Protein-enriched Platelet-Rich Plasma (PEF-PRP) a New Products for Tissue Regeneration Developed Through the Ultrafiltration of PRP - Preclinical Study

Background: Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a blood component used for the biological treatment in many fields of regenerative medicine. The term PRP is currently applied to numerous blood components with different cellular and protein compositions. The optimal platelet concentration and the best technique for preparing PRP have not yet been defined and it is, therefore, important to understand the specific biological roles of the individual components. The aqueous part of PRP is plasma, which is an acellular component with containing proteins that are important for tissue regeneration. Objective: This preclinical study evaluated the biological characteristics and effects on proliferation (in an in vitro model) of a blood component Protein-Enriched Filtered PRP (PEFPRP) obtained through the ultrafiltration of low-concentration PRP and compared these effects with those of a standard PRP and other blood components preparation. Method: PEFPRP is a plasma enriched obtained by ultrafiltration of a plasma with low concentration platelets and its effects have been compared with those of a standard PRP and other blood components preparation. Result and Conclusion: PEFPRP provides a high concentration of proteins which have an important accessory function in in-vitro proliferation and could be highly significant in-vivo, accelerating tissue regeneration

Noninvasive peripheral vagal nerve stimulation prevents migraine aura: A case report

We describe a patient affected by migraine with visual and somatosensory aura, whose symptoms were consistently attenuated by noninvasive peripheral vagal nerve stimulation (nVNS) in multiple prospectively recorded attacks. When compared with the current standard of care, nVNS significantly reduced the duration of visual aura in all the attacks ( n = 5) and prevented the somatosensory aura in three of the five attacks. The overall duration of nVNS-treated auras was 19.0 ± 4.2 min, significantly shorter than the duration of aura in attacks treated with standard of care (103.8 ± 10.3 min). This single-case study requires confirmation in a larger sample size, but we believe that this first report is suggestive of likely efficacy given the relatively high number of treated attacks and the consistent effect of nVNS

Leukocytospermia and sperm preparation - a flow cytometric study

Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2009 Nov 19;7:12

COVID-19 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis: Putting Data Into Context

Background and objectives: It is unclear how multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the severity of COVID-19. The aim of this study is to compare COVID-19-related outcomes collected in an Italian cohort of patients with MS with the outcomes expected in the age- and sex-matched Italian population. Methods: Hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death after COVID-19 diagnosis of 1,362 patients with MS were compared with the age- and sex-matched Italian population in a retrospective observational case-cohort study with population-based control. The observed vs the expected events were compared in the whole MS cohort and in different subgroups (higher risk: Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score > 3 or at least 1 comorbidity, lower risk: EDSS score ≤ 3 and no comorbidities) by the χ2 test, and the risk excess was quantified by risk ratios (RRs). Results: The risk of severe events was about twice the risk in the age- and sex-matched Italian population: RR = 2.12 for hospitalization (p < 0.001), RR = 2.19 for ICU admission (p < 0.001), and RR = 2.43 for death (p < 0.001). The excess of risk was confined to the higher-risk group (n = 553). In lower-risk patients (n = 809), the rate of events was close to that of the Italian age- and sex-matched population (RR = 1.12 for hospitalization, RR = 1.52 for ICU admission, and RR = 1.19 for death). In the lower-risk group, an increased hospitalization risk was detected in patients on anti-CD20 (RR = 3.03, p = 0.005), whereas a decrease was detected in patients on interferon (0 observed vs 4 expected events, p = 0.04). Discussion: Overall, the MS cohort had a risk of severe events that is twice the risk than the age- and sex-matched Italian population. This excess of risk is mainly explained by the EDSS score and comorbidities, whereas a residual increase of hospitalization risk was observed in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and a decrease in people on interferon

Disease-Modifying Therapies and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the impact of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies on the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Methods: We retrospectively collected data of PwMS with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. All the patients had complete follow-up to death or recovery. Severe COVID-19 was defined by a 3-level variable: mild disease not requiring hospitalization versus pneumonia or hospitalization versus intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. We evaluated baseline characteristics and MS therapies associated with severe COVID-19 by multivariate and propensity score (PS)-weighted ordinal logistic models. Sensitivity analyses were run to confirm the results. Results: Of 844 PwMS with suspected (n = 565) or confirmed (n = 279) COVID-19, 13 (1.54%) died; 11 of them were in a progressive MS phase, and 8 were without any therapy. Thirty-eight (4.5%) were admitted to an ICU; 99 (11.7%) had radiologically documented pneumonia; 96 (11.4%) were hospitalized. After adjusting for region, age, sex, progressive MS course, Expanded Disability Status Scale, disease duration, body mass index, comorbidities, and recent methylprednisolone use, therapy with an anti-CD20 agent (ocrelizumab or rituximab) was significantly associated (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-4.74, p = 0.015) with increased risk of severe COVID-19. Recent use (<1 month) of methylprednisolone was also associated with a worse outcome (OR = 5.24, 95% CI = 2.20-12.53, p = 0.001). Results were confirmed by the PS-weighted analysis and by all the sensitivity analyses. Interpretation: This study showed an acceptable level of safety of therapies with a broad array of mechanisms of action. However, some specific elements of risk emerged. These will need to be considered while the COVID-19 pandemic persists

DMTs and Covid-19 severity in MS: a pooled analysis from Italy and France

We evaluated the effect of DMTs on Covid-19 severity in patients with MS, with a pooled-analysis of two large cohorts from Italy and France. The association of baseline characteristics and DMTs with Covid-19 severity was assessed by multivariate ordinal-logistic models and pooled by a fixed-effect meta-analysis. 1066 patients with MS from Italy and 721 from France were included. In the multivariate model, anti-CD20 therapies were significantly associated (OR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.39–3.02, p < 0.001) with Covid-19 severity, whereas interferon indicated a decreased risk (OR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.18–0.99, p = 0.047). This pooled-analysis confirms an increased risk of severe Covid-19 in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and supports the protective role of interferon