comment on the paper boffetta et al validation of the diagnosis of mesothelioma and bap1 protein expression in a cohort of asbestos textile workers from northern italy ann oncol 2018 29 2 484 489

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CO2 Capture from Industrial Sources by High-temperature Sorbents

Among the emerging CO2 capture technologies, systems based on high temperature (HT) regenerable sorbents had a significant development in recent years. In addition to power plants, HT sorbents technologies can be particularly promising for CO2 capture in carbon intensive industrial processes such as cement plants, steel mills and hydrogen plants. Calcium looping (CaL) is a combined post-combustion and oxyfuel combustion technology which uses calcium oxide (CaO) as CO2 sorbent. In this process, CO2 in combustion flue gases is absorbed in a carbonator reactor by forming calcium carbonate (CaCO3) through the exothermic carbonation reaction. Carbonated sorbent is then regenerated to CaO through the reverse calcination reaction in a calciner, where reaction heat is provided by oxyfuel combustion. A CO2 concentrated stream is therefore released from the calciner, which can be purified and compressed as in conventional oxyfuel product gas. Calcium looping is particularly promising for application in cement plants, because the raw materials used for the production of clinker (the energy intensive process in cement manufacturing) are rich of CaCO3, which is also the starting material of the CaL CaO sorbent. Therefore, no additional material needs to be imported or is released as waste when CaL is integrated in a cement plant. Two main configurations can be assumed to integrate the CaL process into a cement burning line: (i) the tail-end configuration, where the CaL process is used as a post-combustion, end-of-pipe capture process and (ii) a highly integrated configuration, where the CaL reactors are integrated into the raw meal preheating tower of the clinker production process and the CaL oxyfuel calciner coincides with the raw meal pre-calciner. Another class of processes where CaO is used as CO2 sorbent is sorption enhanced reforming (SER) technologies, where CO2 is absorbed within a steam methane reforming (SMR) reactor. The advantage of this class of processes is that the heat released by sorbent carbonation reaction matches very well with the steam methane reforming reaction. Moreover, the removal of the CO2 reaction product allows a greater advancement of the reforming and water gas shift (WGS) reactions. As a result, with a SER reactor, a H2 production and CO2 separation are performed in a single adiabatic reactor operating at moderate temperature (~650°C) instead of a sequence of reactors for steam reforming (~900°C), WGS (200-400°C) and CO2 separation (~30°C) operating in a wide temperature range as in conventional H2 production processes. In addition to material development, the main challenge in SER technologies is in the endothermic sorbent regeneration step. Several process schemes have been proposed for sorbent calcination, such as: (i) oxyfuel combustion, (ii) high temperature heat exchangers, (iii) direct contact heating with hot solids from a chemical looping combustion loop. Both fluidized bed and packed bed reactors are proposed for SER processes operating at different temperature and pressure range. If a CO2 sorbent is active at intermediate temperatures (~400°C), such as in the case of hydrotalcite-based sorbents, it can be adopted in sorption enhanced WGS (SEWGS) processes. As in the SER principle, the in-situ removal of CO2 form the gas phase allows a higher advancement of the WGS reaction. Therefore, H2-rich gas production and CO2 separation can be performed in a single pressurized reactor. While this concept can be adopted in hydrogen production plants, a promising application is in steel mills, where most of the CO2 emissions are associated to the combustion of the blast furnace gas (BFG) in the steel mill power plant. BFG is a byproduct of the pig iron production process and is a low calorific value fuel rich of CO, CO2 and N2. By processing BFG in a SEWGS reactor, a H2-N2 stream is produced, which can be burned at high efficiency in a low emission combined cycle. CaL, SER and SEWGS processes illustrated above for CO2 capture in industry, are being developed in the three ongoing EU FP7 and H2020 projects Cemcap (G.A. 641185), Ascent (G.A 608512) and Stepwise (G.A. 640769). In this work, the potential of these processes in terms of CO2 capture efficiency and energy efficiency will be discussed and compared with benchmark technologies, based on process integration and simulation studies

Sinonasal cancer and occupational exposure in a population-based registry.

We examined occupational exposures among subjects with sinonasal cancer (SNC) recorded in a population-based registry in the Lombardy Region, the most populated and industrialized Italian region. The registry collects complete clinical information and exposure to carcinogens regarding all SNC cases occurring in the population of the region. In the period 2008-2011, we recorded 210 SNC cases (137 men, 73 women). The most frequent occupational exposures were to wood (44 cases, 21.0%) and leather dust (29 cases, 13.8%), especially among men: 39 cases (28.5%) to wood and 23 cases (16.8%) to leather dust. Exposure to other agents was infrequent (<2%). Among 62 subjects with adenocarcinoma, 50% had been exposed to wood dust and 30.7% to leather dust. The proportions were around 10% in subjects with squamous cell carcinoma and about 20% for tumors with another histology. The age-standardized rates (×100,000 person-years) were 0.7 in men and 0.3 in women. Complete collection of cases and their occupational history through a specialized cancer registry is fundamental to accurately monitor SNC occurrence in a population and to uncover exposure to carcinogens in different industrial sectors, even those not considered as posing a high risk of SNC, and also in extraoccupational settings

SPARC is a new myeloid-derived suppressor cell marker licensing suppressive activities

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are well-known key negative regulators of the immune response during tumor growth, however scattered is the knowledge of their capacity to influence and adapt to the different tumor microenvironments and of the markers that identify those capacities. Here we show that the secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) identifies in both human and mouse MDSC with immune suppressive capacity and pro-tumoral activities including the induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and angiogenesis. In mice the genetic deletion of SPARC reduced MDSC immune suppression and reverted EMT. Sparc−/− MDSC were less suppressive overall and the granulocytic fraction was more prone to extrude neutrophil extracellular traps (NET). Surprisingly, arginase-I and NOS2, whose expression can be controlled by STAT3, were not down-regulated in Sparc−/− MDSC, although less suppressive than wild type (WT) counterpart. Flow cytometry analysis showed equal phosphorylation of STAT3 but reduced ROS production that was associated with reduced nuclear translocation of the NF-kB p50 subunit in Sparc−/− than WT MDSC. The limited p50 in nuclei reduce the formation of the immunosuppressive p50:p50 homodimers in favor of the p65:p50 inflammatory heterodimers. Supporting this hypothesis, the production of TNF by Sparc−/− MDSC was significantly higher than by WT MDSC. Although associated with tumor-induced chronic inflammation, TNF, if produced at high doses, becomes a key factor in mediating tumor rejection. Therefore, it is foreseeable that an unbalance in TNF production could skew MDSC toward an inflammatory, anti-tumor phenotype. Notably, TNF is also required for inflammation-driven NETosis. The high level of TNF in Sparc−/− MDSC might explain their increased spontaneous NET formation as that we detected both in vitro and in vivo, in association with signs of endothelial damage. We propose SPARC as a new potential marker of MDSC, in both human and mouse, with the additional feature of controlling MDSC suppressive activity while preventing an excessive inflammatory state through the control of NF-kB signaling pathway

Impact of an asbestos cement factory on mesothelioma incidence: Global assessment of effects of occupational, familial, and environmental exposure

Few studies have examined the incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) associated with distinct sources of asbestos exposure (occupational, familial, or environmental). We assessed the impact of asbestos exposure—global and by source—on the incidence of MM in Broni, an Italian town in which an asbestos cement factory once operated (1932–1993). Based on data collected by the Lombardy Mesothelioma Registry, we calculated the number of observed and expected MM cases among workers, their cohabitants, and people living in the area in 2000–2011. We identified 147 MM cases (17.45 expected), 138 pleural and nine peritoneal, attributable to exposure to asbestos from the factory. Thirty-eight cases had past occupational exposure at the factory (2.33 expected), numbering 32 men (26 pleural, six peritoneal) and six women (four pleural, two peritoneal). In the families of the workers, there were 37 MM cases (4.23 expected), numbering five men (all pleural) and 32 women (31 pleural, one peritoneal). Among residents in Broni or in the adjacent/surrounding towns, there were 72 cases of pleural MM (10.89 expected), numbering 23 men and 49 women. The largest MM excess was found in the towns of Broni (48 observed, 3.68 expected) and Stradella (16 observed, 1.85 expected). This study documents the large impact of the asbestos cement factory, with about 130 excess MM cases in a 12-year period. The largest MM burden was among women, from non-occupational exposure. Almost half of the MM cases were attributable to environmental exposure. Keywords: Asbestos, Mesothelioma, Cancer incidence, Occupational exposure, Familial exposure, Environmental exposur

The Seveso studies on early and long-term effects of dioxin exposure: a review.

The industrial accident that occurred in the town of Seveso, Italy, in 1976 exposed a large population to substantial amounts of relatively pure 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. Extensive monitoring of soil levels and measurements of a limited number of human blood samples allowed classification of the exposed population into three categories, A (highest exposure), B (median exposure), and R (lowest exposure). Early health investigations including liver function, immune function, neurologic impairment, and reproductive effects yielded inconclusive results. Chloracne (nearly 200 cases with a definite exposure dependence) was the only effect established with certainty. Long-term studies were conducted using the large population living in the surrounding noncontaminated territory as reference. An excess mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases was uncovered, possibly related to the psychosocial consequences of the accident in addition to the chemical contamination. An excess of diabetes cases was also found. Results of cancer incidence and mortality follow-up showed an increased occurrence of cancer of the gastrointestinal sites and of the lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue. Experimental and epidemiologic data as well as mechanistic knowledge support the hypothesis that the observed cancer excesses are associated with dioxin exposure. Results cannot be viewed as conclusive. The study is continuing in an attempt to overcome the existing limitations (few individual exposure data, short latency period, and small population size for certain cancer types) and to explore new research paths (e.g., differences in individual susceptibility)

Incidence of mesothelioma in Lombardy, Italy: exposure to asbestos, time patterns and future projections

Objectives In Italy, asbestos has been extensively used from 1945 to 1992. We evaluated the impact of exposure to asbestos on occurrence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in the Lombardy Region, Northwest Italy, the most populated and industrialised Italian region. Methods From the Lombardy Mesothelioma Registry, we selected all incident cases of MM diagnosed between 2000 and 2012. We described sources of exposure to asbestos and examined time trends of MM rates. Using Poisson age-cohort models, we derived projections of burden of MM in the Lombardy population for the period 2013-2029. Results In 2000-2012, we recorded 4442 cases of MM (2850 men, 1592 women). Occupational exposure to asbestos was more frequent in men (73.6%) than in women (38.2%). Non-occupational exposure was found for 13.6% of women and 3.6% of men. The average number of cases of MM per year was still increasing (+3.6% in men, +3.3% in women). Incidence rates were still increasing in individuals aged 65+ years and declining in younger people. A maximum of 417 cases of MM (267 men, 150 women) are expected in 2019. We forecast there will be 6832 more cases (4397 in men, 2435 in women) in the period 2013-2029, for a total of 11274 cases of MM (7247 in men, 4027 in women) in 30years. Conclusions This study documented a high burden of MM in both genders in the Lombardy Region, reflecting extensive occupational (mainly in men) and non-occupational (mainly in women) exposure to asbestos in the past. Incidence rates are still increasing; a downturn in occurrence of MM is expected to occur after 2019