 patient care, and the next step will be to summarize the growing clinical trial experience into clean clinical practice. Based on the current evidence, anti-inflammatory drugs should be considered as complementary approaches to anti-viral drugs that need to be timely introduced in the management of COVID-19 according to disease severity. While drugs that target SARS-CoV-2 entry or replication are expected to confer the greatest benefits at the early stage of the infection, anti-inflammatory drugs would be more effective in limiting the inflammatory processes that drive the worsening of the disease

THE FORENSIC APPLICATION OF PROTEOMICS FOR THE STUDY OF THE TIME OF DEATH: AN OPERATIVE EXPERIMENTAL MODEL FOR PMI ESTIMATION

Post Mortem Interval (PMI) estimation is one of the most important questions the forensic pathologist must answer. To date, it is not possible to establish exactly the hour of death, but only to calculate a period (PMI), during which death most likely occurred. In the forensic field, several laboratory methods can be used to perform this calculation more accurately. However, there is still no biomarker that is universally validated and accepted by the forensic community. In the literature, researches about the application of proteomics for forensic purposes are on the increase. Proteomics is a branch of molecular biology that allows the systematic identification of the proteome from a quantitative and qualitative point of view. Below, we propose the operating model of an experimental study currently underway at the Department of Legal Medicine of the University of Catanzaro. The model is based on taking of peripheral blood samples from patients who died at the Intensive Care Unit (AO “Mater Domini” of Catanzaro). The proposed operating model has several advantages including the evaluation, for the first time, of human biological samples from the exact moment of death. The analysis would allow to identify new potential biomarkers expressed in peripheral blood and validate the forensic application of markers already known in the literature. The knowledge of the exact moment of death (time 0) would allow us to evaluate the proteomic profile more accurately on the human model, overstepping the limits of some extrinsic variables evidenced in the literature

Sudden death by rupture of a varicose vein: Case report and review of literature

Venous disease, including varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, is one of the most common chronic medical conditions. Haemorrhage from rupture of varicose veins in the legs is rare and can lead to sudden death. Nevertheless, this condition is not included among the causes of sudden death. In this case, an 88-year-old man was found dead in a large pool of blood at home. Initially, investigators mistakenly assumed that it was a case of homicide. Bloodstain pattern analysis was performed. An external examination of the victim showed an ulcer on the left foot and evident varicose veins untreated on the lower limbs. The aim of this study is to emphasize the role of treatment of varicose veins in the prevention of adverse events such as sudden death from acute haemorrhage