Distribution of TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor phenotype and haplotypes among COVID-19 patients.

Bitter taste receptor TAS2R38 is expressed in the respiratory tract and can respond to quorum-sensing molecules produced by pathogens, stimulating the release of nitric oxide, with biocidal activity. TAS2R38 presents two main high-frequency haplotypes: the "taster" PAV and the "non-taster" AVI. Individuals carrying the AVI allele could be at greater risk of infections, including SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of PAV and AVI alleles in COVID-19 patients with severe or non-severe symptoms compared to healthy subjects to further corroborate, or not, the hypothesis that the PAV allele may act as a protecting factor towards SARS-CoV-2 infection while the AVI one may represent a risk factor. After careful selection, 54 individuals were included in the study and underwent genetic analysis and PROP phenotype assessment. Our investigation could not point out at a significant relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms responsible for PROP bitterness and presence/severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as previous studies suggested. Our results uncouple the direct genetic contribution of rs10246939, rs1726866 and rs713598 on COVID-19, calling for caution when proposing a treatment based on TAS2R38 phenotypes.

[Echocardiographic measurement of left ventricular function in athletes (author's transl)]. / Valutazione ecocardiografica della funzione ventricolare sinistra nell'attività atletica.

Echocardiographic measurements were performed on fifteen football players, in moderate training and on untrained control groups. In comparison with the untrained subjects the echocardiographic tests displayed in athletes a 34% increase in the stroke volume, a 23% increase in the left cavity in diastole, a 11% increase in thickness of left wall in diastole, an increase of the area of the heart's transverse section and of the left miocardial volume. The contractility and pump indexes were the same for both groups of subjects. In conclusion, football is a compound type sport, implying mainly isotonic muscle contractions and isometric too; miocardial hypertrophy in football players' heart has a physiological character.

[Ecographic results of mitral commisurotomy (author's transl)]. / Risultati ecografici nella commissurotomia mitralica

Echocardiographic studies were performed both before and after commissurotomy on fifteen subjects affected by non-calcified mitral stenosis. The amplitude CE of the anterior leaflet dis placement, the slope of the CD and EF intervals, the amplitude of the A-wave, the ratio FA/DE and the reciprocal position of the anterior and posterior leaflet echoes were measured on the echographic records. These data were compared with the values obtained in ten normal subjects. After commissurotomy, the slope of the CD interval and most evidently that of the EF interval increased (the last one by a factor of 3), and the area of the mitral opening was found to be more than 9% larger. The A-wave reappeared clearly in 30% of the operated patients, and the outline of the posterior leaflet was no longer inscribed in the anterior leaflet diastolic curve in all cases; the amplitude CE was unchanged.

[A semi-automatic system for the analysis of ecocardiographic tracings (author's transl)]. / Un sistema di analisi semiautomatica di tracciati ecocardiografici.

A semi-automatic system is described for analysis of echocardiographic traces of the left ventricle. Filtering interpolating and averaging processes are discussed and the overall accuracy evaluated. The program is able to calculate ventricular indexes (strake volume, ejection fraction, circumferential velocity of fiber shortening), continuous functions (istantaneous ventricular diameter and volume, wall thickness, velocity of cavity compression and dilation) and, correlating the echo data with pressure values, circumferential stresss and ventricular compliance. Pressure is obtained along the ejection phase only from the carotidal pulse calibrated by means of the brachial pressure values. Advantages and limits of the method are discussed.