Human papillomavirus infection is not related with prostatitis-related symptoms: results from a casecontrol study.

PurposeTo investigate the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and prostatitis-related symptoms.Materials and MethodsAll young heterosexual patients with prostatitis-related symptoms attending the same Center from January 2005 to December 2010 were eligible for this case-control study. Sexually active asymptomatic men were considered as the control group. All subjects underwent clinical examination, Meares-Stamey test and DNA-HPV test. Patients with prostatitis-related symptoms and asymptomatic men were compared in terms of HPV prevalence. Moreover, multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to determine the association between HPV infection and prostatitis-related symptoms.ResultsOverall, 814 out of 2,938 patients (27.7%) and 292 out of 1,081 controls (27.0%) proved positive to HPV. The HPV genotype distribution was as follows: HR-HPV 478 (43.3%), PHR-HPV 77 (6.9%), LR-HPV 187 (16.9%) and PNG-HPV 364 (32.9%). The most common HPV genotypes were: 6, 11, 16, 26, 51, 53 and 81. No difference was found between the two groups in terms of HPV infection (OR 1.03; 95% CI 0.88-1.22; p = 0.66). We noted a statistically significant increase in HPV infection over the period 2005 to 2010 (p < 0.001) in both groups. Moreover, we found a statistically significant increase in HPV 16 frequency from 2005 to 2010 (p = 0.002).ConclusionsThis study highlights that prostatitis-like symptoms are unrelated to HPV infection. Secondary, we highlight the high prevalence of asymptomatic HPV infection among young heterosexual men

Human papillomavirus infection is not related with prostatitis-related symptoms: results from a casecontrol study.

This study highlights that prostatitis-like symptoms are unrelated to HPV infection. Secondary, we highlight the high prevalence of asymptomatic HPV infection among young heterosexual men

Prognostic and monitoring value of circulating tumour cells in adrenocortical carcinoma: a preliminary monocentric study.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), a rare and aggressive neoplasia, presents poor prognosis when metastatic at diagnosis and limited therapies are available. Specific and sensitive markers for early diagnosis and a monitoring system of therapy and tumor evolution are urgently needed. The liquid biopsy represents a source of tumor material within a minimally invasive blood draw that allows the recovery of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). CTCs have been recently shown to be detectable in ACC. In the present paper, we evaluated the prognostic value of CTCs obtained by size-filtration in a small pilot cohort of 19 ACC patients. We found CTCs in 68% of pre-surgery and in 38% of post-surgery blood samples. In addition, CTC clusters (CTMs) and cancer associated macrophages (CAMLs) were detectable in some ACC patients. The median number of CTCs significantly decreased after the mass removal. Finally, stratifying patients in high and low pre-surgery CTC number groups, assuming the 75th percentile CTC value as cut-off, CTCs significantly predicted patients&rsquo; overall survival (log rank = 0.005), also in a multivariate analysis adjusted for age and tumor stage. In conclusion, though preliminary and performed in a small cohort of patients, our study suggests that CTC number may represent a promising marker for prognosis and disease monitoring in ACC

In search for multi-target ligands as potential agents for diabetes mellitus and its complications—a structure-activity relationship study on inhibitors of aldose reductase and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1b

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex disease which currently affects more than 460 million people and is one of the leading cause of death worldwide. Its development implies numerous metabolic dysfunctions and the onset of hyperglycaemia-induced chronic complications. Multiple ligands can be rationally designed for the treatment of multifactorial diseases, such as DM, with the precise aim of simultaneously controlling multiple pathogenic mechanisms related to the disease and providing a more effective and safer therapeutic treatment compared to combinations of selective drugs. Starting from our previous findings that highlighted the possibility to target both aldose reductase (AR) and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), two enzymes strictly implicated in the development of DM and its complications, we synthesised 3-(5-arylidene-4-oxothiazolidin-3-yl)propanoic acids and analogous 2-butenoic acid derivatives, with the aim of balancing the effectiveness of dual AR/PTP1B inhibitors which we had identified as designed multiple ligands (DMLs). Out of the tested compounds, 4f exhibited well-balanced AR/PTP1B inhibitory effects at low micromolar concentrations, along with interesting insulin-sensitizing activity in murine C2C12 cell cultures. The SARs here highlighted along with their rationalization by in silico docking experiments into both target enzymes provide further insights into this class of inhibitors for their development as potential DML antidiabetic candidates

Improvement in muscular strength and aerobic capacities in elderly people occurs independently of physical training type or exercise model

OBJECTIVES: Progressive decline of physiological processes with aging is normal. Aging is also associated with decreased functional capacity and onset of many diseases. This study evaluated the changes in physical fitness (PF), body composition (BC), and lipid profile (LP) in elderly men completing different training protocols. METHODS: Fifty-five men (age 60-80 years) were randomized into the following groups: without training, aerobic training on dry land, combined training on dry land, and combined training in water. Training was conducted for 8 weeks, and PF, LP, and BC were assessed at the beginning and end of the intervention. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in all parameters; however, combined programs on land or in water were more effective at improving strength and aerobic fitness. Combined exercise produced greater effects on BC and LP and some muscle fitness parameters; however, improvements in muscular and aerobic capacities occurred independently of exercise type or model. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the effects of training occur regardless of training type or model, and are directly associated with training periodization, adherence, and regularit

Decreasing the Mitochondrial Synthesis of Malate in Potato Tubers Does Not Affect Plastidial Starch Synthesis, Suggesting That the Physiological Regulation of ADPglucose Pyrophosphorylase Is Context Dependent

Modulation of the malate content of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit by altering the expression of mitochondrially localized enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle resulted in enhanced transitory starch accumulation and subsequent effects on postharvest fruit physiology. In this study, we assessed whether such a manipulation would similarly affect starch biosynthesis in an organ that displays a linear, as opposed to a transient, kinetic of starch accumulation. For this purpose, we used RNA interference to down-regulate the expression of fumarase in potato (Solanum tuberosum) under the control of the tuber-specific B33 promoter. Despite displaying similar reductions in both fumarase activity and malate content as observed in tomato fruit expressing the same construct, the resultant transformants were neither characterized by an increased flux to, or accumulation of, starch, nor by alteration in yield parameters. Since the effect in tomato was mechanistically linked to derepression of the reaction catalyzed by ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, we evaluated whether the lack of effect on starch biosynthesis was due to differences in enzymatic properties of the enzyme from potato and tomato or rather due to differential subcellular compartmentation of reductant in the different organs. The results are discussed in the context both of current models of metabolic compartmentation and engineering