Road traffic pollution and childhood leukemia: a nationwide case-control study in Italy

Background The association of childhood leukemia with traffic pollution was considered in a number of studies from 1989 onwards, with results not entirely consistent and little information regarding subtypes. Aim of the study We used the data of the Italian SETIL case-control on childhood leukemia to explore the risk by leukemia subtypes associated to exposure to vehicular traffic. Methods We included in the analyses 648 cases of childhood leukemia (565 Acute lymphoblastic–ALL and 80 Acute non lymphoblastic-AnLL) and 980 controls. Information on traffic exposure was collected from questionnaire interviews and from the geocoding of house addresses, for all periods of life of the children. Results We observed an increase in risk for AnLL, and at a lower extent for ALL, with indicators of exposure to traffic pollutants. In particular, the risk was associated to the report of closeness of the house to traffic lights and to the passage of trucks (OR: 1.76; 95% CI 1.03–3.01 for ALL and 6.35; 95% CI 2.59–15.6 for AnLL). The association was shown also in the analyses limited to AML and in the stratified analyses and in respect to the house in different period of life. Conclusions Results from the SETIL study provide some support to the association of traffic related exposure and risk for AnLL, but at a lesser extent for ALL. Our conclusion highlights the need for leukemia type specific analyses in future studies. Results support the need of controlling exposure from traffic pollution, even if knowledge is not complete

NMR Studies on Structure and Dynamics of the Monomeric Derivative of BS-RNase: New Insights for 3D Domain Swapping

Three-dimensional domain swapping is a common phenomenon in pancreatic-like ribonucleases. In the aggregated state, these proteins acquire new biological functions, including selective cytotoxicity against tumour cells. RNase A is able to dislocate both N- and C-termini, but usually this process requires denaturing conditions. In contrast, bovine seminal ribonuclease (BS-RNase), which is a homo-dimeric protein sharing 80% of sequence identity with RNase A, occurs natively as a mixture of swapped and unswapped isoforms. The presence of two disulfides bridging the subunits, indeed, ensures a dimeric structure also to the unswapped molecule. In vitro, the two BS-RNase isoforms interconvert under physiological conditions. Since the tendency to swap is often related to the instability of the monomeric proteins, in these paper we have analysed in detail the stability in solution of the monomeric derivative of BS-RNase (mBS) by a combination of NMR studies and Molecular Dynamics Simulations. The refinement of NMR structure and relaxation data indicate a close similarity with RNase A, without any evidence of aggregation or partial opening. The high compactness of mBS structure is confirmed also by H/D exchange, urea denaturation, and TEMPOL mapping of the protein surface. The present extensive structural and dynamic investigation of (monomeric) mBS did not show any experimental evidence that could explain the known differences in swapping between BS-RNase and RNase A. Hence, we conclude that the swapping in BS-RNase must be influenced by the distinct features of the dimers, suggesting a prominent role for the interchain disulfide bridges

Historia di tutte l'heresie

Sign.: a-b\p8\s, A-Z\p8\s, Aa-Qq\p8\

Historia di tutte l'heresie

Sign.: a\p8\s, b\p4\s, A-Z\p8\s, Aa-Zz\p8\s, Aaa\p8\s, Bbb\p6\

Cushing's Syndrome and Steroid Dementia

Cushing's Syndrome (CS) is associated with a specific spectrum of dementia-like symptoms, including psychiatric disorders, such as major depression, anxiety and mania, and neurocognitive alterations, like impairment of memory and concentration. This pattern of clinical complications, which significantly impair the health-related quality of life of CS patients, is sometimes referred to as "steroid dementia syndrome" (SDS). The SDS is the result of anatomical and functional anomalies in brain areas involved in the processing of emotion and cognition, which are only partially restored after the biochemical remission of the disease. Therefore, periodical neuropsychiatric evaluations are recommended in all CS patients, and a long-term follow-up is required after normalization of hypercortisolism. Recent evidences demonstrate that three classes of drugs (glucocorticoid receptor antagonists, steroidogenesis inhibitors, and pituitary tumor-targeted drugs), which are used for medical treatment of CS, can rapidly relief neuropsychiatric symptoms of SDS. Furthermore, several psychoactive medications have demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of symptoms induced by the acute or chronic glucocosteroid administration. In this paper, a review of the current and future patents for the treatment and prevention of CS and SDS will be presented

Maffucci Syndrome Associated With Adrenocorticotropic Hormone-Independent Bilateral Macronodular Adrenal Hyperplasia

Maffucci syndrome is a rare, nonhereditary, mesodermal dysplastic disease characterized by the presence of multiple hemangiomas and enchondromas. This pathological condition, which is often unrecognized, is associated with a high prevalence of benign and malignant endocrine tumors involving pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, and parathyroid glands

Mapping the Binding Site of the Inhibitor Tariquidar That Stabilizes the First Transmembrane Domain of P-glycoprotein

Detail, depicting split pediment of the portal; Begun by F. Ponzio and O. Mascherino. The Quirinal Palace (known in Italian as the Palazzo del Quirinale or simply the Quirinale) is the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic upon the Quirinal Hill, the tallest of the seven hills of Rome. The Palazzo del Quirinale was begun in the late 16th century and commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII as a Papal residence. It later became a royal palace. Various architects worked on the project, including Carlo Maderno who designed the chapel, Bernini who designed a wing, and Pietro da Cortona who decorated parts of the interior

Endocrine and haemodynamic stress responses to an arithmetic cognitive challenge

We aimed at developing and validating a simple, highly repeatable computer-based tool, which could be employed to simulate the effects of an acute mental stress on endocrine and haemodynamic stress responses

Palazzo del Quirinale

Frontal view of the Benediction Loggia; Begun by F. Ponzio and O. Mascherino. The Quirinal Palace (known in Italian as the Palazzo del Quirinale or simply the Quirinale) is the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic upon the Quirinal Hill, the tallest of the seven hills of Rome. The Palazzo del Quirinale was begun in the late 16th century and commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII as a Papal residence. It later became a royal palace. Various architects worked on the project, including Carlo Maderno who designed the chapel, Bernini who designed a wing, and Pietro da Cortona who decorated parts of the interior

Palazzo del Quirinale

Detail, depicting split pediment of the portal; Begun by F. Ponzio and O. Mascherino. The Quirinal Palace (known in Italian as the Palazzo del Quirinale or simply the Quirinale) is the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic upon the Quirinal Hill, the tallest of the seven hills of Rome. The Palazzo del Quirinale was begun in the late 16th century and commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII as a Papal residence. It later became a royal palace. Various architects worked on the project, including Carlo Maderno who designed the chapel, Bernini who designed a wing, and Pietro da Cortona who decorated parts of the interior