IRIS UniSR (’Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele)
Not a member yet
54666 research outputs found
Sort by
All-Cause Mortality in People With Four-Class Drug-Resistant Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Matched Cohort Analysis With Data From the PRESTIGIO Registry
No full textPeople with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PWH) with 4-drug class resistance (4DR) had a higher risk of death than non-4DR PWH, primarily due to lower CD4 cell counts. The priority for this vulnerable population is achieving virological control to enable immune recovery
Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Classification and Novel Role of Endoscopic Ultrasound in Diagnosis and Treatment Personalization
No full textThe incidence and prevalence of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms are steadily increasing. These tumors are highly heterogeneous, with treatment options ranging from observation to surgery, and various medical therapies. The choice of treatment is influenced by factors such as tumor stage, grade (proliferative activity), and the presence of hormone-related syndromes. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is becoming increasingly valuable for assessing pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, offering detailed morphological, vascular, and functional information through techniques such as contrast enhancement and elastography. It also allows biopsies that are useful for both histopathological and molecular analyses. These tumors are highly heterogeneous, with treatment options ranging from observation to various medical therapies and surgery. Recent data suggest that small, non-functioning PanNENs with low proliferation rates may be safely monitored, whereas more aggressive or functioning tumors typically require surgery. EUS-guided ablation is a promising alternative for patients with functional pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms who are unsuitable for surgery, although randomized trials are needed. In non-resectable pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, treatment options include somatostatin analogs, targeted therapies (e.g., everolimus, sunitinib), chemotherapy, and radioligand therapy. This review discusses key factors in planning personalized treatment strategies for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.The incidence and prevalence of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms are steadily increasing. These tumors are highly heterogeneous, with treatment options ranging from observation to surgery, and various medical therapies. The choice of treatment is influenced by factors such as tumor stage, grade (proliferative activity), and the presence of hormone-related syndromes. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is becoming increasingly valuable for assessing pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, offering detailed morphological, vascular, and functional information through techniques such as contrast enhancement and elastography. It also allows biopsies that are useful for both histopathological and molecular analyses. These tumors are highly heterogeneous, with treatment options ranging from observation to various medical therapies and surgery. Recent data suggest that small, non-functioning PanNENs with low proliferation rates may be safely monitored, whereas more aggressive or functioning tumors typically require surgery. EUS-guided ablation is a promising alternative for patients with functional pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms who are unsuitable for surgery, although randomized trials are needed. In non-resectable pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, treatment options include somatostatin analogs, targeted therapies (e.g., everolimus, sunitinib), chemotherapy, and radioligand therapy. This review discusses key factors in planning personalized treatment strategies for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms
Mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair and outcomes according to baseline health status: the RESHAPE-HF2 trial
No full textBackground and Aims: Mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) using the MitraClip device improves clinical outcomes in patients with moderate-to-severe ventricular secondary mitral regurgitation (vSMR) and heart failure (HF). This study evaluated whether the effects of M-TEER on clinical outcomes vary by baseline health status, as measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), and assessed the impact of M-TEER on health status post-randomization. Methods: The RESHAPE-HF2 trial included patients with symptomatic HF and moderate-to-severe vSMR (mean effective regurgitant orifice area .25 cm(2); 14% >.40 cm(2), 23% <.20 cm(2)). The impact of baseline KCCQ-clinical summary score (CSS) on the effect of M-TEER on clinical outcomes was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. Changes post-randomization in health status and responder analyses were performed to assess the odds ratio (OR) of improvement and deterioration in KCCQ scores. Results: Among 505 patients, M-TEER reduced cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization risk [hazard ratio (HR): .71 (.48-1.05), .50 (.29-.85), and .73 (.38-1.41)] across KCCQ-CSS tertiles of <38.9, 38.9-66.1, and >66.1, respectively (P-trend = .53). Similar results were seen for total HF hospitalization (P-trend = .48). M-TEER improved KCCQ-CSS, total symptom score, and overall summary score at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months compared to medical therapy alone (P < .05 at all time points). More patients in the M-TEER arm experienced a >= 5-point [OR 3.38 (2.09-5.45)], >= 10-point [OR 3.12 (1.93-5.02)], and >= 15-point [OR 3.25 (1.94-5.45)] improvement, and less patients had a >= 5-point deterioration [OR .34 (.19-.57)] in KCCQ-CSS at 6 months. Similar results were seen across other KCCQ domains and all time points. Conclusions: In patients with HF and moderate-to-severe vSMR, M-TEER showed a consistent trend towards a lower risk of HF hospitalization, with or without cardiovascular death, across all KCCQ-CSS tertiles and improved health status over time
Machine Learning Predicts Risk of Falls in Parkison's Disease Patients in a Multicenter Observational Study
No full textBackground: Postural instability and gait difficulties are key symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), elevating the risk of falls substantially. Falls afflict 35% to 90% of PD patients, representing a major challenge in managing the condition. Accurate prediction of fall risk and identification of contributing factors are essential for timely interventions. Objectives: Our objective was to develop and validate a machine learning (ML) algorithm across multiple centers in Italy to accurately forecast fall risk and identify related factors using routinely collected clinical data. Methods: Patient data from two Italian centers (N = 251) were divided into a training cohort (N = 164) for ML model development and a validation cohort (N = 87). External validation was conducted on a subset of PPMI study patients (N = 65). We compared the performance of logistic regression (LR) and Support Vector Classifier (SVC) models trained on clinical data. The Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was employed to examine the predictive power of individual variables. Results: In the training set, SVC outperformed LR slightly (AUC: LR = 0.779 ± 0.054, SVC = 0.792 ± 0.056). However, LR demonstrated better prediction accuracy in both internal (AUC: LR = 0.753, SVC = 0.733) and external validation cohorts (AUC: LR = 0.714, SVC = 0.676). SHAP analysis on the LR model revealed associations between fall risk and both motor and non-motor variables. Conclusions: ML-based models effectively estimate fall risk across different clinical centers, enabling tailored interventions to enhance PD patients' quality of life. Challenges persist in predicting falls in US-based patients due to demographic and healthcare system differences
A WFS1 variant disrupting acceptor splice site uncovers the impact of alternative splicing on beta cell apoptosis in a patient with Wolfram syndrome
No full textAims/hypothesis: Wolfram syndrome 1 (WS1) is an inherited condition mainly manifesting in childhood-onset diabetes mellitus and progressive optic nerve atrophy. The causative gene, WFS1, encodes wolframin, a master regulator of several cellular responses, and the gene’s mutations associate with clinical variability. Indeed, nonsense/frameshift variants correlate with more severe symptoms than missense/in-frame variants. As achieving a genotype–phenotype correlation is crucial for dealing with disease outcome, works investigating the impact of transcriptional and translational landscapes stemming from such mutations are needed. Therefore, we sought to elucidate the molecular determinants behind the pathophysiological alterations in a WS1 patient carrying compound heterozygous mutations in WFS1: c.316-1G>A, affecting the acceptor splice site (ASS) upstream of exon 4; and c.757A>T, introducing a premature termination codon (PTC) in exon 7. Methods: Bioinformatic analysis was carried out to infer the alternative splicing events occurring after disruption of ASS, followed by RNA-seq and PCR to validate the transcriptional landscape. Patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were used as an in vitro model of WS1 and to investigate the WFS1 alternative splicing isoforms in pancreatic beta cells. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was employed to correct ASS mutation and generate a syngeneic control for the endoplasmic reticulum stress induction and immunotoxicity assays. Results: We showed that patient-derived iPSCs retained the ability to differentiate into pancreatic beta cells. We demonstrated that the allele carrying the ASS mutation c.316-1G>A originates two PTC-containing alternative splicing transcripts (c.316del and c.316–460del), and two open reading frame-conserving mRNAs (c.271–513del and c.316–456del) leading to N-terminally truncated polypeptides. By retaining the C-terminal domain, these isoforms sustained the endoplasmic reticulum stress response in beta cells. Otherwise, PTC-carrying transcripts were regulated by the nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) in basal conditions. Exposure to cell stress inducers and proinflammatory cytokines affected expression levels of the NMD-related gene SMG7 (>twofold decrease; p<0.001) without eliciting a robust unfolded protein response in WFS1 beta cells. This resulted in a dramatic accumulation of the PTC-containing isoforms c.316del (>100-fold increase over basal; p<0.001) and c.316–460del (>20-fold increase over basal; p<0.001), predisposing affected beta cells to undergo apoptosis. Cas9-mediated recovery of ASS retrieved the canonical transcriptional landscape, rescuing the normal phenotype in patient-derived beta cells. Conclusions/interpretation: This study represents a new model to study wolframin, highlighting how each single mutation of the WFS1 gene can determine dramatically different functional outcomes. Our data point to increased vulnerability of WFS1 beta cells to stress and inflammation and we postulate that this is triggered by escaping NMD and accumulation of mutated transcripts and truncated proteins. These findings pave the way for further studies on the molecular basis of genotype–phenotype relationship in WS1, to uncover the key determinants that might be targeted to ameliorate the clinical outcome of patients affected by this rare disease. Data availability: The in silico predicted N-terminal domain structure file of WT wolframin was deposited in the ModelArchive, together with procedures, ramachandran plots, inter-residue distance deviation and IDDT scores, and Gromacs configuration files (doi/10.5452/ma-cg3qd). The deep-sequencing data as fastq files used to generate consensus sequences of AS isoforms of WFS1 are available in the SRA database (BioProject PRJNA1109747). Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.)Aims/hypothesis: Wolfram syndrome 1 (WS1) is an inherited condition mainly manifesting in childhood-onset diabetes mellitus and progressive optic nerve atrophy. The causative gene, WFS1, encodes wolframin, a master regulator of several cellular responses, and the gene’s mutations associate with clinical variability. Indeed, nonsense/frameshift variants correlate with more severe symptoms than missense/in-frame variants. As achieving a genotype–phenotype correlation is crucial for dealing with disease outcome, works investigating the impact of transcriptional and translational landscapes stemming from such mutations are needed. Therefore, we sought to elucidate the molecular determinants behind the pathophysiological alterations in a WS1 patient carrying compound heterozygous mutations in WFS1: c.316-1G>A, affecting the acceptor splice site (ASS) upstream of exon 4; and c.757A>T, introducing a premature termination codon (PTC) in exon 7. Methods: Bioinformatic analysis was carried out to infer the alternative splicing events occurring after disruption of ASS, followed by RNA-seq and PCR to validate the transcriptional landscape. Patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were used as an in vitro model of WS1 and to investigate the WFS1 alternative splicing isoforms in pancreatic beta cells. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was employed to correct ASS mutation and generate a syngeneic control for the endoplasmic reticulum stress induction and immunotoxicity assays. Results: We showed that patient-derived iPSCs retained the ability to differentiate into pancreatic beta cells. We demonstrated that the allele carrying the ASS mutation c.316-1G>A originates two PTC-containing alternative splicing transcripts (c.316del and c.316–460del), and two open reading frame-conserving mRNAs (c.271–513del and c.316–456del) leading to N-terminally truncated polypeptides. By retaining the C-terminal domain, these isoforms sustained the endoplasmic reticulum stress response in beta cells. Otherwise, PTC-carrying transcripts were regulated by the nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) in basal conditions. Exposure to cell stress inducers and proinflammatory cytokines affected expression levels of the NMD-related gene SMG7 (>twofold decrease; p100-fold increase over basal; p20-fold increase over basal; p<0.001), predisposing affected beta cells to undergo apoptosis. Cas9-mediated recovery of ASS retrieved the canonical transcriptional landscape, rescuing the normal phenotype in patient-derived beta cells. Conclusions/interpretation: This study represents a new model to study wolframin, highlighting how each single mutation of the WFS1 gene can determine dramatically different functional outcomes. Our data point to increased vulnerability of WFS1 beta cells to stress and inflammation and we postulate that this is triggered by escaping NMD and accumulation of mutated transcripts and truncated proteins. These findings pave the way for further studies on the molecular basis of genotype–phenotype relationship in WS1, to uncover the key determinants that might be targeted to ameliorate the clinical outcome of patients affected by this rare disease. Data availability: The in silico predicted N-terminal domain structure file of WT wolframin was deposited in the ModelArchive, together with procedures, ramachandran plots, inter-residue distance deviation and IDDT scores, and Gromacs configuration files (doi/10.5452/ma-cg3qd). The deep-sequencing data as fastq files used to generate consensus sequences of AS isoforms of WFS1 are available in the SRA database (BioProject PRJNA1109747)
fMRI in Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Scientific Insights to Clinical Applications
No full textfMRI is a technology with great promise as a tool to probe abnormalities of brain activity and connectivity in neurodegenerative diseases. The detection of functional brain changes may be useful, in the appropriate clinical context, for early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, or prognostication. Prediction of response to treatment or therapeutic monitoring may also be possible with fMRI. In addition, fMRI has the potential to provide a variety of scientific insights that may have clinical relevance, including compensatory hyperactivation of brain circuits or genetic modulation of functional brain activity
Clinical and Multimodal Imaging of Acute Outer Retinopathy: Expanding the Spectrum of Acute Annular Outer Retinopathy
No full textPurpose: To describe the clinical features, multimodal imaging findings, natural history, and treatment outcomes of acute outer retinopathy (AOR), which represents an expanded spectrum of acute annular outer retinopathy. Design: Retrospective, observational, longitudinal, multicenter case series. Participants: Twenty-three patients (15 female; 8 male) with a mean age of 41.8 ± 18.6 years (range: 14–86 years) and a mean follow-up duration of 3.7 ± 1.5 years (range: 1–12 years). Methods: Clinical characteristics, multimodal imaging findings, laboratory evaluations, genetic testing, natural history, therapeutic management, and outcomes were reviewed and analyzed. Main Outcomes Measures: Specific multimodal imaging signatures of AOR were identified, including findings from ophthalmoscopy, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), and OCT. Humphrey visual field testing, full-field electroretinography (ERG), and multifocal ERG were analyzed. Baseline features and the natural course of the disease were delineated. Results: Thirty-eight eyes from 23 patients were analyzed. Presenting symptoms included photopsia (87%), blurred vision (57%), and scotoma (57%). On ophthalmoscopy, AOR was acutely characterized by yellow-grayish outer retinal lesions corresponding to hyperautofluorescent changes on FAF and the angular sign of Henle fiber layer hyperreflectivity (ASHH) on OCT. Fundus autofluorescence imaging revealed ring-like hyperautofluorescent lesions surrounding the optic disc in 18% of eyes. Additional lesion patterns on FAF included perivenular (53%), sectoral (16%), and spot-like distributions (13%). Fluorescein angiography and ICGA findings were mostly unremarkable. Lesion progression primarily occurred within the initial weeks after presentation and stabilized in size beyond this period in the majority of eyes. Over time, affected areas progressed to outer retinal atrophy with pigmentary changes. Foveal sparing was observed in 68% of the eyes. None of the therapeutic interventions appeared effective in halting the progression to complete outer retinal atrophy or preventing lesion enlargement. Conclusions: Acute outer retinopathy is characterized by early photoreceptor disruption, evidenced by ASHH on OCT, leading to rapid outer retinal atrophy and subsequent degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium within the damaged zones. Although distinct patterns of lesion distribution were observed, their consistent features on multimodal imaging support their inclusion within a unified disease spectrum termed AOR. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article
Teropavimab and zinlirvimab sensitivity in people living with multidrug-resistant HIV-1: data from the PRESTIGIO Registry
Full text linkWe characterized sensitivity to teropavimab (TAB) and zinlirvimab (ZAB) in people living with four-class drug-resistant HIV (4DR-PWH). This was a multicenter, observational study using plasma or peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from 50 4DR-PWH (25 with HIV-1 RNA > 1,000 copies/mL matched by age, sex, nadir CD4+, and years on ART to 25 virologically suppressed [HIV-1 RNA < 50 copies/mL]) enrolled in the PRESTIGIO Registry (NCT04098315) with a documented 4DR (NRTIs, NNRTIs, PIs, and INSTIs). Phenotypic sensitivity to bNAbs was determined using the PhenoSense monoclonal antibody assay (Monogram), with susceptibility defined as IC90 <= 2 g/mL. The HIV-1 envelope was genotyped by next-generation sequencing, and sequences were analyzed for the presence of multi-position HIV-1 envelope amino acid signatures associated with in vitro phenotypic susceptibility to TAB and ZAB. Of 46/50 (92%) participants with PhenoSense mAb assay results, 35 (76%) were phenotypically sensitive to TAB, 23 (50%) to ZAB, and 19 (41%) to both bNAbs; seven (15%) were phenotypically resistant to both bNAbs. The proportion of individuals with sensitivity to both bNAbs was similar in participants with viremia (41%) and those with virologic suppression (42%; P = 0.99). We observed marginal correlations between TAB 90% inhibitory concentration (IC90) values and years since HIV diagnosis at the time of sample collection (Spearman r = 0.29, P = 0.05) as well as between ZAB IC90 values and CD8+ cell count (Spearman r = -0.32, P = 0.05). A significant number of the 4DR-PWH analyzed were found to have virus susceptible to TAB and ZAB. These data provide proof-of-concept that selected multidrug-resistant PWH may be candidates for future trials investigating bNAbs-containing regimens to achieve or maintain virologic suppression
Improving Recurrence Prediction in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: The Synergistic Impact of the FIB-4 Index and Tumor Burden Score on Post-hepatectomy Outcomes
No full textBackground: The prognostic role of the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index relative to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after hepatectomy remains unclear. This study sought to characterize the impact of the FIB-4 index and tumor burden score (TBS) on recurrence and overall survival (OS). Methods: ICC patients undergoing hepatectomy (2000–2020) were identified using a multi-institutional database. Patients were categorized as low (low TBS/low FIB-4 index), intermediate (low TBS/high FIB-4 index or high TBS/low FIB-4 index), and high (high TBS/high FIB-4 index). Results: Among 1168 patients in different TBS and FIB-4 index cohorts, 3-year recurrence varied considerably. For instance, among the patients with low TBS, individuals with a high FIB-4 index had a greater risk of recurrence than patients with a low FIB-4 index (59.9 vs. 47.7%; P = 0.01). Among patients with a high TBS, individuals with a high versus a low FIB-4 index had a higher incidence of recurrence (76.8 vs. 69.0%; P = 0.04). A similar pattern was observed among patients with both a low FIB-4 index (low [47.7%] vs. high [69.0%] TBS) and a high FIB-4 index (low [59.9%] vs. high [76.8%] TBS; both P < 0.001). Patients with a high [27.5%] versus a low [48.8%] TBS; P < 0.001) and patients with a high [34.2%] versus a low [43.5%] FIB-4 index; P = 0.01) had a worse OS. The multivariable analysis demonstrated an increasing risk of recurrence in the intermediate-index (hazard ratio [HR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20–2.16; P = 0.001) and high-index (HR, 2.13; 95% CI 1.45–3.13; P < 0.001) groups versus the low-index group. Conclusions: Both tumor-related and non-tumorous characteristics should be used to predict risk of recurrence and survival more accurately among patients with ICC following hepatic resection
Polygenic score from MODY genes is associated with type 1 diabetes and disease characteristics
Full text linkAimsThis study evaluates the contribution of common variants in Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) genes on type 1 diabetes (T1D), using a polygenic score (PGS) approach.Methods485 children and youth diagnosed with T1D from at least 1 year and 271 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Personal information (i.e. age, sex, height, weight) were collected for each participant, and clinical information (i.e. age at diagnosis, disease duration, presence of autoantibodies and ketoacidosis at onset (DKA)) were also obtained for T1D subjects.Participants were genotyped using Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array. PGS based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in 16 MODY genes were developed. The association of this PGS with T1D susceptibility and clinical disease characteristics was assessed by regression analysis.Methods485 children and youth diagnosed with T1D from at least 1 year and 271 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Personal information (i.e. age, sex, height, weight) were collected for each participant, and clinical information (i.e. age at diagnosis, disease duration, presence of autoantibodies and ketoacidosis at onset (DKA)) were also obtained for T1D subjects.Participants were genotyped using Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array. PGS based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in 16 MODY genes were developed. The association of this PGS with T1D susceptibility and clinical disease characteristics was assessed by regression analysis.ResultsA PGS including 335 SNPs in MODY genes discriminates T1D from HC (AUC = 60.1%, AIC = 787.6). This PGS was significantly higher in T1D compared to HC (p-value = 0.0004, pseudo-R2 = 2.85%). Moreover, regression analysis between PGS and T1D clinical characteristics showed higher PGS values in T1D subjects with zinc transporter 8 autoantibodies (ZnT8A) compared with T1D subjects without ZnT8A (p-value = 0.04). A similar trend was also observed for antibodies directed against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA), although the association did not reach statistical significance (p-value = 0.06).ConclusionsOur study suggests that a polygenic approach based on MODY genes may discriminate T1D from HC and may contribute to patient stratification, helping to better understand T1D heterogeneity