Fossichnus solus and Oichnus simplex, two peculiar ichnospecies in modern benthic foraminifera from a polluted area in SW coast of Sardinia, Italy

The modern benthic foraminiferal tests collected from a coastal area of south-western Sardinia (Portoscuso-Portovesme) that is heavily polluted by industrial activity reveal intense and widespread bioerosional structures induced by diversifi ed microborers. A large number of the foraminifera reveals microscopic round holes (1-60 μm in diameter) and roundish concavities (25x40 μm in external diameter) on their surface that belong, respectively, to the ichnospecies Oichnus simplex Bromley, 1981, and Fossichnus solus Nielsen et al., 2003. These traces just occur in the tests of the foraminifera which are heavily infested by microendolithic cyanobacteria, algae and fungi suggests comparable ethological behaviour between the ichnospecies Fossichnus and Oichnus and the microbial euendoliths that are ascribed to individual biological taxa. The greater occurrence of F. solus and O. simplex in the high-Mg foraminiferal porcelanaceous tests than in the low-Mg foraminiferal hyaline tests reveals that the bioerosional processes seem to be related to the Mg/Ca ratio, as well as to morphological structures of the taxa

Apolipoprotein E in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

Apolipoprotein E in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.BackgroundHyperlipemia characterizes nephrotic syndrome (NS) and contributes to the progression of the underlying nephropathy. The data in the literature support an implication of apolipoprotein E (apoE) in both hyperlipemia and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a malignant condition associated with NS.MethodsThe apoE genotype was determined in 209 nephrotic patients, who were classified according to age and their response to steroids as resistant children (N = 96) and adults (43), and steroid dependent (33) and steroid responder (37) children. A total of 123 presented the histological features of FSGS. In a subgroup of 28 patients, serum and urinary levels of apoE and renal deposits were evaluated by immunofluorescence.ResultsThe allelic frequencies of the three major haplotypes γ2, γ3, and γ4 were the same in nephrotic patients versus controls, and homozygosity for γ3γ3 was comparably the most frequent genotype (70 vs. 71%) followed by γ3γ4, γ2γ3, γ2γ4, γ4γ4. Serum levels of apoE were fivefold higher in NS and in FSGS patients than in controls, with a direct correlation with hypercholesterolemia and proteinuria. ApoE genotypes did not influence serum levels. Urinary levels were 1/10,000 of serum with an increment in nephrotic urines. Finally, immunofluorescence demonstrated the absence of apoE in sclerotic glomeruli, while comparably nephrotic patients with membranous nephropathy had an increased glomerular expression of apoE.ConclusionsApoE is dysregulated in NS with a marked increment in serum, which is a part of the complex lipid metabolism. Down-regulation of glomerular apoE instead is a peculiarity of FSGS and may contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. The normal distribution of apoE genotypes in nephrotic patients with FSGS excludes a pathogenetic role of genetic variants

Immunohistochemical evaluation of a new epithelial antigen, BER-EP4 in ovarian cancer: a propos of 62 cases

OBJECTIVE: To assess the immunohistochemical expression of BerEP4, a new epithelial antigen in ovarian cancer. METHODS: We studied 62 cases of ovarian cancer in which BerEP4, CEA and CA-125 were investigated by an immunohistochemical method. We evaluated the correlations among immunohistochemical positivity and the grading, histotype and stage of disease. RESULTS: BerEP4 was positive in 45 out of 62 cases (72.58%), CA-125 in 36 out of 62 cases (58.06%) and CEA in ten out of 62 cases (16.13%). BerEP4 was present both in serous and in mucinous tumors (80.96% vs. 80.77%). CA-125 was mainly expressed in serous vs mucinous tumors (66.67% vs. 57.69%). CEA was more prevalent in mucinous vs. serous tumors. Ber-EP4 was mainly expressed in G1 (75%) and G2 (77.27%). CA-125 was more present in G1 and G3 (both 62.50%) than G2 (50%), whereas CEA showed positivity in G1: 12.50%, G2: 22.73% and G3: 12.50%. There were no differences among the three antigens studied with regard to clinical stage. CONCLUSIONS: In our study Ber-EP4 was positive in 45 out of 62 cases (72.58%) of primary epithelial ovarian cancers. The presence of this antigen seemed to be related to the histotype and grading but not to clinical stage.</br

Microborings in foraminiferi bentonici di un’area marina costiera altamente industrializzata: possibile correlazione tra infestazione microbica e inquinamento ambientale?

Nell’ambito di uno studio sulle comunità a foraminiferi bentonici provenienti da un’area marina costiera altamente industrializzata (Portovesme, Sardegna sud-occidentale) è stata osservata un’intensa attività microbioerosiva (immagini ESEM) sui gusci carbonatici, indotta da infestazione microbica (Cherchi et al., 2009). La microbioerosione è particolarmente evidente nei campioni provenienti dai siti che presentano maggior tasso di inquinamento, più prossimi al Polo Industriale, mentre è più scarsa o assente nei siti meno inquinati o non inquinati situati in posizione più distale. L’impatto degli inquinanti (metalli pesanti fra cui Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cd, polveri sottili ed emanazioni di CO2) è stato evidenziato attraverso analisi mineralogiche e geochimiche eseguite sui sedimenti di fondo e sui gusci dei foraminiferi mediante diffrazione a raggi X, analisi al SEM-EDS e via ICPMS, previa digestione del campione con le metodologie descritte da Cherchi et al. (2009). La risposta dei foraminiferi bentonici agli agenti inquinanti è stata valutata quantitativamente su base statistica (indici biotici e Q-mode Cluster Analysis). In particolare è stata evidenziata una forte correlazione positiva tra la concentrazione dei metalli pesanti e i valori di Equitability (J); mentre dalla Cluster Analysis è emersa una netta separazione tra siti altamente inquinati in prossimità del Polo Industriale e siti più distali meno inquinati. La correlazione positiva tra dati biotici, mineralogici e geochimici ottenuti nell’area di Portovesme sembra suggerire l’ipotesi che lo stress ambientale, derivante dall’impatto degli agenti inquinanti, possa aver favorito l’instaurarsi di un microambiente estremo, atto allo sviluppo di comunità microbiche diversificate. Risultati preliminari hanno evidenziato tracce bioerosive selettive su gusci porcellanacei e ialini prodotte presumibilmente da differenti microrganismi. Nei campioni analizzati i gusci ialini presentano una più intensa bioerosione sviluppata soprattutto intorno ai pori, che appaiono spesso deformati, stirati e tra loro fusi in plaghe irregolari, con tracce di dissoluzione. Effetti bioerosivi similari, attribuiti all’azione batterica, sono stati descritti da Freiwald (1995) in Cibicides lobatulus. Il proseguo delle ricerche tenderà a definire: (i) la composizione delle comunità microbiche, (ii) la loro azione bioerosiva selettiva sulle diverse strutture dei gusci carbonatici e a fornire (iii) un contributo ai processi connessi alla loro biocorrosione