Proceedings of the 24th Paediatric Rheumatology European Society Congress: Part three

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications Router.Publication status: PublishedHistory: collection 2017-09, epub 2017-09-0

The obesity gene and colorectal cancer risk: a population study in northern Italy

Background: Representing the second cause of cancer-related death after lung cancer in men and breast cancer in women, colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health problemin Italy. Obesity is reckoned to favor CRC; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Recently, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene was found to be significantly associated with obesity. Aims: To establish whether the FTO SNP rs9939609 may represent a risk factor for CRC and adenoma in the Italian population. Patients and methods: 1,037 subjects were enrolled in the study and divided in 3 groups: CRC (341 pts., M/ F=197/144, mean age=65.17±11.16 years), colorectal adenoma (385 pts., M/F=247/138, mean age=62.49±13.01 years), healthy controls (311 pts., M/F=150/161, mean age=57.31±13.84 years). DNA was extracted from whole blood, and stored frozen for rs9939609 genotyping by real-time PCR. Results: The frequency of the obesity-associatedmutated A allele (AA+AT) on the FTO gene was 69.77% among controls, and 71.85% and 65.71% respectively among CRC and polyp patients. Compared to control subjects the AA+AT genotype had no significant effect on the risk for either CRC (OR=1.106; CI 95%=0.788–1.550; p=0.561) or colorectal adenomas (OR=0.830; CI 95%=0.602–1.144; p=0.255). We did not observe any association between the AA genotype and CRC/polyp localization and age at diagnosis. As measured in a patient subset, carriership of the risk alleles did not reflect in a significantly altered BMI. Conclusion: The obesity-linked FTO variants do not play a significant role in modulating the colorectal cancer risk in the Italian population

Supratentorial and infratentorial damage in spinocerebellar ataxia 2: A diffusion-weighted MRI study.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal-dominant degenerative disorder that is neuropathologically characterized primarily by infratentorial damage, although less severe supratentorial involvement may contribute to the clinical manifestation. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies of SCA2 have enabled in vivo quantification of neurodegeneration in infratentorial regions, whereas supratentorial regions have been explored less thoroughly. We measured microstructural changes in both infratentorial and supratentorial regions in 13 SCA2 patients (9 men, 4 women; mean age, 50±12 years) and 15 controls (10 men, 5 women; mean age, 49±14 years) using DWI-MRI and correlated the DWI changes with disease severity and duration. Disease severity was evaluated using the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale and the Inherited Ataxia Clinical Rating Scale. Cerebral diffusion trace ( D-) values were generated, and regions of interest (ROIs) and voxel-based analysis with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) were used for data analysis. In SCA2 patients, ROI analysis and SPM confirmed significant increases in D- values in the pons, cerebellar white matter (CWM) and middle cerebellar peduncles. Moreover, SPM analysis revealed increased D- values in the right thalamus, bilateral temporal cortex/white matter, and motor cortex/pyramidal tract regions. Increased diffusivity in the frontal white matter (FWM) and the CWM was significantly correlated with ataxia severity. DWI-MRI revealed that both infratentorial and supratentorial microstructural changes may characterize SCA2 patients in the course of the disease and might contribute to the severity of the symptom

Supratentorial and Infratentorial Damage in Spinocerebellar Ataxia 2: A Diffusion-Weighted MRI Study

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal-dominant degenerative disorder that is neuropathologically characterized primarily by infratentorial damage, although less severe supratentorial involvement may contribute to the clinical manifestation. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies of SCA2 have enabled in vivo quantification of neurodegeneration in infratentorial regions, whereas supratentorial regions have been explored less thoroughly. We measured microstructural changes in both infratentorial and supratentorial regions in 13 SCA2 patients (9 men, 4 women; mean age, 50 ± 12 years) and 15 controls (10 men, 5 women; mean age, 49 ± 14 years) using DWI-MRI and correlated the DWI changes with disease severity and duration. Disease severity was evaluated using the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale and the Inherited Ataxia Clinical Rating Scale. Cerebral diffusion trace ( D¯) values were generated, and regions of interest (ROIs) and voxel-based analysis with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) were used for data analysis. In SCA2 patients, ROI analysis and SPM confirmed significant increases in D¯ values in the pons, cerebellar white matter (CWM) and middle cerebellar peduncles. Moreover, SPM analysis revealed increased D¯ values in the right thalamus, bilateral temporal cortex/white matter, and motor cortex/pyramidal tract regions. Increased diffusivity in the frontal white matter (FWM) and the CWM was significantly correlated with ataxia severity. DWI-MRI revealed that both infratentorial and supratentorial microstructural changes may characterize SCA2 patients in the course of the disease and might contribute to the severity of the symptoms

In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Pomegranate Juice and Peel Extracts on Cariogenic Bacteria

Aim: To evaluate the antimicrobial activity of hydroalcoholic extracts of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel and juice, against the microorganisms considered the main etiologic agents of dental caries. Methods: The values of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined against Streptococcus mutans Clarke ATCC® 25175™ strain and Rothia dentocariosa clinical isolate. Results: Peel extracts inhibit effectively the growth and survival of S. mutans ATCC 25175 strain and R. dentocariosa clinical isolate with MIC and MBC values of 10 μg/μl and 15 μg/μl, respectively. Furthermore, the pomegranate juice extract showed high inhibitory activity against S. mutans ATCC 25175 strain with a MIC value of 25 μg/μl and a MBC value of 40 μg/μl, whereas, against R. dentocariosa, it has displayed a moderate inhibitory activity, with MIC and MBC values of 20 μg/μl and 140 μg/μl, respectively. Conclusions: In vitro microbiological tests demonstrate that the hydroalcoholic extracts of pomegranate juice and peel are able to contrast the main cariogenic bacteria involved in tooth decay. Although being preliminary data, our results suggest that pomegranate polyphenolic compounds could represent a good adjuvant for the prevention and treatment of dental caries