Cardiovascular flukes (Trematoda: Spirorchiidae) in Caretta caretta Linnaeus, 1758 from the Mediterranean Sea

Background: The northern Adriatic Sea represents one of the most important neritic foraging grounds for the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta L. in the Mediterranean Sea. Four genera of blood flukes with variable prevalence and pathogenic impact have been reported worldwide in this species. Hapalotrema Looss, 1899 and Amphiorchis Price, 1934 are the only two genera reported in Mediterranean waters; however, updated data describing spirorchiidiasis in the central and eastern Mediterranean and infection prevalence are still lacking. This work aimed to investigate the presence and pathology of spirorchiidiasis in C. caretta in the Mediterranean Sea. Methods: One hundred sixty-eight animals stranded along the northwestern Adriatic coast between 2009 and 2015 were submitted to necropsy and subsequent analyses for the detection of adult flukes, detection of eggs in the faeces and spleen and histopathology. Molecular analyses were carried out on hosts (mitochondrial D-loop) and parasites (28S gene and ITS2 spacer) to trace the turtle origins and identify the fluke phylogenetic relationships. Results: Spirorchiidiasis was detected in 16.7% of the animals. Hapalotrema mistroides (Monticelli, 1899) and Neospirorchis sp. were found in twenty-six and ten cases, respectively. Adult flukes were found in six cases, while eggs were detectable through copromicroscopic examination for all infected turtles, and the results for the detection of eggs in the spleen agreed with the copromicroscopic analysis. Only mild lesions were observed. Eggs of types 1 and 3 were grossly visible in the gastrointestinal mucosa, vasculitis was rarely observed in the heart and great vessels, and multifocal granulomas were widespread in the tissues. Molecular identification unambiguously assigned the spirorchiid samples to H. mistroides and Neospirorchis sp. Genetic characterization of loggerhead mtDNA pointed to a Mediterranean origin of the turtle hosts. Conclusion: This survey provides new data on the spread of spirorchiidiasis in the Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtle population and reports for the first time the presence of Neospirorchis spp. in this basin. The infections did not have a causal effect on the death nor a strong impact on the general health status of the animals

Association of chronic hepatitis C with major depressive disorders: irrespective of interferon-alpha therapy

Abstract Background Mood and anxiety symptoms in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) may be related to the patient awareness of the diagnosis and prognosis, to side effects induced by interferon (IFN)-alpha treatment, as well as to substance abuse. However, the observation of metabolic alterations in patients with CHC has led to hypothesize a direct effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) on brain function. This study was aimed at elucidating whether CHC is associated with specific anxiety or mood disorders independently of confounding factors. Methods Patient cohort: consecutive patients, 135 with CHC and 76 with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Exclusion criteria: previous treatment with IFN-alpha, co-infection with HCV and hepatitis B virus, infection with human immunodeficiency virus, drug or alcohol abuse, or malignancies. Controls: subjects without evidence of hepatitis randomly extracted from the database of a previous epidemiological study; they were divided into two groups of 540 (332 males) and 304 (220 males) as controls for patients with CHC and CHB, respectively. The psychiatric diagnosis was formulated by means of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Simplified carried out by a physician according to DSM-IV criteria. Results A higher lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) was observed among CHC compared to CHB or controls. The risk of MDD was not statistically different between CHB and controls. Both the CHC and CHB groups showed a significantly higher frequency of panic disorder when compared to controls. No statistical differences were observed in the prevalence of general anxiety disorder and social phobia when CHC or CHB were compared to controls. Conclusion The present study provides the first evidence of an association between CHC and MDD, diagnosed on the basis of well-defined international criteria. This association is independent of treatment with IFN-alpha and is not influenced by substance or alcohol abuse. By contrast, anxiety disorders do not appear to be specifically associated with CHC

Reduction of PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese making duration: microbial dynamics and quality attributes deriving from replacing whey permeate with hot water during cooking

This work was carried out with the aim to reduce the transformation duration of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Pecorino Siciliano cheese. To this purpose, the cooking in hot water (experimental production, EXP) was compared to the traditional cheese cooking under whey permeate (control production, CTR). The microbiological composition of under rind (UR) and core (Co) section of CTR and EXP cheeses was determined by a combined culture-dependent and -independent approach. Total mesophilic microorganisms and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) present in raw ewes' milk (5.0 log CFU/mL) increased during cheese making and reached values of about 8.0 log CFU/g in both sections (UR and Co) of 5-month ripened cheeses of both productions (CTR and EXP) monitored. The identification of the viable LAB populations in ripened cheeses showed that Enterococcus, Lacticaseibacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Levilactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus and Streptococcus dominated UR and Co sections of all cheeses. MiSeq Illumina analysis demonstrated that LAB populations (lactobacilli, lactococci and streptococci) dominated the bacterial community of cheeses at 95.63-98.41 % of relative abundance. The two different cooking operations did not influence the physicochemical characteristics of PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheeses. Sensory evaluation performed by artificial senses analysis and trained panelists confirmed that the modification of PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese production protocol did not significantly affect product characteristics and overall acceptance. Thus, data of this work confirmed that cooking under hot water allowed to reduce transformation duration and safeguard typicality of PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese

An observational study on chronic pain biomarkers in fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis patients:.which role for mu opioid receptor’s expression on NK cells.

The evaluation of chronic pain is challenging because of the lack of specific biomarkers. We identified the Mu opioid receptor-positive (Mu+) B cell percentage of expression, named Mu-Lympho-Marker (MLM), as a candidate marker for chronic pain in fibromyalgia (FM) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Here, we investigate the role of MLM on natural killer (NK) cells in the same patients. Twenty-nine FM and twelve OA patients were analyzed, and twenty-three pain-free subjects were considered as the control group. Blood samples were collected to perform immunophenotyping and Western blot analysis. Biological and clinical data were statistically analyzed. The final results showed that the percentage of NK cells expressing Mu was statistically lower in FM and OA patients than in pain-free subjects, as already demonstrated for B cells. A Western blot analysis was performed in order to detect NK cells' functional status. Moreover, the correlation analysis of MLM expression with pharmacological therapy did not show any significant results. In conclusion, here, we confirm the role of MLM as a suitable marker for chronic pain and underline NK cells as a new possible immune cell type involved in the "Mu opioid receptor reserve theory"

Identification of novel 2-(1H-Indol-1-yl)benzohydrazides CXCR4 ligands impairing breast cancer growth and motility

Stromal-derived-factor-1 (SDF-1) and the G-protein-coupled receptor CXCR4 are involved in several physiological and pathological processes including breast cancer spread and progression. Several CXCR4 antagonists have currently reached advanced development stages as potential therapeutic agents for different diseases. Results: A small series of novel CXCR4 ligands, based on a 2-(1H-indol-1-yl)-benzohydrazide scaffold, has been designed and synthesized. The interaction with CXCR4-active site was predicted by molecular docking and confirmed by whole cell-based [125I]-SDF-1 ligand competition binding assays. One of the synthesized compounds was particularly active in blocking SDF-1-induced breast cancer cell motility, proliferation and downstream signaling activation in different breast cancer cell models and coculture systems. Conclusion: The newly synthesized compounds represent suitable leads for the development of innovative therapeutic agents targeting CXCR

Enrichment of CD56dimKIR+CD57+ highly cytotoxic NK cells in tumor infiltrated lymph nodes of melanoma patients

An important checkpoint in the progression of melanoma is the metastasis to lymph nodes. Here, to investigate the role of lymph node NK cells in disease progression, we analyze frequency, phenotype and functions of NK cells from tumor-infiltrated (TILN) and tumor-free ipsilateral lymph nodes (TFLN) of the same patients. We show an expansion of CD56dimCD57dimCD69+CCR7+KIR+ NK cells in TILN. TILN NK cells display robust cytotoxic activity against autologous melanoma cells. In the blood of metastatic melanoma patients the frequency of NK cells expressing the receptors for CXCL8 receptor is increased compared to healthy subjects, and blood NK cells also express the receptors for CCL2 and IL6. These factors are produced in high amount in TILN and in vitro switch the phenotype of blood NK cells from healthy donors to the phenotype associated with TILN. Our data suggest that the microenvironment of TILN generates and/or recruits a particularly effective NK cell subset

Iron and Ferritin Modulate MHC Class I Expression and NK Cell Recognition

The ability of pathogens to sequester iron from their host cells and proteins affects their virulence. Moreover, iron is required for various innate host defense mechanisms as well as for acquired immune responses. Therefore, intracellular iron concentration may influence the interplay between pathogens and immune system. Here, we investigated whether changes in iron concentrations and intracellular ferritin heavy chain (FTH) abundance may modulate the expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex molecules (MHC), and susceptibility to Natural Killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity. FTH downregulation, either by shRNA transfection or iron chelation, led to MHC surface reduction in primary cancer cells and macrophages. On the contrary, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from NCOA4 null mice accumulated FTH for ferritinophagy impairment and displayed MHC class I cell surface overexpression. Low iron concentration, but not FTH, interfered with IFN-γ receptor signaling, preventing the increase of MHC-class I molecules on the membrane by obstructing STAT1 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Finally, iron depletion and FTH downregulation increased the target susceptibility of both primary cancer cells and macrophages to NK cell recognition. In conclusion, the reduction of iron and FTH may influence the expression of MHC class I molecules leading to NK cells activation

Piano di Lavoro Nazionale Raccolta Dati Alieutici 2017-2019 Rapporto tecnico annuale

Campionamento biologico delle specie demersali e dei piccoli pelagici (GSA16

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat