Stefania La Grutta, MD
EDUCATION: Degree in Medicine and Surgery 23/03/1983 (vote 110/100 cum laude) University of Palermo; 14/12/1987 Diploma in Pediatrics (vote 50/50 cum laude) University of Palermo; 22 / 11/1994 (vote 45/50) diploma in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Hyperbaric Therapy, University of Palermo; 11/06/1996 diploma in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (vote 50/50 cum laude), University of Brescia; currently Fellow of Master Program in Epidemiology of University of Turin, Italy.
TEACHING: from 01/11/1998 - 31/10/2005 Appointment of Adjunct Professor in Pediatrics in "General Nursing clinical and pediatric Integrated Course" at degree course of "Rehabilitation Sciences development of School of Medicine of University of Palermo"; from 01/11/2006 – to date Professor of "Pediatric Allergy" at the School of Pediatrics University of Palermo.
WORK EXPERIENCE: from 17/07/1989 to 31/08/1990 Physician Assistant Neonatal Pathology, University of Palermo; from 01/09/1990 to 30/09/2007 Chief of Allergy Unit at Pediatrics Pulmonary Allergy-ARNAS Civico Palermo, Italy; from 01/10/2007 to 31/07/2012 Chief of Environment and Health Unit at ARPA Sicily; from 01/08/2012 - present Senior Research Scientist of the National Research Council, Institute of Biomedicine Molecular Immunology (IBIM), Palermo.
APPOINTMENTS IN NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES: Chief of Educational Working Group of the Italian Society for Paediatric Respiratory Diseases (SIMRI); National Delegate for SIMRI at Working Group of “Pediatric Asthma and Allergy” and “Environment and Health” of GARD (Global Alliance Respiratory Disease) National Initiative held by Minister of Health.
MAIN RELEVANT PUBLICATION
TOPIC: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND RISK FACTORS IN PEDIATRIC ALLERGIC DISEASE AND ASTHMA
1. Simoni M, Lombardi E, Berti G, Rusconi F, La Grutta S, Piffer S, Petronio MG, Galassi C, Forastiere F, Viegi G; SIDRIA-2 Collaborative Group. Mould/dampness exposure at home is associated with respiratory disorders in Italian children and adolescents. The SIDRIA-2 Study. Occup Environ Med 2005; 62(9): 616-22.
2. Rusconi F, Galassi C, Forastiere F, Bellasio M, De Sario M, Ciccone G, Brunetti L, Chellini E, Corbo G, La Grutta S, Lombardi E, Piffer S, Talassi F, Biggeri A, Pearce N. Maternal complications and procedures in pregnancy and at birth and wheezing phenotypes in children. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2007;175(1):16-21.
3. Cibella F, Cuttitta G, La Grutta S, Passalacqua G, Viegi G. Factors that influence exhaled nitric oxide in Italian schoolchildren. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2008 Oct;101(4):407-12.
4. Corbo GM, Forastiere F, De Sario M, Brunetti L, Bonci E, Bugiani M, Chellini E, La Grutta S, Migliore E, Pistelli R, Rusconi F, Russo A, Simoni M, Talassi F, Galassi C; Sidria-2 Collaborative Group. Wheeze and Asthma in Children: Associations With Body Mass Index, Sports, Television Viewing, and Diet. Epidemiology 2008; 19: (5):747-55.
5. Lombardi E, Simoni M, La Grutta S , Viegi G, Bisanti L, Chellini E, Dell’Orco V, Migliore E, Petronio MG, Pistelli R, Rusconi F, Sestini P, Francesco Forastiere F, Galassi C and SIDRIA-2 Collaborative Group Effects of pet exposure in the first year of life on respiratory symptoms in 7-year-old children. The SIDRIA -2 Study. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010; 21(2 Pt 1):268-76.
6. Pellegrini M, Rotolo MC, La Grutta S, Cibella F, Garcia-Algar O, Bacosi A, Cuttitta G, Pacifici R, Pichini S. Assessment of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in young adolescents following implementation of smoke-free policy in Italy. Forensic Sci Int. 2010 Mar 20;196(1-3):97-100.
7. Rusconi F, Gagliardi L, Galassi C, Forastiere F, Brunetti L, La Grutta S, Piffer S, Talassi F; SIDRIA-2 Collaborative Group. Paracetamol and antibiotics in childhood and subsequent development of wheezing/asthma: association or causation? Int J Epidemiol. 2011 Jun;40(3):662-7.
8. Cibella F, Cuttitta G, La Grutta S, Melis MR, Bucchieri S, Viegi G. A cross-sectional study assessing the relationship between BMI, asthma, atopy, and eNO among schoolchildren. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011 Oct;107(4):330-6.
9. Cibella F, Cuttitta G, La Grutta S, Melis MR, Lospalluti ML, Uasuf CG, Bucchieri S, Viegi G. Proportional Venn diagram and determinants of allergic respiratory diseases in Italian adolescents. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2011 Feb;22(1 Pt 1):60-8.
10. La Grutta S, Ferrante G, Malizia V, Cibella F, Viegi G. Environmental effects on fractional exhaled nitric oxide in allergic children. J Allergy (Cairo). 2012;2012:916926.
11. La Grutta S, Ferrante G, Malizia V, Antona R. Prevention of in- and outdoor pollution. ERS Handbook: Paediatric Respiratory Medicine ERH-0358-2012.3d
12. Ferrante G, Simoni M, Cibella F, Ferrara F, Liotta G, Malizia V, Corsello G, Viegi G, La Grutta S. Third-hand smoke exposure and health hazards in children. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 2013 Mar;79(1):38-43.
13. La Grutta S, Indinnimeo L, di Coste A, Ferrante G, Landi M, Pelosi U, Rusconi F. Environmental risk factors and lung diseases in children: from guidelines to health effects. Early Hum Dev. 2013 Oct;89 Suppl 3:S59-62.
14. Dondi A, Tripodi S, Panetta V, Asero R, Businco AD, Bianchi A, Carlucci A, Ricci G, Bellini F, Maiello N, del Giudice MM, Frediani T, Sodano S, Dello Iacono I, Macrì F, Massaccesi V, Caffarelli C, Rinaldi L, Patria MF, Varin E, Peroni D, Chinellato I, Chini L, Moschese V, Lucarelli S, Bernardini R, Pingitore G, Pelosi U, Tosca M, Paravati F, La Grutta S, Meglio P, Calvani M, Plebani M, Matricardi PM; Italian Pediatric Allergy Network (I-PAN). Pollen-induced allergic rhinitis in 1360 Italian children: comorbidities and determinants of severity. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2013 Dec;24(8):742-51.
15. Cibella F, Ferrante G, Cuttitta G, Bucchieri S, Melis MR, La Grutta S, Viegi G. The Burden of Rhinitis and Rhinoconjunctivitis in Adolescents. Accepted for publication on Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2014,
16. Ferrante G, Antona R. Malizia V, Montalbano L, Corsello G, La Grutta S. Smoke exposure as a risk factor for asthma in childhood: an appraisal of current evidences. Accepted for publication on 26th Jun Allergy & Asthma Proceedings.
TOPIC: CLINICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF PEDIATRIC ALLERGIC DISEASE AND ASTHMA
1. La Grutta S, Gagliardo R, Mirabella F, Pajno GB, Bonsignore G, Bousquet J, Bellia V, Vignola AM. Clinical and biological heterogeneity in children with moderate asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2003;167(11):1490-5.
2. Pace E, Gagliardo R, Melis M, La Grutta S, Ferraro M, Siena L, Bonsignore G, Gjomarkaj M, Bousquet J, Vignola AM. Synergistic effects of fluticasone propionate and salmeterol on in vitro T-cell activation and apoptosis in asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004 Nov;114(5):1216-23.
3. Profita M, La Grutta S, Carpagnano E, Riccobono L, Di Giorgi R, Bonanno A, Pace E, Bonsignore G, Bousquet J, Vignola AM, Gjomarkaj M. Noninvasive methods for the detection of upper and lower airway inflammation in atopic children. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006 Nov;118(5):1068-74.
4. Bonsignore MR, La Grutta S, Cibella F, Scichilone N, Cuttitta G, Interrante A, Marchese M, Veca M, Virzi' M, Bonanno A, Profita M, Morici G. Effects of exercise training and montelukast in children with mild asthma. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Mar;40(3):405-12.
5. Gagliardo R, La Grutta S, Chanez P, Profita M, Paterno A, Cibella F, Bousquet J , Gjomarkaj M. Noninvasive markers of airway inflammation and remodeling in childhood asthma. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2009;20(8):780-90.
6. Baiardini I, Bousquet PJ, Brzoza Z, Canonica GW, Compalati E, Fiocchi A, Fokkens W, van Wijk RG, La Grutta S, Lombardi C, Maurer M, Pinto AM, Ridolo E, Senna GE, Terreehorst I, Bom AT, Bousquet J, Zuberbier T, Braido F;Global Allergy and Asthma European Network. Recommendations for assessing patient-reported outcomes and health-related quality of life in clinical trials on allergy:a GA(2)LEN taskforce position paper.Allergy. 2010 Mar;65(3):290-5.
7. Profita M, Montuschi P, Bonanno A, Riccobono L, Montalbano AM, Ciabattoni G, Albano GD, Liotta G, Bousquet J, Gjomarkaj M, La Grutta S. Novel perspectives in the detection of oral and nasal oxidative stress and inflammation in pediatric united airway diseases. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2010 Oct-Dec;23(4):1211-9.
8. La Grutta S, Cibella F, Passalacqua G, Cuttitta G, Liotta G, Ferlisi A, Viegi G. Association of Blattella germanica sensitization with atopic diseases in pediatric allergic patients. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2011 Aug;22(5):521-7.
9. Baiardini I, Braido F, Bindslev-Jensen C, Bousquet PJ, Brzoza Z, Canonica GW, Compalati E, Fiocchi A, Fokkens W, Gerth van Wijk R, Giménez-Arnau A, Godse K, Grattan C, Grob JJ, La Grutta S, Kalogeromitros D, Kocatürk E, Lombardi C, Mota-Pinto A, Ridolo E, Saini SS, Sanchez-Borges M, Senna GE, Terreehorst I, Todo Bom A, Toubi E, Bousquet J, Zuberbier T, Maurer M. Recommendations for assessing patient-reported outcomes and health-related quality of life in patients with urticaria: a GA(2) LEN taskforce position paper. Allergy. 2011 Jul;66(7):840-4.
10. Pace E, Scafidi V, Di Bona D, Siena L, Chiappara G, Ferraro M, La Grutta S, Gallina S, Speciale R, Ballacchino A, Bachert C, Bousquet J, Gjomarkaj M. Increased expression of IL-19 in the epithelium of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps. Allergy. 2012 Jul;67(7):878-86.
11. Albano GD, Di Sano C, Bonanno A, Riccobono L, Gagliardo R, Chanez P, Gjomarkaj M, Montalbano AM, Anzalone G, La Grutta S, Ricciardolo FL, Profita M. Th17 immunity in children with allergic asthma and rhinitis: a pharmacological approach. PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e58892.
12. Profita M, Riccobono L, Bonanno A, Chanez P, Gagliardo R, Montalbano AM, Albano GD, Liotta G, Gjomarkaj M, La Grutta S. Effect of nebulized beclomethasone on airway inflammation and clinical status of children with allergic asthma and rhinitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2013;161(1):53-64.
13. Gagliardo R, Chanez P, Gjomarkaj M, La Grutta S, Bonanno A, Montalbano AM, Di Sano C, Albano GD, Gras D, Anzalone G, Riccobono L, Profita M. The role of transforming growth factor-β1 in airway inflammation of childhood asthma. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2013 Jul-Sep;26(3):725-38.
14. Audino P, La Grutta S, Cibella F, La Grutta S, Melis MR, Bucchieri S, Alfano P, Marcantonio S, Cuttitta G. Rhinitis as a risk factor for depressive mood in pre-adolescents: a new approach to this relationship. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2014 Jun;25(4):360-5.
15. La Grutta S, Landi M, Braido F, Montalbano L, Ferrante G, Malizia V, Fassio O, Canonica GW, Baiardini I. RHINASTHMA-Adolescents: a new quality of life tool for patients with respiratory allergy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2014 Aug;25(5):450-5.
16. Bonanno A, Gangemi S, La Grutta S, Malizia V, Riccobono L, Colombo P, Cibella F, Profita M. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, IL-31, and IL-33 in children with allergic disease of the airways. Mediators Inflamm. 2014;2014:520241.
17. Bruno A, Gerbino S, Ferraro M, Siena L, Bonura A, Colombo P, La Grutta S, Gallina S, Ballacchino A, Giammanco M, Gjomarkaj M, Pace E. Fluticasone furoate maintains epithelial homeostasis via leptin/leptin receptor pathway in nasal cells. Mol Cell Biochem. 2014 Jul 29. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID 25070832.