Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and predictors of vitamin D status in Italian healthy adolescents

Background: Vitamin D plays an important role in health promotion during adolescence. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are common in adolescents worldwide. Few data on vitamin D status and risk factors for hypovitaminosis D in Italian adolescents are currently available. Methods. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were evaluated in 427 Italian healthy adolescents (10.0-21.0 years). We used the following cut-off of 25-OH-D to define vitamin D status: deficiency < 50 nmol/L; insufficiency 50-75 nmol/L; sufficiency ≥ 75 nmol/L. Hypovitaminosis D was defined as 25-OH-D levels < 75.0 nmol/L and severe vitamin D deficiency as 25-OH-D levels < 25.0 nmol/L. We evaluated gender, residence, season of blood withdrawal, ethnicity, weight status, sun exposure, use of sunscreens, outdoor physical activity, and history of fractures as predictors of vitamin D status. Results: Enrolled adolescents had a median serum 25-OH-D level of 50.0 nmol/L, range 8.1-174.7, with 82.2% having hypovitaminosis D. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were detected in 49.9% and 32.3% of adolescents, respectively. Among those with deficiency, 38 subjects were severely deficient (38/427, 8.9% of the entire sample). Non-white adolescents had a higher prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency than white subjects (6/17-35.3% vs 32/410-7.8% respectively, p = 0.002). Logistic regression showed increased risk of hypovitaminosis D as follows: blood withdrawal taken in winter-spring (Odds ratio (OR) 5.64) compared to summer-fall period; overweight-obese adolescents (OR 3.89) compared to subjects with normal body mass index (BMI); low sun exposure (OR 5.94) compared to moderate-good exposure and regular use of sunscreens (OR 5.89) compared to non regular use. Adolescents who performed < 3 hours/week of outdoor exercise had higher prevalence of hypovitaminosis D. Gender, residence, and history of fractures were not associated with vitamin D status. Serum 25-OH-D levels were inversely related to PTH (r = -0.387, p < 0.0001) and BMI-SDS (r = -0.141, p = 0.007). 44/427 (10.3%) adolescents showed secondary hyperparathyroidism. Conclusions: Italian adolescents have high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. Pediatricians should tackle predictors of vitamin D status, favoring a healthier lifestyle and promoting supplementation in the groups at higher risk of hypovitaminosis D. © 2014 Vierucci et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

EFFECTIVENESS OF VACUUM DEVICES FOR HOME STORAGE OF RAINBOW TROUTS FROM GAME FISHING LAKES

The aim of this work was to study the effectiveness of vacuum devices for home storage of rainbow trouts from sport fishing lakes located near Avellino, in the South of Italy. The trout were divided in two groups: one was vacuum-packaged by using a "Food Vacuum System", while the other was stored in plastic trays covered with plastic wrap. Both the fish samples were stored at 4°C for 6 days. Rainbow trout purchased in a local supermarket were used as control. The trout quality was evaluated by microbiological, chemical and sensory analyses. Fatty acids and volatile compounds were characterized by GC and SPME-GC/MS. Results proved the efficiency of the vacuum system in preserving the quality characteristics of the trout, limiting the formation of off-odors and off-flavors related to spoilage and oxidative processes

Transplastomic tobacco plants expressing a fatty acid desaturase gene exhibit altered fatty acid profiles and improved cold tolerance

The possibility of altering the unsaturation level of fatty acids in plant lipids by genetic transformation has implications for the stress tolerance of higher plants as well as for their nutritional value and industrial utilisation. While the integration and expression of transgenes in the plastome has several potential advantages over nuclear transformation, very few attempts have been made to manipulate fatty acid biosynthesis using plastid transformation. We produced transplastomic tobacco plants that express a Delta9 desaturase gene from either the wild potato species Solanum commersonii or the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans, using PEG-mediated DNA uptake by protoplasts. Incorporation of chloroplast antibioticinsensitive point mutations in the transforming DNA was used to select transformants. The presence of the transcript and the Delta9 desaturase protein in transplastomic plants was confirmed by northern and western blot analyses. In comparison with control plants, transplastomic plants showed altered fatty acid profiles and an increase in their unsaturation level both in leaves and seeds. The two transgenes produced comparable results. The results obtained demonstrate the feasibility of using plastid transformation to engineer lipid metabolic pathways in both vegetative and reproductive tissues and suggest an increase of cold tolerance in transplastomic plants showing altered leaf fatty acid profiles. This is the first example of transplastomic plants expressing an agronomically relevant gene produced with the ‘‘binding-type’’ vectors, which do not contain a heterologous marker gene. In fact, the transplastomic plants expressing the S. commersonii gene contain only plant-derived sequences, a clear attraction from a public acceptability perspective

Individuazione e studio del comportamento del sistema “Insulin Like Growth Factor-1 – Insulin Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins” nel liquido sulculare durante il movimento dentale

.IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor-1) is a growth factor whose biological activity at cellular level is regulated by 6 binding proteins (IGFBs); one of them, IGFBP-3, is the most abundant in blood. Both IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 are expressed by bone cells and may be important factors in bone remodelling (1-5). The aims of this study were to evaluate the presence of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in crevicular fluid and to assess whether their levels changed during orthodontic tooth movement in patients under orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic movement alters alveolar bone remodelling. Changes in the amounts of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in crevicular fluid may reflect changes in alveolar bone remodelling

Farmaci antinfiammatori non steroidei in ortognatodonzia

Scopo del presente lavoro è stato quello di valutare l’efficacia dei farmaci antinfiammatori non steroidei (FANS) nel controllo del dolore indotto dal trattamento ortodontico e di analizzare gli effetti di tali farmaci sul movimento dentario, attraverso lo studio della letteratura internazionale di recente pubblicazione Nei trattamenti ortodontici il dolore, pur raggiungendo raramente intensità elevate, tanto che si preferisce parlare di “dolorabilità o indolenzimento”, è spesso presente, in particolar modo nei giorni immediatamente successivi al posizionamento dell’apparecchio. Il timore da parte del paziente di provare dolore può portare al rifiuto della terapia ortodontica e la sua insorgenza può portare il paziente stesso a non collaborare, spingendolo a non seguire adeguatamente le prescrizioni o addirittura a non indossare l’apparecchiatura. Le indicazioni che si potrebbero estrapolare dall’analisi della letteratura attuale porterebbero a consigliare la somministrazione pre-operatoria dei FANS, per un miglior controllo del dolore. In tema di inibizione del movimento ortodontico ad opera dei FANS, dalla valutazione dei lavori più recenti, si deduce che nell’animale da esperimento i FANS inibiscono il movimento dentario 62-64 e che, in mancanza di ulteriori studi, l’unico farmaco che attualmente può essere utilizzato con sicurezza è il paracetamolo, dimostratosi efficace nel controllo del dolore quanto i FANS convenzionali 54. Alla luce delle precedenti considerazioni appare evidente come si rendano assolutamente necessari ulteriori studi incentrati sulla valutazione degli effetti della somministrazione dei tali farmaci sul movimento dentario. Tali studi dovrebbero condividere un protocollo sperimentale comune ed accettato dalla comunità scientifica internazionale, al fine di consentire un confronto dei risultati ottenuti e di stabilire delle norme sul corretto utilizzo dei FANS durante il trattamento ortodontico

The IGF -I – IGFBPs system in the crevicular fluid: its changes during orthodontic movement

IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor-1) is a growth factor whose biological activity at cellular level is regulated by 6 binding proteins (IGFBs); one of them, IGFBP-3, is the most abundant in blood. Both IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 are expressed by bone cells and may be important factors in bone remodelling (1-5). The aims of this study were to evaluate the presence of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in crevicular fluid and to assess whether their levels changed during orthodontic tooth movement in patients under orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic movement alters alveolar bone remodelling. Changes in the amounts of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in crevicular fluid may reflect changes in alveolar bone remodelling