Calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, silicon and zinc content of hair in Parkinson's disease.

The aetiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) is still unknown, but some hypotheses have focused on the imbalances in body levels of metals as co-factors of risk. To assess whether hair could be a reliable marker of possible changes, calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si) and zinc (Zn) were determined in hair from 81 patients affected by PD and 17 age-matched controls. Care was taken to eliminate external contamination of the hair by thorough washing.

Concentration of elements in serum of patients affected by multiple sclerosis with first demyelinating episode: a six-month longitudinal follow-up study.

Twenty-six chemical elements and oxidative status were determined in serum of 12 patients with first demyelinating episode and brain magnetic resonance imaging compatible with the disease at different time points. Quantifications of Al, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Si, Sn, Sr, V, Tl, W, Zn and Zr, as well as of serum oxidative status and antioxidant capacity were carried out. The results were compared with values obtained from healthy subjects living in the same geographic area.

Quantification of chemical elements in blood of patients affected by multiple sclerosis.

Although some studies suggested a link between exposure to trace elements and development of multiple sclerosis (MS), clear information on their role in the aetiology of MS is still lacking. In this study the concentrations of Al, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Si, Sn, Sr, Tl, V, W, Zn and Zr were determined in the blood of 60 patients with MS and 60 controls. Quantifications were performed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectrometry and sector field ICP mass spectrometry.

Correlation between metal ions and clinical findings in subjects affected by Alzheimer's disease.

There is a growing interest to evaluate metals in biological fluids in Alzheimer's disease (AD). There are numerous studies on this theme, but just few papers analyzed the relationship between haematic metal concentrations and the clinical features of the disease. In this study, possible associations between clinical features of AD and the variations in serum and blood concentration of some metals, as well as the serum oxidative status and the antioxidant capacity have been investigated.

Monitoring of chemical elements and oxidative damage in patients affected by Alzheimer's disease.

The haematic concentration of 26 metals and the oxidative damage in 60 patients (20 males and 40 females) affected by Alzheimer's disease and 44 healthy individuals (33 males and 11 females) were compared. In patients, the following significant (p < or = 0.05) discrepancies were found: i) increment of Ca, Cd, Hg, Mg, Si and Sn, and decrement of Al, Co, Fe and Zn in serum; ii) higher concentrations of Cu, Li, Mn, Sn and Zr and lower of Fe, Hg, Mo in blood; iii) overproduction of oxidant species (SOS) and decrease of the anti-oxidant capacity (SAC) (p < or = 0.

Metals and oxidative stress in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Twenty-six metals and the oxidative status in 71 patients affected by Parkinson's disease and 44 healthy individuals were compared in order to identify potential biomarkers of the disease. In the patients, the following significant imbalances were found (p < or = 0.05): i) in serum, an increment of Ca, Mg, Ni, Si and V, and a decrement of Cd, Co, Fe, Li, Sn, Zn and Zr; ii) in blood, raised levels of Co, Li, Ni and Si and decreased of Al, Be, Ca, Cd, Fe, Mg, Mo, Sn, Zn and Zr; iii) increased formation of oxidant species and lowered anti-oxidant capacity (p < or = 0.

Assessment of reference values for selected elements in a healthy urban population.

Reference values for 26 elements, namely Al, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Si, Sn, Sr, Tl, V, W, Zn and Zr are proposed in serum and blood of 110 healthy adults of the urban area of Rome. They were included in the study on the basis of strict criteria of eligibility and exclusion. With the exception of Ba, Bi, Co, Cr, Ni, Sb, Sn Tl in serum, and Bi, Hg, Si, V and W in whole blood, experimental data for each all the other analytes were found to approach a normal distribution.

Development of methods for the quantification of essential and toxic elements in human biomonitoring.

Analytical methods using sector field ICP-MS and ICP-AES were developed for the determination of Al, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Si, Sn, Sr, Tl, V, W, Zn and Zr in cerebrospinal fluid, urine, serum and blood. Sample treatment procedures merging high sample throughput, simplicity and low contamination risk were set up. Method performances were evaluated in terms of detection limits, accuracy and precision.

Uncertainty of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry based measurements: an application to the analysis of urinary barium, cesium, antimony and tungsten.

The wide use of barium (Ba), cesium (Cs), antimony (Sb) and tungsten (W) in many industrial and agricultural fields causes the increased release of these metals into the environment, laying the basis for health risk. To assess the exposure for the general population, the development of adequate and reliable analytical techniques becomes compulsory. This study refers to the quantification of urinary Ba, Cs, Sb and W levels by both quadrupole (Q) and sector field (SF) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Evaluation of cytokine polymorphisms (TNFalpha, IFNgamma and IL-10) in Down patients with coeliac disease.

Background: In Down syndrome there is an increased prevalence of coeliac disease, but the reasons for this association are yet unknown.

Aims: To evaluate a possible correlation between TNFalpha, IFNgamma and IL-10 genotype polymorphisms with the susceptibility to coeliac disease in Down syndrome patients.

Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms of TNFalpha (-308G-->A promoter region), IFNgamma (+874T-->A promoter region) and IL-10 (-1082G-->A promoter region) have been studied in 10 Down patients with coeliac disease, in 40 Down patients without coeliac disease and in 220 healthy controls.

Hepatocyte growth factor effects on mesenchymal stem cells: proliferation, migration, and differentiation.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a pleiotropic cytokine of mesenchymal origin promoting migration, proliferation, and survival in a wide spectrum of cells, can also modulate different biological responses in stem cells, but the mechanisms involved are not completely understood so far. In this context, we show that short-term exposure of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to HGF can induce the activation of its cognate Met receptor and the downstream effectors ERK1/2, p38MAPK, and PI3K/Akt, while long-term exposure to HGF resulted in cytoskeletal rearrangement, cell migration, and marked inhibition of proliferation through the arrest in the G1-S checkpoint. When added to MSCs, the K252A tyrosine kinase inhibitor prevented HGF-induced responses.

TNFalpha, IFNgamma and IL-10 gene polymorphisms in a sample of Sicilian patients with coeliac disease.

Background: Coeliac disease is associated with DQ2 and DQ8 alleles, but other genes also confer an additional genetic risk.

Aims: Defining whether the genetic profiles of interleukin-10, tumour necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma are associated with an increased coeliac disease risk.

Patients And Methods: The functionally gene polymorphisms of tumour necrosis factor alpha (-308G/A), interferon gamma (+874T/A) and interleukin-10 (-1082G/A) were typed using sequence specific primer-polymerase chain reaction in 110 Sicilian coeliac disease patients and in 220 Sicilian healthy controls.

Comparison of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry techniques in the determination of platinum in urine: quadrupole vs. sector field.

In recent years the increasing use of platinum (Pt) both in medical and in industrial applications has caused its growing anthropogenic emission and spread in the environment. Pt is released into the atmosphere by exhaust catalytic converters, and Pt compounds are often used in antitumour therapies. As a consequence, significant amounts of Pt can be detected in hospital wastewaters.

Assessment of workers' exposure to palladium in a catalyst production plant.

Airborne particulate matter was collected and biomonitoring of workers was performed by sampling blood, urine and hair of 84 exposed subjects, 17 occasionally exposed employees, 21 controls from administrative offices and 25 unexposed people (external controls). Determination of Pd was performed using Quadrupole and High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. The Production of Catalysts Department and the Refining Service presented the highest levels of Pd in airborne matter collected by means of an area sampler.

Stem cell activation sustains hereditary hypertrophy in hamster cardiomyopathy.

Recent studies have documented the presence of stem cells within the myocardium and their role in the repair of ischaemic injury. Nevertheless, the pathogenic role of stem cells in non-ischaemic myocardial diseases, as well as the factors potentially responsible for their activation, is still under debate. The present study demonstrates the presence of an increased number of c-kit positive, MDR-positive, and Sca-1-positive stem cells within the myocardium of hereditary delta-SG null hamsters, a spontaneously occurring model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Biomonitoring of a worker population exposed to platinum dust in a catalyst production plant.

Aims: To evaluate the occupational exposure to platinum in an industrial plant engaged in the production, recovery, and recycling of catalytic converters for the automotive traction and chemical industries.

Methods: Pt was determined in airborne particulate matter, and blood, urine, and hair of 106 exposed workers, 21 controls from the plant's administrative offices, and 25 unexposed subjects.

Results: The highest air Pt level was found in the department of the plant in which supports are coated with acid metal solutions, where values of 2.

Benefits and pitfalls in applying the experience of prepaid group practices to the U.S. physician supply.

The paper by Jonathan Weiner includes important improvements in the methodology used to compare the physician workforce in prepaid group practices (PGPs) with the U.S. physician workforce.

Prophylaxis of ERCP-related pancreatitis: a randomized, controlled trial of somatostatin and gabexate mesylate.

Background & Aims: It still is debated whether post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis can be prevented by administering either somatostatin or gabexate mesylate. The aim of the study is to assess the efficacy of a 6.5-hour infusion of somatostatin or gabexate mesylate in preventing ERCP-related complications.

Trace and major elements in whole blood, serum, cerebrospinal fluid and urine of patients with Parkinson's disease.

Quantifications of Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Si and Zn were performed in urine, serum, blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 26 patients affected by Parkinson's disease (PD) and 13 age-matched controls to ascertain the potential role of biological fluids as markers for this pathology. Analyses were performed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry and Sector Field Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. The serum oxidant status (SOS) and anti-oxidant capacity (SAC) were also determined.

Identification and quantification of major species of arsenic in rice.

A study was undertaken to develop a method for the chemical speciation of As in rice on the basis of current knowledge in this field for use in preparing a certified reference material (CRM). Samples of the Arborio rice variety were ground to a fine powder, which was extracted under sonication with a water-methanol mixture (1 + 1, v/v). The resulting solutions were injected into a high-performance liquid chromatograph combined on-line with a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer.

[Ultrasonography in diagnostic and therapeutic management of the abscesses due to Actinomyces spp].

A case of abscess of masseter muscle by Actinomyces spp. is described. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration allowed diagnosis by cytology.

High-throughput microwave-digestion procedures to monitor neurotoxic elements in body fluids by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Microwave (MW) digestion procedures with high sample throughput (simultaneous digestion of 36 or 80 samples) and procedural simplicity (disposable plastic tubes, or re-usable liners with screw-cap) were investigated for their efficiency in routine analyses of biological samples. Different digestion vessel materials were tested for metal leaching/adsorption and thermal resistance: quartz, glass, polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS). For the instrumental quantification of Al, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Tl at ultra-trace levels in urine, serum, and whole blood, sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS) was used.

Triple (interferon, ribavirin, amantadine) versus double (interferon, ribavirin) re-therapy for interferon relapser genotype 1b HCV chronic active hepatitis patients.

BACKGROUND: Retreatment for 6 months with the association ribavirin-interferon of HCV-related chronic active hepatitis relapser patients has high probability of failure, mostly in those with genotype 1b. We evaluated the efficacy of extending the therapy from 6 to 12 months without or with the addition of amantadine. METHODS: Forty-nine genotype 1b relapser patients were treated with 3 MU of IFN-alpha2b three times per week and ribavirin 1000-1200 mg daily (double therapy).