Zoonotic infectious diseases in transplanted immunocompromised patients

Background. Immunocompromised patients, like transplant recipients, are a particularly vulnerable group being at higher risk of developing several infectious diseases. Among them, zoonotic diseases, such as visceral leishmaniasis, bartonellosis, Q fever and leptospirosis are a growing concern in immunosuppressed patients as they are more susceptible to develop severe symptoms of the diseases. Objectives. The study aimed at the detection of Leishmania infantum, Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp. and Coxiella burnetii DNA in immunocompromised hosts through molecular methods

Investigation of disease hazards in cattle in South of Italy (Sicily)

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale, Palermo, Italy. Objective: Infectious diseases represent a serious limitation of bovine production. The etiology of these diseases is diverse and comprises a variety of viral, bacterial, protozoan and chlamydial agents, some of which are zoonotic [1]. Infectious- parasitic agents associated with reproductive disorders in ruminants include Neospora caninum, Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia abortus and Toxoplasma gondii; they cause the greatest economic losses for the livestock industry. This is a cross-sectional study to assess the presence of antibodies in ruminants against selected pathogens including the zoonotic agents C. burnetii, T gondii, N. caninum, Clamydia spp. and Theileria annulata in cattle in Sicily region and to determine the molecular status for T. gondii in order to determine the serological and molecular status of bovine in the Sicily region

Messa a punto di una metodologia innovativa per l'identificazione molecolare delle principali specie di Culicoides - IZS SI 16/16 RC

Convegno Nazionale "I RISULTATI DELL’ATTIVITÁ DI RICERCA DELL’IZS SICILIA

Multispacer sequence typing of Coxiella burnetii from milk and hard tick samples from ruminant farms in Lebanon

his study was carried out to detect and characterize Coxiella burnetii in ruminant milk samples and in different tick species from seropositive farms in four Lebanese regions. Milk and tick samples were screened for C. burnetii presence by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) targeting IS1111 region followed by multispacer sequence typing (MST). The overall positive percentages of 9.6% (27/282) and 95.45% (84/88) for C. burnetii were recorded in ruminant milk and tick samples, respectively. In detail, the C. burnetii DNA was recorded in 52/54 (96.3%) of Rhipicephalus annulatus, 20/21 (95.24%) of Rhipicephalus turanicus, 6/6 (100%) of Hyalomma anatolicum, 5/6 (83.3%) of Rhipicephalus sanguineus and 1/1 of Rhipicephalus bursa. After genotyping of some IS1111-positive samples (17/111), different MST genotypes were identified. Out of 15 positive ticks, 10 were infected with MST2 genotype, 4 were infected with MST7 genotype and 1 was infected with MST57. Moreover, genotypes MST20 and MST58 were found in one cow and one goat milk samples, respectively. The present study confirmed the high genetic diversity of C. burnetii in Lebanon

Telephone and Web Survey: a Study of the Marginal Mode Effect

Telephone surveys have a long history in social and economic researches and their correlated problems in terms of survey quality have been studied from different points of view in many analyses. On the other hand, in the last years web surveys had a remarkable development due to their advantages in terms of speed in comparison with mail surveys and cost in comparison with telephone or face-to-face interviews. In order to validate the use of Internet it becomes very important to measure the marginal mode effect of the web survey above all during the process of data collection. To this aim, a panel survey is necessary in order to assume that all other attributes of the design are the same as in the survey to which the web survey is compared. In fact, with a panel survey the respondents can be compared and the differences, most likely, can be attributed to the communication mode itself, even though other possible reasons for differences have to be opportunely evaluated. Essentially, this paper aims to compare telephone versus web survey using data on the transition from university-to-work of a panel of graduates in Economics at the University of Naples “Parthenope”. They are interviewed in two times with different modes: by telephone and by web questionnaire

Same questions, different answers? A hierarchical comparison of cyclists’ perceptions of comfort: in-traffic vs. online approach

This study was aimed at comparing cyclists’ perceptions of comfort when in traffic and when online. Questions about comfort were structured according to three hierarchical levels, namely strategic (city level), tactical (frequent route level) and operational (survey spot level). The purpose is to understand how the cyclists’ perceptions of comfort at different levels vary between questionnaire administration methods. The results suggest that cyclists are more positive and optimistic about the cycling comfort when answering online questionnaires than when answering in-traffic questionnaires, but only when the questions refer to the operational level (at a more general level, their answers were not statistically different). Cycling planners and researchers could incorporate these findings in their data collection policies by selecting online approaches, which are generally less expensive than but equally effective as in-traffic approaches, when carrying out studies that concern the strategic and/or tactical levels of comfort

Production of cytokines at the operation site

Background and aim: Cytokines are part of a family of molecules involved in the initiation, control and termination of the events that occurs in wound healing process. Aim of this study was to evaluate the production of some cytokines [interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-1a, IL-1ra, interferon (IFN)-g] in the drainage wound fluid from patients undergoing incisional hernia repair. Methods: Ten female patients with abdominal midline incisional hernia undergoing to surgical repair were included in this study. In all cases a closed suction drain was placed in the wound below the fascia and it was removed on the 4 th postoperative day. Wound fluid was collected on the 1st , 2 nd, 3rd and 4th day and its amount in each time was recorded. The production of IL-6, IL-10, IL-1a, IL-1ra and IFN-g were evaluated as quantity produced in 24 hour. Results: In all patients the amount of drain fluid from surgical wound was highest on the 1st day after surgery, afterwards there is a significant reduction. The production of all cytokines evaluated was highest on the 1st day decreasing on the 2nd day except for IL-1a that not show any modification. The produciton of IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-1a and IL-10 was significantly reduced on the 3rd and 4th postoperative day in comparison with the respectively values recorded on the 1st day, whereas IFN-g levels were similar. Conclusions: The dosage of cytokines in the drain fluid led us to better evaluated the events that follow surgical wound and their analysis offers further information in the role of cytokines in healing process, with the goal to get supportive treatments to promote the best evolution

Serum VEGF and b-FGF profiles after tension-free or conventional hernioplasty.

Angiogenesis is strongly influenced by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF), whose production is also regulated by interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-10. The aim of this study was to evaluate the modifications of serum VEGF, b-FGF, IFN-gamma and IL-10 levels in patients with inguinal hernia undergoing hernioplasty with the Lichtenstein technique (LH) using polypropylene mesh or with Bassini open conventional inguinal hernia repair (BH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomly, 16 patients underwent BH, and 16 were treated with the LH technique using polypropylene mesh. Blood samples were collected 24 h prior to surgery and then 6, 24, 48 and 168 h postoperatively. The serum concentrations of VEGF, b-FGF, IFN-gamma and IL-10 were evaluated. RESULTS: In BH patients, a peak of VEGF synthesis at 6 h with a normalization of this parameter 24 h after surgery has been observed. In the same subjects, b-FGF synthesis increased after surgery reaching significant levels 48 h later. On the contrary, in LH patients, a decrease in the serum VEGF and b-FGF concentrations was detected after surgery and their increase afterwards. IL-10 was increased in both groups 6 h after operation and declined to preoperative levels 24 h afterwards. IFN-gamma enhanced in LH patients 6 h after surgery, whereas no modifications were detected in BH subjects. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study shows that VEGF and b-FGF modifications, associated with alterations of cytokine secretion, are detectable in human undergoing hernioplasty, and suggests that they could somehow influence in the wound-healing process