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Labanca S, Pasta A, Cariati S, Calabrese F, Pieri G, Plaz Torres MC, Marenco S, Giannini EG. Letter to the Editor: Is CAD-LT score as a predictor of coronary artery disease following liver transplantation? Liver Transpl 2024; 30:E28-E29. [PMID: 38100206 DOI: 10.1097/lvt.0000000000000315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Labanca
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Pasta
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Cariati
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesco Calabrese
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giulia Pieri
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Corina Plaz Torres
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Marenco
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Edoardo G Giannini
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
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Morelli MC, Gambato M, Martini S, Carrai P, Toniutto P, Giannelli V, Donato F, Lenci I, Pasulo L, Mazzarelli C, Ferrarese A, Rendina M, Grieco A, Lanza AG, Baroni GS, De Maria N, Marenco S, Mameli L, Ponziani FR, Vitale G, Burra P, Viganò R, Fornasiere E, Catanzaro E, Marrone G, Milana M, Calleri A, Scorzoni C, Frassanito G, Lionetti R, Dibenedetto C. Trends in liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis. Dig Liver Dis 2024:S1590-8658(24)00194-4. [PMID: 38233315 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2024.01.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a cholestatic disease with a low prevalence in Italy. Indications for liver transplantation and the time of listing are not stated. AIM We performed a national survey to investigate the listing criteria, comorbidities, and outcomes. METHODS In April 2022, we surveyed liver transplantation in primary sclerosing cholangitis nationwide for the last 15 years. RESULTS From 2007 to 2021, 445 patients were included on waiting lists, and 411 had undergone liver transplants. The median age at transplantation was 46 years (males 63.9%); 262 patients (59%) presented an inflammatory bowel disease. Transplants increased over the years, from 1.8 % in 2007 to 3.0 % in 2021. Cholangitis (51%) and hepatic decompensation (45%) were the main indications for listing. The disease recurred in 81 patients (20%). Patient survival after the first transplant was 94 %, 86% and 84% at one, five, and ten years. Twenty-four died in the first year (50% surgical complications, 25% infections); 33 between one to five years (36% recurrence, 21% cholangiocarcinoma recurrence) and nine after five years (56% de novo cancer, 44% recurrence). CONCLUSIONS Primary sclerosing cholangitis has been an increasing indication for transplantation in Italy. Cholangitis and decompensation were the main indications for listing. Recurrence and cancer were the leading causes of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Morelli
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Internal Medicine Unit for the treatment of Severe Organ Failure, Bologna, Italy
| | - Martina Gambato
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Padua University Hospital, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Martini
- Gastrohepatology Unit, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Paola Carrai
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, University of Pisa Medical School and Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Toniutto
- Hepatology and Liver Transplant Unit, Department of Medical Area, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Valerio Giannelli
- San Camillo Hospital, Department of Transplantation and General Surgery, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Donato
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Lenci
- Hepatology and Transplant Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy
| | - Luisa Pasulo
- Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology Department, Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Chiara Mazzarelli
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department, Liver Unit, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Ferrarese
- Unit of Gastroenterology, Borgo Trento University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Maria Rendina
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Grieco
- Liver Transplant Medicine Unit, Gastroenterological Area, Department of Gastroenterological, Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Nicola De Maria
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Medical Specialties, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Simona Marenco
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Laura Mameli
- Liver and Pancreas Transplant Center, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu Cagliari, Italy
| | - Francesca Romana Ponziani
- Hepatology Unit, CEMAD Centro Malattie dell'Apparato Digerente, Medicina Interna e Gastroenterologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Vitale
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Internal Medicine Unit for the treatment of Severe Organ Failure, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Patrizia Burra
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Padua University Hospital, Padova, Italy
| | - Raffaella Viganò
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department, Liver Unit, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Ezio Fornasiere
- Hepatology and Liver Transplant Unit, Department of Medical Area, Udine University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Elisa Catanzaro
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Padua University Hospital, Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Marrone
- Liver Transplant Medicine Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Milana
- Hepatology and Transplant Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy
| | - Alberto Calleri
- Gastrohepatology Unit, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Chiara Scorzoni
- Liver Injury and Transplant Unit, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60121 Ancona, Italy
| | - Gabriella Frassanito
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Medical Specialties, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Raffaella Lionetti
- Infectious diseases and Hepatology Unit, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Clara Dibenedetto
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore, Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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Giannini EG, Borgonovo G, Marenco S, Cesaretti M. Letter to the Editor: Objective evaluation of liver steatosis in donor organs-Potential usefulness of noninvasive assessment. Liver Transpl 2023; 29:E42-E43. [PMID: 37325924 DOI: 10.1097/lvt.0000000000000190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo G Giannini
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giacomo Borgonovo
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Surgery, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Marenco
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Manuela Cesaretti
- HPB and Liver Transplantation Department, ARNAS Brotzu, Cagliari, Italy
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Rendina M, Barone M, Lillo C, Trapani S, Masiero L, Trerotoli P, Puoti F, Lupo LG, Tandoi F, Agnes S, Grieco A, Andorno E, Marenco S, Giannini EG, Baccarani U, Toniutto P, Carraro A, Colecchia A, Cescon M, Morelli MC, Cillo U, Burra P, Angeli P, Colledan M, Fagiuoli S, De Carlis L, Belli L, De Simone P, Carrai P, Di Benedetto F, De Maria N, Ettorre GM, Giannelli V, Gruttadauria S, Volpes R, Corsale S, Mazzaferro V, Bhoori S, Romagnoli R, Martini S, Rossi G, Caccamo L, Donato MF, Rossi M, Ginanni Corradini S, Spada M, Maggiore G, Tisone G, Lenci I, Vennarecci G, Tortora R, Vivarelli M, Svegliati Baroni G, Zamboni F, Mameli L, Tafuri S, Simone S, Gesualdo L, Cardillo M, Di Leo A. The Italian data on SARS-CoV-2 infection in transplanted patients support an organ specific immune response in liver recipients. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1203854. [PMID: 37469512 PMCID: PMC10352984 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1203854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The study of immune response to SARSCoV-2 infection in different solid organ transplant settings represents an opportunity for clarifying the interplay between SARS-CoV-2 and the immune system. In our nationwide registry study from Italy, we specifically evaluated, during the first wave pandemic, i.e., in non-vaccinated patients, COVID-19 prevalence of infection, mortality, and lethality in liver transplant recipients (LTRs), using non-liver solid transplant recipients (NL-SOTRs) and the Italian general population (GP) as comparators. Methods Case collection started from February 21 to June 22, 2020, using the data from the National Institute of Health and National Transplant Center, whereas the data analysis was performed on September 30, 2020.To compare the sex- and age-adjusted distribution of infection, mortality, and lethality in LTRs, NL-SOTRs, and Italian GP we applied an indirect standardization method to determine the standardized rate. Results Among the 43,983 Italian SOTRs with a functioning graft, LTRs accounted for 14,168 patients, of whom 89 were SARS-CoV-2 infected. In the 29,815 NL-SOTRs, 361 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were observed. The geographical distribution of the disease was highly variable across the different Italian regions. The standardized rate of infection, mortality, and lethality rates in LTRs resulted lower compared to NL-SOTRs [1.02 (95%CI 0.81-1.23) vs. 2.01 (95%CI 1.8-2.2); 1.0 (95%CI 0.5-1.5) vs. 4.5 (95%CI 3.6-5.3); 1.6 (95%CI 0.7-2.4) vs. 2.8 (95%CI 2.2-3.3), respectively] and comparable to the Italian GP. Discussion According to the most recent studies on SOTRs and SARS-CoV-2 infection, our data strongly suggest that, in contrast to what was observed in NL-SOTRs receiving a similar immunosuppressive therapy, LTRs have the same risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, mortality, and lethality observed in the general population. These results suggest an immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in LTRS that is different from NL-SOTRs, probably related to the ability of the grafted liver to induce immunotolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rendina
- Gastroenterology Unit, University Hospital Policlinico of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Barone
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine - Ionian Area-, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Chiara Lillo
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine - Ionian Area-, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Silvia Trapani
- Italian National Transplant Center, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Masiero
- Italian National Transplant Center, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Trerotoli
- Section of Statistics, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesca Puoti
- Italian National Transplant Center, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Giovanni Lupo
- General Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine - Ionian Area-, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Tandoi
- General Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine - Ionian Area-, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Salvatore Agnes
- U.O.C. Chirurgia Generale e Trapianti di Organo, Policlinico Gemelli, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio Grieco
- U.O.C. Medicina Interna e del Trapianto di Fegato, Policlinico Gemelli, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Enzo Andorno
- Chirurgia dei Trapianti di Fegato, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Marenco
- Gastroenterology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Umberto Baccarani
- Centro Trapianto di Fegato, A.O.U.I. Udine, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Toniutto
- U.S.D. Epatologia e Trapianto di Fegato, A.O.U.I. Udine, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Colecchia
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Medical Specialties, University Hospital of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Matteo Cescon
- Chirurgia Epatobiliare e dei Trapianti, IRCCS, A.O.U. di Bologna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Morelli
- Internal Medicine Unit for the Treatment of Severe Organ Failure, IRCCS, A.O.U. di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Umberto Cillo
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, University-Teaching Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Patrizia Burra
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, University-Teaching Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Paolo Angeli
- Unit of Internal Medicine and Hepatology (UIMH), University-Teaching Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Michele Colledan
- U.O.C. Chirurgia Generale III, Centro Trapianti Fegato, A.S.S.T. Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Stefano Fagiuoli
- Gastroenterology Hepatology and Transplantation Unit, A.S.S.T. Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
- Gastroenterologia, Department of Medicine University of Milan Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Luciano De Carlis
- Chirurgia Generale dei Trapianti, Azienda Ospedaliera Niguarda Ca’Granda, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Belli
- U.O.C. Epatologia e Gastroenterologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Niguarda Ca’Granda, Milano, Italy
| | - Paolo De Simone
- U.O.C. Chirurgia Epatica e Trapianti di Fegato, A.O.U. Pisana, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Carrai
- U.O. Chirurgia Epatica e del Trapianto di Fegato, A.O.U. Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Di Benedetto
- U.O.C. di Chirurgia Oncologica Epatobiliopancreatica e Chirurgia dei Trapianti di Fegato, Azienda Ospedaliera Policlinico, Università di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Nicola De Maria
- U.O.C. Chirurgia Generale e Trapianti, Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo Forlanini, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Valerio Giannelli
- Hepatology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo Forlanini, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Riccardo Volpes
- Unità di Gastroenterologia ed Epatologia, IRCCS-ISMETT-UPMCI, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sveva Corsale
- Unità di Gastroenterologia ed Epatologia, IRCCS-ISMETT-UPMCI, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Mazzaferro
- Hepato-pancreatic-biliary surgery and Liver transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sherrie Bhoori
- Hepato-pancreatic-biliary surgery and Liver transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Renato Romagnoli
- Chirurgia Generale 2, Centro Trapianto Fegato A.O.U Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Presidio Molinette, Torino, Italy
| | - Silvia Martini
- Gastroenteroly Unit, A.O.U Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Presidio Molinette, Torino, Italy
| | - Giorgio Rossi
- Division of General and Liver Transplant Surgery, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Lucio Caccamo
- Division of General and Liver Transplant Surgery, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Francesca Donato
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Massimo Rossi
- U.O.C. di Chirurgia Generale e Trapianti di Organo, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marco Spada
- Division of Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery, Liver and Kidney Transplantation, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maggiore
- Hepatogastroenterology, Digestive Endoscopy, Nutrition and Liver Transplantation Unit, Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Tisone
- Liver Transplant Unit, A.O.U. Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Tor Vergata Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Lenci
- Hepatology Unit, A.O.U. Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Tor Vergata Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Vennarecci
- Hepatobiliary and Liver Tranplantation Surgery, A.O.R.N. “A. CARDARELLI”, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Marco Vivarelli
- Chirurgia Epatobiliare, Pancreatica e dei Trapianti, A.O.U., Ospedali Riuniti, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Fausto Zamboni
- General and Hepatic Transplantation Surgery Unit, AO.B. G. Brotzu, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Laura Mameli
- General and Hepatic Transplantation Surgery Unit, AO.B. G. Brotzu, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Silvio Tafuri
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Simona Simone
- Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine - Ionian Area-, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Loreto Gesualdo
- Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine - Ionian Area-, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Massimo Cardillo
- Italian National Transplant Center, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Alfredo Di Leo
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine - Ionian Area-, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
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Pasta A, Calabrese F, Labanca S, Marenco S, Pieri G, Plaz Torres MC, Intagliata NM, Caldwell SH, Giannini EG. Safety and efficacy of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in patients with cirrhosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Liver Int 2023. [PMID: 37249027 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Patients with cirrhosis are considered in a haemostatic balance, though weaker than in normal subjects. In these patients, however, the use of pharmacological prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains controversial. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of VTE prophylaxis in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of studies reporting the occurrence of bleeding and VTE events in patients with cirrhosis, and controls, undergoing VTE prophylaxis. Meta-regression analysis was conducted to further explore the determinants of heterogeneity in the study of the occurrence of either bleeding or VTE events. RESULTS In a total of 10 studies, including 5712 patients, of which 2330 undergoing VTE prophylaxis, bleeding (n = 5513) and VTE events occurred in 8.2% and 2.8% patients respectively. A total of 2963 and 3162 patients were included from low-risk of bias studies in bleeding and VTE analysis respectively: while administration of VTE prophylaxis did not seem to reduce VTE (OR = 1.07, CI 0.39-2.96, p = .89), importantly prophylaxis was not associated with increased bleeding risk (OR = 0.56, CI 0.20-1.59, p = .27). Meta-regression analysis showed that no parameter significantly influenced the heterogeneity of data regarding bleeding or VTE events. CONCLUSIONS In patients with cirrhosis, current evidence is insufficient to advise for or against the use of VTE prophylaxis, mainly due to lack of quality and homogeneity of available data. However, its use does not appear to be associated with a significant bleeding risk. Adequately designed studies are required to provide a measure of its overall utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pasta
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesco Calabrese
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Labanca
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Marenco
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giulia Pieri
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Corina Plaz Torres
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Nicolas M Intagliata
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Stephen H Caldwell
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Edoardo G Giannini
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
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Kayali S, Pasta A, Plaz Torres MC, Jaffe A, Strazzabosco M, Marenco S, Giannini EG. Immune checkpoint inhibitors in malignancies after liver transplantation: A systematic review and pooled analysis. Liver Int 2023; 43:8-17. [PMID: 36102312 PMCID: PMC10087158 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Treatment of de novo malignancies and recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in liver transplant recipients (LT) is an attractive strategy that is infrequently pursued because of the lack of strong evidence regarding their safety and efficacy. In this systematic review with pooled analysis, we aimed to assess safety and efficacy of ICI therapy following LT. METHODS We performed a systematic search of case reports and series published until January 2022. We included 31 publications reporting a total of 52 patients treated with ICIs after LT and assessed in a pooled analysis the risk of graft rejection and the outcome of ICI therapy. RESULTS Acute graft rejection occurred in 15 patients (28.8%) and 7 patients (13.4% of the total cohort) died because of graft loss. Rejection was associated with shorter overall survival (OS) (17.2 months, confidence interval [CI] 12.1-22.2 vs. 3.5 months, CI 1.6-5.4, p < 0.001). Disease control rate was 44.2% (n = 23), and in these patients, OS was longer than in non-responders (26.4 months, CI 20.8-32.0 vs. 3.4 months, CI 2.1-4.7, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Observational, off-label experience suggests that treatment with ICI for advanced malignancies in LT recipients might not be discarded a priori. This notwithstanding, ICI treatment in these patients is associated with a substantial risk of graft rejection and mortality. Prospective studies are needed to provide adequate safety and efficacy figures of ICI treatment in this fragile population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Kayali
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Pasta
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Corina Plaz Torres
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Ariel Jaffe
- Liver Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Smilow Cancer Hospital and Liver Cancer Program, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Mario Strazzabosco
- Liver Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Smilow Cancer Hospital and Liver Cancer Program, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Simona Marenco
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Edoardo G Giannini
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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Sciarrone SS, Ferrarese A, Bizzaro D, Volpato S, Donato FM, Invernizzi F, Trespidi L, Ramezzana IG, Avolio AW, Nure E, Pascale MM, Fagiuoli S, Pasulo L, Merli M, Lapenna L, Toniutto P, Lenci I, Di Donato R, De Maria N, Villa E, Galeota Lanza A, Marenco S, Bhoori S, Mameli L, Cillo U, Boccagni P, Russo FP, Bo P, Cosmi E, Burra P. Safe pregnancy after liver transplantation: Evidence from a multicenter Italian collaborative study. Dig Liver Dis 2022; 54:669-675. [PMID: 34497039 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2021.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women who have undergone liver transplantation (LT) enjoy better health, and possibility of childbearing. However, maternal and graft risks, optimal immunosuppression, and fetal outcome is still to clarify. AIM Aim of the study was to assess outcomes of pregnancy after LT at national level. METHODS In 2019, under the auspices of the Permanent Transplant Committee of the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver, a multicenter survey including 14 Italian LT-centers was conducted aiming at evaluating the outcomes of recipients and newborns, and graft injury/function parameters during pregnancy in LT-recipients. RESULTS Sixty-two pregnancies occurred in 60 LT-recipients between 1990 and 2018. Median age at the time of pregnancy was 31-years and median time from transplantation to conception was 8-years. During pregnancy, 4 recipients experienced maternal complications with hospital admission. Live-birth-rate was 100%. Prematurity occurred in 25/62 newborns, and 8/62 newborns had low-birth-weight. Cyclosporine was used in 16 and Tacrolimus in 37 pregnancies, with no different maternal or newborn outcomes. Low-birth-weight was correlated to high values of AST, ALT and GGT. CONCLUSION Pregnancy after LT has good outcome; however, maternal complications and prematurity may occur. Compliance with the immunosuppression is fundamental to ensure the stability of graft function and prevent graft-deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Stefano Sciarrone
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua 35128, Italy
| | - Alberto Ferrarese
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua 35128, Italy
| | - Debora Bizzaro
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua 35128, Italy
| | - Sofia Volpato
- Gynaecology and Obstetrics Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Via Giustianini 3, Padua 35128, Italy
| | - Francesca Maria Donato
- Division of Gastroenterology, Maggiore Hospital and IRCCS Foundation, Via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Federica Invernizzi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Maggiore Hospital and IRCCS Foundation, Via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Laura Trespidi
- Gynaecology and Obstetrics Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore, Via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Ilaria Giuditta Ramezzana
- Gynaecology and Obstetrics Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore, Via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Alfonso Wolfango Avolio
- Liver Unit, Department of Surgery, Agostino Gemelli Hospital, Catholic University, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, Rome 00168, Italy
| | - Erida Nure
- Liver Unit, Department of Surgery, Agostino Gemelli Hospital, Catholic University, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, Rome 00168, Italy
| | - Marco Maria Pascale
- Liver Unit, Department of Surgery, Agostino Gemelli Hospital, Catholic University, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, Rome 00168, Italy
| | - Stefano Fagiuoli
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Piazza OMS 1, Bergamo 24127, Italy
| | - Luisa Pasulo
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Piazza OMS 1, Bergamo 24127, Italy
| | - Manuela Merli
- Gastroenterology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1015, Rome 00189, Italy
| | - Lucia Lapenna
- Gastroenterology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1015, Rome 00189, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Toniutto
- Internal Medicine, Department of Medical Area, University of Udine, via Palladio 8, Udine 33100, Italy
| | - Ilaria Lenci
- Hepatology and Liver Transplant Unit, Department of Medicine, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, Rome 00133, Italy
| | - Roberto Di Donato
- Department of Digestive Disease and Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico S.Orsola-Malpighi, Via Giuseppe Massarenti 11, Bologna 40138, Italy
| | - Nicola De Maria
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico di Modena, Largo del Pozzo 71, Modena 41124, Italy
| | - Erica Villa
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico di Modena, Largo del Pozzo 71, Modena 41124, Italy
| | | | - Simona Marenco
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterolgy Unit, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Sherrie Bhoori
- Department of Surgery and Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Via Giacomo Venezian, 1, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Laura Mameli
- Liver and Pancreas Transplant Center, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu Piazzale Ricchi 1, Cagliari 09134, Italy
| | - Umberto Cillo
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Padua University Hospital, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua 35128, Italy
| | - Patrizia Boccagni
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Padua University Hospital, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua 35128, Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Russo
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua 35128, Italy
| | - Patrizio Bo
- Gynaecology and Obstetrics Unit, Cittadella Hospital, Via Riva dell'Ospedale, Cittadella 35013, Italy
| | - Erich Cosmi
- Gynaecology and Obstetrics Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padua, Via Giustianini 3, Padua 35128, Italy
| | - Patrizia Burra
- Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani 2, Padua 35128, Italy.
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Barberis L, Faggiani M, Calò MJ, Marenco S, Vasario G, Castoldi F. Coracoid tunnels in open and arthroscopic treatment of acromioclavicular dislocation: an experimental cadaveric study. Musculoskelet Surg 2022; 106:15-19. [PMID: 32399677 DOI: 10.1007/s12306-020-00665-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Treatment of acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) dislocation is not encoded uniquely. Type I and II injuries are usually treated conservatively, while types IV, V and VI surgically. Controversy still exists over the treatment of type III injuries. In the operative approach, there is no agreement on the best surgical technique. Our purpose is to compare the mini-open and arthroscopic approach focusing on the evaluation of the anatomical precision of the coracoid drilling. METHODS This is a controlled laboratory study. Ten fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders were randomly assigned to the two techniques in order to compare them. We performed essential surgical gestures to drill the tunnel using MINAR® System (mini-open) and Dog-Bone® (ARTHREX, arthroscopic). The anatomical specimens were then subjected to CT-scan investigation. We statistically evaluated the precision of these two techniques analyzing DICOM files using two parameters. Parameter 1 evaluates the tunnel entry area on the superior side of the coracoid. Parameter 2 describes the orientation of the tunnel. RESULTS There are no statistically significant differences (95% confidence level) between arthroscopic and mini-open approach about the precision in the location of the coracoid hole, regarding the entry area (p = 1.00) and the orientation (p = 0.196). CONCLUSION The evidences collected enable the orthopedic surgeon to choose equally between the two techniques in the treatment of AC joint dislocation toward precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Barberis
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, C.T.O. Hospital, University of Turin Medical School, 29, Via Zuretti, 10126, Turin, TO, Italy
| | - M Faggiani
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, C.T.O. Hospital, University of Turin Medical School, 29, Via Zuretti, 10126, Turin, TO, Italy.
| | - M J Calò
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, C.T.O. Hospital, University of Turin Medical School, 29, Via Zuretti, 10126, Turin, TO, Italy
| | - S Marenco
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, C.T.O. Hospital, University of Turin Medical School, 29, Via Zuretti, 10126, Turin, TO, Italy
| | - G Vasario
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, C.T.O. Hospital, University of Turin Medical School, 29, Via Zuretti, 10126, Turin, TO, Italy
| | - F Castoldi
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, C.T.O. Hospital, University of Turin Medical School, 29, Via Zuretti, 10126, Turin, TO, Italy
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Borro P, Ziola S, Pasta A, Trombini M, Labanca S, Marenco S, Solarna D, Pisciotta L, Baldissarro I, Picciotto A, Dellepiane S. Hepatic Elastometry and Glissonian Line in the Assessment of Liver Fibrosis. Ultrasound Med Biol 2021; 47:947-959. [PMID: 33451815 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2020.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify a method for staging hepatic fibrosis using a non-invasive, rapid and inexpensive technique based on ultrasound morphologic hepatic features. A total of 215 patients with different liver diseases underwent B-mode (2-D brightness mode) ultrasonography, vibration-controlled transient elastography, 2-D shear wave elastography and measurement of the controlled attenuation parameter with transient elastography. B-Mode images of the anterior margin of the left lobe were obtained and processed with automatic Genoa Line Quantification (GLQ) software based on a neural network for staging liver fibrosis. The accuracy of GLQ was 90.6% during model training and 78.9% in 38 different patients with concordant elastometric measures. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of GLQ performance using vibration-controlled transient elastography as a reference yielded areas under the curves of 0.851 for F ≥ F1, 0.793 for F ≥ F2, 0.784 for F ≥ F3 and 0.789 for F ≥ F4. GLQ has the potential to be a rapid, easy-to-perform and tolerable method in the staging of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Borro
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Sebastiano Ziola
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Pasta
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Trombini
- Department of Electrical, Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering and Naval Architecture (DITEN), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Labanca
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Marenco
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - David Solarna
- Department of Electrical, Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering and Naval Architecture (DITEN), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Livia Pisciotta
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Antonino Picciotto
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvana Dellepiane
- Department of Electrical, Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering and Naval Architecture (DITEN), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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Bussalino E, Rendina M, Parodi A, Marra A, Mocka S, Marenco S, Panaro L, Gesualdo L, Di Leo A, Paoletti E. FP758Direct acting antivirals are effective and safe in HCV positive kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), even with advanced liver fibrosis. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfz106.fp758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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11
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Lee MR, Sheskier MB, Farokhnia M, Feng N, Marenco S, Lipska BK, Leggio L. Oxytocin receptor mRNA expression in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in major psychiatric disorders: A human post-mortem study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 96:143-147. [PMID: 29940428 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
There is growing interest in oxytocin as a putative treatment for various psychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. However, potential alterations in the endogenous brain oxytocin system in these disorders are poorly characterized. Brain expression of oxytocin and its receptor genes in patients with these psychiatric disorders has not been well studied outside the hypothalamus. We measured expression of mRNA for oxytocin and its receptor in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of postmortem brains using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in a total of 581 individuals. These individuals either were diagnosed with major depressive disorder (n = 135), bipolar disorder (n = 57), schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (n = 169), or were control subjects, defined as individuals with no lifetime history of any of these disorders (n = 220). Diagnoses of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder were associated with significantly increased oxytocin receptor mRNA levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This finding is discussed in light of the extant literature on the dysregulation of oxytocin signaling in individuals with major psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Lee
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Basic Research and National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - M B Sheskier
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Basic Research and National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - M Farokhnia
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Basic Research and National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - N Feng
- Human Brain Collection Core, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - S Marenco
- Human Brain Collection Core, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - B K Lipska
- Human Brain Collection Core, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - L Leggio
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Basic Research and National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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12
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Cenderello G, Fanizza C, Marenco S, Nicolini LA, Artioli S, Baldissarro I, Dentone C, De Leo P, Di Biagio A. Cost per care of the first year of direct antiviral agents in the Liguria Region: a multicenter analysis. Clinicoecon Outcomes Res 2017; 9:281-293. [PMID: 28579812 PMCID: PMC5446971 DOI: 10.2147/ceor.s129859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims Despite the remarkable efficacy shown in clinical practice, concerns have been raised about the costs associated with direct antiviral agent (DAA) therapy. This article presents the real-life costs for DAA treatment sustained by the Italian National Health Service in the Liguria Region (Northern Italy). Methods A retrospective analysis of the cost per care sustained for DAA treatment, relating to the period from January 1 to December 31, 2015 in five centers in Liguria was performed. All patients undergoing DAA-based treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were enrolled. On-treatment costs included: HCV treatment, laboratory test, outpatient services, attended visits, drugs used for the management of adverse events (erythropoietin, albumin or red blood cell packs) and inpatient service admissions. Results In total, 327 patients were enrolled. No difference in terms of sustained virologic response (SVR) rate among different treatments was reported. The majority (85.0%) of patients did not report any side effects and only 15 (4.6%) required hospital admission. Forty-two patients (12.8%) required high-cost drugs for the management of adverse events. The overall cost sustained was €14,744,433. DAA±ribavirin (RBV) accounted for the wide majority of this cost (98.9%; €14,585,123). Genotype (GT) 1, the most commonly treated GT, was associated with an average cost of €43,445 per patient. Detailed analysis of the costs for GT 1 showed the treatment based on ritonavir boosted paritaprevir/ombitasvir + dasabuvir±RBV with an average cost of €24,978 (RBV+) and €25,448 (RBV−) per patient was the most cost-effective. The average cost per SVR was €48,184. Once again, the ritonavir boosted paritaprevir/ombitasvir + dasabuvir regimen was associated with the lowest cost/SVR (€25,448/SVR [GT 1b] and similar results for other GTs). Conclusion Antiviral regimen is the major contributor to costs in the treatment of HCV infection. Appropriate regimen selection could result in a major cost saving, which can be reinvested to allow more patients to be treated.
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Nobili F, Rodriguez G, Malfatto L, Celestino MA, Hassan K, Francione S, Marenco S, Rosadini G. Correlates of contralateral hypoperfusion in chronic stroke patients. Neurol Res 2016; 14:125-6. [PMID: 1355866 DOI: 10.1080/01616412.1992.11740029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F Nobili
- Department of Motor Science-Neurophysiopathology, University and Center for Cerebral Neurophysiology (CNR), Genova, Italy
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Ghinolfi D, Cecconi N, Molinari AC, Marenco S, Picciotto A, Paolicchi A, De Simone P, Bindi L, Filipponi F. Liver Transplantation in Type III von Willebrand Disease. Am J Transplant 2016; 16:1936-7. [PMID: 26614157 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.13642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D Ghinolfi
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Oncology, Transplants and Advances in Medicine, University of Pisa Medical School Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - N Cecconi
- Division of Hematology, Department of Oncology, Transplants and Advances in Medicine, University of Pisa Medical School Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - A C Molinari
- Thrombosis and Hemostasis Unit, Giannina Gaslini Children's Hospital, Genoa, Italy
| | - S Marenco
- Division of Hepatology, IRCCS San Martino, IST Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - A Picciotto
- Division of Hepatology, IRCCS San Martino, IST Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - A Paolicchi
- Translational Research Department, University of Pisa Medical School Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - P De Simone
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Oncology, Transplants and Advances in Medicine, University of Pisa Medical School Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Bindi
- Post-Liver Transplant Intensive Care Unit, University of Pisa Medical School Hospital, Pisa, Italy
| | - F Filipponi
- Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, Department of Oncology, Transplants and Advances in Medicine, University of Pisa Medical School Hospital, Pisa, Italy
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Di Maio VC, Cento V, Di Paolo D, Aragri M, De Leonardis F, Tontodonati M, Micheli V, Bellocchi MC, Antonucci FP, Bertoli A, Lenci I, Milana M, Gianserra L, Melis M, Di Biagio A, Sarrecchia C, Sarmati L, Landonio S, Francioso S, Lambiase L, Nicolini LA, Marenco S, Nosotti L, Giannelli V, Siciliano M, Romagnoli D, Pellicelli A, Vecchiet J, Magni CF, Babudieri S, Mura MS, Taliani G, Mastroianni C, Vespasiani-Gentilucci U, Romano M, Morisco F, Gasbarrini A, Vullo V, Bruno S, Baiguera C, Pasquazzi C, Tisone G, Picciotto A, Andreoni M, Parruti G, Rizzardini G, Angelico M, Perno CF, Ceccherini-Silberstein F. HCV NS3 sequencing as a reliable and clinically useful tool for the assessment of genotype and resistance mutations for clinical samples with different HCV-RNA levels. J Antimicrob Chemother 2015; 71:739-50. [DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkv403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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Murdaca G, Contini P, Cagnati P, Marenco S, Pieri G, Lantieri F, Picciotto A, Puppo F. Behavior of soluble HLA-A, -B, -C and HLA-G molecules in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection undergoing pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin treatment: potential role as markers of response to antiviral therapy. Clin Exp Med 2015; 17:93-100. [PMID: 26567007 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-015-0399-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The serum levels of soluble HLA class I antigens (sHLA-A, -B, -C and sHLA-G) were determined in 40 HCV genotype 1-infected patients before (T 0), after 3, 6, and 12 months (T 3, T 6, and T 12) of pegylated-IFN-α plus ribavirin therapy and 6 months (T 18) after the end of treatment. Twenty patients were sustained virological responders (SVR), and 20 were non-responders (NR). sHLA-A, -B, -C levels at T 0 were significantly higher in both SVR (mean 10.48 μg/ml) and NR (mean 11.87 μg/ml) patients as compared to healthy controls (mean 0.34 μg/ml, p < 0.0001) and HIV-infected subjects (mean 1.22 μg/ml, p < 0.0001). sHLA-G levels at T 0 were significantly higher in SVR (mean 24.78 ng/ml) and NR (mean 24.93 ng/ml) patients as compared to healthy controls (mean 10.34 ng/ml, p = 0.015 and p = 0.014, respectively) but were lower as compared to HIV-infected subjects (mean 48.00 ng/ml, p < 0.0001). The levels of sHLA-A, -B, -C and sHLA-G significantly decreased in SVR from T 0 to T 18 (mean 1.64 and 1.43 ng/ml, respectively, p < 0.0001) and correlated with HCV-RNA, AST, ALT, γGT, and ALP levels. The determination of soluble HLA class I levels could be proposed as a surrogate marker to discriminate SVR and NR HCV-infected patients during PEG-IFN-α plus ribavirin therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Murdaca
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paola Contini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paola Cagnati
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Marenco
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giulia Pieri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesca Lantieri
- Department of Health Sciences, Biostatistic Unit, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Antonino Picciotto
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesco Puppo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
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D'Angelo S, Germano D, Zolfino T, Sansonno D, Montalto G, Benedetti A, Montesarchio V, Attili A, Buonadonna A, Barni S, Gasbarrini A, Pirisi M, Cillo U, Marenco S, Villa E, Giovanis P, Pinotti G, Saitta C, Erminero C, de Giorgio M, Lorusso V. Final results of the gideon study according to patient etiology: The italian experience. Ann Oncol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdv344.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Abstract
Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a severe complication that often occurs in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. HRS is a functional renal failure that develops mainly as a consequence of a severe cardiovascular dysfunction which is characterized by an extreme splanchnic arterial vasodilation and a reduction of cardiac output. HRS may develop in two clinical types: as an acute and rapidly progressive renal failure (AKI-HRS) or as chronic and not progressive renal failure (CKD-HRS). Several small studies and some randomized control studies have been published on the use of terlipressin plus albumin in the treatment of HRS, mainly on AKI-HRS. Terlipressin plus albumin was shown to improve renal function in almost 35-45% of patients with AKI-HRS, as well as to improve short-term survival in these patients. Terlipressin was most commonly used by intravenous boluses moving from an initial dose of 0.5-1 mg every 4 h to 3 mg every 4 h in the case of a nonresponse. In other studies, terlipressin was also given by continuous intravenous infusion. Thus, the best way to administer terlipressin in the treatment of HRS has not yet been defined. α-Adrenergic drugs, such as intravenous norepinephrine or oral midodrine plus subcutaneous octreotide, administered with albumin have also been used in the treatment of AKI-HRS, with promising results. However, we need further studies in order to define whether they can represent a real therapeutic alternative. In conclusion, available data are sufficient to state that the use of terlipressin plus albumin has really changed the management of HRS. Nevertheless, some crucial unsolved issues still exist, in particular: (a) how to predict nonresponse to treatment, (b) how to manage nonresponse to treatment and (c) how to consider the response in those patients who are candidates for liver transplant in the priority allocation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Cavallin
- U.O. Clinica Medica V, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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D'Angelo S, Germano D, Zolfino T, Sansonno D, Giannitrapani L, Benedetti A, Montesarchio V, Attili A, Buonadonna A, Barni S, Gasbarrini A, Burlone ME, Cillo U, Marenco S, Villa E, Giovanis P, Proserpio I, Saitta C, Magini G, Cengarle R, Fava G, Cuttone F, Calvani N, Angelico M, Di Costanzo F, Noto A, Poggi G, Marignani M, Cascinu S, Amoroso D, Palmieri V, Massa E, Crocè LS, Picardi A, Tumulo S, Erminero C, Lencioni R, Lorusso V. [Therapeutic decisions and treatment with sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma: final analysis of GIDEON study in Italy]. Recenti Prog Med 2015; 106:217-26. [PMID: 25994538 DOI: 10.1701/1868.20406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is the only targeted agent approved for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after demonstration to increase overall survival compared to placebo in two randomized phase III study. GIDEON (Global Investigation of therapeutic DEcisions in HCC and Of its treatment with sorafeNib) is the largest, global, non-interventional, prospective study of patients with uHCC (n>3200) treated with sorafenib in real-life clinical practice conditions. Here we report the final analysis of safety and efficacy in the Italian cohort of patients. METHODS Patients with unresectable HCC who are candidates for systemic therapy, and for whom a decision has been made to treat with sorafenib, are eligible for inclusion. Patients demographics disease characteristics and treatment history were recorded at baseline visit. Sorafenib dose, concomitant medications, performance status, liver function, adverse events and efficacy (survival and response rate) were collected throughout the study. RESULTS In the Italian cohort of the GIDEON study 278 patients were included in 36 centers. The global rate of adverse events was 81%. Drug-related events accounted for 67%, mostly of grade 1 and 2, and only 8% were classified as serious. The most common were diarrhea (24%), fatigue (23%), dermatological (14%), rash/exfoliation (10%), hypertension (9%), hemorrage/bleeding of gastrointestinal tract (6%). Overall survival was 14.4 months and time to progression 6.2 months. Objective responses were observed in 14 patients (5%) with 3 complete responses (1%). Stable diseases of at least 6 weeks were observed in 113 patients (41%) with a 30% of disease control rate. DISCUSSION The safety profile of sorafenib in terms of rate and type of adverse events is similar to that emerged in the global international GIDEON study as well as in the pivotal registration studies.
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D'Angelo S, Germano D, Zolfino T, Sansonno D, Montalto G, Benedetti A, Montesarchio V, Attili A, Buonadonna A, Barni S, Gasbarrini A, Pirisi M, Cillo U, Marenco S, Villa E, Giovanis P, Pinotti G, Raimondo G, Erminero C, De Giorgio M, Lorusso V. P-111 Final results of the GIDEON (Global Investigational of therapeutic DEcisions in HCC and Of its treatment with sorafeNib) study according to patient etiology: The Italian experience. Ann Oncol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdv233.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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21
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Bruno S, Bollani S, Zignego AL, Pascasio JM, Magni C, Ciancio A, Caremani M, Mangia A, Marenco S, Piovesan S, Chemello L, Babudieri S, Moretti A, Gea F, Colletta C, Perez-Alvarez R, Forns X, Larrubia JR, Arenas J, Crespo J, Calvaruso V, Ceccherini Silberstein F, Maisonneuve P, Craxì A, Calleja JL. Undetectable HCV-RNA at treatment-week 8 results in high-sustained virological response in HCV G1 treatment-experienced patients with advanced liver disease: the International Italian/Spanish Boceprevir/Peginterferon/Ribavirin Name Patients Program. J Viral Hepat 2015; 22:469-80. [PMID: 25311757 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.12342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In many countries, first-generation protease inhibitors (PIs)/peginterferon/ribavirin (P/R) still represent the only treatment option for HCV-infected patients. Subjects with advanced disease and previous failure to P/R urgently need therapy, but they are under-represented in clinical trials. All treatment-experienced F3/4 Metavir patients who received boceprevir (BOC)+P/R in the Italian-Spanish Name Patient Program have been included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis (MLR) was used to identify baseline and on-treatment predictors of SVR and adverse events (AEs). Four hundred and sixteen patients, mean age 57.7 (range 25-78 years), 70% males, 69.5% (289/416) F4, 14% (41/289) Child-Pugh class A6, 24% (70/289) with varices and 42% (173/416) prior null responders to P/R, were analysed. Overall, SVR rate (all 381 patients who received one dose of BOC) was 49%, (58% in F3, 45% in F4, 61% in relapsers, 51% in partial, 38% in null responders, and 72% in subjects with undetectable HCV-RNA at treatment-week (TW)8. Among patients with TW8 HCV-RNA ≥ 1000 IU/L, SVR was 8% (negative predictive value = 92%). Death occurred in 3 (0.8%) patients, while decompensation and infections were observed in 2.9% and 11%, respectively. At MLR, SVR predictors were TW4 HCV-RNA ≥ 1log10 -decline from baseline, undetectable TW8 HCV-RNA, prior relapse, albumin levels ≥3.5 g/dL and platelet counts ≥100 000/μL. Metavir F4, Child-Pugh A6, albumin, platelets, age and female gender were associated with serious and haematological AEs. Among treatment-experienced patients with advanced liver disease eligible for IFN-based therapy, TW8 HCV-RNA characterised the subset with either high or poor likelihood of achieving SVR. Using TW8 HCV-RNA as a futility rule, BOC/P/R appears to have a favourable benefit-risk profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Bruno
- AO Fatebenefratelli e Oftalmico, Milano, Italy
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22
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Grasso A, Malfatti F, Andraghetti G, Marenco S, Mazzucchelli C, Labanca S, Cordera R, Testa R, Picciotto A. HOMA, BMI, and Serum Leptin Levels Variations during Antiviral Treatment Suggest Virus-Related Insulin Resistance in Noncirrhotic, Nonobese, and Nondiabetic Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 1 Patients. Gastroenterol Res Pract 2015; 2015:975695. [PMID: 25821463 PMCID: PMC4363607 DOI: 10.1155/2015/975695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective. To investigate the relationship between insulin resistance and viral load decay in nondiabetic and noncirrhotic genotype 1 chronic HCV patients during peginterferon and ribavirin treatment and the possible influence of BMI and leptin as metabolic confounders. Methods. 75 consecutive noncirrhotic, nonobese, and nondiabetic patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C treated with peginterferon alpha 2a plus ribavirin were evaluated. HOMA-IR, serum leptin, and BMI were measured in all patients at baseline and at weeks 12 and 48, whereas viral load was measured at the same time points and then 24 weeks after the end of treatment. Results. HOMA-IR was significantly associated with both BMI and leptin at baseline. During peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment, there was a significant reduction of HOMA-IR at weeks 12 and 48 from baseline (P = 0.033 and 0.048, resp.) in patients who achieved an early viral load decay (EVR), a trend not observed in patients who not achieved EVR. No variations during treatment were observed regarding BMI and leptin irrespective of EVR. Conclusion. The early reduction of HOMA-IR but not of BMI and leptin during antiviral treatment in noncirrhotic, chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 patients who achieved EVR suggests a viral genesis of insulin resistance in patients with nonmetabolic phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Grasso
- Gastroenterology Unit, San Paolo Hospital, Via Genova 38, 17100 Savona, Italy
| | - Federica Malfatti
- Gastroenterology Unit, San Paolo Hospital, Via Genova 38, 17100 Savona, Italy
| | - Gabriella Andraghetti
- Department of Endocrinology, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Marenco
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Mazzucchelli
- Department of Endocrinology, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Labanca
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Renzo Cordera
- Department of Endocrinology, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberto Testa
- Gastroenterology Unit, San Paolo Hospital, Via Genova 38, 17100 Savona, Italy
| | - Antonino Picciotto
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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Ascierto ML, Bozzano F, Bedognetti D, Marras F, Schechterly C, Matsuura K, Picciotto A, Marenco S, Zhao Y, DeGiorgi V, Sommariva M, Moretta L, Wang E, Alter HJ, Marincola FM, De Maria A. Inherent transcriptional signatures of NK cells are associated with response to IFNα + rivabirin therapy in patients with Hepatitis C Virus. J Transl Med 2015; 13:77. [PMID: 25849716 PMCID: PMC4353456 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-015-0428-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differences in the expression of Natural Killer cell receptors have been reported to reflect divergent clinical courses in patients with chronic infections or tumors. However, extensive molecular characterization at the transcriptional level to support this view is lacking. The aim of this work was to characterize baseline differences in purified NK cell transcriptional activity stratified by response to treatment with PEG-IFNα/RBV in patients chronically infected with HCV. METHODS To this end we here studied by flow cytometer and gene expression profile, phenotypic and transcriptional characteristics of purified NK cells in patients chronically infected with HCV genotype-1 virus who were subsequently treated with PEG-IFNα/RBV. Results were further correlated with divergent clinical response obtained after treatment. RESULTS The pre-treatment transcriptional patterns of purified NK cells from patients subsequently undergoing a sustained virologic response (SVR) clearly segregated from those of non-responder (NR) patients. A set of 476 transcripts, including molecules involved in RNA processing, ubiquitination pathways as well as HLA class II signalling were differently expressed among divergent patients. In addition, treatment outcome was associated with differences in surface expression of NKp30 and NKG2D. A complex relationship was observed that suggested for extensive post-transcriptional editing. Only a small number of the NK cell transcripts identified were correlated with chronic HCV infection/replication indicating that inherent transcriptional activity prevails over environment effects such as viral infection. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, inherent/genetic modulation of NK cell transcription is involved in setting the path to divergent treatment outcomes and could become useful to therapeutic advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Libera Ascierto
- />Department of Health Sciences, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- />Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins Medicine, CRB II, Room 506, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21231 USA
| | - Federica Bozzano
- />Department of Health Sciences, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- />Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | | | | | - Cathy Schechterly
- />Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Kentaro Matsuura
- />Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Antonino Picciotto
- />IRCCS Az.Osp.Univ. San Martino-IST Istituto Nazionale Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Marenco
- />IRCCS Az.Osp.Univ. San Martino-IST Istituto Nazionale Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy
| | - Yingdong Zhao
- />Biometric Research Branch, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Valeria DeGiorgi
- />Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Michele Sommariva
- />Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | | | - Ena Wang
- />Sidra Medical and Research Centre, Doha, Qatar
| | - Harvey J Alter
- />Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | | | - Andrea De Maria
- />Department of Health Sciences, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- />Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- />IRCCS Az.Osp.Univ. San Martino-IST Istituto Nazionale Ricerca sul Cancro, Genoa, Italy
- />Universita’ degli Studi di Genova, Largo R Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
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Affiliation(s)
- AE Jaffe
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - WW Eaton
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - RE Straub
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - S Marenco
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, IRP, NIMH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - DR Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA,Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Neuroscience, the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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25
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Ascierto ML, Alter H, Bozzano F, Picciotto A, Marenco S, Marras F, Schechterly C, Bedognetti D, De Giorgi V, Sommariva M, Ascierto PA, Moretta L, Wang E, Marincola FM, De Maria A. Genomic scale analysis of NK cells impact on response to IFN-α. J Immunother Cancer 2013. [PMCID: PMC3991079 DOI: 10.1186/2051-1426-1-s1-p46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Giannini EG, Marenco S, Bruzzone L, Savarino V, Farinati F, Del Poggio P, Rapaccini GL, Di Nolfo MA, Benvegnù L, Zoli M, Borzio F, Caturelli E, Chiaramonte M, Trevisani F. Hepatocellular carcinoma in patients without cirrhosis in Italy. Dig Liver Dis 2013; 45:164-9. [PMID: 23047000 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2012.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Revised: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the Western world, hepatocellular carcinoma seldom develops in patients without cirrhosis, and reports describing the characteristics of non-cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are rather infrequent. METHODS We evaluated the main clinical characteristics, treatment options, and survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma developed in non-cirrhotic liver among the 3027 consecutive cases of hepatocellular carcinoma accrued in the Italian Liver Cancer database during the last 20 years. RESULTS We identified 52 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in non-cirrhotic livers (1.7% of all hepatocellular carcinomas), 42 with (80.8%) and 10 without (19.2%) chronic liver disease. In patients without chronic liver disease, median tumour diameter was greater compared to patients with chronic liver disease (7.8 versus 4.0 cm, P=0.046). Curative treatment was feasible in 20 patients (38.5%). Median overall survival was 26 months and 5-year survival rate was 23.7%. Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma outside surveillance (P=0.036), advanced hepatocellular carcinoma stage (P<0.0001), and non-curative treatment (P=0.007) were associated with worse prognosis, but tumour stage was the only independent predictor of survival. CONCLUSIONS In Italy, less than 2% of hepatocellular carcinomas develop in a non-cirrhotic liver, and almost never in a normal liver. These patients frequently present with advanced tumours, have low eligibility rates for curative treatment, and have a dismal prognosis despite their preserved liver function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo G Giannini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
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Marmotti A, Castoldi F, Rossi R, Marenco S, Risso A, Ruella M, Tron A, Borrè A, Blonna D, Tarella C. Bone marrow-derived cell mobilization by G-CSF to enhance osseointegration of bone substitute in high tibial osteotomy. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2013; 21:237-48. [PMID: 22872005 DOI: 10.1007/s00167-012-2150-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2012] [Accepted: 07/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) efficacy in accelerating bone regeneration following opening-wedge high tibial valgus osteotomy for genu varum. METHODS A phase II trial was conducted for evaluating the preoperative administration of G-CSF given at 10 μg/kg/day for 3 consecutive days with an additional half-dose 4 h before the opening-wedge high tibial valgus osteotomy. Overall, 12 patients (Group A) received G-CSF treatment, and the subsequent 12 patients (Group B) underwent surgery without G-CSF. The osteotomy gap was filled by a bone graft substitute. Bone marrow cell (BMC) mobilization was monitored by CD34+ve cell and clonogenic progenitor cell analysis. All patients underwent a clinical (Lysholm Knee Scale and SF-36) and radiographic evaluation preoperatively, as well as at given intervals postsurgery. RESULTS All patients completed the treatment program without major side effects; G-CSF was well tolerated. BMC mobilization occurred in all Group A patients, with median peak values of circulating CD34+ve cells of 110/μL (range 29-256). Circulating clonogenic progenitors paralleled CD34+ve cell levels. A significant improvement in Lysholm Knee Scale was recorded at follow-up in Group A compared to Group B. At the radiographic evaluation, there was a significant increase in osseointegration at the bone-graft junction in Group A at 1, 2, 3 and 6 months postsurgery compared to Group B. The computerized tomography scan of the grafted area at 2 months postsurgery showed no significant difference in the quality of the newly formed bone between the two Groups. CONCLUSIONS Although the limited number of patients does not allow firm conclusions, the study suggests that G-CSF can be safely administered preoperatively in subjects undergoing opening-wedge high tibial valgus osteotomy; in addition, the clinical, radiographic and CT monitoring indicate that G-CSF and/or mobilized BMCs may hasten bone graft substitute osseointegration. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE I.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Marmotti
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Ordine Mauriziano, Umberto I Hospital, University of Torino, Turin, Italy.
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Giannini EG, Marenco S, Borgonovo G, Savarino V, Farinati F, Del Poggio P, Rapaccini GL, Anna Di Nolfo M, Benvegnù L, Zoli M, Borzio F, Caturelli E, Chiaramonte M, Trevisani F. Alpha-fetoprotein has no prognostic role in small hepatocellular carcinoma identified during surveillance in compensated cirrhosis. Hepatology 2012; 56:1371-9. [PMID: 22535689 DOI: 10.1002/hep.25814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Alpha-fetoprotein is a tumor marker that has been used for surveillance and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis. The prognostic capability of this marker in patients with HCC has not been clearly defined. In this study our aim was to evaluate the prognostic usefulness of serum alpha-fetoprotein in patients with well-compensated cirrhosis, optimal performance status, and small HCC identified during periodic surveillance ultrasound who were treated with curative intent. Among the 3,027 patients included in the Italian Liver Cancer study group database, we selected 205 Child-Pugh class A and Eastern Cooperative Group Performance Status 0 patients with cirrhosis with a single HCC ≤ 3 cm of diameter diagnosed during surveillance who were treated with curative intent (hepatic resection, liver transplantation, percutaneous ethanol injection, radiofrequency thermal ablation). Patients were subdivided according to alpha-fetoprotein serum levels (i.e., normal ≤ 20 ng/mL; mildly elevated 21-200 ng/mL; markedly elevated >200 ng/mL). Patient survival, as assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method, was not significantly different among the three alpha-fetoprotein classes (P = 0.493). The same result was obtained in the subgroup of patients with a single HCC ≤ 2 cm (P = 0.714). An alpha-fetoprotein serum level of 100 ng/mL identified by receiver operating characteristic curve had inadequate accuracy (area under the curve = 0.536, 95% confidence interval = 0.465-0.606) to discriminate between survivors and deceased patients. CONCLUSION Alpha-fetoprotein serum levels have no prognostic meaning in well-compensated cirrhosis patients with single, small HCC treated with curative intent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo G Giannini
- Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Unità di Gastroenterologia, Università di Genova, Italy.
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Giannini EG, Marenco S, Fazio V, Pieri G, Savarino V, Picciotto A. Peripheral blood cytopaenia limiting initiation of treatment in chronic hepatitis C patients otherwise eligible for antiviral therapy. Liver Int 2012; 32:1113-9. [PMID: 22471814 DOI: 10.1111/j.1478-3231.2012.02798.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2011] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the presence of peripheral blood cytopaenia may represent an obstacle to pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment. AIMS To evaluate the prevalence of anaemia, neutropaenia and thrombocytopaenia potentially limiting initiation of pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment in patients with chronic HCV infection who were otherwise eligible for antiviral therapy. METHODS We studied 3059 consecutive anti-HCV and HCV-RNA positive patients referred to our centre to be evaluated for antiviral therapy from June 2002 to May 2011. The European Association for the Study of Liver HCV guidelines were applied to assess eligibility for antiviral therapy. RESULTS In the study cohort, 1,521 patients (49.7%) were not eligible for treatment because of reasons different from haematological abnormalities. In the remaining 1,538 patients the overall prevalence of any peripheral blood cytopaenia potentially preventing patients from being treated with antiviral therapy was 15.1%. In particular, anaemia (haemoglobin level < 12 g/dL for women, <13 g/dL for men) was a relative contraindication to treatment in 8.9% (137/1,538) of the patients, while thrombocytopaenia (platelet count cut-off, 90 × 10(9) /L) and neutropaenia (absolute neutrophil count < 1.5 × 10(9) /L) limited treatment in 6.5% (100/1358) and 3.2% (48/1358) of patients respectively. These haematological abnormalities were more prevalent in patients with older age (P < 0.004) and cirrhosis (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The presence of peripheral blood cytopaenia may potentially limit initiation of antiviral therapy in one in every seven patients with chronic HCV infection who are otherwise eligible for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo G Giannini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
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Giannini EG, Marenco S, Baldissarro I, Fazio V. IL28B rs12979860 C/T polymorphism in elderly chronic hepatitis C patients treated with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 34:398-400. [PMID: 21726252 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2011.04734.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Agha A, Abdulhadi MM, Marenco S, Bella A, AlSaudi D, El-Haddad A, Inferrera S, Savarino V, Giannini EG. Use of the platelet count/spleen diameter ratio for the noninvasive diagnosis of esophageal varices in patients with schistosomiasis. Saudi J Gastroenterol 2011; 17:307-11. [PMID: 21912056 PMCID: PMC3178917 DOI: 10.4103/1319-3767.84483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM In patients with liver cirrhosis, the platelet count/spleen diameter ratio has been validated as a parameter for the noninvasive diagnosis of esophageal varices. Schistosoma infection is a frequent cause of portal hypertension in Middle Eastern countries, and is associated with the development of esophageal varices. In this study we aimed to evaluate the platelet count/spleen diameter ratio as a noninvasive tool for the prediction of the presence of esophageal varices in patients with schistosoma-related chronic liver disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-three patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis underwent upper digestive endoscopy to check for the presence of esophageal varices. Furthermore, all patients underwent abdominal ultrasonography, and maximum spleen diameter (in mm) was measured. The platelet count/spleen diameter ratio was calculated in all patients. RESULTS Esophageal varices were found in 31 patients (72%). Age and gender were not significantly different between patients with and without varices. In patients with varices, median platelet count (82,000/μL versus 172,000/μL, P < 0.0001) and platelet count/spleen diameter ratio (571 versus 1651, P < 0.0001) were significantly lower, while spleen diameter (147 mm versus 109 mm, P = 0.0006) was significantly larger. In multivariate analysis, the platelet count/spleen diameter ratio was the only parameter independently associated with the presence of varices (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS In this study we have validated the use of the platelet count/spleen diameter ratio for the noninvasive diagnosis of esophageal varices in patients with portal hypertension caused by schistosoma infection. In these patients, the platelet count/spleen diameter ratio might be used to allow better rationalization of medical resources and use of endoscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnan Agha
- Department of Medicine, King Fahad Hospital, Armed Forces Hospitals Southern Region, Khamis Mushyt, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mamdouh M. Abdulhadi
- Department of Medicine, King Fahad Hospital, Armed Forces Hospitals Southern Region, Khamis Mushyt, Saudi Arabia
| | - Simona Marenco
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Abdelhaleem Bella
- Department of Medicine, King Fahad Hospital, Armed Forces Hospitals Southern Region, Khamis Mushyt, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dib AlSaudi
- Department of Medicine, King Fahad Hospital, Armed Forces Hospitals Southern Region, Khamis Mushyt, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed El-Haddad
- Department of Radiology, King Fahad Hospital, Armed Forces Hospitals Southern Region, Khamis Mushayt, Saudi Arabia
| | - Simona Inferrera
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Edoardo G. Giannini
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy,Address for correspondence: Prof. Edoardo G. Giannini, Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, No. 616132, Genoa, Italy. E-mail:
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Furnari M, Parodi A, Gemignani L, Giannini EG, Marenco S, Savarino E, Assandri L, Fazio V, Bonfanti D, Inferrera S, Savarino V. Clinical trial: the combination of rifaximin with partially hydrolysed guar gum is more effective than rifaximin alone in eradicating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32:1000-6. [PMID: 20937045 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2010.04436.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal intestinal clearance is involved in the pathogenesis of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). It is known that partially hydrolysed guar gum affects intestinal motility. Eradication therapy of SIBO is based on antibiotic treatment: no data are available on the role of fibre supplementation in eradicating SIBO. AIM To assess whether the combination of partially hydrolysed guar gum and rifaximin is more effective than rifaximin alone in the treatment of SIBO. METHODS A 50 g-glucose breath test was given to 500 consecutive patients. Patients with a positive glucose breath test and predisposing conditions to SIBO entered into the study, and were randomized to receive rifaximin 1200 mg/day or rifaximin 1200 mg/day plus partially hydrolysed guar gum 5 g/day for 10 days. Patients completed a symptom questionnaire and glucose breath test both in basal condition and 1 month after withdrawal of therapy. RESULTS Seventy-seven patients had SIBO. Eradication rate of SIBO was 62.1% in the rifaximin group (both on per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses), and 87.1% (per-protocol, P=0.017) and 85.0% (intention-to-treat, P=0.036) in the rifaximin-plus-partially hydrolysed guar gum group. Clinical improvement was observed in 86.9% and 91.1% of eradicated cases in rifaximin and rifaximin-plus-partially hydrolysed guar gum groups respectively (P=0.677). CONCLUSION The combination of rifaximin with partially hydrolysed guar gum seems to be more useful in eradicating SIBO compared with rifaximin alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Furnari
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy
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Giannini EG, Basso M, Bazzica M, Contini P, Marenco S, Savarino V, Picciotto A. Successful antiviral therapy determines a significant decrease in squamous cell carcinoma antigen-associated (SCCA) variants' serum levels in anti-HCV positive cirrhotic patients. J Viral Hepat 2010; 17:563-8. [PMID: 19840364 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2893.2009.01217.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) expression is an early event in hepatocarcinogenesis, and increasing serum levels of SCCA variants IgM immune complexes (SCCA-IgM IC) have been found in cirrhotic patients developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We longitudinally evaluated a cohort of cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) who underwent pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin treatment. SCCA-IgM IC levels were assessed in the sera of 33 cirrhotic patients with HCV (21 males, median age 57 years) before, at the end and at 6-month and 1-year follow-up after treatment with PEG-IFN and ribavirin. SCCA-IgM IC serum levels (arbitrary units/mL, AU/mL) were evaluated according to treatment outcome: sustained virological response (SVR) vs nonresponse (NR). Overall, 15 patients obtained a SVR to antiviral therapy (45%). There was no significant difference in baseline SCCA-IgM IC serum levels between SVR and NR patients. When compared to baseline (451.2 AU/mL), SVR patients showed a significant decrease in median SCCA-IgM IC serum levels at the end of treatment (186.8 AU/mL, P = 0.013) and at both 6-month (96.8 AU/mL, P < 0.001) and 1-year follow-up (52.4 AU/mL, P < 0.001), while no significant modification was observed in NR patients. In patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis, successful antiviral therapy is associated with a dramatic and significant decrease in SCCA-IC serum levels. Because of the pathophysiological correlation between SCCA and liver carcinogenesis, it is hypothesized that in patients with liver cirrhosis, SVR may be accompanied by a decreased proliferative stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- E G Giannini
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
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Lemaitre H, Marenco S, Emery M, Alam T, Geramita M, Rebsch C, Barnett AS, Tost H, Weinberger DR, Mattay VS. Age-related changes in white matter integrity: A diffusion tensor imaging study. Neuroimage 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s1053-8119(09)71239-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Shapiro DI, Marenco S, Spoor EH, MF E, Weinberger DR, Gold JM. The Premorbid Adjustment Scale as a measure of developmental compromise in patients with schizophrenia and their healthy siblings. Schizophr Res 2009; 112:136-42. [PMID: 19410430 PMCID: PMC2702694 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2009.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2008] [Revised: 04/01/2009] [Accepted: 04/03/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with subtle developmental compromise, but the degree to which this is also associated with heritability and genetic risk is uncertain. The goal of the current study was to investigate the childhood, adolescent, and early adulthood social and academic function of patients with schizophrenia, their healthy siblings, and normal controls, using the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS). Generalized Estimating Equations were conducted to account for nesting of subjects within families. Patients (N=286) scored significantly worse than their healthy siblings (N=315) at every age period; siblings scored significantly worse than controls (N=261) at every age period. In probands, PAS scores got worse after early adolescence while control and proband scores improved after late adolescence. Furthermore, patient PAS scores significantly predicted the scores of their own discordant siblings in childhood and late adolescence. This effect approached significance in early adolescence and in the general scale. Thus, the most premorbidly impaired patients tended to have non-ill siblings with worse premorbid adjustment scores than the siblings of less impaired probands. The results suggest that both patients and many of their siblings share poor adjustment in childhood and adolescence, possibly due to shared genetic or environmental risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- DI Shapiro
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch; Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program; National Institute of Mental Health, NIH. 10 Center Drive, Room 4S235, Bethesda, MD 20892-1379, United States
| | - S Marenco
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch; Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program; National Institute of Mental Health, NIH. 10 Center Drive, Room 4S235, Bethesda, MD 20892-1379, United States
| | - EH Spoor
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch; Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program; National Institute of Mental Health, NIH. 10 Center Drive, Room 4S235, Bethesda, MD 20892-1379, United States
| | - Egan MF
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch; Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program; National Institute of Mental Health, NIH. 10 Center Drive, Room 4S235, Bethesda, MD 20892-1379, United States
| | - DR Weinberger
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch; Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program; National Institute of Mental Health, NIH. 10 Center Drive, Room 4S235, Bethesda, MD 20892-1379, United States
| | - JM Gold
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch; Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program; National Institute of Mental Health, NIH. 10 Center Drive, Room 4S235, Bethesda, MD 20892-1379, United States
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Tost H, Alam T, Lemaitre H, Dickinson D, Geramita M, Rebsch C, Barnett AS, Elvevaag B, Weinberger DR, Marenco S. Frontal-temporal fiber integrity predicts trait anxiety in healthy subjects: a diffusion tensor imaging study using tract-based spatial statistics. Neuroimage 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s1053-8119(09)72035-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Yoshimi A, Tan HY, Marenco S, Prust MJ, Apud J, Hyde TM, Weinberger DR. Neurodevelopmental history and prefrontal function: Are early features of schizophrenia reflected in fMRI measures of prefrontal efficiency? Neuroimage 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s1053-8119(09)70674-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Nicodemus KK, Marenco S, Batten AJ, Vakkalanka R, Egan MF, Straub RE, Weinberger DR. Serious obstetric complications interact with hypoxia-regulated/vascular-expression genes to influence schizophrenia risk. Mol Psychiatry 2008; 13:873-7. [PMID: 18195713 DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4002153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The etiology of schizophrenia is thought to include both epistasis and gene-environment interactions. We sought to test whether a set of schizophrenia candidate genes regulated by hypoxia or involved in vascular function in the brain (AKT1, BDNF, CAPON, CHRNA7, COMT, DTNBP1, GAD1, GRM3, NOTCH4, NRG1, PRODH, RGS4, TNF-alpha) interacted with serious obstetric complications to influence risk for schizophrenia. A family-based study of transmission disequilibrium was conducted in 116 trios. Twenty-nine probands had at least one serious obstetric complication (OC) using the McNeil-Sjostrom Scale, and many of the OCs reported were associated with the potential for fetal hypoxia. Analyses were conducted using conditional logistic regression and a likelihood ratio test (LRT) between nested models was performed to assess significance. Of the 13 genes examined, four (AKT1 (three SNPs), BDNF (two SNPs), DTNBP1 (one SNP) and GRM3 (one SNP)) showed significant evidence for gene-by-environment interaction (LRT P-values ranged from 0.011 to 0.037). Although our sample size was modest and the power to detect interactions was limited, we report significant evidence for genes involved in neurovascular function or regulated by hypoxia interacting with the presence of serious obstetric complications to increase risk for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- K K Nicodemus
- Genes, Cognition and Psychosis Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Rohde GK, Barnett AS, Basser PJ, Marenco S, Pierpaoli C. Comprehensive approach for correction of motion and distortion in diffusion-weighted MRI. Magn Reson Med 2004; 51:103-14. [PMID: 14705050 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.10677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 388] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Patient motion and image distortion induced by eddy currents cause artifacts in maps of diffusion parameters computed from diffusion-weighted (DW) images. A novel and comprehensive approach to correct for spatial misalignment of DW imaging (DWI) volumes acquired with different strengths and orientations of the diffusion sensitizing gradients is presented. This approach uses a mutual information-based registration technique and a spatial transformation model containing parameters that correct for eddy current-induced image distortion and rigid body motion in three dimensions. All parameters are optimized simultaneously for an accurate and fast solution to the registration problem. The images can also be registered to a normalized template with a single interpolation step without additional computational cost. Following registration, the signal amplitude of each DWI volume is corrected to account for size variations of the object produced by the distortion correction, and the b-matrices are properly recalculated to account for any rotation applied during registration. Both qualitative and quantitative results show that this approach produces a significant improvement of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data acquired in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- G K Rohde
- NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5772, USA.
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Rodriguez B, Marenco S, Orihel TC. Human pulmonary dirofilariasis in El Salvador. Parasite 2002; 9:195-6. [PMID: 12116868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
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Abstract
This is a critical review of the literature related to the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia which posits that the illness is related to abnormal brain development. The review focuses on data deriving from clinical studies, and it is organized according to the life phase from which the data were collected: conception and birth, infancy and childhood up to the onset of the illness, after illness onset, and postmortem. The neurodevelopmental hypothesis is supported by several pieces of evidence, including increased frequency of obstetric complications in patients with schizophrenia: the presence of minor physical anomalies; the presence of neurological, cognitive, and behavioral dysfunction long before illness onset; a course and outcome of the illness itself that is incompatible in most cases with a degenerative illness; the stability of brain structural measures over time; and the absence of postmortem evidence of neurodegeneration. A historical perspective on how this research accumulated and a section addressing important areas of future investigation are also provided. We conclude that schizophrenia is certainly not a degenerative brain disorder, and that it is likely that a brain insult in utero or at birth plays a role in its expression. Current evidence cannot completely exclude the role of environmental variables after birth. In addition, it is possible that other psychiatric disorders may also have a neurodevelopmental component.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Marenco
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, IRP, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Schlaepfer TE, Pearlson GD, Wong DF, Marenco S, Dannals RF. PET study of competition between intravenous cocaine and [11C]raclopride at dopamine receptors in human subjects. Am J Psychiatry 1997; 154:1209-13. [PMID: 9286178 DOI: 10.1176/ajp.154.9.1209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Animal data suggest that the strong euphoriant effects of cocaine are related to the drug's enhancement of available dopamine at the synaptic cleft. The authors' goal was to determine whether this mechanism is the same in humans because the development of putative pharmacological agents for treatment of cocaine dependence depends on this knowledge. METHOD Positron emission tomography with [11C]raclopride was used to examine the effects of the intravenous administration of 48 mg of cocaine (a typical "street" dose) on the occupancy of dopamine 2 receptors in the putamen of 11 self-identified intravenous drug abusers. RESULTS All 11 subjects reported subjective stimulation and euphoria in response to cocaine administration. Radioligand occupancy at dopamine receptors was decreased significantly after cocaine administration, suggesting that higher dopamine concentrations were competing at the receptor site. CONCLUSIONS These results support the concept of dopamine system involvement in human cocaine abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- T E Schlaepfer
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, USA.
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Wong DF, Harris JC, Naidu S, Yokoi F, Marenco S, Dannals RF, Ravert HT, Yaster M, Evans A, Rousset O, Bryan RN, Gjedde A, Kuhar MJ, Breese GR. Dopamine transporters are markedly reduced in Lesch-Nyhan disease in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1996; 93:5539-43. [PMID: 8643611 PMCID: PMC39282 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.93.11.5539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) deficiency has been implicated in Lesch-Nyhan disease (LND), a genetic disorder that is characterized by hyperuricemia, choreoathetosis, dystonia, and compulsive self-injury. To establish that DA deficiency is present in LND, the ligand WIN-35,428, which binds to DA transporters, was used to estimate the density of DA-containing neurons in the caudate and putamen of six patients with classic LND. Comparisons were made with 10 control subjects and 3 patients with Rett syndrome. Three methods were used to quantify the binding of the DA transporter so that its density could be estimated by a single dynamic positron emission tomography study. These approaches included the caudate- or putamen-to-cerebellum ratio of ligand at 80-90 min postinjection, kinetic analysis of the binding potential [Bmax/(Kd x Vd)] using the assumption of equal partition coefficients in the striatum and the cerebellum, and graphical analysis of the binding potential. Depending on the method of analysis, a 50-63% reduction of the binding to DA transporters in the caudate, and a 64-75% reduction in the putamen of the LND patients was observed compared to the normal control group. When LND patients were compared to Rett syndrome patients, similar reductions were found in the caudate (53-61%) and putamen (67-72%) in LND patients. Transporter binding in Rett syndrome patients was not significantly different from the normal controls. Finally, volumetric magnetic resonance imaging studies detected a 30% reduction in the caudate volume of LND patients. To ensure that a reduction in the caudate volume would not confound the results, a rigorous partial volume correction of the caudate time activity curve was performed. This correction resulted in an even greater decrease in the caudate-cerebellar ratio in LND patients when contrasted to controls. To our knowledge, these findings provide the first in vivo documentation of a dopaminergic reduction in LND and illustrate the role of positron emission tomography imaging in investigating neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- D F Wong
- Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Szabo Z, Kao PF, Scheffel U, Suehiro M, Mathews WB, Ravert HT, Musachio JL, Marenco S, Kim SE, Ricaurte GA. Positron emission tomography imaging of serotonin transporters in the human brain using [11C](+)McN5652. Synapse 1995; 20:37-43. [PMID: 7624828 DOI: 10.1002/syn.890200107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the first Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images of the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) transporter in the living human brain. PET imaging was performed in three healthy subjects after administration of [11C](+)McN5652 (the (+) enantiomer of trans-1,2,3,5,6,10 beta-hexahydro- 6-[4-(methylthio) phenyl]pyrrolo-[2,1-a] -isoquinolone), a radioligand previously shown to selectively label the 5-HT transporter in vivo in the mammalian (mouse and baboon) brain. To demonstrate the specificity of [11C](+)McN5652 binding, additional images were obtained in the same subjects after injection of [11C](-)McN5652, the pharmacologically inactive enantiomer, and, in two of the subjects, with [11C](+)McN5652 after pretreatment with the 5-HT uptake site blocker fluoxetine. Highest accumulation of [11C](+)McN5652 was observed in the midbrain, putamen, caudate nucleus, hypothalamus, and thalamus, regions known to contain high densities of 5-HT transporters. In these areas [11C](+)McN5652 concentrations rose steadily over 120 min. In contrast, with [11C](-)McN5652 and when the [11C](+)McN5652 binding was inhibited with fluoxetine, radioactivity concentrations declined after reaching a maximum (at 20 to 30 min). Inhibition studies with fluoxetine suggest that only with [11C](+)McN5652, there is specific binding. In the cerebellum, a region relatively void of 5-HT transporters, both [11C](+)McN5652 with and without fluoxetine block and [11C](-)McN5652 were released at approximately the same rate. The results of the studies indicate that [11C](+)McN5652 labels 5-HT transporter sites in the human brain. Quantitative PET imaging studies with this new tracer should provide valuable information on the status of these sites in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Szabo
- Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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Kraut MA, Marenco S, Soher BJ, Wong DF, Bryan RN. Comparison of functional MR and H2 15O positron emission tomography in stimulation of the primary visual cortex. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 1995; 16:2101-7. [PMID: 8585501 PMCID: PMC8337232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To locate spoiled gradient-echo functional MR signal changes in relation to brain parenchyma. METHODS The region of the primary visual cortex was evaluated using functional MR and H2 15O positron emission tomography in each of six male subjects who were being visually stimulated by means of red light-emitting diode flash goggles. RESULTS The positron emission tomography technique demonstrated substantially greater relative signal change with visual stimulation than did the functional MR technique. Furthermore, the functional MR signal changes were concentrated in loci around the periphery of brain parenchyma exhibiting increased radiotracer activity, as opposed to being collocated. CONCLUSIONS Signal changes found using functional MR based on gradient-echo techniques reflect primarily phenomena occurring within small veins and underrepresent activity intrinsic to brain parenchyma, thus introducing potential inaccuracies in locating regions of activated brain tissue. Positron emission tomography, however, directly measures changes in metabolically related activity within the parenchyma.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Kraut
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md 21287-2182, USA
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Marenco S, Coppola R, Daniel DG, Zigun JR, Weinberger DR. Regional cerebral blood flow during the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in normal subjects studied by xenon-133 dynamic SPECT: comparison of absolute values, percent distribution values, and covariance analysis. Psychiatry Res 1993; 50:177-92. [PMID: 8272453 DOI: 10.1016/0925-4927(93)90029-h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
We studied regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) by xenon-133 dynamic single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 17 normal volunteers who were performing the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), a task that is particularly sensitive to disturbance of the prefrontal cortex, and a simple matching-to-sample task (BAR) as a sensorimotor control. Three methods for statistical analysis of regional "subtraction" data were used: absolute rCBF values, percent distribution values, and means adjusted for global CBF changes (covariance analysis). The absolute values had high variance, due to the combination of interindividual differences in global flow and intra-individual variation, and showed no statistically significant regional changes. This variation was greatly reduced by percent values and covariance analysis, which had quite similar outcomes. With both methods, significant increases of rCBF during the WCST as compared with the BAR were seen in the right anterior dorsolateral prefrontal and left occipital cortices, and reduction of rCBF in the left pararolandic region. Moreover, significant correlations with performance were found in the medial regions of the frontal lobes, with opposite trends for the right and left hemisphere. The posterior dorsolateral prefrontal region showed a negative correlation with sensory-motor frequency, an index related to the task's difficulty. These results are consistent with previous findings using other rCBF techniques and confirm the statistical advantage of normalization and covariance methods, which yield practically identical results, at least in this analysis based on regions of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Marenco
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Washington, DC 20032
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Nobili F, Rodriguez G, Marenco S, De Carli F, Gambaro M, Castello C, Pontremoli R, Rosadini G. Regional cerebral blood flow in chronic hypertension. A correlative study. Stroke 1993; 24:1148-53. [PMID: 8342188 DOI: 10.1161/01.str.24.8.1148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cerebral hypoperfusion has occasionally been reported during essential hypertension. We explored regional cerebral blood flow in a large series of neurologically asymptomatic hypertensive patients to determine relations among cerebral blood flow, concomitant main vascular risk factors, and the most common signs of end-organ damage. METHODS Regional cerebral blood flow was measured by the 133Xe inhalation method in 101 hypertensive patients without clinically apparent central nervous system involvement, including 39 mild to moderate untreated and 62 mild to severe treated patients. RESULTS Compared with age- and sex-matched normal control subjects, cerebral blood flow was significantly reduced in untreated hypertensive patients (P < .01) and to a lesser extent in treated patients (P = .047). Both regional and global cerebral blood flow reductions were observed in approximately one third of patients in both groups. Analysis of variance failed to show significant correlations between cerebral blood flow and total cholesterol concentration, mean arterial blood pressure, duration of disease, or the presence of retinopathy or left ventricular hypertrophy. In the treated group, the quality of control of hypertension significantly influenced both global cerebral blood flow (P = .007) and cerebrovascular resistance (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS Focal or diffuse cerebral hypoperfusion is present even in neurologically asymptomatic hypertensive patients, especially when untreated; good control of blood pressure may preserve cerebral perfusion and reduce cerebrovascular resistance. Regional cerebral blood flow examination represents a relatively simple and low-cost technique to explore the perfusional condition of the brain, one of the main target organs of hypertensive disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Nobili
- Department of Motor Science (Neurophysiopathology), University of Genoa, Italy
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Rodriguez G, Nobili F, Celestino MA, Francione S, Gulli G, Hassan K, Marenco S, Rosadini G, Cordera R. Regional cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reactivity in IDDM. Diabetes Care 1993; 16:462-8. [PMID: 8432218 DOI: 10.2337/diacare.16.2.462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate both rCBF and cerebrovascular reactivity, evaluated as pre- and post-ACZ rCBF differences in a group of IDDM patients with differences in duration of disease and severity of complications. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS rCBF was measured by the 133Xenon inhalation method in 20 IDDM patients and in 15 healthy control subjects before and after an intravenous injection of ACZ, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor commonly used to assess cerebrovascular reactivity. RESULTS Basal global CBF (the mean of 32 regional values) was within the normal range in all patients but 1, who showed slight hyperperfusion; moreover, in 3 patients with long-lasting disease, some hypoperfused regions were found. ANOVA showed an inverse correlation between basal global CBF (P < 0.01) and duration of diabetes, but no correlation with Hb, MABP, serum glucose concentration, or GHb. Compared with control subjects, the percentage of global CBF increment after ACZ administration was significantly impaired in 4 patients and gave a borderline response in 2 patients; 4 of these poor ACZ responders had retinopathy, and 1 had suffered from a TIA. Duration of diabetes, Hb, MABP, serum glucose concentration, and GHb did not correlate with the percentage of post-ACZ global CBF changes, and did not differ among the 6 poor ACZ responders and the other diabetic patients or control subjects. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm that global CBF is within the normal range in most IDDM patients, although it is significantly influenced by the duration of diabetes; pathophysiological correlates of the altered cerebrovascular reactivity need to be further investigated. rCBF measurements, before and after ACZ administration, seem to represent a safe and reliable tool for assessing cerebrovascular function in IDDM.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Rodriguez
- Department of Motor Science-Neurophysiopathology, University of Genova, Italy
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate regional cerebral blood flow parameters during the postacute phase of unilateral ischemic stroke and to correlate them with clinical data. METHODS Regional cerebral blood flow was measured in 187 patients in the stabilized phase of stroke by the xenon-133 inhalation method with 32 extracranial detectors. Thirty-eight patients were reexamined after a mean +/- SD time of 32 +/- 21.4 months. RESULTS The overall detection of hypoperfusion was 92.0%, with asymmetries as the most sensitive index, especially for patients with a lesser degree of neurological disability. Neurological disability score was strongly associated with regional cerebral blood flow in the affected hemisphere (p < 0.0001) and with asymmetries (p < 0.0001). The presence of carotid obstruction further decreased the regional cerebral blood flow in the affected hemisphere and significantly increased asymmetry (p < 0.0001). Subjects who had no hypoperfusion at absolute values analysis were more frequently free of carotid disease and had less severe disability than those who had bilateral or unilateral regional absolute cerebral blood flow reduction. In 38 patients without new cerebrovascular events, a significant (p = 0.005) reduction of hemispheric regional cerebral blood flow asymmetries was found on a follow-up examination. CONCLUSIONS These data confirm the value of regional cerebral blood flow asymmetries in stroke detection and point out that important clinical information is also contained in absolute values analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Rodriguez
- Department of Motor Science-Neurophysiopathology, University of Genoa, Italy
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Coppola R, Marenco S, Jones DW, Berman KF, Weinberger DR. A comparison of xenon-133 and xenon-127 for the determination of regional cerebral blood flow measured by dynamic SPECT. Psychiatry Res 1992; 45:187-200. [PMID: 1484910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Phantom studies and cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements in 11 normal subjects at rest were performed by single photon emission tomography (SPECT) with Xe-133 (16 mm full-width at half-maximum [FWHM] collimation) and Xe-127 (16 mm, 12 mm, and 9 mm FWHM collimation). The phantom results clearly illustrated the feasibility of Xe-127 studies and the advantage of Xe-127 over Xe-133 for equivalent patient dose exposures. CBF values obtained with Xe-127 were comparable to those of Xe-133 for the 16 mm collimator, although higher flow values were found with the better resolution, probably because of reduced partial volume effects. The correlations between the various groups of examinations were high, except for the Xe-133 and Xe-127 16 mm collimator groups. Xe-127 allows a considerable increase in the resolution of the images, while exposing the patient to a lower radiation dose. Potential limitations because of higher energy penetrating photons from Xe-127 were not observed in this specially shielded equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Coppola
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, NIMH Neuroscience Center, St. Elizabeths, Washington, DC 20032
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