A Prospective, Randomized Study to Compare the Effect of Combination Therapy With Campath-1H on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Induction therapy with Campath-1H, a humanized anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody depleting T and B lymphocytes, has been used in organ transplantation with the final goal of resetting the immune system in order to promote a tolerance-permissive environment and, at the same time, to reduce the need for chronic maintenance immunosuppression. To explore whether thisO may result from the capability of Campath-1H, in association with different maintenance regimens, to promote regulatory T cells (Treg) expansion and to assess whether this may translate into better graft outcomes in the long-term, 21 renal transplant patients receiving Campath-1H induction were randomized to low-dose SRL (n=11) or low-dose CsA (n=10), both in addition to low-dose mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) as maintenance immunosuppressive therapy and monitored for over 30 month follow-up. SRL-treated patients showed an important expansion of circulating CD4+CD25highFOXP3+ Treg that, at one and two years after transplant, were significantly more abundant than in the CsA group. T cells isolated from peripheral blood long-term post-transplant were hyporesponsive to donor alloantigens in both treatment arms. In SRL-, but not CsA-treated patients, hyporesponsiveness was reversed by Treg depletion. T cells from CsA-treated patients were anergic to donor antigens. Despite higher Treg counts, SRL-treated patients had a faster GFR and RPF decline, more clinical proteinuria, significantly higher tubular C4d staining score and a trend to higher chronic allograft damage index score, compared to CsA-treated patients. There was no significant correlation between Treg counts and any considered outcome variable in the study group as a whole and within each treatment group. These data suggest that, after Campath-1H induction, maintenance therapy with low-dose SRL and MMF promotes Treg expansion, but this is not paralleled by long-term improved graft outcomes. Conversely, maintenance immunosuppression with low-dose CsA and MMF is associated with better graft function and structure than low-dose SRL plus MMF, possibly through the induction of T cell anergy toward donor antigens

Removal of bisphenol A by a nanofiltration membrane in view of drinking water production

The efficiency with which a nanofiltration membrane (Desal 5 DK) removes bisphenol A(BPA) was investigated, together with the mechanisms involved. Whereas high retention (490%) was obtained at the beginning of the filtration, the observed retention coefficient(Robs) decreased to around 50% when the membrane became saturated, due to adsorption of BPA onto the membrane structure. The presence of ions (Na+, Cl) affects the Robs, this effect being attributed to a change in BPA hydrodynamic radius. Moreover, in our operating conditions, the presence of natural organic matter (1 mg/L) in the feed solution does not lead to variation in BPA retention at steady state

Dichloroaniline retention by nanofiltration membranes

This study evaluates the performance of two nanofiltration membranes in removing a herbicide: dichloroaniline. The membranes, one polyamide and one cellulose acetate, have a cut-off in the range 150–300 g/mol (manufacturers’ data). The experiments were carried out with solutions of dichloroaniline in demineralized water, with concentrations from 1 to 10 ppb. For each membrane, the amount of herbicide retained and adsorbed by the membrane was determined as a function of feed concentration and transmembrane pressure. The two membranes, made of different materials but having the same nominal cut-off, retained dichloroaniline to very different extents and by different mechanisms

Carpomya vesuviana A. Costa (Diptera Tephritidae Trypetinae Carpomyini) from jujube tree in Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy)

The presence of Carpomya vesuviana (Diptera Tephritidae) on fruit of jujube tree (Ziziphus jujuba) in Emilia- Romagna (Northern Italy) is reported. Some aspects of the biology of the species are described. Differently from southern regions, where C. vesuviana is polivoltine, in Emilia-Romagna only one generation per year occurs.

Monitoring alloimmune response in kidney transplantation

Currently, immunosuppressive therapy in kidney transplant recipients is generally performed by protocols and adjusted according to functional or histological evaluation of the allograft and/or signs of drug toxicity or infection. As a result, a large fraction of patients are likely to receive too much or too little immunosuppression, exposing them to higher rates of infection, malignancy and drug toxicity, or increased risk of acute and chronic graft injury from rejection, respectively. Developing reliable biomarkers is crucial for individualizing therapy aimed at extending allograft survival. Emerging data indicate that many assays, likely used in panels rather than single assays, have potential to be diagnostic and predictive of short and also long-term outcome. While numerous cross-sectional studies have found associations between the results of these assays and the presence of clinically relevant post-transplantation outcomes, data from prospective studies are still scanty, thereby preventing widespread implementation in the clinic. Of note, some prospective, randomized, multicenter biomarker-driven studies are currently on-going aiming at confirming such preliminary data. These works as well as other future studies are highly warranted to test the hypothesis that tailoring immunosuppression on the basis of results offered by these biomarkers leads to better outcomes than current standard clinical practice

Sirolimus for calcineurin inhibitors in organ transplantation: contra

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Ants (Hymenoptera Formicidae) and the food industry: observations in factory premises in central Italy

Research on ants (Hymenoptera Formicidae) in a food factory in the province of Latina (Lazio, central Italy) was carried out over several years up to 2013. The investigation started during the 1990s, and was conducted principally by examining specimens caught in light traps placed indoors on the factory premises. A smaller number of ants was collected directly during periodical inspections. The present work focuses on the observations made on specimens collected during 2007 and 2008 using light traps. Besides some ant genera and species which are well known as being typical pests of the food industry, some other more unusual and sporadic species were found. Among these latter, females of the ponerine ant Hypoponera punctatissima were sometimes collected in dozens or hundreds during single weeks of sampling using light traps. Many specimens of Pheidole pallidula (males, females, workers and soldiers) and Lasius spp. (males) were also collected using traps. H. eduardi, Cremastogaster scutellaris, Solenopsis fugax and Linepithema humile were scarce or extremely scarce in the traps, as were species of Myrmica, Aphaenogaster, Messor, Tetramorium, and Camponotus. The causes of their presence in the food factory may differ according to genera and species, and deserve to be studied in depth

The role of renin angiotensin system inhibition in kidney repair

Chronic kidney diseases share common pathogenic mechanisms that, independently from the initial injury, lead to glomerular hyperfiltration, proteinuria, and progressive renal scarring and function loss. Inhibition of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) has been consistently found to reduce or halt the progressive deterioration of renal function through reduction of blood pressure and proteinuria, the two main determinants of renal function decline. In few instances, RAS inhibition may even promote amelioration of the glomerular filtration rate. Animal data suggest that chronic therapy with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor type I blockers promotes regression of glomerulosclerosis, even in later phases of the disease. In humans, studies investigating the effect of angiotensin II inhibition on renal structural changes have shown inconsistent results, possibly due to small numbers and/or short duration of follow-up. Whether regression of glomerulosclerosis relies on a direct regenerative effect of RAS inhibition or on spontaneous kidney self-repair after the injury has been removed is still unknown. Improved understanding of mechanisms that promote renal regeneration may help in designing specific therapies to prevent the development of end-stage renal disease. This is a desirable goal, considering the economic burden of chronic kidney diseases and their effect on morbidity and mortality

Conclusions of the French Food Safety Agency on the toxicity of bisphenol A

Since more than 10 years, risk assessment of bisphenol A (BPA) is debated at the international level. In 2008, the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) expressed some concern for adverse effects, at current level of exposure to BPA, on developmental toxicity. In this context, the French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) decided to review the toxicity data on BPA with a special focus on this endpoint at doses below 5mg/kg bw/day (the no observed adverse effect level set by different regulatory bodies). This paper summarizes the conclusions of a collective assessment conducted by an expert Working Group from AFSSA. Studies were classified into 3 groups: (i) finding no toxicity, (ii) reporting results not considered to be of concern and (iii) indicating warning signals. The term "warning signal" means that no formal conclusion can be drawn regarding the establishment of a health based guidance value but the study raises some questions about the toxicity of BPA at low doses. It was concluded that studies are needed to ascertain the significance for human health of these warning signals and to be able to propose new methodologies for assessing the risks associated with low doses of BPA and more generally of endocrine disruptors