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The prevalence, correlates, and management of tobacco use disorder (TUD) or nicotine dependence (ND) among people with severe mental illness (SMI), namely schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD), remain unclear. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. Electronic databases were systematically searched from inception to July 12, 2020, for observational studies documenting the prevalence, odds, and correlates of TUD/ND among people with SMI; randomized controlled trials (RCTs) informing the management of TUD/ND in people with SMI were also included. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted. Sources of heterogeneity were explored. Nineteen observational studies, including 7527 participants with SMI met inclusion criteria. TUD/ND co-occurred in 33.4-65% of people with SMI. Rates were higher among males. While bupropion and varenicline represent promising treatment opportunities for schizophrenia with TUD/ND, non-pharmacological interventions require further research, mainly for people with primary mood disorders. TUD/ND represent prevalent co-occurring conditions among people with SMI. Further well-designed RCTs are warranted to inform their management.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019)-related pandemic represents a global source of societal and health burden. Yet, the impact of the pandemic on people with severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder (BD), remains unclear, warranting scoping review on the matter. METHODS: The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were systematically searched from inception up to April 24, 2021, adopting broad inclusion criteria to assess a variety of clinical and public health themes related to people with a primary diagnosis of BD during the COVID-19 pandemics. The present work complying with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF) repository (https://osf.io/7evpx/). RESULTS: Fourteen papers informed the present scoping review. Four major themes were identified: (i) impact of COVID-19-related stressors on BD; (ii) impact of COVID-19 on mental health service utilization among people with BD; (iii) impact of BD on the risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection; (iv) engagement in preventative behaviors among people with BD. Additional themes warranting further research were nonetheless detected. LIMITATIONS: Further original studies are needed. CONCLUSION: The present study confirmed the high-vulnerability hypothesis concerning people with BD versus the general population, reinforcing the need for further research related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional information is warranted to compare the impact of the pandemic period among BD people against pre-pandemic records, the general population, and other severe mental illnesses, namely people with schizophrenia or major depressive disorder, to inform the public health and the delivery of patient-tailored interventions.

Thirty naturally infected dogs were divided into three groups (10 animals each): group I (canine leishmaniosis), group II (canine ehrlichiosis) and group III (dogs co-infected by both infectious agents). Ten clinically healthy dogs were used as controls. A haematological profile was obtained and dog sera were assessed for the presence of platelet-bound IgM and IgG antibodies (PBIgM, PBIgG) using flow cytometry. Eight of the naturally co-infected dogs (80%), five of the leishmaniotic dogs (50%) and six of the ehrlichiotic dogs (60%) had detectable levels of platelet-bound antibodies (PBIg). No PBIg were observed in the control group. The hypothesis that Leishmania and Ehrlichia co-infection could more severely affect the immune response of infected dogs is discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (proANP 31–67), B-type natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentrations in dogs with chronic degenerative valvular disease (CDVD) D. Piantedosi & L. Cortese & A. Di Loria & G. Brignola & M. Prisco & A. Persechino & P. Ciaramella Published online: 8 July 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2009