Dissecting the Functional Role of the TRIM8 Protein on Cancer Pathogenesis.

TRIM/RBCC are a large family of proteins that include more than 80 proteins, most of which act as E3 ligases and catalyze the direct transfer of Ubiquitin, SUMO and ISG15 on specific protein substrates. They are involved in oncogenesis processes and in cellular immunity. On this topic, we focus on TRIM8 and its multiple roles in tumor pathologies.

Endovascular repair of isolated post-traumatic subclavian artery false-aneurysm (FA) using gore viabahn vbx-balloon-expandable (BE) stent-graft: case report and literature review.

True and false aneurysms (FA) of the subclavian artery are at high risk of rupture due to their localization and proximity/closeness to the articular bone structures of the upper thoracic outlet and shoulders. Surgical and endovascular treatments are good options to avoid complications such as aneurysms rupture, thrombosis and distal embolism alone or in combination. Self-expandable (SE) covered stents are the most used devices for the treatment of subclavian artery aneurysms.

Assessment of lumbar disc herniaton using fractional anisotropy in diffusion tensor imaging along with conventional T2-weighted imaging.

Objective: To assess the usefulness of diffusion tensor imaging and its fractional anisotropy map along with conventional T2-weighted imaging in evaluating the anisotropic water diffusion variations of annulus fibres involved in herniation disc pathology.

Materials And Methods: Seventy-five patients with previous medical ethics committee approval and informed consent experiencing low back pain were selected for this prospective randomised blinded trial. Lumbar disc fractional anisotropy maps were obtained acquiring diffusion tensor sequences on a 3T machine.

Imaging of cervical spine traumas.

Spinal traumas represent a significant proportion of muscle-skeletal injuries worldwide. Spinal injuries involve a complex structure with components having different traumatic susceptibility and variable healing capabilities. The interaction of numerous variables at time of trauma creates a great variety of lesions which makes challenging the creation and comparison of homogeneous groups, with difficulties in classifying spinal lesions, in assessing their instability, and in defining the indication and outcome of different treatment strategies.

A Method to Study the C924T Polymorphism of the Thromboxane A2 Receptor Gene.

The thromboxane A2 receptor (TBXA2R) gene is a member of the G-protein coupled superfamily with seven-transmembrane regions. It is involved in atherogenesis progression, ischemia, and myocardial infarction. Here we present a methodology of patient genotyping to investigate the post-transcriptional role of the C924T polymorphism (rs4523) situated at the 3' region of the TBXA2 receptor gene.

Diagnosis of a neonatal ophthalmic discharge, Ophthalmia neonatorum, in the molecular age: investigation for a correct therapy.

An early double case of acute Ophthalmia neonatorum in 3-day-old twins is reported. Culture of eye swabs showed a wide bacterial polymorphism, in which common bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Corynebacterium ulcerans and other Enterobacteriaceae, coexisted with atypical Mycoplasmataceae and Chlamydiaceae from resident cervical-vaginal maternal microbiota. The neonates were in an apparently healthy state, but showed red eyes with abundant greenish-yellow secretion, mild chemosis and lid edema.

Cytokine expression profile and blood parameter evaluation of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Cardiac surgery is accompanied by an important immune response that is poorly understood. This inflammatory response is caused by several stimuli: surgical trauma, cardiopulmonary bypass apparatus, aortic-cross clamping, reperfusion injury and hypothermia. The aim of the present study is to investigate the cytokine level profile involved in the inflammatory pathway of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Differential TBXA2 receptor transcript stability is dependent on the C924T polymorphism.

Background: In order to better characterize the molecular mechanisms involved in processing mutated transcripts, we investigated the post-transcriptional role of the C924T polymorphism (rs4523) located in the 3' region of the TBXA2R gene.

Methods And Results: Experiments of dose response with Actinomycin D on MEG-01 human cell line showed a significant decrease on cell viability that was more evident on cells treated for 24h. In addition, we showed that treatments with 5-10μM, 15μM and 20μM of actinomycin D reduced cell viability by 44%, 72% and 75%, respectively, compared to the control group.

[PRES (Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome): potential complication of hypertensive crisis. Case report and literature review].

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinical-radiological syndrome, usually reversible, characterized by vasogenic oedema in cerebral posterior regions in patients with autoimmune diseases, nephropathies, hypertensive crisis, eclampsia and exposure to cytotoxic drugs. The main symptoms are: headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures, visual disturbance and altered consciousness. Complications as cerebral hemorrhage and recurrences are rare.

Analytical Management of Patients Undergoing Oral Anticoagulant Therapy Could Have a Strong Impact on Clinical Outcomes: A Follow-up Study.

Introduction: Oral anticoagulant therapy, such as vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), is prominent for the prevention of cerebral ischemic stroke or systemic embolism and all-cause mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, and mechanical or biological valve. VKA treatment requires monitoring of the international normalized ratio (INR) in order to maintain it in a therapeutic range, avoiding side effects, the main and most significant of which is bleeding. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the event rates of several clinical composite outcomes, such as bleeding, thromboembolic events, and all-cause death.

Cytokine modulation in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis undergoing treatment with steroids, immunosuppressants, and IFN-γ 1b.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease of unknown etiology and pathogenic mechanisms. From an etiopathogenic point of view, alveolar macrophages play a key role in accumulation of fibroblasts and deposition of collagen and extracellular matrix by releasing specific cytokines and inflammatory mediators. IPF seems to be also associated with circulating fibrocytes, which might be involved with an abnormal pulmonary vascular repair and remodeling.

Jurassic surgery and immunity enhancement by alkyglycerols of shark liver oil.

Background: Shark liver oil (SLO) contains both alkylglycerols (AKG) and squalene and is an ancient remedy among the fishermen on the west coast of Norway and Sweden. Literature reports showed that alkyglycerols enhance Fc-receptor mediated phagocytosis, increase humoral immune response and delay hypersensitivity reactions.

Methods: On this background we performed an open spontaneous study on 40 very old aged surgical patients preoperatively treated with alkyglycerols (500 mg twice a day for 4 weeks), in order to reduce the risks of operation, counteracting the postoperative inflammatory and anergic conditions thus achieving quick and plain recovery.

Enigmatic question of early reactive arthritis disclosed after researches of mycoplasmas, Chlamydia trachomatis and enteropathogens following the holistic vision of human being.

An HLA-B27 genetic profile patient is fully investigated by molecular analyses after an anamnestic assessment of multi-site ecosystems, following the holistic vision of human being.VDRL and Widal-Wright (WWR) resulted positive, showing at Wright’s reaction a title of 1:40. Of all the enzymatic activities measured, only the ALP enzymatic pool activities showed a low increasing value of 297 U/L.

Ocular clinical pictures disclosed by PCR molecular diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infection performed following the appropriate sampling modality in ocular ecosystem.

Four clinical cases regarding the correct diagnosis of early ocular Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) inflammation, performed by two different modalities on the ocular ecosystem, are discussed. The present study was carried out in parallel using a cotton flock ocular swab and the scraping of upper lid conjunctiva. The ocular samplings were carried out by a first ocular swab from inner canthus and fornix, while the second by a conjunctival scraping from upper the conjunctiva of four patients.

Jugulodigastric lymph node inflammation derived from chronic atypical oropharyngeal phlogosis recurring annually after flu virus vaccination: a holistic vision of a clinical case solved after chlamydicidal antibiotic therapy.

In this report, we evaluated the case history of a patient with longstanding chronic pharyngitis who had periodic clinical manifestation for three years after a flu vaccine administration, and after various treatments tried to resolve the chronic pharyngitis with unsuccessful antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapies. The patient occasionally presented a slight ocular inflammation, while dysuria occurred after sexual activity. The search for common pathogens by use of pharyngeal swabs resulted only in Corynebacterium ulcerans growth.

Can latent synergism of intestinal pathogens be responsible for inflammaging process causing Reiter's syndrome in a young patient HLA-B27 infected by atypical pathogens? A holistic view and clinical biochemical reinterpretation.

A case of a genetically HLA-B27 patient fully investigated by molecular analyses, following a holistic vision and an anamnestic assessment of multi-site ecosystems is repeated. VDRL, Lupus anti-coagulant (LAC) and Widal-Wright (WWR), resulted positive. The antibodies (IgG/IgA anti-Ct) against chronic Chlamydia trachomatis inflammation were positive.

NAD(P)H oxidase p22(phox) polymorphism and cardiovascular function in amateur runners.

Aim: NAD(P)H system represents the major source of superoxide production at cardiovascular (CV) level. It has several genetic variants: in particular, the C242T polymorphism of its p22(phox) subunit is associated with a different oxidase activity, being the T allele related to a lower superoxide production. Although several authors investigated the protective effect of T allele in CV diseases, only few data are available on its functional role in physiological conditions.

Left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy.

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction (ILVNC) is a congenital abnormality in the structure of ventricular tissue due to amorphogenetic defect during embryogenesis. This rare entity can be easily diagnosed by the characteristic appearance of prominent trabeculations and deep inter-trabecular spaces. Clinical manifestations of this disease include benign and malignant ventricular arrhythmia, congestive heart failure signs, cardio-embolic events (stroke), mitral and pulmonary valve incompetence, and reduced global ventricular systolic function.

Carotenoids and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis.

High plasma concentrations of lycopene and beta-carotene have been associated with reduced prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to compare plasma concentrations of these carotenoids in subjects with or without ultrasonic evidence of asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis. One hundred and sixty-five subjects underwent physical examination and ultrasonic measurement of common carotid artery intima-media thickness.

Differential impact of acute bout of exercise on redox- and oxidative damage-related profiles between untrained subjects and amateur runners.

Despite the demonstrated exercise-induced increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, growing epidemiological evidence indicates that habitual, moderate physical activity reduces the incidence of several oxidative stress-based diseases. This apparent paradox can be explained taking into account that ROS produced during repeated exercise bouts may act as mild stressors able to trigger physiological and biomolecular hormetic responses through a number of redox-sensitive transcription pathways. Unfortunately, much more limited information is available from general population-based research, which could better reflect the condition of common people interested in achieving and maintaining good fitness levels.

Circulating plasma antioxidants, inflammatory markers and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis in end-stage renal disease patients: a case control study.

Few studies have been conducted on the relationship between antioxidant plasma vitamin concentrations, inflammatory markers and carotid atherosclerosis with inconclusive results in endstage renal disease (ESRD) patients. A case-control study was performed to investigate the relationship between plasma antioxidant concentrations, inflammatory markers, and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in healthy subjects and in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). We enrolled 40 subjects (20 healthy, 20 with ESRD) asymptomatic for carotid atherosclerosis.

NAD(P)H oxidase and pro-inflammatory response during maximal exercise: role of C242T polymorphism of the P22PHOX subunit.

Intense exercise induces a pro-inflammatory status through a mechanism involving the NAD(P)H oxidase system. We focused our attention on p22phox, a subunit of the NAD(P)H oxidase, and on its allelic polymorphism C242T, which is known to affect the functional activity of the enzyme. We investigated whether the p22phox C242T variants exhibit systemic effects in healthy subjects by analyzing the proinflammatory and cardiocirculatory responses to physical exercise in endurance athletes.

ACE and AGTR1 polymorphisms and left ventricular hypertrophy in endurance athletes.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the role of angiotensin type 1 receptor gene (AGTR1) polymorphism (A1166C) in left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) mediated by the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in endurance athletes.

Methods: A group of 74 white, healthy male endurance athletes, aged between 25 and 40 yr, were enrolled in this study. All of them participated primarily in isotonic sports, training for at least >10 h x wk(-1), for at least 5 yr.

Plasma antioxidants and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease.

Background: Atherosclerosis remains clinically mute for a long time and frequently manifests itself with an acute cardiovascular event. The possibility of detecting this disease in a subclinical phase and reducing or reversing its progression is an issue of relevance. Published studies on the association between antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) have been inconclusive.

Molecular modeling, synthesis, and preliminary biological evaluation of glutathione-S-transferase inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents.

Changes in the GSH/GST system have been found to correlate with resistance to anticancer alkylating agents, presumably through accelerated detoxification of these drugs since some GSTs have been shown to catalyze the conjugation of GSH to specific antineoplastic agents. GSH-alkyl derivatives were designed by molecular modeling, synthesized, and tested as inhibitors of human GST-Pi.