Significant low prevalence of antibodies reacting with simian virus 40 mimotopes in serum samples from patients affected by inflammatory neurologic diseases, including multiple sclerosis

Many investigations were carried out on the association between viruses and multiple sclerosis (MS). Indeed, early studies reported the detections of neurotropic virus footprints in the CNS of patients with MS. In this study, sera from patients affected by MS, other inflammatory (OIND) and non-inflammatory neurologic diseases (NIND) were analyzed for antibodies against the polyomavirus, Simian Virus 40 (SV40). An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with two synthetic peptides, which mimic SV40 antigens, was employed to detect specific antibodies in sera from patients affected by MS, OIND, NIND and healthy subjects (HS). Immunologic data indicate that in sera from MS patients antibodies against SV40 mimotopes are detectable with a low prevalence, 6%, whereas in HS of the same mean age, 40 yrs, the prevalence was 22%. The difference is statistically significant (P = 0.001). Significant is also the difference between MS vs. NIND patients (6% vs. 17%; P = 0.0254), whereas no significant difference was detected between MS vs OIND (6% vs 10%; P>0.05). The prevalence of SV40 antibodies in MS patients is 70% lower than that revealed in HS

New insights on occupational exposure and bladder cancer risk: a pooled analysis of two Italian case-control studies.

Purpose: The main risk factor for bladder cancer (BC) is cigarette smoking, but also occupational exposure to carcinogens is relevant, causing about 4-10% of BC. We aimed at investigating the association between BC risk, occupations held in the past and exposure to occupational carcinogens, also assessing whether these associations were influenced by tumor grade. Methods: We pooled data from two Italian case-control studies on male BC, analyzing 893 cases and 978 controls. Occupations were classified using the International Standard Classification of Occupations and exposure to carcinogens was assigned using a validated Job Exposure Matrix. Logistic regression approach was used as well as a semi- Bayesian model, based on a priori information on exposure. Results: A significantly increased BC risk was found for chemical engineering technicians, postmen, and lathe operators, but only for the latter the association remained significant after Bayesian control for type I error. Among carcinogens, cadmium and trichloroethylene were associated with BC. When analyzing data by grade, exposure to these carcinogens was associated with low-grade BC only. Conclusions: Our results suggest that monitoring workplaces to prevent exposure to carcinogenic agents is still an important task, which should be still given adequate importance in public health

Comprehensive dissection of prevalence rates, sex differences, and blood level-dependencies of clozapine-associated adverse drug reactions

Clozapine is often underused due to concerns about adverse drug reactions (ADRs) but studies into their prevalences are inconclusive. We therefore comprehensively examined prevalences of clozapineassociated ADRs in individuals with schizophrenia and demographic and clinical factors associated with their occurrence. Data from a multi-center study (n=698 participants) were collected. The mean number of ADRs during clozapine treatment was 4.8, with 2.4% of participants reporting no ADRs. The most common ADRs were hypersalivation (74.6%), weight gain (69.3%), and increased sleep necessity (65.9%), all of which were more common in younger participants. Participants with lower BMI prior to treatment were more likely to experience significant weight gain (>10%). Constipation occurred more frequently with higher clozapine blood levels and doses. There were no differences in ADR prevalence rates between participants receiving clozapine monotherapy and polytherapy. These findings emphasize the high prevalence of clozapine-associated ADRs and highlight several demographic and clinical factors contributing to their occurrence. By understanding these factors, clinicians can better anticipate and manage clozapine-associated ADRs, leading to improved treatment outcomes and patient well-being

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of urinary 2,5-hexanedione ad mono-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone using ultraviolet detection.

Abstract The good correlation between exposure to n-hexane and 2,5-hexanedione urinary excretion confers on this diketone an important toxicological meaning. This paper proposes a reversed-phase HPLC method which includes, after acid hydrolysis, a derivatization step of 2,5-hexanedione with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine at 70\ub0C for 20 min. The reaction conditions, such as temperature, reagent concentration and time, are optimized so as to allow the condensation of a single carbonyl group. A linear response was obtained in the 0.19-20.0 mg/l range with a detection limit of 0.03 mg/l, corresponding to a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. A phosphate buffer (pH 3.3)-acetonitrile mixture (50:50) as the eluent and UV detection at 334 nm were used