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Tuberculosis (TB) still is a major worldwide health problem, with 10.4 million new cases in 2016. Only 5-15% of people infected with M. tuberculosis develop TB disease while others remain latently infected (LTBI) during their lifetime. Thus, the absence of tests able to distinguish between latent infection and active tuberculosis is one of the major limits of currently available diagnostic tools. A total of 215 patients were included in the study as active TB cases (n = 73), LTBI subjects (n = 88) and healthy persons (n = 54). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from each patient and the LIOSpot® TB anti-human IL-2 ELISpot assay was performed to test their proliferative response to M. tuberculosis antigens ESAT-6, CFP-10 and Ala-DH. Statistical analysis was performed to define the sensitivity and the specificity of the LIOSpot® TB kit for each antigen used and to set the best cut off value that enables discrimination between subjects with active TB or latent TB infection. Comparing the LIOSpot® TB results for each tested antigen between uninfected and infected subjects and between people with latent infection and active TB disease, the differences were significant for each antigen (p< 0.0001) but the ROC analysis demonstrated a high accuracy for the Ala-DH test only, with a cut off value of 12.5 SFC per million PBMCs and the Ala-DH ROC curve conferred a 96% sensitivity and 100% specificity to the test. For the ESAT-6 antigen, with a best cut off value of 71.25 SFC per million PBMCs, a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 36% was obtained. Finally, the best cut off value for CFP-10 was 231.25 SFC per million PBMCs, with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 54%. Thus, as for IGRA assays such as Quantiferon and T-Spot TB tests, ESAT-6 and CFP-10 are unable to distinguish LTBI from active TB when IL-2 is measured. On the contrary, the IL-2 production induced by Ala-DH, measured by LIOSpot® TB kit, shows high sensitivity and specificity for active TB disease. This study demonstrates that the LIOSpot® TB test is a highly useful diagnostic tool to discriminate between latent TB infection and active tuberculosis in adults patients.

In recent years, the relationship between inflammation and thrombosis has been deeply investigated and it is now clear that immune and coagulation systems are functionally interconnected. Inflammation-induced thrombosis is by now considered a feature not only of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, but also of systemic vasculitides such as Behçet’s syndrome, ANCA-associated vasculitis or giant cells arteritis, especially during active disease. These findings have important consequences in terms of management and treatment. Indeed, Behçet’syndrome requires immunosuppressive agents for vascular involvement rather than anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy, and it is conceivable that also in ANCA-associated vasculitis or large vessel-vasculitis an aggressive anti-inflammatory treatment during active disease could reduce the risk of thrombotic events in early stages. In this review we discuss thrombosis in vasculitides, especially in Behçet’s syndrome, ANCA-associated vasculitis and large-vessel vasculitis, and provide pathogenetic and clinical clues for the different specialists involved in the care of these patients.

Social sustainability is a topic that is gaining increased attention and yet has not been overly discussed, in particular with reference to the fashion industry. There is a shift in consumer demands, where brands are urged to stand for values, affect change in the industry, and have a clear purpose and positive impact over society. At the same time, brands are struggling to provide offers beyond products, or product-related experiences, at the risk of dissatisfying consumers expectations. Part of such dissatisfaction is clearly represented by the lack of footfall in retail stores and the fast-pace abandonment of the high-street by brands that cannot afford empty stores. This paper suggests an opportunity to rethink the retail store functionality as a space for brands to provide consumers with educational initiatives related to important societal issues, hence build their socially responsible profile. A netnographic exploratory analysis of Patagonia platforms was conducted in order to pinpoint potential positive reaction to a purpose-driven brand and its educational initiatives. The brand was chosen due to its value-committed strategy and constant educational effort towards consumers, both offline (product-related) and online (societal-related). This paper suggests that brands such as Patagonia, purpose and value driven in positively impacting society, should bring their activism and educational efforts on the high-street and in the retail spaces. By doing so, brands would concurrently provide consumers with experiences beyond product consumption, could revitalise our high-street, and could reinstate a sense of community belonging while raise their socially sustainable profile. This paper contributes to the existing literature of consumer education in retailing by expanding into the specific domain of fashion, a domain in which many social issues could be successfully addressed through a socially-driven consumer education at the moment still overlooked by researchers and brands.

PurposeThis paper explores an opportunity for luxury fashion brands to strengthen their engagement with consumers through the arts and without undermining the exclusivity of the luxury product.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on an interpretive qualitative approach aiming to specifically investigate Fondazione Prada – a contemporary art gallery owned and managed by the fashion brand Prada. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a focus group implemented with the “mystery shopper” technique. Template analysis was used to analyse the data.FindingsFondazione Prada has the potential for a deep engagement, but specific lack of dialogue and interaction needs to be addressed. Learning from and sharing values with the public through a two-way peer conversation elicited by contemporary art will benefit both the foundation and the fashion brand, in generating value as the result of a spillover effect. Thus, a significant competitive advantage might be gained.Originality/valueThis paper extends work on consumer brand engagement in physical and non-commercial “brand's places”, by evaluating the engagement provided by contemporary art foundations owned by luxury fashion brands. By leveraging the engaging nature of contemporary art, luxury fashion brands could provide an inclusive and engaging experience without undermining the characteristic of exclusivity of the luxury product and hence, gain a significant competitive advantage for the brand.

STAT3 gain-of-function (GOF) mutations can be responsible for an incomplete phenotype mainly characterized by hematological autoimmunity, even in the absence of other organ autoimmunity, growth impairment, or severe infections. We hereby report a case with an incomplete form of STAT3 GOF intensified by a concomitant hereditary hematological disease, which misleads the diagnosis. The patient presented with lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hypogammaglobulinemia, and severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) with critical complications, including stroke. A Primary Immune Regulatory Disorders (PIRD) was suspected, and molecular analysis revealed a de novo STAT3 gain-of-function mutation. The response to multiple immune suppressive treatments was ineffective, and further investigations revealed a spectrin deficiency. Ultimately, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a matched unrelated donor was able to cure the patient. Our case shows an atypical presentation of STAT3 GOF associated with hereditary spherocytosis, and how achievement of a good long-term outcome depends on a strict clinical and laboratory monitoring, as well as on prompt therapeutic intervention.

Background: Different extracellular matrix (ECM)-based technologies in periodontal and peri-implant soft tissue augmentation have been proposed in the market. The present review compared the efficacy of soft tissue substitutes (STSs) and autogenous free gingival grafts (FGGs) or connective tissue grafts (CTGs) in mucogingival procedures to increase keratinized tissue (KT) width around teeth and implants. Methods: Two independent examiners performed an electronic search on MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library based on the following PICOS format: (P) adult patients; (I) soft tissue substitutes and FGGs/CTGs; (C) STSs vs. CTGs; STSs vs. FGGs; STSs vs control; (O) KT width gain; (S) systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials. Studies published before November 2023 were included. Results: Around teeth, all biomaterials showed superior performance compared to a coronally advanced flap (CAF) alone for treating gingival recessions. However, when compared to CTGs, acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) yield the most similar outcomes to the gold standard (CTGs), even though in multiple recessions, CTGs continue to be considered the most favorable approach. The use of STSs (acellular matrix or tissue-engineered) in combination with apically positioned flaps (APF) resulted in significantly less gain in KT width compared to that achieved with FGGs and APFs. Around dental implants, free gingival grafts were deemed more effective than soft tissue substitutes in enhancing keratinized mucosa width. Conclusions: Based on the available evidence, questions remain about the alternative use of soft tissue substitutes for conventional grafting procedures using free gingival grafts or connective tissue grafts around teeth and implants.

Background: the neoplastic B cells of the Helicobacter pylori-related low-grade gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma proliferate in response to H. pylori, however, the nature of the H. pylori antigen responsible for proliferation is still unknown. The purpose of the study was to dissect whether CagY might be the H. pylori antigen able to drive B cell proliferation. Methods: the B cells and the clonal progeny of T cells from the gastric mucosa of five patients with MALT lymphoma were compared with those of T cell clones obtained from five H. pylori–infected patients with chronic gastritis. The T cell clones were assessed for their specificity to H. pylori CagY, cytokine profile and helper function for B cell proliferation. Results: 22 of 158 CD4+ (13.9%) gastric clones from MALT lymphoma and three of 179 CD4+ (1.7%) clones from chronic gastritis recognized CagY. CagY predominantly drives Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and Interleukin-17 (IL-17) secretion by gastric CD4+ T cells from H. pylori-infected patients with low-grade gastric MALT lymphoma. All MALT lymphoma-derived clones dose dependently increased their B cell help, whereas clones from chronic gastritis lost helper activity at T-to-B-cell ratios greater than 1. Conclusion: the results obtained indicate that CagY drives both B cell proliferation and T cell activation in gastric MALT lymphomas.

Objective To determine serum soluble CD30 (sCD30) levels in patients with graft versus host disease (GVHD). Methods Serum soluble CD30 levels and IgE levels were assayed by a sensitive ELISA in 57 patients with bone marrow transplantation, and in 44 healthy controls. We analyzed the type of effector T cells in patients with GVHD. Results Serum levels of sCD30 and serum IgE levels were significantly higher ( p values <0.05) in patients with acute and chronic GVHD than in healthy controls. We found that CD30 + T-cells are present in the skin of patients with GVHD. Conclusion These results suggest that serum sCD30 levels may be helpful for the management of patients with bone marrow transplantation.

Behçet’s syndrome (BS) is a rare systemic vasculitis characterized by different clinical manifestations. As no specific laboratory tests exist, the diagnosis relies on clinical criteria, and the differential diagnosis with other inflammatory diseases can be challenging. Indeed, in a relatively small proportion of patients, BS symptoms include only mucocutaneous, articular, gastrointestinal, and non-typical ocular manifestations, which are frequently found also in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We investigate the ability of serum interleukin (IL)-36α—a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in cutaneous and articular inflammatory diseases—to differentiate BS from PsA. A cross-sectional study was performed on 90 patients with BS, 80 with PsA and 80 healthy controls. Significantly lower IL-36α concentrations were found in patients with BS as compared to PsA, although in both groups IL-36α was significantly increased compared to healthy controls. An empirical cut-off of 420.6 pg/mL displayed a specificity of 0.93, with a sensitivity of 0.70 (AUC 0.82) in discriminating PsA from BS. This cut-off displayed a good diagnostic performance also in BS patients lacking highly specific BS manifestations. Our results indicate that IL-36α might be involved in the pathogenesis of both BS and PsA, and might be a candidate biomarker to support the differential diagnosis of BS.

This study aims to investigate art foundations as a potential venue for luxury fashion brands to provide a transformative experience. Providing experiences has become one of the main strategies for fashion brands to engage with their consumers. Yet, because of the proliferation of brand experiences, consumers are starting to perceive brands as not authentic anymore. Transformative experiences are believed to be more authentic and meaningful, and luxury fashion brands' image might benefit from offering these kinds of experiences to their customers. Moreover, this is important in the perspective of strengthening the brands' relationship with their consumers, and increasing loyalty towards the brand. According to the literature, a transformative experience is a 'life-changing' experience; an experience which might lead a person to gain new knowledge, increase self-awareness, perceive a sense of renewal. These kinds of experiences are considered of a more profound impact than other experiences. Hence, they might facilitate the brand in creating a deeper bond with the consumers, and strengthen consumers' loyalty towards the brand. Art is considered a powerful facilitator in providing transformative experiences; although, in the luxury fashion context, art collaborations and brand experiences permeated with arts have become common. Thus, there are some brands which have decided to further invest in art by establishing art foundations characterised by a philanthropic scope. This study looks at these foundations as potential venue to provide transformative experiences. Based on rapid ethnography as methodology, data were collected through participant observation, two focus groups, and in-depth interviews, and were analysed utilising Template Analysis. The findings suggest that through a few implementations and improvements, the art foundation owned by the luxury fashion brand could facilitate the fashion brand in providing transformative experiences. These results have informed the creation of a conceptual framework which luxury fashion brands may implement in their foundations' strategies to facilitate these kinds of experiences.