Publications by authors named "Monia Specchia"
Article Synopsis
- Ocular involvement of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) is rare, primarily consisting of metastatic cases; primary orbital NENs are even more uncommon and present unique diagnostic and treatment challenges.
- A systematic review of literature from 1966 to September 2023 identified 63 records on orbital NENs, with 11 focusing specifically on primary types, revealing that symptoms often included proptosis or exophthalmos.
- Effective management of primary orbital NENs requires a multidisciplinary approach and early referral to specialized centers to improve diagnosis, treatment, and overall patient outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- - Hormonal changes during and after pregnancy impact the maternal microbiota, with potential associations between microbiotic composition changes at various body sites (gut, vagina, endometrium) and pregnancy complications.
- - The gut microbiota shifts significantly during pregnancy, with increases in lactic acid bacteria and decreases in butyrate-producing types, which could influence autoimmune and chronic diseases.
- - Vaginal microbiota changes, like reduced lactobacilli and increased diversity, have been linked to preterm births, highlighting the need for a better understanding of endometrial microbiota for developing personalized treatments to prevent pregnancy-related complications.
The aim of this prospective cohort study was to determine whether women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) have an increased risk of pregnancy complications compared to normal pregnant women. A total of 1092 singleton pregnancies were followed, 431 in women with RPL and 661 in normal healthy women. The prevalence of the following complications was observed: threatened miscarriage, miscarriage, cervical insufficiency, chromosomal/genetic abnormalities, fetal anomalies, oligohydramnios, polyhydramnios, fetal growth restriction, intrauterine fetal death, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia, placenta previa, abruptio placentae, pregnancy-related liver disorders, and preterm premature rupture of the membranes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCeliac disease and reproductive failures: An update on pathogenic mechanisms.
Am J Reprod Immunol
April 2021
Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder that occurs in genetically predisposed people in which the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine that clinically presents with malabsorption-related symptoms. CD can also be the underlying cause of several non-gastrointestinal symptoms. This review summarizes evidence on the relationship between CD and gynecological/obstetric disorders like reproductive failures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProblem: A significant increased expression/activation of one of the most well-characterized inflammasomes, the NAcht leucine-rich-repeat protein-3 (NALP-3), in the endometrium from idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss women (RPL) has been previously found by our research group. We therefore, suggested this event as being one of the molecular mechanisms altering endometrial inflammatory status during early pregnancy. In the present research, we attempt to investigate whether molecules with anti-inflammatory activity, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), and/or myoinositol affect the endometrial NALP-3 expression and activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Spontaneous pregnancy loss affects 5-15% of pregnancies, with 1%-5% of women experiencing Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL), which can have various undiscovered causes even after screening.
- Recent findings indicate that women with RPL show abnormal activation of the endometrial NALP-3 inflammasome, which may lead to early fetal loss by making the endometrium less receptive.
- Understanding how inflammasome pathways work is key for developing new therapies, and several inhibitors and herbal extracts have shown promise in managing inflammation related to NALP3 inflammasome activation.