Search

Cardiac masses include a wide range of lesions whose nature could be both neoplastic (primary and secondary) or not.Here we report the case of a 53-year-old woman referred to our center for pancreatic lesion follow up by magnetic resonance. The collateral finding of a rounded-shaped lesion in the right heart atrium, during the abdomen examination, led to further diagnostic investigation. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance by nonparametric and parametric sequences was performed to settle the differential diagnosis, allowing for the definition of right atrial thrombus. At the best of our knowledge no data are available in literature about the incidental diagnosis of cardiac thrombi through abdominal magnetic resonance.This case underlines the importance of image evaluation for incidental findings, further demonstrating the feasibility of initiating an image-guided therapy after a characterization by CMR.

We studied the application of CT texture analysis in adrenal incidentalomas with baseline characteristics of benignity that are highly suggestive of adenoma to find whether there is a correlation between the extracted features and clinical data. Patients with hormonal hypersecretion may require medical attention, even if it does not cause any symptoms. A total of 206 patients affected by adrenal incidentaloma were retrospectively enrolled and divided into non-functioning adrenal adenomas (NFAIs, n = 115) and mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS, n = 91). A total of 136 texture parameters were extracted in the unenhanced phase for each volume of interest (VOI). Random Forest was used in the training and validation cohorts to test the accuracy of CT textural features and cortisol-related comorbidities in identifying MACS patients. Twelve parameters were retained in the Random Forest radiomic model, and in the validation cohort, a high specificity (81%) and positive predictive value (74%) were achieved. Notably, if the clinical data were added to the model, the results did not differ. Radiomic analysis of adrenal incidentalomas, in unenhanced CT scans, could screen with a good specificity those patients who will need a further endocrinological evaluation for mild autonomous cortisol secretion, regardless of the clinical information about the cortisol-related comorbidities.

Abstract Cardiovascular imaging is exponentially increasing in the diagnosis, risk stratification, and therapeutic management of patients with cardiovascular disease. The European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology (ESCR) is a non-profit scientific medical society dedicated to promoting and coordinating activities in cardiovascular imaging. The purpose of this paper, written by ESCR committees and Executive board members and approved by the ESCR Executive Board and Guidelines committee, is to codify a standardized approach to creating ESCR scientific documents. Indeed, consensus development methods must be adopted to ensure transparent decision-making that optimizes national and global health and reaches a certain scientific credibility. ESCR consensus documents developed based on a rigorous methodology will improve their scientific impact on the management of patients with cardiac involvement. Critical relevance statement This document aims to codify the methodology for producing consensus documents of the ESCR. These ESCR indications will broaden the scientific quality and credibility of further publications and, consequently, the impact on the diagnostic management of patients with cardiac involvement. Key Points Cardiovascular imaging is exponentially increasing for diagnosis, risk stratification, and therapeutic management. The ESCR is committed to promoting cardiovascular imaging. A rigorous methodology for ESCR consensus documents will improve their scientific impact.

Photon-counting Computed Tomography (PCCT) is a promising imaging technique. Using detectors that count the number and energy of photons in multiple bins, PCCT offers several advantages over conventional CT, including a higher image quality, reduced contrast agent volume, radiation doses, and artifacts. Although PCCT is well established for cardiac imaging in assessing coronary artery disease, its application in aortic imaging remains limited. This review summarizes the available literature and provides an overview of the current use of PCCT for the diagnosis of aortic imaging, focusing mainly on endoleaks detection and characterization after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), contrast dose volume, and radiation exposure reduction, particularly in patients with chronic kidney disease and in those requiring follow-up CT.

Background. The E-MIOT (Extension-Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia) project is an Italian Network assuring high-quality quantification of tissue iron overload by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on E-MIOT services. Methods. The activity of the E-MIOT Network MRI centers in the year 2020 was compared with that of 2019. A survey evaluated whether the availability of MRI slots for patients with hemoglobinopathies was reduced and why. Results. The total number of MRI scans was 656 in 2019 and 350 in 2020, with an overall decline of 46.4% (first MRI: 71.7%, follow-up MRI: 36.9%), a marked decline (86.9%) in the period March–June 2020, and a reduction in the gap between the two years in the period July–September. A new drop (41.4%) was recorded in the period October–December for two centers, due to the general reduction in the total amount of MRIs/day for sanitization procedures. In some centers, patients refused MRI scans for fear of getting COVID. Drops in the MRI services >80% were found for patients coming from a region without an active MRI site. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong negative impact on MRI multi-organ iron quantification, with a worsening in the management of patients with hemoglobinopathies.

Iron overload in beta transfusion-dependent thalassemia (β-TDT) may provoke oxidative stress and reduction of the antioxidant defenses, with serious consequences for the disease course and complications. The present study evaluated the oxidant/antioxidant status of β-TDT patients and its correlation with demographic, clinical, laboratory, and instrumental biomarkers. The OXY-adsorbent assay and the d-ROMs (Diacron, Grosseto, Italy) were evaluated in 58 β-TDT patients (mean age: 37.55 ± 7.83 years, 28 females) enrolled in the Extension-Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia Network. Iron overload was quantified with R2* magnetic resonance imaging. Mean OXY was 323.75 ± 113.19 μmol HClO/mL and 39 (67.2%) patients showed a decreased OXY-Adsorbent level (

Cardiac involvement in sickle beta thalassemia (Sβ-thal) patients has been poorly investigated. We aimed to evaluate cardiac function and myocardial iron overload by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with Sβ-thal. One-hundred and eleven Sβ-thal patients consecutively enrolled in the Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia (MIOT) network were studied and compared with 46 sickle cell anemia (SCA) patients and with 111 gender- and age- matched healthy volunteers. Cine images were acquired to quantify biventricular function. Myocardial iron overload (MIO) was assessed by the T2* technique, while macroscopic myocardial fibrosis was evaluated by the late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) technique. In Sβ-thal and SCA patients, the morphological and functional CMR parameters were not significantly different, except for the left atrial area and left ventricular (LV) stroke volume, indexed by body surface area (p = 0.023 and p = 0.048, respectively), which were significantly higher in SCA patients. No significant differences between the two groups were found in terms of myocardial iron overload and macroscopic myocardial fibrosis. When compared to healthy subjects, Sβ-thal patients showed significantly higher bi-atrial and biventricular parameters, except for LV ejection fraction, which was significantly lower. The CMR analysis confirmed that Sβ-thal and SCA patients are phenotypically similar. Since Sβ-thal patients showed markedly different morphological and functional indices from healthy subjects, it would be useful to identify Sβ-thal/SCA-specific bi-atrial and biventricular reference values.

Abstract Background Although cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is the most reliable tool for assessment of CIO in patients with thalassemia, it is not always readily available. Recent studies have explored the potential of GLS as an alternative for diagnosis of CIO. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of global longitudinal strain (GLS) for detection of cardiac iron level (CIO). Methods We searched SCOPUS, MEDLINE, and Embase to identify the studies which used GLS for assessment of CIO. We searched for individual participant data (IPD) in eligible studies to perform ROC curve analysis. CMR with a T2* cut-off value of 20 ms was considered as the gold standard. A meta-analysis was performed and the risk of bias was assessed using the JBI Checklist. Results A total of 14 studies with 789 thalassemia patients (310 and 430 with and without CIO respectively and 49 with undetermined condition) were considered eligible for meta-analysis. IPDs of 405 participants were available. GLS was significantly lower in patients with CIO (-17.5 ± 2.7%) compared to those without CIO (-19.9 ± 2.3%; WMD = 1.6%, 95% CI = [0.76–2.4], p = 0.001, I2 = 77.1%) and to normal population (-20.61 ± 2.26%; WMD = 2.2%, 95% CI = [0.91–3.5], p = 0.001, I2 = 83.9%). A GLS

Numbers are facts, and facts need to be publicly discussed for any change to happen [...]

In this work, we aimed to establish subgroups of clinical severity in a global cohort of β-thalassemia through unsupervised random forest (RF) clustering. We used a large global dataset of 7910 β-thalassemia patients and evaluated 19 indicators of phenotype severity (IPhS) to determine their contribution and relatedness in grouping β-thalassemia patients into clusters using RF analysis. RF clustering suggested that three clusters with minimal overlapping exist (classification error rate: 4.3%), and six important IPhS were identified: the current age of the patient, the mean serum ferritin level, the age at diagnosis, the age at first transfusion, the age at first iron chelation, and the number of complications. Cluster 3 represented patients with early initiation of transfusion and iron chelation, considerable iron overload, and early mortality from heart failure. Patients in Cluster 2 had lower serum ferritin levels, although they had a higher number of complications manifesting overtime. Patients in Cluster 1 represented a subgroup with delayed or absent transfusion and iron chelation, but with a high morbidity rate. Hepatic disease and cancer were dominant causes of death in patients in Cluster 1 and 2. Our findings established that patients with β-thalassemia can be clustered into three groups based on six parameters of phenotype severity.

At present, oncologic imaging is crucial for clinical decision-making [...]

Patients with systemic autoimmunity due to autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) or sarcoidosis frequently present with systemic manifestations including cardiac involvement. Cardiac rhythm disturbances and specifically ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) may affect the prognosis of these patients. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is a non-invasive imaging modality that can provide valuable diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with ARDs or systemic autoimmunity in general. In this narrative review, we briefly present the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms contributing to arrhythmogenicity in patients with systemic autoimmunity. Furthermore, we discuss recent advances underlying the role and value of CMR for use in the detection and risk stratification of arrhythmogenic substrates in patients with systemic autoimmunity and VAs.

We derived reference values of left-ventricular (LV) and right-ventricular (RV) strain parameters in a cohort of 100 healthy subjects by feature tracking cardiac magnetic resonance (FT-CMR). Global and regional strain values were calculated for the LV; circumferential and radialSAX strain parameters were derived from the short-axis (SAX) stack, while longitudinal and radialLAX strain parameters were assessed in three long-axis (LAX) views. Only global longitudinal strain (GLS) was calculated for the RV. Peak global LV circumferential strain was −16.7% ± 2.1%, LV radialSAX strain was 26.4% ± 5.1%, LV radialLAX strain was 31.1% ± 5.2%, LV GLS was −17.7% ± 1.9%, and RV GLS was −23.9% ± 4.1%. Women presented higher global LV and RV strain values than men; all strain values presented a weak relationship with body surface area, while there was no association with age or heart rate. A significant association was detected between all LV global strain measures and LV ejection fraction, while RV GLS was correlated to RV end-diastolic volume. The intra- and inter-operator reproducibility was good for all global strain measures. In the regional analysis, circumferential and radial strain values resulted higher at the apical level, while longitudinal strain values were higher at the basal level. The assessment of cardiac deformation by FT-CMR is feasible and reproducible and gender-specific reference values should be used.

Abstract Background We compared cardiovascular magnetic resonance segmental native T1 against T2* values for the detection of myocardial iron overload (MIO) in thalassaemia major and we evaluated the clinical correlates of native T1 measurements. Methods We considered 146 patients (87 females, 38.7 ± 11.1 years) consecutively enrolled in the Extension-Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassaemia Network. T1 and T2* values were obtained in the 16 left ventricular (LV) segments. LV function parameters were quantified by cine images. Post-contrast late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and T1 images were acquired. Results 64.1% of segments had normal T2* and T1 values while 10.1% had pathologic T2* and T1 values. In 526 (23.0%) segments, there was a pathologic T1 and a normal T2* value while 65 (2.8%) segments had a pathologic T2* value but a normal T1 and an extracellular volume (ECV) ≥ 25% was detected in 16 of 19 segments where ECV was quantified. Global native T1 was independent from gender or LV function but decreased with increasing age. Patients with replacement myocardial fibrosis had significantly lower native global T1. Patients with cardiac complications had significantly lower native global T1. Conclusions The combined use of both segmental native T1 and T2* values could improve the sensitivity for detecting MIO. Native T1 is associated with cardiac complications in thalassaemia major.

Abstract This document is a position statement from the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) on recommendations for clinical utilization of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in women with cardiovascular disease. The document was prepared by the SCMR Consensus Group on CMR Imaging for Female Patients with Cardiovascular Disease and endorsed by the SCMR Publications Committee and SCMR Executive Committee. The goals of this document are to (1) guide the informed selection of cardiovascular imaging methods, (2) inform clinical decision-making, (3) educate stakeholders on the advantages of CMR in specific clinical scenarios, and (4) empower patients with clinical evidence to participate in their clinical care. The statements of clinical utility presented in the current document pertain to the following clinical scenarios: acute coronary syndrome, stable ischemic heart disease, peripartum cardiomyopathy, cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction, aortic syndrome and congenital heart disease in pregnancy, bicuspid aortic valve and aortopathies, systemic rheumatic diseases and collagen vascular disorders, and cardiomyopathy-causing mutations. The authors cite published evidence when available and provide expert consensus otherwise. Most of the evidence available pertains to translational studies involving subjects of both sexes. However, the authors have prioritized review of data obtained from female patients, and direct comparison of CMR between women and men. This position statement does not consider CMR accessibility or availability of local expertise, but instead highlights the optimal utilization of CMR in women with known or suspected cardiovascular disease. Finally, the ultimate goal of this position statement is to improve the health of female patients with cardiovascular disease by providing specific recommendations on the use of CMR.

Recently, medical radiology has undergone significant improvements in patient management due to advancements in image acquisition by the last generation of machines, data processing, and the integration of artificial intelligence. In this way, cardiovascular imaging is one of the fastest-growing radiological subspecialties. In this study, a compressive review was focused on addressing how and why CT and MR have gained a I class indication in most cardiovascular diseases, and the potential impact of tissue and functional characterization by CT photon counting, quantitative MR mapping, and 4-D flow. Regarding rectal imaging, advances in cancer imaging using diffusion-weighted MRI sequences for identifying residual disease after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and [18F] FDG PET/MRI were provided for high-resolution anatomical and functional data in oncological patients. The results present a large overview of the approach to the imaging of diffuse and focal liver diseases by US elastography, contrast-enhanced US, quantitative MRI, and CT for patient risk stratification. Italy is currently riding the wave of these improvements. The development of large networks will be crucial to create high-quality databases for patient-centered precision medicine using artificial intelligence. Dedicated radiologists with specific training and a close relationship with the referring clinicians will be essential human factors.

Lupin alkaloids (LAs) represent a class of toxic secondary metabolites in plants, in particular in Lupinus spp.; they are produced as a defense mechanism due to their strong bitter taste and are very dangerous for human and animals. In this work, a sensitive and reliable high performance liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analytical method for the identification and quantification of thirteen lupin alkaloids was developed and validated according to FDA guidelines. Efficient extraction and clean-up steps, carried out by solid-phase extraction, were finely tuned on the basis of the characteristics of the analytes and lupin samples, providing good selectivity with minimized matrix interference. The effectiveness of the method was proven by the satisfactory recovery values obtained for most of the analytes and a matrix effect ≤23% for all tested levels. In addition, a sensitive and reliable determination of the target compounds was obtained; LOQs were between 1 and 25 µg Kg−1, i.e., below the requested maximum levels (−1). The method was applied to evaluate the LAs profile in different batches of raw L. albus L. samples, varying in size and across farming treatments.

In the present study, gels based on xanthan gum and poloxamer 407 have been developed and characterized in order to convey natural antioxidant molecules included in niosomes. Specifically, the studies were conducted to evaluate how the vesicular systems affect the release of the active ingredient and which formulation is most suitable for cutaneous application. Niosomes, composed of Span 20 or Tween 20, were produced through the direct hydration method, and therefore, borate buffer or a micellar solution of poloxamer 188 was used as the aqueous phase. The niosomes were firstly characterized in terms of morphology, dimensional and encapsulation stability. Afterwards, gels based on poloxamer 407 or xanthan gum were compared in terms of spreadability and adhesiveness. It was found to have greater spreadability for gels based on poloxamer 407 and 100% adhesiveness for those based on xanthan gum. The in vitro diffusion of drugs studied using Franz cells associated with membranes of mixed cellulose esters showed that the use of a poloxamer micellar hydration phase determined a lower release as well as the use of Span 20. The thickened niosomes ensured controlled diffusion of the antioxidant molecules. Lastly, the in vivo irritation test confirmed the safeness of niosomal gels after cutaneous application.

Polyphenols (PCs) are a numerous class of bioactive molecules and are known for their antioxidant activity. In this work, the potential of the quadrupole/linear ion trap hybrid mass spectrometer (LIT-QqQ) was exploited to develop a semi-untargeted method for the identification of polyphenols in different food matrices: green coffee, Crocus sativus L. (saffron) and Humulus lupulus L. (hop). Several conjugate forms of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acid were detected using neutral loss (NL) as a survey scan coupled with dependent scans with enhanced product ion (EPI) based on information-dependent acquisition (IDA) criteria. The presented approach is focused on a specific class of molecules and provides comprehensive information on the different conjugation models that are related to specific base molecules, thus allowing a quick and effective identification of all possible combinations, such as mono-, di-, or tri-glycosylation or another type of conjugation such as quinic acid esters.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 infection commonly affects many people, causing perioral sores, as well as severe complications including encephalitis in immunocompromised patients. The main pharmacological approach involves synthetic antiviral drugs, among which acyclovir is the golden standard, often leading to resistant virus strains under long-term use. An alternative approach based on antiviral plant-derived compounds, such as quercetin and mangiferin, demonstrated an antiviral potential. In the present study, semisolid forms for cutaneous application of quercetin and mangiferin were designed and evaluated to treat HSV-1 infection. Phosphatidylcholine- and poloxamer-based gels were produced and characterized. Gel physical–chemical aspects were evaluated by rheological measurements and X-ray diffraction, evidencing the different thermoresponsive behaviors and supramolecular organizations of semisolid forms. Quercetin and mangiferin diffusion kinetics were compared in vitro by a Franz cell system, demonstrating the different gel efficacies to restrain the polyphenol diffusion. The capability of gels to control polyphenol antioxidant potential and stability was evaluated, indicating a higher stability and antioxidant activity in the case of quercetin loaded in poloxamer-based gel. Furthermore, a plaque reduction assay, conducted to compare the virucidal effect of quercetin and mangiferin loaded in gels against the HSV-1 KOS strain, demonstrated the suitability of poloxamer-based gel to prolong the polyphenol activity.

Background: Heart involvement (HInv) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) may relate to myocarditis and is associated with poor prognosis. Serum anti-heart (AHA) and anti-intercalated disk autoantibodies (AIDA) are organ and disease-specific markers of isolated autoimmune myocarditis. We assessed frequencies, clinical correlates, and prognostic impacts of AHA and AIDA in SSc. Methods: The study included consecutive SSc patients (n = 116, aged 53 ± 13 years, 83.6% females, median disease duration 7 years) with clinically suspected heart involvement (symptoms, abnormal ECG, abnormal troponin I or natriuretic peptides, and abnormal echocardiography). All SSc patients underwent CMR. Serum AHA and AIDA were measured by indirect immunofluorescence in SSc and in control groups of non-inflammatory cardiac disease (NICD) (n = 160), ischemic heart failure (IHF) (n = 141), and normal blood donors (NBD) (n = 270). AHA and AIDA status in SSc was correlated with baseline clinical, diagnostic features, and outcome. Results: The frequency of AHA was higher in SSc (57/116, 49%, p < 0.00001) than in NICD (2/160, 1%), IHF (2/141, 1%), or NBD (7/270, 2.5%). The frequency of AIDA was higher (65/116, 56%, p < 0.00001) in SSc than in NICD (6/160, 3.75%), IHF (3/141, 2%), or NBD (1/270, 0.37%). AHAs were associated with interstitial lung disease (p = 0.04), history of chest pain (p = 0.026), abnormal troponin (p = 0.006), AIDA (p = 0.000), and current immunosuppression (p = 0.01). AHAs were associated with death (p = 0.02) and overall cardiac events during follow-up (p = 0.017). Conclusions: The high frequencies of AHA and AIDA suggest a high burden of underdiagnosed autoimmune HInv in SSc. In keeping with the negative prognostic impact of HInv in SSc, AHAs were associated with dismal prognosis.

Restrictive cardiomyopathies (RCMs) are a diverse group of myocardial diseases with a wide range of aetiologies, including familial, genetic and acquired diseases and ranging from very rare to relatively frequent cardiac disorders. In all these diseases, imaging techniques play a central role. Advanced imaging techniques provide important novel data on the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of RCMs. This EACVI consensus document provides comprehensive information for the appropriateness of all non-invasive imaging techniques for the diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and management of patients with RCM.

Human skin is dramatically exposed to toxic pollutants such as ozone. To counteract the skin disorders induced by the air pollution, natural antioxidants such as mangiferin could be employed. A formulative study for the development of vesicular systems for mangiferin based on phosphatidylcholine and the block copolymer pluronic is described. Plurethosomes were designed for mangiferin transdermal administration and compared to ethosome and transethosome. Particularly, the effect of vesicle composition was investigated on size distribution, inner and outer morphology by photon correlation spectroscopy, small angle X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The potential of selected formulations as vehicles for mangiferin was studied, evaluating encapsulation efficiency and in vitro diffusion parameters by Franz cells. The mangiferin antioxidant capacity was verified by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay. Vesicle size spanned between 200 and 550 nm, being influenced by phosphatidylcholine concentration and by the presence of polysorbate or pluronic. The vesicle supramolecular structure was multilamellar in the case of ethosome or plurethosome and unilamellar in the case of transethosome. A linear diffusion of mangiferin in the case of ethosome and transethosomes and a biphasic profile in the case of plurethosomes indicated the capability of multilamellar vesicles to retain the drug more efficaciously than the unilamellar ones. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential effect of mangiferin against pollutants was evaluated on 3D human skin models exposed to O3. The protective effect exerted by plurethosomes and transethosomes suggests their possible application to enhance the cutaneous antioxidant defense status.

Grapevine leaf stripe disease (GLSD) is one of the most common diseases in the esca complex. Losses in grape yields and quality caused by GLSD are correlated with the severity of the leaf symptoms. The time course of phytoalexin levels was examined in vine leaves of two vineyards, in leaves of healthy, asymptomatic/diseased and symptomatic vines. Symptomatic leaves were further divided into four categories according to symptom severity: 1, 5% chlorosis; 2, 20% chlorosis; 3, 40% leaf surface covered with tiger stripes; or 4, 65% leaf surface covered with tiger stripes. Leaves were sampled at three growth stages: ‘berries beginning to touch’; ‘berries developing colour’; and ‘berries ripe for harvesting’. The phytoalexins trans-resveratrol, trans-ε-viniferin; trans-δ-viniferin; and trans-pterostilbene were detected and assayed. Patterns of each of the phytoalexins were similar at each growth stage to those found earlier for trans-resveratrol, with an increased phytoalexin levels with increasing leaf symptom severity on the leaf blade, especially at the stages ‘berries beginning to touch’ and ‘berries ripe for harvest’. A laboratory test was also carried out. Petioles of healthy grapevine leaves were immersed in culture filtrates of Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and then dipped in solutions of trans-resveratrol or trans-pterostilbene to assess the effects of these substances on the leaf blades. Adding these phytoalexins did not influence the effects of P. chlamydospora. These results indicated that phytoalexins increased in the leaves after GLSD symptoms appeared, and not before host response (phytoalexin synthesis) to control symptom development.

Grapevine leaf stripe disease (GLSD) is a tracheomycosis caused by Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and Phaeoacremonium minimum. Impacts on yields of grapes were correlated with the incidence and severity of GLSD symptoms on vine canopies. In 2012 and 2013, vines in two vineyards were treated with nine applications of a mixture of leaf fertilizers containing calcium, magnesium and seaweed extracts. At different growth stages, leaves were sampled from treated and control plots of healthy, GLSD-asymptomatic, or GLSD-symptomatic vines and contents were measured of the phytoalexins trans-resveratrol, trans-ε-viniferin, trans-δ-viniferin and trans-pterostilbene. Grape ripening was also monitored from veraison to harvest during both vintages. The treatments caused significant reductions in canopy symptom expression. Increased phytoalexin contents were measured from ‘fruit set’ to ‘berries developing colour’ stages. Trans-resveratrol peak was recorded in asymptomatic diseased vines at the ‘berries pea-sized’ stage, and trans-ε-viniferin and trans-δ-viniferin increased at the ‘berries beginning to touch’ stage, compared to the contents recorded in untreated asymptomatic vines. From ‘berries developing colour’ to harvest, all treated vines had lower amounts of phytoalexins than the control ones. At harvest, treated healthy and symptomatic vines produced berries with similar amounts of total sugars compared to untreated vines. Treated asymptomatic vines produced berries with greater amounts of total sugars compared to the untreated vines. These results indicate that increased phytoalexin content recorded from ‘fruit set’ to ‘berries beginning to touch’ in asymptomatic vines treated with the mineral/seaweed mixture may reduce symptoms of GLSD.

The influence of calf (R1), kid (R2) and pig (R3) rennets on microbiota, biogenic amines (BAs) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation in raw milk ewe’s cheeses was evaluated. Cheeses were investigated at different ripening times for their microbial composition, free amino acids (FAAs), BAs and GABA content. Moreover, the expression of tyrosine (tdc) and histidine (hdc) decarboxylases genes was evaluated by quantitative Real Time−Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Microbial counts showed similar values in all samples. Pig rennet were cheeses were characterized by higher proteolysis and the highest values of BAs. The BAs detected were putrescine, cadaverine and tyramine, while histamine was absent. qRT-PCR confirmed this data, in fact hdc gene was not upregulated, while tdc gene expression increased over time in agreement with the increasing content of tyramine and the highest fold changes were detected in R3 cheeses. GABA showed the highest concentration in R2 cheeses reaching a value of 672 mg/kg. These results showed that the accumulation of BAs and GABA in Pecorino di Farindola is influenced by ripening time and type of coagulant. Further studies are required to develop starter cultures to reduce BAs content and improve health characteristics of raw milk ewe’s cheeses.

Vineyards containing vines affected with grapevine leaf stripe disease (GLSD), one of the diseases of the esca complex, suffer losses in grape yield and quality every growing season. To examine the relation between GLSD foliar symptoms and levels of phytoalexins in grapevine, phytoalexin levels were monitored in the leaves of symptomatic, asymptomatic/diseased, and healthy grapevine leaves, at various growth stages, in two vineyards in Italy, over four growing seasons. At the same time, the leaf symptoms of the vines at some of those growth stages were recorded in each vineyard and in each growing season. The compounds extracted and identified were: trans-resveratrol, trans-pterostilbene, trans-ε-viniferin and trans-δ-viniferin. The most common phytoalexin found was resveratrol. Amounts of all the phytoalexins were generally greater in symptomatic leaves than in asymptomatic/diseased or healthy leaves. In symptomatic leaves, resveratrol levels were greatest at pre-bunch closure, and peaks in pterostilbene occurred at the same time. Leaves of each category (symptomatic, asymptomatic/diseased, healthy) had lower amounts of these compounds at veraison and generally higher amounts at the stages of harvesting and/or the softening of berries. It seems therefore that the formation and pattern over time of the phytoalexins was linked to the growth stage of the vines. Leaf symptoms never occurred before pre-bunch closure, but became much more common from veraison to harvest. This study provides evidence of a relationship between the levels of phytoalexins, grapevine growth stage, and the seasonal pattern of development of GLSD symptoms.

The authors wish to make the following change in their paper [...]

Microbial interactions are fundamental during milk fermentation, determining the product final characteristics. Galactomyces geotrichum, Lactobacillus plantarum and Enterococcus faecalis are among the most common microorganisms in the Colombian Kumis. The aim of the research was to evaluate the yeast–bacteria interactions in milk fermentation at 28 °C. UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) milk was inoculated with single- or multiple-strains associations and analysed periodically to determine the microbial counts, organic acids and total free amino acids (FAA). The results evidenced different growth performance of the strains in single or co-culture, with a positive effect of G. geotrichum KL20B on the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) growth performance. All the strains consumed citric acid after 6 h of incubation with E. faecalis KE06 as the major consumer; however, all the co-cultures showed an early metabolism of citrate but with a low intake rate. In addition, the interaction between G. geotrichum KL20B and E. faecalis KE06 led to a low accumulation of acetic acid. Formic acid fluctuated during fermentation. The strains interaction also led to an increase in ethanol content and a lower accumulation of FAA. In conclusion, the three strains co-culture enhances the LAB viability, with high production of lactic acid and ethanol, as a consequence of adaptation to the environment and substrate exploitation. To our knowledge, this is the first time in which it is showed that G. geotrichum KL20B could be used to compensate for the slow acid-producing ability of Lb. plantarum and E. faecalis in milk, underlining that this consortium applies some mechanisms to regulate the growth and milk composition in acids and ethanol content.

Background It has been repeatedly reported that female patients with thalassemia major survive longer than males and that the difference is due to a lower rate of cardiac disease in females.Design and Methods We compared the cardiac iron load as measured by T2* magnetic resonance imaging in 776 patients (370 males) examined at the National Research Council as part of an Italian cooperative study. We also established normal left ventricular ejection fraction values for our population.Results The prevalence of cardiac disease was higher in males than in females (105 males versus 69 females; P

Background Oral deferiprone was suggested to be more effective than subcutaneous desferrioxamine for removing heart iron. Oral once-daily chelator deferasirox has recently been made commercially available but its long-term efficacy on cardiac iron and function has not yet been established. Our study aimed to compare the effectiveness of deferasirox, deferiprone and desferrioxamine on myocardial and liver iron concentrations and bi-ventricular function in thalassemia major patients by means of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging.Design and Methods From the first 550 thalassemia subjects enrolled in the Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia network, we retrospectively selected thalassemia major patients who had been receiving one chelator alone for longer than one year. We identified three groups of patients: 24 treated with deferasirox, 42 treated with deferiprone and 89 treated with desferrioxamine. Myocardial iron concentrations were measured by T2* multislice multiecho technique. Biventricular function parameters were quantitatively evaluated by cine images. Liver iron concentrations were measured by T2* multiecho technique.Results The global heart T2* value was significantly higher in the deferiprone (34±11ms) than in the deferasirox (21±12 ms) and the desferrioxamine groups (27±11 ms) (P=0.0001). We found higher left ventricular ejection fractions in the deferiprone and the desferrioxamine versus the deferasirox group (P=0.010). Liver iron concentration, measured as T2* signal, was significantly lower in the desferrioxamine versus the deferiprone and the deferasirox group (P=0.004).Conclusions The cohort of patients treated with oral deferiprone showed less myocardial iron burden and better global systolic ventricular function compared to the patients treated with oral deferasirox or subcutaneous desferrioxamine.