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Abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive molecules derived from molecular oxygen (O2). ROS sources can be endogenous, such as cellular organelles and inflammatory cells, or exogenous, such as ionizing radiation, alcohol, food, tobacco, chemotherapeutical agents and infectious agents. Oxidative stress results in damage of several cellular structures (lipids, proteins, lipoproteins, and DNA) and is implicated in various disease states such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, neurodegeneration, and aging. A large body of studies showed that ROS plays an important role in carcinogenesis. Indeed, increased production of ROS causes accumulation in DNA damage leading to tumorigenesis. Various investigations demonstrated the involvement of ROS in gliomagenesis. The most common type of primary intracranial tumor in adults is represented by glioma. Furthermore, there is growing attention on the role of the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in brain tumor pathogenesis. NGF is a growth factor belonging to the family of neurotrophins. It is involved in neuronal differentiation, proliferation and survival. Studies were conducted to investigate NGF pathogenesis's role as a pro- or anti-tumoral factor in brain tumors. It has been observed that NGF can induce both differentiation and proliferation in cells. The involvement of NGF in the pathogenesis of brain tumors leads to the hypothesis of a possible implication of NGF in new therapeutic strategies. Recent studies have focused on the role of neurotrophin receptors as potential targets in glioma therapy. This review provides an updated overview of the role of ROS and NGF in gliomagenesis and their emerging role in glioma treatment.

Background and Objective: This retrospective study aims to disclose further early parameters of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Methods: Three hundred and eighty-two COVID-19 patients, recruited between March and April 2020, were divided into three groups according to their outcome: (1) hospital ward group (patients who entered the hospital wards and survived); (2) intensive care unit (ICU) group (patients who attended the ICU and survived); (3) the deceased group (patients admitted to ICU with a fatal outcome). We investigated routine laboratory parameters such as albumin, glycemia, hemoglobin amylase, lipase, AST, ALT, GGT, LDH, CK, MGB, TnT-hs, IL-6, ferritin, CRP, PCT, WBC, RBC, PLT, PT, INR, APTT, FBG, and D-dimer. Blood withdrawal was carried out at the beginning of the hospitalization period. Results: ANOVA and ROC data evidenced that the concomitant presence of alterations in albumin, lipase, AST, ALT, LDH, MGB, CK, IL-6, ferritin in women, CRP and D-dimer is an early sign of fatal outcomes. method: 382 COVID-19 patients, recruited between March and April 2020, were divided into three groups according to their outcome: (1) hospital ward group (patients who entered the hospital wards and survived); (2) intensive care unit (ICU) group (patients who attended the ICU and survived); (3) the deceased group (patients admitted to ICU with a fatal outcome). We investigated routine laboratory parameters such as albumin, glycemia, amylase, lipase, AST, ALT, GGT, LDH, CK, MGB, TnT-hs, IL-6, ferritin, CRP, PCT, WBC, PLT, PT, INR, APTT, FBG, and D-dimer. Blood withdrawal was carried out at the beginning of the hospitalization period. Conclusion: The present study confirms and extends the validity of routine laboratory biomarkers (i.e., lipase, AST, ALT, LDH, CK, IL-6, ferritin in women, CRP and D-dimer) as indicators of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, the investigation suggests that both gross changes in albumin and MGB, markers of liver and heart damage, may early disclose COVID-19 fatal outcomes. result: ANOVA and ROC data evidenced that the concomitant presence of alterations in albumin, lipase, AST, ALT, LDH, MGB, CK, IL-6, ferritin in women, CRP and D-dimer is an early sign of fatal outcomes. other: