Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

About: Catholic University of the Sacred Heart is a education organization based out in Milan, Lombardia, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 13592 authors who have published 31048 publications receiving 853961 citations.

Relationship between coronary plaque morphology of the left anterior descending artery and 12 months clinical outcome: the CLIMA study.

Abstract: Aims The CLIMA study, on the relationship between coronary plaque morphology of the left anterior descending artery and twelve months clinical outcome, was designed to explore the predictive value of multiple high-risk plaque features in the same coronary lesion [minimum lumen area (MLA), fibrous cap thickness (FCT), lipid arc circumferential extension, and presence of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-defined macrophages] as detected by OCT. Composite of cardiac death and target segment myocardial infarction was the primary clinical endpoint.Methods and results From January 2013 to December 2016, 1003 patients undergoing OCT evaluation of the untreated proximal left am :sults anterior descending coronary artery in the context of clinically indicated coronary angiogram were prospectively enrolled at 11 independent centres (clinicattriaLgov identifier NCT02883088). At 1-year, the primary clinical endpoint was observed in 37 patients (3.7%). In a total of 1776 lipid plaques, presence of MLA 180' (HR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.8), and OCT-defined macrophages (HR 2.7, 95% CI 1.2-6.1) were all associated with increased risk of the primary endpoint. The pre-specified combination of plaque features (simultaneous presence of the four OCT criteria in the same plaque) was observed in 18.9% of patients experiencing the primary endpoint and was an independent predictor of events (HR 7.54, 95% CI 3.1-18.6).Conclusion The simultaneous presence of four high-risk OCT plaque features was found to be associated with a higher risk of major coronary events.

Class III β-Tubulin Overexpression Is a Marker of Poor Clinical Outcome in Advanced Ovarian Cancer Patients

Abstract: Purpose: Overexpression of β III tubulin has been involved in paclitaxel resistance in several experimental models. We investigated the role of β III tubulin as predictor of clinical outcome in ovarian cancer patients given platinum/paclitaxel treatment. We also investigated whether β III tubulin expression could be modified after the selective pressure represented by chemotherapy in vivo . Experimental Design: The study was designed to include a series of consecutive ovarian cancer patients with unresectable disease at time of first surgery, who underwent interval debulking surgery with pathologic assessment of response to treatment with platinum/paclitaxel chemotherapy. Immunostaining was done on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from pretreatment and posttreatment tissue biopsies by using the polyclonal rabbit anti–class III β-tubulin antibody. Results: β III Tubulin immunoreaction was observed in 51 of 62 (82.2%) cases. β III Tubulin positivity was neither associated with clinicopathologic variables nor with pathologic response to chemotherapy. Significantly lower percentages of β III tubulin positivity were observed in posttreatment (range, 5-80%; median, 20%) versus pretreatment (range 10-100%; median, 40%) tissue biopsies ( P = 0.0011). Cases with high β III tubulin expression showed a worse overall survival with respect to cases with low β III tubulin expression (median overall survival, 25 versus 46 months; P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis showed that high content of β III tubulin remains independently associated with a worse prognosis. Conclusions: Assessment of β III tubulin could be useful to identify poor prognosis ovarian cancer patients candidates to more aggressive and/or targeted therapy.

Noonan Syndrome: Clinical Aspects and Molecular Pathogenesis

Abstract: Noonan syndrome (NS) is a relatively common, clinically variable and genetically heterogeneous developmental disorder characterized by postnatally reduced growth, distinctive facial dysmorphism, cardiac defects and variable cognitive deficits. Other associated features include ectodermal and skeletal defects, cryptorchidism, lymphatic dysplasias, bleeding tendency, and, rarely, predisposition to hematologic malignancies during childhood. NS is caused by mutations in the PTPN11, SOS1, KRAS, RAF1, BRAF and MEK1 (MAP2K1) genes, accounting for approximately 70% of affected individuals. SHP2 (encoded by PTPN11), SOS1, BRAF, RAF1 and MEK1 positively contribute to RAS-MAPK signaling, and possess complex autoinhibitory mechanisms that are impaired by mutations. Similarly, reduced GTPase activity or increased guanine nucleotide release underlie the aberrant signal flow through the MAPK cascade promoted by most KRAS mutations. More recently, a single missense mutation in SHOC2, which encodes a cytoplasmic scaffold positively controlling RAF1 activation, has been discovered to cause a closely related phenotype previously termed Noonan-like syndrome with loose anagen hair. This mutation promotes aberrantly acquired N-myristoylation of the protein, resulting in its constitutive targeting to the plasma membrane and dysregulated function. PTPN11, BRAF and RAF1 mutations also account for approximately 95% of LEOPARD syndrome, a condition which resembles NS phenotypically but is characterized by multiple lentigines dispersed throughout the body, cafe-au-lait spots, and a higher prevalence of electrocardiographic conduction abnormalities, obstructive cardiomyopathy and sensorineural hearing deficits. These recent discoveries demonstrate that the substantial phenotypic variation characterizing NS and related conditions can be ascribed, in part, to the gene mutated and even the specific molecular lesion involved.

Cancer and Mediterranean Diet: A Review.

Abstract: The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the most worldwide healthy dietary patterns thanks to a combination of foods rich mainly in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Many studies have demonstrated a strong and inverse relationship between a high level of Mediterranean diet adherence and some chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.) and cancer. Given its protective effects in reducing oxidative and inflammatory processes of cells and avoiding DNA damages, cell proliferation, and their survival, angiogenesis, inflammations and metastasis, the Mediterranean diet is considered a powerful and manageable method to fight cancer incidence. The aim of this narrative review was to determine the magnitude of interaction between the Mediterranean diet and more widespread types of cancer so as to give a first and useful overview on this relationship identifying, with a nutritional approach, those nutrients of Mediterranean diet able to reduce cancer incidence.