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Abstract Background IUGR infants are thought to have impaired gut function after birth, which may result in intestinal disturbances, ranging from temporary intolerance to the enteral feeding to full-blown NEC. In literature there is no consensus regarding the impact of enteral feeding on intestinal blood flow and hence regarding the best regimen and the best rate of delivering the enteral nutrition. Methods/design This is a randomized, non-pharmacological, single-center, cross-over study including 20 VLBW infants. Inclusion criteria * Weight at birth ranging: 700–1501 grams * Gestational age up to 25 weeks and 6 days * Written informed consent from parents or guardians Exclusion criteria * Major congenital abnormality * Patients enrolled in other trials * Significant multi-organ failure prior to trial entry * Pre-existing cutaneous disease not allowing the placement of the NIRS’ probe In the first 24 hours of life, between the 48th and 72nd hours of life, and during Minimal Enteral Feeding, all infants’ intestinal perfusion will be evaluated with NIRS and a Doppler of the superior mesenteric artery will be executed. At the achievement of an enteral intake of 100 mL/Kg/day the patients (IUGR and NON IUGR separately) will be randomized in 2 groups: Group A (n=10) will receive a feed by bolus (in 10 minutes); then, after at least 3 hours, they will receive the same amount of formula administered in 3 hours. Group B (n=10) will receive a feed administered in 3 hours followed by a bolus administration of the same amount of formula (in 10 minutes) after at least 3 hours. On the randomization day intestinal and cerebral regional oximetry will be measured via NIRS. Intestinal and celebral oximetry will be measured before the feed and 30 minutes after the feed by bolus during the 3 hours nutrition the measurements will be performed before the feed, 30 minutes from the start of the nutrition and 30 minutes after the end of the gavage. An evaluation of blood flow velocity of the superior mesenteric artery will be performed meanwhile. The infants of the Group A will be fed with continuous nutrition until the achievement of full enteral feeding. The infants of the Group B will be fed by bolus until the achievement of full enteral feeding. Discussion Evaluations of intestinal oximetry and superior mesenteric artery blood flow after the feed may help in differentiating how the feeding regimen alters the splanchnic blood flow and oxygenation and if the changes induced by feeding are different in IUGR versus NON IUGR infants. Trial registration number NCT01341236

Background: Antenatal universal screening for toxoplasmosis is recommended in most affluent countries worldwide. Despite evidence is not robust, detected cases are typically treated during pregnancy. Affected newborns are also treated to temper clinical consequences. However, this established mode of management warrants careful and continuous re-evaluation. The epidemiology of the infection is changing and there is the need to monitor the clinical scenario., Methods: This is an observational retrospective study conducted at a referral hospital in Northern Italy. Every woman referred from January 2011 to December 2021 for suspected toxoplasmosis in pregnancy was eligible. All women were managed according to a local standardized protocol. Clinical and laboratory findings were obtained from patients' charts., Results: Out of 347 women referred, 191 (55%) were discharged as false positive at initial assessment. We identified 141 women with suspected infection and 15 with confirmed infection. The number of women treated with antibiotics was 136 (96%) and 15 (100%), respectively. A total of 118 amniocenteses were performed, all of which were negative. There were two spontaneous miscarriages and five therapeutic terminations of pregnancy (of whom four were consequent to parental concerns related to the toxoplasmic infection), all among suspected cases. Vertical transmission occurred in a single case, a patient with confirmed infection diagnosed by seroconversion at 28 weeks' gestation. The course of this pregnancy was uneventful, and the infant is healthy at 7 years follow-up. Overall, the incidence of vertical transmission was 7% (95% CI: 1-30%) in confirmed cases and 0% (95% CI: 0-0.2%) in suspected cases., Conclusions: The current policy of universal screening and prompt management of toxoplasmosis infection is efficient. However, undue invasive procedures and terminations of pregnancy could occur. Future studies are warranted to improve clinical management.

Purpose: Current conservative treatments for knee OA provide limited benefits, with symptoms relief for a short amount of time. Regenerative medicine approaches such as the use of microfragmented adipose tissue (mFAT) showed promising results in terms of durable effects and the possibility to enhance tissue healing and counteract the progression of the pathology. Nevertheless, up to today, the large part of clinical data about mFAT use refers to uncontrolled studies, especially in the surgical setting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mFAT applied in association with arthroscopic debridement (AD) for the treatment of knee OA, in terms of symptoms relief and tissue healing., Methods: This study is a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial. 78 patients affected by knee OA grade 3-4 according to KL classification were randomly assigned to AD or AD + mFAT treatment groups. Clinical, radiological and serological assessments were performed at 6 months after treatment. Additional clinical evaluation was performed at the end of the study with an average follow-up of 26.1 ± 9.5 months. VAS, KOOS, WOMAC and SF-12 were also collected at both timepoints, KSS only at 6 months., Results: Treatment with AD + mFAT improved functional scores at both 6 months (KOOS-PS: + 11.7 ± 20.2 vs + 24.4 ± 22.5, in AD and AD + mFAT, respectively, p = 0.024; KSS: + 14.9 ± 15.9 vs + 24.8 ± 23.5, in AD and AD + mFAT, respectively, p = 0.046) and 24-month follow-ups (KOOS-PS Functional subscale: - 2.0 ± 3.5 vs - 4.7 ± 4.2, in AD and AD + mFAT, respectively, p = 0.012). Lower T2-mapping scores were obtained in AD + mFAT-treated group in medial and lateral condyle compartments (p < 0.001). Slight increase was observed in the levels of a serum biomarker of cartilage deposition (PIIINP) in both groups at 6-month follow-up (p = 0.037)., Conclusion: mFAT improves functional outcome and MRI appearance when used in association with AD, therefore supporting its use in the treatment of knee OA in an arthroscopic setting., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

ICU survivors suffer from various long-term physical and psychological impairments. Memories from the critical illness may influence long-term psychological outcome. In particular, the role of ICU memories in COVID-19 critically ill patients is unknown. In a prospective observational study, we aimed to investigate patients' memories from the experience of critical illness and their association with a six-month psychological outcome involving quality of life evaluation. Patients' memories were investigated with ICU Memory tool, while psychological outcome and quality of life were evaluated by means of a battery of validated questionnaires during an in-person interview at the follow-up clinic. 149 adult patients were enrolled. 60% retained memories from pre-ICU days spent on a general ward, while 70% reported memories from the in-ICU period. Delusional memories (i.e., memories of facts that never happened) were reported by 69% of patients. According to a multivariable analysis, the lack of pre-ICU memories was an independent predictor of worse psychological outcomes in terms of anxiety, depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTDS). Factors associated with long-term outcome in ICU survivors are not still fully understood and patients' experience during the day spent before ICU admission may be associated with psychological sequelae.

Background: Diaphragmatic alterations occurring during mechanical ventilation (MV) can be monitored using ultrasound (US). The performance of computed tomography (CT) to evaluate diaphragmatic thickness is limited. Further, the association between muscle mass and outcome is increasingly recognized. However, no data are available on its correlation with diaphragmatic thickness. We aimed to determine correlation and agreement of diaphragmatic thickness between CT and US; and its association with muscle mass and MV parameters. Methods: Prospective observational study. US measurements of the diaphragmatic thickness were collected in patients undergoing MV within 12 h before or after performing a CT scan of the thorax and/or upper abdomen. Data on skeletal muscle index (SMI), baseline, and ventilatory data were recorded and correlated with US and CT measures of diaphragmatic thickness. Agreement was explored between US and CT data. Results : Twenty-nine patients were enrolled and the diaphragm measured by CT resulted overall thicker than US-based measurement of the right hemidiaphragm. The US thickness showed the strongest correlation with the left posterior pillar at CT (r = 0.49, p = 0.008). The duration of the controlled MV was negatively correlated with US thickness (r = -0.45, p = 0.017), the thickness of the right anterior pillar (r = -0.41, p = 0.029), and splenic dome by CT (r = -0.43, p = 0.023). SMI was positively correlated with US diaphragmatic thickness (r = 0.50, p = 0.007) and inversely correlated with the duration of MV before enrollment (r = -0.426, p = 0.027). Conclusions: CT scan of the left posterior pillar can estimate diaphragmatic thickness and is moderately correlated with US measurements. Both techniques show that diaphragm thickness decreases with MV duration. The diaphragmatic thickness by US showed a good correlation with SMI.

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite responsible for human toxoplasmosis. The three major clonal lineages and different recombinant strains of T. gondii have a varied global distribution. This study aimed at evaluating the epidemiological distribution of types II and I-III and recombinant or mixed T. gondii in Italians and foreigners residing in Italy, establishing an association between serotypes and demographic characteristics. We collected the sera of 188 subjects who had tested positive for specific T. gondii antibodies. The population was differentiated into groups based on sex, nationality, and place of birth (Italy, Africa, South America, Asia, or Europe (except Italy)). We then performed a homemade ELISA test that detected both the antibodies against the amino acid sequences of the three main genotype antigens (I-III) in human sera and discerned the T. gondii strains. Serotype II of T. gondii was the most prevalent in the Italian population, whereas type I-III was the most prevalent in the foreign group. Surprisingly, we observed a notable amount of recombinant or mixed serotypes in European and Italian subjects. Moreover, we showed a significant difference in the prevalence of T. gondii serotypes between men and women, Italians, and foreigners. This descriptive study is the first to investigate the epidemiological distribution of T. gondii serotypes in humans in Italy using a homemade ELISA. We considered this technique suitable for discriminating between serotypes II and I-III and, consequently, for an epidemiological study focusing on the observation of circulating T. gondii strains and clinical correlations.

Infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii occurs worldwide and usually causes no symptoms. However, a primary infection of pregnant women, may infect the fetus by transplacental transmission. The risk of mother-to-child transmission depends on week of pregnancy at the time of maternal infection: it is low in the first trimester, may reach 90% in the last days of pregnancy. Inversely, however, fetal disease is more severe when infection occurs early in pregnancy than later. Systematic serologic testing in pregnant women who have no antibodies at the beginning of pregnancy, can accurately reveal active maternal infection. Therefore, the risk of fetal infection should be assessed and preventive treatment with spiramycin must be introduced as soon as possible to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission, and the severity of fetal infection. When maternal infection is confirmed, prenatal diagnosis with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on amniotic fluid is recommended. If fetal infection is certain, the maternal treatment is changed to a combination of pyrimethamine-sulfonamide and folinic acid. Congenitally infected newborns are usually asymptomatic at birth, but at risk for tardive sequelae, such as blindness. When congenital infection is evident, disease include retinochoroiditis, cerebral calcifications, hydrocephalus, neurocognitive impairment. The diagnosis of congenital infection must be confirmed at birth and management, specific therapy, and follow-up with multidisciplinary counseling, must be guaranteed., 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 © 2022 Bollani, Auriti, Achille, Garofoli, De Rose, Meroni, Salvatori and Tzialla.)

The high sensitivity of the automated tests used for Toxoplasma gondii serology can yield false-positive IgM results due to aspecific reactions. On the other hand, specific therapy can delay IgG production and, therefore, the diagnosis of seroconversion. There is a need for confirmation tests to early detect seroconversions during pregnancy. We conducted a multicentre study to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Toxo II IgG and a new, not yet commercialised Toxo II IgM western blot (WB) (LDBio diagnostics Lyon France) on 229 sera corresponding to 93 patients with seroconversions and 158 sera corresponding to 68 patients with nonspecific IgM. Sensitivity was 97.8% for IgM WB and 98.9% for IgG WB. Specificity was 89.7% and 100%, respectively. The concordance between IgM and IgG Toxo WB with the final diagnosis was very good, K = 0.89 and K = 0.99, respectively. In 5 cases (5.4%), the appearance of IgM, and in 55 cases (59.1%), the appearance of IgG was recorded by WB earlier than by traditional tests. In 10 cases (10.8%), IgM was detected after the traditional tests and in 2 cases (2.2%) for IgG. The association of IgG and IgM WB on the same sample not only detected all seroconversions but also correctly identified most of the false-positive results.

Prenatal systematic screening for congenital toxoplasmosis has been performed in Austria and France since 1975 and neonatal screening for congenital toxoplasmosis has been part of the New England Newborn screening program since 1986. In this narrative review we review the data leading up to the systematic screening programs in Austria and France, highlighting the main finding of the European Union funded research in the 1990s and early 2000s. Different descriptive studies of the effect of pre- or postnatal treatment are discussed. Toxoplasma gondii has different genetic lineages with different pathogenicity in humans. This means that results in areas with a low pathogenic lineage cannot be extrapolated to an area with highly pathogenic lineages. The importance of meat as a source of infection is discussed in the light of an increased prevalence of T.gondii in organic livestock production ., Competing Interests: On behalf of all authors we declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Patient satisfaction after total joint arthroplasties (TJA) represents a key element for the evaluation of surgery success in relation to subjects' needs and expectations. The assessment tools are applied inconsistently throughout the literature, and thus, it is difficult to compare results among different studies. Goodman et al. proposed a standardized questionnaire with strong psychometric properties for the assessment of satisfaction. The present study aims to translate, adapt, and validate the Goodman questionnaire for the Italian population. After translation and back translation, the questionnaire was administrated to 50 patients. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, floor and ceiling effects, and construct validity were evaluated (correlation with KOOS/HOOS, SF-12 PCS/MCS, EQ-5D). Responsiveness was evaluated with respect to SF-12 PCS improvements. The Italian version of the Goodman score questionnaire demonstrated psychometric properties similar to those of the original version. The translated questionnaire showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.836) and test-retest reliability (ICC: 0.507). Moderate/strong correlations were observed between the Italian version of the Goodman score and other scores. The score significantly discriminated patients who improved from those who did not improve in SF-12 PCS after treatment. This study provides an adapted and validated Italian version of the Goodman score questionnaire, with psychometric properties similar to those of its original counterpart.

Background: In 2020, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic, patients who underwent total joint arthroplasty were not able to undergo the proper postoperative surgical and rehabilitative care. This study aims to evaluate the potential of a web-cloud-based database on patients' follow-up in extraordinary situations, when a traditional in-person follow-up cannot be warranted., Methods: Patients who underwent joint arthroplasty at our Institute between 21 February and 16 March 2020 were included in the study group and were matched to a similar population undergoing joint arthroplasty in February/March 2019. All patients routinely complete questionnaires before and after treatment, including patient-reported outcome measures such as the Visual Analogues Scale (VAS), Knee/Hip Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Physical Function Short Form (KOOS-PS/HOOS-PS) and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) for the monitoring of clinical improvements., Results: 56 (study group) and 144 (control group) patients were included in the study. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements at 3 months. HOOS-PS improvement was significantly reduced in the 2020 group compared to 2019 (21.7 vs. 33.9, p < 0.001). This reduction was related to intense physical activities. Similarly, the functional score improvement related to these activities was reduced for patients undergoing knee replacement (8 vs. 10, p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The web-based Institute Registry emerged as a meaningful and sensitive tool during an extraordinary situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor patients' progression after total joint arthroplasties. Thanks to this tool, it was possible to observe that the prevention of usual postoperative care due to pandemic-related restrictions did not alter the benefits observed after joint replacement surgeries, even if this condition reduced the postoperative improvements in the most burdensome physical activities. A broader use of this kind of tool would improve and potentially reduce the burden and costs of postoperative patients' monitoring in standard and extraordinary conditions. In addition, the systematic remote collection of data would allow for the identification of relevant differences in clinical outcomes in specific conditions or following the modification of treatment and rehabilitation protocols.

A major γδ T cell population in human adult blood are the Vγ9Vδ2 T cells that are activated and expanded in a TCR-dependent manner by microbe-derived and endogenously derived phosphorylated prenyl metabolites (phosphoantigens). Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are also abundant in human fetal peripheral blood, but compared with their adult counterparts they have a distinct developmental origin, are hyporesponsive toward in vitro phosphoantigen exposure, and do not possess a cytotoxic effector phenotype. In order to obtain insight into the role of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in the human fetus, we investigated their response to in utero infection with the phosphoantigen-producing parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). Vγ9Vδ2 T cells expanded strongly when faced with congenital T. gondii infection, which was associated with differentiation toward potent cytotoxic effector cells. The Vγ9Vδ2 T cell expansion in utero resulted in a fetal footprint with public germline-encoded clonotypes in the Vγ9Vδ2 TCR repertoire 2 months after birth. Overall, our data indicate that the human fetus, from early gestation onward, possesses public Vγ9Vδ2 T cells that acquire effector functions following parasite infections.

Objective. We will describe our clinical experience using electrical impedance tomography (EIT) in the management of mechanical ventilation in patients with acute respiratory failure and to determine to which extent EIT-guided positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) setting differed from clinically set values. Approach. We conducted a retrospective, observational cohort study performed in a hub centre for the treatment of acute respiratory failure and veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Main results. Between January 2017 and December 2019, EIT was performed 54 times in 41 patients, not feasible only in one case because of signal instability. More than 50% was on veno-venous ECMO support. In 16 cases (30%), EIT was used for monitoring mechanical ventilation, i.e. to evaluate recruitability or sigh setting. In 37 cases (70%), EIT was used to set PEEP both with incremental (11 cases in nine patients) and decremental (26 cases, 18 patients) PEEP trial. Clinical PEEP before the decremental PEEP trial (PEEP PRE ) was 14.1 ± 3.4 cmH2O and clinical PEEP set by clinicians after the PEEP trial (PEEP POST ) was 13.6 ± 3.1 (p = ns). EIT analyses demonstrated that more hypoxic patients were higher derecruited when compared to less hypoxic patients that were, on the contrary, more overdistended (p < 0.05). No acute effects of PEEP adjustment based on EIT on respiratory mechanics or regional EIT parameters modification were observed. Significance. The variability of EIT findings in our population confirmed the need to provide ventilation settings individually tailored and EIT was confirmed to be an optimal useful clinical bedside noninvasive tool to provide real-time monitoring of the PEEP effect and ventilation distribution., (© 2021 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.)

Background and purpose - Several surgical approaches are used in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). In this randomized controlled trial we compared gait, risk of fall, self-reported and clinical measurements between subjects after direct superior approach (DSA) versus posterolateral approach (PL) for THA.Patients and methods - Participants with DSA (n = 22; age 74 [SD 8.9]) and PL (n = 23; age 72 [7.7]) underwent gait analysis, risk of fall assessment and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) before (PRE), 1 month (T1) and 3 months after (T3) surgery. Data on bleeding and surgical time was collected.Results - DSA resulted in longer surgical times (90 [14] vs. 77 [20] min) but lower blood loss (149 [66] vs. 225 [125] mL) than PL. DSA had lower risk of fall at T3 compared with T1 and higher TUG scores at T3 compared with T1 and PRE. PL improved balance at T3 compared with T1 and PRE. Spatiotemporal gait parameters improved over time for both DSA and PL with no inter-group differences, whereas DSA, regarding hip rotation range of motion, showed lower values at T3 and T1 compared with PRE and, furthermore, this group had lower values at T1 and T3 compared with PL. All foregoing comparisons are statistically signficant (p < 0.05)Interpretation - DSA showed longer surgical time and lower blood loss compared with PL and early improvements in TUG, spatiotemporal, and kinematic gait parameters, highlighting rapid muscle strength recovery.

Objectives: Residents in nursing homes represent a frail, elderly population, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can spread easily in this setting. Despite a frequent severe evolution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), these patients often present an atypical course with mild initial symptoms. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of fever in elderly patients with COVID-19 residing in nursing homes., Methods: Two hundred and thirty-one elderly patients from three nursing homes in Pavia and surrounding area were enrolled in April-May 2020. SARS-CoV-2 infection was diagnosed using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction with nasopharyngeal swab and/or serological assay (LIAISON® SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG). Patients with a positive result on RT-PCR or serology were classed as positive., Results: In total, 170 patients (74%) were SARS-CoV-2-positive on RT-PCR and/or serology, and 61 patients (26%) had negative results on both tests. Fever (body temperature >37.5 °C) was observed in four patients (1.7%): three in the SARS-CoV-2-positive group (1.8%) and one in the SARS-CoV-2-negative group (1.6%)., Conclusions: The prevalence of fever was extremely low in this population of nursing home residents with COVID-19. This finding must be taken into consideration when screening patients without fever in nursing homes., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Despite the great advances of the technology in the joint prosthesis and the high execution rate of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there are still about 15% of clinical unsatisfactory rate in this surgery. TKAs are currently performed using a mechanical alignment of the knee, correcting varus/valgus deformities with the purpose to achieve a longer implant survivorship, but this surgical technique results in an alteration of the normal knee kinematics. Nowadays, the idea to restore the pre-arthritic alignment of the knee with the goal to obtain a normal kinematics and better functional results becomes more and more consistent and the kinematic alignment (KA) was developed as alternative to the mechanical one. The aim of this preliminary study is to analyse the functional outcomes in patients who underwent KA-TKA in the short-term follow-up and to compare them with those obtained in patients treated by the mechanical alignment (MA) TKA. Therefore, skeletally mature patients, with no history of previous knee surgical procedures, who underwent isolated TKA for knee osteoarthritis, were included in this study. The patients were prospectively divided into two homogeneous groups according to the different surgical techniques performed (KA-TKA and MA-TKA groups). Clinical and functional scores (VAS, KOOS-PS, MCS-12, Final KSS, and Functional KSS) were collected pre- and postoperatively at a mean follow-up of 3 three months. As a result, 26 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 69.3±7.61 years old (range: 55 - 84 years old). There were 38.5% male and 61.5% female. There were 13 patients in KA-TKA and 13 patients in MA-TKA. Three months after surgery each of the scores tested demonstrated statistically significant better outcomes in KA-TKA, compared to the MA-TKA group. MCS-12 resulted comparable in the two study groups. This preliminary study compares the short-term clinical and functional outcomes between KA and MA in total knee replacement. Further studies are required to confirm these results and to extend the sample size to obtain reliable clinical evidences., (Copyright 2020 Biolife Sas. www.biolifesas.org.)

Background: Clinical registries are powerful tools for collecting uniform data longitudinally, thus making it possible to evaluate the outcome of patients affected by a specific pathology. In the context of total joint arthroplasty, registries serve also as post-market surveillance. Adoption of registries is a heavy burden for clinical settings in terms of resources and infrastructures. Excessive workload leads to incomplete data collection which undermines the effectiveness of a registry and consequently the workload needs to be optimised., Methods: Starting from the use case of the Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, the time and personnel dedicated to the registry was estimated. Analysis of the data collected in the first years enabled us to propose a methodology for workload reduction. Different Machine Learning models were leveraged to predict patients with excellent satisfaction to reduce the number of assessments in their clinical post-operative follow-up. Moreover, feature selection was used to identify any unnecessary clinical scale to collect., Results: Given an acceptance rate of 3500 patients per year, 22 doctors and 6 non-medical employees were required to adopt a registry properly. Among the tested models, the Naïve Bayes gave the best performance (AUPRC = 0.81) in predicting patient satisfaction at six months. Moreover, we found that the 12-item Short Form was poorly informative in predicting satisfaction at six-months., Conclusions: In this study machine learning was leveraged to provide a methodology to reduce workload in the use of pathology registries. Such workload reduction can have a considerable impact at a larger scale, and improve registry feasibility in high-volume hospitals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Linda Greta Dui was previously employed in the company who developed the electronic registry. None of other authors have conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Primary objective in most of the published literature on computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has so far been the comparison of axial alignment and components position, obtained either through navigation systems or through conventional instrumentation. We have found no studies aimed at assessing the intraoperative reliability of a navigation system in relation to bone cuts height. Aim of our study was therefore to establish bone cut accuracy of a pinless navigation system., Methods: From January 2014 to February 2016, 44 consecutive patients requiring total knee replacement (TKR) were enrolled in a prospective study. Primary end point of the study was to assess the accuracy of the DASH iPOD TOUCH Navigation System (Brainlab AG, Feldkirchen, Germany) by measuring the real thickness of both tibial and femoral osteotomies. We compared the data indicated by the navigation system with the intraoperative anatomical measurements done with the aid of a caliper. In addition, the radiographic alignment was compared with the data derived from the navigator., Results: The device proved to be precise. Differences between the two methods of measurement are distributed over a millimeter range. Radiological measurements showed that 95.5% of tibial components were within the range of 3° varus/valgus; same results were obtained by the navigation system; instead, 90.1% of femoral components were within the range of 3° varus/valgus based on the radiological measurement, whereas according to the navigation system, 86.4% were in this range., Conclusions: The DASH iPOD TOUCH Navigation System is a precise and reliable instrument to assist in TKA navigation., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

This study compared the performance of the LIAISON®XL system of immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM immunoassays for the diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and rubella virus infections with that of the ARCHITECT system. Patient serum samples, previously screened and clinically diagnosed with T. gondii, CMV or rubella, were used to compare LIAISON®XL and ARCHITECT IgG and IgM immunoassays. LIAISON®XL Toxo and CMV IgG avidity assays were also compared with equivalent ARCHITECT assays and reference methods. Overall agreement between the LIAISON®XL and ARCHITECT assays was 99% and 92% for the Toxo IgG and IgM assays, respectively, 98% and 96% for the CMV IgG and IgM assays, respectively, and 93% and 98% for the rubella virus IgG and IgM assays, respectively. LIAISON®XL IgG Toxo and CMV avidity assays showed high concordance with the VIDAS® Toxo IgG avidity assay and an in-house CMV avidity assay (reference methods), and faster IgG avidity maturation in a larger number of samples collected months after the primary infection compared with equivalent ARCHITECT assays. LIAISON®XL assays for detection of anti-T. gondii, CMV and rubella virus IgG and IgM are at least equal to the competitor assays on the ARCHITECT platform.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected helminthic zoonosis caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus s.l. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulators of gene expression that have been linked with the pathogenesis of several human diseases, but little exists in the available literature about miRNAs in CE. Here, we investigate the expression profiles of 84 microRNAs relevant to the function of lymphocytes and other immune cells during CE infection in the peripheral blood of patients with cysts in active and inactive stages. We applied the microRNA PCR array technology to blood samples from 20 patients with a single hepatic CE cyst in either the active (CE3b) or inactive (CE4-CE5) stage. Our results show a significant upregulation of eight miRNAs (let-7g-5p, let-7a-5p, miR- 26a-5p, miR- 26b-5p, miR- 195-5p, miR- 16-5p, miR- 30c-5p, and miR- 223-3p) in patients with active cysts compared to those with inactive cysts. The high expression of these miRNAs in patients with active cysts suggests their role in a specific host immune response against the infection. Further work in this direction may help shed light on the pathogenesis of human CE.

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Articular cartilage injuries are still unsolved due to the limited intrinsic healing potential of this tissue. Unlike other tissues, inflammation in the synovial joint causes perpetual damage and progressively leads to the development of osteoarthritis. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from adipose tissue in modulating inflammation. In this study, we analyzed the role of these cells in modifying the pathological microenvironment present in knee osteoarthritis. This is an interventional, prospective, randomized, controlled study. Starting from June 2017, 39 patients with grade III and IV knee osteoarthritis of Kellgren-Lawrence were enrolled, aged between 45 and 75 years, with pain greater than or equal to 6 according to the VAS scale, without ligament instability, with an axial deviation not greater than 10° and with a BMI between 18 and 30. The control group underwent an arthroscopic debridement, while the experimental group underwent an arthroscopic debridement and a subsequent intra-articular injection of autologous micro-fragmented adipose tissue. Patients were evaluated before surgery and at 6 months after the procedure, by radiological analysis (MRI) and functional outcome measures. The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the symptomatic improvement by comparing the functional outcome scores between the two groups. At 6 months after treatment, preliminary results on 39 patients showed pain reduction and functional improvements in the experimental group without a significant difference due to the low number of patients. The radiological and biochemical analyses are still ongoing. To date, the study has not revealed any side effects. These preliminary results demonstrate an encouraging positive trend in the experimental group. Patient recruitment is still ongoing to finalize the statistical analyses and to confirm our hypothesis.

Transplantation activity is increasing, leading to a growing number of patients at risk for toxoplasmosis. We reviewed toxoplasmosis prevention practices, prevalence, and outcomes for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and solid organ transplant (SOT; heart, kidney, or liver) patients in Europe. We collected electronic data on the transplant population and prevention guidelines/regulations and clinical data on toxoplasmosis cases diagnosed during 2010-2014. Serologic pretransplant screening of allo-hematopoietic stem cell donors was performed in 80% of countries, screening of organ donors in 100%. SOT recipients were systematically screened in 6 countries. Targeted anti-Toxoplasma chemoprophylaxis was heterogeneous. A total of 87 toxoplasmosis cases were recorded (58 allo-HSCTs, 29 SOTs). The 6-month survival rate was lower among Toxoplasma-seropositive recipients and among allo-hematopoietic stem cell and liver recipients. Chemoprophylaxis improved outcomes for SOT recipients. Toxoplasmosis remains associated with high mortality rates among transplant recipients. Guidelines are urgently needed to standardize prophylactic regimens and optimize patient management.

Background: The primary aim of our study was to assess clinical performance, patient reported outcome and radiological results of cementless primary total hip arthroplasty using Tri-Lock Bone Preservation Stem., Methods: Between March 2010 and June 2012, 163 consecutive patients, were enrolled in the study. Patients were assessed clinically and radiographically prior to surgery as well as at 6, 12, 24 months and then at 5, 6, and 7 years postoperatively., Results: Using the Dorr classification, 39 patients (23.9%) were classified as Dorr A, 116 patients (71.2%) as Dorr B, and 8 patients (4.9%) as Dorr C. A total of 139 patients (85.3%) received a high offset, whereas 24 patients (14.7%) received a standard offset stem. Total Harris Hip Score of the patients increased from a mean of 27.29 (±4.6) preoperatively, upto 97.28 (±9.0) after 5 years. Mean preoperative Short Form-12 (SF-12) Physical Health Composite Scale score was 27.31 (±3.8). After 5 year was 55.3 (34-57). The mean preoperative SF-12 Mental Health Composite Scale score was 57.02 (±5.9). After 5 year was 59.3 (28.7-60.8). Only one patient underwent revision surgery for dislocation and revision of the head., Conclusion: Tri-lock Bone Preservation Stem DePuy proved to be an easy-to-use device. Results obtained up to 7 years of FU show excellent clinical performance, as well as radiographic osseointegration, with no cases of aseptic loosening and no images of progressive radiolucent lines or periprosthetic osteolysis., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a lifesaving treatment in patients with cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest caused by massive pulmonary embolism. In these patients, positioning an inferior vena cava filter is often advisable, especially if deep venous thrombosis is not resolved at the time of the ECMO suspension. Moreover, in ECMO patients, a high incidence of deep venous thrombosis at the site of venous cannulation has been reported, and massive pulmonary embolism following ECMO decannulation has been described. Nonetheless, an inferior vena cava filter cannot be positioned as long as an ECMO cannula is inside the inferior vena cava. Thus, we developed a strategy to allow placement of an inferior vena cava filter through the internal jugular concurrently with the removal of the femoral venous ECMO cannula. In two women supported by veno-arterial ECMO for cardiac arrest secondary to pulmonary embolism, this novel approach allowed for safe ECMO decannulation.

Background: We previously described an index, defined as the ratio between the inspiratory muscle pressure (Pmus) and the electrical activity of the diaphragm (EA(di)) (Pmus/EA(di) index). In the present work, we describe the trend of Pmus/EA(di) index over time, investigating whether it could be an indicator of muscular efficiency associated with risk factors for diaphragmatic injury and/or clinical outcomes., Methods: This work is a retrospective analysis of subjects with measurements of Pmus/EA(di) index obtained, on different days, during assisted ventilation. Effects of Pmus/EA(di) index absolute value on clinical outcomes were investigated dividing subjects into those with Pmus/EA(di) index higher or lower than the median. Effects of Pmus/EA(di) index trend over time were analyzed, distinguishing between subjects with Pmus/EA(di) index increasing or decreasing., Results: Mean Pmus/EA(di) index was 1.04 ± 0.67, and the median (interquartile range) was 1.00 (0.59-1.34), without a systematic trend over the days. Demographic, ventilator, or outcome data did not significantly differ between subjects with Pmus/EA(di) index higher or lower than the median. Similarly, we did not find relevant differences in subjects with Pmus/EA(di) index increasing or decreasing over time., Conclusions: The Pmus/EA(di) index value remained constant in each subject over time, although the inter-individual variability was high. Neither the Pmus/EA(di) index nor its trends appeared to be associated with ventilatory variables or clinical outcome., (Copyright © 2016 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Introduction: We report an unusual case of acute acquired toxoplasmosis (AAT) presenting as lymphadenopathy and recurrent seizures in an immunocompetent 15-year-old boy., Materials and Methods: The patient reported an 18-day vacation to Africa (Ethiopia), 39 days prior to the first seizure. Electroencephalogram (EEG) showed sporadic single-spike or sharp-wave paroxysms and the magnetic resonance imaging (RMI) of the brain was negative. The serology for T. gondii was compatible with an acute infection defined as positive for both toxoplasma-specific IgG and IgM and a low avidity (6 %), confirmed by a reference laboratory. The patient reported other two episodes of seizures, occurring 7 days apart. He was treated with pyrimethamine plus sulfadiazine and leucovorin for 4 weeks, with an improvement of lymphadenitis and normalization of EEG. After 5 months, new seizures were reported and a diagnosis of epilepsy was done. Toxoplasma polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood were negative. A treatment with valproic acid was started, obtaining control of the neurological disease., Conclusion: Awareness of this neurologic manifestation by clinicians is required, also in immunocompetent patients. The relationship between toxoplasmosis and recurrent seizure needs to be investigated by new studies.

Background: Clinical diagnosis and follow up of cystic echinococcosis (CE) are based on imaging complemented by serology. Several immunodiagnostic tests are commercially available, but the development of new tools is still needed to overcome the lack of standardization of the target antigen, generally consisting of a crude extract of Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cyst fluid. In a previous work, we described a chromatographic method for the preparation of a highly enriched Antigen 5 fraction from hydatid cyst fluid. The high reactivity of patient sera against this preparation prompted us to evaluate further this antigen for the serodiagnosis of CE on a larger cohort of samples., Methodology/principal Findings: A total of 327 sera from CE patients with heterogeneous conditions for cyst stage, cyst number, organ localization, drug therapy, and surgical intervention, together with 253 sera from healthy controls, were first analyzed by an ELISA based on the Ag5 preparation in two different experimental setups and, in parallel, by a commercial ELISA routinely used in clinical laboratories for CE serodiagnosis. The Ag5 ELISAs revealed different sensitivity (88.3% vs 95.3%) without significant differences in specificity (94.1% vs 92.5%), for the two setups, respectively. Moreover, possible relationships between the Ag5 ELISA absorbance results and clinical variables were investigated. Chi squared test, bivariate logistic regression and multiple regression analyses highlighted differences in the serology reactivity according to pharmacological treatment, cyst activity, and cyst number., Conclusions/significance: The two Ag5 ELISAs revealed different performances depending on the setup. The good diagnostic sensitivity and the high reliability of the Ag5 preparation method make this antigen a promising candidate for the serodiagnosis of CE. Further studies will be needed to evaluate the ability of our test to provide useful information on specific CE clinical traits.

Knowledge of variables influencing serology is crucial to evaluate serology results for the diagnosis and clinical management of cystic echinococcosis (CE). We analyzed retrospectively a cohort of patients with hepatic CE followed in our clinic in 2000-2012 to evaluate the influence of several variables on the results of commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect hemagglutination (IHA) tests. Sera from 171 patients with ≥ 1 hepatic CE cyst, and 90 patients with nonparasitic cysts were analyzed. CE cysts were staged according to the WHO-IWGE classification and grouped by activity. A significant difference in ELISA optical density (OD) values and percentage of positivity was found among CE activity groups and with controls (P < 0.001). The serological response was also influenced by age (P < 0.001) and cyst number (P = 0.003). OD values and cyst size were positively correlated in active cysts (P = 0.001). IHA test showed comparable results. When we analyzed the results of 151 patients followed over time, we found that serology results were significantly influenced by cyst activity, size, number, and treatment ≤ 12 months before serum collection. In conclusion, serological responses as assessed by commercial tests depend on CE cyst activity, size and number, and time from treatment. Clinical studies and clinicians in their practice should take this into account., (© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)

Purpose: To evaluate prospectively the long-term clinical and radiographic results and survivorship of a rotating-platform, posterior-stabilised knee prosthesis at minimum 10 years (mean 11.5 ± 1.41 years), and to test the hypothesis that this design would have a mechanical survivorship greater than 95%., Methods: Between 2000 and 2002, 160 consecutive patients (166 knees) underwent total knee arthroplasty using a rotating-platform, posterior-stabilised prosthesis, and clinical and radiographic follow-up data were gathered prospectively., Results: One hundred and seven patients (112 knees) were available for final follow-up. Five patients (3%) had undergone revision surgery, giving a Kaplan-Meier survival rate of 96.6% for all causes of failure. No spin-out of the polyethylene insert was observed. The mean visual analogue scale, Knee Society and Oxford Knee Scores showed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.001). On radiographs, two cases (2.4%) had radiolucent lines >2 mm, and no patient had osteolysis., Conclusions: The absence of osteolysis at minimum 10 years seems to support our hypothesis that this design may be able to reduce peri-prosthetic bone resorption in the long term. The survivorship was greater than 95% and is comparable to the best results reported for this type of knee prosthesis in the literature. The clinical scores are reasonable, given the presence of various disabling concomitant pathologies and the relatively advanced mean age of the study population. This study is clinically relevant because it adds valuable information to the limited data regarding the long-term survivorship and performance of rotating-platform knee prostheses and, more specifically, of a single knee design., Level of Evidence: IV.