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Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LAI-ART) could increase adherence to therapy, while maintaining excellent viro-immunologic control, reduce the risk of toxicity and drug interactions, and improve the overall quality of life of people living with HIV. The purpose of this study is to assess knowledge and acceptability to this new therapeutic modality in PLWH and their readiness to change their current treatment regimen in favour of the injectable one. An anonymous, multiple-choice self-completion questionnaire was offered at the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit of the ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia from June 2022 to June 2023 to every PLWH. We enrolled 500 subjects. Although just a few people are aware of the availability of LAI-ART (only 281 subjects, 56.2%), the acceptability toward this new therapeutic modality is quite good (432 subjects, 86.4%) and more than half of the study population have declared that they would like to replace oral therapy with intramuscular injections (320, 63%). Duration of HIV infection, gender and number of concomitant medications were not related to the cumulative propensity to LAI-ART, while age appeared to be an independent predictor (OR 0.97, 95%CI 0.95–0.98, p-value < 0.001). The selection of motivated patients seems critical to establish LAI-ART in clinical practice.

The widespread implementation of antiretroviral therapy has significantly reduced HIV-related mortality and mother-to-child transmission. Despite being HIV-uninfected, HIV-exposed children (HEU) seem to face heightened risks of immune dysfunction, cardiometabolic diseases, growth delays, reduction in bone mineral density, and neurocognitive impairments compared to HIV-unexposed uninfected peers. These vulnerabilities can be attributed to maternal immune dysregulation during pregnancy, antiretroviral (ART) toxicity, HIV exposure, and adverse socioeconomic and nutritional environments. Emerging evidence highlights the impact of antiviral therapy exposure, particularly tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, on HEU mitochondrial dysfunction, bone resorption, neurocognitive delays, and zidovudine on cardiac abnormalities. This narrative review explores the multisystem effects of ART exposure in HEU children, focusing on immune function, neurodevelopment, cardiovascular health, growth, and bone metabolism. By synthesizing findings from diverse studies, the review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential risks associated with ART regimens and identify future research priorities to improve outcomes for HEU children.

Relapsing fever is caused by various species of Borrelia bacteria and is traditionally categorized into louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) and tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF). The epidemiological patterns differ according to the vector: LBRF is typically linked to epidemic outbreaks, while TBRF usually presents with an endemic distribution. Even though TBRF is endemic also in the Mediterranean Basin, diagnosis is mainly incidental in migrants or visiting friends and relatives travelling from sub-Saharan Africa. We report a case of TBRF with aseptic meningitis caused by Borrelia crocidurae/duttonii/hispanica in a 46-year-old Senegalese man, diagnosed through blood smear examination performed during the diagnostic workup for malaria. Diagnosis of TBRF is still primarily based on the direct detection of spirochetes in blood smear, although novel molecular methods (PCR) have recently been developed. Awareness, especially in non-endemic areas, and a One Health approach are crucial. Such an approach should aim to monitor the spread of Borrelia species, their vectors, and animal reservoirs, as well as to study their interactions with the environment and climate.

Cognitive and motor performances decline with ageing, and this may be exacerbated in people with HIV (PWH) due to several factors. The study aimed to compare cognitive and fine motor performance between older adults with and without HIV. We conducted a cross-sectional study of participants ≥ 65 years in the GEPPO cohort using Mini-Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (MACE) and Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT). Quality of life, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality were also measured. PWH (n = 239) were younger (73.7 vs. 80.6 years) and more commonly males at birth (85 vs. 25%) than PWoH (n = 52). No significant differences in MACE scores were observed between groups (24 vs. 23, p > 0.900). Time to complete GPT was longer in PWoH (140 vs. 106 s, p = 0.004), with 56% exceeding normative GPT values vs. 24% in PWH (p < 0.001). In multivariate models, older age and lower education predicted worse MACE and GPT scores, whereas benzodiazepine/Z drug use predicted poorer fine motor skills. PWH reported lower quality of life but similar or better depression, anxiety, and sleep scores compared to PWoH. Older PWH show comparable cognitive but better fine motor performance than PWoH. Education and benzodiazepine use emerged as key modifiable or protective factors, underscoring the importance of targeted geriatric and mental health interventions.

Introduction: Technological advancements and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of digital tools for patient care and rehabilitation. This study explores user perspectives on telerehabilitation, comparing it to traditional methods and identifying criteria for determining its suitability for different patients and clinical conditions. Methods: This study was carried out during the period of May–September 2021. Questionnaires were administered to 48 users in rehabilitation for audiophonologopedic and neurodevelopmental disorders in three rehabilitation centres in central Italy. Results: The user responses predominantly emphasize the benefits of time saving (68.75%) and cost-efficiency (37.5%), specifically regarding time saving due to travel and expenses incurred to go to where the therapy is carried out. The disadvantages include increased distraction (60.42%) in following the instructions remotely and logistic problems (39.58%). Patients with hearing loss were subjected to a larger number of telerehabilitation sessions, positively rating this alternative method. Patients with speech and language delay and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prefer traditional treatment. Discussion: This study reveals a favourable perception of telerehabilitation as a therapy approach to be regarded as a supplement or temporary option to the irreplaceable face-to-face one. More research, as well as a larger sample sizes, will be useful to increase the significance of the correlations reported in this study.

Background/Objectives: Food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP) is a non-IgE-mediated food allergy, usually presenting as bloody stools in breastfed, well-appearing, and regularly growing infants. The aim of our study was to describe the clinical features of Italian infants affected by FPIAP and their management and natural history in a real-life setting. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was performed at two tertiary pediatric hospitals (Florence and Trieste), including FPIAP-diagnosed infants between 2012 and 2022. Results: Most of the 100 enrolled patients were breastfed (68.0%), and the majority of those who underwent diagnostic tests (n = 51) showed normal hemoglobin and total IgE levels. A maternal elimination diet was performed in 69.0%, mostly for milk only, but 40.6% underwent multiple elimination diets. The remission rate was high both in breastfed infants (76.8%) and in those who received extensively hydrolyzed formula (81.8%). Nine subjects were left on a free diet, but six were lost at follow-up. The median time of complete remission was 30 days (IQR 14–60). Culprit food reintroduction was tolerated at a median age of 8 months (IQR 6–11), in ladder modality (for hen’s egg and cow’s milk) in 61.7%. Nine patients relapsed (14.3%) upon reintroduction with no associated variables identified at the regression analysis. The relapse rate was slightly higher when trigger food reintroduction was attempted > 12 months (16.7%) versus <12 months (13.0%). Conclusions: In our population, FPIAP had, as expected, a benign evolution. The early reintroduction of the suspect food in a gradual manner for cow’s milk and hen’s egg leads to good tolerance within the first year in most patients, avoiding unnecessary elimination diets.

The “QuantitatEVs: multiscale analyses, from bulk to single vesicle” workshop aimed to discuss quantitative strategies and harmonized wet and computational approaches toward the comprehensive analysis of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from bulk to single vesicle analyses with a special focus on emerging technologies. The workshop covered the key issues in the quantitative analysis of different EV‐associated molecular components and EV biophysical features, which are considered the core of EV‐associated biomarker discovery and validation for their clinical translation. The in‐person‐only workshop was held in Trento, Italy, from January 31st to February 2nd, 2023, and continued in Milan on February 3rd with “Next Generation EVs,” a satellite event dedicated to early career researchers (ECR). This report summarizes the main topics and outcomes of the workshop.