Esophageal Eosinophilia and Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Celiac Children: A Ten Year Prospective Observational Study

The association between eosinophilic esophagitis and celiac disease is still controversial and its prevalence is highly variable. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of esophageal eosinophilia and eosinophilic esophagitis in a large group of children with celiac disease, prospectively followed over 11 years. Methods: Prospective observational study performed between 2008 and 2019. Celiac disease diagnosis was based on ESPGHAN criteria. At least four esophageal biopsies were sampled in patients who underwent endoscopy. The presence of at least 15 eosinophils/HPF on esophageal biopsies was considered suggestive of esophageal eosinophilia; at the same time, eosinophilic esophagitis was diagnosed according to the International Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Results: A total of 465 children (M 42% mean age 7.1 years (range: 1–16)) were diagnosed with celiac disease. Three hundred and seventy patients underwent endoscopy, and esophageal biopsies were available in 313. The prevalence of esophageal eosinophilia in children with celiac disease was 1.6% (95% CI: 0.54–2.9). Only one child was diagnosed as eosinophilic esophagitis; we calculated a prevalence of 0.3% (95% CI: 0.2–0.5%). The odds ratio for an association between eosinophilic esophagitis and celiac disease was at least 6.5 times higher (95% CI: 0.89–47.7; p = 0.06) than in the general population. Conclusion: The finding of an increased number of eosinophils (>15/HPF) in celiac patients does not have a clinical implication or warrant intervention, and therefore we do not recommend routine esophageal biopsies unless clinically indicated

Atomic and molecular data for spacecraft re-entry plasmas

The modeling of atmospheric gas, interacting with the space vehicles in re-entry conditions in planetary exploration missions, requires a large set of scattering data for all those elementary processes occurring in the system. A fundamental aspect of re-entry problems is represented by the strong non-equilibrium conditions met in the atmospheric plasma close to the surface of the thermal shield, where numerous interconnected relaxation processes determine the evolution of the gaseous system towards equilibrium conditions. A central role is played by the vibrational exchanges of energy, so that collisional processes involving vibrationally excited molecules assume a particular importance. In the present paper, theoretical calculations of complete sets of vibrationally state-resolved cross sections and rate coefficients are reviewed, focusing on the relevant classes of collisional processes: resonant and non-resonant electron-impact excitation of molecules, atom-diatom and molecule-molecule collisions as well as gas-surface interaction. In particular, collisional processes involving atomic and molecular species, relevant to Earth (N-2, O-2, NO), Mars (CO2, CO, N-2) and Jupiter (H-2, He) atmospheres are considered

Novel Insights into Autophagy and Prostate Cancer: A Comprehensive Review

Autophagy is a complex process involved in several cell activities, including tissue growth, differentiation, metabolic modulation, and cancer development. In prostate cancer, autophagy has a pivotal role in the regulation of apoptosis and disease progression. Several molecular pathways are involved, including PI3K/AKT/mTOR. However, depending on the cellular context, autophagy may play either a detrimental or a protective role in prostate cancer. For this purpose, current evidence has investigated how autophagy interacts within these complex interactions. In this article, we discuss novel findings about autophagic machinery in order to better understand the therapeutic response and the chemotherapy resistance of prostate cancer. Autophagic-modulation drugs have been employed in clinical trials to regulate autophagy, aiming to improve the response to chemotherapy or to anti-cancer treatments. Furthermore, the genetic signature of autophagy has been found to have a potential means to stratify prostate cancer aggressiveness. Unfortunately, stronger evidence is needed to better understand this field, and the application of these findings in clinical practice still remains poorly feasible

Malattia di Crohn stenosante: il valore ADC correlato all'istologia nella diagnosi differenziale fra forme fibrotiche e infiammatorie.

Scopo : Valutare se il valore ADC può consentire una distinzione tra stenosi fibrotiche e infiammatorie nelle MICI pediatriche. Materiali e metodi: Da Febbraio 2010 a Novembre 2012, 14 pazienti di età compresa tra 7,2 e 16 anni (media 11,9) in follow up per morbo di Crohn stenosante accertato endoscopicamente, sono stati sottoposti ad esame RM DWI e calcolo dell’ADC. Sono stati esaminati 8 segmenti ileali e 6 colici. Durante la valutazione endoscopica sono stati effettuati prelievi bioptici: lo stadio di malattia è stato distinto in lieve, moderato e severo. Abbiamo confrontato i risultati dell’istologia con l’ ADC.Risultati: Il range dell’ADC calcolato in corrispondenza dei segmenti stenotici e substenotici è risultato compreso tra 400 e 1800 mm2/sec. In tutti i casi l’esame RM convenzionale ha confermato il reperto endoscopico di stenosi o substenosi. La misurazione dell’ADC ha dimostrato che ai valori più bassi (400/850 mm2/sec) corrispondevano istologicamente stenosi infiammatorie con edema marcato ed elevata cellularità, mentre ai valori più elevati (850/1800 mm2/sec) corrispondevano stenosi fibrotiche. Conclusioni: Nella nostra esperienza, seppur limitata dall’esiguità del campione, il valore di ADC misurato in corrispondenza dei segmenti stenotici può essere utile strumento nel differenziare le stenosi infiammatorie da quelle fibrotiche