42 research outputs found
Validation of an Eco-Friendly Automated Method for the Determination of Glucose and Fructose in Wines
Fermentable sugar dosage helps oenologists to establish a harvest’s moment and control
the fermentation process of the musts. The official analyses recommended for their determination
are long, laborious, and must be carried out by specialized personnel. On the contrary, instrumental
analysis automation limits human errors, increases precision, and reduces the time and cost of
the analyses. In the food production sector, to use methods other than those recommended by
supranational bodies in official reports, it is necessary to validate the analytical processes to establish
the conformity of the results between the new methods and the reference ones. This work validated
an automated enzymatic apparatus to determine the sum of glucose and fructose levels in wine
samples. The validation was carried out on wine samples (dry red wine, dry white wine, moderately
sweet wine, and sweet wine) containing different sugar concentrations by comparing data obtained
using the OIV-MA-AS311-02 method performed by a specialized operator (reference method) and
the same method performed by an automated apparatus. The difference between the results’ means
obtained with the two procedures was significant. Nevertheless, the automated procedure was
considered suitable for the intended use since the differences between the averages were lower than
the measurement uncertainty at the same concentration, and the repeatability results were better for
the automated procedure than the reference method
The Molecular Interplay between Human Oncoviruses and Telomerase in Cancer Development
Funding Information: This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health Ricerca Corrente 2022 Grant L1/10. M.I. Isaguliants was supported by the Latvian Science Fund, project LZP 2021/1-0484. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.Human oncoviruses are able to subvert telomerase function in cancer cells through multiple strategies. The activity of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (TERT) is universally enhanced in virus-related cancers. Viral oncoproteins, such as high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) E6, Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) LMP1, Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (HHV-8) LANA, hepatitis B virus (HBV) HBVx, hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein and human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1) Tax protein, interact with regulatory elements in the infected cells and contribute to the transcriptional activation of TERT gene. Specifically, viral oncoproteins have been shown to bind TERT promoter, to induce post-transcriptional alterations of TERT mRNA and to cause epigenetic modifications, which have important effects on the regulation of telomeric and extra-telomeric functions of the telomerase. Other viruses, such as herpesviruses, operate by integrating their genomes within the telomeres or by inducing alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) in non-ALT cells. In this review, we recapitulate on recent findings on virus–telomerase/telomeres interplay and the importance of TERT-related oncogenic pathways activated by cancer-causing viruses.publishersversionPeer reviewe
A new hexapeptide from the leader peptide of rMnSOD enters cells through the oestrogen receptor to deliver therapeutic molecules
A 24-amino acid leader peptide of a new human recombinant manganese superoxide dismutase can
enter cells and carry molecules. Here, we demonstrated that six of the 24 amino acids penetrate cells
through a particular gate represented by a specific amino acid sequence of the oestrogen receptor
(ER). We analysed the internalization of the synthetic hexapeptide and the cytotoxic activity of the
hexapeptide conjugated to cisplatin on a cell line panel. In most cell lines, the hexapeptide delivered
an amount of cisplatin that was 2 to 8 times greater than that released by cisplatin when the drug
was used alone. This increased delivery increases the therapeutic index of cisplatin and reduces side
effects caused by a high dosage or long-term treatment times. We may consider this hexapeptide a new
molecular carrier to deliver molecules with therapeutic activity into ER+ cells for diagnostic purposes
and clinical or immune therapy
Impact of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors on mortality during the COVID Pandemic among STEMI patients undergoing mechanical reperfusion : Insight from an international STEMI registry
Background: Concerns have been raised on a potential interaction between renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) and the susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). No data have been so far reported on the prognostic impact of RASI in patients suffering from ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during COVID-19 pandemic, which was the aim of the present study. Methods: STEMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and enrolled in the ISACS-STEMI COVID-19 registry were included in the present sub-analysis and divided according to RASI therapy at admission. Results: Our population is represented by 6095 patients, of whom 3654 admitted in 2019 and 2441 in 2020. No difference in the prevalence of SARSCoV2 infection was observed according to RASI therapy at admission (2.5% vs 2.1%, p = 0.5), which was associated with a significantly lower mortality (adjusted OR [95% CI]=0.68 [0.51 & ndash;0.90], P = 0.006), confirmed in the analysis restricted to 2020 (adjusted OR [95% CI]=0.5[0.33 & ndash;0.74], P = 0.001). Among the 5388 patients in whom data on in-hospital medication were available, in-hospital RASI therapy was associated with a significantly lower mortality (2.1% vs 16.7%, OR [95% CI]=0.11 [0.084 & ndash;0.14], p < 0.0001), confirmed after adjustment in both periods. Among the 62 SARSCoV-2 positive patients, RASI therapy, both at admission or in-hospital, showed no prognostic effect. Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate the impact of RASI therapy on the prognosis and SARSCoV2 infection of STEMI patients undergoing PPCI during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both pre-admission and in-hospital RASI were associated with lower mortality. Among SARSCoV2-positive patients, both chronic and in-hospital RASI therapy showed no impact on survival.Peer reviewe
Age-Related Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mechanical Reperfusion and 30-Day Mortality for STEMI : Results of the ISACS-STEMI COVID-19 Registry
Background: The constraints in the management of patients with ST-segment elevation
myocardial infarction (STEMI) during the COVID-19 pandemic have been suggested to have severely
impacted mortality levels. The aim of the current analysis is to evaluate the age-related effects of
the COVID-19 pandemic on mechanical reperfusion and 30-day mortality for STEMI within the
registry ISACS-STEMI COVID-19. Methods: This retrospective multicenter registry was performed
in high-volume PPCI centers on four continents and included STEMI patients undergoing PPCI
in March–June 2019 and 2020. Patients were divided according to age (< or ≥75 years). The main
outcomes were the incidence and timing of PPCI, (ischemia time longer than 12 h and door-to-balloon
longer than 30 min), and in-hospital or 30-day mortality. Results: We included 16,683 patients
undergoing PPCI in 109 centers. In 2020, during the pandemic, there was a significant reduction in
PPCI as compared to 2019 (IRR 0.843 (95%-CI: 0.825–0.861, p < 0.0001). We found a significant agerelated reduction (7%, p = 0.015), with a larger effect on elderly than on younger patients. Furthermore,
we observed significantly higher 30-day mortality during the pandemic period, especially among the
elderly (13.6% vs. 17.9%, adjusted HR (95% CI) = 1.55 [1.24–1.93], p < 0.001) as compared to younger
patients (4.8% vs. 5.7%; adjusted HR (95% CI) = 1.25 [1.05–1.49], p = 0.013), as a potential consequence
of the significantly longer ischemia time observed during the pandemic. Conclusions: The COVID-19
pandemic had a significant impact on the treatment of patients with STEMI, with a 16% reduction in
PPCI procedures, with a larger reduction and a longer delay to treatment among elderly patients,
which may have contributed to increase in-hospital and 30-day mortality during the pandemic
Age-Related Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mechanical Reperfusion and 30-Day Mortality for STEMI: Results of the ISACS-STEMI COVID-19 Registry
Background: The constraints in the management of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during the COVID-19 pandemic have been suggested to have severely impacted mortality levels. The aim of the current analysis is to evaluate the age-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mechanical reperfusion and 30-day mortality for STEMI within the registry ISACS-STEMI COVID-19. Methods: This retrospective multicenter registry was performed in high-volume PPCI centers on four continents and included STEMI patients undergoing PPCI in March-June 2019 and 2020. Patients were divided according to age (= 75 years). The main outcomes were the incidence and timing of PPCI, (ischemia time longer than 12 h and door-to-balloon longer than 30 min), and in-hospital or 30-day mortality. Results: We included 16,683 patients undergoing PPCI in 109 centers. In 2020, during the pandemic, there was a significant reduction in PPCI as compared to 2019 (IRR 0.843 (95%-CI: 0.825-0.861, p < 0.0001). We found a significant age-related reduction (7%, p = 0.015), with a larger effect on elderly than on younger patients. Furthermore, we observed significantly higher 30-day mortality during the pandemic period, especially among the elderly (13.6% vs. 17.9%, adjusted HR (95% CI) = 1.55 [1.24-1.93], p < 0.001) as compared to younger patients (4.8% vs. 5.7%; adjusted HR (95% CI) = 1.25 [1.05-1.49], p = 0.013), as a potential consequence of the significantly longer ischemia time observed during the pandemic. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the treatment of patients with STEMI, with a 16% reduction in PPCI procedures, with a larger reduction and a longer delay to treatment among elderly patients, which may have contributed to increase in-hospital and 30-day mortality during the pandemic
Impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on short-term outcome in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction during COVID-19 pandemic: insights from the international multicenter ISACS-STEMI registry
Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is projected to become the third cause of mortality worldwide. COPD shares several pathophysiological mechanisms with cardiovascular disease, especially atherosclerosis. However, no definite answers are available on the prognostic role of COPD in the setting of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), especially during COVID-19 pandemic, among patients undergoing primary angioplasty, that is therefore the aim of the current study. Methods In the ISACS-STEMI COVID-19 registry we included retrospectively patients with STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between March and June of 2019 and 2020 from 109 high-volume primary PCI centers in 4 continents. Results A total of 15,686 patients were included in this analysis. Of them, 810 (5.2%) subjects had a COPD diagnosis. They were more often elderly and with a more pronounced cardiovascular risk profile. No preminent procedural dissimilarities were noticed except for a lower proportion of dual antiplatelet therapy at discharge among COPD patients (98.9% vs. 98.1%, P = 0.038). With regards to short-term fatal outcomes, both in-hospital and 30-days mortality occurred more frequently among COPD patients, similarly in pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 era. However, after adjustment for main baseline differences, COPD did not result as independent predictor for in-hospital death (adjusted OR [95% CI] = 0.913[0.658-1.266], P = 0.585) nor for 30-days mortality (adjusted OR [95% CI] = 0.850 [0.620-1.164], P = 0.310). No significant differences were detected in terms of SARS-CoV-2 positivity between the two groups. Conclusion This is one of the largest studies investigating characteristics and outcome of COPD patients with STEMI undergoing primary angioplasty, especially during COVID pandemic. COPD was associated with significantly higher rates of in-hospital and 30-days mortality. However, this association disappeared after adjustment for baseline characteristics. Furthermore, COPD did not significantly affect SARS-CoV-2 positivity. Trial registration number: NCT 04412655 (2nd June 2020)