EAACI guidelines on allergen immunotherapy: Prevention of allergy

Allergic diseases are common and frequently coexist. Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a disease‐modifying treatment for IgE‐mediated allergic disease with effects beyond cessation of AIT that may include important preventive effects. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) has developed a clinical practice guideline to provide evidence‐based recommendations for AIT for the prevention of (i) development of allergic comorbidities in those with established allergic diseases, (ii) development of first allergic condition, and (iii) allergic sensitization. This guideline has been developed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE II) framework, which involved a multidisciplinary expert working group, a systematic review of the underpinning evidence, and external peer‐review of draft recommendations. Our key recommendation is that a 3‐year course of subcutaneous or sublingual AIT can be recommended for children and adolescents with moderate‐to‐severe allergic rhinitis (AR) triggered by grass/birch pollen allergy to prevent asthma for up to 2 years post‐AIT in addition to its sustained effect on AR symptoms and medication. Some trial data even suggest a preventive effect on asthma symptoms and medication more than 2 years post‐AIT. We need more evidence concerning AIT for prevention in individuals with AR triggered by house dust mites or other allergens and for the prevention of allergic sensitization, the first allergic disease, or for the prevention of allergic comorbidities in those with other allergic conditions. Evidence for the preventive potential of AIT as disease‐modifying treatment exists but there is an urgent need for more high‐quality clinical trials.     

A proteomic approach to investigate AuNPs effects in Balb/3T3 cells

Although gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are currently used in several industrial products and biomedical applications, information about their biological effects is very limited. Thus, it is becoming crucial to assess their safety and adequately investigate the complexity of cell–nanoparticles interactions. In this work, the Balb/3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line was selected as an in vitro model to study the effects of AuNPs. Alteration of cellular processes and biochemical pathways caused by AuNPs exposure was investigated by analysing the differentially expressed proteome. Of interest was the difference observed in the protein pattern expression of cells exposed to AuNPs. It was found that 88 and 83 proteins were de-regulated after exposure to 5 and 15 nm AuNPs, respectively. Analysis of the proteome revealed that AuNPs triggers several pathways related to cellular growth and proliferation, cell morphology, cell cycle regulation, cellular function and maintenance, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response. Moreover, SPR analysis showed an increase of ECM proteins biosynthesis in cells exposed to AuNPs. We observed by TEM analysis that NPs are internalized and confined mainly in autophagosomes. Endoplasmic reticulum stressed and modification at mitochondrial level occurred. This study aims to improve existing knowledge necessary for a correct assessment of the balance between AuNPs potential adverse and beneficial effects and might have important implications for biomedical applications (e.g. nanomedicine).     

Open-source,vendor-independent,automated multi-beat tissue Doppler echocardiography analysis

Current guidelines for measuring cardiac function by tissue Doppler recommend using multiple beats, but this has a time cost for human operators. We present an open-source, vendor-independent, drag-and-drop software capable of automating the measurement process. A database of ~8000 tissue Doppler beats (48 patients) from the septal and lateral annuli were analyzed by three expert echocardiographers. We developed an intensity- and gradient-based automated algorithm to measure tissue Doppler velocities. We tested its performance against manual measurements from the expert human operators. Our algorithm showed strong agreement with expert human operators. Performance was indistinguishable from a human operator: for algorithm, mean difference and SDD from the mean of human operators’ estimates 0.48?±?1.12 cm/s (R²?=?0.82); for the humans individually this was 0.43?±?1.11 cm/s (R²?=?0.84), ?0.88?±?1.12 cm/s (R²?=?0.84) and 0.41?±?1.30 cm/s (R²?=?0.78). Agreement between operators and the automated algorithm was preserved when measuring at either the edge or middle of the trace. The algorithm was 10-fold quicker than manual measurements (p?<?0.001). This open-source, vendor-independent, drag-and-drop software can make peak velocity measurements from pulsed wave tissue Doppler traces as accurately as human experts. This automation permits rapid, bias-resistant multi-beat analysis from spectral tissue Doppler images.     

Psychological and Emotional Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on People Living with Chronic Disease: HIV and Cancer

AIDS and Behavior - People living with chronic disease (PLWCD) are the frailest category, both for the risk of severe COVID-19 illness and for the impact on the care continuum. Aim of this study...     

The role of immune mechanisms in alcoholic and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: a 2015 update

So far, innate immune mechanisms have been recognized as the main responsible for the evolution of both alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, increasing evidence points toward the possible role of adaptive immune responses, as an additional factor in promoting hepatic inflammation in steatohepatitis. In this article, we discuss recent data involving circulating antibodies and lymphocyte-mediated responses in sustaining the progression of ASH and NASH to fibrosis, as well as the possible mechanisms implicated in favoring the onset of adaptive immunity in the setting of steatohepatitis.     

Drugs and psychoactive substances in the Tiber River

Wastewater analysis is a direct and objective method used to measure human consumption of illicit drugs. In the last few years these have become a new class of environmental contaminants. The aim of our study was the identification of drugs in Tiber River waters. We collected 20 water samples from May to June 2012, at six points of the river: at the source, near Perugia, near Rome and at the mouth. Samples were analysed using gas chromatography with a mass detector. Basic analytes were extracted using the method of Varian Certify. For acidic analytes we proceed to direct extraction using organic solvents. The most detected drug was ecstasy. We also identified traces of methadone, morphine, heroine, methylamphetamine and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The highest concentration of cocaine was found near Perugia with a peak in the weekend (4744 ng/ml). Psychoactive substances had constant concentrations in the week. Ecstasy (MDMA) was the most detected drug. The most interesting finding was the increased concentration of cocaine and heroin in waters near Perugia showing the alarming phenomenon of weekend use of these substances.     

Ethanol-Induced Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase: Role of Dopamine D1 Receptors

Background:  Addictive drugs activate extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) in brain regions critically involved in their affective and motivational properties. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the ethanol-induced activation of ERK in the nucleus accumbens (Acb) and in the extended amygdala [bed nucleus of the stria terminalis lateralis (BSTL) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA)] and to highlight the role of dopamine (DA) D₁ receptors in these effects.
Methods:  Ethanol (0.5, 1, and 2 g/kg) was administered by gavage and ERK phosphorylation was determined in the nucleus Acb (shell and core), BSTL, and CeA by immunohistochemistry. The DA D₁ receptor antagonist, SCH 39166 (SCH) (50 μg/kg), was administered 10 minutes before ethanol (1 g/kg).
Results:  Quantitative microscopic examination showed that ethanol, dose-dependently increased phospho-ERK immunoreactivity (optical and neuronal densities) in the shell and core of nucleus Acb, BSTL, and CeA. Pretreatment with SCH fully prevented the increases elicited by ethanol (1 g/kg) in all brain regions studied.
Conclusions:  The results of this study indicate that ethanol, similar to other addictive drugs, activates ERK in nucleus Acb and extended amygdala via a DA D₁ receptor-mediated mechanism. Overall, these results suggest that the D₁ receptors/ERK pathway may play a critical role in the motivational properties of ethanol.