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Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil-transmitted helminth widely diffused in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Autochthonous cases have been also diagnosed sporadically in areas of temperate climate. We aimed at defining the epidemiology of strongyloidiasis in immigrants and Italians living in three northern Italian Regions. Screening for S. stercoralis infection was done with serology, confirmation tests were a second serological method or stool agar culture. A case-control approach was adopted and patients with a peripheral eosinophil count ≥ 500/mcL were classified as cases. Of 2,701 individuals enrolled here 1,351 were cases and 1,350 controls; 86% were Italians, 48% women. Italians testing positive were in 8% (97/1,137) cases and 1% (13/1,178) controls (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 8.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.5-14.8), while positive immigrants were in 17% (36/214) cases and in 2% (3/172) controls (aOR 9.6; 95% CI: 2.9-32.4). Factors associated with a higher risk of infection for all study participants were eosinophilia (p < 0.001) and immigration (p = 0.001). Overall, strongyloidiasis was nine-times more frequent in individuals with eosinophilia than in those with normal eosinophil count., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared., (This article is copyright of The Authors, 2016.)

Haemostatic abnormalities are a common phenomenon in patients with thyroid diseases. On one hand the condition of hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events, on the other in severe hypothyroidism can be found a haemorrhagic tendency, as opposed to the subclinical hypothyroidism seems to correlate with increased thrombotic risk. The prospective, single center, observational MITH study (Mantua Investigation on Thyroid and Haemostasis), whose results are presented, aims to evaluate coagulation parameters in patients with thyroid disease, to establish the prevalence of haemostatic abnormalities in various conditions, to analyse the implications and clinical response to therapy established.

Background: Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) is a blood component whose clinical use is widespread worldwide. Transfusion safety of this product is ensured by legally obligatory tests. Although these tests are carried out on each plasma donation, safety levels can be further improved by using some technical procedures, such as, among others, methylene blue (MB) and solvent-detergent (SD) viral inactivation methods. The DMTE (Blood Transfusion Unit) in Mantova has used the pharmaceutical-like SD virally inactivated plasma since 2007 (Plasmasafe, Kedrion) as replacement of the PFC by each single donor. Guidelines for the usage of both products are the same., Materials and Methods: With the main aim of assessing the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of Plasmasafe, we decided to clinically monitor transfusions performed with this product on patients of the Intensive Care Unit at the city hospital in Mantova. In addition, we controlled some coagulation parameters (PT, aPTT, ATIII, Fibrinogen, PC, PS, FV, FVII, FVIII) before and 24 hours after the Plasmasafe infusion., Results: From a clinical point of view, the use of Plasmasafe always led to a significant reduction, or complete stop, of the bleeding. No transfusion-related adverse events were recorded. As regards, the most relevant laboratory results, a marked increase in the above mentioned hemostatic parameters was detected. Furthermore, patients transfused with this product received a mean volume significantly lower than an historical cohort of patients treated with FFP (503 mL with Plasmasafe versus 1549 mL with FFP, P<0.001)., Conclusions: The results of our study clearly document that Plasmasafe, a virally inactivated pharmaceutical-like product with a standardized content of coagulation factors, is a safe and cost-effective treatment, able to rapidly correct hemostatic abnormalities, for critical patients.

Patients with hematologic malignancies were randomly assigned to receive cefuroxime (group A) or tobramycin plus ampicillin (Group B) during 86 febrile episodes. In both regimens carbenicillin was added during neutropenia (71% of all episodes: groups C and D). The most common type of infection was pneumonia (48% alone; 72% with other sites involved), which accounted for a high fatality rate (15%); the highest rate occurred during septicemia with pneumonia (50%). The overall response rate to initial therapy was 63% without significant differences among the four regimens. The worst prognosis was observed in neutropenic patients without granulocyte recovery. When initial and cross-over trials were combined, there were favorable outcomes in 90% of all cases. Cefuroxime alone seems to be as effective as tobramycin plus ampicillin in the treatment of infections in hematologic malignancies. No side effects could be attributed to the cefuroxime-containing regimens.

An antiserum to beta-thromboglobulin was used in immunofluorescence to detect normal and malignant megakaryocytes. In normal peripheral blood and bone marrow smears, only platelets and megakaryocytes were specifically stained by this antiserum. Among 25 cases of acute lymphoid and non-lymphoid leukaemia, only 2 exhibited a clear positivity in a % of blasts, thus proving their megakaryocytic origin. This method is proposed as a simple and useful tool to detect normal and malignant megakaryocytes on smears.