Depression and cardiovascular disease. the deep blue sea of women's heart

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) constitutes a leading worldwide health problem, with increasing evidence of differences between women and men both in epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical management, and outcomes. Data from the literature suggest that women experience a doubled incidence of CVD related deaths, while angina, heart failure and stroke are increasingly prevalent in females. About 20–25% of women go through depression during their life, and depressive symptoms have been considered a relevant emergent, non-traditional risk factor for CVD in this part of the general population. Underlying mechanisms explaining the link between depression and CVD may range from behavioral to biological risk factors, including sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity and impairment in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function. However, the neuroendocrine-driven background could only partially explain the differences mentioned above for chronic systemic inflammation, altered hemostasis and modulation of cardiac autonomic control. In addition, some evidence also suggests the existence of gender-specific differences in biological responses to mental stress. Given these premises, we here summarize the current knowledge about depression and CVD relationship in women, highlighting the sex differences in physiopathology, clinical presentation and treatments

Strontium ranelate effect on bone mineral density is modified by previous bisphosphonate treatment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of strontium ranelate (SrR) on bone mineral density (BMD) and boneturnover markers after 1 year of treatment. Additionally, theeffect of SrR in bisphosphonate-naïve patients (BP-naïve)compared to patients previously treated with bisphosphonates (BP-prior) was analyzed. This retrospective study included482 postmenopausal women treated with SrR (2 g/day) for 1year in ten Argentine centers; 41 patients were excludeddue to insufficient data, while 441 were included. Participants were divided according to previous bisphosphonatetreatment in two groups: BP-naïve (n = 87) and BP-prior (n = 350). Data are expressed as mean ± SEM. After 1 year oftreatment with SrR the bone formation markers total alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin were increased (p < 0.0001),while the bone resorption marker s-CTX was decreased (p =0.0579). Also increases in BMD at the lumbar spine (LS,3.73%), femoral neck (FN, 2.00%) and total hip (TH, 1.54%) [p < 0.0001] were observed. These increments were significant(p < 0.0001) both among BP-naïve and BP-prior patients. Interestingly, the change in BMD after 1 year of SrR treatmentwas higher in BP-naïve patients: LS: BP-naïve = 4.58 ± 0.62%; BP-prior = 3.45 ± 0.28% (p = 0.078). FN: BP-naïve = 2.79 ±0.56%; BP-prior = 2.13 ± 0.29% (p = 0.161). TH: BP-naïve = 3.01± 0.55%; BP-prior = 1.22 ± 0.27% (p = 0.0006). SrR treatmentincreased BMD and bone formation markers and decreaseda bone resorption marker in the whole group, with betterresponse in BP-naïve patients.Fil: Brun, Lucas Ricardo Martín. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Laboratorio de Biología Ósea; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Galich, Ana M.. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Vega, Eduardo. Instituto de la Mujer. Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Salerni, Helena. Consultorios de Investigación Clínica Endocrinológica y del Metabolismo Óseo ; ArgentinaFil: Maffei, Laura. Consultorios Asociados de Endocrinología Dra. Laura Maffei; ArgentinaFil: Premrou, Valeria. Consultorios Asociados de Endocrinología Dra. Laura Maffei; ArgentinaFil: Costanzo, Paulo R. Consultorios de Investigación Clínica Endocrinológica y del Metabolismo Óseo ; ArgentinaFil: Sarli, Marcelo A. Instituto de Investigaciones Metabólicas Dr. Zanchetta; ArgentinaFil: Rey, Paula. Instituto de Investigaciones Metabólicas Dr. Zanchetta; ArgentinaFil: Larroudé, Maria S.. Hospital César Milstein; ArgentinaFil: Moggia, Maria S.. Centro Tiempo; ArgentinaFil: Brance, María Lorena. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Laboratorio de Biología Ósea; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez, Ariel. Centro de Endocrinología; ArgentinaFil: Grupo Argentino de Estudio del Ranelato de Estroncio. No especifica

BPPV: Comparison of the SémontPLUS With the Sémont Maneuver: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Objective: To compare the efficacy of the Sémont maneuver (SM) with the new “SémontPLUS maneuver” (SM+) in patients with posterior canal BPPV canalolithiasis (pcBPPVcan). Methods and Patients: In a prospective trinational (Germany, Italy, and Belgium) randomized trial, patients with pcBPPVcan were randomly assigned to SM or SM+; SM+ means overextension of the head by 60+° below earth horizontal line during the movement of the patient toward the affected side. The first maneuver was done by the physician, and the subsequent maneuvers by the patients 9 times/day on their own. Each morning the patient documented whether vertigo could be induced. The primary endpoints were: “How long (in days) does it take until no attacks can be induced?” and “What is the efficacy of a single SM/SM+?” Results: In the 194 patients analyzed (96 SM, 98 SM+), it took 2 days (median, range 1–21 days, mean 3.6 days) for recovery with SM and 1 day (median, range 1-8 days, mean 1.8 days) with SM+ (p = 0.001, Mann-Whitney U-test). There was no difference in the second primary endpoint (chi2-test, p = 0.39). Interpretation: This prospective trial shows that SM+ is more effective than SM when repeated therapeutic maneuvers are performed but not when a single maneuver is performed. It also supports the hypothesis of the biophysical model: overextension of the head during step 2 brings the clot of otoconia beyond the vertex of the canal, which increases the effectivity. Classification of Evidence: This study provides Class I evidence that SM+ is superior to SM for multiple treatment maneuvers of pcBPPVcan. © The Author

Arable plant communities as a surrogate of crop rhizosphere microbiota

Soil microbiota is a crucial component of agroecosystem biodiversity, enhancing plant growth and providing important services in agriculture. However, its characterization is demanding and relatively expensive. In this study, we evaluated whether arable plant communities can be used as a surrogate of bacterial and fungal communities of the rhizosphere of Elephant Garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.), a traditional crop plant of central Italy. We sampled plant, bacterial, and fungal communities, i.e., the groups of such organisms co-existing in space and time, in 24 plots located in eight fields and four farms. At the plot level, no correlations in species richness emerged, while the composition of plant communities was correlated with that of both bacterial and fungal communities. As regards plants and bacteria, such correlation was mainly driven by similar responses to geographic and environmental factors, while fungal communities seemed to be correlated in species composition with both plants and bacteria due to biotic interactions. All the correlations in species composition were unaffected by the number of fertilizer and herbicide applications, i.e., agricultural intensity. Besides correlations, we detected a predictive relationship of plant community composition towards fungal community composition. Our results highlight the potential of arable plant communities to be used as a surrogate of crop rhizosphere microbial communities in agroecosystems

Mood symptoms and suicidality across the autism spectrum

Abstract Background Autism spectrum is a psychopathological dimension which encompasses a wide range of clinical presentations: from subthreshold forms and autistic traits (AT), that can be found in the general population, to full-blown autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many studies reported high rates of comorbidity between both ASD and AT and mood disorders, as well as a high prevalence of suicidal ideation among patients with ASD/AT. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of mood symptoms and suicidal ideation and behaviors in patients with full-blown ASD and in subjects with AT, as well in a healthy control (HC) group, with a specific focus on which of the autistic features may be predictive of suicidal ideation and behaviors. Methods We recruited 262 adult subjects: 34 with ASD without intellectual impairment or language disability (ASD group), 68 fulfilling only one symptom criterion for ASD according to DSM-5 but who do not meet criteria for a full-blown diagnosis of ASD (AT group), and 160 HC. All subjects were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); in addition, they were asked to fill two questionnaires: The Mood Spectrum, Self-report (MOODS-SR) and the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum). Results ASD subjects reported significantly higher AdAS Spectrum and MOODS-SR total scores, as well as higher MOODS-SR depressive component total scores, when compared with AT and HC subjects. AT subjects scored significantly higher than the HC group. No significant differences were reported between ASD and AT subjects for the suicidality score according to MOODS-SR, despite both groups scored significantly higher than the HC group. The strongest predictor of suicidality score were MOODS-SR depressive component score and AdAS Spectrum Restricted interests and rumination domain score. Conclusions Our results highlight a correlation between autism and mood spectrum, as well as between suicidality and both ASD and AT. Subthreshold forms of ASD should be accurately investigated due to their relationship with suicidal thoughts and behaviors

Reference Values of Three-Dimensional Proximal Femur Parameters from Bone Densitometry Images in Healthy Subjects from Argentina

Objective: New methodologies for the assessment of bone mass from by DXA have been developed in the last years. The threedimensional analysis of the proximal femur by (3D-DXA) allows the evaluation of cortical and trabecular bone separately and has shown a good correlation with computed tomography. We aimed to obtain reference values in a healthy population of both sexesin Argentina.Methods: Adults female and male subjects (n=992) from four cities from Argentina were included. BMD (g/cm2) was measured by DXA on the femoral neck and total hip. The 3D analysis was performed with 3D-Shaper software (v2.9, Galgo Medical, Spain).The cortical BMD (sDens - mg/cm2) and trabecular volumetric BMD (trab vBMD - mg/cm3) were consider. The distribution of the data was evaluated with the Shapiro-Wilk test and parametricor non-parametric tests were used as appropriate. Data were expressed as mean±SD and p<0.05 was considered significant.Results: 75.5% women (n=749) and 24.5% men (n=243) were included. The mean age was 54.8±16.8 y and BMI was 27.3±5.4 kg/m2. The data according to each decade and a comparison with a references group (decade 20-30) are shown in the following table (*indicates significant differences compared to decade 20-30).Conclusion: A significant decrease in trabecular vBMD from D40 was observed in women, while in men this decrease was observed later (D60). The cortical parameter sDens was observed decreasefrom D50 in women and in men, an increase in D40 and cortical bone maintenance according to age was found.Fil: Brance, M. L.. Reumatología y Enfermedades Óseas; ArgentinaFil: Saravi, Fernando Daniel. Escuela de Medicina Nuclear; ArgentinaFil: Henríquez, M. M.. Escuela de Medicina Nuclear; ArgentinaFil: Longobardi, V.. Instituto de Investigaciones Metabólicas; ArgentinaFil: Zanchetta, M. B.. Instituto de Investigaciones Metabólicas; ArgentinaFil: Larroudé, M. S.. Centro de Diagnostico Rossi; ArgentinaFil: Ulla, M. R.. Instituto Latinoamericano de Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Matos, F.. Instituto Latinoamericano de Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Salerni, H.. No especifíca;Fil: Oliveri, María Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Bonanno, Marina Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Meneses, N. L.. No especifíca;Fil: Di Gregorio, S.. Fundacion Cetir.; EspañaFil: Brum, L. R.. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; ArgentinaWorld Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal DiseasesVirtualBélgicaInternational Osteoporosis FoundationEuropean Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Disease

Foreign bodies in the ears causing complications and requiring hospitalization in children 0-14 age: results from the ESFBI study

The occurrence of foreign bodies (FBs) in otorhinolaryngological practice is a common and serious problem among patients in paediatric age. The aim of this work is to characterize the risk of complications and prolonged hospitalization due to foreign bodies in ears in terms of the characteristics of the injured patients (age, gender), typology and features of the foreign bodies, the circumstances of the accident and the hospitalization's details

Association of Toll-like receptor 7 variants with life-threatening COVID-19 disease in males: findings from a nested case-control study

Background: Recently, loss-of-function variants in TLR7 were identified in two families in which COVID-19 segregates like an X-linked recessive disorder environmentally conditioned by SARS-CoV-2. We investigated whether the two families represent the tip of the iceberg of a subset of COVID-19 male patients.Methods: This is a nested case-control study in which we compared male participants with extreme phenotype selected from the Italian GEN-COVID cohort of SARS-CoV-2-infected participants (&lt;60y, 79 severe cases versus 77 control cases). We applied the LASSO Logistic Regression analysis, considering only rare variants on young male subsets with extreme phenotype, picking up TLR7 as the most important susceptibility gene.Results: Overall, we found TLR7 deleterious variants in 2.1% of severely affected males and in none of the asymptomatic participants. The functional gene expression profile analysis demonstrated a reduction in TLR7-related gene expression in patients compared with controls demonstrating an impairment in type I and II IFN responses.Conclusion: Young males with TLR7 loss-of-function variants and severe COVID-19 represent a subset of male patients contributing to disease susceptibility in up to 2% of severe COVID-19