MicroRNAs alteration as early biomarkers for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases: New challenges in pesticides exposure.

This review summarizes the current knowledge linking cancer and neuro-degenerative diseases to dysregulation of microRNA network following pesticide exposure. Most findings revealed differential miRNA expression targeting biomolecules and pathways involved in various neoplastic localizations and neurodegenerative diseases. A growing body of evidence in recent literature indicates that alteration of specific miRNAs can represent an early biomarker of disease following exposure to chemical agents, including pesticides.

Biological risk for healthcare workers: current Italian law and guidelines on vaccination strategies.

The assessment and management of biological risk has always been a primary goal toward which occupational medicine has focused its efforts, in particular in healthcare workplaces. Healthcare professionals represent a category of workers at high risk for infections, many of which are vaccine-preventable diseases. There are various reasons for vaccinating healthcare workers, including to prevent illness among them so as to reduce absenteeism, to ensure an effective health service to users and to reduce social costs.

Occupational exposure to pesticides as a possible risk factor for the development of chronic diseases in humans (Review).

It is well known that pesticides are widely used compounds. In fact, their use in agriculture, forestry, fishery and the food industry has granted a huge improvement in terms of productive efficiency. However, a great number of epidemiological surveys have demonstrated that these toxic compounds can interact and exert negative effects not only with their targets (pests, herbs and fungi), but also with the rest of the environment, including humans.

Serum levels of copper, selenium and manganese in forestry workers testing IgG positive for Brucella, Borrelia, and Rickettsia.

The aim of this study is to measure the alterations in the trace levels of serum copper (Cu), selenium (Se), and manganese (Mn) in forestry workers testing immunoglobulin G (IgG)-positive for Brucella, Borrelia, and Rickettsia. The study was conducted on a sample of 758 subjects (560 male and 198 female). All the subjects underwent medical examinations, which investigated particularly the presence of clinical signs compatible with zoonoses, and routine blood tests from venous blood sample, which tested previous immunisation versus cited microorganisms and serum concentration of Cu, Se, and Mn.

[Trans-muconic (t,t-MA) and S-phenilmercapturic acid: two biologic markers of benzene low dose exposure].

The aim of our study is the comparison between two different biological exposure index, trans-trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA) and S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA), that are minor metabolites of benzene, in the exposure to low concentrations of benzene, to estimate which shows better correlation with the environmental exposure. The study has been conducted upon a sample of 105 male workers in a petrolchemical plant in Sicily. The environmental monitoring data has shown exposure levels within acceptable limits compared with TLV, and these levels have been confirmed by biological monitoring data.