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The first reports of SARS-CoV-2 among domestic and wild animals, together with the rapid emergence of new variants, have created serious concerns regarding a possible spillback from animal hosts, which could accelerate the evolution of new viral strains. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among both owned and stray pets. A total of 182 dogs and 313 cats were tested for SARS-CoV-2. Specimens collected among owned and stray pets were subjected to RT-PCR and serological examinations. No viral RNA was detected, while anti-N antibodies were observed in six animals (1.3%), one dog (0.8%) and five cats (1.7%). Animals' background revealed that owned cats, living with owners with COVID-19, showed significantly different prevalence compared to stray ones ( p = 0.0067), while no difference was found among dogs. Among the seropositive pets, three owned cats also showed moderate neutralizing antibody titers. Pets and other species are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection because of the spike affinity towards their ACE2 cellular receptor. Nevertheless, the risk of retransmission remains unclear since pet-to-human transmission has never been described. Due to the virus' high mutation rate, new reservoirs cannot be excluded; thus, it is reasonable to test pets, mostly if living in households affected by COVID-19.

In Italy, West Nile virus (WNV) appeared for the first time in the Tuscany region in 1998. After 10 years of absence, it re-appeared in the areas surrounding the Po River delta, affecting eight provinces in three regions. Thereafter, WNV epidemics caused by genetically divergent isolates have been documented every year in the country. Since 2018, only WNV Lineage 2 has been reported in the Italian territory. In October 2020, WNV Lineage 1 (WNV-L1) re-emerged in Italy, in the Campania region. This is the first occurrence of WNV-L1 detection in the Italian territory since 2017. WNV was detected in the internal organs of a goshawk ( Accipiter gentilis ) and a kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ). The RNA extracted in the goshawk tissue samples was sequenced, and a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis was performed by a maximum-likelihood tree. Genome analysis, conducted on the goshawk WNV complete genome sequence, indicates that the strain belongs to the WNV-L1 Western-Mediterranean (WMed) cluster. Moreover, a close phylogenetic similarity is observed between the goshawk strain, the 2008-2011 group of Italian sequences, and European strains belonging to the Wmed cluster. Our results evidence the possibility of both a new re-introduction or unnoticed silent circulation in Italy, and the strong importance of keeping the WNV surveillance system in the Italian territory active.

Background: In December 2019 an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 was first observed in Wuhan, China. The virus has spread rapidly throughout the world creating a pandemic scenario. Several risk factors have been identified, such as age, sex, concomitant diseases as well as viral load. A key point is the role of asymptomatic people in spreading SARS-CoV-2. An observational study in Southern Italy was conducted in order to elucidate the possible role of asymptomatic individuals related to their viral loads in the transmission of the virus within two nursing facilities., Methods: Oro-nasopharyngeal swabs from 179 nursing health care workers and patients were collected. SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR was performed and viral loads were calculated by using standard curve. A statistical correlation between viral loads, the presence/absence of symptoms, age and sex variables was investigated., Results: SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed in the 50.8 % (n = 91) of the cases. Median age of positive individuals resulted higher than negative ones. Over 65 year as well as female individuals showed higher susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, OR = 3.93 and 2.86, respectively. Among 91 tested positive, the 70.3 % was symptomatic while the 29.7 % was asymptomatic. Median viral loads of asymptomatic individuals were found statistically significant higher than symptomatic ones (p = 0.001), while no influence was observed in age and sex variables. The presence of comorbidities was 8.9 folds higher in patients who showed and developed symptoms compared to non-symptomatic ones. Moreover, higher viral loads were found in patients who remained asymptomatic than pre-symptomatic (p = 0.022)., Conclusions: A range from 9.2 to 69 % of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases remains asymptomatic, moreover, sporadic transmissions from asymptomatic people are reported, that makes their involvement an important issue to take into account in the spreading control of the virus. An asymptomatic clinical course was observed in the 29.7 % of positive individuals, moreover, median viral loads resulted to be statistically significant when compared to symptomatic ones. Surely, such a relevant frequency should not be ignored in relation to the spread of the disease in an environment which has not only important intrinsic (age, sex, concomitant diseases) but also extrinsic factors such as high population density and close contacts.

A case of Mycobacterium bovis infection is described in a death adult female wild boar in the province of Avellino, Campania Region (Southern Italy). The carcass was sent to the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno (IZSM) of Portici, Naples, Italy, where postmortem examination was performed. At necropsy, a disseminated granulomatous infection was observed, with involvement of various lymph node districts, spleen and lungs. Therefore, all lymph nodes were collected, together with spleen and lung lesions, in order to carry out bacteriological and molecular analyses that confirmed an uncommon disseminated Mycobacterium bovis infection. Subsequently, an analysis of the spoligotype, performed by the National Reference Center of Mycobacterium bovis in Brescia (Northern Italy), resulted in the spoligotype SB0134, previously identified in bovine outbreaks in the same area where the wild boar was found., 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., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

The aim of the present study was to assess the concentrations of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in the liver and kidney from stray dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis catus) found dead between 2014 and 2017 in the city of Naples and its surrounding areas. These organs from 290 dogs and 88 cats were collected after ordinary necropsy of stray animals. Heavy metal concentrations were determined by using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Concentrations of Pb (up to 5.93 mg/kg) and Cd (ranging from 0.005 to 6.13 mg/kg) were detected in both livers and kidneys analyzed. Differences in concentration were found based on age class, gender, and kind of tissue for both elements, with a trend similar to those already reported in the literature for comparable studies from different countries. Cadmium levels in the kidney were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in females than those in males for both species. As regards to Pb, the highest concentrations were detected in the liver (3.45 mg/kg in dog and 5.93 in cat, respectively) followed by the renal tissue, with no significant difference depending on the animal gender. This study can be considered the first one in Italy regarding stray dogs and cats as bio-indicators of environmental contamination due to lead and cadmium, suggesting that pets could be sentinel animals to evaluate human exposure to these heavy metals.

Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) are susceptible to bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1) and a species-specific herpesvirus, bubaline herpesvirus type 1 (BuHV-1). In this study, an attenuated marker BoHV-1 based vaccine against BuHV-1 challenge was evaluated to determine whether it induces protection from viral replication. One group of water buffalo calves was immunized with an attenuated BoHV-1 marker vaccine. A second group was not vaccinated and used as the control. During the post-vaccination period, we monitored the humoral immune response. The efficacy of the vaccine was tested after intranasal challenge of the calves with a BuHV-1 strain. The experiment showed that after vaccination, BuHV-1 replication was significantly reduced by approximately three titer points compared to the controls. The control animals showed high levels of viral shedding and mild signs associated with BuHV-1 infection. Therefore, our study provides evidence for the existence of cross-protection between BoHV-1 and BuHV-1 in buffalo calves., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Caprine herpesvirus type 1 (CpHV-1), like other members of the alpha subfamily of herpesviruses, establishes latent infections in trigeminal ganglion neurons. Our groups previously demonstrated that CpHV-1 induces apoptosis in goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in an epithelial bovine cell line, but the ability of CpHV-1 to induce apoptosis in neuronal cells remains unexplored. In this report, the susceptibility of Neuro 2A cells to infection by CpHV-1 was examined. Following infection of cultured cells with CpHV-1, expression of cell death genes was evaluated using real-time PCR and Western blot assays. Analysis of virus-infected cells revealed activation of caspase-8, a marker for the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis, and caspase-9, a marker for the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis at 12 and 24 h post-infection. Significant increase in the levels of cleaved caspase-3 was also observed at the acme of cytopathic effect at 24 h post-infection. In particular, at 3 and 6 h post-infection, several proapototic genes were under-expressed. At 12 h post-infection several proapototic genes such as caspases, TNF, Cd70, and Traf1 were over expressed while Bcl2a1a, Fadd, and TNF genes were underexpressed. In conclusion, the simultaneous activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9 suggests that CpHV-1 can trigger the death-receptor pathway and the mitochondrial pathway separately and in parallel. Our findings are significant because this is the first published study showing the effect of CpHV-1 infection in neuronal cells in terms of gene expression and apoptosis modulation., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

This report describes a case of chronic and deep pyodermitis in a 4-year-old male dog with a 3-month skin problems history that had been treated unsuccessfully with fluoroquinolone therapy, prescribed by a private medical veterinary practice, without an early diagnosis. Microbiological examination and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed in our laboratory (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine) and a diagnosis of Streptococcus constellatus-associated pyoderma in the dog was made. A new antimicrobial treatment, with tetracyclines, was designed after the definitive diagnosis and antimicrobial susceptibility testing performed by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The dog remained free of clinical illness at completion of therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a canine pyoderma caused by S. constellatus, a commensal organism which may also cause pyogenic infections. Furthermore, this study confirms that a fluoroquinolone represents a poor empirical choice for initial therapy of canine pyoderma.

Objective: Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a powerful vasodilatory neuropeptide with positive inotropic and chronotropic properties. The aim of the study was to investigate the pathophysiological role of VIP in heart failure., Design and Results: VIP was assayed in plasma within the first in-hospital day in 52 patients with heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy. The concentration of VIP was: (i) higher in patients than in healthy subjects; (ii) higher in elderly but not in younger patients compared with healthy controls; (iii) inversely related to NYHA class: higher in NYHA 2 than in NYHA > 2 patients and in normal subjects, in both young and elderly groups; (iv) not correlated with echocardiographic parameters and (v) not influenced by the aetiology of dilated cardiomyopathy., Conclusions: The physiological properties of VIP suggest that the increased plasma concentrations in patients with heart failure contribute to restore the compromised haemodynamic balance either by improving myocardial performance or by counteracting the harmful effects related to simultaneous activation of other neuroendocrine systems, i.e. the sympathetic and renin-angiotensin systems. Decreased VIP concentrations are related to progressive worsening of heart failure. The higher VIP concentrations in elderly patients compared with healthy controls suggest that the capacity to increase VIP production is preserved in older people.

Evidence is accumulating regarding CD95/CD95 ligand (Fas/FasL) pathway dysregulation in clonal diseases of the lymphohaemopoietic lineages. According to these observations, it has been proposed that this defect may represent one of the mechanisms of tumour progression. In large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukaemia, dysregulated apoptosis may represent a key event in the development of malignancy and autoimmunity. This case report describes dysregulation of the Fas/FasL pathway in a chronic polyclonal expansion of CD3(+) LGLs associated with numerous serological immune abnormalities.

Background: The aim of our study was to investigate the pathophysiological role of the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a vasodilating neuropeptide with positive inotropic and chronotropic properties, in heart failure., Methods: The study was carried out in 35 patients with heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy, who underwent a peripheral venous blood sample for radioimmunoassay of VIP within the first in-hospital day., Results: The plasma concentration of VIP: 1) is not higher than normal in the whole group of patients with heart failure; 2) is higher in younger than in elderly healthy subjects but does not significantly change in relation to age in heart disease patients; 3) is higher in elderly (> 60 years) but not in younger (< 60 years) patients compared to healthy subjects of the same age; 4) is higher in NYHA functional class 2 than in NYHA functional class > 2 groups and in normal subjects; 5) is not correlated with echocardiographic parameters; 6) does not significantly change with respect to the etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy., Conclusions: The plasma concentration of VIP in heart failure is conditioned by some epidemiological and clinical variables. Unlike the healthy group, differences are not detectable with respect to the age of patients; thus, in elderly heart disease subjects the neuropeptide productive potentiality is preserved. Taking into account the physiological properties of VIP, its plasma increase in the initial phase of heart failure can be reasonably regarded as a further mechanism to restore the compromised hemodynamic balance. Its decrease, related to worse clinical conditions, could be due to a progressive depletion from the pre-synaptic nerve endings and to a deficiency in the neurogenic productive capacity of the molecule.

Background: The present study was aimed at investigating cardiac troponin I values in the first week of acute myocardial infarction and in non-infarct acute coronary ischemic syndromes., Methods: Eighty-two patients, 42 with acute myocardial infarction, 10 with stable angina and 30 with primary unstable angina, were enrolled in the study. Blood was collected within 6 hours of symptom onset and, in the group with acute myocardial infarction, after 24 and 48 hours, and on day 7., Results: Serum troponin I increased within the first 6 hours of myocardial infarction, reached the peak after 24 hours, at 48 hours it decreased, and remained above the normal range until day 7. However, troponin I values 1) were constantly higher in patients who died, in those > 60 years old and in those with antero-lateral necrosis than in survivors, in those < 60 years old and in those with infero-posterior necrosis, respectively; 2) returned to normal range on day 7 in survivors and in patients with infero-posterior acute myocardial infarction; 3) were significantly higher in fibrinolysed patients than in those who did not undergo thrombolysis; 4) were higher in patients classified as Killip class > 2. Serum troponin I values were in the normal range in non-infarct acute coronary ischemic syndromes, but were higher in unstable than in stable angina., Conclusions: The lesser increase and the early return to the normal range of cardiac troponin I levels in the subgroups of patients with myocardial infarction having a better clinical course could be regarded as a favorable prognostic sign. Since the persistent higher values of cardiac troponin I in fibrinolysed subjects are associated with the angiographic finding of patent coronary arteries, it can be suggested that the large and persistent post-thrombolysis release of cardiac troponin I from the myocardium represents a biochemical marker of a successful reperfusion. The persistent high cardiac troponin I values in patients with advanced Killip class suggest that the neuropeptide is an index of ongoing myocyte injury and hemodynamic impairment as well. The higher values of cardiac troponin I in unstable angina are probably due to focal areas of myocardial necrosis undetectable by conventional enzymatic serum markers.

A marked discrepancy between mild and late clinical features and a nearly complete absence of erythrocyte uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase activity (Ery-UROD activity) was observed in a case of inherited porphyria cutanea tarda. The entity and time of appearance of clinical features, the onset of clinical symptoms after exposure to contributing factors, the effectiveness of phlebotomies and heterozygosity of the mother alone for uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (UROD) deficiency were typical for familial porphyria cutanea tarda (F-PCT), whereas the extremely low UROD activity was peculiar to hepatoerythropoietic porphyria (HEP). These observations indicate that: 1) Ery-UROD activity may not always be useful to discriminate between F-PCT and HEP; 2) Ery-UROD activity does not always correlate with clinical symptoms; 3) in inherited UROD deficiency, the genetic defect may be heterogeneous. Finally, the observed discrepancy may provide additional evidence for the existence of tissue-specific isozymes.

Plasma levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide increase early after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and are significantly higher during the first 2 weeks of AMI in survivors and younger patients (<60 years) than in those who died and in older (>60 years) patients. Data suggest that vasoactive intestinal peptide is involved in neuroendocrine activation occurring in AMI and could be regarded as a marker of the course of AMI.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is known to be associated with a complex neuroendocrine activation, especially concerning sympathetic and renin-angiotensin systems, cortisol, atrial natriuretic peptide and endothelin. Results of our study show that the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), also, is early involved in the neuroendocrine activation occurring in AMI. Plasma concentration of VIP, significantly increased in AMI patients within 6 hours after the onset of chest pain, soon decreased and remained below than normal along the first week. At the 14th day of the AMI, plasma levels of VIP returned into the normal range. A significant increase of VIP plasma concentration is detectable in the first hours of AMI in survived as compared with died patients. The phenomenon seems to be a suitable process to provide an endogenous support to the ischemic heart and to counteract the negative effects of other neuroendocrine activated factors.

Aim of our study was to investigate the pathophysiological role of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in the neuroendocrine activation occurring in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Plasma VIP concentration has been assayed in 30 patients with AMI, 22 males and 8 females, aged 41-82 years, without other important diseases. VIP plasma values, assayed on admission to the Coronary Care Unit, within 4-6 hours after the onset of chest pain, everyday for the first week and on day 14, were significantly higher in survivors and in patients aged < 60 years. VIP plasma concentration was not statistically correlated with CPK and CPK-MB. VIP seems to play a pathophysiological role in the neuroendocrine activation occurring in AMI. Low VIP plasma levels are associated with an unfavorable short-term prognosis. Moreover, it appears that VIP secretion is negatively influenced by aging.

The efficacy of treatment with TSH suppressive doses of L-thyroxine was evaluated by echography in 35 patients with euthyroid nodular goiter. Patients have been subdivided in two groups comparable for sex age and size of the goiter. Sixteen patients were treated for nine months with suppressive doses of thyroxine and nineteen were followed without therapy as control. Patients in treatment were then followed up for additional 9 months without therapy. The mean decrease of thyroid volume at nine months was 25% (27 +/- 10 ml vs 20 +/- 8 ml; p < 0.01). After discontinuation of treatment thyroid volume increased and had returned to base line values after nine months of follow up. In the control group mean thyroid volume had increased by 17.7% at nine months (28 +/- 17 vs 33 +/- 19 ml; p < 0.001). Thyroid nodules in response to thyroid hormone treatment showed a variable behaviour: 30.7% (4/13) of the nodules responded to the therapy with a reduction > to 25% at the ninth month; the remaining nodules were insensitive to the therapy. In conclusion suppressive thyroxine treatment is effective in reducing the goiter, nodules instead are only in part sensitive to the treatment. Thyroxine therapy of euthyroid nodular goiter must be followed for long term since upon thyroxine discontinuation there is a prompt reappearance of the goiter.

Dopaminergic drugs inhibit prolactin and stimulate GH secretion. On the contrary antidopaminergic drugs stimulate prolactin and decrease hypoglycemia-induced GH secretion. According to the hypothesis that Cimetidine, an H2-receptor antagonist, decreases hypothalamic dopamine secretion, it was evaluated GH response to hypoglycemia after this drug. It was demonstrated that Cimetidine decreases hypoglycemia-induced GH secretion.

Compared to matched controls, 17 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy showed decreased insulin binding to monocytes due to decreased receptor concentration. These patients showed no signs of altered glucose metabolism and retrospective analysis of the clinical records of a further 56 such patients revealed no modification in carbohydrate metabolism. These data suggest that reduced insulin receptor number does not produce overt modifications of glucose metabolism in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

A human hepatoma cell line (PLC/PRF/5) contains several copies of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in integrated form and releases hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the form of 22 nm particles in culture medium; studies of the supernatant fluid failed to provide evidence of the morphologically intact virion (Dane particle) or hepatitis B infectivity. In this paper we describe the effect of insulin on cell growth and HBsAg production by these cells; moreover we describe the insulin binding to specific cell membrane receptors. Data in our hands point to a different insulin binding related to different incubation conditions.

In 5 post-menopausal women TSH and prolactin secretions, induced by TRH, were studied before and after treatment with mg 20 of polyestradiol valerate. After this drug, plasma prolactin concentration increased, but no difference was observed in TSH secretion. The data suggest that 17-beta-estradiol doesn't increase the number of TRH receptors on pituitary cell surface, but stimulates prolactin synthesis.

Insulin receptors were studied in monocytes and erythrocytes [red blood cells (RBC)] isolated from 15 normal and 15 nondiabetic obese outpatients on an unrestricted diet. Insulin binding on both monocytes (P < 0.001) and RBC (P < 0.01) was higher in normal than in obese subjects due to different receptor concentrations. In some obese patients, binding to monocytes was decreased, while binding to RBC was normal. These data demonstrate that obese out-patients on an unrestricted diet have a reduced number of insulin receptors. It is suggested that interpretation of insulin binding based upon RBC should be used with caution, since a discrepancy exists in some subjects in the results obtained with these cells and monocytes.

The case of a 55-year-old woman with postpartum (at age of 22) hypopituitarism is reported. The patient, with signs of myxedema, was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for hallucinations. In addition to routine tests and measurements of thyroid hormones level, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and pituitary region was performed. The results of MRI showed cerebral atrophy and a large "empty sella". On the basis of clinical, laboratory and instrumental data, a diagnosis of panhypopituitarism with prevalent hypothyroidism was achieved. Many hypotheses could be made regarding its pathogenesis. Initially we considered the diagnosis of Sheehan's syndrome in which the sella turcica usually presents normal or reduced dimensions. However the presence of a large "empty sella" with thin walls, excludes this diagnosis. The delay of menarche and the short stature suggest the hypothesis of a preexistent pathological condition. It is possible that the patient had liquefied pituitary adenoma as a consequence of the postpartum shock or that she was hypothyroid, a condition in which the "empty sella" is very common.

To 4 normal women a bolus of mg 400 of cimetidine was injected intravenously once an hour for three hours in succession and plasma prolactin behaviour studied. No depletion in prolactin pituitary storage was observed in all subjects. The possible usefulness of cimetidine for clinical diagnostic purposes is discussed.

Plasma TSH was determined in 12 normal subjects before and after administration of mg 400 of cimetidine i.v., an H2-receptor antagonist. TSH concentration remained unchanged. In 7 normal subjects, pretreated with bromocriptine; variation of plasma prolactin were studied before and after administration of mg 400 and 800 of cimetidine. Bromocriptine inhibited the increase of prolactin secretion, induced by cimetidine. It can be assumed that: a) cimetidine doesn't release hypothalamic TRH in portal vessels; b) that drug has no direct effect on pituitary cells; c) hypothalamic H2-receptor blockade by cimetidine decreases dopamine release from hypothalamus to pituitary gland.

Previous work has shown NADPH to be a necessary cofactor in adrenal production of steroids. Synthesis is, in effect, a function of dehydrogenase activity and the adrenals are particularly rich in these enzymes. The present paper deals with an appraisal of the importance of G 6-PD as a source of NADPH for mitochondrial hydroxylation. 11-beta-hydroxylation was used as parameter. It was found that the activity of this enzyme, and hence NAPDH production, was stimulated by the administration of ACTH; no parallel increase in 11-beta-hydroxylase activity was noted.

The influence of estradiol and of two electron donors (succinate and malate) on testosterone metabolism was studied in vitro. In presence of estradiol the metabolic pattern of testosterone in male liver was changed to a female pattern. On the contrary, addition of malate or succinate to the female liver incubate gave origin to polar metabolites of testosterone which are typical of the male metabolic pattern.