The Implications of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery on Psychosocial and Relational Health: A Narrative Review.

Obesity is a globally prevalent condition associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. Metabolic and bariatric surgery offers a definitive treatment for class III (BMI > 40) obesity, achieving substantial, enduring weight loss and improving metabolic health. Despite extensive research on the physical benefits, comparatively fewer reviews investigate the psychosocial and relational changes accompanying these procedures.

The Role of Venous Blood Gas Analysis in Critical Care: A Narrative Review.

ABG analysis is the gold standard for assessing acid-base balance, oxygenation, and ventilation in critically ill patients, but it is invasive and associated with patient discomfort and potential complications. Venous blood gas (VBG) analysis offers a less invasive alternative, although its clinical utility remains debated. This review evaluates the current evidence on VBG analysis, exploring its correlation with ABG, clinical applications, and limitations.

Decoding Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: Molecular Profiles, Biomarkers, and Pathways to Personalized Therapy.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are rare malignancies, accounting for 1-2% of pancreatic cancers, with an incidence of ≤1 case per 100,000 individuals annually. Originating from pancreatic endocrine cells, pNETs display significant clinical and biological heterogeneity. Traditional classification based on proliferative grading does not fully capture the complex mechanisms involved, such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and tumor-associated macrophage infiltration.

DISYNCRO: Perceived roles of clinical study coordinators and data managers: results from a web-based survey of professionals from contract research organizations.

Introduction: The evolution of clinical trials has made it essential to introduce specific roles, such as Clinical Study Coordinator (CSC) and Data Manager (DM), into the research process. Their responsibilities sometimes overlap, creating operational challenges in the workplace. This study aims to determine how personnel at Contract Research Organizations (CROs) perceive the differences between the CSC and DM roles, assess their functional overlap, and identify areas where greater role clarity and training are needed to improve operational efficiency.

Hyperamylasemia in COVID-19 patients: pancreatic involvement or secondary epiphenomenon?

Elevated serum amylase has been frequently observed in COVID-19 patients, but whether hyperamylasemia results from a direct or indirect pancreatic effect or other mechanisms remains debated. Our study aimed to investigate the association between hyperamylasemia, pancreatitis, and COVID-19 severity. We retrospectively analyzed 1858 patients who visited the emergency department of Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli-IRCCS in Rome during the first two years of the pandemic.

Autobrewery Syndrome and Endogenous Ethanol Production in Patients with MASLD: A Perspective from Chronic Liver Disease.

Autobrewery syndrome is a rare condition characterized by the endogenous fermentation of carbohydrates by gut microbiota, which exceeds the liver's detoxification capacity and leads to signs and symptoms of acute alcohol intoxication. This condition has significant clinical, social, and legal implications. Beyond the acute effects, the role of excessive endogenous ethanol production in the progression of chronic diseases-particularly liver disease-is still under investigation.

Gut Microbiota in Women with Eating Disorders: A New Frontier in Pathophysiology and Treatment.

Emerging evidence highlights the critical role of the gut microbiota in the development and progression of eating disorders (EDs), particularly in women, who are more frequently affected by these conditions. Women with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder exhibit distinct alterations in gut microbiota composition compared to healthy controls. These alterations, collectively termed dysbiosis, involve reduced microbial diversity and shifts in key bacterial populations responsible for regulating metabolism, inflammation, and gut-brain signaling.

Multiparametric Ultrasound in the Differential Diagnosis of Soft Tissue Tumors: A Comprehensive Review.

Soft tissue tumors (STTs) are a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal neoplasms requiring accurate differentiation for optimal patient management. While histopathology remains the gold standard, imaging plays a crucial role in non-invasive assessment. Multiparametric ultrasound (mpUS) has emerged as a promising, cost-effective alternative to MRI, integrating B-mode, color and power Doppler, shear wave elastography (SWE), and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to provide comprehensive morphological, vascular, and biomechanical insights.

Psychological Profiles in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease: Distinct Emotional and Behavioral Patterns.

: Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are two forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which, despite their shared inflammatory nature, differ markedly in clinical presentation and disease course. In this study, we aimed to explore whether these clinical differences are also reflected at the psychological level. Specifically, we sought to delineate the personality characteristics of a sample of patients with IBD and to investigate psychological and psychopathological differences between individuals with UC and CD.

Intestinal inflammation and microbiota modulation impact cochlear function: emerging insights in gut-ear axis.

Background: Although several evidence demonstrates a "gut-microbiota-brain axis", suggesting a bidirectional communication between gut microbiota and the central nervous system, less is known about a possible link between the gut and the peripheral nervous system, including the inner ear.

Methods: Here, we investigated the impact of intestinal inflammation and the modulation of gut microbiota through fecal microbiota transplantation on hearing sensitivity. Female C57BL/6 mice were assigned to four groups: control (Ctrl), DSS-induced colitis (DSS), FMT from patients with active ulcerative colitis (FMT aUC), and FMT from patients with ulcerative colitis in remission (FMT rUC).

Gut microbial healing in IBD: visionary approach or evidence-based reality?

Introduction: Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the treatment outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Evidence suggested a bidirectional interaction between gut microbiota and medical treatments, in which drugs modulate microbial composition, while microbiota, in turn, impact drug metabolism. This influences the effectiveness of therapy and leads to individual variations in treatment responses, opening the door to personalized medicine in IBD management.

Minimally invasive hepatectomy thermoablation for single small (≤3 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma: A weighted real-life national comparison.

Background & Aims: For patients with single small (≤3 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma ablation is the first-line treatment, although a high rate of recurrence has been reported. The aim was to compare videolaparoscopic liver resection (laparoscopic resection group) percutaneous thermoablation (ablation group) in terms of overall survival, recurrence-free survival and early recurrence in a real-life national scenario.

Methods: The study is a retrospective collection with subsequent survival analysis.

Clinical and immunological biomarkers in hypereosinophilic syndrome: the second step after diagnostic algorithms.

Background: Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome currently represents a major unmet need for all medical specialties dealing with this disease. Markers capable of characterising the wide variability of its clinical presentation are currently lacking.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate a panel of possible markers in idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome.

Multiparametric ultrasound for non-invasive assessment of liver steatosis, fibrosis, and inflammation in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Background: In metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) the identification of patients at high risk of evolution to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is challenging.

Aim: To investigate the performance of different ultrasound (US)-based techniques for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis, steatosis, and inflammation in these patients.

Methods: We collected data from consecutive patients who underwent liver biopsy for suspected MASLD between January 2019 and December 2021.

The role of resilience in mitigating depression and anxiety in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), often triggers psychological distress. Resilience, the ability to adapt to stress and trauma, may mitigate the psychological effects of chronic illnesses.

Aims: To determine whether higher psychological resilience is independently associated with reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms and whether it moderates the relationship between disease activity and these symptoms in IBD patients.

Psychopharmacological Therapy Positively Modulates Disease Activity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review.

Depression, anxiety, and perceived stress are common comorbidities in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may negatively influence the disease course. Likewise, severe IBD may contribute to the development or worsening of psychiatric symptoms. Despite the established relevance of the gut-brain axis and frequent use of psychotropic medications in IBD patients, limited evidence exists regarding the effects of psychiatric treatments on gastrointestinal disease activity.

Role of Vascular Liver Diseases in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequent complication of various liver diseases, occurring with or without underlying cirrhosis. While cirrhosis and chronic liver inflammation are well-established major drivers of hepatocarcinogenesis, HCC can also develop in patients with vascular liver diseases (VLDs), highlighting an alternative pathway of disease progression. Alterations in liver perfusion appear to underlie the process of carcinogenesis.

Gut microbiota and atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis reflects a chronic inflammatory process of arteries. The origin of chronic vascular inflammation has been associated over a long time primarily with lipid disorders, but evidence from the past years has suggested that lipid-independent pathways are also involved. Recent research has demonstrated that the gastrointestinal microbiota has an impact on the development of atherosclerosis.

Prognostic value of lipoprotein(a) for cardiovascular events after lower limb revascularization in diabetic patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia.

Background: Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) presents a major clinical challenge in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), requiring lower extremity revascularization (LER) to mitigate adverse cardiovascular and limb outcomes. Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) has been implicated in cardiovascular risk, but its role in patients with T2DM and CLTI undergoing revascularization remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of Lp(a) levels in diabetic CLTI patients for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), major adverse limb events (MALE), or both after LER.

Fecal Microbiome Transplantation for Recurrent CDI: Treatment Efficacy and Safety with Oral Capsules.

Background And Aims: Fecal microbiota transplantation is an effective treatment method for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection. Widely used enteric tube and colonoscopy methods demonstrate excellent efficacy and safety results. Recent data suggest that new fecal microbiota transplantation methods using oral capsules may provide a less invasive approach.

Cancer Vaccines: A Promising Therapeutic Strategy in Advanced Solid Tumors.

Recent advancements in understanding how cancer cells evade immune recognition have led to significant progress in cancer immunotherapy. Therapeutic cancer vaccines hold great promise due to their safety, specificity, and ability to establish lasting immune memory, serving as an effective immunotherapy either alone or in combination with other treatments in clinical research. Cancer vaccines aim to restore the host's innate and adaptive anti-cancer immune responses by stimulating antigen-presenting processes and reversing the immunosuppressive environment that facilitates tumor immune evasion and metastasis.

The Interplay Between the Gut Microbiota and Colorectal Cancer: A Review of the Literature.

Lifestyle, diet, and genetics are established risk factors for developing colorectal cancer (CRC). In recent years, the role of the gut microbiota (GM) has been increasingly highlighted in several studies, suggesting an effect on both the disease's pathogenesis and the efficacy and tolerability of treatments. We conducted a search on Medline, aiming to identify published studies exploring the role of the GM in the development and treatment of CRC.

Impact of Psychopathology and Gut Microbiota on Disease Progression in Ulcerative Colitis: A Five-Year Follow-Up Study.

Psychological distress and gut dysbiosis play key roles in IBD. This study investigated whether specific psychopathological and gut microbiota features predict adverse outcomes in UC patients. This retrospective cohort study included 35 UC patients recruited in 2019.

Inflammasomes in Cardiovascular Diseases: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives.

Chronic inflammation is an important contributor to the development of cardiovascular disorders, and inflammasomes, especially the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), are emerging as crucial mediators in this context. Inflammasomes are activated through receptor-mediated danger signals, such as cholesterol crystals and cellular damage products, thereby stimulating the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which sustains inflammation. This mechanism drives atherosclerosis (via plaque formation and destabilization), heart failure (via fibrotic remodeling), and pericarditis (via exacerbation of pericardial inflammation).