Article
Developmental Biology
Enrique Esteve-Valverde, Jaume Alijotas-Reig, Cristina Belizna, Joana Marques-Soares, Ariadna Anunciacion-Llunell, Carlos Feijoo-Masso, Luis Saez-Comet, Arsene Mekinian, Raquel Ferrer-Oliveras, Elmina Lefkou, Stephanie Morales-Perez, Ariel Hoxha, Angela Tincani, Cecilia Nalli, Josep Pardos-Gea, Luca Marozio, Aldo Maina, Gerard Espinosa, Ricard Cervera, Sara De Carolis, Omar Latino, Sebastian Udry, Elisa Llurba, Carmen Garrido-Gimenez, Laura Trespidi, Maria Gerosa, Cecilia B. Chighizola, Patrizia Rovere-Querini, Valentina Canti, Karoline Mayer-Pickel, Sara Tabacco, Anna Arnau, Francesc Miro-Mur
Summary: This study analyzed a cohort of 1048 women with OAPS and found that 21.3% of women had low complement levels during pregnancy. Compared to women with normal complement levels, those with low complement levels had shorter pregnancy length, lower neonatal survival rate, higher fetal loss rate, and some placental vasculopathies. Therefore, proper treatment can improve adverse pregnancy outcomes related to low complement levels.
Article
Hematology
M. Gerde, E. Ibarra, R. Mac Kenzie, C. Fernandez Suarez, C. Heer, R. Alvarez, M. Iglesias, J. Balparda, E. Beruti, F. Rubinstein
Summary: Adding hydroxychloroquine to classical treatments in patients with refractory primary obstetric APS can increase the rate of live births and reduce the prevalence of pregnancy complications.
THROMBOSIS RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Xue Peng, Xi Tan, Aiyun Xing
Summary: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an acquired autoimmune disorder characterized by recurrent thrombosis and pregnancy complications. Obstetrical APS (OAPS) specifically refers to APS in pregnant women. The classification criteria for OAPS have generated discussion due to the possibility of excluding certain patients. This article presents two cases of non-criteria OAPS with severe complications and discusses the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of this unusual antenatal event. It also provides an overview of the pathogenetic mechanisms and clinical features of OAPS.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Hematology
Arne Vandevelde, Jean-Christophe Gris, Gary W. Moore, Jacek Musial, Stephane Zuily, Denis Wahl, Katrien M. J. Devreese
Summary: Currently, the added value of antiphosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies testing in the diagnosis of obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome seems limited compared with other antibodies. However, it may be useful in specific subsets of patients.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cecilia Nalli, Daniele Lini, Laura Andreoli, Francesca Crisafulli, Micaela Fredi, Maria Grazia Lazzaroni, Viktoria Bitsadze, Antonia Calligaro, Valentina Canti, Roberto Caporali, Francesco Carubbi, Cecilia Beatrice Chighizola, Paola Conigliaro, Fabrizio Conti, Caterina De Carolis, Teresa Del Ross, Maria Favaro, Maria Gerosa, Annamaria Iuliano, Jamilya Khizroeva, Alexander Makatsariya, Pier Luigi Meroni, Marta Mosca, Melissa Padovan, Roberto Perricone, Patrizia Rovere-Querini, Gian Domenico Sebastiani, Chiara Tani, Marta Tonello, Simona Truglia, Dina Zucchi, Franco Franceschini, Angela Tincani
Summary: The study found that decreased complement levels before pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with triple antiphospholipid antibodies positivity, while this trend was not observed in those with single or double positivity. Complement levels are cost-effective and easy to measure, making them a potentially useful tool for identifying pregnant women at risk of pregnancy loss.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Shenghan Xu, Miao Liu, Jiamu Xu, Bangwei Che, Wenjun Zhang, Wei Li, Tao Huang, Ying Yu, Cheng Zha, Zheng Peng, Kunyuan Huang, Kaifa Tang
Summary: This case report shares the management experience of a patient with pregnancy combined with adrenal adenoma causing ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome (CS), accompanied by obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS) and severe pre-eclampsia. The patient underwent laparoscopic adrenal tumor resection under general anesthesia at 23 weeks of gestation and cesarean section at 39 weeks to give birth to a healthy baby girl with an Apgar score of 10. Pregnancy complicated by CS is rare and difficult to diagnose, but diagnostic methods such as 24-hour urinary free cortisol, cortisol circadian rhythm, ultrasound, and MRI can be helpful. Furthermore, this case highlights the importance of recognizing and treating OAPS in patients with CS during pregnancy.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Nuria Banos, Aleida Castellanos, Giuseppe Barilaro, Francesc Figueras, Gema Lledo, Marta Santana, Gerard Espinosa
Summary: A prospective study was conducted on pregnant women with SLE, antiphospholipid syndrome, or non-criteria obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome to develop a predictive tool for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Baseline characteristics and certain biomarkers were found to be predictive of adverse outcomes, highlighting the need for better biomarkers for pregnant women with autoimmune diseases.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jiapo Li, Yue Hou, Liyang Zhang, Fan Li, Qian Liu, Yuanyuan Li, Hongfei Shen, Ziyue Xiong, Ling Huang, Chong Qiao
Summary: This study found clinical and laboratory differences between patients with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS) and non-criteria obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (NC-OAPS). Patients in different subgroups of NC-OAPS could be identified with different clinical phenotypes. The OAPS group showed a relatively hypercoagulable state compared to the NC-OAPS group, especially in the subgroup that met the clinical criteria. There were no significant differences in treatment strategy or pregnancy outcomes between the two groups.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Chieko Mineo, Philip W. Shaul, Bonnie L. Bermas
Summary: Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of antibodies against phospholipids, which leads to thrombosis and pregnancy-related complications. Recent research has focused on discovering novel mechanisms underlying obstetric APS.
CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Hematology
Leslie Skeith, Marc A. Rodger, Shannon M. Bates, Carol Gonsalves, Alan Karovitch, Taryn S. Taylor
Summary: The study investigated how patients and physicians navigate decision-making process for using LMWH and/or ASA during pregnancy. Three themes were identified: managing high stakes, accepting uncertainty, and focusing on safety. Patients took action to avoid further pregnancy loss, while physicians tended to leave the decision up to the patient. These findings should be considered when designing future research on the role of LMWH/ASA in this population.
THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2021)
Article
Allergy
Sara Del Barrio-Longarela, Victor M. Martinez-Taboada, Pedro Blanco-Olavarri, Ana Merino, Leyre Riancho-Zarrabeitia, Alejandra Comins-Boo, Marcos Lopez-Hoyos, Jose L. Hernandez
Summary: The study evaluated the utility of aGAPSS in predicting treatment response in aPL carriers without other autoimmune diseases, showing that aGAPSS is not a valuable tool for accurately identifying the risk of obstetric complications. In addition to the aPL profile, other pregnancy-specific factors such as age or previous obstetric history should be considered for these patients with a desire for pregnancy.
CLINICAL REVIEWS IN ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Victor M. Martinez-Taboada, Pedro Blanco-Olavarri, Sara Del Barrio-Longarela, Leyre Riancho-Zarrabeitia, Ana Merino, Alejandra Comins-Boo, Marcos Lopez-Hoyos, Jose L. Hernandez
Summary: This study compares the characteristics, features, serology, and outcomes of women with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) to those with non-criteria (NC)-APS and seronegative (SN)-APS. The study found that the cardiovascular risk burden was higher in the APS group and patients with APS criteria received more intensive treatment. However, with the addition of standard of care (SoC) treatment, fetal-maternal outcomes were similar among all groups, with significant improvement in live births and a decrease in adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO).
Article
Immunology
Yongjing Luo, Jiayang Jin, Yani Yan, Mengyao Zhang, Lei Hou, Yuke Hou, Qiuyan Pei, Chun Li
Summary: This study aims to assess the risk factors and possible associations between bleeding complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The results show that mucocutaneous hemorrhage may be an indication of the occurrence of APOs in obstetric patients with APS.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Arsenio Spinillo, Camilla Bellingeri, Irene De Maggio, Greta Riceputi, Maria Paola Pandolfi, Carolina Spada, Claudia Alpini, Carlomaurizio Montecucco, Fausta Beneventi
Summary: The study found that patients with APS are more likely to have a high-risk aPL profile and a higher rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes, while CTDs are associated with an increased risk of adverse obstetric outcomes. Low-risk antibody carriers are more likely to contribute to adverse obstetric events compared to high-risk patients, and single positivity is associated with a higher burden of obstetric complications compared to double/triple positivity.
JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Deepa J. Arachchillage, Mike Laffan, Charis Pericleous
Summary: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a highly prothrombotic disorder caused by thrombo-inflammatory antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) that lead to thrombosis through various mechanisms. Obstetric complications in APS are a result of placental thrombosis, inflammation, and complement activation. While anticoagulation is the main treatment, it may not effectively prevent thrombosis recurrence in some patients, especially those with triple positive aPL.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Laura Andreoli, Cecilia Nalli, Maria Grazia Lazzaroni, Chiara Carini, Francesca Dall'Ara, Rossella Reggia, Marilia Rodrigues, Carolina Benigno, Elena Baldissera, Elena Bartoloni, Fabio Basta, Francesca Bellisai, Alessandra Bortoluzzi, Corrado Campochiaro, Francesco Paolo Cantatore, Roberto Caporali, Angela Ceribelli, Cecilia B. Chighizola, Paola Conigliaro, Addolorata Corrado, Maurizio Cutolo, Salvatore D'Angelo, Elena De Stefani, Andrea Doria, Maria Favaro, Colomba Fischetti, Rosario Foti, Armando Gabrielli, Elena Generali, Roberto Gerli, Maria Gerosa, Maddalena Larosa, Armin Maier, Nazzarena Malavolta, Marianna Meroni, Pier Luigi Meroni, Carlomaurizio Montecucco, Marta Mosca, Melissa Padovan, Giuseppe Paolazzi, Giulia Pazzola, Susanna Peccatori, Roberto Perricone, Giorgio Pettiti, Valentina Picerno, Immacolata Prevete, Veronique Ramoni, Nicoletta Romeo, Amelia Ruffatti, Carlo Salvarani, Gian Domenico Sebastiani, Carlo Selmi, Francesca Serale, Luigi Sinigaglia, Chiara Tani, Marica Trevisani, Marta Vadacca, Eleonora Valentini, Guido Valesini, Elisa Visalli, Ester Vivaldelli, Lucia Zuliani, Angela Tincani
Summary: Concerns about the health of offspring are one reason for reduced family sizes among women with rheumatic diseases (RD). However, data gathered from a survey of 398 patients diagnosed with RD during childbearing age indicate that the risk of autoimmune diseases (AD) and neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) in their children is relatively low.
CLINICAL REVIEWS IN ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Pier Paolo Piccaluga, Antonio Di Guardo, Anna Lagni, Virginia Lotti, Erica Diani, Mohsen Navari, Davide Gibellini
Summary: Since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread globally, resulting in a high number of confirmed cases. The urgent need for vaccine development led to the rapid progress of various candidates, with the S protein as a major target. So far, 33 vaccines have been approved out of 178 candidates in clinical trials.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Flavia Merigo, Virginia Lotti, Paolo Bernardi, Anita Conti, Andrea Di Clemente, Marco Ligozzi, Anna Lagni, Claudio Sorio, Andrea Sbarbati, Davide Gibellini
Summary: Analysis at the ultrastructural level revealed impaired organization of replicative structures in CFTR-modified cells infected with SARS-CoV-2. Patients with cystic fibrosis tend to exhibit milder symptoms of COVID-19, which may be associated with changes in ACE2 expression.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Letter
Hematology
Antonio Recchiuti, Enrica Federti, Alessandro Matte, Filippo Mazzi, Jacopo Ceolan, Annamaria Porreca, Marta Di Nicola, Sofia Menotti, Stefano Alivernini, Lucia De Franceschi
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Maria Grazia Lourdes Monaco, Gianluca Spiteri, Gulser Caliskan, Virginia Lotti, Angela Carta, Davide Gibellini, Giuseppe Verlato, Stefano Porru
Summary: This case series study confirms evidence of multiple reinfections with SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated health workers, even from the same variant. These results emphasize the need for continued infection-specific prevention measures in previously infected and reinfected health workers.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lucia De Franceschi, Chiara Castiglioni, Claudia Condorelli, Diletta Valsecchi, Eleonora Premoli, Carina Fiocchi, Valentina Perrone, Luca Degli Esposti, Gian Luca Forni
Summary: A real-world analysis in Italy evaluated the epidemiology of sickle cell disease (SCD), patient characteristics, and the therapeutic and economic burden. The study included retrospective analysis of administrative databases and found a high disease burden for SCD patients with multiple hospitalizations during follow-up. The healthcare resource utilization and costs were significant and likely underestimated.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Elisa Gardiman, Francisco Bianchetto-Aguilera, Sara Gasperini, Laura Tiberio, Matteo Scandola, Virginia Lotti, Davide Gibellini, Valentina Salvi, Daniela Bosisio, Marco A. A. Cassatella, Nicola Tamassia
Summary: COVID-19 disease is characterized by dysregulation of the innate immune system. This study demonstrates that single-strand RNAs from the SARS-CoV-2 genome can activate human neutrophils via the TLR8 pathway, potentially contributing to the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19.
Review
Microbiology
Virginia Lotti, Anna Lagni, Erica Diani, Claudio Sorio, Davide Gibellini
Summary: SARS-CoV-2 infection in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) is not more common and does not lead to worse clinical outcomes compared to the general population. Cellular and molecular processes such as cytokine releases and biochemical alterations contribute to the lower infection rates and milder symptoms seen in pwCF.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Erica Diani, Davide Silvagni, Virginia Lotti, Anna Lagni, Laura Baggio, Nicoletta Medaina, Paolo Biban, Davide Gibellini
Summary: This study compared nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and saliva samples collected from pediatric patients to evaluate whether saliva collection can be a valuable alternative to the traditional NP swab sampling in children. The results showed consistent results between saliva samples and NP swabs, suggesting that saliva samples can be a valuable alternative for the direct diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 in pediatric patients.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Matteo Maule, Bianca Olivieri, Gabriella Guarnieri, Lucia De Franceschi, Nicola Martinelli, Rachele Vaia, Giuseppe Argentino, Andrea Vianello, Gianenrico Senna, Marco Caminati
Summary: Bronchial asthma, the most common inflammatory non-communicable disease affecting the airways globally, often coexists with other respiratory or systemic conditions. Recent research has revealed the pathobiological interactions between asthma and other organs, suggesting a shared immunological background. The bidirectional relationship between asthma and common diseases, including cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative diseases, as well as rare disorders, has significant implications for the diagnosis and long-term management of asthma patients.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Valeria Maria Pinto, Lucia De Franceschi, Barbara Gianesin, Antonia Gigante, Giovanna Graziadei, Letizia Lombardini, Giovanni Palazzi, Alessandra Quota, Rodolfo Russo, Laura Sainati, Donatella Venturelli, Gian Luca Forni, Raffaella Origa
Summary: The worldwide prevalence of sickle cell trait exceeds 300 million, making it one of the most common monogenic diseases. Reproductive counseling is crucial due to the high frequency of sickle cell disease. Additionally, Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) is associated with clinical complications such as exertional injury, chronic kidney disease, and pregnancy and surgery complications. The expert panel emphasizes the importance of increasing knowledge about these manifestations for healthcare providers.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Anna Lagni, Virginia Lotti, Erica Diani, Giada Rossini, Ercole Concia, Claudio Sorio, Davide Gibellini
Summary: Research shows that individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) have mild symptoms when infected with SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that CFTR expression and function may be involved in the replication of the virus. In laboratory experiments, CFTR inhibitors effectively inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV-2, indicating the importance of CFTR in the virus replication process and providing new insights for further research and potential treatments.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Stefano Porru, Maria Grazia Lourdes Monaco, Gianluca Spiteri, Angela Carta, Gulser Caliskan, Concepcion Violan, Pere Toran-Monserrat, Luigi Vimercati, Silvio Tafuri, Paolo Boffetta, Francesco Saverio Violante, Emma Sala, Emanuele Sansone, Fabriziomaria Gobba, Loretta Casolari, Andreas Wieser, Christian Janke, Adonina Tardon, Marta Maria Rodriguez-Suarez, Filippo Liviero, Maria Luisa Scapellato, Marco dell'Omo, Nicola Murgia, Dana Mates, Violeta Claudia Calota, Jozef Strharsky, Mariana Mrazova, Enrico Pira, Alessandro Godono, Greta Camilla Magnano, Corrado Negro, Giuseppe Verlato
Summary: This study examined the incidence of breakthrough infections (BI) of SARS-CoV-2 after vaccine booster dose and its correlation with various factors in a cohort of 63,516 health workers. The results showed that BI incidence was higher in women and younger health workers, but decreased in older age groups. Nurses had the highest BI incidence, while administrative staff had the lowest. Heterologous vaccination reduced the incidence of BI compared to the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine.
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Giovan Battista Ruffo, Rodolfo Russo, Tommaso Casini, Letizia Lombardini, Valeria Orecchia, Vincenzo Voi, Raffaella Origa, Gian Luca Forni, Monia Marchetti, Antonia Gigante, Giacomo Garibotto, Aurelio Maggio, Lucia De Franceschi
Summary: This article reviews the literature on kidney alterations and kidney diseases in patients with hemoglobinopathies, and provides recommendations for follow-up and therapy. The importance of improving clinical management and the quality of care is emphasized.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
A. Ruffatti, M. Tonello, A. Calligaro, T. Del Ross, M. Favaro, M. Zen, A. Carletto, V. Lotti, E. Bertoldo, F. Tedesco, A. Hoxha, D. Biasi
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of complement activation products C5a and C5b-9 in quiescent phases of thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The results showed that TAPS patients had significantly lower levels of both complement activation products compared to RAPS and CAPS patients, and C5a and C5b-9 were significantly increased in patients with small-vessel thrombosis.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2022)