University of Milan

About: University of Milan is a education organization based out in Milan, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 58413 authors who have published 139784 publications receiving 4636354 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Milano & Statale.

Pulmonary post-mortem findings in a series of COVID-19 cases from northern Italy: a two-centre descriptive study.

Abstract: Summary Background COVID-19 is characterised by respiratory symptoms, which deteriorate into respiratory failure in a substantial proportion of cases, requiring intensive care in up to a third of patients admitted to hospital. Analysis of the pathological features in the lung tissues of patients who have died with COVID-19 could help us to understand the disease pathogenesis and clinical outcomes. Methods We systematically analysed lung tissue samples from 38 patients who died from COVID-19 in two hospitals in northern Italy between Feb 29 and March 24, 2020. The most representative areas identified at macroscopic examination were selected, and tissue blocks (median seven, range five to nine) were taken from each lung and fixed in 10% buffered formalin for at least 48 h. Tissues were assessed with use of haematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemical staining for inflammatory infiltrate and cellular components (including staining with antibodies against CD68, CD3, CD45, CD61, TTF1, p40, and Ki-67), and electron microscopy to identify virion localisation. Findings All cases showed features of the exudative and proliferative phases of diffuse alveolar damage, which included capillary congestion (in all cases), necrosis of pneumocytes (in all cases), hyaline membranes (in 33 cases), interstitial and intra-alveolar oedema (in 37 cases), type 2 pneumocyte hyperplasia (in all cases), squamous metaplasia with atypia (in 21 cases), and platelet–fibrin thrombi (in 33 cases). The inflammatory infiltrate, observed in all cases, was largely composed of macrophages in the alveolar lumina (in 24 cases) and lymphocytes in the interstitium (in 31 cases). Electron microscopy revealed that viral particles were predominantly located in the pneumocytes. Interpretation The predominant pattern of lung lesions in patients with COVID-19 patients is diffuse alveolar damage, as described in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronaviruses. Hyaline membrane formation and pneumocyte atypical hyperplasia are frequent. Importantly, the presence of platelet–fibrin thrombi in small arterial vessels is consistent with coagulopathy, which appears to be common in patients with COVID-19 and should be one of the main targets of therapy. Funding None.

Localization of grasp representations in humans by PET: 1. Observation versus execution

Abstract: Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to localize brain regions that are active during the observation of grasping movements. Normal, right-handed subjects were tested under three conditions. In the first, they observed grasping movements of common objects performed by the experimenter. In the second, they reached and grasped the same objects. These two conditions were compared with a third condition consisting of object observation. On the basis of monkey data, it was hypothesized that during grasping observation, activations should be present in the region of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) and in inferior area 6. The findings in humans demonstrated that grasp observation significantly activates the cortex of the middle temporal gyrus including that of the adjacent superior temporal sulcus (Brodmann's area 21) and the caudal part of the left inferior frontal gyrus (Brodmann's area 45). The possible functional homologies between these areas and the monkey STS region and frontal area F5 are discussed.