Search Results (4)

Cyclic neutropenia is a rare hematological condition characterized by periodic fluctuations in neutrophil counts, with a 21-day periodicity. Clinical presentation varies from mild to severe forms of the disease, with the onset of recurrent fever, painful oral ulcers, recurrent bacterial infections, peritonitis, and septic shock. The availability of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has revolutionized the management and natural history of this disease, regulating the proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of the progenitor cells, and reducing the duration of neutropenia. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a group of chronic pathologies that affect the gastrointestinal tract. The onset of both diseases may be at a young age (even during childhood or adolescence), and clinical manifestations may lead to misdiagnosis, due to similar characteristics such as recurrent infections, oral ulcers, perianal abscesses, and infertility. Moreover, the two pathologies are rarely associated, with different management and therapeutic options. Here, we describe two case reports of patients who underwent surgery because of diagnosis of complicated CD. After surgery, due to persistent neutropenia, the hematologist consultant confirmed suspicions of cyclic neutropenia, and G-CSF therapy was started with benefits, underlining the crucial importance of proper differential diagnosis. Full article

During scientific expeditions in Indonesia and Vietnam, several sponge specimens belonging to the genus Cladocroce were collected. The integration of morphological and molecular analyses, incorporating species delimitation models (ABGD, ASAP, and bPTP) and phylogenetic approaches using three molecular markers (COI, 28S, and 18S–ITS1–5.8S–ITS2–28S), allowed us to discriminate three congeneric species. Two of these species (C. burapha and C. pansinii sp. nov.) were supported by morphological and molecular data, whereas a third species (C. lamellata sp. nov.) was delimited by morphological data only. We formally describe two new species, C. pansinii sp. nov. and C. lamellata sp. nov. C. aculeata is a newly recorded species for Indonesia and the first documented finding after the original description. The re-examination of the type material of C. burapha, and indirectly the molecular approach, allowed us to confirm that C. burapha lives in sympatry with C. pansinii sp. nov. in Vietnam and with C. lamellata in Indonesia. Thanks to these findings, we relocated the paratype of C. burapha to the new species described here, i.e., C. pansinii sp. nov. Full article

Aluminum is an element found in nature and in cosmetic products. It can interfere with the metabolism of other cations, thus inducing gastrointestinal disorder. In cosmetics, aluminum is used in antiperspirants, lipsticks, and toothpastes. The aim of this work is to investigate aluminum bioavailability after accidental oral ingestion derived from the use of a toothpaste containing a greater amount of aluminum hydroxide than advised by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). To simulate in vitro toothpaste accidental ingestion, the INFOGEST model was employed, and the amount of aluminum was measured through the ICP-AES analysis. Tissue barrier integrity was analyzed by measuring transepithelial electric resistance, and the tissue architecture was checked through light microscopy. The margin of safety was also calculated. Overall, our results indicate that the acute exposure to aluminum accidentally ingested from toothpastes is safe for the final user, even in amounts higher than SCCS indications. Full article

Metabolic syndrome (MS) and hepatic steatosis (HS) have been described in patients with celiac disease (CD) after starting a gluten-free diet (GFD), but data on predictive factors for these conditions are scarce. Recently, the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 has been identified as a key factor for HS development in the general population. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of PNPLA3 rs738409 in the development of MS and HS in CD patients after starting GFD. Between June 2014 and September 2016, we consecutively enrolled CD patients with HS, while those without steatosis served as a control group. All patients underwent anthropometric and serologic investigations, ultrasonography (US) to assess the degree and severity of HS, and genotyping of the PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism. Finally, 370 subjects were enrolled (136 with and 234 without HS). At genotyping assays, the CC genotype was found in 194 subjects (52.4%), the CG genotype in 138 subjects (37.3%), and the GG genotype in 38 subjects (10.2%). At binary logistic regression, only CG and GG alleles were predictive for the development of HS (odds ratio (OR) 1.97; p < 0.01 for CG and OR 6.9; p < 0.001 for GG). Body mass index (BMI) (OR 3.8; p < 0.001) and waist circumference (OR 2.8; p = 0.03) at CD diagnosis were the only independent factors for the development of MS. Intergroup comparisons showed that the severe grade of HS was more frequently observed in GG than in CC carriers (74% vs. 11.3%, p < 0.001, OR 21.8). PNPLA3 CG and GG carriers with CD have a higher susceptibility to hepatic steatosis, but not to metabolic syndrome. Moreover, patients with GG alleles display more severe forms of HS based on ultrasound. Full article