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Ingrasciotta Y, Spini A, L'Abbate L, Fiore ES, Carollo M, Ientile V, Isgrò V, Cavazzana A, Biasi V, Rossi P, Ejlli L, Belleudi V, Poggi F, Sapigni E, Puccini A, Ancona D, Stella P, Pollina Addario S, Allotta A, Leoni O, Zanforlini M, Tuccori M, Gini R, Trifirò G. Comparing clinical trial population representativeness to real-world users of 17 biologics approved for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: An external validity analysis of 66,639 biologic users from the Italian VALORE project. Pharmacol Res 2024; 200:107074. [PMID: 38232909 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107074] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
To date, no population-based studies have specifically explored the external validity of pivotal randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of biologics simultaneously for a broad spectrum of immuno-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). The aims of this study were, firstly, to compare the patients' characteristics and median treatment duration of biologics approved for IMIDs between RCTs' and real-world setting (RW); secondly, to assess the extent of biologic users treated for IMIDs in the real-world setting that would not have been eligible for inclusion into pivotal RCT for each indication of use. Using the Italian VALORE distributed database (66,639 incident biologic users), adult patients with IMIDs treated with biologics in the Italian real-world setting were substantially older (mean age ± SD: 50 ± 15 years) compared to those enrolled in pivotal RCTs (45 ± 15 years). In the real-world setting, certolizumab pegol was more commonly used by adult women with psoriasis/ankylosing spondylitis (F/M ratio: 1.8-1.9) compared to RCTs (F/M ratio: 0.5-0.6). The median treatment duration (weeks) of incident biologic users in RW was significantly higher than the duration of pivotal RCTs in almost all indications for use and most biologics (4-100 vs. 6-167). Furthermore, almost half (46.4%) of biologic users from RW settings would have been ineligible for inclusion in the respective indication-specific pivotal RCTs. The main reasons were: advanced age, recent history of cancer and presence of other concomitant IMIDs. These findings suggest that post-marketing surveillance of biologics should be prioritized for those patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ylenia Ingrasciotta
- University of Verona, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Verona, Italy
| | - Andrea Spini
- University of Verona, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Verona, Italy
| | - Luca L'Abbate
- University of Messina, Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Messina, Italy
| | - Elena Sofia Fiore
- University of Verona, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Verona, Italy
| | - Massimo Carollo
- University of Verona, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Verona, Italy
| | - Valentina Ientile
- University of Verona, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Verona, Italy
| | - Valentina Isgrò
- University of Verona, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Verona, Italy
| | | | | | - Paola Rossi
- Direzione Centrale Salute Regione Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trieste, Italy
| | - Lucian Ejlli
- Direzione Centrale Salute Regione Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trieste, Italy
| | - Valeria Belleudi
- Lazio Regional Health Service, Department of Epidemiology, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Poggi
- Lazio Regional Health Service, Department of Epidemiology, Rome, Italy
| | - Ester Sapigni
- Emilia-Romagna Health Department, Hospital Assistance Service, Drug and Medical Device Area, Bologna, Italy
| | - Aurora Puccini
- Emilia-Romagna Health Department, Hospital Assistance Service, Drug and Medical Device Area, Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Alessandra Allotta
- Epidemiologic Observatory of the Sicily Regional Health Service, Palermo, Italy
| | - Olivia Leoni
- Lombardy Regional Centre of Pharmacovigilance and Regional Epidemiologic Observatory, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Marco Tuccori
- University Hospital of Pisa, Unit of Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring, Italy
| | - Rosa Gini
- Agenzia Regionale di Sanità Toscana, Florence, Italy
| | - Gianluca Trifirò
- University of Verona, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Verona, Italy.
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Strippoli E, Nobile F, Caranci N, Adorno V, Galise I, Serinelli M, Bisceglia L, Allotta A, Rubino C, Pollina Addario W, Gariazzo C, Maio S, Viegi G, Ranzi A, Michelozzi P, Stafoggia M, Zengarini N. [Long-term exposure to air pollution and incidence of coronary heart diseases and stroke in the longitudinal metropolitan studies (LMS) network: the BIGEPI project]. Epidemiol Prev 2023; 47:35-45. [PMID: 38639299 DOI: 10.19191/ep23.6.s3.006] [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] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES to assess the potential of using longitudinal metropolitan studies (LMS) to study the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and the incidence of acute coronary events and stroke. DESIGN closed cohort. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS subjects aged >=30 years, who took part in the 2011 census, residents in 5 cities (Turin, Bologna, Rome, Brindisi and Taranto). Annual concentrations of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and warm-season ozone (O3) (annual O3 in Taranto and Brindisi), estimated through satellite (Turin, Bologna, Rome) or photochemical models (Taranto and Brindisi) with a spatial resolution of 1 km2, were assigned to the census address. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke until 31.12.2018 (2019 in Bologna). Cohort-specific Hazard Ratios (HRs), estimated using Cox regression models progressively adjusting for individual and contextual covariates, were pooled with random-effect meta-analysis. RESULTS there were 71,872 incident CHD cases and 43,884 incident cases of stroke in almost 18 million person-years. No association was observed between the exposures studied and incidence of CHD and stroke, except for an increase in the incidence of CHD associated with warm-season O3 exposure (HR 1.034 per 5 μg/m3 increase). Some positive associations were found in specific cities (both outcomes in Brindisi with PM10 exposure and in Taranto with NO2 exposure, stroke in Rome with both PM10 and PM2.5), although estimates were not significant in some instances. CONCLUSIONS LMS are a high potential tool for the study of comparative medium- and long-term effects of air pollution. Their further development (different definitions of exposure, outcomes, characteristics of the urban areas and extension to other LMS) may make them even more valuable tools for monitoring and planning public health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Strippoli
- Servizio sovrazonale di epidemiologia ASL TO3, Grugliasco, Torino;
| | | | - Nicola Caranci
- Settore innovazione nei Servizi sanitari e sociali, Direzione generale cura della persona, salute e welfare, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna
| | - Valentina Adorno
- Settore innovazione nei servizi sanitari e sociali, Direzione generale cura della persona, salute e welfare, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna
| | - Ida Galise
- UOS Ambiente e salute direzione scientifica - ARPA Puglia, Bari
| | - Maria Serinelli
- UOS Ambiente e salute direzione scientifica - ARPA Puglia, Bari
| | - Lucia Bisceglia
- Agenzia regionale per la salute e il sociale della Puglia, AReSS, Bari
| | - Alessandra Allotta
- Dipartimento per le attività sanitarie e Osservatorio epidemiologico, Assessorato della salute - Regione Sicilia, Palermo
| | - Claudio Rubino
- Dipartimento per le attività sanitarie e Osservatorio epidemiologico, Assessorato della salute - Regione Sicilia, Palermo
| | - Walter Pollina Addario
- Dipartimento per le attività sanitarie e Osservatorio epidemiologico, Assessorato della salute - Regione Sicilia, Palermo
| | - Claudio Gariazzo
- Dipartimento di medicina, epidemiologia, igiene del lavoro e ambientale di INAIL (INAIL-DIMEILA), Roma
| | - Sara Maio
- Istituto di fisiologia clinica (IFC-CNR), Pisa
| | | | - Andrea Ranzi
- Agenzia regionale per la Prevenzione, l'ambiente e l'energia dell'Emilia-Romagna, Bologna
| | | | - Massimo Stafoggia
- Dipartimento di epidemiologia SSR Lazio/ASL Roma 1, Roma
- Da considerare entrambi come ultimo autore
| | - Nicolás Zengarini
- Servizio sovrazonale di epidemiologia ASL TO3, Grugliasco, Torino
- Da considerare entrambi come ultimo autore
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Belli S, Pesapane A, Servetto A, Esposito D, Napolitano F, Ascione CM, Allotta A, Zambrano N, Marino FZ, Franco R, Troiani T, Formisano L, Bianco R. Combined blockade of mTOR and p21-activated kinases pathways prevents tumour growth in KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:1071-1082. [PMID: 37568037 PMCID: PMC10539494 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02390-z] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The identification of novel therapeutic strategies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients harbouring KRAS mutations represents an unmet clinical need. In this study, we aimed to clarify the role of p21-activated kinases (Paks) as therapeutic target for KRAS-mutated CRC. METHODS Paks expression and activation levels were evaluated in a cohort of KRAS-WT or -mutated CRC patients by immunohistochemistry. The effects of Paks inhibition on tumour cell proliferation and signal transduction were assayed by RNAi and by the use of three pan-Paks inhibitors (PF-3758309, FRAX1036, GNE-2861), evaluating CRC cells, spheroids and tumour xenografts' growth. RESULTS Paks activation positively correlated with KRAS mutational status in both patients and cell lines. Moreover, genetic modulation or pharmacological inhibition of Paks led to a robust impairment of KRAS-mut CRC cell proliferation. However, Paks prolonged blockade induced a rapid tumour adaptation through the hyper-activation of the mTOR/p70S6K pathway. The addition of everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) prevented the growth of KRAS-mut CRC tumours in vitro and in vivo, reverting the adaptive tumour resistance to Paks targeting. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, our results suggest the simultaneous blockade of mTOR and Pak pathways as a promising alternative therapeutic strategy for patients affected by KRAS-mut colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Belli
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Ada Pesapane
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Alberto Servetto
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Daniela Esposito
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabiana Napolitano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia Maria Ascione
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Allotta
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola Zambrano
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate S.C.aR.L., Via G. Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Renato Franco
- Pathology Unit, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Teresa Troiani
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Formisano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy.
| | - Roberto Bianco
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy.
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De Cola MC, Ielo A, Corallo F, Pollina Addario S, Scondotto S, Allotta A, Fantaci G, Bramanti P, Ciurleo R. Development of a Set of Indicators for Measuring and Improving Quality of Rehabilitation Care after Ischemic Stroke. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2065. [PMID: 37510506 PMCID: PMC10378746 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11142065] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Stroke is the leading global cause of permanent disability and the second leading cause of dementia within the first year of the event. Systematic quality improvement interventions such as Audit & Feedback (A&F) can monitor and improve the performance of post-stroke care in conjunction with the use of quality indicators (QIs). The scientific literature shows limited studies on quality improvement and QIs design for poststroke rehabilitation. In Italy, the National Outcomes Evaluation Programme (PNE) annually provides several QIs concerning the acute wards. On the contrary, indicators for quality assessment of post-acute stroke rehabilitation are not available nationwide. In recent years, the Italian Ministry of Health has funded a national network project, the aim of which is to provide and evaluate the effectiveness of A&F strategies in healthcare improvement. Part of this project is the development of a set of IQs for ischemic stroke rehabilitation used to conduct an A&F. In this study, we describe the design and development process of these QIs from administrative databases and report the results of the pilot test conducted on a small sample of Sicilian rehabilitation facilities, comparing them from 2019 to 2021. Feedback from the participating centers was mainly positive, and the quality indicators were found to be comprehensible and appreciated. However, the study highlighted the need for better adherence to indicators measuring processes of rehabilitation care. The set of quality indicators presented in this study, relevant to inpatient settings, could be considered a starting point on which to base quality improvement initiatives both nationally and internationally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Augusto Ielo
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, 98124 Messina, Italy
| | | | - Sebastiano Pollina Addario
- Assessorato della Salute, Dipartimento Attività Sanitarie e Osservatorio Epidemiologico, 90145 Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Scondotto
- Assessorato della Salute, Dipartimento Attività Sanitarie e Osservatorio Epidemiologico, 90145 Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Allotta
- Assessorato della Salute, Dipartimento Attività Sanitarie e Osservatorio Epidemiologico, 90145 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giovanna Fantaci
- Assessorato della Salute, Dipartimento Attività Sanitarie e Osservatorio Epidemiologico, 90145 Palermo, Italy
| | - Placido Bramanti
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, 98124 Messina, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, Università Degli Studi eCampus, Via Isimbardi 10, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
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Belli S, Esposito D, Allotta A, Servetto A, Ciciola P, Pesapane A, Ascione CM, Napolitano F, Di Mauro C, Vigliar E, Iaccarino A, De Angelis C, Bianco R, Formisano L. Pak1 pathway hyper-activation mediates resistance to endocrine therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitors in ER+ breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer 2023; 9:48. [PMID: 37258566 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-023-00556-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) have been approved in combination with endocrine therapy (ET) to treat estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) metastatic breast cancer (BC). However, drug resistance represents the leading cause of breast cancer patients mortality. This study aimed to identify novel resistance mechanisms to ER antagonists in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors. We generated two ER+ BC cell lines, T47D and MCF7, resistant to the combination of the ER antagonist fulvestrant and CDK4/6i abemaciclib, named T47D-FAR and MCF7-FAR. Transcriptomic analysis revealed common up-regulation of genes involved in MAPK and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways in FAR cells, sustaining their hyper-invasive phenotype and increased anchorage-independent growth, compared to sensitive cells. FAR cells showed higher p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1) expression and phosphorylation levels than parental cells. PAK1 knockdown by siRNAs hampered cell proliferation, reduced anchorage-independent growth and invasive properties of T47D-FAR and MCF7-FAR, re-sensitizing them to fulvestrant and abemaciclib. Conversely, over-expression of PAK1 in MCF7 and T47D cells increased tumor spheroids' growth and invasion and reduced sensitivity to fulvestrant and abemaciclib, confirming its role in inducing drug resistance. Finally, treatment with Pak1 inhibitors, PF-3758309 (PF309) and NVS-PAK1-1, restored cell sensitivity to fulvestrant and abemaciclib of MCF7-FAR and T47D-FAR cells, both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our data suggested a pivotal role for Pak1 in resistance to ET and CDK4/6i in ER+ breast cancers. These data might promote the rationale for the development of novel Pak1 inhibitors for treatment of patients with ER+ BC progressing on ET plus CDK4/6i.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Belli
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Daniela Esposito
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Allotta
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Alberto Servetto
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Paola Ciciola
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Ada Pesapane
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia M Ascione
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabiana Napolitano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Concetta Di Mauro
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Elena Vigliar
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonino Iaccarino
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Carmine De Angelis
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberto Bianco
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy.
| | - Luigi Formisano
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy.
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Merlo I, Cantarutti A, Allotta A, Tavormina EE, Iommi M, Pompili M, Rea F, Agodi A, Locatelli A, Zanini R, Carle F, Addario SP, Scondotto S, Corrao G. Development and Validation of a Novel Pre-Pregnancy Score Predictive of Preterm Birth in Nulliparous Women Using Data from Italian Healthcare Utilization Databases. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10081443. [PMID: 36011100 PMCID: PMC9407812 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10081443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Preterm birth is a major worldwide public health concern, being the leading cause of infant mortality. Understanding of risk factors remains limited, and early identification of women at high risk of preterm birth is an open challenge. Objective: The aim of the study was to develop and validate a novel pre-pregnancy score for preterm delivery in nulliparous women using information from Italian healthcare utilization databases. Study Design: Twenty-six variables independently able to predict preterm delivery were selected, using a LASSO logistic regression, from a large number of features collected in the 4 years prior to conception, related to clinical history and socio-demographic characteristics of 126,839 nulliparous women from Lombardy region who gave birth between 2012 and 2017. A weight proportional to the coefficient estimated by the model was assigned to each of the selected variables, which contributed to the Preterm Birth Score. Discrimination and calibration of the Preterm Birth Score were assessed using an internal validation set (i.e., other 54,359 deliveries from Lombardy) and two external validation sets (i.e., 14,703 and 62,131 deliveries from Marche and Sicily, respectively). Results: The occurrence of preterm delivery increased with increasing the Preterm Birth Score value in all regions in the study. Almost ideal calibration plots were obtained for the internal validation set and Marche, while expected and observed probabilities differed slightly in Sicily for high Preterm Birth Score values. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 60%, 61% and 56% for the internal validation set, Marche and Sicily, respectively. Conclusions: Despite the limited discriminatory power, the Preterm Birth Score is able to stratify women according to their risk of preterm birth, allowing the early identification of mothers who are more likely to have a preterm delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Merlo
- Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (I.M.); (F.R.); (G.C.)
| | - Anna Cantarutti
- Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (I.M.); (F.R.); (G.C.)
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (F.C.); (S.P.A.); (S.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-02-6448-5828; Fax: +39-02-6448-5899
| | - Alessandra Allotta
- Department of Health Activities and Epidemiological Observatory, Regional Health Authority, Sicily Region, 90145 Palermo, Italy; (A.A.); (E.E.T.)
| | - Elisa Eleonora Tavormina
- Department of Health Activities and Epidemiological Observatory, Regional Health Authority, Sicily Region, 90145 Palermo, Italy; (A.A.); (E.E.T.)
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, 90146 Palermo, Italy
| | - Marica Iommi
- Center of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Medical Information Technology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Marche Polytechnic University, 60020 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Marco Pompili
- Regional Epidemiological Observatory, Regional Health Agency of Marche, 60125 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Federico Rea
- Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (I.M.); (F.R.); (G.C.)
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (F.C.); (S.P.A.); (S.S.)
| | - Antonella Agodi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy;
| | - Anna Locatelli
- Department of Mother and Child, ASST Vimercate, 20871 Vimercate, Italy;
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Rinaldo Zanini
- Past Director of Woman and Child Health Department, Azienda Ospedaliera della Provincia di Lecco, 23900 Lecco, Italy;
| | - Flavia Carle
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (F.C.); (S.P.A.); (S.S.)
- Center of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Medical Information Technology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Marche Polytechnic University, 60020 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Sebastiano Pollina Addario
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (F.C.); (S.P.A.); (S.S.)
- Department of Health Activities and Epidemiological Observatory, Regional Health Authority, Sicily Region, 90145 Palermo, Italy; (A.A.); (E.E.T.)
| | - Salvatore Scondotto
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (F.C.); (S.P.A.); (S.S.)
- Department of Health Activities and Epidemiological Observatory, Regional Health Authority, Sicily Region, 90145 Palermo, Italy; (A.A.); (E.E.T.)
| | - Giovanni Corrao
- Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (I.M.); (F.R.); (G.C.)
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy; (F.C.); (S.P.A.); (S.S.)
- Directorate General for Health, Lombardy Region, 20124 Milan, Italy
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Di Girolamo C, Gnavi R, Landriscina T, Forni S, Falcone M, Calandrini E, Cesaroni G, Russo A, Leoni O, Fanizza C, Allotta A, Costa G, Spadea T. Indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its containment measures on social inequalities in hospital utilisation in Italy. J Epidemiol Community Health 2022; 76:jech-2021-218452. [PMID: 35552241 PMCID: PMC9130664 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2021-218452] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pandemic may undermine the equity of access to and utilisation of health services for conditions other than COVID-19. The objective of the study is to evaluate the indirect impact of COVID-19 and lockdown measures on sociodemographic inequalities in healthcare utilisation in seven Italian areas. METHODS In this multicentre retrospective study, we evaluated whether COVID-19 modified the association between educational level or deprivation and indicators of hospital utilisation and quality of care. We also assessed variations in gradients by sex and age class. We estimated age-standardised rates and prevalence and their relative per cent changes comparing pandemic (2020) and pre-pandemic (2018-2019) periods, and the Relative Index of Inequalities (RIIs) fitting multivariable Poisson models with an interaction between socioeconomic position and period. RESULTS Compared with 2018-2019, hospital utilisation and, to a lesser extent, timeliness of procedures indicators fell during the first months of 2020. Larger declines were registered among women, the elderly and the low educated resulting in a shrinkage (or widening if RII <1) of the educational gradients for most of the indicators. Timeliness of procedures indicators did not show any educational gradient neither before nor during the pandemic. Inequalities by deprivation were nuanced and did not substantially change in 2020. CONCLUSIONS The socially patterned reduction of hospital utilisation may lead to a potential exacerbation of health inequalities among groups who were already vulnerable before the pandemic. The healthcare service can contribute to contrast health disparities worsened by COVID-19 through more efficient communication and locally appropriate interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Di Girolamo
- Regional Health and Social Care Agency Emilia-Romagna Region, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberto Gnavi
- Epidemiology Unit, ASL TO3 Piedmont Region, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Forni
- Regional Health Agency of Tuscany Region, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Enrico Calandrini
- Department of Epidemiology, Regional Health Service Lazio, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Cesaroni
- Department of Epidemiology, Regional Health Service Lazio, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Epidemiology Unit, Agenzia di Tutela della Salute della Citta Metropolitan di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessandra Allotta
- Department of Health and Epidemiological Observatory, Regional Health Authority of Sicily Region, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Costa
- Department of Clinical and Biological Science, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Teresa Spadea
- Epidemiology Unit, ASL TO3 Piedmont Region, Turin, Italy
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Drago G, Tavormina E, Ruggieri S, Cibella F, Allotta A, Pollina Addario S, Dardanoni G, Scondotto S. [Application of an algorithm for the validation of congenital anomaly cases using hospital discharge records]. Epidemiol Prev 2022; 46:84-91. [PMID: 35354271 DOI: 10.19191/ep22.1-2.p084.016] [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] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES to evaluate and validate the adoption of an algorithm for the identification of cases of congenital anomalies (CAs) to improve the performance of the Congenital Malformations Registry of Sicily Region (Southern Italy). DESIGN an algorithm was used to identify congenital anomalies on a sample of hospital discharge records (SDO) with ICD-9-CM code between 740-759 on any of the diagnoses within the first year of life, together with a sample of healthy births equal to 5% of total births for the same period. The identified cases were evaluated through the clinical record analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS the analysed sample was composed of 4,271 cases identified between June 2013 and December 2014 along with 3,993 SDO without any code of MC (5% of the total volume of births in the same period). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES positive predictive value (VPP) and negative predictive value (VPN) were computed by means of the comparison between the algorithm outcomes and the clinical record verification. RESULTS 4,271 potentially malformed records involving 3,381 subjects born in the Sicilian territory have been identified. Among the hospital discharge records that it was possible to verify, the application of the algorithm led to the exclusion of 924 cases: of these, 62 proved to be false negatives (VPN: 93.3). The valid cases were 1,179, while the cases to be evaluated 617: the comparison between algorithm and clinical record analysis led to a VPP of 91.7 and 72.1, respectively, for valid and to be evaluated. CONCLUSIONS the tested algorithm proved to be a useful tool for identifying SDO potentially related to congenital anomalies. In the overall sample, the algorithm provided an outcome consistent with the clinical record assessment in 87.4% (2,379) of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaspare Drago
- Consiglio nazionale delle ricerche, Istituto per la ricerca e l'innovazione biomedica (IRIB), Palermo
| | - Elisa Tavormina
- Consiglio nazionale delle ricerche, Istituto per la ricerca e l'innovazione biomedica (IRIB), Palermo
| | - Silvia Ruggieri
- Consiglio nazionale delle ricerche, Istituto per la ricerca e l'innovazione biomedica (IRIB), Palermo;
| | - Fabio Cibella
- Consiglio nazionale delle ricerche, Istituto per la ricerca e l'innovazione biomedica (IRIB), Palermo
| | - Alessandra Allotta
- Regione siciliana, Assessorato della salute, Dipartimento per le attività sanitarie e Osservatorio epidemiologico (DASOE), Palermo
| | - Sebastiano Pollina Addario
- Regione siciliana, Assessorato della salute, Dipartimento per le attività sanitarie e Osservatorio epidemiologico (DASOE), Palermo
| | - Gabriella Dardanoni
- Regione siciliana, Assessorato della salute, Dipartimento per le attività sanitarie e Osservatorio epidemiologico (DASOE), Palermo
| | - Salvatore Scondotto
- Regione siciliana, Assessorato della salute, Dipartimento per le attività sanitarie e Osservatorio epidemiologico (DASOE), Palermo
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Corrao G, Rea F, Carle F, Scondotto S, Allotta A, Lepore V, D'Ettorre A, Tanzarella C, Vittori P, Abena S, Iommi M, Spazzafumo L, Ercolanoni M, Blaco R, Carbone S, Giordani C, Manfellotto D, Galli M, Mancia G. Stratification of the risk of developing severe or lethal Covid-19 using a new score from a large Italian population: a population-based cohort study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e053281. [PMID: 34794995 PMCID: PMC8602929 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To develop a population-based risk stratification model (COVID-19 Vulnerability Score) for predicting severe/fatal clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, using the multiple source information provided by the healthcare utilisation databases of the Italian National Health Service. DESIGN Retrospective observational cohort study. SETTING Population-based study using the healthcare utilisation database from five Italian regions. PARTICIPANTS Beneficiaries of the National Health Service, aged 18-79 years, who had the residentship in the five participating regions. Residents in a nursing home were not included. The model was built from the 7 655 502 residents of Lombardy region. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The score included gender, age and 29 conditions/diseases selected from a list of 61 conditions which independently predicted the primary outcome, that is, severe (intensive care unit admission) or fatal manifestation of COVID-19 experienced during the first epidemic wave (until June 2020). The score performance was validated by applying the model to several validation sets, that is, Lombardy population (second epidemic wave), and the other four Italian regions (entire 2020) for a total of about 15.4 million individuals and 7031 outcomes. Predictive performance was assessed by discrimination (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve) and calibration (plot of observed vs predicted outcomes). RESULTS We observed a clear positive trend towards increasing outcome incidence as the score increased. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the COVID-19 Vulnerability Score ranged from 0.85 to 0.88, which compared favourably with the areas of generic scores such as the Charlson Comorbidity Score (0.60). A remarkable performance of the score on the calibration of observed and predicted outcome probability was also observed. CONCLUSIONS A score based on data used for public health management accurately predicted the occurrence of severe/fatal manifestations of COVID-19. Use of this score may help health decision-makers to more accurately identify high-risk citizens who need early preventive or treatment interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Corrao
- Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Rea
- Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Flavia Carle
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Center of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Salvatore Scondotto
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Department of Health Services and Epidemiological Observatory, Regional Health Authority of Sicily, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Allotta
- Department of Health Services and Epidemiological Observatory, Regional Health Authority of Sicily, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vito Lepore
- Regional Health Agency of Puglia, Bari, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Marica Iommi
- Center of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Liana Spazzafumo
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Regional Health Agency of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | | | | | - Simona Carbone
- Department of Health Planning, Italian Health Ministry, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Dario Manfellotto
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Fatebenefratelli, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Galli
- Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, University of Milan L Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Mancia
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Policlinico di Monza, Monza, Italy
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Spadea T, Di Girolamo C, Landriscina T, Leoni O, Forni S, Colais P, Fanizza C, Allotta A, Onorati R, Gnavi R. Indirect impact of Covid-19 on hospital care pathways in Italy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21526. [PMID: 34728729 PMCID: PMC8563727 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00982-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Earlier in 2020, seven Italian regions, which cover 62% of the Italian population, set up the Mimico-19 network to monitor the side effects of the restrictive measures against Covid-19 on volumes and quality of care. To this aim, we retrospectively analysed hospital discharges data, computing twelve indicators of volume and performance in three clinical areas: cardiology, oncology, and orthopaedics. Weekly indicators for the period January–July 2020 were compared with the corresponding average for 2018–2019; comparisons were performed within 3 sub-periods: pre-lockdown, lockdown, and post-lockdown. The weekly trend of hospitalisations for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) showed a 40% reduction, but the proportion of STEMI patients with a primary PTCA did not significantly change from previous years. Malignant neoplasms surgery volumes differed substantially by site, with a limited reduction for lung cancer (< 20%) and greater declines (30–40%) for breast and prostate cancers. The percentage of timely surgery for femoral neck in the elderly remained constantly higher than the previous 2 years whereas hip and knee replacements fell dramatically. Hospitalisations have generally decreased, but the capacity of a timely and effective response in time-dependent pathways of care was not jeopardized throughout the period. General trends did not show important differences across regions, regardless of the different burden of Covid-19. Preventive and primary care services should adopt a pro-active approach, moving towards the identification of at-risk conditions that were neglected during the pandemic and timely addressing patients to the secondary care system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Spadea
- Epidemiology Unit ASL TO3, Piedmont Region, Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Di Girolamo
- Regional Health and Social Care Agency of Emilia-Romagna Region, Viale Aldo Moro, 21, 40128, Bologna, Italy.
| | | | - Olivia Leoni
- Regional Epidemiological Observatory, Lombardy Region, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Forni
- Regional Health Agency of Tuscany Region, Florence, Italy
| | - Paola Colais
- Department of Epidemiology, Regional Health Service, Lazio Region, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alessandra Allotta
- Department of Health Services and Epidemiological Observatory, Sicily Region, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Gnavi
- Epidemiology Unit ASL TO3, Piedmont Region, Turin, Italy
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Trifirò G, Isgrò V, Ingrasciotta Y, Ientile V, L'Abbate L, Foti SS, Belleudi V, Poggi F, Fontana A, Moretti U, Lora R, Sabaini A, Senesi I, Sorrentino C, Puzo MR, Padula A, Fusco M, Giordana R, Solfrini V, Puccini A, Rossi P, Del Zotto S, Leoni O, Zanforlini M, Ancona D, Bavaro V, Garau D, Ledda S, Scondotto S, Allotta A, Tuccori M, Gini R, Bucaneve G, Franchini D, Cavazzana A, Biasi V, Spila Alegiani S, Massari M. Large-Scale Postmarketing Surveillance of Biological Drugs for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases Through an Italian Distributed Multi-Database Healthcare Network: The VALORE Project. BioDrugs 2021; 35:749-764. [PMID: 34637126 PMCID: PMC8507511 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-021-00498-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biological drugs have improved the management of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) despite being associated with important safety issues such as immunogenicity, infections, and malignancies in real-world settings. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the potential of a large Italian multi-database distributed network for use in the postmarketing surveillance of biological drugs, including biosimilars, in patients with IMID. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted using 13 Italian regional claims databases during 2010-2019. A tailor-made R-based tool developed for distributed analysis of claims data using a study-specific common data model was customized for this study. We measured the yearly prevalence of biological drug users and the frequency of switches between originator and biosimilars for infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab separately and stratified them by calendar year and region. We then calculated the cumulative number of users and person-years (PYs) of exposure to individual biological drugs approved for IMIDs. For a number of safety outcomes (e.g., severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-COV-2] infection), we conducted a sample power calculation to estimate the PYs of exposure required to investigate their association with individual biological drugs approved for IMIDs, considering different strengths of association. RESULTS From a total underlying population of almost 50 million inhabitants from 13 Italian regions, we identified 143,602 (0.3%) biological drug users, with a cumulative exposure of 507,745 PYs during the entire follow-up. The mean age ± standard deviation of biological drug users was 49.3 ± 16.3, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.2. The age-adjusted yearly prevalence of biological drug users increased threefold from 0.7 per 1000 in 2010 to 2.1 per 1000 in 2019. Overall, we identified 40,996 users of biosimilars of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors (i.e., etanercept, adalimumab, and infliximab) in the years 2015-2019. Of these, 46% (N = 18,845) switched at any time between originator and biosimilars or vice versa. To investigate a moderate association (incidence rate ratio 2) between biological drugs approved for IMIDs and safety events of interest, such as optic neuritis (lowest background incidence rate 10.4/100,000 PYs) or severe infection (highest background incidence rate 4312/100,000 PYs), a total of 43,311 PYs and 104 PYs of exposure to individual biological drugs, respectively, would be required. As such, using this network, of 15 individual biological drugs approved for IMIDs, the association with those adverse events could be investigated for four (27%) and 14 (93%), respectively. CONCLUSION The VALORE project multi-database network has access to data on more than 140,000 biological drug users (and > 0.5 million PYs) from 13 Italian regions during the years 2010-2019, which will be further expanded with the inclusion of data from other regions and more recent calendar years. Overall, the cumulated amount of person-time of exposure to biological drugs approved for IMIDs provides enough statistical power to investigate weak/moderate associations of almost all individual compounds and the most relevant safety outcomes. Moreover, this network may offer the opportunity to investigate the interchangeability of originator and biosimilars of several TNFα inhibitors in different therapeutic areas in real-world settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Trifirò
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37129, Verona, Italy.
| | - Valentina Isgrò
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37129, Verona, Italy
| | - Ylenia Ingrasciotta
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Valentina Ientile
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Luca L'Abbate
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37129, Verona, Italy
| | - Saveria S Foti
- Academic spin-off "INSPIRE, Innovative Solutions for Medical Prediction and Big Data Integration in Real World Setting", Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria "G. Martino", Messina, Italy
| | - Valeria Belleudi
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Poggi
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Fontana
- Unit of Biostatistics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Ugo Moretti
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37129, Verona, Italy
| | - Riccardo Lora
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37129, Verona, Italy
| | - Alberto Sabaini
- Dipartimento di Informatica, Università degli Studi di Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Ilenia Senesi
- Territorial Assistance Service, ASL Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy
| | | | - Maria R Puzo
- Assistance and Pharmaceutical Services Office, Personal Policies Department, Basilicata Region, Potenza, Italy
| | - Angela Padula
- Rheumatology Institute of Lucania (IReL), San Carlo Hospital of Potenza, Via Potito Petrone, 85100, Potenza, Italy
| | - Mariano Fusco
- Dipartimento delle Attività Farmaceutiche Territoriali e Ospedaliere, Naples 2 Nord LHU, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Solfrini
- Territorial Assistance Service, Drug and Medical Device Area, Emilia Romagna Health Department, Bologna, Italy
| | - Aurora Puccini
- Territorial Assistance Service, Drug and Medical Device Area, Emilia Romagna Health Department, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paola Rossi
- Direzione Centrale Salute Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Olivia Leoni
- Lombardy Regional Centre of Pharmacovigilance, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Vito Bavaro
- Apulian Regional Health Department, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Ledda
- Sardinia Regional Health Department, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Salvatore Scondotto
- Epidemiologic Observatory of the Sicily Regional Health Service, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Allotta
- Epidemiologic Observatory of the Sicily Regional Health Service, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marco Tuccori
- Unit of Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Rosa Gini
- Agenzia Regionale di Sanità Toscana, Florence, Italy
| | | | - David Franchini
- Health ICT Service, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Perugia, Italy
| | | | | | - Stefania Spila Alegiani
- Pharmacoepidemiology Unit, National Centre for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Massari
- Pharmacoepidemiology Unit, National Centre for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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