Valutazione del passaggio di Aflatossine da alimenti contaminati al latte d’asina

RIASSUNTO. Sono state condotte due prove sperimentali al fine di studiare il passaggio di Aflatossine dal mangime contaminato al latte di asina. Nella prima prova, 6 asine nella seconda fase di lattazione, sono state alimentate con 1 kg di mais naturalmente contaminato da 202 µg/kg di Aflatossina B1 (AFB1) e 11 µg/kg di Aflatossina B2 (AFB2). Campioni di latte sono state analizzati per il contenuto in Aflatossina M1 (AFM1), Aflatossina M2 (AFM2) e AFB1 per 15 giorni dall’inizio della somministrazione dell’alimento contaminato. Nel latte è stata rilevata la presenza di AFM1, AFM2 e in alcuni campioni anche la AFB1. Lo steady-state è stato raggiunto dopo 6 giorni. Dopo 28 ore dall’ultima somministrazione di alimento contaminato l’AFM1 e l’AFM2 non sono state più evidenziate nel latte. Il carry-over da AFB1 a AFM1 e da AFB2 a AFM2 è risultato pari allo 0,02 e 0,31% rispettivamente. Nella seconda prova, 6 asine nella prima fase di lattazione, sono state alimentate con 1 kg di mais naturalmente contaminato da 40 µg/kg di AFB1 e 2 µg/kg di AFB2. Il latte delle asine è stato analizzato per 15 giorni dall’inizio della somministrazione di alimento contaminato. In questa prova non è stata rilevata la presenza di Aflatossine nel latte. Questo studio è servito a colmare una mancanza di conoscenze circa il passaggio di Aflatossine da alimenti al latte d’asina. Questi primi risultati potrebbero essere utili per stimolare il legislatore Europeo a stabilire dei limiti di presenza di queste micotossine negli alimenti destinati a questa specie oltre che al contenuto di aflatossine nel latte, che frequentemente è utilizzato in fasce sensibili di consumatori come neonati e anziani

Aflatoxins M1 and M2 in the milk of donkeys fed with naturally contaminated diet

For its nutritional composition, donkey milk is an excellent alternative to breast milk for infants suffering from cow’s milk allergies. Even in donkeys, a passage of aflatoxin from contaminated feed to milk could occur, as reported by many authors in other dairy species, but there are no studies on this topic. This work was aimed at studying the excretion of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and M2 (AFM2) in milk after feeding trials with contaminated feed. Six donkeys, at the end of lactation, received a diet with naturally contaminated corn containing 202 and 11 μg.kg−1 of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), respectively. Individual milk samples were analyzed for AFM1 and AFM2 for 15 days after the contaminated feed administration. Amounts of AFM1 and AFM2 were detected in the milk. The steady state condition was reached after 6 days. No AFM1 or AFM2 were detected in milk after 28 h from the last contaminated feed administration. The carryover from AFB1 to AFM1 and from AFB2 to AFM2 was found to be 0.02 and 0.31%, respectively. The results obtained in this study are thus a further step toward understanding the possible carryover of aflatoxin in donkey milk

Fortification of dairy goats’ products with various selenium sources

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two dietary selenium (Se) sources in dairy goat’s milk and cheese. Twentyone goats were allocated to 3 dietary treatments: control (C) with 0.07 mg of Se/kg dry matter (DM); Se yeast (SeY) with 0.14 mg of total Se/kg DM; and sodium selenite (SeNa) with 0.14 mg of total Se/kg DM supplementation. Individual blood and milk samples were collected to determine the Se content. Three cheese wheels were made from each group at three different time, and the Se content was determined. The enumeration of dairy microorganisms was also performed. The SeY group showed a significantly higher milk Se content (P<0.05) than the SeNa group with 44.71 vs 39.29 μg/l, respectively. Both values were also significantly higher (P<0.01) than that of the group C (31.19 μg/l). The SeY group showed a significantly higher Se carryover value (31.29%, P<0.05) than the SeNa group (26.95%). Both values were significantly (P<0.01) lower than in the C group (49.66%). Significant differences were also observed in cheese Se content among the 3 groups. The average Se content in cheeses from groups C, SeY, SeNa was 230 μg/kg, 353 μg/kg and 306 μg/kg, respectively. Se yeast supplementation influenced Se concentration in goat’s milk and cheese but, unlike other authors, we also observed an increase of Se concentration in milk and cheese supplemented with SeNa, although to a smaller extent. Our results indicate that Se yeast supplementation seems to be the best fortification source for dairy goat’s products. In several countries the selenium intake is considered to be low in the human diet, the consumption of Se-enriched products could represent a good way to prevent the deficit in the Se intake currently reported in many countries

Infants hospitalized for Bordetella pertussis infection commonly have respiratory viral coinfections

Background: Whether viral coinfections cause more severe disease than Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) alone remains unclear. We compared clinical disease severity and sought clinical and demographic differences between infants with B. pertussis infection alone and those with respiratory viral coinfections. We also analyzed how respiratory infections were distributed during the 2 years study. Methods: We enrolled 53 infants with pertussis younger than 180 days (median age 58 days, range 17–109 days, 64. 1% boys), hospitalized in the Pediatric Departments at “Sapienza” University Rome and Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital from August 2012 to November 2014. We tested in naso-pharyngeal washings B. pertussis and 14 respiratory viruses with real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Clinical data were obtained from hospital records and demographic characteristics collected using a structured questionnaire. Results: 28/53 infants had B. pertussis alone and 25 viral coinfection: 10 human rhinovirus (9 alone and 1 in coinfection with parainfluenza virus), 3 human coronavirus, 2 respiratory syncytial virus. No differences were observed in clinical disease severity between infants with B. pertussis infection alone and those with coinfections. Infants with B. pertussis alone were younger than infants with coinfections, and less often breastfeed at admission. Conclusions: In this descriptive study, no associations between clinical severity and pertussis with or without co-infections were found

Life-threatening Carotid Complications Caused by Extraluminal Migration of Ingested Foreign Bodies; a Case Report and Narrative Review of Literature

Carotid complications resulting from extra-luminal migration of ingested foreign bodies (FB) are rare but potentially life-threatening. Previous data on the topic predominantly comprises isolated case reports, leaving a gap in comprehensive evidence necessary to guide clinical decision-making. In this article, we offer a narrative review alongside a novel case report, aimed at providing a broad, evidence-based perspective on the topic to guide clinical practice.  The search strategy employed keywords related to carotid artery complications from ingested FB across the following electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central. Screening involved standardized data extraction by two independent reviewers, with a focus on abstracts meeting inclusion criteria and excluding non-English literature and non-relevant studies from further analysis. Moreover, we present a novel case report on the topic that was successfully managed using a unique surgical approach. Overall, a total of sixteen case reports were finally included, data on clinical presentations, diagnostic strategies and findings, surgical management and outcome were extracted, tabulated, and discussed. In carotid complications from extra-luminal migration of ingested FB, high clinical suspicion is crucial due to potentially mild symptoms and negative first-level examinations. Computed tomography (CT) scan plays a pivotal role for accurate diagnosis and surgical planning, along with neck ultrasound to detect complications. Tailored surgical strategies based on the severity of carotid involvement, including venous patch grafts in severe vessels involvement, are crucial for optimal patient outcomes. As a novelty, in our case report, carotid shunt was successfully employed instead of prolonged carotid clamping to reduce the risk of associated neurological sequelae. It could be concluded that, diagnosis and managing carotid complications from extra-luminal migration of ingested FB remains challenging and a multidisciplinary approach is warranted

Breastfeeding and Respiratory Infections in the First 6 Months of Life: A Case Control Study

Background: Viral respiratory tract infections (VRI) are a major reason for hospitalization in children younger than 5 years. A case control study was conducted to investigate the potential role of breastfeeding in protecting children <1 year of age from VRI.Methods: Patients admitted for a respiratory tract infections routinely underwent a nasopharyngeal aspirate, which was tested with an RT-PCR for 14 respiratory viruses. Hospitalized infants positive for viruses were enrolled as cases; healthy controls were enrolled among patients admitted for ultrasound hip screening. The effect of breastfeeding on pertussis was investigated through multivariable analysis.Results: We enrolled a total of 496 patients: 238 cases and 258 healthy controls. Among cases, eighty-six patients (36.1%) had a rinovirus, 78 (32.8%) an RSV, 22 (9.2%) an adenovirus, and 37 (15.5%) a coinfections with multiple viruses. The number of households was significantly higher in cases (mean in cases 4.5; mean 3.7 in controls, p < 0.001) and the proportion of infants having siblings (79% in cases vs. 43% in controls, p < 0.001). Proportion of smoking mothers was higher in cases than in controls (21.4 vs. 10.1%, p = 0.001). Among cases 44.5% were exclusively breastfed at symptoms onset vs. 48.8% of healthy controls. According to the multivariable analysis, being exclusively breastfed at symptom onset was associated with a higher risk of viral respiratory infection (3.7; 95% CI 1.64–8.41), however a longer breastfeeding duration was protective (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97–0.99). Also having at least one sibling was associated to a higher risk (OR 3.6; 95% CI 2.14–5.92) as well as having a smoking mother (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.33–4.89).Conclusions: Breastfeeding remains a mainstay of prevention for numerous diseases and its protective role increases with duration. However, being breastfed when mothers carry a respiratory infection may increase the risk of transmission, acting as a proxy for closer contacts. In future studies, potential confounding variables as pattern of contacts with other individuals, should be taken into account

The Italian National Project of Astrobiology-Life in Space-Origin, Presence, Persistence of Life in Space, from Molecules to Extremophiles

The \u2018\u2018Life in Space\u2019\u2019 project was funded in the wake of the Italian Space Agency\u2019s proposal for the development of a network of institutions and laboratories conceived to implement Italian participation in space astrobiology experiments

Off-label long acting injectable antipsychotics in real-world clinical practice: a cross-sectional analysis of prescriptive patterns from the STAR Network DEPOT study

Introduction Information on the off-label use of Long-Acting Injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in the real world is lacking. In this study, we aimed to identify the sociodemographic and clinical features of patients treated with on- vs off-label LAIs and predictors of off-label First- or Second-Generation Antipsychotic (FGA vs. SGA) LAI choice in everyday clinical practice. Method In a naturalistic national cohort of 449 patients who initiated LAI treatment in the STAR Network Depot Study, two groups were identified based on off- or on-label prescriptions. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to test several clinically relevant variables and identify those associated with the choice of FGA vs SGA prescription in the off-label group. Results SGA LAIs were more commonly prescribed in everyday practice, without significant differences in their on- and off-label use. Approximately 1 in 4 patients received an off-label prescription. In the off-label group, the most frequent diagnoses were bipolar disorder (67.5%) or any personality disorder (23.7%). FGA vs SGA LAI choice was significantly associated with BPRS thought disorder (OR = 1.22, CI95% 1.04 to 1.43, p = 0.015) and hostility/suspiciousness (OR = 0.83, CI95% 0.71 to 0.97, p = 0.017) dimensions. The likelihood of receiving an SGA LAI grew steadily with the increase of the BPRS thought disturbance score. Conversely, a preference towards prescribing an FGA was observed with higher scores at the BPRS hostility/suspiciousness subscale. Conclusion Our study is the first to identify predictors of FGA vs SGA choice in patients treated with off-label LAI antipsychotics. Demographic characteristics, i.e. age, sex, and substance/alcohol use co-morbidities did not appear to influence the choice towards FGAs or SGAs. Despite a lack of evidence, clinicians tend to favour FGA over SGA LAIs in bipolar or personality disorder patients with relevant hostility. Further research is needed to evaluate treatment adherence and clinical effectiveness of these prescriptive patterns

The Role of Attitudes Toward Medication and Treatment Adherence in the Clinical Response to LAIs: Findings From the STAR Network Depot Study

Background: Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are efficacious in managing psychotic symptoms in people affected by severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The present study aimed to investigate whether attitude toward treatment and treatment adherence represent predictors of symptoms changes over time. Methods: The STAR Network \u201cDepot Study\u201d was a naturalistic, multicenter, observational, prospective study that enrolled people initiating a LAI without restrictions on diagnosis, clinical severity or setting. Participants from 32 Italian centers were assessed at three time points: baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. Psychopathological symptoms, attitude toward medication and treatment adherence were measured using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-10) and the Kemp's 7-point scale, respectively. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate whether attitude toward medication and treatment adherence independently predicted symptoms changes over time. Analyses were conducted on the overall sample and then stratified according to the baseline severity (BPRS < 41 or BPRS 65 41). Results: We included 461 participants of which 276 were males. The majority of participants had received a primary diagnosis of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (71.80%) and initiated a treatment with a second-generation LAI (69.63%). BPRS, DAI-10, and Kemp's scale scores improved over time. Six linear regressions\u2014conducted considering the outcome and predictors at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up independently\u2014showed that both DAI-10 and Kemp's scale negatively associated with BPRS scores at the three considered time points. Linear mixed-effects models conducted on the overall sample did not show any significant association between attitude toward medication or treatment adherence and changes in psychiatric symptoms over time. However, after stratification according to baseline severity, we found that both DAI-10 and Kemp's scale negatively predicted changes in BPRS scores at 12-month follow-up regardless of baseline severity. The association at 6-month follow-up was confirmed only in the group with moderate or severe symptoms at baseline. Conclusion: Our findings corroborate the importance of improving the quality of relationship between clinicians and patients. Shared decision making and thorough discussions about benefits and side effects may improve the outcome in patients with severe mental disorders