Pregnancy rate in IVF patients with unexpected poor response to ovarian stimulation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether an unexpected poor response (cases with ≤3 oocytes) leads to a reduction in the pregnancy rate in IVF cycles compared to a suboptimal response (controls with 4-9 oocytes) in women with adequate ovarian reserve. METHODS: A nested case-control study performed in a retrospective cohort of couples undergoing IVF at the Infertility Unit of the ASST Lariana. Cases and controls had adequate ovarian reserve and were matched 1:1 for female age and number of previous cycles. Cumulative clinical pregnancy rate per oocyte retrieval was the main outcome. RESULTS: Overall, 113 cases and 113 matched controls were included; the median number of available oocytes was 2 and 6, respectively. The cumulative pregnancy rate per cycle was significantly reduced in cases compared to controls with a crude odds ratio = 0.45 [95% Confidence Interval: 0.28-0.82]. A binomial logistic model indicated that an increase in one oocyte increases the odds for cumulative pregnancy rate per cycle by 1.27 in women with 9 oocytes or less. The cumulative pregnancy rates per cycle in cases and controls, according to female age were respectively: 29% versus 54% in patients aged <35 years (p = 0.036); 22% versus 43% in patients aged 36-39 years (p = 0.048) and 11% versus 13% in patients 40-45 years old (p = 0.72). Patients belonging to older age groups showed decreasing probability of cumulative clinical pregnancy rates both among cases and controls group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The number of available oocytes significantly affects the probability of success in IVF cycles with unexpected impaired ovarian response.

The "Stay at home" COVID-19 lockdown restriction may have prevented asthma exacerbations in children affected by pollen allergy: a single center experience.

BACKGROUND: The "Stay at home" COVID-19 lockdown restriction represented a "real-life experiment" of pollen avoidance for children affected by pollen allergy. METHODS: The study retrospectively analyzed all children with a known diagnosis of pollen-allergy asthma who attended the emergency department (ED) for an asthma exacerbations (AE) in the town of Mantua and its province in the period March 09-May 03 of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. RESULTS: In 2020, 4 (0.7%) children with a known diagnosis of pollen-allergy accessed the ED for an AE. Pediatric access was a total of 20 (0.5%) and 12 (0.3%) in 2018 and 2019 in the same period. The rate of hospitalization was 0 in 2020 versus 3 (15%) and 1 (8.3%) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The inevitable pollen avoidance during COVID-19 lockdown may have prevented asthma exacerbations in children affected by pollen allergy.

Ventana óptima de introducción de alimentos y prevención de alergias alimentarias en lactantes de alto riesgo / Optimal window of food introduction and prevention of food allergies in high-risk infants

En las últimas décadas, la introducción temprana de alimentos en la dieta de los lactantes se ha descrito como un factor de riesgo para el desarrollo de ciertas patologías, entre las que destacan las alergias alimentarias. Debido a la creciente prevalencia de las alergias alimentarias, tanto en países en vías de desarrollo como en países desarrollados, resulta necesario identificar el momento óptimo de introducción de alimentos para la prevención de alergias en lactantes de alto riesgo. La evidencia más reciente, ha demostrado que las estrategias propuestas hasta el momento de retrasar la exposición a los alimentos alergénicos, no ha reducido el riesgo de desarrollar alergias. Esto ha producido un cambio de paradigma que ha derivado en la publicación de nuevas guías que recomiendan no retrasar la introducción de alimentos sólidos después de los 4-6 meses de edad, tanto en lactantes de bajo como de alto riesgo, para prevenir la alergia alimentaria. En la presente revisión, se describe la evidencia científica actual sobre la relación entre el momento de la introducción de alimentos alergénicos (maní, huevos, leche, cereales y pescado) en la dieta de los lactantes y el desarrollo de alergias alimentarias(AU)

In recent decades, the early introduction of foods in infants' diet has been described as a risk factor for developing specific pathologies, among which food allergies stand out. Due to the increasing prevalence of food allergies, both in developing and developed countries, it is necessary to identify the optimal time to introduce foods to prevent allergies in high-risk infants. The most recent evidence has shown that the strategies proposed to delay exposure to allergenic foods have not reduced the risk of developing allergies. Therefore, a paradigm shift has led to the publication of new guidelines that recommend not delaying the introduction of solid foods after 4-6 months of age, both in low-risk and high-risk infants, to prevent food allergy. In this review, we describe the current scientific evidence on the relationship between the timing of the introduction of allergenic foods (peanuts, eggs, milk, cereals, and fish) into infants' diet and the development of food allergies(AU)

Proteomic analysis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: identification of differentially expressed protein by 2-D DIGE.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the most common neoplasm affecting the adult kidney, is characterised by heterogeneity of histological subtypes, drug resistance, and absence of molecular markers. Two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) technology in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) was applied to detect differentially expressed proteins in 20 pairs of RCC tissues and matched adjacent normal kidney cortex (ANK), in order to search for RCC markers. After gel analysis by DeCyder 6.5 and EDA software, differentially expressed protein spots were excised from Deep Purple stained preparative 2DE gel. A total of 100 proteins were identified by MS out of 2500 spots, 23 and 77 of these were, respectively, over- and down-expressed in RCC. The Principal Component Analysis applied to gels and protein spots exactly separated the two sample classes in two groups: RCC and ANK. Moreover, some spots, including ANXA2, PPIA, FABP7 and LEG1, resulted highly differential. The DIGE data were also confirmed by immunoblotting analysis for these proteins. In conclusion, we suggest that applying 2-D DIGE to RCC may provide the basis for a better molecular characterization and for the discovery of candidate biomarkers.

Drug treatments in a neonatal setting: focus on the off-label use in the first month of life.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to analyse drugs prescribed in the first month of life among a group of newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Pathology of Cagliari University Hospital. METHOD: This pilot study was prospectively conducted during a 1-month period and involved all newborns admitted to our hospital that received a pharmacotherapy. After obtaining written parental consent, data collected from each newborn included date of birth, sex, gestational age and weight. Also, diagnosis and information about each drug administered during the first month of life: dose, frequency, route of administration, and indication for use was collected. RESULTS: Among the 79 newborn infants admitted to our hospital during the study period, 38 received a pharmacotherapy and were enrolled in our study. A total of 88 treatments were given: 41 (47%) followed the terms of the product license, 47 (53%) were used in an unlicensed or off-label manner. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm this trend of drug use in the neonatological field and suggest the need to update information contained in the data sheets of medicines.