11 research outputs found
Oral lactobacillus species in systemic sclerosis
In systemic sclerosis (SSc), the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) plays a central role in the patient’s quality of life. The microbiome populates the GIT, where a relationship between the Lactobacillus and gastrointestinal motility has been suggested. In this study, the analysis of oral Lactobacillus species in SSc patients and healthy subjects using culture-independent molecular techniques, together with a review of the literature on microbiota and lactobacilli in SSc, has been carried out. Twenty-nine SSc female patients (mean age 62) and twenty-three female healthy subjects (HS, mean age 57.6) were enrolled and underwent tongue and gum swab sampling. Quantitative PCR was conducted in triplicate using Lactobacillus specific primers rpoB1, rpoB1o and rpoB2 for the RNA-polymerase β subunit gene. Our data show significantly (p = 0.0211) lower LactobacillusspprpoB sequences on the tongue of patients with SSc compared to HS. The mean value of the amount of Lactobacillus ssprpoB gene on the gumsofSSc patients was minor compared to HS. A significant difference between tongue and gums (p = 0.0421) was found in HS but not in SSc patients. In conclusion, our results show a lower presence of Lactobacillus in the oral cavity of SSc patients. This strengthens the hypothesis that Lactobacillus may have both a protective and therapeutic role in SSc patients
Developmental instability and phenotypic evolution in a small and isolated bear population
We explored fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and morphological integration (MI) in the skull of the small, highly inbred and divergent Apennine bear
(Ursus arctos marsicanus), to explore its uniqueness and investigate any potential effects of inbreeding depression. We used 3D geometric morphometrics contrasting Apennine bears with other two large outbred bear populations from Scandinavia and Kamchatka as controls. Shape divergence and variability were explored by a principal component analysis on aligned coordinates of 39 landmarks. Procrustes ANOVA, morphological disparity and the global integration index were used to explore FA, shape variance and MI. By remarking Apennine bears as a highly divergent phenotype, we recorded the highest FA and deviation from self-similarity compared with the other two control populations. We conclude that Apennine bears are likely facing developmental instability as a consequence of inbreeding depression, whereas the divergent trait covariance pattern may represent a potential source of evolutionary novelties. We discuss the implications for the conservation and management of this imperiled taxon
Real-life experience with luspatercept in transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia
β-Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive hemoglobinopathy characterized by the absence or reduction of β-globin chains synthesis [1]. Advancements in β-thalassemia therapy [2, 3] include emerging treatments like gene therapy [4, 5] and erythroid maturation agents [6, 7]. Luspatercept, a first-in-class erythroid maturation agent, is FDA and EMA-approved for treating anemia in adults with transfusion-dependent (TD) β-thalassemia [8]. This paper discusses a real-life study on luspatercept’s use in β-thalassemic patients
Characterization of Basidiomycetes Associated with Wood Rot of Citrus in Southern Italy
The characterization of Basidiomycetes associated with wood rots in
commercial citrus orchards in southern Italy revealed that both white and
brown rot fungi are implicated in this disease. Fomitiporia mediterranea
was the most prevalent species causing a white rot, followed by
Fomitopsis sp. which, by contrast, was associated with brown rot wood
decay. Furthermore, Phellinus spp. and other nonidentified basidiomycetous
fungi showing genetic affinity with the genera Phellinus and
Coniophora were occasionally isolated. Artificial inoculations on lemon
(Citrus limon) branches showed a faster wood colonization by Fomitopsis
sp. compared with F. mediterranea, indicating that the former species as a
potentially serious pathogen of citrus trees. The analysis of F. mediterranea
internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences revealed a high level of
genetic variability, with 13 genotypes which were both homozygous (6
genotypes) and heterozygous (7 genotypes). The presence of heterozygous
genomes based on ITS sequences has never been reported before for
F. mediterranea. This, together with the high frequency of basidiomata on
infected wood, unambiguously confirms the outcrossing nature of reproduction
in F. mediterranea and the primary role of basidiospores in the
dissemination of inoculum. Similarly, high genetic variability was observed
analyzing Fomitopsis sp. Because basidiomata of this fungus have
not been observed on citrus trees, it can be hypothesized that basidiospores
are produced on alternative host plants