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Pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is a serious disease for which a better understanding of prognostic factors and new therapeutic targets is needed. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are promising markers due to their stability and differential expression patterns in various diseases. However, their role in pediatric B-ALL patients, particularly in risk stratification and relapse prediction, remains poorly understood. In this study, we comprehensively examined the circRNA landscape in pediatric B-ALL patients, focusing on both high-risk and standard-risk patients. Using advanced sequencing techniques and sophisticated bioinformatics tools, we identified thousands of circRNAs, including a novel circRNA derived from the WASHC2A gene, termed circWASHC2A. CircWASHC2A showed differential expression between high-risk and standard-risk patients and exhibited potential for predicting relapse in high-risk patients. Functional experiments highlighted a role for circWASHC2A in regulating cell cycle progression and mitochondrial respiratory activity in leukaemic cells. Transcriptomic analysis further supported these findings, suggesting the involvement of circWASHC2A in signalling pathways relevant to leukaemia pathogenesis. This study provides in-depth insights into the circRNA landscape of pediatric B-ALL patients and identifies circWASHC2A as a potential biomarker for risk stratification and relapse prediction, with significant implications for tailoring diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in this patient population.

Abstract Background Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common arrhythmia following cardiac surgery (CS). It may occur between the 1st and the 4th postoperative day as acute POAF or between the 5th and the 30th as subacute (sPOAF). sPOAF is associated with higher thromboembolic risk, which consistently increase patients' morbidity. Neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a low‐cost inflammatory index proposed as possible POAF predictor. Identification of patients' risk categories might lead to improved postoperative outcomes. Methods The aim was to assess the incidence of sPOAF and to identify possible predictors in patients performing cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) after CS. A single‐center cohort study was performed on 737 post‐surgical patients admitted to CR on sinus rhythm. Continuous monitoring with 12‐lead ECG telemetry was performed. We evaluated the predictive role of anamnestic, clinical, and laboratory data, including baseline NLR. Results Subacute POAF was documented in 170 cases (23.1%). At the multivariate analysis, age (OR 1.03; p = .001), mitral valve surgery (OR 1.77; p = .012), acute POAF (OR 2.97; p

BackgroundPaediatric acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia is the most common cancer of the paediatric age. Although the advancement of scientific and technological knowledge has ensured a huge step forward in the management of this disease, there are 15%–20% cases of recurrence leading to serious complications for the patient and sometimes even death. It is therefore necessary to identify new and increasingly personalised biomarkers capable of predicting the degree of risk of B-ALL in order to allow the correct management of paediatric leukaemia patients.MethodsStarting from our previously published results, we validate the expression level of LINC00958 in a cohort of 33 B-ALL and 9 T-ALL childhood patients, using in-silico public datasets as support. Expression levels of LINC00958 in B-ALL patients stratified by risk (high risk vs. standard/medium risk) and who relapsed 3 years after the first leukaemia diagnosis were also evaluated.ResultsWe identified the lncRNA LINC00958 as a biomarker of B-ALL, capable of discriminating B-ALL from T-ALL and healthy subjects. Furthermore, we associated LINC00958 expression levels with the disease risk classification (high risk and standard risk). Finally, we show that LINC00958 can be used as a predictor of relapses in patients who are usually stratified as standard risk and thus not always targeted for marrow transplantation.ConclusionsOur results open the way to new diagnostic perspectives that can be directly used in clinical practice for a better management of B-ALL paediatric patients.

Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic mycosis caused by inhalation of Coccidioides immitis or C. posadasii spores (1). Severe disease is infrequent, and extrapulmonary dissemination occurs in only 1% of diagnosed cases [...]

Abstract. Objectives. To test hypothesized associations between the ABO blood group (ABO-bg) system and the pathological features of prostate cancer (PCa). Material and methods. Between January 2013 and September 2019, 1173 patients underwent radical prostatectomy. Associations between ABO-bg levels and pathological features were evaluated using statistical methods. Results. Overall, 1149 consecutive patients were evaluated using the ABO-bg system, which was represented by O-bg (42.8%) and A-bg (41.3%), followed by B-bg (11.1%) and AB-bg (4.8%). Only positive surgical margins (PSMs) was correlated with ABO-bg (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.071; p = 0.017), and the risk was increased in group-O (odds ratio [OR], 1.497; 95% confidence interval, 1.149–1.950; p = 0.003) versus non–O-bg. In clinical and pathological models, O-bg was at increased risk of PSM after the adjustment for prostate-specific antigen, percentage of biopsy-positive cores, and high surgical volume (adjusted OR, 1.546; 95% confidence interval, 1.180–2.026; p = 0.002); however, the adjusted OR did not change after the adjustment for tumor load and stage as well as high surgical volume. Conclusions. In clinical PCa, the risk of PSM was higher in O-bg versus non–O-bg patients after the adjustment for standard predictors. Confirmatory studies are needed to confirm the association between ABO-bg and unfavorable PCa features.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study that tested 2,000 US military personnel for Coccidioides antibodies in a disease-endemic region. The overall incidence of seroconversion was 0.5 cases/100 person-years; 12.5% of persons who seroconverted had illnesses requiring medical care. No significant association was found between demographic characteristics and seroconversion or disease.

Objective: Neurocognitive impairment (NCI) is a well-known complication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and may be influenced by a number of psychological factors. We examined the relationship between NCI and mental health disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in a cohort of 189 active-duty and retired U.S. military men living with HIV. Methods: Participants completed selected modules of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) to ascertain the presence of PTSD, major depressive disorder, and other mental health diagnoses. We also obtained demographic data, including history of head trauma, via personal interview. NCI was assessed with a comprehensive battery of standardized neuropsychological tests. Results: The median age of study subjects was 36 years (interquartile range [IQR] 28 to 43) and median total years of education was 14 (IQR 12 to 16). NCI was diagnosed in 19% of subjects. Individuals with and without a history of PTSD were similar with respect to most HIV-related characteristics; however, the former were significantly more likely to have a prior acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) diagnosis. In multivariate analysis, lifetime history of PTSD was independently associated with NCI (odds ration [OR] = 6.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.85, 20.27), while a history of head of trauma was negatively associated (OR = 0.37 95% CI = 0.15,0.92). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that PTSD is an important predictor of NCI in this U.S. military cohort. HIV-infected individuals with cognitive difficulties should be screened for mental health disorders, including PTSD, and prospective studies of the longitudinal relationship between PTSD and NCI, as well as the impact of PTSD treatment on future NCI, are warranted.

In localized muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), the gold standard treatment is radical cystectomy (RC) with bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND), associated with cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, whereas first-line treatment for metastatic patients is cisplatin-based chemotherapy. In men with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), elective repair is recommended when its diameter is >5.5 cm, while cryopreserved arterial allografts (CAA) offer resistance to infection. A patient with simultaneous metastatic MIBC, associated with left hydronephrosis, and infrarenal AAA of 49 mm diameter was evaluated in an interdisciplinary study. Concomitant surgery was opted for; first, the AAA repair with CAA implantation was practiced, followed by retroperitoneal and common iliac lymphadenectomy. Thereafter, RC and PLND were conducted, and a Wallace-1 ileal conduit and a stoma were constructed. Chest and abdomen contrast-enhanced CT at 2 months showed the onset of two osteolytic lesions on the left ilium. At oncological re-evaluation the patient was deemed cisplatin-fit.

Almost 20% of COVID-19 patients have a history of atrial fibrillation (AF), but also a new-onset AF represents a frequent complication in COVID-19. Clinical evidence demonstrates that COVID-19, by promoting the evolution of a prothrombotic state, increases the susceptibility to arrhythmic events during the infective stages and presumably during post-recovery. AF itself is the most frequent form of arrhythmia and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. One of the molecular factors involved in COVID-19-related AF episodes is the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) 2 availability. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses ACE2 to enter and infect multiple cells. Atrial ACE2 internalization after binding to SARS-CoV-2 results in a raise of angiotensin (Ang) II, and in a suppression of cardioprotective Ang(1–7) formation, and thereby promoting cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis and oxidative stress. Furthermore, several pharmacological agents used in COVID-19 patients may have a higher risk of inducing electrophysiological changes and cardiac dysfunction. Azithromycin, lopinavir/ritonavir, ibrutinib, and remdesivir, used in the treatment of COVID-19, may predispose to an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmia. In this review, putative mechanisms involved in COVID-19-related AF episodes and the cardiovascular safety profile of drugs used for the treatment of COVID-19 are summarized.

Objectives: We investigated AB0 blood groups prevalence according to preoperative and pathological tumor characteristics, and their association with oncological outcomes, and renal function decline in a contemporary large cohort of bladder cancer (BCa) patients, who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) at a tertiary referral center. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated data of patients with histologically confirmed and clinically non metastatic BCa, who underwent RC between 2014 and 2021 at our Institution. Kaplan-Meier (KM) plots and Cox regression (CR) models tested the relationship between AB0 blood groups and local recurrence-, metastasis-, cancer specific mortality-, and overall mortality-free survival. Logistic regression (LR) models tested the association between AB0 blood groups and renal function decline, defined as an estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min, at post-operative day 1, discharge and 6- months of follow-up. Results: Of 301 included patients, 128 (42.5%) had group A, 126 (41.9%) had group 0, 28 (9.3%) had group B, and 19 (6.3%) had group AB. Patients with group 0 developed higher rates of muscle- invasive BCa (p = 0.028) with high-grade features (p = 0.005) at last bladder resection, and less frequently received preoperative immunotherapy with Bacillus of Calmette-Guerin (p = 0.044), than their non-0 counterparts. Additionally, these patients harbored more advanced pathologic tumor stage at RC (p = 0.024). KM plots showed no differences among all tested cancer control outcomes between AB0 blood groups (p > 0.05 in all cases). Patients with group AB presented the lowest median eGFR at each time point. In multivariable LR analyses addressing renal function decline, group AB was independently associated with eGFR< 60 mL/min at discharge (Odds Ratio: 4.28, p = 0.047). Conclusions: Among AB0 blood groups, patients with group 0 exhibited the most aggressive tumor profile. However, no differences were recorded in recurrence or survival rates. Group AB independently predicted renal function decline at discharge.

Scalise et al. examine the mRNAome and miRNAome of cardiomyocytes differentiated from murine adult cardiac stem cells (CSCs). Their results show that the differentiation process follows a trajectory of miRNA/mRNA expression that resembles that of adult cardiomyocytes.