Papers by Carla Maria Leone
PubMed, Aug 29, 2023
Background and aim: Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by the inhalation ... more Background and aim: Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by the inhalation or aspiration of water droplets contaminated with Legionella pneumophila and other Legionella species. These bacteria are commonly found in natural habitats and man-made water systems. Legionnaires' disease is a significant public health problem, especially in healthcare settings where patients may be exposed to contaminated environmental sources. Nosocomial outbreaks have been reported worldwide, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates, and increased healthcare costs. This study aimed to compare, the clonal relationship of clinical L. pneumophila strains from two different hospitals with L. pneumophila strains isolated from the water supply. Methods: In the period from 2019 to 2021, clinical and environmental strains involved in three cases of legionellosis were compared by means of pulsed field gel electrophoresis and sequence based typing techniques. Results: Our findings highlight the persistence of clonally distinct strains within each hospital examined. Furthermore, the L. pneumophila strains detected from hospital environmental sources were related to the clinical strains isolated, demonstrating the nosocomial origin of these cases. Conclusions: Therefore, it is important to implement more accurate surveillance systems both for epidemiological studies and to check the effectiveness of remediation procedures. (www.actabiomedica.it).
European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Aug 7, 2020
Population Medicine
level. • Study Protocols -articles describing a research protocol of a study. • Methodology Paper... more level. • Study Protocols -articles describing a research protocol of a study. • Methodology Papers -papers that present different methodological approaches that can be used to investigate problems in a relevant scientific field and to encourage innovation. • Methodology Papers -papers that present different methodological approaches that can be used to investigate problems in a relevant scientific field and to encourage innovation. • Letters to the Editor -a response to authors of an original publication, or a very small article that may be relevant to readers. • Editorials -articles written by the Editorial Board or by invited experts on a specific topic. Articles reporting research may be full length or brief reports. These should report original research findings within the journal's scope. Papers should generally be a maximum of 4000 words in length, excluding tables, references, and abstract and key points of the article, whilst it is recommended that the number of references should not exceed 36. Comprehensive, authoritative, reviews within the journal's scope. There are two types of review papers: -systematic review papers: respond to a specific research question, accrue from criterion-based selection of sources, include a quantitative synthesis and a statistical method (meta-analysis), and should adhere to PRISMA guidelines. Guidelines used for abstracting data and assessing data quality and validity should be noted in methods section. -narrative review papers: the research question may be broad, and the scope of this review is to discuss a specific topic. This type of review does not necessarily include a methodological approach and its synthesis is usually qualitative. Narrative reviews should include details regarding data sources used, keywords applied, time restrictions and study types selected. All review papers should be generally less than 6000 words, excluding abstract, tables, figures and references. References should not exceed 50, unless the topic has an extensive evidence base. Conclusion of the reviews should be specific and stem from the findings. Brief reports of data from original research. Short reports are shorter versions of original articles, may include one table or figure, should not exceed 1500 words, and it is recommended that the number of references should not exceed 15. Short reports are suitable for the presentation of research that extends previously published research, including the reporting of additional evidence and confirmatory results in other settings, as well as negative results. Authors must clearly acknowledge any work upon which they are building, both published and unpublished. Articles describing a research protocol of a study. This article type can be for proposed or for ongoing research and should contain the background, research hypothesis, rationale a detailed methodology of the study. The SPIRIT 2013 Checklist guidelines ideally should be applied. Study protocols submitted for publication must have received ethics approval. Protocols of randomized trials should follow the CONSORT guidelines and must have a trial registration number, while observational studies should follow STROBE guidelines. Methodology Papers will present different methodological approaches that can be used to investigate problems in a relevant scientific field and to encourage innovation. It is suggested that case studies or practical examples, which can be existing ones, are included to demonstrate the consistency and applicability of the methodology.
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 2009
M. Bagby, Toronto, Ont. R. Balon, Detroit, Mich. P. Bech, Hillerød M. Biondi, Roma M. Bouvard, Ch... more M. Bagby, Toronto, Ont. R. Balon, Detroit, Mich. P. Bech, Hillerød M. Biondi, Roma M. Bouvard, Chambery G. Chouinard, Montréal, Qué. P.M.G. Emmelkamp, Amsterdam S. Fassino, Torino M. Fava, Boston, Mass. H.J. Freyberger, Greifswald/Stralsund S. Grandi, Bologna D. Hellhammer, Trier J.I. Hudson, Belmont, Mass. I.M. Marks, London M.W. Otto, Boston, Mass. E.S. Paykel, Cambridge C. Rafanelli, Bologna C.D. Ryff , Madison, Wisc. U. Schnyder, Zürich J. Scott, Newcastle T. Sensky, London T. Th eorell, Stockholm E. Vieta, Barcelona T. Wise, Falls Church, Va. R. Zachariae, Aarhus Offi cial Journal of the International College of Psychosomatic Medicine (ICPM) Offi cial Journal of the International Federation for Psychotherapy (IFP)
Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 2020
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2020
Objective Atrophic gastritis may affect circulating ghrelin levels and, indirectly, body mass ind... more Objective Atrophic gastritis may affect circulating ghrelin levels and, indirectly, body mass index. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between atrophic gastritis, focusing on autoimmune atrophic gastritis and advanced stages of atrophic gastritis, serum ghrelin levels and BMI. Methods Sixty-three patients, of whom 18 had autoimmune atrophic gastritis, 27 non-autoimmune antrum and corpus atrophic gastritis, and 18 non-atrophic gastritis or antrum-limited atrophic gastritis (control group) were assessed. All participants underwent endoscopy with multiple gastric biopsies. Atrophic gastritis was diagnosed by histology, classified according to the Updated Sydney System and staged by the Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment (OLGA) Classification. Total serum ghrelin, body weight and height were measured. Results Compared with control patients (144.6 ± 111 pg/ml), mean serum level of total ghrelin was higher in patients with autoimmune atrophic gastritis (226.08 ...
Digestive and Liver Disease, 2018
Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de Córdoba, 2019
Introducción: Estimar la eficiencia de dos programas de actividad física sobre la NAFLDMétodos: S... more Introducción: Estimar la eficiencia de dos programas de actividad física sobre la NAFLDMétodos: Sujetos con NAFLD moderada o severa que habían participado a un estudio de pobación en el sur de Italia fueron invitados a participar. Fue completado un cuestionario, se tomaron medidas antropométricas y se realizó una ecografia hepática. Cada participante proveyó el consenso informato. Los participantes fueron aleatorizados a un programa aerobico (actividad aerobica moderada per 30 minutos, 5 veces a la semana) o un programa mixto (aerobico más entrenamiento de la fuerza de los grandes grupos musculares, 60 minutos, tres veces a la semana). Fue medida la adherencia a los programas y se aplicó un modelo linear mixto a los datos.Resultados: El programa aerobico tuvo muy buena adherencia y esta aumentó con el tiempo mientras el programa mixto tuvo 100% de adherencia. No hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el score de NAFLD al enrolamiento, mientras hubo diferencias estadísti...
Nutrients, 2019
Background: The high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) observed in Western ... more Background: The high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) observed in Western countries is due to the concurrent epidemics of overweight/obesity and associated metabolic complications, both recognized risk factors. A Western dietary pattern has been associated with weight gain and obesity, and more recently with NAFLD. Methods: This is a baseline cross-sectional analysis of 136 subjects (79 males) enrolled consecutively in the NUTRIATT (NUTRItion and Ac-TiviTy) study. Study subjects had moderate or severe NAFLD diagnosed by using Fibroscan-CAP. Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to obtain information about food intake. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: The mean age was 49.58 (±10.18) with a mean BMI of 33.41 (±4.74). A significant inverse relationship was revealed between winter ice-cream intake and NAFLD severity (O.R. 0.65, 95% C.I. 0.95–0.99); chickpeas intake and NAFLD severity (O.R....
Liver International, 2018
The US reductions percentage were, 52.2% (WHtR), 52.1% (HIS), 51.8% (FLI), 50.8% (BRI), 50.7% (BM... more The US reductions percentage were, 52.2% (WHtR), 52.1% (HIS), 51.8% (FLI), 50.8% (BRI), 50.7% (BMI and WHt_5R), 46.5% (WC) and 45.2% (AVI). The false negative percentage were 8.5% (WHtR), 7.9% (BRI), 7.3% (WHt_5R), 7.2% (BMI), 6.7% (HIS), 6.6% (FLI), 5.6% (WC) and 5.2% (AVI). The best percentage of NALFD identified was obtained using AVI (83.6%) before US, then WC (82.2%), FLI (79%), HIS (78.9%), BMI (77.3%), WHt_5R (76.9%), BRI (74.8%) and WHtR (73%). The best formula to use in two-step diagnostic NAFLD screening was AVI, which showed a low false negative rate and a higher percentage of identified NAFLD. Other studies evaluating the economic advantages of this screening method are warranted.
Nutrition and Cancer, 2019
Breast cancer (BC) is a multifactorial disease. Environmental factors, specifically, obesity and ... more Breast cancer (BC) is a multifactorial disease. Environmental factors, specifically, obesity and diet quality, have been linked with an increased risk of BC in women. This research was aimed at assessing the association of diet quality with BC risk, considering nutritional status, in C ordoba province (Argentina). A case-control study was conducted during the period 2008-2016 (346 cases/566 controls). A diet quality score was calculated for each woman based on fifteen dietary components related to low-grade inflammation. Dietary information was obtained through a validated questionnaire. A score (0, 0.5, or 1) was assigned to each variable depending on compliance with dietary recommendations. The higher the score, the higher the degree of adherence to a poor quality diet, which carries a potential inflammatory effect. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between BC occurrence and diet quality, adjusting by body mass index. The mean score of women was 6.86 (1.83). Of total women studied, 20% were obese. A 39% increase in BC risk was observed for each unit of increase in the score in this group (Odds Ratio: 1.39; 95% Confidence Interval: 1086-1796). Obese women with poorer quality diet have a greater risk of BC occurrence in C ordoba (Argentina).
Nutrients, 2018
Background: Irisin, a hormone-like myokine, regulates energy homeostasis and mediates the benefit... more Background: Irisin, a hormone-like myokine, regulates energy homeostasis and mediates the benefits of physical activity on health. Methods: To estimate the effect of different diets on irisin concentrations in subjects with the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). Methods: Subjects with MetS were derived from a population survey; 163 subjects were enrolled and randomized to a: Low Glycaemic Index (LGID), Mediterranean (MD) or Low Glycaemic Index Mediterranean (LGIMD) Diet, and the groups were compared, also with 80 controls without MetS. Sociodemographic, medical and nutritional data were collected and fasting blood samples drawn. Subjects underwent LUS and bioimpedentiometry. Generalized Estimating Equations were performed. Results: At baseline, lower irisin concentrations were observed in MetS subjects. Mean irisin levels increased in all diet groups but only the LGID group reached statistical significance, as well as showing an interaction between LGID and time at the sixth month examination (4.57, 95% CI -1.27, 7.87). There was a positive effect of Vegetable Proteins (0.03, 95% CI -0.01,0.06) and Saturated Fatty Acids (0.04, 95% CI 0.01, 0.07) on irisin concentrations. In the LGIMD, a positive effect on Fat-Free Mass (0.38, 95% CI 0.19, 0.57) and a negative effect on the Body Mass Index (-0.75, 95% CI -1.30, -0.19) were observed. Conclusions: There seems to be a link between diet and muscle physiology. We showed that patients following a LGID had higher levels of irisin, a promising biomarker of muscle activity.
World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2019
Few studies have examined intestinal motility disorders, which are disabling conditions associate... more Few studies have examined intestinal motility disorders, which are disabling conditions associated with chronic functional constipation, whose pathogenesis is actually not well-defined. To investigate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and functional chronic constipation associated to intestinal motility disorders. We performed a prospective case-control study, from May-June to November 2017. Glucose/lactulose breath tests, radiopaque markers (multiple capsule techniques) and wireless motility capsule analysis were used to assess colonic
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Understanding the actual distribution of different Legionella species in water networks would hel... more Understanding the actual distribution of different Legionella species in water networks would help prevent outbreaks. Culture investigations followed by serological agglutination tests, with poly/monovalent antisera, still represent the gold standard for isolation and identification of Legionella strains. However, also MALDI-TOF and mip-gene sequencing are currently used. This study was conducted to genetically correlate strains of Legionella non pneumophila (L-np) isolated during environmental surveillance comparing different molecular techniques. Overall, 346 water samples were collected from the water system of four pavilions located in a hospital of the Apulia Region of Italy. Strains isolated from the samples were then identified by serological tests, MALDI-TOF, and mip-gene sequencing. Overall, 24.9% of water samples were positive for Legionella, among which the majority were Legionella pneumophila (Lpn) 1 (52.3%), followed by Lpn2-15 (20.9%), L-np (17.4%), Lpn1 + Lpn2-15 (7.1...
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Papers by Carla Maria Leone