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Summary Background Allergy and asthma are typical disorders of the affluent societies. Migrants from developing to industrialized countries seem to be at increased risk of allergy and asthma development. Objective To evaluate time of onset, spectrum of sensitization and clinical features in a population of extra-European immigrants to Milan, Italy, complaining of allergy and asthma symptoms. Methods Data regarding 243 extra-European immigrants checked at an allergy clinic from 1994 to 2000 were collected retrospectively. The demographic data were compared with those of the extra-European immigrants living in Milan at the end of 1999. Results The patients were complaining of asthma (63.7%), rhinoconjunctivitis (56.7%), rhinitis alone (21%) or urticaria (3%). One hundred and eighty-seven out of 222 patients (84.3%) declared they were healthy before migrating and allergy/asthma symptoms started to appear after their arrival in Italy, namely after an average period of 4 years and 7 months. The proportion of male patients was lower than the proportion of men in the extra-European immigrant population (48% vs. 55%), suggesting that in adult immigrants allergy and asthma are more common in women than in men. Furthermore, there was an over-representation of Central-South Americans attending the clinic, which seemed to be due to a genetic predisposition to allergy/asthma development. When data were analysed for single countries, a trend towards an increased risk of allergy and asthma was found in immigrants from all Central-South American countries. A skin test positivity for at least one inhalant allergen was found in 196 out of 232 patients (81%), and the spectrum of allergic sensitization was similar to that of the Italian population living in the North of Italy. Conclusion Most extra-European immigrants declared that they were healthy at home and that allergy and asthma symptoms had appeared after immigration to Milan; lifestyle and environmental factors in a western... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Introduction Methods Results Conclusions Early intervention represents an opportunity to contain psychological distress and intervene promptly on conditions that, otherwise, could assume a chronic course. Based on these observations, an early intervention programme for people 18–25 years old, the ‘Progetto Giovani’ (Youth Project), was implemented in two adult mental health services (AMHSs) in the northwest of Italy.This study aims to describe the socio‐demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients included in the Youth Project from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2022. A retrospective observational design was used.In 10 years, 323 patients were taken into care. More than half (56.3%) were females; the mean age was 20.7 years (SD 2.3). The most frequent diagnosis was anxiety disorder (38%). Seventy per cent of subjects benefitted from psychological treatment, and 60.8% had a pharmacological prescription. In 87.8% of cases, the care pathway was ≤ 24 months, and more than two‐thirds of the subjects did not go to another AMHS after discharge. More than 90% of subjects did not require hospitalisation in the psychiatric diagnostic and treatment service.These findings suggest that early intervention programmes may be a valuable tool for AMHSs to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden on the healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphadenitis is the most common presentation of extra pulmonary tuberculosis, whereas gastrointestinal localization, particularly duodenal involvement, is rare. We report a case of extra pulmonary tuberculosis with association between cervical lymphadenitis and duodenitis with multiple ulcers, not responsive to treatment with protonic pump inhibitors, in a human immunodeficiency virus-seronegative adult woman of Eritrean origin. Clinical patterns of duodenal TB, diagnostic difficulties and aetiopathogenesis are discussed according to the literature. In this case report it is suggested that tuberculous infection must be considered when duodenal ulcers fail to respond to proton pump inhibitors, especially when the patient comes from an endemic area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently identified rs3918226 as a hypertension susceptibility locus (−665 C>T), TT homozygosity being associated with higher hypertension risk. T compared with C allele transfected cells had lower endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression. In the family-based Flemish Study on Environment, Genes and Health Outcomes (50.9% women; mean age 40.3 years), we investigated whether 32 TT homozygotes had worse outcomes than 2787 C allele carriers. Over 15 years (median), total and cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular and coronary events amounted to 269 (9.5%), 98 (3.5%), 247 (8.8%) and 120 (4.3%), respectively. While accounting for family clusters, the hazard ratios associated with TT homozygosity were 4.11 (P=0.0052) for cardiovascular mortality (4 deaths), 2.75 (P=0.0067) for cardiovascular events (7 endpoints) and 3.10 (P=0.022) for coronary events (4 endpoints). With adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, these hazard ratios were 6.01 (P=0.0003), 2.64 (P=0.0091) and 2.89 (P=0.010), respectively. Analyses unadjusted for blood pressure and antihypertensive treatment produced consistent results. For all fatal plus nonfatal cardiovascular events, the positive predictive value, attributable risk and population-attributable risk associated with TT homozygosity were 21.9, 61.5 and 2.0%, respectively. In conclusion, TT homozygosity at the position −665 in the eNOS promoter predicts adverse outcomes, independent of blood pressure and other risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Italy, Corynephorus communities are distributed along the medium course of the Ticino river and Sesia river and the internal sand dunes of Lomellina (through the Vercelli, Novara and Pavia provinces); these stations represent the southern limit of European distribution of this habitat. A phytosociological study was carried out to gain better knowledge of their composition; of their affinity or diversity against the central European communities; of their distribution and of the main threats to their conservation. Original and literature relevés (114) were elaborated producing a cluster analysis; correspondence analysis (CA), principal component analysis and Kruskal–Wallis test were carried on to characterize the clusters of relevés taking into consideration biological forms, chorological groups, Ellenberg indicator values and floristic groups. Italian Corynephorus communities can be attributed to the following syntaxa: Spergulo vernalis-Corynephoretum canescentis, Spergulo vernalis-Corynephoretum canescentis cladonietosum, Spergulo vernalis-Corynephoretum canescentis silenetosum nutantis and Spergulo vernalis-Corynephoretum canescentis artemisietosum campestris. Italian Corynephorus communities are included in the Habitat 2330 of the EU Habitat Directive. They are threatened by different factors (such as restricted areas of occurrence, alien plant invasion and natural dynamics) and they need to be managed if we want to conserve them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the largest subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) and is characterized by relatively frequent extranodal presentation. In these cases, the most common extranodal localizations are stomach, CNS, bone, testis and liver. Simultaneous detection of multiple extranodal involvement at presentation is quite uncommon, with the majority of these cases characterized by gastric or intestinal disease localization. Retrospective analysis concerning multifocal extranodal NHLs never pointed out disease features such as those described here. We report a patient with an unusual presentation of DLBCL, characterized by adrenal and renal involvement, associated with symptoms and signs of the cold agglutinin disease and a hypercoagulable state. Subsequently, computed tomography (CT) and fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scanning disclosed a rapidly extensive spread to nodes and bones. Cytofluorimetric analysis of a renal specimen showed medium-to-large lympho-monocytoid elements positive for CD20 with monoclonal expression of immunoglobulin kappa light chain. Histopathological examination confirmed a renal CD20 positive DLBCL localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]