Colonic epithelial ion transport is not affected in patients with diverticulosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Colonic diverticular disease is a bothersome condition with an unresolved pathogenesis. It is unknown whether a neuroepithelial dysfunction is present. The aim of the study was two-fold; (1) to investigate colonic epithelial ion transport in patients with diverticulosis and (2) to adapt a miniaturized Modified Ussing Air-Suction (MUAS) chamber for colonic endoscopic biopsies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Biopsies were obtained from the sigmoid part of the colon. 86 patients were included. All patients were referred for colonoscopy on suspicion of neoplasia and they were without pathological findings at colonoscopy (controls) except for diverticulosis in 22 (D-patients). Biopsies were mounted in MUAS chambers with an exposed area of 5 mm². Electrical responses to various stimulators and inhibitors of ion transport were investigated together with histological examination. The MUAS chamber was easy to use and reproducible data were obtained.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median basal short circuit current (SCC) was 43.8 μA·cm^-2(0.8 – 199) for controls and 59.3 μA·cm^-2(3.0 – 177.2) for D-patients. Slope conductance was 77.0 mS·cm^-2(18.6 – 204.0) equal to 13 Ω·cm²for controls and 96.6 mS·cm^-2(8.4 – 191.4) equal to 10.3 Ω·cm²for D-patients. Stimulation with serotonin, theophylline, forskolin and carbachol induced increases in SCC in a range of 4.9 – 18.6 μA·cm^-2, while inhibition with indomethacin, bumetanide, ouabain and amiloride decreased SCC in a range of 6.5 – 27.4 μA·cm^-2, and all with no significant differences between controls and D-patients. Histological examinations showed intact epithelium and lamina propria before and after mounting for both types of patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that epithelial ion transport is not significantly altered in patients with diverticulosis and that the MUAS chamber can be adapted for studies of human colonic endoscopic biopsies.</p

At-Line Sampling and Characterization of Pyrolytic Vapors from Biomass Feedstock Blends Using SPME-GC/MS-PCA: Influence of Char on Fast Pyrolysis

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis was used for the at-line sampling of pyrolytic vapors produced during the fast pyrolysis of biomass. The pure and binary blends of switchgrass (SWG) and pine harvest residues (PT6) were used as biomass feedstocks. Sequential SPME sampling allowed for monitoring of changes in the pyrolysis vapors as char accumulated in the fluid bed. The relative concentration and composition of the pyrolysis vapors desorbed from the SPME fibers were investigated using GC–MS, and the resulting chromatograms were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) to compare the composition of the pyrolysis vapors over the course of the pyrolysis run. The chemical compositions of both carbohydrate and lignin fragments varied as the char builds up in the reactor bed. Fragments derived from cellulose and hemicelluloses included anhydrosugars, furans, and light-oxygenated compounds. Lignin fragments included methoxyphenols, phenolic ketones, aldehydes, and low-molecular-weight aromatics. The composition of the carbohydrate fragments changed more than those of the lignin fragments as the char built up in the fluid bed. This combination of SPME-GC/MS-PCA was a novel, easy, and effective method for measuring the composition and changes in the composition of pyrolysis vapors during the fast pyrolysis process. This work also highlighted the effect of char build-up on the composition of the overall pyrolysis vapors

Characteristic of Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Patients Treated with Biologics in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Risk Analysis from the PSO-BIO-COVID Observational Study

Background The susceptibility of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and the risks or benefits related to the use of biological therapies for COVID-19 are unknown. Few data about prevalence, clinical course and outcomes of COVID-19 among psoriatic patients were reported. The aims of this study were 1) to assess the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 in psoriatic patients treated with biologic agents during the first phase of the emergency (22 February to 22 April 2020) in Italy, and 2) to report the clinical outcomes of patients who have been exposed to individuals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods Patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis, aged ≥18 years and undergoing treatment with biologic agents as of 22 February 2020, were eligible to be included in PSO-BIO-COVID study. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients using any biologic for psoriasis treatment between 22 February and 22 April 2020 were registered. For all confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, data about concomitant disease, ongoing therapies, and comorbidities were also reported. Results A total of 12,807 psoriatic patients were included in the PSO-BIO-COVID study. In this cohort twenty-six patients (0.2%) had a swab confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Eleven patients required hospitalization and two died. 125 of 12807 patients (1.0%) with exposure to a patient with COVID-19 under quarantine or active health surveillance, were reported. Conclusion The incidence of COVID-19 observed in our cohort of psoriatic patients (0.2%) is similar to that seen in the general population (0.31%) in Italy. However, the course of the disease was mild in most patients. Biological therapies may likely lessen "cytokine storm" of COVID-19, which sometimes lead to multiple organ failure, ARDS, and death

Characteristic of chronic plaque psoriasis patients treated with biologics in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Risk analysis from the PSO-BIO-COVID observational study

Background: The susceptibility of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and the risks or benefits related to the use of biological therapies for COVID-19 are unknown.Few data about prevalence, clinical course and outcomes of COVID-19 among psoriatic patients were reported. The aims of this study were 1) to assess the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 in psoriatic patients treated with biologic agents during the first phase of the emergency (22 February to 22 April 2020) in Italy, and 2) to report the clinical outcomes of patients who have been exposed to individuals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.Methods: Patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis, aged >= 18 years and undergoing treatment with biologic agents as of 22 February 2020, were eligible to be included in PSO-BIO-COVID study. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients using any biologic for psoriasis treatment between 22 February and 22 April 2020 were registered.Results: A total of 12,807 psoriatic patients were included in the PSO-BIO-COVID study.In this cohort 26 patients (0.2%) had a swab confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Eleven patients required hospitalization and two died.Conclusion: The incidence of COVID-19 observed in our cohort of psoriatic patients (0.2%) is similar to that seen in the general population (0.31%) in Italy. However, the course of the disease was mild in most patients. Biological therapies may likely lessen 'cytokine storm' of COVID-19, which sometimes lead to multiple organ failure, ARDS, and death

Abstracts from the 23rd Italian congress of Cystic Fibrosis and the 13th National congress of Cystic Fibrosis Italian Society

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) occurs most frequently in caucasian populations. Although less common, this disorder have been reported in all the ethnicities. Currently, there are more than 2000 described sequence variations in CFTR gene, uniformly distributed and including variants pathogenic and benign (CFTR1:www.genet.sickkids.on.ca/). To date,only a subset have been firmily established as variants annotated as disease-causing (CFTR2: www.cftr2.org). The spectrum and the frequency of individual CFTR variants, however, vary among specific ethnic groups and geographic areas. Genetic screening for CF with standard panels of CFTR mutations is widely used for the diagnosis of CF in newborns and symptomatic patients, and to diagnose CF carrier status. These screening panels have an high diagnostic sensitivity (around 85%) for CFTR mutations in caucasians populations but very low for non caucasians. Developed in the last decade, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) has been the last breakthrough technology in genetic studies with a substantial reduction in cost per sequenced base and a considerable enhancement of the sequence generation capabilities. Extended CFTR gene sequencing in NGS includes all the coding regions, the splicing sites and their flankig intronic regions, deep intronic regions where are localized known mutations,the promoter and the 5'-3' UTR regions. NGS allows the analysis of many samples concurrently in a shorter period of time compared to Sanger method . Moreover, NGS platforms are able to identify CFTR copy number variation (CNVs), not detected by Sanger sequencing. This technology has provided new and reliable approaches to molecular diagnosis of CF and CFTR-Related Disorders. It also allows to improve the diagnostic sensitivity of newborn and carrier screeningmolecular tests. In fact, bioinformatics tools suitable for all the NGS platforms can filter data generated from the gene sequencing, and analyze only mutations with well-established disease liability. This approach allows the development of targeted mutations panels with a higher number of frequent CF mutations for the target populationcompared to the standard panels and a consequent enhancement of the diagnostic sensitivity. Moreover, in the emerging challenge of diagnosing CF in non caucasians patients, the possibility of customize a NGS targeted mutations panel should increase the diagnostic sensitivity when the target population has different ethnicities