Rare ATG7 genetic variants predispose patients to severe fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of liver disorders and has a strong heritable component. The aim of this study was to identify new loci that contribute to severe NAFLD by examining rare variants

Latent tuberculosis infection in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis: Evidence from the Italian Psocare Registry

Background The nationwide prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in Italian patients with psoriasis has never been investigated.Objectives To estimate the nationwide prevalence of LTBI in Italian patients with psoriasis who are candidates for systemic treatment.Methods Data were obtained from the Psocare Registry on those patients (n = 4946) with age > 18 years, systemic treatment at entry specified and tuberculin skin test (TST) performed according to the Mantoux method. LTBI diagnosis was based on a positive TST result in the absence of any clinical, radiological or microbiological evidence of active tuberculosis.Results Latent tuberculosis infection was diagnosed in 8.3% of patients with psoriasis (409 of 4946). The prevalence of LTBI was lower in patients on biologics than in those on conventional systemic treatments, ranging from 4.3% (19 of 444) of patients on adalimumab to 31% (eight of 26) of those on psoralenultraviolet A (P < 0.05). Independent factors associated with LTBI were male sex [odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.62; P = 0.02], age over 55 years (OR 2.93, 95% CI 2.18-3.93; P < 0.001) and being entered into a conventional treatment (OR 3.83, 95% CI 3.10-4.74; P < 0.001). Positive history of tuberculosis was seen in 1% of patients (n = 49).Conclusions The nationwide prevalence of LTBI in Italian patients with psoriasis candidate to systemic treatment is high, and screening is recommended prior to biological treatment

Metabolic abnormalities associated with initiation of systemic treatment for psoriasis: evidence from the Italian Psocare Registry.

NCBINCBI Logo Skip to main content Skip to navigation Resources How To About NCBI Accesskeys Sign in to NCBI PubMed US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health Search database Search term Clear input Advanced Help Result Filters Display Settings: Abstract Send to: J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2013 Jan;27(1):e30-41. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2012.04450.x. Epub 2012 Feb 7. Metabolic abnormalities associated with initiation of systemic treatment for psoriasis: evidence from the Italian Psocare Registry. Gisondi P1, Cazzaniga S, Chimenti S, Giannetti A, Maccarone M, Picardo M, Girolomoni G, Naldi L; Psocare Study Group. Collaborators (368) Author information Abstract OBJECTIVE: To evaluate variations in laboratory parameters and diagnoses of selected clinical conditions up to 16 weeks after starting a new systemic psoriasis treatment for Psocare Registry enrollees. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Italian public referral centres for psoriasis treatment. PATIENTS: First-time recipients (n = 10,539) of continuous systemic psoriasis treatment for at least 16 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Mean variations in (weeks 8 and 16) and proportions of patients reaching a clinically meaningful increase in serum levels (week 16) of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase and creatinine, as well as week-16 cumulative incidences of new diagnoses of diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension. RESULTS: Mean cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly increased in patients treated with acitretin or cyclosporine. Mean triglyceride levels also increased in efalizumab- and etanercept-treated patients. Mean transaminase values increased in methotrexate-treated patients, and mean aspartate amino transferase levels increased in infliximab-treated patients. The average serum creatinine value increased in cyclosporine-treated patients. Acitretin and cyclosporine were associated with risk of hypercholesterolaemia (odds ratios 1.51 and 1.34) and acitretin with risk of hypertriglyceridaemia (odds ratio 1.43). Methotrexate and infliximab were associated with risk of more than doubling the upper normal aspartate amino transferase (odds ratios 2.06 and 1.87) and alanine amino transferase (odds ratios 2.38 and 1.74) values. The relative risk of developing arterial hypertension and diabetes was increased for patients receiving cyclosporine (odds ratios 3.31 and 2.88). CONCLUSION: Systemic treatments for psoriasis resulted in heterogeneous effects on the parameters analysed

Efficacy of switching between tumor necrosis factor-alfa inhibitors in psoriasis: results from the Italian Psocare registry

Some studies have shown that switching patients from one tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alfa inhibitor to another may be beneficial when they have an inadequate response or an adverse event

N-3 fatty acids in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors

BACKGROUND: Trials have shown a beneficial effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with a previous myocardial infarction or heart failure. We evaluated the potential benefit of such therapy in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors or atherosclerotic vascular disease who had not had a myocardial infarction. METHODS: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, we enrolled a cohort of patients who were followed by a network of 860 general practitioners in Italy. Eligible patients were men and women with multiple cardiovascular risk factors or atherosclerotic vascular disease but not myocardial infarction. Patients were randomly assigned to n-3 fatty acids (1 g daily) or placebo (olive oil). The initially specified primary end point was the cumulative rate of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke. At 1 year, after the event rate was found to be lower than anticipated, the primary end point was revised as time to death from cardiovascular causes or admission to the hospital for cardiovascular causes. RESULTS: Of the 12,513 patients enrolled, 6244 were randomly assigned to n-3 fatty acids and 6269 to placebo. With a median of 5 years of follow-up, the primary end point occurred in 1478 of 12,505 patients included in the analysis (11.8%), of whom 733 of 6239 (11.7%) had received n-3 fatty acids and 745 of 6266 (11.9%) had received placebo (adjusted hazard ratio with n-3 fatty acids, 0.97; 95% confidence interval, 0.88 to 1.08; P=0.58). The same null results were observed for all the secondary end points. CONCLUSIONS: In a large general-practice cohort of patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, daily treatment with n-3 fatty acids did not reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Copyright © 2013 Massachusetts Medical Society