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 & Medicine. The organization has 13592 authors who have published 31048 publications receiving 853961 citations.

Theta‐burst repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation suppresses specific excitatory circuits in the human motor cortex

Abstract: Previous studies have shown that low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) suppresses motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) evoked by single pulse TMS. The aim of the present paper was to investigate the central nervous system level at which rTMS produces a suppression of MEP amplitude. We recorded corticospinal volleys evoked by single pulse TMS of the motor cortex before and after 1 Hz rTMS in five conscious subjects who had an electrode implanted in the cervical epidural space for the control of pain. One of the patients had Parkinson's disease and was studied on medication. Repetitive TMS significantly suppressed the amplitude of later I-waves, and reduced the amplitude of concomitantly recorded MEPs. The earliest I-wave was not significantly modified by rTMS. The present results show that 1 Hz rTMS may decrease the amplitude of later descending waves, consistent with a cortical origin of the effect of 1 Hz rTMS on MEPs.

CKD Prevalence Varies across the European General Population

Abstract: CKD prevalence estimation is central to CKD management and prevention planning at the population level. This study estimated CKD prevalence in the European adult general population and investigated international variation in CKD prevalence by age, sex, and presence of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. We collected data from 19 general-population studies from 13 European countries. CKD stages 1-5 was defined as eGFR 30 mg/g, and CKD stages 3-5 was defined as eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) CKD prevalence was age- and sex-standardized to the population of the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU27). We found considerable differences in both CKD stages 1-5 and CKD stages 3-5 prevalence across European study populations. The adjusted CKD stages 1-5 prevalence varied between 3.31% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 3.30% to 3.33%) in Norway and 17.3% (95% CI, 16.5% to 18.1%) in northeast Germany. The adjusted CKD stages 3-5 prevalence varied between 1.0% (95% CI, 0.7% to 1.3%) in central Italy and 5.9% (95% CI, 5.2% to 6.6%) in northeast Germany. The variation in CKD prevalence stratified by diabetes, hypertension, and obesity status followed the same pattern as the overall prevalence. In conclusion, this large-scale attempt to carefully characterize CKD prevalence in Europe identified substantial variation in CKD prevalence that appears to be due to factors other than the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.

Perturbation of the T-Cell Repertoire in Patients With Unstable Angina

Abstract: Background—Monocytes are constitutively activated in unstable angina (UA), resulting in the production of IL-6 and the upregulation of acute phase proteins. Underlying mechanisms are not understood. To explore whether the production of the potent monocyte activator IFN-γ is altered in UA, we compared cytokine production by T lymphocytes in patients with UA (Braunwald’s class IIIB) and with stable angina (SA). Methods and Results—Peripheral blood lymphocytes were collected at the time of hospitalization and after 2 and 12 weeks. Cytokine-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were quantified by 3-color flow cytometry after stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin. UA was associated with an increased number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells producing IFN-γ, whereas patients with SA had higher frequencies of IL-2+ and IL-4+ CD4+ T cells. Expansion of the IFN-γ + T-cell population in UA persisted for at least 3 months. Increased production of IFN-γ in UA could be attributed to the expansion of an unusual subs...

Immunochemical and immuno-cytochemical localization of S-100 antigen in normal human skin.

Abstract: The S-100 antigen1 is generally considered to be unique to the nervous system, where it is found primarily in the cytoplasm and nucleus of glial cells, both in soluble and bound form2,3. It belongs to the family of acidic Ca2+-binding proteins4. In phylogenesis, S-100 conserves a close immunological relationship between different species, and during ontogenesis the pattern of its accumulation parallels the functional maturation of the nervous system2,3, although its biological role remains to be clarified. Recently, S-100 has been found in cells of non-nervous organs (interstitial cells of the pineal gland5, stellate cells of the adenohypophysis6,7 and satellite cells of the adrenal medulla8), and in cultured malignant human melanomas9. We report here the presence of S-100 in normal human skin, where the antigen seems to be located specifically in melanocytes and in cells with morphological features of Langerhans cells.