Attitude to Co-Administration of Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccines among Pregnant Women Exploring the Health Action Process Approach Model

: Respiratory tract diseases caused by influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 can represent a serious threat to the health of pregnant women. Immunological remodulation for fetus tolerance and physiological changes in the gestational chamber expose both mother and child to fearful complications and a high risk of hospitalization. Vaccines to protect pregnant women from influenza and COVID-19 are strongly recommended and vaccine co-administration could be advantageous to increase coverage of both vaccines. The attitude to accept both vaccines is affected by several factors: social, cultural, and cognitive-behavioral. In Palermo, Italy, during the 2021-2022 influenza season, a cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate pregnant women's intention to adhere to co-administration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. The determinants of vaccination attitude were investigated through the administration of a questionnaire and the Health Action Process Approach theory was adopted to explore the cognitive behavioral aspects. Overall, 120 pregnant women were enrolled; mean age 32 years, 98.2% (n = 118) of Italian nationality and 25.2% (n = 30) with obstetric or pathological conditions of pregnancy at risk. Factors significantly associated with the attitude to co-administration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines among pregnant women were: high level of education (OR = 13.96; p < 0.001), positive outcome expectations (OR = 2.84; p < 0.001), and self-efficacy (OR = 3.1; p < 0.001). Effective strategies to promote the co-administration of the influenza vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine should be based on the communication of the benefits and positive outcomes of vaccine co-administration and on the adequate information of pregnant women

Human herpesvirus 6 infection in normal human brain tissue

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Fetuin-A in elderly: effect of genotype on serum levels

Fetuin-A is a circulating inhibitor of ectopic calcification in vivo; it is decreased in patients with chronic kidney disease and correlates with glomerular filtration rate in patients with coronary artery disease. However, serum levels of Fetuin-A has not been described in elderly. Aim of the study was to evaluate Fetuin-A serum levels together with AHSG T256S genotype in a population of healthy elderly. Serum fetuin-A levels were determined by ELISA. T256S polymorphism of AHSG gene was determined by PCR-RFLP. Serum Fetuin-A was 0,38 ± 0,13 g/l in the group composed by 206 healthy centenarians. Moreover, subjects with at least one S allele had lower Fetuin-A levels (P<001). Interestingly, Fetuin-A was associated with increasing age (r=0.159; p=0.027; adjusted for sex). Fetuin-A increases with age in successful aging, suggesting a protective effect against vascular calcification exerted by Fetuin-A. Our results confirm T256S polymorphism as a genetic determinant of plasma fetuin-A levels

Expression of cell-homologous genes of human herpesvirus-8 in human immunodeficiency virus-negative lymphoproliferative diseases

Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) genome encodes for genes homologous to human cellular genes such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), Cyclin-D, BCL-5, and IL-8 receptor (G-protein-coupled receptor [GCR]), We used reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to study the expression of these viral genes in lymphoproliferative disorders associated with HHV-8 infection, None of these genes was expressed in 1 case of benign, localized Castleman´s disease (CD), and only viral IL-6 and viral Cyclin-D were transcribed in 2 cases of benign lymphadenopathies with giant germinal center hyperplasia and increased vascularity. In contrast, all 4 genes were transcribed in 1 case of multicentric CD of plasma cell type with aggressive clinical course and in 1 primary effusion lymphoma cell line. Our study provides the evidence that various HHV-8 genes, homologous to cellular genes involved in control of proliferation and apoptosis, may be differently expressed in different lymphoid disorders in vivo

Electrochemical activity of thiahelicenes: Structure effects and electrooligomerization ability

Thiahelicenes are polycondensed heteroaromatic molecules characterized by a chiral helix-like structure including multiple thiophene units, with a lowering effect on the oxidation potentials and a shrinking effect on the band gaps. As a consequence they can be regarded as electrochemically and optically active conducting materials, exhibiting interesting properties under electrical or magnetic polarization, and are under study for non-linear optics (NLO) applications. The present extensive investigation on 11 thiahelicenes with different chain length and functionalization (including the first example of a thiahelicene with perfluorinated alkyl chains) together with the precursor benzodithiophene provides a deep insight on the structure vs. electrochemical activity relationship within this attractive compound class, focusing on both electron transfer (ET) properties and oligomerization ability (hinging on free positions on terminal thiophene groups)

Fetun-A and end stage renal disease: correlations with haemodialytic single session and genotype

Several studies showed that Fetuin-a is an extracellular calcium-regulatory protein acting as a potent inhibitor of calcium-phosphate precipitation, involved also in bone metabolism because of its high affinity for hydroxyapatite. The aim of this study is to evaluate the serum Fetuin-A levels in patients with chronic renal failure before and after a single session of dialysis and to investigate the correlation between protein serum concentrations and T256S genotype. Our results show that serum Fetuin- A levels decrease 4 hours after haemodialysis treatment and a significant correlation between 256SS homozygote and serum protein levels. Ectopic calcification and particularly intravascular calcification is inhibited by Fetuin-A and this mechanism seems to be of some importance in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)

HUMAN HERPESVIRUS-6 - A SURVEY OF PRESENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF GENOMIC SEQUENCES IN NORMAL BRAIN AND NEUROGLIAL TUMORS

In an attempt to study the frequency and distribution of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection both in normal and neoplastic brain tissues in vivo, polymerase chain reaction was used to look for HHV-6 genomes: 1) in samples, obtained at necropsy, from different regions of the brain of immunocompetent adult subjects and of patients who died of AIDS; 2) in the surgical biopsies of a well-characterized series of primary brain tumors of neuroglial origin. HHV-6-specific sequences were identified in six of nine brain samples from immunocompetent subjects, and in four of seven brain samples from AIDS patients. Viral sequences were identified in the specimens derived either from the grey (frontal cortex and basal ganglia) or from the periventricular white matter. HHV-6 DNA was found only in 6 of the 37 primary brain tumor biopsies examined. Th is study provides for the first time molecular evidence of a wide distribution of HHV-6 infection in the brain tissues of a high proportion of subjects, both in normal and in impaired immunity. in this large series of tumor biopsies the presence of HHV-6 genomic sequences is a rare phenomenon, arguing against a major role of this herpesvirus in the pathogenesis of primary brain tumors of neuroglial origin in immuno-competent subjects

Expression of human herpesvirus-6 antigens in benign and malignant lymphoproliferative diseases

Immunohistochemistry was used to look for the expression of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) antigens in a well characterized series of benign, atypical, and malignant lymphoid lesions, which tested positive for the presence of HHV-6 DNA, A panel of specific antibodies against HHV-6 antigens, characteristic either of the early (p41) or late (p101K, gp106, and gp116) phases of the viral cycle, was applied to the lymphoid tissues from 15 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, 14 Hodgkin's disease cases, 5 angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathies with dysproteinemia, 14 Reactive lymphadenopathies, and 2 cases of sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (Rosai-Dorfman disease). In lymphomatous tissues, the expression of late antigens was documented only in reactive cells, and mainly in plasma cells. Of interest, the expression of the early p41 antigen was detected in the so-called mummified Reed-Sternberg cells, in two Hodgkin's disease cases. In reactive lymphadenopathies, the HHV-6 late antigen-expressing cells were plasma cells, histiocytes, and rare granulocytes distributed in interfollicular areas. In both cases of Rosai-Dorfman disease, the p101K showed an intense staining in follicular dendritic cells of germinal centers, whereas the gp106 exhibited an intense cytoplasmic reaction in the abnormal histiocytes, which represent the histological hallmark of the disease. The expression of HHV-6 antigens is tightly controlled in lymphoid tissues. The lack of HHV-6 antigen expression in neoplastic cells and the limited expression in degenerating Reed-Sternberg cells argue against a major pathogenetic role of the vines in human lymphomagenesis, The detection of a rather unique pattern of viral late antigen expression in Rosai-Dorfman disease suggests a possible pathogenetic involvement of HHV-6 in some cases of this rare lymphoproliferative disorder