Pathophysiological Roles of Transglutaminase - Catalyzed Reactions in the Pathogenesis of Human Diseases

""Transglutaminases (TGs, E.C. 2.3.2.13) are related and ubiquitous enzymes which catalyze the cross linking of. a glutaminyl residue of a protein\\\/peptide substrate to a lysyl residue of a protein\\\/peptide co-substrate. These enzymes are. also capable of catalyzing other reactions which are important for cell life. To date, at least eight different human TGs. have been identified. The distribution and the physiological roles of human TGs have been widely studied in numerous. cell types and tissues and recently their roles in several diseases have begun to be identified. It has been hypothesized that. transglutaminase activity is directly involved in the patho-genetic mechanisms responsible for several human diseases. In. particular, TG2, a member of the TG enzyme family, has been shown to be involved in the molecular mechanisms. responsible for a very widespread human pathology, Celiac Disease (CD), one of the most common food intolerances. described in the western population. The main food agent that provokes the strong and diffuse clinical symptoms has been. known for several years to be gliadin, a protein present in a very large number of human foods derived from vegetables.. The aim of this review is to summarize the most recent findings concerning the relationships between the biochemical. properties of the transglutaminase activity and the basic molecular mechanisms responsible for CD. In addition, we. present some clinical associations of CD with other human diseases, with particular reference to neuropsychiatric. disorders. Possible molecular links between biochemical activities of transglutaminase enzymes, CD and neuropsychiatric disorders are discussed."

Prevalence and Distribution of High- and Low- Risk HPV Genotypes in Women Living in the Metropolitan Area of Naples: A Recent Update

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) can infect both male and female genitals, skin, and mucous membranes, causing benign or malignant lesions. HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection and it is the main cause of cervical cancer. The present retrospective study updated the previously published data on HPV genotypes distribution among women living in Naples. Materials and methods: In this study, 502 cervical scrape specimens were collected from women with abnormal cytological indication and analyzed for HPV DNA identification by Linear Array HPV genotyping test. Results: The HPV infection rate was 24.1%. HPV-16 (14.6%) was the most representative HR-HPV genotypes, followed by HPV-31 (13.8%), -18 (9.2%), and HPV-51 (8.5%). In addition, HPV-42 (16.4%) was the most prevalent genotype among LR-HPV genotypes (low-risk human papillomavirus). It was also found that women at the age group of 23-29 years (42.5%) were at the highest risk of HPV infection. It was found that the HPV-16 frequency decreased, but HPV-31 and -18 frequency increased a little. The LR HPV-53 frequency decreased, leaving the first place for abundance to the LR HPV-42. HPV-6 frequency did not change. LR HPV -11 was no more present. Merging <23 and 23-29 age classes into one class followed the same result. Conclusion: HPV prevalence declined in comparison to the previous data. A frequency variation was recorded for several genotypes in this study. Data can be useful to implement the preventative strategies and to promote HPV vaccination

The emerging tick-borne Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus: A narrative review

Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is an increasingly relevant viral zoonosis caused by the negative-sense single-stranded (ss) RNA Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Orthonairovirus (CCHFV) (Nairoviridae family, Bunyavirales order). The viral genome is divided into three segments (L-M-S) of distinct size and functions. The infection is generally mediated by a tick vector, in particular belonging to the Hyalomma genus, and the transmission follows a tick-vertebrate-tick ecologic cycle, with asymptomatic infected animals functioning as reservoirs and amplifiers for CCHFV. Human hosts could be infected primarily through infected ticks or by contact with infected hosts or their body fluids and tissues, also in a nosocomial way and in occupational contexts. Infected symptomatic patients generally manifest a nonspecific illness, which progresses across four stages, with possibly lethal outcomes. Disease outbreaks show a widespread geographic diffusion and a highly variable mortality rate, dramatically peaking in untreated patients. The lack of an adequate animal model and the elevated virus biological risk (only manageable under biosafety level 4 conditions) represent strongly limiting factors for a better characterization of the disease and for the development of specific therapies and vaccines. The present review discusses updated information on CCHFV-related disease, including details about the virus (taxonomy, structure, life cycle, transmission modalities) and considering CCHF pathogenesis, epidemiology and current strategies (diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive)

The emerging tick-borne Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus: A narrative review

Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is an increasingly relevant viral zoonosis caused by the negative-sense single-stranded (ss) RNA Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Orthonairovirus (CCHFV) (Nairoviridae family, Bunyavirales order). The viral genome is divided into three segments (L-M-S) of distinct size and functions. The infection is generally mediated by a tick vector, in particular belonging to the Hyalomma genus, and the transmission follows a tick-vertebrate-tick ecologic cycle, with asymptomatic infected animals functioning as reservoirs and amplifiers for CCHFV. Human hosts could be infected primarily through infected ticks or by contact with infected hosts or their body fluids and tissues, also in a nosocomial way and in occupational contexts. Infected symptomatic patients generally manifest a nonspecific illness, which progresses across four stages, with possibly lethal outcomes. Disease outbreaks show a widespread geographic diffusion and a highly variable mortality rate, dramatically peaking in untreated patients. The lack of an adequate animal model and the elevated virus biological risk (only manageable under biosafety level 4 conditions) represent strongly limiting factors for a better characterization of the disease and for the development of specific therapies and vaccines. The present review discusses updated information on CCHFV-related disease, including details about the virus (taxonomy, structure, life cycle, transmission modalities) and considering CCHF pathogenesis, epidemiology and current strategies (diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive)

Prevalence and antibiotic resistance profile of bacterial pathogens in aerobic vaginitis: A retrospective study in italy

Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a vaginal infectious condition, characterized by a high inflammatory response and/or signs of epithelial atrophy, a decrease in the amount of Lactobacillus spp. and an increase in enteric origin bacteria. AV, often misdiagnosed, is difficult to treat due to the emerging spread of multi-drug resistant bacterial strains. The present study aimed to define the prevalence of AV, to detect causative bacteria and their antimicrobial resistance pattern. Women 10–95 years old, admitted to San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona Hospital, Salerno, Italy (in the years 2015–2019) are included in the study. Bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility tests were carried out by VITEK® 2. Among 2069 patients, 1176 tested positive for microbial growth. A higher incidence of infection was found in the 55–64 age group. Among the pathogenic strains, 50.4% were Gram-negative, and 49.6% were Gram-positive. Escherichia coli (E. coli) (32.5%) was the most representative strain, followed by Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) (29.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) (7.8%) and Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) (7.7%). E. coli showed high sensitivity to carbapenems and amikacin. K. pneumoniae carbapenems resistance was fluctuating over time. Alarming resistance to vancomycin was not recorded for Enterococci. Both strains were sensitive to teicoplanin, linezolid and tigecycline. Proper diagnosis and an effective therapeutic approach are needed to improve AV management