U.V.A.C. MONITORING OF HEAVY METALS IN CONTROLLED MILK AND ITS PRODUCTS IN TURIN DURING 2007

The contamination of food by chemical is a worldwide public health concern and is a leading cause of trade problems internationally. Contamination may occur through environmental pollution of air, water and soil, such as heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Fe, Hg, Pb), PCB and dioxins, or through the intentional use of various pesticides and other agrochemicals. The AA controlled, during 2007, 26 samples of milk, 2 samples of dessert and 32 samples of cheese coming from UE to the area of the City of Turin. The collected demonstrate that the environmental situation is under control and the milk, dessert and cheese fully satisfy this health requisite

PROJECT AND DEVELOPMENT OF A VIRTUAL REALITY MICROSURGICAL SIMULATOR

none4nonePuzone R; Cervone E; Raposio E; Andreucci LPuzone, R; Cervone, E; Raposio, E; Andreucci,

U.V.A.C. MONITORING OF HEAVY METALS IN CONTROLLED MILK AND ITS PRODUCTS IN TURIN DURING 2007

The contamination of food by chemical is a worldwide public health concern and is a leading cause of trade problems internationally. Contamination may occur through environmental pollution of air, water and soil, such as heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Fe, Hg, Pb), PCB and dioxins, or through the intentional use of various pesticides and other agrochemicals. The AA controlled, during 2007, 26 samples of milk, 2 samples of dessert and 32 samples of cheese coming from UE to the area of the City of Turin. The collected demonstrate that the environmental situation is under control and the milk, dessert and cheese fully satisfy this health requisite

RESEARCH OF HEAVY METALS, ORGANOCHLORINE AND ORGANOPHOSPHORUS PESTICIDES IN POWDERED INFANT FORMULA

During the period between october 2007 and november 2008 were collected 60 samples of powdered infant formula. The analysis for the detection of heavy metals, organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides show that the environmental situation is under control and powdered infant formula satisfies this health requisite

Role of the Cold Shock Domain Protein A in the transcriptional regulation of HBG expression

Impaired switching from fetal haemoglobin (HbF) to adult globin gene expression leads to hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin (HPFH) in adult life. This is of prime interest because elevated HbF levels ameliorate beta-thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia. Fetal haemoglobin levels are regulated by complex mechanisms involving factors linked or not to the beta-globin gene (HBB) locus. To search for factors putatively involved in gamma-globin gene expression, we examined the reticulocyte transcriptome of three siblings who had different HbF levels and different degrees of beta-thalassaemia severity although they had the same beta- and alpha-cluster genotypes. By mRNA differential display we isolated the cDNA coding for the cold shock domain protein A (CSDA), also known as dbpA, previously reported to interact in vitro with the gamma-globin gene promoter. Expression studies performed in K562 and in primary erythroid cells showed an inverse relationship between gamma-globin and CSDA expression levels. Functional studies performed by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation and reporter gene assays in K562 cells demonstrated that CSDA is able to bind the promoter of the gamma-globin gene and to suppress its expression. Therefore, our study demonstrates that CSDA is a trans-acting repressor factor of gamma-globin gene expression and contributes to modulate the HPFH phenotype

Identification and molecular characterization of the --CAMPANIA deletion, a novel alpha zero-thalassemic defect, in two unrelated Italian families

We describe a novel deletion form of alpha-thalassemia which removes a region of 31 kilobase encompassing the entire a-globin gene cluster. In association with the - alpha+ 3.7 deletion this defect gave rise to a typical hemoglobin H (HbH) disease in two unrelated boys of Southern Italian descent. The molecular characterization of the deletion revealed involvement of Alu repeat sequences, indicating that this rearrangement was originated from an event of unequal recombination. Furthermore, sequence analysis of the junctional region and genotyping of polymorphic sites flanking the 5’ and 3’ breakpoints suggest a unique origin for this mutation in these two patients. Our study contributes to define the wide spectrum of mutations that underlie the thalassemia syndromes in the Mediterranean area and provides support to prevention programs of a-thalassemia based on molecular screening and prenatal diagnosis in couples at risk