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Ferromagnetic shape memory alloys attracted increasing interest as multicaloric materials for solid state refrigeration. The most effective field coupling is achieved through the combination of the magnetic and mechanical induction of thermoelastic martensitic transformation. In the present work, we present an experimental investigation on NiMnGaCu polycrystalline cast alloy, by means of an experimental setup for compression tests in isothermal conditions under a longitudinal magnetic field. The setup has been ad hoc designed and developed specifically for this purpose. In this way, we can measure the elastocaloric and magnetocaloric effect at the same time. Moreover, the evolution of the entropy changes ΔS and the functional caloric parameters vs the magnetic field is evaluated. The application of magnetic field seems to act like a supplementary mechanical longitudinal stress. These preliminary results are fundamental to achieve a comprehensive understanding and modeling of coupled multicaloric phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pemphigus, an autoimmune blistering disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes, significantly impairs the quality of life (QoL) of affected individuals. While there are a variety of QoL measurement tools available for assessing this disease, there is a lack of studies that specifically evaluate the sexual QoL of patients with pemphigus. Objectives: This case–control study aims to investigate the impact of the disease on sexual activity as well as its overall effect on QoL. Materials and Methods: Fifty pemphigus patients, who were referred to the Dermatology Department at the University Hospital of Brescia in the period March 2019–September 2021, completed several QoL surveys, including the 36‐item Short Form Health survey (SF‐36), the 12‐Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12), the Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (ABQOL) and either the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) or the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The severity of the disease was assessed using the Pemphigus Disease Area Index (PDAI). Differences in QoL surveys between the case and control groups were analysed using either the t‐test or the Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test. The correlation between QoL surveys in pemphigus patients and disease severity were analysed using Spearman's coefficient (r). Results: The results revealed a marked impairment in overall QoL among patients with pemphigus compared to the healthy control subjects. Significant differences were observed in various domains of QoL, including physical health, mental well‐being, social functioning and, notably, sexual health. Furthermore, disease severity as evaluated by the PDAI showed correlations with specific aspects of health status, and disease‐specific QoL demonstrated associations with nearly all domains of health status. No significant correlations were found between sexual activity, mucosal involvement or steroid therapy and PDAI scores or disease‐specific QoL measures. Conclusion: These findings emphasize the significant impact of pemphigus on patients' well‐being, with particular attention to the impaired sexual activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the influence of patient and implant-related factors on the changes of marginal bone levels (MBL) at implants with a follow-up ≥5 years., Materials and Methods: At baseline (within 6 months from prosthetic insertion) and long-term (≥5 years after implant placement) visits, interproximal (mesial and distal) MBL were radiographically evaluated. To analyze factors predicting MBL change, the site (either mesial or distal) showing the highest MBL change (hChMBL site) was identified for each implant. Multilevel regression models were built to explain MBL change as well as the probability for a bone loss ≥2 mm at long-term., Results: 942 implants in 312 patients with a mean follow-up of 8.02 ± 2.5 years were analyzed. MBL change was significantly predicted by baseline MBL, oral bisphosphonate (BP) intake, history of periodontitis, diabetes, and super-hydrophilic implant surface. Higher risk for a bone loss ≥2 mm was observed in patients with history of periodontitis (OR = 9.52, 95% CI 0.72-3.79) and taking BP (OR = 6.84, 95% CI 0.21-3.63). Mandibular implants had higher odds for bone loss ≥2 mm compared to maxillary implants (OR = 3, 95% CI 0.39-1.87)., Conclusions: The findings of the present study contribute to the identification of specific clinical scenarios at higher risk for implant-supporting bone loss that need to be strictly monitored during maintenance., (© 2024 The Author(s). Clinical Oral Implants Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: The use of Del Nido Cardioplegia (DNC) has been extended in the latest years from pediatrics to adult cardiac surgery with encouraging results. We sought to investigate clinical and biochemical outcomes in adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery with different degrees of complexity who received DNC for myocardial protection., Methods: Data on one-thousand patients were retrospectively collected from 2020 to 2022. The only exclusion criteria was off-pump adult cardiac surgery. Surgical procedures weight was categorized according EuroSCORE II in six groups: Single-CABG(G1), isolated non-CABG(mitral) (G2), isolated non-CABG(aortic) (G3), isolated non-CABG(any) (G4), 2-procedures(G5), 3/more-procedures(G6). Primary endpoint was to identify a binomial correlation between hs-TnT/CK-MB and the cross-clamp time (X-Clamp). A secondary endpoint was the comparison between the treatment groups of the vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS) and the need of mechanical circulatory support (MCS)., Results: A linear correlation was identified between hs-TnT and X-clamp in the overall population (rho:0.447, p < .001) and in the treatment groups (G1:rho=0.357, p < .001/G2:rho=0.455, p < .001/G3:rho=0.307, p = .001/G4:rho=0.165, p = .257/G5:rho=0.157, p = .031/G6:rho=0.226, p = .015). Similarly, a linear correlation between CK-MB and X-clamp in the overall population (rho=0.457, p < .001) and treatment group (G1:rho=0.282, p < .001/G2:rho=0.287, p = .025/G3:rho=0.211, p = .009/G4:rho=0.0878, p = .548/G5:rho=0.309, p < .001/G6: rho=0.212, p = .024) was identified. As regard for the secondary endpoint, no differences were reported between the treatment groups in terms of VIS and MCS (VIS G1:7; G2:4; G3:7; G4:7, G5:5.5, G6:6, p -value= .691) (MCS G1: 4.5%; G2:4.8%; G3:3.3%; G4:3.1%; G5:1.4%; G6:5.3%; p -value= .372)., Conclusions: Del Nido Cardioplegia is a safe and useful tool in adult cardiac surgery allowing operators to achieve a stable and durable cardioplegic arrest. Despite accounting with different types of surgery, the six subgroups of our study population showed similar perioperative results., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. FundingThe author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objectives: This registry-based study aimed to describe cross-sectional dental and demographic data with focus on diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease. A second aim was to analyse the extent and content of performed periodontal treatment in patients with varying degrees of periodontitis and if treatment was provided on equal terms. An additional aim was to identify if possible differences in treatments were related to type of dental insurance system., Methods: A study population, 225,913 individuals ≥ 20 years living in the Region of Västra Götaland, was identified by the Swedish Quality Registry for Caries and Periodontal Diseases (SKaPa). Registry data were retrieved for the period 2010-2012. Logistic regression models were used to predict the probability of receiving periodontal interventions and access to fixed annual fees., Results: Among the study population, 17% had periodontal disease (≥ 4 teeth with periodontal pockets ≥ 4 mm) and constituted the final study sample. The probability of periodontal intervention increased with severity of periodontitis, in moderate (OR = 2.3) and severe cases (OR = 5.2) compared to the group with minor disease (p < 0.001). Severe periodontitis was associated with male gender, increasing age and smoking. About 30% of the individuals remained untreated over the 3-year period. Individuals with fee-for-service were more likely to receive periodontal intervention than individuals with fixed annual fees (OR = 1.7; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Severe periodontitis and being in the fee-for-service system were associated with more periodontal interventions. However, one-third of the study subjects remained untreated. These findings indicate the need for improved care on equal terms for patients with periodontal disease., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Dental Hygiene published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a fivefold increased risk of cerebrovascular events, contributing to 15-18 % of all strokes. Stroke prevention in clinical practice is typically guided by the CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score, which depends on general clinical risk factors but falls short in predicting risk at an individual patient level. In this study, we introduce a digital twin model of the left atrium (LA) combined with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to enhance personalized stroke risk assessment. Simulations were performed on patient-specific dynamic LA models in sinus rhythm (SR) across three patient groups: 10 controls (CTRL), 10 with paroxysmal AF (PAR-AF), and 10 with persistent AF (PER-AF). Blood flow velocity and areas susceptible to thrombogenesis, based on several factors including endothelial damage, were identified in the left atrial appendage (LAA). In general, control subjects exhibited higher average blood velocity in both the LAA and its ostium (0.11 ± 0.03 m/s and 0.28 ± 0.05 m/s, respectively) compared to those with AF. In the AF groups, the velocities were lower (LAA: PAR-AF 0.05 ± 0.02 m/s, PER-AF 0.04 ± 0.02 m/s; LAA ostium: PAR-AF 0.14 ± 0.03 m/s, PER-AF 0.11 ± 0.04 m/s). CFD analysis revealed that endothelial cell activation potential (ECAP) was significantly higher in AF patients (PAR-AF: 3.96 ± 3.28 Pa⁻ 1 , PER-AF: 4.77 ± 2.08 Pa⁻ 1 ) compared to controls (0.93 ± 0.63 Pa⁻ 1 ). These findings suggest that AF patients experience slower and more oscillatory blood flow in the LAA, increasing their risk of thrombosis. Additionally, blood tends to stagnate within the LAA, further raising the likelihood of clot formation. This proposed method could be used to enhance stroke risk stratification in AF patients by incorporating an index that integrates blood velocity-derived parameters., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Introduction: Pemphigus, an autoimmune disorder, significantly impacts the quality of life for those affected., Objective: This study examined the sleep quality in patients with pemphigus, a domain for which the existing literature provides limited data without a focused analysis., Methods: A total of 156 individuals, 52 in the case and 104 in the control group, completed several questionnaires (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI], General Health Questionnaire-12 [GHQ-12], and ABQOL [Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life]). Disease severity was evaluated using the Pemphigus disease area index (PDAI index)., Results: The case group exhibited significantly higher levels of psychological distress, reflected in GHQ-12 scores (P = 0.00), and notably poorer sleep quality compared to controls across various parameters (sleep latency [SL], disturbances [SDi], medication [SM], daytime sleep dysfunction [DSD]), and the global PSQI score (GS)] (P = 0.00)). Significant correlations were observed between PDAI scores and sleep duration (SDu) (P = 0.01), SM (P=0.03), SL (P =0.03), and GS (P=0.00). An association was found between the equivalent steroid intake and SDu (P=0.00) as well as GS (P=0.02). No statistically significant correlation emerged between disease duration and PSQI scores. Our findings indicated a correlation between poor sleep quality and cutaneous rather than mucosal manifestations (p=0.01). Pemphigus affects sleep quality. Severe disease showed heightened SDi, correlating with higher steroid doses, and in the chronic phase, the impact seems to have been more influenced by the pro-inflammatory stage of the disease. Patients with cutaneous pemphigus exhibited reduced sleep quality compared to those with oral pemphigus., Conclusion: Understanding that pemphigus worsens sleep quality can be beneficial for the holistic management of individuals with this condition.

Background: The incidence of skin cancer in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) has only been investigated with retrospective studies enrolling a low number of patients. The aims of our study were to assess the incidence of skin cancer in two large cohorts of patients, one with SLE and the other with SSc and investigating possible risk factors., Methods: Ninety SLE, 53 SSc patients and 392 control subjects were enrolled. A questionnaire including personal and medical details was fulfilled. The severity of photoaging, photosensitivity and sun exposure habits was assessed. Skin lesions were evaluated using a video-dermatoscope. Suspicious lesions were surgically removed., Results: The incidence of skin cancer was not different to those of controls. However, a decrease in the incidence of basal cell carcinoma was found in patients with SLE. This finding associated negatively with photosensitivity. SSc patients with skin malignancies did not report photosensitivity and did not adopt a careful photoprotection. A positive association was found between skin cancer and diffuse cutaneous sclerosis, pitting scars, severe photoaging and treatment with Iloprost., Conclusions: Regular avoidance of sun exposure and photoprotection are effective in reducing the development of skin cancer in patients with autoimmune diseases.

This case-control study seeks to investigate the influence of histological findings, specifically regression, its extent and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TILs), on result of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy, 5-year melanoma-specific survival (MSS), and relapse-free survival (RFS). We included all patients with cutaneous melanoma who underwent SLN biopsy at the Melanoma Center of the University of Brescia, following the Italian Association of Medical Oncology National guidelines from January 2008 to August 2018. Regression and its extent (<75 or ≥75%) and the presence of TILs were reevaluated by a trained dermatopathologist, adhering to the 2017 College of American Pathologists Cancer Protocol for Skin Melanoma. These patients were followed up for 5 years. Our study uncovered significant associations between regression and male sex ( P  < 0.05), melanoma location on the trunk, upper limbs, and back ( P  = 0.001), ulceration ( P  < 0.05), lower Breslow thickness ( P  = 0.001), and the presence of lymphocytic infiltration (both brisk and nonbrisk) ( P  < 0.001). Regression and its extent, however, did not appear to affect SLN positivity ( P  = 0.315). Similarly, our data did not reveal a correlation between TILs and result of SLN biopsy ( P  = 0.256). When analyzing MSS and RFS in relation to the presence or absence of regression and TILs, no statistically significant differences were observed, thus precluding the need for logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier curve analysis. This study's findings underscore that regression and TILs do not appear to exert an influence on sentinel lymph node status, MSS, or RFS in our cohort of patients., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: To evaluate the association between type 1 diabetes (T1D)/type 2 diabetes (T2D) and periodontitis and assess the influence of periodontitis on diabetes-related complications., Design: Observational study; longitudinal analysis of register data., Setting: Swedish primary care centres, hospitals and dental clinics reporting to nationwide healthcare registers (2010-2020)., Participants: 28 801 individuals with T1D (13 022 women; mean age 42 years) and 57 839 individuals without diabetes (non-T1D; 26 271 women; mean age 43 years). 251 645 individuals with T2D (110 627 women; mean age 61 years) and 539 805 individuals without diabetes (non-T2D; 235 533 women; mean age 60 years). Diabetes and non-diabetes groups were matched for age, gender and county of residence., Main Outcome Measures: Prevalent periodontitis, diabetes-related complications (retinopathy, albuminuria, stroke and ischaemic heart disease) and mortality., Results: Periodontitis was more common among T2D (22%) than non-T2D (17%). Differences were larger in younger age groups (adjusted RR at age 30-39 years 1.92; 95% CI 1.81 to 2.03) and exacerbated by poor glycaemic control. Periodontitis prevalence was 13% in T1D and 11% in non-T1D; only the subgroup with poor glycaemic control was at higher risk for periodontitis. Periodontitis was associated with a higher incidence of retinopathy (T1D: HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.14; T2D: HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.10) and albuminuria (T1D: HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.23; T2D: HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.11). Periodontitis was not associated with a higher risk for stroke, cardiovascular disease or higher mortality in T1D/T2D., Conclusions: The association between T2D and periodontitis was strong and exacerbated by poor glycaemic control. For T1D, the association to periodontitis was limited to subgroups with poor glycaemic control. Periodontitis contributed to an increased risk for retinopathy and albuminuria in T1D and T2D., Competing Interests: Competing interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at http://www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest/ and declare: ATE, CT, TB and JD had financial support from the Eklund Foundation (grant 2018-132) and TUA Research Funding (grants TUAGBG-919531 & TUAGBG-979382) for the submitted work; CT serves as a consultant for PreBiomics S.r.I (outside the present work); TB serves as an advisor for the Swedish Quality Registry for Caries and Periodontal Diseases (SKaPa); KEO serves as the director of the Swedish National Diabetes Register (NDR) and has received fees for lecturing and/or honoraria for consulting from Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Abbot Diabetes Care (all outside the present work); no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background and Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a widespread cardiac arrhythmia that significantly impacts heart function. AF disrupts atrial mechanical contraction, leading to irregular, uncoordinated, and slow blood flow inside the atria which favors the formation of clots, primarily within the left atrium (LA). A standardized region-based analysis of the LA is missing, and there is not even any consensus about how to define the LA regions. In this study we propose an automatic approach for regionalizing the LA into segments to provide a comprehensive 3D region-based LA contraction assessment. LA global and regional contraction were quantified in control subjects and in AF patients to describe mechanical abnormalities associated with AF., Methods: The proposed automatic approach for LA regionalization was tested in thirteen control subjects and seventeen AF patients. After dividing LA into standard regions, we evaluated the global and regional mechanical function by measuring LA contraction parameters, such as regional volume, global and regional strains, regional wall motion and regional shortening fraction., Results: LA regionalization was successful in all study subjects. In the AF group compared with control subjects, results showed: a global impairment of LA contraction which appeared more pronounced along radial and circumferential direction; a regional impairment of radial strain which was more pronounced in septal, inferior, and lateral regions suggesting a greater reduction in mechanical efficiency in these regions in comparison to the posterior and anterior ones., Conclusion: An automatic approach for LA regionalization was proposed. The regionalization method was proved to be robust with several LA anatomical variations and able to characterize contraction changes associated with AF., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background/aim: Overall survival (OS)-predictive models to clinically stratify patients with stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are still unavailable. The aim of this work was to build a predictive model of OS in this setting., Patients and Methods: Clinical variables of patients treated in three Institutions with SBRT for stage I NSCLC were retrospectively collected into a reference cohort A (107 patients) and 2 comparative cohorts B1 (32 patients) and B2 (38 patients). A predictive model was built using Cox regression (CR) and artificial neural networks (ANN) on reference cohort A and then tested on comparative cohorts., Results: Cohort B1 patients were older and with worse chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than cohort A. Cohort B2 patients were heavier smokers but had lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). At CR analysis for cohort A, only ECOG Performance Status 0-1 and absence of previous neoplasms correlated with better OS. The model was enhanced combining ANN and CR findings. The reference cohort was divided into prognostic Group 1 (0-2 score) and Group 2 (3-9 score) to assess model's predictions on OS: grouping was close to statistical significance (p=0.081). One and 2-year OS resulted higher for Group 1, lower for Group 2. In comparative cohorts, the model successfully predicted two groups of patients with divergent OS trends: higher for Group 1 and lower for Group 2., Conclusion: The produced model is a relevant tool to clinically stratify SBRT candidates into prognostic groups, even when applied to different cohorts. ANN are a valuable resource, providing useful data to build a prognostic model that deserves to be validated prospectively., (Copyright © 2024, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Neonatologist Performed Echocardiography (NPE) is one of the emerging technologies used to evaluate Systemic Blood Flow (SBF) in term and preterm infants. Right Ventricular Output (RVO) can assess SBF correctly in the absence of significant interatrial or interventricular shunts, even in the presence of a large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), but only few studies evaluated inter-observer variability in neonates. Furthermore, measuring pulmonary peak flow (PF) provides a simple screening tool for low SBF state, easier and faster to perform than RVO; no previous studies evaluated PF inter-observer variability. To describe inter-observer variability of RVO and PF measurement in neonates. We conducted a prospective observational study in term and preterm infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Echocardiographic examinations were performed by two expert neonatologists, blinded to each other. Recordings were analyzed off-line to assess RVO and PF variability between observers. We analyzed a cohort of 33 neonates, 17 of them born prematurely. Inter-observer mean difference for RVO was 22,1 mL/kg/min (p = 0.005); the biggest discrepancy was due to pulmonary valve diameter measurement (p = 0.0001). Inter-observer mean difference for PF measurement was not statistically significant. We found a statistically significant inter-observer variability for RVO measurement, consistent with previous reports; PF instead showed low inter-observer variability. For this reason, PF could be evaluated in future studies as a surrogate for RVO in both term and preterm infants, especially in emergency conditions or in presence of a poor echocardiographic window., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Introduction: The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT1) gain-of-function (GOF) syndrome accounts for most cases of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis but is characterized by a broader clinical phenotype that may include bacterial, viral, or invasive fungal infections, autoimmunity, autoinflammatory manifestations, vascular complications, or malignancies. The severity of lymphopenia may vary and influence the infectious morbidity., Methods: In our cohort of seven STAT1-GOF patients, we investigated the mechanisms that may determine T lymphopenia, we characterized the interferon gene signature (IGS) and analyzed the effect of ruxolitinib in reverting the immune dysregulation., Results: STAT1-GOF patients exhibited increased T lymphocyte apoptosis that was significantly augmented in both resting conditions and following stimulation with mitogens and IFNα, as evaluated by flow cytometry by Annexin V/ Propidium iodide assay. The JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib significantly reduced the IFNα-induced hyperphosphorylation of STAT1 and reverted the stimulation-induced T-cell apoptosis, in vitro. In two adult STAT1-GOF patients, the JAKinib treatment ameliorated chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and lymphopenia. Most STAT1-GOF patients, particularly those who had autoimmunity, presented increased IGS that significantly decreased in the two patients during ruxolitinib treatment., Conclusion: In STAT1-GOF patients, T lymphocyte apoptosis is increased, and T lymphopenia may determine higher risk of severe infections. The JAKinib target therapy should be evaluated to treat severe chronic candidiasis and lymphopenia, and to downregulate the IFNs in patients with autoinflammatory or autoimmune manifestations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We performed a longitudinal shotgun metagenomic investigation of the plaque microbiome associated with peri-implant diseases in a cohort of 91 subjects with 320 quality-controlled metagenomes. Through recently improved taxonomic profiling methods, we identified the most discriminative species between healthy and diseased subjects at baseline, evaluated their change over time, and provided evidence that clinical treatment had a positive effect on plaque microbiome composition in patients affected by mucositis and peri-implantitis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The evaluation of microvascular alterations might provide clinically useful information for patients with an increased cardiovascular (CV) risk, such as those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), being the small artery remodeling the earliest form of target organ damage in primary CV diseases, such as arterial hypertension. The evaluation of retinal arterioles is a non-invasive technique aimed to identify an early microvascular damage, represented by the increase of the wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) index. Abatacept (ABA), a T-cell co-stimulator blocker, is used to treat RA. A CV protective action was hypothesized for its peculiar mechanism of action in the modulation of T-cells, potentially involved in the pathogenesis of CV comorbidity. The study aimed to non-invasively investigate morphological characteristics of retinal arterioles in a cohort of RA patients treated with ABA., Materials and Methods: Seventeen RA patients [median (25th-75thpercentile) age = 58 (48-64) years, baseline 28-joint Disease Activity Score DAS28-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) = 4.4 (3.9-4.6), body mass index (BMI) = 24.2 (23.4-26) kg/m 2 , rheumatoid factor positive:52.9%, anti-citrullinated peptide autoantibodies positive:76.5%] without known CV risk factors (arterial hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, previous CV events, smoking) were evaluated by the adaptive optics imaging system of retinal arterioles before and every 6 months of therapy with ABA (T0, T6 and T12). Office blood pressure evaluation, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and tissue-doppler echocardiography were also performed., Results: A progressive significant reduction of the WLR of retinal arterioles was observed [T0 = 0.28 (0.25-0.30), T6 = 0.27 (0.24-0.31), T12 = 0.23 (0.23-0.26); p T0 vs. T6 = 0.414; p T6 vs. T12 = 0.02; p T0 vs. T12 = 0.009], without significant variations in other parameters. The T0-T12 reduction of WLR was correlated with that of DAS28-CRP (r:0.789; p = 0.005). Moreover, a significant reduction of diastolic office blood pressure and a trend for reduction of daily pressure measured by ambulatory monitoring were observed., Conclusion: In a cohort of RA patients without known CV risk factors, a reduction of retinal microvascular alterations was demonstrated after treatment for 12 months with ABA, in parallel with the reduction of disease activity. These results might suggest the possibility of microvascular abnormalities regression induced by the immune system modulation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Piantoni, Regola, Angeli, Caproli, Trovati, Tomasi, Chiarini, Rossini, Rosei, De Ciuceis, Franceschini, Muiesan, Rizzoni and Airò.)