Drying and temperature induced conformational changes of nucleic acids and stallion sperm chromatin in trehalose preservation formulations.

Even though dried sperm is not viable, it can be used for fertilization as long as its chromatin remains intact. In this study, we investigated drying- and temperature-induced conformational changes of nucleic acids and stallion sperm chromatin. Sperm was diluted in preservation formulations with and without sugar/albumin and subjected to convective drying at elevated temperatures on glass substrates.

Spectral fingerprinting to evaluate effects of storage conditions on biomolecular structure of filter-dried saliva samples and recovered DNA.

Saliva has been widely recognized as a non-invasive, painless and easy-to-collect bodily fluid, which contains biomarkers that can be used for diagnosis of both oral and systemic diseases. Under ambient conditions, salivary biomarkers are subject to degradation. Therefore, in order to minimize degradation during transport and storage, saliva specimens need to be stabilized.

Spectroscopic assessment of oxidative damage in biomolecules and tissues.

Oxidative damage is one of the main causes of cryopreservation injury compromising the use of cryopreserved biospecimens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as a non-invasive method to assess changes in biomolecular composition and structure, associated with oxidative stress in isolated biomolecules, acellular heart valve tissues, and ovarian cortex tissues. FTIR spectra of these specimens subjected to various treatments (HO- and Fenton-treatment or elevated temperatures) were vector normalized and selected spectral regions were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA).

Increasing storage stability of freeze-dried plasma using trehalose.

Preservation of blood plasma in the dried state would facilitate long-term storage and transport at ambient temperatures, without the need of to use liquid nitrogen tanks or freezers. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of dry preservation of human plasma, using sugars as lyoprotectants, and evaluate macromolecular stability of plasma components during storage. Blood plasma from healthy donors was freeze dried using 0-10% glucose, sucrose, or trehalose, and stored at various temperatures.

[Echocardiographic evaluation of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha therapy with infliximab in patients without cardiac pathologies].

In the course of heart failure, plasmatic levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) are high and are related to prognosis and mortality. Infliximab, a recombinant chimeric antibody anti-TNF-alpha, was used in heart failure with disappointing results, similar to those obtained with other biological drugs.The aim of this study was the echocardiographic evaluation of infliximab infusion in nine patients without cardiac pathologies.

Cardiac involvement in Crohn's disease: echocardiographic study.

Background: Crohn's Disease (CD) commonly presents extra-intestinal manifestations, but cardiac involvement is considered rare. The aim of the present study was to assess cardiac involvement in CD and its possible correlation with activity, duration, localization and therapy.

Patients And Methods: A group of 68 patients with CD and a control group of 60 healthy subjects were subjected to a transthoracic echocardiogram with Doppler study.

[Budd-Chiari syndrome with fatal outcome in a patient with polycythemia vera and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome].

We report the case of a 41-year-old woman, affected by Vaquez syndrome, admitted to our hospital for a severe pain in the right hypochondrium, suddenly followed by hepatomegaly and ascites. The clinical and laboratory data were suggestive of hepatic insufficiency and abdominal ultrasonography, integrated by color Doppler and computed tomography, revealed an interrupted hepatic venous outflow. In addition a spontaneous prolonged partial thromboplastin time was present and the patient was found to be positive for lupus anticoagulant.

[Pseudothrombocytopenia: clinical comment on 37 cases].

Background: Pseudothrombocytopenia (PTCP) is characterized by in vitro EDTA-, pH-, temperature- and time-dependent clumping which gives rise to spurious piastrinopenia at platelet count in automatized analyzers. It is caused by serum immunoglobulins recognizing some cryptoantigens on the platelet surface membrane. Aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of PTCP in a series of patients and its clinical significance.

[43 cases of primary empty sella syndrome: a case series].

Primary empty sella syndrome (ESS) is an anatomo-radiological picture characterized by the presence of an arachnoid herniation filled with liquor that compresses the pituitary against the sellar wall. ESS occurs particularly in obese, hypertensive, cephalalgic women. It is often asymptomatic but may be associated with ophthalmologic, neurologic and non-characterizing endocrine disorders.