No evidence of relevant differences in terms of functional and safety outcomes between the two laparoscopic procedures. TLC determines less abdominal manipulation and shorter incision length, but clear advantages must be still demonstrated. Larger series are necessary to test the superiority of totally laparoscopic procedures for right colectomy.

No abstract

Lipoprotein(a) and apo(a) phenotype are sensitive indicators of the severity of TOD in patients with essential hypertension, and their evaluation might permit identification of hypertensive subjects liable to the development of organ damage. The higher frequency of low-molecular-weight apo(a) isoforms in patients with TOD demonstrates a genetically determined risk for the development of TOD in hypertensive patients.

Serum lipoprotein(a) levels are elevated in patients with early impairment of renal function and are associated with greater prevalence of cardiovascular disease. An inverse correlation between serum lipoprotein(a) level and creatinine clearance and a frequency distribution of apolipoprotein(a) isoforms similar to that of normal patients point to decreased renal catabolism as a probable mechanism of lipoprotein(a) elevation in patients with early renal failure.

We provide a description of the progressive stages of CD, in which MCs are the hallmark of the inflammatory process. Thus the view of CD should be revised, and the contribution of MCs in the onset and progression of CD should be reconsidered in developing new therapeutic approaches.