Specific Detection of Serum Antibodies against BKPyV, A Small DNA Tumour Virus, in Patients Affected by Choroidal Nevi

Ocular or choroidal nevus (CN) is a rare benign neoplastic lesion of the eye. The cause of CN onset/progression, which arises from the transformation of ocular melanocytes, is not known. A fraction of CN patients may develop uveal melanoma. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between CN and BK polyomavirus (BKPyV), a small DNA tumor virus. Serum IgG antibodies which react with BKPyV antigens were analyzed. An indirect E.L.I.S.A. using synthetic peptides that mimic BKPyV antigens was employed. Serumantibodies against BKPyV were also investigated by haemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay. Sera were from CN patients and healthy subject (HS) were the control. A statistically significant higher prevalence of antibodies against BKPyV capsid protein antigens in serum samples from CN patients was detected, compared to HS, using two independent techniques, indirect E.L.I.S.A. and HAI (87.3% CN vs. 62.1% HS and 91.5% CN vs. 64.4% HS, respectively; p < 0.005). Our data suggest an association exists between CN and BKPyV indicating that this small DNA tumor virus could be responsible in the onset of this benign neoplastic lesion affecting eye melanocytes. This investigation reports the association between choroidal nevi and BKPyV infection for the first time. These data are innovative in this field and may represent a starting point for further investigation into the putative role of BKPyV in CN onset/progression

Relationship between Chronic Short Sleep Duration and Childhood Body Mass Index: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

To assess relationship between obesity and chronic shorter sleep duration in children and to determine if lack of sleep represents an independent determinant of childhood Body Mass Index.This cross-sectional study was conducted in all children enrolled in the fifth class (approximately 10 years of age) of all public primary schools in Catanzaro (Southern Italy). The overall response rate was 62% resulting in 542 participating children. Parents completed a questionnaire with information on their demographics and socio-economic characteristics, their health status, characteristics of their child birth and health status. The sleeping habits were investigated in the 3 months preceding the consultation and parents were asked to indicate hours of bedtime and wake-up of their children. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to examine the association between child BMI and chronic lack of sleep.36.7% of the children surveyed were overweight or obese. A quarter of children did not routinely play sports and many of them spent more than an hour a day watching TV (60.7%) and using videogames or computer (51.1%). Widespread dietary habits were inadequate, especially concerning vegetables and fruit intake with more than 95% of children who consumed insufficient amounts. The average duration of sleep was equal to 9.4 (SD = ±0.6) hours, and the short-sleepers accounted for 38.9% of the total sample. The results of multivariate analysis showed a significant 0.77 Kg/m(2) increase of BMI for children classified as short compared to normal sleepers (95%CI = 0.16-1.38, p = 0.01).Chronic lack of sleep appears to be associated to higher BMI even in middle childhood and strongly suggests that public health strategies, focused on promoting healthy lifestyles should include an innovative approach to ensure an adequate duration of sleep at night especially in children, alongside more traditional approaches

Specific IgG antibodies react to mimotopes of BK Polyomavirus, a small DNA tumor virus, in healthy adult sera

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) was isolated in 1971 from the urine of a kidney transplant patient. Soon 25 after its identification, BKPyV was characterised as a kidney-tropic virus, which is responsible of a 26 significant fraction of the rejection of transplant kidney in the host. Moreover, in experimental 27 conditions BKPyV is able to transform different types of animal and human cells and to induce 28 tumours of different histotypes in experimental animals. BKPyV DNA sequences have been 29 detected in healthy individuals and cancer patients using polymerase chain reaction/Shouthern blot 30 hybridisation methods. Serum antibodies against this polyomavirus were revealed using 31 immunological techniques, which however cross-react with other polyomaviruses, such as JC 32 (JCPyV) and Simian Virus 40 (SV40). These non-specific data indicate the need of novel 33 immunological methods and new investigations to check in a specific manner BKPyV spread in 34 humans. To this aim, mimotopes from BKPyV structural capsid protein 1 (VP1) were employed for 35 specific immunological reactions to IgG antibodies of human serum samples. An indirect enzyme36 linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with synthetic peptides mimicking immunogenic epitopes of 37 BKPyV VP1 was set up and employed to test sera of healthy adult subjects. Data from this 38 innovative immunological assay indicates that serum antibodies against BKPyV VP1 mimotopes 39 are detectable in healthy subjects ranging from 18-90 year old. The overall prevalence of serum 40 samples that reacted to BKPyV VP1 mimotopes was 72%. The strong points from this investigation 41 are the novelty of the immunological method, its simplicity of the approach and the specificity of 42 BKPyV antibody reaction to VP1 mimotopes

Validity and reliability of a tool for determining appropriateness of days of stay: an observational study in the orthopedic intensive rehabilitation facilities in Italy.

OBJECTIVES: To test the validity and reliability of a tool specifically developed for the evaluation of appropriateness in rehabilitation facilities and to assess the prevalence of appropriateness of the days of stay. METHODS: The tool underwent a process of cross-cultural translation, content validity, and test-retest validity. Two hospital-based rehabilitation wards providing intensive rehabilitation care located in the Region of Calabria, Southern Italy, were randomly selected. A review of medical records on a random sample of patients aged 18 or more was performed. RESULTS: The process of validation resulted in modifying some of the criteria used for the evaluation of appropriateness. Test-retest reliability showed that the agreement and the k statistic for the assessment of the appropriateness of days of stay were 93.4% and 0.82, respectively. A total of 371 patient days was reviewed, and 22.9% of the days of stay in the sample were judged to be inappropriate. The most frequently selected appropriateness criterion was the evaluation of patients by rehabilitation professionals for at least 3 hours on the index day (40.8%); moreover, the most frequent primary reason accounting for the inappropriate days of stay was social and/or family environment issues (34.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The findings showed that the tool used is reliable and have adequate validity to measure the extent of appropriateness of days of stay in rehabilitation facilities and that the prevalence of inappropriateness is contained in the investigated settings. Further research is needed to expand appropriateness evaluation to other rehabilitation settings, and to investigate more thoroughly internal and external causes of inappropriate use of rehabilitation services

Additional file 1: of Immunogenicity and safety of intradermal influenza vaccine in immunocompromized patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

PRISMA checklist. (DOC 69 kb

Selected characteristics of the study population and results of univariate and multivariate analyses relating several variables to BMI.

a<p>N = 496 subjects after exclusion of participants with missing data.</p>b<p>The mean and standard deviation (SD) of BMI of the sample is 19.45±3.4.</p>c<p>referred to the age of 10 years.</p>d<p>the number that do not add to 542 are due to missing data for the variable.</p>e<p>referred to the parental education of 13 years.</p>f<p>referred to birth weight ≥4 kilograms.</p>g<p>referred to recommended daily servings.</p

BMI scatterplot and regression line according to mean daily sleeping hours.

<p>BMI scatterplot and regression line according to mean daily sleeping hours.</p

Frequency distribution of criteria for appropriateness of days of stay.

*<p>Multiple items selection was possible.</p

Conditioning Regimens for Frail Patients with Acute Leukemia Undergoing Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant: How to Strike Gently

: Despite the recent dramatic progress in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy, allogeneic transplant remains a mainstay of treatment for patients with acute leukemia. The availability of novel compounds and low intensity chemotherapy regimens made it possible for a significant proportion of elderly and comorbid patients with AML or ALL to undergo curative treatment protocols. In addition, the expansion of donor availability and the recent dramatic progress in haploidentical stem cell transplant, allow the identification of an available donor for nearly every patient. Therefore, an increasing number of transplants are currently performed in elderly and frail patients with AML or ALL. However, allo-Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in this delicate setting represents an important challenge, especially regarding the selection of the conditioning protocol. Ideally, conditioning intensity should be reduced as much as possible; however, in patients with acute leukemia relapse remains the major cause of transplant failure. In this article we present modern tools to assess the patient health status before transplant, review the available data on the outcome of frail AML an ALL patients undergoing allo-HSCT, and discuss how preparatory regimens can be optimized in this setting