MicroRNA Expression Analysis of Centenarians and Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Reveals a Common Expression Pattern.

Micro-RNA (miRNA) are a family of small non-coding ribonucleic acids that inhibits post-transcriptionally the expression of their target messenger RNA (mRNA). We are interested in studying the involvement of miRNA in longevity and autoimmune diseases. In this study we compared the different expression of seven microRNAs between human plasma healthy controls, plasma samples of centenarians and samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Proteomic analysis of human plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease with a broad spectrum of clinical presentations and incompletely understood pathogenesis. This autoimmune disease is characterized by alterations in both the innate and adaptive immune system that lead to the loss of immunologic tolerance. In autoimmune diseases particularly in SLE, early diagnosis, flare or remission phases can be difficult to identify.

miRNA Stability in Frozen Plasma Samples.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a family of small non-coding ribonucleic acids that post-transcriptionally inhibits the expression of their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), thereby acting as general gene repressors. In this study we examined the relative quantity and stability of miRNA subjected to a long period of freezing; we compared the stability of eight miRNAs in the plasma of five human healthy controls before freezing and after six and 12 months of storage at -80 °C. In addition, we examined the plasma frozen for 14 years and the amount of miRNA still available.

Plasma Clusterin and Lipid Profile: A Link with Aging and Cardiovascular Diseases in a Population with a Consistent Number of Centenarians.

The role of Clusterin in attenuation of inflammation and reverse cholesterol transfer makes this molecule a potential candidate as a marker for cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. In elderly subjects cardiovascular diseases represent the primary cause of death and different clinical studies have shown a positive correlation of these diseases with changes in the lipid pattern. This work aimed at evaluating the relationship between circulating clusterin and the biochemical parameters that characterize the lipid profile of a Sardinian population divided into five age groups including centenarians; the high frequency in Sardinia of these long-lived individuals gave us the opportunity to extend the range of the age groups to be analyzed to older ages and to better evaluate the changes in the lipid balance during ageing and its relationship with clusterin concentration in plasma.

Plasma concentrations of transthyretin in older Sardinians including centenarians.

Background And Aims: Plasma concentrations of transthyretin (TTR), a negative acute-phase protein, can be influenced by many factors including aging. Under physiological circumstances, TTR concentrations are very low in the fetus, increase slowly after birth up to the fifth decade and, then, decrease slowly. Some studies have shown sex-related differences up to about 70 years, when the differences disappear.

Pre-analytical stability of the plasma proteomes based on the storage temperature.

Background: This study examined the effect of storage temperature on the protein profile of human plasma. Plasma samples were stored for 13 days at -80°C, -20°C, +4°C and room temperature (20-25°C) prior to proteomic analysis. The proteomic comparisons were based on the differences of mean intensity values of protein spots between fresh plasma samples (named "time zero") and plasma samples stored at different temperatures.