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BACKGROUND: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a complex condition whose pathogenesis may include inflammation and signs of joint and bone degeneration. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and inflammatory blood parameters. METHODS: The study recruited patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who attended the Rehabilitation Center of the Apostolo Foundation in Merate (LC). The scoliosis curve (Cobb's angle) was used as a severity index to compare with inflammatory blood parameters (white blood cells subpopulations, immunoglobulins, protein electrophoresis). In addition, the study used an overall severity grading called "Scoliosis Score" which includes all spine angles and Risser's score (bone development index). RESULTS: Thirty-four subjects were recruited (mean age 14 years, 2 months), 30 females and 2 males. A significant correlation was found between Cobb's angle and the percentage values of beta-2 globulins in a directly proportional manner (r = 0.42, p = 0.01), and gamma globulins in an inversely proportional manner (r = - 0.366, p = 0.04). However, no significant correlation between Cobb's angle and the absolute values of white blood cells and percentage subpopulations was found (r = 0.0821 p = 0.655). A moderate, inverse correlation was found between the Scoliosis Score and the percentage of neutrophils (r = - 0.385, p = 0.02), a direct correlation was found between the Scoliosis Score and the percentage of lymphocytes (r = 0.404, p = 0.02). In addition, there was a strong correlation of the Scoliosis Score with alpha-2 globulin (r = 0.564, p = 0.0012), beta-1 globulin (r = 0.478, p = 0.0074), and beta-2 globulin (r = 0.370, p = 0.044) and an inverse relationship with gamma globulin (r = - 0.625, p = 0.0002). The main correlations were confirmed by regression analysis. CONCLUSION: The correlation between beta-2 globulins and gamma globulins with Cobb's angle and the Scoliosis Score suggests a link between spinal curvature and inflammation in scoliosis patients, This link may indicate the significance of these parameters for diagnosing, staging the disease, and monitoring therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the works of author Friedrich Wilhelm Hackländer during the First Italian War of Independence in 1848. Various topics discussed include political campaign of the war in Italy, history of his life and birth, outbreak of second independence war in 1859 and his trip to Hungary in 1857.

To date, the pandemic spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has involved over 100 countries in a matter of weeks, and Italy suffers from almost 1/3 of the dead cases worldwide. In this report, we show the strategies adopted to face the emergency at Centro Cardiologico Monzino, a mono-specialist cardiology hospital sited in the region of Italy most affected by the pandemic, and specifically we describe how we have progressively modified in a few weeks the organization of our Heart Failure Unit in order to cope with the new COVID-19 outbreak. In fact, on the background of the pandemic, cardiovascular diseases still occur frequently in the general population, but we observed consistent reduction in hospital admissions for acute cardiovascular events and a dramatic increase of late presentation acute myocardial infarction. Despite a reduction of healthcare workers number, our ward has been rearranged in order to take care of both COVID-19 and cardiovascular patients. In particular according to a triple step procedure we divided admitted patients in confirmed, suspected and excluded cases (respectively allocated in "red", "pink" and "green" separated areas). Due to the absence of definite guidelines, our aim was to describe our strategy in facing the current emergency, in order to reorganize our hospital in a dynamic and proactive manner. To quote the famous Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni 'It is less bad to be agitated in doubt than to rest in error.'

Aims: Ventilation vs. carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO 2 ) is among the strongest cardiopulmonary exercise testing prognostic parameters in heart failure (HF). It is usually reported as an absolute value. The current definition of normal VE/VCO 2 slope values is inadequate, since it was built from small groups of subjects with a particularly limited number of women and elderly. We aimed to define VE/VCO 2 slope prediction formulas in a sizable population and to test whether the prognostic power of VE/VCO 2 slope in HF was different if expressed as a percentage of the predicted value or as an absolute value., Methods and Results: We calculated the linear regressions between age and VE/VCO 2 slope in 1136 healthy subjects (68% male, age 44.9 ± 14.5, range 13-83 years). We then applied age-adjusted and sex-adjusted formulas to predict VE/VCO 2 slope to HF patients included in the metabolic exercise test data combined with cardiac and kidney indexes score database, which counts 6112 patients (82% male, age 61.4 ± 12.8, left ventricular ejection fraction 33.2 ± 10.5%, peakVO 2 14.8 ± 4.9, mL/min/kg, VE/VCO 2 slope 32.7 ± 7.7) from 24 HF centres. Finally, we evaluated whether the use of absolute values vs. percentages of predicted VE/VCO 2 affected HF prognosis prediction (composite of cardiovascular mortality + urgent transplant or left ventricular assist device). We did so in the entire cardiac and kidney indexes score population and separately in HF patients with severe (peakVO 2 < 14 mL/min/kg, n = 2919, 61.1 events/1000 pts/year) or moderate (peakVO 2 ≥ 14 mL/min/kg, n = 3183, 19.9 events/1000 pts/year) HF. In the healthy population, we obtained the following equations: female, VE/VCO 2 = 0.052 × Age + 23.808 (r = 0.192); male, VE/VCO 2 = 0.095 × Age + 20.227 (r = 0.371) (P = 0.007). We applied these formulas to calculate the percentages of predicted VE/VCO 2 values. The 2-year survival prognostic power of VE/VCO 2 slope was strong, and it was similar if expressed as absolute value or as a percentage of predicted value (AUCs 0.686 and 0.690, respectively). In contrast, in severe HF patients, AUCs significantly differed between absolute values (0.637) and percentages of predicted values (0.650, P = 0.0026). Moreover, VE/VCO 2 slope expressed as a percentage of predicted value allowed to reclassify 6.6% of peakVO 2 < 14 mL/min/kg patients (net reclassification improvement = 0.066, P = 0.0015)., Conclusions: The percentage of predicted VE/VCO 2 slope value strengthens the prognostic power of VE/VCO 2 in severe HF patients, and it should be preferred over the absolute value for HF prognostication. Furthermore, the widespread use of VE/VCO 2 slope expressed as percentage of predicted value can improve our ability to identify HF patients at high risk, which is a goal of utmost clinical relevance., (© 2020 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing allows the assessment of integrative cardiopulmonary response to exercise., Aims: The aim of the study was to better understand the exercise physiology in pulmonary arterial hypertension related to adult congenital heart disease compared to non-adult congenital heart disease patients by means of cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters., Methods: The present is a multicentre retrospective study which includes pulmonary hypertension group 1 and group 4 patients. All subjects underwent full clinical and instrumental evaluation, including cardiopulmonary exercise testing and right heart catheterization., Results: One hundred and sixty-seven pulmonary hypertension patients (93 women and 74 men, 57 adult congenital heart disease and 110 non-adult congenital heart disease) were enrolled. Adult congenital heart disease patients had higher pulmonary pressure (mean pulmonary arterial pressure: 59.8 ± 19.5 mmHg vs 44.6 ± 16.5 mmHg, p < 0.001) and lower pulmonary blood flow (pulmonary blood flow: 3.3 (2.1-4.3) l/min vs 4.5 (3.8-5.4) l/min, p < 0.001). At cardiopulmonary exercise testing they had lower peak oxygen uptake/kg (12.8 ± 3.8 ml/kg/min vs 15.5 ± 4.2 ml/kg/min, p < 0.001) and higher ventilation/carbon dioxide elimination slope (53.2 (43.3-64.8) vs 44.0 (34.6-51.6), p < 0.001). When patients were paired for gender and peak oxygen uptake ( ± 1 ml/kg/min), obtaining 44 pairs, adult congenital heart disease patients had higher pulmonary pressure (mean pulmonary arterial pressure: 58.4 ± 20.2 mmHg vs 42.8 ± 16.8 mmHg, p < 0.001) and ventilation/carbon dioxide elimination slope (51.2 (43.4-63.6) vs 44.9 (35.4-55.1), p = 0.033)., Conclusions: In pulmonary arterial hypertension-adult congenital heart disease patients, pulmonary pressure and ventilation/carbon dioxide elimination slope are higher compared to non-adult congenital heart disease pulmonary hypertension patients, while pulmonary blood flow and peak oxygen uptake are lower. After matching patients for gender and peak oxygen uptake, pulmonary pressure and ventilation/carbon dioxide elimination remain higher in adult congenital heart disease patients suggesting that the long-term adaptation to high pulmonary pressure, hypoxia and low pulmonary blood flow, as well as a persisting shunt has, at least partially, preserved exercise performance of pulmonary arterial hypertension-adult congenital heart disease patients.

Aims: Risk stratification in heart failure (HF) is crucial for clinical and therapeutic management. A multiparametric approach is the best method to stratify prognosis. In 2012, the Metabolic Exercise test data combined with Cardiac and Kidney Indexes (MECKI) score was proposed to assess the risk of cardiovascular mortality and urgent heart transplantation. The aim of the present study was to compare the prognostic accuracy of MECKI score to that of HF Survival Score (HFSS) and Seattle HF Model (SHFM) in a large, multicentre cohort of HF patients with reduced ejection fraction., Methods and Results: We collected data on 6112 HF patients and compared the prognostic accuracy of MECKI score, HFSS, and SHFM at 2- and 4-year follow-up for the combined endpoint of cardiovascular death, urgent cardiac transplantation, or ventricular assist device implantation. Patients were followed up for a median of 3.67 years, and 931 cardiovascular deaths, 160 urgent heart transplantations, and 12 ventricular assist device implantations were recorded. At 2-year follow-up, the prognostic accuracy of MECKI score was significantly superior [area under the curve (AUC) 0.781] to that of SHFM (AUC 0.739) and HFSS (AUC 0.723), and this relationship was also confirmed at 4 years (AUC 0.764, 0.725, and 0.720, respectively)., Conclusion: In this cohort, the prognostic accuracy of the MECKI score was superior to that of HFSS and SHFM at 2- and 4-year follow-up in HF patients in stable clinical condition. The MECKI score may be useful to improve resource allocation and patient outcome, but prospective evaluation is needed., (© 2017 The Authors. European Journal of Heart Failure © 2017 European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Oxygen uptake at the anaerobic threshold (VO2AT), a submaximal exercise-derived variable, independent of patients' motivation, is a marker of outcome in heart failure (HF). However, previous evidence of VO2AT values paradoxically higher in HF patients with permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) than in those with sinus rhythm (SR) raised uncertainties., Design: We tested the prognostic role of VO2AT in a large cohort of systolic HF patients, focusing on possible differences between SR and AF., Methods: Altogether 2976 HF patients (2578 with SR and 398 with AF) were prospectively followed. Besides a clinical examination, each patient underwent a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET)., Results: The follow-up was analysed for up to 1500 days. Cardiovascular death or urgent cardiac transplantation occurred in 303 patients (250 (9.6%) patients with SR and 53 (13.3%) patients with AF, p = 0.023). In the entire population, multivariate analysis including peak oxygen uptake (VO2) showed a prognostic capacity (C-index) similar to that obtained including VO2AT (0.76 vs 0.72). Also, left ventricular ejection fraction, ventilation vs carbon dioxide production slope, β-blocker and digoxin therapy proved to be significant prognostic indexes. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis showed that the best predictive VO2AT cut-off for the SR group was 11.7 ml/kg/min, while it was 12.8 ml/kg/min for the AF group., Conclusions: VO2AT, a submaximal CPET-derived parameter, is reliable for long-term cardiovascular mortality prognostication in stable systolic HF. However, different VO2AT cut-off values between SR and AF HF patients should be adopted., (© The European Society of Cardiology 2014.)

Background: Heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) coexistence increases morbidity and mortality. The intercept of ventilation (VEint) on the VE vs. carbon dioxide production (VCO2) relationship during exercise has been found to vary in proportion with dead space (VD) in HF. Considering that increased VD is the key pathophysiological abnormality in COPD but a secondary finding in HF we hypothesized that a high VEint would be useful in suggesting COPD as HF co-morbidity. Our aim was to assess whether an elevated VEint suggests the presence of COPD in HF., Methods: In a multicenter retrospective study, the VE-VCO2 relationship was analyzed both as slope and intercept in HF (n = 108), HF-COPD (n = 106) and COPD (n = 95). Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (n = 85) and healthy subjects (HF) (n = 56) served as positive and negative controls relative to VE-VCO2 abnormalities, respectively., Results: Slope and VEint varied in opposite directions in all groups (p < 0.05) being VE-VCO2 slope highest and lowest in PAH and healthy subjects, respectively. No slope differences were observed among HF, HF-COPD and COPD (32 ± 7, 31 ± 7, and 31 ± 6, respectively). VEint was higher in HF-COPD and COPD compared to HF, PAH and controls (4.8 ± 2.4 L/min, 5.9 ± 3.0 L/min, 3.0 ± 2.6L/min, 2.3 ± 3.3 L/min and 3.9 ± 2.5L/min, respectively; p < 0.01). A VEint ≥ 4.07 L/min identified patients with high probability of having COPD or HF-COPD (sensitivity of 71.6% and specificity of 72.0%)., Conclusion: These data provide novel evidence that a high VEint (≥ 4.07 L/min) should be valued to suggest coexistent COPD in HF patients., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.)

Background: In patients with heart failure (HF), during maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test, anaerobic threshold (AT) is not always identified. We evaluated whether this finding has a prognostic meaning., Methods and Results: We recruited and prospectively followed up, in 14 dedicated HF units, 3058 patients with systolic (left ventricular ejection fraction <40%) HF in stable clinical conditions, New York Heart Association class I to III, who underwent clinical, laboratory, echocardiographic, and cardiopulmonary exercise test investigations at study enrollment. We excluded 921 patients who did not perform a maximal exercise, based on lack of achievement of anaerobic metabolism (peak respiratory quotient ≤1.05). Primary study end point was a composite of cardiovascular death and urgent cardiac transplant, and secondary end point was all-cause death. Median follow-up was 3.01 (1.39-4.98) years. AT was identified in 1935 out of 2137 patients (90.54%). At multivariable logistic analysis, failure in detecting AT resulted significantly in reduced peak oxygen uptake and higher metabolic exercise and cardiac and kidney index score value, a powerful prognostic composite HF index (P<0.001). At multivariable analysis, the following variables were significantly associated with primary study end point: peak oxygen uptake (% pred; P<0.001; hazard ratio [HR]=0.977; confidence interval [CI]=0.97-0.98), ventilatory efficiency slope (P=0.01; HR=1.02; CI=1.01-1.03), hemoglobin (P<0.05; HR=0.931; CI=0.87-1.00), left ventricular ejection fraction (P<0.001; HR=0.948; CI=0.94-0.96), renal function (modification of diet in renal disease; P<0.001; HR=0.990; CI=0.98-0.99), sodium (P<0.05; HR=0.967; CI=0.94-0.99), and AT nonidentification (P<0.05; HR=1.41; CI=1.06-1.89). Nonidentification of AT remained associated to prognosis also when compared with metabolic exercise and cardiac and kidney index score (P<0.01; HR=1.459; CI=1.09-1.10). Similar results were obtained for the secondary study end point., Conclusions: The inability to identify AT most often occurs in patients with severe HF, and it has an independent prognostic role in HF.

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is frequent in males with chronic heart failure (HF) with a severe impact on quality of life for many individuals. The correlation of ED with age and HF severity, comorbidity, and treatment is unclear., Aim: We evaluated the correlation between ED and HF severity, treatment, and comorbidity., Methods: One hundred one HF patients aged < or =70 years, with left ventricular ejection fraction < or =40%, and stable clinical condition took part in the study. We measured: (i) hemoglobin, glycemia, glicated hemoglobin, creatinine, cholesterol, thyroid-stimulating-hormone, C-reactive-protein, total/free testosterone; (ii) ED, depression, urological symptoms, and signs of low testosterone by means of questionnaires; and (iii) HF severity by means of echo, brain natriuretic peptide, and cardiopulmonary exercise test., Main Outcome Measures: ED was measured by means of International Index of Erectile Function-5 questionnaire and its score was correlated with exercise cardiopulmonary test parameters, HF severity, treatment and HF comorbidities., Results: ED prevalence was 69.3%, 81.1%, and 56% in total population and in patients with and without coronary artery lesions, respectively. ED was absent in 31 while it scored mild, mild to moderate, moderate and severe in 15, 18, 12, 25 individuals, respectively. Sexual activity requires, in the orgasmic phase, an oxygen consumption (VO(2)) between 10 and 14 mL/min/kg. In none of the individuals with peak VO(2) < 10 mL/min/kg was sexual function normal or slightly impaired, while in 10/29 of patients with peak VO(2) between 10 and 14 mL/min/kg there was a normal or slightly reduced sexual performance. On monovariable analysis, several parameters were correlated with ED, but at multivariable analysis only age (P = 0.002), hemoglobin (P = 0.042), diabetes (P = 0.040), and use of diuretics (P = 0.052) remained so., Conclusions: ED is frequent in HF. A normal or only slightly impaired sexual activity is possible with peak VO(2) > 10 mL/min/kg. On multivariable analysis, only age, diabetes, use of diuretics, and hemoglobin are related to ED.

Background: Exertional oscillatory ventilation (EOV) in heart failure may potentiate the negative effects of low cardiac output and high ventilation on exercise performance. We hypothesized that the presence of EOV might, per se, influence exercise capacity as evaluated by maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test., Methods and Results: We identified 78 severe chronic heart failure patient pairs with and without EOV. Patients were matched for sex, age and peak oxygen consumption (VO2). Patients with EOV showed, for the same peak VO2, a lower workload (WL) at peak (DeltaWatts=5.8+/-23.0, P=0.027), a less efficient ventilation (higher VE/VCO2 slope: 38.0+/-8.3 vs. 32.8+/-6.3, P<0.001), lower peak exercise tidal volume (1.49+/-0.36 L vs. 1.61+/-0.46 L, P=0.015) and higher peak respiratory rate (34+/-7/min vs. 31+/-6/min, P=0.002). In 33 patients, EOV disappeared during exercise, whereas in 45 patients EOV persisted. Fifty percent of EOV disappearing patients had an increase in the VO2/WL relationship after EOV regression, consistent with a more efficient oxygen delivery to muscles. No cardiopulmonary exercise test parameter was associated with the different behaviour of VO2/WL., Conclusion: The presence of EOV negatively influences exercise performance of chronic heart failure patients likely because of an increased cost of breathing. EOV disappearance during exercise is associated with a more efficient oxygen delivery in several cases.