Impedance Analysis to Evaluate Nutritional Status in Physiological and Pathological Conditions

: A thorough knowledge of body composition assessment techniques is the cornerstone for initiating a customized nutritional program. The second step is to consider the potential of their application in different physiological and pathological conditions and their effectiveness in the management of a monitoring pathway during dietary interventions. To date, bioimpedance analysis is the most effective and reliable method for assessing body composition due to its advantages in terms of speed of execution, non-invasiveness and low cost. Therefore, this review article aims to analyze the main concepts and application areas of bioimpedance measurement techniques, in particular vector frequency-based analysis (BIVA) systems, in order to assess their validity in both physiological and pathological conditions

Comprehensive transcript profiling of two grapevine rootstock genotypes contrasting in drought susceptibility links the phenylpropanoid pathway to enhanced tolerance

In light of ongoing climate changes in wine-growing regions, the selection of drought-tolerant rootstocks is becoming a crucial factor for developing a sustainable viticulture. In this study, M4, a new rootstock genotype that shows tolerance to drought, was compared from a genomic and transcriptomic point of view with the less drought-tolerant genotype 101.14. The root and leaf transcriptome of both 101.14 and the M4 rootstock genotype was analysed, following exposure to progressive drought conditions. Multifactorial analyses indicated that stress treatment represents the main factor driving differential gene expression in roots, whereas in leaves the genotype is the prominent factor. Upon stress, M4 roots and leaves showed a higher induction of resveratrol and flavonoid biosynthetic genes, respectively. The higher expression of VvSTS genes in M4, confirmed by the accumulation of higher levels of resveratrol in M4 roots compared with 101.14, was coupled to an up-regulation of several VvWRKY transcription factors. Interestingly, VvSTS promoter analyses performed on both the resequenced genomes highlighted a significantly higher number of W-BOX elements in the tolerant genotype. It is proposed that the elevated synthesis of resveratrol in M4 roots upon water stress could enhance the plant’s ability to cope with the oxidative stress usually associated with water deficit

Assessing the pathogenicity of BRCA1/2 variants of unknown significance: Relevance and challenges for breast cancer precision medicine

IntroductionBreast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes account for approximately 50% of all hereditary BC, with 60-80% of patients characterized by Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) at an early stage phenotype. The identification of a pathogenic BRCA1/2 variant has important and expanding roles in risk-reducing surgeries, treatment planning, and familial surveillance. Otherwise, finding unclassified Variants of Unknown Significance (VUS) limits the clinical utility of the molecular test, leading to an “imprecise medicine”.MethodsWe reported the explanatory example of the BRCA1 c.5057A>C, p.(His1686Pro) VUS identified in a patient with TNBC. We integrated data from family history and clinic-pathological evaluations, genetic analyses, and bioinformatics in silico investigations to evaluate the VUS classification.ResultsOur evaluation posed evidences for the pathogenicity significance of the investigated VUS: 1) association of the BRCA1 variant to cancer-affected members of the family; 2) absence of another high-risk mutation; 3) multiple indirect evidences derived from gene and protein structural analysis.DiscussionIn line with the ongoing efforts to uncertain variants classification, we speculated about the relevance of an in-depth assessment of pathogenicity of BRCA1/2 VUS for a personalized management of patients with BC. We underlined that the efficient integration of clinical data with the widest number of supporting molecular evidences should be adopted for the proper management of patients, with the final aim of effectively guide the best prognostic and therapeutic paths

Acute Delta Hepatitis in Italy spanning three decades (1991–2019): Evidence for the effectiveness of the hepatitis B vaccination campaign

Updated incidence data of acute Delta virus hepatitis (HDV) are lacking worldwide. Our aim was to evaluate incidence of and risk factors for acute HDV in Italy after the introduction of the compulsory vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) in 1991. Data were obtained from the National Surveillance System of acute viral hepatitis (SEIEVA). Independent predictors of HDV were assessed by logistic-regression analysis. The incidence of acute HDV per 1-million population declined from 3.2 cases in 1987 to 0.04 in 2019, parallel to that of acute HBV per 100,000 from 10.0 to 0.39 cases during the same period. The median age of cases increased from 27 years in the decade 1991-1999 to 44 years in the decade 2010-2019 (p < .001). Over the same period, the male/female ratio decreased from 3.8 to 2.1, the proportion of coinfections increased from 55% to 75% (p = .003) and that of HBsAg positive acute hepatitis tested for by IgM anti-HDV linearly decreased from 50.1% to 34.1% (p < .001). People born abroad accounted for 24.6% of cases in 2004-2010 and 32.1% in 2011-2019. In the period 2010-2019, risky sexual behaviour (O.R. 4.2; 95%CI: 1.4-12.8) was the sole independent predictor of acute HDV; conversely intravenous drug use was no longer associated (O.R. 1.25; 95%CI: 0.15-10.22) with this. In conclusion, HBV vaccination was an effective measure to control acute HDV. Intravenous drug use is no longer an efficient mode of HDV spread. Testing for IgM-anti HDV is a grey area requiring alert. Acute HDV in foreigners should be monitored in the years to come

Protective effects of exosomes-derived from human amniotic fluid stem cells intranasally administered in a unilaterally lesioned 6-OHDA mouse model

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressively debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that leads to motor and cognitive dysfunction. To date, clinical treatment can only ameliorate symptoms, but cannot efficiently protect dopaminergic neurons. Several reports have demonstrated that human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs) provide protective effects on brain injury. Stem cells communicate with cells through secreted exosomes, the present study aimed to explore whether exosomes derived from hAFSCs-conditioned media may exert a protective effect in a mouse model of PD. The exosomes were characterized, and then labeled with PKH 26 (in order to visualize them fluorescently into the brain) and administered intranasally (i.n.) in a mouse model of PD, obtained by unilateral 6-OHDA injection into the striatum. We decided to use intranasal administration because it is one of the less invasive routes of administration and because through i.n. administration exosomes are able to cross the BBB. Behavioral tests (gait analyses, cylinder test, elevated body swing test and apomorphine) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the nigro-striatal structures were performed. We then analyzed the inflammatory pathway, through Iba1 immunofluorescence, Proteome Profiler Array and ELISA kits for IL-8 (GRO/KC), NFKB and so on. Notably, it was found that the exosomes relieved apomorphine-induced asymmetric rotation and improved behavioral performances in 6-OHDA mice, reduced substantia nigra dopaminergic neuron loss and inflammation. These results demonstrated that hAFSCs-exosomes can cross the BBB and can represent a potential approach for PD

GROTTA DI POZZO, AN EARLY EPIGRAVETTIAN SITE OF THE LGM IN THE MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL ITALY

Résumé: Grotta di Pozzo, qui s’ouvre à moyenne altitude dans le cœur de l’Apennin, à 710m snm et à 42° de latitude Nord, sur le bord d’un lac aujourd’hui asséché, est entourée de montagnes hautes plus de 2000m. La séquence archéologique commence vers 23ka cal BP, dès que les eaux du lac, qui venait d’atteindre son maximum, se retirent de la grotte. Des groupes humains porteurs d’industrie de l’Epigravettien ancien à pointes à cran exploitent au fil des saisons un milieu naturel steppique, où les ressources offerte par le lac se couplent à celles des proches lieux de chasse estivale en montagne. La recolonisation précoce de cette partie interne de l’Apennin s’explique par ce milieu favorable, ainsi que, probablement, par des changements dans les territoires de chasse à plus basse altitude, dus à la progressive disparition de la grande plaine adriatique. Plus tard, entre 15,5 et 14,5 cal BP, l’occupation de la grotte se fera plus intense, avec production d’industrie lithique de l’Epigravettien final

EFFECTS OF THE PROBIOTIC FORMULATION SLAB51 IN IN VITRO AND IN VIVO MODELS OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons and α-synuclein intracellular accumulation. Detrimental effects of PD involve inflammation, neurodegeneration and a reduced neurotrophic support1 . Moreover, PD can involve also the bidirectional interaction between the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system: the gut-brain axis2 . For this reason, gut microbiome modification plays a crucial role in the pathology of PD3 . The aim of this work was to study the effect of a probiotic formulation SLAB51 in in vitro and in vivo models of PD. For this aim, we first tested the probiotic formulation extract on differentiated SH-SY5Y into dopaminergic phenotype treated with 6-OHDA, to dissect, using western blotting analysis, the molecular pathways involved in neuroprotection and cell death. Then, we daily administered via oral gavage the probiotic formulation in 6- OHDA-lesioned C57BL/6 mice to evaluate the effects of the probiotic on behavior, neurodegeneration and inflammation. Our in vitro studies indicated that SLAB51 extract was able to modulate the BNDF pathway, increasing neuroprotective protein levels and decreasing the levels of neuronal death proteins. Thus, we investigated the probiotic effects in vivo using apomorphine test, EBS test and cylinder test. Interestingly, SLAB51 was able to counteract the detrimental effects of 6-OHDA. Moreover, basing on the immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence studies we observed a decrease in dopaminergic loss, inflammation and gliosis induced by 6-OHDA in both substantia nigra and striatum in SLAB51-treated mice. Notably, in this study we observed in both the models an involvement of PPARγ that may trigger anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities as well as a modulation of pro-survival pathways. Overall, our studies suggested that SLAB51 can represent a promising candidate for PD adjuvant therapy confirming previous evidence on the effect of gut microbiota modulation on neuroprotective pathways4

Desmoplastic Fibroblastoma (Collagenous Fibroma): A Case Report.

Desmoplastic Fibroblastoma (DF) is a rare fibrotic tumor that has a wide anatomic distribution and it can appearin deep sections of the subcutis, in fascia, in aponeurosis or in skeletal muscles that rare- ly involving bone. The differential diagnosis of DF includes benign and malignant soft tissue tumors and the misdiagnosis may cause unnecessary surgical overtreatment, especially for those involving bone. We report the case of a 54-year-old man admitted to the Hand and Microsurgery Unitwith a painless, slow-growing mass in the left- foot. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed a well-defined, lobulated soft tissue mass with some areas of hypointense signal on T1-weighted images, predominantly hyperintense signal with some areas of hypointense signal on T2-weighted images. The dimension of tumor is5.5 x 5 cm and a cut section appeared to bewell-circum- scribed and homogeneously gray-white and very firm in nature. The lesion was totally removed by surgical excision and it was pathologically confirmed to DF