Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Caterina Serena, Sara Clemenza, Serena Simeone, Sara Zullino, Serena Ottanelli, Marianna Pina Rambaldi, Silvia Vannuccini, Felice Petraglia, Federico Mecacci
Summary: Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) is characterized by signs and symptoms suggestive of a connective tissue disease (CTD), but not fulfilling criteria for a specific CTD. During pregnancy, UCTD tends to have milder clinical manifestations compared to other CTDs. However, pregnant women with high disease activity or multiple antibodies positivity have an increased risk of disease flares and obstetric complications. Preconception assessment is essential for evaluating maternal and fetal risks and optimizing disease management.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Mirjam Freudenhammer, Ulrich Salzer, Aileen Heselich, Markus Hufnagel, Ales Janda
Summary: Anti-DFS70 antibodies are common in children, especially in those without autoimmune diseases. They may help to differentiate between autoimmune and non-autoimmune conditions.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Angela Ceribelli, Antonio Tonutti, Natasa Isailovic, Maria De Santis, Carlo Selmi
Summary: Progressive pulmonary fibrosis is diagnosed when interstitial lung disease progresses without any other causes, and some myositis patients with associated interstitial lung disease may develop this condition. Autoantibodies increase the risk of pulmonary fibrosis in myositis, and serum biomarkers can predict pulmonary involvement and the early identification of progressive pulmonary fibrosis. The association between anti-Ro52 and pulmonary fibrosis in patients with inflammatory myositis has been supported by previous evidence.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yun Xiao, Yiqiang Lin, Yan Zhang, Jiajia Wang, Yanli Zeng
Summary: This study found that a decrease in serum anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) levels in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) after 12 months of treatment is associated with patient age and baseline ANA titers.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Juan Irure-Ventura, Carmen Rodriguez, Esther Vergara-Prieto, Maria Luisa Vargas, Bibiana Quirant, Aurora Jurado, Luis Fernandez-Pereira, Eva Martinez-Caceres, Miriam San Jose, Marcos Lopez-Hoyos
Summary: The study retrospectively collected clinical data from patients with confirmed uncommon HEp-2 IIFA patterns to search for an associated clinical condition. It found that nuclear patterns were more common in SLE and SS, while cytoplasmic patterns were higher in SSc and inflammatory myositis. Detection of infrequent ANA without disease-associated specificities could be a unique finding that indicates the presence of an autoimmune disease.
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Lieve Van Hoovels, Xavier Bossuyt, Mariangela Manfredi, Valentina Grossi, Maurizio Benucci, Stefanie Van den Bremt, Heidi De Baere, Daria Franceschi, Emiliano Tosi, Marco Meoni, Nicola Bizzaro, Maria Infantino
Summary: This study evaluates an internal quality control program for the detection of anti-nuclear antibodies through indirect immunofluorescence assay in CAD systems. By integrating quality indicators such as patient-derived samples and introducing artificial errors, the study successfully identified and monitored both clinical and analytical errors in the system, highlighting the importance of a total process iQC program for enhancing quality assurance.
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Michelle Elaine Orme, Carmen Andalucia, Sigrid Sjolander, Xavier Bossuyt
Summary: FEIA and CLIA exhibit higher specificity compared to IIF, making them useful for supporting the diagnosis of CTDs. A negative IIF test result can help to rule out CTDs.
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Rheumatology
Shivani Shah, Christopher P. Denton
Summary: The diversity in clinical presentation, organ involvement, and disease progression is a key challenge in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA) play a central role in the diagnosis of SSc and are associated with specific clinical patterns. Understanding the molecular differences and pathogenesis of scleroderma can enhance clinical judgment. Recent developments have further clarified clinical patterns and factors predisposing to ANA subtypes. Different treatment responses to novel therapeutics have been observed in subgroup analysis of recent clinical trials. ANA subtyping is likely to be integrated into future classification systems, informing current management and monitoring of scleroderma patients and influencing future research and clinical trial design.
CURRENT OPINION IN RHEUMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Puneeta Arya, Sjirk J. Westra, Oscar J. Benavidez, Marc D. Natter, Mandakolathur R. Murali
Summary: This passage describes the case of a 17-year-old boy who was admitted to the ICU with chest pain. He had developed symptoms such as fever, nausea, diarrhea, muscle aches, and chest pain 5 days prior.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Louisa-Marie Mockenhaupt, Ramona Dolscheid-Pommerich, Birgit Stoffel-Wagner, Charlotte Behning, Peter Brossart, Valentin S. Schaefer
Summary: Autoantibodies to DFS70 are prevalent in CTD patients and are not a reliable exclusion criterion. However, the monospecific occurrence of anti-DFS70 can be helpful in ambiguous situations.
SEMINARS IN ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATISM
(2022)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Carmen Pizzorni, Giorgia Ferrari, Carlotta Schenone, Elvis Hysa, Luca Carmisciano, Emanuele Gotelli, Greta Pacini, Alberto Sulli, Sabrina Paolino, Vanessa Smith, Maurizio Cutolo
Summary: This study compared the NVC microvascular status in MCTD and UCTD patients, and found that the presence of SSc-like NVC pattern and reduced number of capillaries were typical findings in MCTD patients. These findings suggest a more complex and severe disease in MCTD patients.
MICROVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
M. Radin, E. Rubini, I Cecchi, S. G. Foddai, A. Barinotti, D. Rossi, S. Sciascia, D. Roccatello
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the rate of disease evolution in a cohort of patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) and determine the clinical and immunological features more frequently associated with disease progression. The results showed that approximately 45% of UCTD patients develop novel clinical and/or laboratory features during the follow-up, and 1 in 5 cases evolves into a definite connective tissue disease (CTD). Factors associated with the new diagnoses include longer disease duration and higher prevalence of certain antibodies.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Nataliia Lukianenko, Zhansulu Nurgaliyeva, Olha Astapieva, Viktor Starenkiy, Nataliia Pidchenko
Summary: This study highlights the significance of urinary system congenital malformations in connective tissue dysplasia and explores its treatment methods. By surveying a group of children with urinary system developmental and functional issues, it was found that undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia is prevalently present, particularly in children with abnormal kidney tissue development, significantly impacting the disease progression. Additionally, the treatment of undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia was predicted.
POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Paul Decker, Thomas Moulinet, Benjamin Lopez, Sylvain Dubucquoi, Bernard Bonnotte, Daniela Lakomy, Sabine Revuz, Amandine Luc, Marcelo De Carvalho Bittencourt, Eric Hachulla, Roland Jaussaud
Summary: The study found that anti-Ro52 antibodies were independently associated with ILD in patients with connective tissue diseases, and may be related to the severity of the disease and a higher frequency of relapses.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Medical Laboratory Technology
Andrea Tesija Kuna, Lovorka Derek, Vedrana Drvar, Ana Kozmar, Katarina Gugo
Summary: The text discusses the significance of antinuclear antibodies in systemic inflammatory autoimmune rheumatic diseases and the diversity in laboratory diagnostic practices in Croatia. It also highlights the creation of 27 recommendations for harmonizing the approach in ANA testing and clarifying differences in interpretation of results using different methods.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Daniele Pastori, Arianna Pani, Arianna Di Rocco, Danilo Menichelli, Gianluca Gazzaniga, Alessio Farcomeni, Laura D'Erasmo, Francesco Angelico, Maria Del Ben, Francesco Baratta
Summary: The study found that statin treatment significantly reduced ALT, AST, and GGT levels in NAFLD patients in interventional studies, while observational studies showed no significant effect, indicating the liver safety of statins in NAFLD patients.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Arianna Pani, Francesco Baratta, Daniele Pastori, Mattia Coronati, Francesco Scaglione, Maria del Ben
Summary: This narrative review explores the role of polyphenols in treating and preventing complications of diabetes. Polyphenols have shown potential in combating endothelial damage, oxidative stress, and inflammatory states associated with diabetes complications. However, more clinical trials are needed to determine the effectiveness of these compounds.
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Kazuo Miyazawa, Daniele Pastori, David T. Martin, Wassim K. Choucair, Jonathan L. Halperin, Gregory Y. H. Lip
Summary: Atrial high rate episodes (AHREs) are associated with increased risks of thromboembolism and cardiovascular mortality. This study classified AHREs into different durations and found that AHREs with a duration of >6 min to <= 6 h were the most prevalent. Longer AHREs were more common in patients at risk of thromboembolism. Age, history of atrial fibrillation (AF) and/or atrial flutter (AFL) were identified as risk factors for AHREs with a duration of >6 min. Hypertension showed a strong impact on the development of AHREs with a duration of >24 h.
Article
Cell Biology
Danilo Menichelli, Daniela Poli, Emilia Antonucci, Flavio Giuseppe Biccire, Gualtiero Palareti, Pasquale Pignatelli, Daniele Pastori
Summary: This study found that thrombocytopenia in patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valve is associated with an increased risk of death and major bleeding. Older age, concomitant atrial fibrillation, and thrombocytopenia were identified as risk factors for major bleeding. There is a growing need for sex- and age-specific thresholds for defining platelet count in adult patients.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Tommaso Bucci, Gioacchino Galardo, Orietta Gandini, Tommasa Vicario, Carla Paganelli, Sara Cerretti, Chiara Bucci, Francesco Pugliese, Daniele Pastori
Summary: This study aimed to test the predictive value of the FIB-4 Index in predicting mortality in COVID-19 patients with liver damage and compared it to liver transaminases and APRI. The results showed that FIB-4 > 3.25 was associated with increased mortality, high-flow oxygen use, and mechanical ventilation. Furthermore, FIB-4 score was superior to liver transaminases and APRI score in predicting mortality.
INTERNAL AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Giuseppe Armentaro, Corrado Pelaia, Velia Cassano, Sofia Miceli, Raffaele Maio, Maria Perticone, Daniele Pastori, Pasquale Pignatelli, Francesco Andreozzi, Francesco Violi, Giorgio Sesti, Angela Sciacqua
Summary: This study suggests an association between right heart dysfunction and the risk of major cardiovascular adverse events during follow-up in patients with mild COPD.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pasquale Pignatelli, Francesco Baratta, Raffaella Buzzetti, Alessandra D'Amico, Valentina Castellani, Simona Bartimoccia, Antonio Siena, Luca D'Onofrio, Ernesto Maddaloni, Annachiara Pingitore, Giovanni Alfonso Chiariello, Francesca Santilli, Daniele Pastori, Nicholas Cocomello, Francesco Violi, Maria Del Ben, Vittoria Cammisotto, Roberto Carnevale
Summary: This study demonstrates that gliflozins have antiplatelet and antithrombic effects in patients with T2D, potentially through the modulation of oxidative stress, platelet activation, and thrombus formation.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Daniele Pastori, Danilo Menichelli, Arianna Di Rocco, Alessio Farcomeni, Angela Sciacqua, Pasquale Pignatelli, Laurent Fauchier, Gregory Y. H. Lip
Summary: Atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with cancer have a higher risk of bleeding, but the risk of cardiovascular events is not significant.
INTERNAL AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Daniele Pastori, Amelie Marang, Arnaud Bisson, Julien Herbert, Gregory Yoke Hong Lip, Laurent Fauchier
Summary: The association between cancer types and specific bleeding events in patients with atrial fibrillation has been investigated. Certain cancer types carry a greater bleeding risk in these patients. It is crucial to assess and manage modifiable bleeding risk factors in these patients.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hanis H. Zulkifly, Daniele Pastori, Deirdre A. Lane, Gregory Y. H. Lip
Summary: This study investigated the quality of anticoagulation treatment and factors affecting it in patients with operated valvular heart disease, and the results showed that patients with atrial fibrillation had poorer anticoagulation control and higher mortality rates. The study suggests that stringent international normalized ratio monitoring is needed to improve anticoagulation control and prevent adverse clinical events in patients with operated valvular heart disease.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Gianluca Gazzaniga, Danilo Menichelli, Francesco Scaglione, Alessio Farcomeni, Arianna Pani, Daniele Pastori
Summary: This systematic umbrella review with meta-analysis evaluated the certainty of evidence on the mortality risk associated with digoxin use in patients with atrial fibrillation. The results suggest that the use of digoxin is associated with a moderate increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in AF patients, regardless of the presence of heart failure.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesco Baratta, Nicholas Cocomello, Mattia Coronati, Domenico Ferro, Daniele Pastori, Francesco Angelico, Maria Del Ben
Summary: Randomized clinical trials have shown that there is a residual cardiovascular risk in patients treated with statins and other lipid-lowering drugs to target LDL-cholesterol. This risk is mainly associated with lipid components other than LDL, particularly remnant cholesterol (RC) and lipoproteins rich in triglycerides. RCs play a major role in the development of atherosclerosis, easily passing through the arterial wall and stimulating the progression of smooth muscle cells and resident macrophages. Further studies and clinical trials are needed to evaluate the effects of drugs on RC levels and the efficacy of reducing RC on cardiovascular events.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniele Pastori, Vito Maria Cormaci, Silvia Marucci, Giovanni Franchino, Francesco Del Sole, Alessandro Capozza, Alessia Fallarino, Chiara Corso, Emanuele Valeriani, Danilo Menichelli, Pasquale Pignatelli
Summary: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common cause of death worldwide. The incidence varies between Western and Eastern countries, with Western countries having a higher incidence. Several risk factors have been identified, including male sex, diabetes, obesity, smoking, genetic mutations, oral contraceptives, long-haul flights, and medical conditions like cancer. This review provides a comprehensive summary of these risk factors and the potential mechanisms leading to VTE.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Flavio Giuseppe Biccire, Laura Gatto, Ylenia La Porta, Pasquale Pignatelli, Francesco Prati, Daniele Pastori
Summary: The clinical evidence strongly supports the efficacy of lipid lowering therapy in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the effects of these therapies on plaque composition and stability are still unclear. Intracoronary imaging (ICI) technologies are being used as a complement to conventional angiography to characterize plaque morphology and detect high-risk plaque features. Current studies show that pharmacological treatment can slow disease progression or promote plaque regression, depending on the degree of lipid lowering achieved. The introduction of high-intensity lipid lowering therapy has resulted in greater clinical benefit, but the atheroma regression shown in imaging trials appears more modest compared to the magnitude of clinical benefit.
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Danilo Menichelli, Emilia Antonucci, Pasquale Pignatelli, Francesco Violi, Gualtiero Palareti, Daniele Pastori
Summary: This study evaluates the association between underuse of statins and mortality risk in atrial fibrillation patients, and finds that untreated patients have a higher risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
NUTRITION METABOLISM AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
(2023)