Sull'attuazione delle ordinanze possessorie non seguite dal giudizio di merito

Il contributo, muovendo da una pronuncia giurisprudenziale in forza della quale il procedimento possessorio non ha natura cautelare, in quanto esso è, si, regolato dalle disposizioni sul procedimento cautelare uniforme (669 bis e ss. c.p.c.), ma solo nei limiti della loro compatibilità con il procedimento possessorio, si snoda attraverso l'analisi della giurisprudenza formatasi in questa materia e si conclude con riflessioni personali al riguardo

The Relationship Between Widespread Pollution Exposure and Oxidized Products of Nucleic Acids in Seminal Plasma and Urine in Males Attending a Fertility Center

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, there has been an increase in male infertility, and in many cases, the etiology remains unclear. Several studies relate male hypo-fertility to xenobiotic exposure, even if no data exist about multiple exposure at the environmental level. METHODS: The study involved 86 males with diagnosis of idiopathic male infertility (IMI), and 46 controls with no alteration in sperm characteristics. Seminal plasma (SP) and urine samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify biomarkers of exposure (the main metabolites of benzene, toluene, 1,3-butadiene, 3-monochloropropanediol, styrene, and naphthol) and effect (oxidized products of nucleic acids). RESULTS: Biomarker concentrations were similar in subjects with IMI and controls even if a stronger correlation between biomarkers of exposure and effects were observed in SP. Data show that, both in SP and urine, most metabolites were inter-correlated, indicating a simultaneous co-exposure to the selected substances at the environmental level. Principal component analysis showed in SP the clustering of mercapturic acids indicating a preferential metabolic pathway with Glutathione (GSH) depletion and, consequently, an increase of oxidative stress. This result was also confirmed by multivariable analysis through the development of explanatory models for oxidized products of nucleic acids. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights how oxidative stress on the male reproductive tract can be associated with a different representation of metabolic pathways making the reproductive tract itself a target organ for different environmental pollutants. Our results demonstrate that SP is a suitable matrix to assess the exposure and evaluate the effects of reproductive toxicants in environmental/occupational medicine. The statistical approach proposed in this work represents a model appropriate to study the relationship between multiple exposure and effect, applicable even to a wider variety of chemicals

Progressive increase of matrix metalloprotease-9 and interleukin-8 serum levels during carcinogenic process in human colorectal tract

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory reactions, known to promote tumor growth and invasion, have been found associated with colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Macrophages are the chief component of the inflammatory infiltration that occurs early in the progression from non-invasive to malignant tumor, with a switch from the pro-inflammatory phenotype to the tumor-promoting phenotype. Tumor and stroma are additional sources of inflammation-related molecules. The study aimed to evaluate, during colorectal carcinogenesis from benign to malignant phases: i) the trend of serum levels of IL-8, IL-6, TGFβ1, VEGF and MMPs; ii) the parallel trend of CRP serum levels; iii) derangement of the principal TGFβ1 receptors (TGFβ1RI/RII) in tumor tissues. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 96 patients with colon adenomas or CRC at different stages of progression, and 17 controls, were recruited. Serum IL-8, IL-6, TGFβ1, VEGF, MMPs and CRP levels were analyzed before endoscopy or surgery. TGFβ1 receptors were evaluated in adenoma biopsies and surgically-removed colorectal adenocarcinomas. Serum levels of IL-8 in adenocarcinoma patients were increased from stage II, when also the enzymatic activity of MMP-9 increased. Of note, the increasing trend of the two serum markers was found significantly correlated. Trend of serum CRP was also very similar to that of IL-8 and MMP-9, but just below statistical significance. TGFβ1 levels were lower at stage III CRC, while IL-6 and VEGF levels had no significant variations. In tissue specimens, TGFβ1 receptors were already absent in about 50% of adenomas, and this percentage of missing receptors markedly increased in CRC stages III and IV. CONCLUSIONS: Combined quantification of serum IL-8, MMP-9 and CRP, appears a reliable and advanced index of inflammation-related processes during malignant phase of colorectal carcinogenesis, since these molecules remain within normal range in colorectal adenoma bearing patients, while consistently increase in the blood of CRC patients, even if from stage II only

Effective targeting of breast cancer stem cells by combined inhibition of Sam68 and Rad51

: Breast cancer (BC) is the second cause of cancer-related deceases in the worldwide female population. Despite the successful treatment advances, 25% of BC develops resistance to current therapeutic regimens, thereby remaining a major hurdle for patient management. Current therapies, targeting the molecular events underpinning the adaptive resistance, still require effort to improve BC treatment. Using BC sphere cells (BCSphCs) as a model, here we showed that BC stem-like cells express high levels of Myc, which requires the presence of the multifunctional DNA/RNA binding protein Sam68 for the DNA-damage repair. Analysis of a cohort of BC patients displayed that Sam68 is an independent negative factor correlated with the progression of the disease. Genetic inhibition of Sam68 caused a defect in PARP-induced PAR chain synthesis upon DNA-damaging insults, resulting in cell death of TNBC cells. In contrast, BC stem-like cells were able to survive due to an upregulation of Rad51. Importantly, the inhibition of Rad51 showed synthetic lethal effect with the silencing of Sam68, hampering the cell viability of patient-derived BCSphCs and stabilizing the growth of tumor xenografts, including those TNBC carrying BRCA mutation. Moreover, the analysis of Myc, Sam68 and Rad51 expression demarcated a signature of a poor outcome in a large cohort of BC patients. Thus, our findings suggest the importance of targeting Sam68-PARP1 axis and Rad51 as potential therapeutic candidates to counteract the expansion of BC cells with an aggressive phenotype

Sex-related differences in risk factors, type of treatment received and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation and acute stroke: Results from the RAF-study (Early Recurrence and Cerebral Bleeding in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation)

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation is an independent risk factor of thromboembolism. Women with atrial fibrillation are at a higher overall risk for stroke compared to men with atrial fibrillation. The aim of this study was to evaluate for sex differences in patients with acute stroke and atrial fibrillation, regarding risk factors, treatments received and outcomes. Methods Data were analyzed from the “Recurrence and Cerebral Bleeding in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation” (RAF-study), a prospective, multicenter, international study including only patients with acute stroke and atrial fibrillation. Patients were followed up for 90 days. Disability was measured by the modified Rankin Scale (0–2 favorable outcome, 3–6 unfavorable outcome). Results: Of the 1029 patients enrolled, 561 were women (54.5%) (p < 0.001) and younger (p < 0.001) compared to men. In patients with known atrial fibrillation, women were less likely to receive oral anticoagulants before index stroke (p = 0.026) and were less likely to receive anticoagulants after stroke (71.3% versus 78.4%, p = 0.01). There was no observed sex difference regarding the time of starting anticoagulant therapy between the two groups (6.4 ± 11.7 days for men versus 6.5 ± 12.4 days for women, p = 0.902). Men presented with more severe strokes at onset (mean NIHSS 9.2 ± 6.9 versus 8.1 ± 7.5, p < 0.001). Within 90 days, 46 (8.2%) recurrent ischemic events (stroke/TIA/systemic embolism) and 19 (3.4%) symptomatic cerebral bleedings were found in women compared to 30 (6.4%) and 18 (3.8%) in men (p = 0.28 and p = 0.74). At 90 days, 57.7% of women were disabled or deceased, compared to 41.1% of the men (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis did not confirm this significance. Conclusions: Women with atrial fibrillation were less likely to receive oral anticoagulants prior to and after stroke compared to men with atrial fibrillation, and when stroke occurred, regardless of the fact that in our study women were younger and with less severe stroke, outcomes did not differ between the sexes

Prediction of early recurrent thromboembolic event and major bleeding in patients with acute stroke and atrial fibrillation by a risk stratification schema: the ALESSA score study

Background and Purposes—This study was designed to derive and validate a score to predict early ischemic events and major bleedings after an acute ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods—The derivation cohort consisted of 854 patients with acute ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation included in prospective series between January 2012 and March 2014. Older age (hazard ratio 1.06 for each additional year; 95% confidence interval, 1.00–1.11) and severe atrial enlargement (hazard ratio, 2.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–2.87) were predictors for ischemic outcome events (stroke, transient ischemic attack, and systemic embolism) at 90 days from acute stroke. Small lesions (≤1.5 cm) were inversely correlated with both major bleeding (hazard ratio, 0.39; P=0.03) and ischemic outcome events (hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.30–1.00). We assigned to age ≥80 years 2 points and between 70 and 79 years 1 point; ischemic index lesion >1.5 cm, 1 point; severe atrial enlargement, 1 point (ALESSA score). A logistic regression with the receiver-operating characteristic graph procedure (C statistic) showed an area under the curve of 0.697 (0.632–0.763; P=0.0001) for ischemic outcome events and 0.585 (0.493–0.678; P=0.10) for major bleedings. Results—The validation cohort consisted of 994 patients included in prospective series between April 2014 and June 2016. Logistic regression with the receiver-operating characteristic graph procedure showed an area under the curve of 0.646 (0.529–0.763; P=0.009) for ischemic outcome events and 0.407 (0.275–0.540; P=0.14) for hemorrhagic outcome events. Conclusions—In acute stroke patients with atrial fibrillation, high ALESSA scores were associated with a high risk of ischemic events but not of major bleedings

Prevalence of hepatic steatosis in patients with type 2 diabetes and response to glucose-lowering treatments. A multicenter retrospective study in Italian specialist care

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a risk factor for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), which is becoming the commonest cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. We estimated MAFLD prevalence among patients with T2D using the hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and validated it against liver ultrasound. We also examined whether glucose-lowering medications (GLM) beneficially affected HSI