Post treatment imaging in patients with local advanced cervical carcinoma

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth leading cause of death in women worldwide and despite the introduction of screening programs about 30% of patients presents advanced disease at diagnosis and 30-50% of them relapse in the first 5-years after treatment. According to FIGO staging system 2018, stage IB3-IVA are classified as locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC); its correct therapeutic choice remains still controversial and includes neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy, external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, hysterectomy or a combination of these modalities. In this review we focus on the most appropriated therapeutic options for LACC and imaging protocols used for its correct follow-up. We explore the imaging findings after radiotherapy and surgery and discuss the role of imaging in evaluating the response rate to treatment, selecting patients for salvage surgery and evaluating recurrence of disease. We also introduce and evaluate the advances of the emerging imaging techniques mainly represented by spectroscopy, PET-MRI, and radiomics which have improved diagnostic accuracy and are approaching to future direction.

Role of non-coding RNAs in age-related vascular cognitive impairment: An overview on diagnostic/prognostic value in Vascular Dementia and Vascular Parkinsonism

Age is the pivotal risk factor for different common medical conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and dementia. Among age-related disorders, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, represent the leading causes of premature mortality strictly related to vascular ageing, a pathological condition characterized by endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart disease and stroke. These features negatively impact on the brain, owing to altered cerebral blood flow, neurovascular coupling and impaired endothelial permeability leading to cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs) as Vascular Dementia (VD) and Parkinsonism (VP). It is an increasing opinion that neurodegenerative disorders and cerebrovascular diseases are associated from a pathogenetic point of view, and in this review, we discuss how cerebrovascular dysfunctions, due to epigenetic alterations, are linked with neuronal degeneration/dysfunction that lead to cognitive impairment. The relation between neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases are reviewed with a focus on role of ncRNAs in age-related vascular diseases impairing the endothelium in the blood-brain barrier with consequent dysfunction of cerebral blood flow. In this review we dissert about different regulatory mechanisms of gene expression implemented by ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of age-related neurovascular impairment, aiming to highlight the potential use of ncRNAs as biomarkers for diagnostic/prognostic purposes as well as novel therapeutic targets.

In vitro imaging of β-cells using fluorescent cubic bicontinuous liquid crystalline nanoparticles

Imaging of rat pancreatic β-cells using cubic bicontinuous liquid crystalline nanoparticles loaded with the TB139 fluorescent dye.

A pilot study on prostate cancer risk and pro-inflammatory genotypes: pathophysiology and therapeutic implications

Host genetic factors are crucial risk determinants for many human cancers. In this framework, an interesting model is represented by prostate cancer (PC), which is featured by a complex pathophysiology with a strong genetic component. Multiple genes seem to influence PC risk and several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of candidate genes modifying PC susceptibility have been identified. It is noteworthy the potential association of common SNPs in pro-inflammatory genes with PC risk, since chronic inflammation is assumed to play a key role in prostate carcinogenesis. With the aim to identify candidate genes as an experimental basis to develop new strategies for both prevention and treatment of PC, we have investigated the potential role of common SNPs of a gene cluster (TLR4, TLR2, PTGS2 and 5-Lo), involved in innate and inflammatory response, in PC cases, age-matched controls and centenarians from Sicily. Six SNPs were genotyped and their association with PC risk determined. Statistical analysis evidenced a significant association of some pro-inflammatory gene SNPs with an increased risk of PC. Furthermore, significant differences were observed comparing the three groups in the combined presence of a "high responder" pro-inflammatory profile. Overall, the present results suggest the likely association of these SNPs and PC risk, clearly motivating the need of larger studies to confirm the role of these genes in PC development and/or progression.

[Acute acalculous cholecystitis as a complication of hepatitis A: report of 2 pediatric cases]

Acute acalculous cholecystitis (CAA) is very rare in children and it is usually related to infectious agents. We report 2 paediatric cases of CAA complicating hepatitis type A, with a favourable evolution with conservative treatment.

[Hepatitis type A with atypical course]

Hepatitis A virus infection is usually asymptomatic in children. Classic symptomatic forms and atypical clinical manifestations are known. We report a paediatric case of hepatitis A with marked cholestasis, treated with steroids, and with an unusual prolonged course.

In vitro study of the interaction of polyalkilimide and polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels with cells

Hydrogels are a class of polymers that in the last decade have had a great development and application for soft tissue augmentation, due to their similarity to this tissue for their high water content. The in vitro effects of polyalkylmide hydrogel (pAI) and polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel (pVOH) on human lymphocytes and U937 cells viability, apoptosis and cell shape were investigated. Cell viability was always higher than 70%, thus showing the hydrogels were not cytotoxic for both cell lines. Some differences were, however, found. At short time, lymphocytes were very sensitive to the hydrogels incubation, while at long time, U937 cells were the most sensitive cells. Other differences on cell viability were related to the time of incubation, to the type of hydrogel and to the polymers concentration. Cell viability decreased only at the longest time of incubation and with the highest hydrogel concentration. Accordingly, cell death by apoptosis increased; necrosis was never observed in the cultures. Concentration- and hydrogel-dependent modifications of cell shape (bigger cell volume, elongations of cells) were observed in a few percentage of viable cells. In conclusion, the very high in vitro degree of biocompatibility shown by both hydrogels encourages their use as dermal fillers.

[Characteristics of 86 infants' cluster with A.L.T.E. (Apparent Life-Threatening Event): similarities and differences versus main risk factors for SIDS]

In this study we have gathered 86 ALTE infants' characteristics about physiological, familiar, remote and near pathological case history, modality of apnoea episode's presentation, environmental and behavioural conditions of babies and we have compared these ones with main risk factors for SIDS to find possible similarities or differences. Many of the already known differences or similarities between ALTE and SIDS have been confirmed by our data and new ones have been observed. So we can say that the association between ALTE and SIDS remains contrasting because beside undiscussed factors of association there are other ones which differentiate the two Syndromes.

[Analysis of risk factors for SIDS: experience at a referral center]

The aim of this research is to value, with a questionnary for the families, epidemiologic aspects in 20 children died for SIDS. The risk factors we have considered regard: ambiental condition, pregnancy, neonatal and post-neonatal period, and modality of death. The result is that sleeping position, child's age and month in which the death happens, are still the most significant risk factors for SIDS.

[The correlations between color Doppler using a contrast medium and the neoangiogenesis of small prostatic carcinomas]

PURPOSE

To investigate if the use of a contrast agent (Levovist) improves the specificity of US in the diagnosis of prostate carcinoma, having the results of prostate biopsy as the gold standard.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Thirty patients with physical findings suspicious for prostate carcinoma and PSA ranging 5 ng/mL to 15 ng/mL were examined with transrectal US (TRUS) integrated with the color Doppler mode and contrast agent administration (4 g injected at 4 mL/min: 300 mL concentration).

RESULTS

Based on bioptic and surgical results, 14 prostate carcinomas were found, all of them < 1.2 cm. Conventional US recognized the suspected nodule in 11 cases, with 78% sensitivity and 93% specificity. Color Doppler showed color signals in 8/14 cases, which were peripheral to the lesion or intranodular, but did not add any important finding to those of gray-scale US. In contrast, contrast enhanced studies showed 13/14 carcinomas, which improved sensitivity significantly (92%). Particularly, 11/14 lesions had a typical avascular pattern within the strongly enhanced peripheral gland, while 2 small lesions only exhibited intranodular vessels.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

We compared our results with the Microscopic Angiogenesis Grading System (MAGS) index and found it exceeded 30 in the 11 avascular lesions value indicates microneoangiogenesis. In the other two cases a value < 30 was correlated with a different type of tumor vascularization typical of macroangiogenesis.

Correlation between chronic prostatitis syndrome and pelvic venous disease: a survey of 2,554 urologic outpatients

OBJECTIVES

In this study we evaluated the association between chronic prostatitis syndrome (CPS), varicocele and hemorrhoids as manifestations of a pelvic venous disease.

METHODS

Our retrospective study was based upon 2,554 patients treated in two general urology clinics over the past 10 years. We have assessed the incidence of CPS among urological patients.

RESULTS

We found 483 patients with CPS, representing 18.9% of the total number of visits at the outpatient clinic. In this group the percentage of varicocele and hemorrhoids was 14.69 and 8.48%, whereas in a control group these figures were 5.02 and 5.84%, respectively (p<0.001 and 0.1054). Such a difference is statistically significant and suggests a higher prevalence of varicocele in the CPS group, but this may be due to a methodological error of the retrospective study.

CONCLUSION

Only a prospective study, which is of importance due to the frequency of the disease, can give a precise answer to this question.