Small leucine rich proteoglycans are differently distributed in normal and pathological endometrium

BACKGROUND: During the woman's fertile period, the non-pregnant uterus is subject to constant cyclic changes. The complex mechanisms that control the balance among proliferation, differentiation, cell death and the structural remodeling of the extracellular matrix can contribute to the benign or malignant endometrial pathological state. The small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) are important components of cell surface and extracellular matrices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, we showed that the distribution patterns of SLRPs were completely modified in the pathological compared to normal endometrium. RESULTS: The expression of SLRPs was low/absent in all endometrial pathologies examined compared to normal endometrium. We observed an increase of lumican from proliferative to secretory phase of the endometrium and a decrease of fibromodulin, biglycan and decorin. In menopause endometrial tissue, the level of expression of fibromodulin, biglycan, decorin and lumican dramatically decreased. CONCLUSION: The results revealed the prominence and importance of proteoglycans in the tissue architecture and extracellular matrix organization

Follicular versus luteal phase ovarian stimulation during the same menstrual cycle (DuoStim) in a reduced ovarian reserve population results in a similar euploid blastocyst formation rate: new insight in ovarian reserve exploitation

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Notulae to the Italian flora of algae, bryophytes, fungi and lichens: 13

In this contribution, new data concerning bryophytes, fungi and lichens of the Italian flora are presented. It includes new records and confirmations for the bryophyte genera Bryum, Cryphaea, Didymodon, and Grimmia; the fungal genera Bryostigma, Cercidospora, Conocybe, Cortinarius, Endococcus, Inocybe, Psathyrella, and Sphaerellothecium; the lichen genera Agonimia, Anisomeridium, Bilimbia, Diplotomma, Gyalecta, Huneckia, Lecidella, Lempholemma, Myriolecis, Nephroma, Pannaria, Pycnothelia, Pyrrhospora, Rinodina, Stereocaulon, Thalloidima, Trapelia, Usnea, Variospora, and Verrucaria

The impact of chest CT body composition parameters on clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients

We assessed the impact of chest CT body composition parameters on outcomes and disease severity at hospital presentation of COVID-19 patients, focusing also on the possible mediation of body composition in the relationship between age and death in these patients. Chest CT scans performed at hospital presentation by consecutive COVID-19 patients (02/27/2020-03/13/2020) were retrospectively reviewed to obtain pectoralis muscle density and total, visceral, and intermuscular adipose tissue areas (TAT, VAT, IMAT) at the level of T7-T8 vertebrae. Primary outcomes were: hospitalization, mechanical ventilation (MV) and/or death, death alone. Secondary outcomes were: C-reactive protein (CRP), oxygen saturation (SO2), CT disease extension at hospital presentation. The mediation of body composition in the effect of age on death was explored. Of the 318 patients included in the study (median age 65.7 years, females 37.7%), 205 (64.5%) were hospitalized, 68 (21.4%) needed MV, and 58 (18.2%) died. Increased muscle density was a protective factor while increased TAT, VAT, and IMAT were risk factors for hospitalization and MV/death. All these parameters except TAT had borderline effects on death alone. All parameters were associated with SO2 and extension of lung parenchymal involvement at CT; VAT was associated with CRP. Approximately 3% of the effect of age on death was mediated by decreased muscle density. In conclusion, low muscle quality and ectopic fat accumulation were associated with COVID-19 outcomes, VAT was associated with baseline inflammation. Low muscle quality partly mediated the effect of age on mortality.We assessed the impact of chest CT body composition parameters on outcomes and disease severity at hospital presentation of COVID-19 patients, focusing also on the possible mediation of body composition in the relationship between age and death in these patients. Chest CT scans performed at hospital presentation by consecutive COVID-19 patients (02/ 27/2020-03/13/2020) were retrospectively reviewed to obtain pectoralis muscle density and total, visceral, and intermuscular adipose tissue areas (TAT, VAT, IMAT) at the level of T7-T8 vertebrae. Primary outcomes were: hospitalization, mechanical ventilation (MV) and/or death, death alone. Secondary outcomes were: C-reactive protein (CRP), oxygen saturation (SO2), CT disease extension at hospital presentation. The mediation of body composition in the effect of age on death was explored. Of the 318 patients included in the study (median age 65.7 years, females 37.7%), 205 (64.5%) were hospitalized, 68 (21.4%) needed MV, and 58 (18.2%) died. Increased muscle density was a protective factor while increased TAT, VAT, and IMAT were risk factors for hospitalization and MV/death. All these parameters except TAT had borderline effects on death alone. All parameters were associated with SO2 and extension of lung parenchymal involvement at CT; VAT was associated with CRP. Approximately 3% of the effect of age on death was mediated by decreased muscle density. In conclusion, low muscle quality and ectopic fat accumulation were associated with COVID-19 outcomes, VAT was associated with baseline inflammation. Low muscle quality partly mediated the effect of age on mortality

Endometriosi profonda e disfunzioni urinarie dopo chirurgia laparoscopica: modulazione della dissezione chirurgica e riscontro anatomo-istologico

Scopo dello studio. Valutazione della relazione tra dolore ed endometriosi, ed in particolare la possibile correlazione tra disturbi vescico-urinari e la quantità di fibre nervose e cellule gangliari resecate con l’intervento chirurgico laparoscopico per endometriosi profonda. Materiali e metodi. Studio retrospettivo su 230 donne con endometriosi severa e sottoposte ad intervento di chirurgia laparoscopica. Sede dello studio: Hôpital de Hautpierre, Strasburgo e Seconda Università di Napoli. Risultati. L’incidenza di ritenzione urinaria è stata del 4.5% (n=10). Assenza di differenze quantitative nel pattern di distribuzione di fibre nervose e cellule gangliari nei campioni resecati di entrambi i gruppi. Netto miglioramento della sintomatologia dolorosa in entrambi i gruppi, con peggioramento della disuria nelle pazienti con ritenzione urinaria post-operatoria. Conclusioni. Con la tecnica chirurgica nerve-sparing si è avuta una bassa incidenza di ritenzione urinaria; tuttavia non sono state riscontrate differenze significative nel pattern di distribuzione di fibre nervose e cellule gangliari nei due gruppi in esame

Characterization of the effects of reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors on ovarian cells

In Italy, every year new cases of ovarian cancer are approximately 5,000, 3,000 are the deaths; this means that 1 woman out of 70 is destined to fall ill and 1 out of 100 to die for this malignancy. Drugs of choice for the treatment of HIV, able to determine a decrease in viral load, have proven to be effective also against neoplasms (Kaposi sarcoma [1] and non-Hodgkin lymphomas [2]) frequent in subjects with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) that thanks to these drugs, are now in evident decline. Our research aims to highlight and characterize, therefore, the effects of anti-HIV drug therapy on Skov3 cells (ovarian adenocarcinoma), hoping for a possible role in the control of ovarian cancer, which is not among the cancers specific of HIV infection. Skov3 cells were cultured and then treated with the chosen drugs: abacavir, tenofovir, efavirenz, etravirine (reverse transcriptase inhibitors) and darunavir (protease inhibitor). At the cytofluorimetric analysis treated cells showed the following results: Abacavir (NRTIs) and Darunavir (PI) do not show any particular modulation of the cell cycle. Tenofovir (NtRTIs) showed an increase amount of cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle progression. Instead Efavirenz (NNRTIs) and Etravirine (NNRTIs) showed a block in the G0/G1 phase. Between the two drugs of the same class (NNRTIs) the block activity of Etravirine in G0/G1 of cell cycle is higher as compared to Efavirenz; at the same time, Etravirine determines the differentiation of Skov3. DAPI staining has allowed the identification of DNA damage in cells treated with efavirenz and an increased condensation of DNA in cells treated with etravirine. After treatment with tenofovir, efavirenz and etravirine, in Skov3 cells, we observed through immonoblotting: reduction of cyclin D1 concentration, hypophosphorylation of Rb and increase of p21 concentration. Only Skov3cells treated with etravirine showed high levels of E-cadherin expression. Reverse transcriptase, based on these data, can be considered an epigenetic regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation and may represent a new target in cancer therapy. Furthermore, we believe that the drugs used, modulating cell proliferation and differentiation, may represent a new frontier in the development of a therapeutic approach to ovarian cancer

Nonilfenolo e adenocarcinoma dell’endometrio: effetti su colture in vitro a differenti concentrazioni

Obiettivi. Il nonilfenolo (NP) è un inquinante ubiquitario sia dell’ambiente acquatico che di quello terrestre. Tale composto è considerato un importante interferente endocrino e la sua attività simil-estrogenica è stata investigata in numerosi studi in vivo e in vitro. Tuttavia, mentre gli effetti citotossici del NP sono conosciuti, i suoi effetti sulla morte cellulare non sono noti. Abbiamo deciso di evidenziare gli effetti del NP su cellule immortalizzate di adenocarcinoma endometriale (Hec1A), e in particolare gli effetti su ciclo cellulare e apoptosi. Materiali e metodi. Il ciclo cellulare è stato analizzato mediante citofluorimetria. Abbiamo evidenziato che il NP è in grado di inibire il ciclo cellulare e favorire l’apoptosi in maniera concentrazione- e tempo-dipendente, raggiungendo gli effetti maggiori alla concentrazione di 10-8 M per 48h. La citofluorimetria ha evidenziato che il NP è in grado di determinare il blocco delle cellule in fase G2/M e di incrementare la percentuale di cellule in apoptosi. Conclusioni. Il nonilfenolo rappresenta un fattore di tossicità per le cellule endometriali. Studi futuri sono tuttavia necessari per dimostrare la nostra ipotesi secondo le quale l’esposizione al NP rappresenta un fattore di rischio per lo sviluppo del carcinoma endometriale

Double stimulation in the same ovarian cycle (DuoStim) is an intriguing strategy to improve oocyte yield and the number of competent embryos in a short timeframe

: Proper ovarian stimulation regimens are crucial for any patient undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF). However, maximizing the oocyte yield in advanced maternal age patients with poor or suboptimal response is still a challenge. In fact, no standard treatment has been outlined yet to manage these women. Across the last years, an improved efficiency of the IVF units via blastocyst culture, vitrification and reliable embryo selection approaches paved the way to the investigation of novel unconventional stimulation protocols, like double stimulation in a single ovarian cycle (DuoStim). DuoStim, by conjugating follicular phase stimulation (FPS) and luteal phase stimulation (LPS) in the same ovarian cycle, allows to maximize the number of oocytes obtained in a short timeframe, a precious outcome when we aim at shortening time to pregnancy. In this regard, LPS seems to contribute to conventional stimulation with more oocytes with a comparable competence as FPS, retrieved per ovarian cycle. Although any stimulation protocol which exploits anovulatory waves of follicular growth needs a thorough investigation, no evidence has been produced to question the safety of DuoStim, which to date represents the most intriguing strategy to treat poor prognosis in IVF