There is a paucity of information on extrahepatic autoimmune (EHA) conditions associated with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and on the impact of EHA conditions on PBC patients' survival. Our goal was to assess the association between PBC and other autoimmune diseases and the impact of EHA conditions on the natural history of PBC. We took advantage of 361 consecutive PBC patients enrolled between 1975 and 2012 (22 males, 339 females; mean follow-up 8 ± 6.9 years). Any associated EHA conditions, PBC histological stage at diagnosis, biochemical data, physiological history, and extrahepatic malignancies developing during the follow-up were recorded. Survival was analyzed by means of Kaplan-Meier curves. Importantly, 221 patients (61.2 %) had at least one EHA conditions: 45 patients (20.4 %) had Hashimoto thyroiditis; 7 (3.2 %) had Graves' thyroiditis; 65 (29.4 %) had Raynaud's phenomenon; 124 (56.1 %) had Sjogren's syndrome; 8 (3.6 %) had systemic lupus erythematosus; 22 (9.9 %) had scleroderma; 22 (9.9 %) had rheumatoid arthritis; 18 (8.1 %) had cutaneous autoimmune diseases; 8 (3.6 %) had vasculitis; 5 (1.4 %) had celiac disease; and 25 (13.1 %) had other EHA conditions. The proportion of patients with associated EHA conditions enrolled during representative periods (1975-1980, 1981-1990, 1991-2000, 2001-2010, 2011-2012) remained stable. No differences emerged between patients with versus without EHA conditions in terms of mean age at PBC diagnosis, antimitochondrial antibody (AMA), or antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity, histological stage at diagnosis, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, or BMI >25. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that only female gender was significantly associated with positivity for EHA conditions (OR 4.8; 95 % CI 1.6-13.7, p = 0.004). The mean survival after the diagnosis of PBC was much the same in patients with and without EHA conditions. In conclusion, EHA conditions are often associated with PBC, especially in female patients, but they do not reduce patient survival.

AIMS: The goal of the present study was to quantify the perceived aggression towards nurses working in two Italian health care institutions and to verify the hypothesis of an association between the characteristics of aggressors and the type of aggression. BACKGROUND: Violence and aggressiveness, particularly aimed at nurses, are a common, but inadequately investigated phenomenon in Italian health care institutions. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: The study was performed, studying a sample of 700 nurses (37% of the personnel in 94 units) in two health care institutions in northeast Italy using an anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire. RESULTS: Forty-nine percent of the nurses responded that they had experienced aggression in the previous year, 82% of that was only verbal. This happened more often to female nurses working in the emergency department and in geriatric and psychiatric units. A statistically significant association (p < 0.001) was found between the perception of fatigue, stress and work dissatisfaction and the frequency of aggression. Aggressors were usually patients or their relatives (57%) and were mainly men (66%). Fifty-three percent of assaulted nurses did not ask for help after the event. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the high incidence of perceived, mainly verbal aggression towards nurses. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Action to prevent aggressive episodes may include concentrating on job motivation, encouraging participatory leadership and promoting the best possible working conditions. The absence of any systematic event reporting and documentation makes the assaulted workers feel defenceless

Our study confirms that low BMI is an independent predictive factor of short-term mortality in elderly persons. A BMI value of 20 kg/m2 seems to be a reliable threshold for defining underweight elderly persons at high risk. Nevertheless, more careful clinical and nutritional management should also be applied to elderly persons with higher BMI values.

Masks are essential for COVID-19 prevention, but recently they were suggested to modify cutaneous facial microenvironment and trigger facial dermatoses. To evaluate mask-related rosacea and acne (maskne) in untreated patients during lockdown. In this multi-center, real-life, observational prospective study, we enrolled stable, untreated acne and rosacea patients that wore masks during lockdown at least 6 h/ day. They underwent two teledermatological consultations, at the baseline and after 6 weeks. Clinical, pharmacological, and psychological data were recorded. A total 66 patients, 30 (median age: 34.0 [30.25-29.75] yoa) with acne and 36 patients (median age: 48 [43-54] years) with rosacea, were enrolled in this study. After 6 weeks of mask and quarantine, patients with acne displayed an increased Global Acne Grading Scale (GAGS) score in mask-related areas (P < .0001). Likewise, after 6 weeks of mask and quarantine, patients with rosacea displayed a worsen in both physican (P < .0001) and patient (P < .0001) reported outcomes. Remarkably, patients reported also a statistically significant decrease in their quality of life (P < .0001).Masks appear to trigger both acne and rosacea flares. Additional studies are needed to generate evidence and inform clinical decision-making.acne due to masks, COVID-19, mask rosacea, maskne, pandemics, rosacea due to masks | INTRODUCTIONDuring COVID-19 pandemics, the introduction of personal protective equipments (PPE), such as masks and gloves, drastically changed facial and hand dermatoses dermatoepidemiology. 1,2 Focusing on facial dermatoses, Hua et al 3 evaluated the short-term cutaneous impact of Giovanni Damiani and Laura C. Gironi have contributed equally to this study.