A Novel ATM Pathogenic Variant in an Italian Woman with Gallbladder Cancer

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies with poor prognosis and a high fatality rate. The disease presents in advanced stages where the treatment is ineffective. Regarding GBC pathogenesis, as with other neoplasia, this tumor is a multifactorial disorder involving different causative factors such as environmental, microbial, metabolic, and molecular. Genetic alterations can be germline or somatic that involving proto-oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, cell cycle genes, and growth factors. The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene, coding a serine/threonine kinase involved in the early stages of the homologous recombination (HR) mechanism, is one of the most altered genes in GBC. Here, we present the molecular characterization of a novel germline ATM large genomic rearrangement (LGR) identified by next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis in an Italian woman diagnosed with metastatic GBC at the age of 55. The results underline the importance of expanding the NGS approach in gallbladder cancer in order to propose new molecular markers of predisposition and prognosis exploitable by novel targeted therapies that may improve the response of patients with ATM-deficient cancers.

The Portrait of an Italian Woman by Olga Boznanska Exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1938: New Elements from a Stylistic and Archival Perspective

This targeted stylistic, bibliographical, and archival investigation casts a major light on a relevant portrait of a woman by the Polish painter Olga Boznan­ska, highlighting its rich exhibition and collection. The recent appearance in a Polish auction of a similar painting by Boznanska leads to the hypothesis that the subject of the painting—whose identity still remains a mystery—is the same in both paintings.

Delivery in asymptomatic Italian woman with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

We report a case of a 33-year-old Italian pregnant at 40 weeks of gestation affected by asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection delivering a healthy baby with no evidence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaginal delivery was uncomplicated, the breastfeeding was permitted under strict measures of infection control. The breast milk was negative for SARS-CoV-2. Control at 7 and 15 days indicated mother and baby good clinical condition, no signs of neonatal infection demonstrated by news oropharyngeal and rectal swab test negative for SARS-CoV-2.

2 Io e l’Islam

This chapter gathers Shirin’s reflections about her experience as a Muslim Italian woman who has lived in Italy and the United Kingdom. Shirin portrays her daily life, including her experience of religious and racist discrimination. In particular, the text analyzes how Muslims are depicted in media and the frequent association between Islam and terrorism. “Io e l’Islam” does not only criticise the hypocrisy of xenophobe Europeans who believe that Western civilisation is inherently ‘superior’ to all other civilisations, but it also highlights the contradictions of extremist Muslims who contravene the teaching of Islam.

Endolimax nana and urticaria

Endolimax nana is a commensal protozoan of the colon. We report a case of chronic urticaria associated with E. nana in a 34-year-old Italian woman. The patient suffered from abdominal pain, diarrhoea and weight loss. The disease appeared after a trip to Vietnam. Laboratory examinations showed mild blood eosinophilia. Three coproparasitological examinations were positive for cysts of E. nana. The patient was successfully treated with two courses of metronidazole (2 g/day for 10 days each). No antihistamines were used. Three coproparasitological examinations, carried out at the end of the therapy, were negative. Follow up (six months) was negative. E. nana can be responsible for very rare cases of abdominal pain, diarrhoea, polyarthritis and urticaria.

Comparison between prostitutes’ and general women’s homicides: The experience of the bureau of legal medicine of Milan and Hinterland over 26 years

We present a retrospective study of prostitutes’ homicide in the Milanese area over a 26-year period (1993–2018), and compare the results with general women’s homicides: 294 women were killed of whom 71 were prostitutes. In the general population, the type-victim is an Italian woman aged between 31 and 40 years suffering from no particular pathologies or drug dependence. Prostitutes are 10 years younger, mostly Italian, suffering from pathologies probably related to their activities. Prostitutes remain at high risk of violence, due to gaps in the crime prevention system.