Pomological Traits, Sensory Profile and Nutraceutical Properties of Nine Cultivars of Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) Fruits Grown in Mediterranean Area

In this paper the diversity of fruit quality within nine loquat cultivars, including five international affirmed cultivars (Algerie, Golden Nugget, Peluche, Bueno, El Buenet) and four local cultivars (Sanfilippara, Nespolone di Trabia, BRT20 and Claudia), were investigated in order to discriminate the variation in pomological characteristics, sensory profile, and antioxidant properties. Finally, to evaluate potential bioactivity, antiproliferative activity of hydrophilic extracts from loquat fruits was assessed, at dietary relevant concentrations, against three human epithelial cell lines. Even though the international cultivars confirmed an appropriate level of commercial qualities in association to high levels in antioxidant compounds, the local cultivars revealed the best performances in a wide range of chemical-physical and sensory characteristics. Concerning bioactivity, our results indicate that hydrophilic extracts from all tested cultivars showed concentration-dependent antiproliferative activity with a significant variability of effects between different cell lines and between different cultivars. HeLa cells, the most sensitive and hydrophilic extracts from Peluche, showed the highest inhibitory effect followed by Nespolone di Trabia and Claudia. The results of this trial provide useful information on the pomological traits and the not yet known specific nutritional and functional properties of loquat fruits. Our data, besides helping to promote specific local cultivars, could serve to establish a database that will permit to improve the utilization of specific genetic resources in breeding programs.

Multifocal fibrosing thyroiditis and its association with papillary thyroid carcinoma using BRAF pyrosequencing

Multifocal fibrosing thyroiditis (MFT) is characterized by numerous foci of fibrosis in a stellate configuration with fibroelastotic and fibroblastic centers entrapping epithelial structures. MFT has been proposed as a risk factor for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) development. We attempted to identify whether MFT showed such molecular changes and could possibly be related to PTC. We identified seven cases of PTC with MFT in our institutional pathology database and personal consult service of one of the authors (VAL) for the years 1999 to 2012. Areas of PTC, MFT, and normal tissue were selected for BRAF analysis. Macro-dissection, DNA extraction and PCR amplification, and pyrosequencing were performed to detect BRAF mutations in codon 600. All of the MFT lesions and normal thyroid tissue were negative for BRAF mutations. Of the seven PTCs analyzed, five (71 %) were negative for BRAF mutations, while two cases were positive. In our study, none of the MFT lesions harbored BRAF mutations, whereas 29 % (two of seven) PTCs in the same gland were positive. Hence, in this small study, we found no evidence that the MFT lesion is a direct precursor to PTC. It is likely an incidental bystander in the process and a reflection of the background thyroiditis.

Role of 18F-FDG PET in the management of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia

PURPOSE

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is a rare and aggressive tumour that is usually sensitive to chemotherapy. The usefulness of conventional imaging modalities in evaluating treatment response is limited, mainly due to the difficulty in differentiating between residual tumour tissue and necrosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of FDG PET or PET/CT in primary staging and in monitoring treatment efficacy. The effect of FDG PET and combined PET/CT on the management of patients with GTN was also evaluated comparing the differences between standard treatments based on conventional imaging and alternative treatments based on PET.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 41 patients with GTN referred to San Raffaele Hospital between 2002 and 2010. All patients were studied by either PET or PET/CT in addition to conventional imaging. Of the 41 patients, 38 were evaluated for primary staging of GTN and 3 patients for chemotherapy resistance after first-line chemotherapy performed in other Institutions. To validate the PET data, PET and PET/CT findings were compared with those from conventional imaging, including transvaginal ultrasonography (TV-US) in those with uterine disease, CT and chest plain radiography in those with lung disease and whole-body CT in those with systemic metastases. Conventional imaging was considered positive for the presence of uterine disease and/or metastases when abnormal findings relating to GTN were reported. PET and PET/CT were considered concordant with conventional imaging when metabolic active disease was detected at the sites corresponding to the pathological findings on conventional imaging. In addition, in 12 of the 41 patients showing extrauterine disease, FDG PET/CT was repeated to monitor treatment efficacy, in 8 after normalization of beta human chorionic gonadotropin (βHCG) and in 4 with βHCG resistance. In some patients, PET or PET/CT findings led to an alternative nonconventional treatment, and this was considered a change in patient management for the study analysis.

RESULTS

When compared to TV-US, chest radiography and CT for staging, PET showed a concordance in 91 %, 84 % and 81 % of patients, respectively. In 8 of the 41 patients with extrauterine disease during staging, PET/CT showed a complete response to therapy after βHCG normalization. PET and PET/CT identified the sites of persistent disease in all seven high-risk patients with βHCG resistance, of whom four underwent second-line chemotherapy, two surgical removal of resistant disease instead of additional chemotherapy, and one surgical removal of resistant disease and second-line chemotherapy with subsequent negative βHCG.

CONCLUSION

In staging, PET cannot replace conventional imaging and does not show any information in addition to that shown by conventional imaging. The additional value of PET/CT in GTN with respect to conventional imaging is found in patients with high-risk disease. PET can identify the sites of primary and/or metastatic disease in patients with persistent high levels of βHCG after first-line chemotherapy and may be of additional value in patient management for guiding alternative treatment.

Silver coins analyses by X-ray fluorescence methods

The investigation on the differences occurring in the manufacture of silver coins allows to get information on their elemental composition and represents a powerful support to the methodology to identify the producing technologies, workshops being also instrumental to distinguish between original and counterfeit ones. Aim of the present work is to study recent and old silver coins through non-destructive X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The XRF was applied to extend the analysis to the deepest layers of the coins; for surface layers an X-ray tube or an electron beam were employed to induce the atom fluorescence to obtain information on the surface elemental composition. Moreover, a detailed study has been performed to evaluate the influence of the surface curvature on the measurement, by deducing a proper corrective factor to keep into account in the data analysis. The elemental atomic composition was measured for each coin, mainly by means of the X-ray tube excitation for the bulk and the electron Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) microbeam probe for the surface patina analysis. Ionization was induced by an X-ray tube using an Ag anode for the bulk and by an electron microprobe for the surface composition. X-ray detection was performed by using a semiconductor Si device cooled by a Peltier system. The Ag L-lines X-ray yield is affected by coin surface morphology and geometry. The comparison between coin spectra and standard samples, shows that the Ag quantitative analysis is influenced by error of the atomic concentration lower that 10%.

Drosophila as a tool for studying the conserved genetics of pain

Survival of all animals depends on an accurate representation of the world, and an organism must be capable of prioritizing and responding to potentially hazardous conditions. This ability is dependent on nociception, the sensory process allowing animals to detect and avoid potentially harmful stimuli. Nociception is the sensory process that results in the subjective experience of 'pain' in humans. Because of its vital and broad role in animal biology, pain/nociception is a complex, whole-body physiological process that is under stringent evolutionary pressure. Here, we discuss the utility of Drosophila melanogaster as an emerging model organism for studying the conserved genetics of nociception, particularly with respect to recently developed high-throughput Drosophila 'pain' paradigms.

Transvaginal ultrasound predicts delayed response to chemotherapy and drug resistance in stage I low-risk trophoblastic neoplasia

OBJECTIVES

Methotrexate (MTX) resistance is defined on the basis of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) curve. The aim of this study was to identify low-risk non-metastatic patients with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) who can achieve resolution by continuing MTX treatment despite a transient hCG plateau.

METHODS

Before starting chemotherapy, 24 patients with FIGO Stage I GTN underwent transvaginal ultrasonography with power Doppler in order to identify myometrial lesions (areas of increased echogenicity and increased power Doppler signal). Ultrasound response to chemotherapy was defined when myometrial lesions decreased in echogenicity, Doppler signal or size. When ultrasound response occurred, despite chemoresistance defined by hCG values, MTX treatment was continued.

RESULTS

MTX was continued in three out of seven chemoresistant patients because ultrasound suggested response to MTX. All three of these patients achieved a complete response, thus nearly halving the MTX-resistance rate.

CONCLUSION

Among patients who are candidates for second-line treatment on the basis of hCG, ultrasound may identify those in whom further MTX administration can induce a delayed complete response.

Dermatology Life Quality Index score in vitiligo patients: a pilot study among young Italian males

AIM

A negative impact on vitiligo patients in terms of quality of life (QoL) has been suggested. The aim of this report was to study the QoL in a sample of Italian vitiligo patients by using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire.

METHODS

A sample of forty seven vitiligo subjects, identified among 34,740 potential conscripts resident in southern Italy underwent the Italian version of the DLQI questionnaire.

RESULTS

The median total DLQI score was 1 (IQR: 2; mean: 1.82). In univariate analysis, DLQI total score was significantly influenced by the clinical course of vitiligo, disease extension over the body, and location on face and/or hands. Multivariate analysis using logistic stepwise regression showed that only the localization on the hands and on the face influenced significantly the mean DLQI.

CONCLUSION

Our study conducted on a random sample of individuals affected by vitiligo selected from the general young male population in Italy, does not document a large impact of vitiligo on QoL. However, variations exist and the location of lesions on the face and/or hands may impact on QoL. Population-based studies are not affected by selection biases connected with seeking medical care and should be more widely performed.

Vitiligo and autoimmunity: an epidemiological study in a representative sample of young Italian males

BACKGROUND

It is stated that patients with vitiligo have an increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of autoantibodies or overt autoimmune diseases in a group of vitiligo patients examined among a sample deemed to be representative of the general population of young men living in southern Italy.

METHODS

A total of 60 vitiligo patients were identified among 34,740 potential conscripts visited to evaluate their fitness to compulsory service in Italian Navy, obtaining a prevalence of 0.17% (95% CI: 0.13-0.22), which was deemed the prevalence of vitiligo in the Italian general population of the same age and sex. Forty of these vitiligo patients underwent blood test including also the search of the main autoantibodies.

RESULTS

Circulating autoantibodies were detected in 42.5% of subjects. Anti-thyroglobulin antibodies were documented in 27.5%, anti-thyroperoxidase in 22.5%, anti-smooth muscle in 17.3%, anti-nuclear, anti-mitochondrial and anti-gastric parietal cells in 2.5% respectively. Only in two cases (5%) an overt thyroid disease was diagnosed. No significant association between the extension of the skin involved ⁄ clinical course of the disease and circulating autoantibodies was detected. Circulating autoantibodies (particularly anti-thyroid antibodies) were statistically associated with a lower duration of the disease.

CONCLUSIONS

In agreement with other studies, autoantibodies in the lack of clinical manifestations have been frequently observed in our vitiligo patients, especially during the early phase of the disease. The clinical significance of this finding seems to be limited, with the possible exception of thyroid disease, and it needs further exploration, through large cohort studies.

Rituximab for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder that originates from antigen-experienced B lymphocytes that do not die and hence accumulate due to external survival signals or undergo apoptosis and are replenished by proliferating precursors. These neoplastic lymphocytes exhibit a characteristic immunophenotype of CD5(+)/CD19(+)/CD20(+)/HLA-DR+/CD23(+)/sIgdim. Thus, the CD20 antigen has been an appealing target for therapy. The introduction of the monoclonal antibody rituximab (anti-CD20) enabled an outstanding advance in CLL treatment. The introduction of this monoclonal antibody into chemotherapy regimens has dramatically improved complete response rates and progression-free survival in patients with both untreated and relapsed CLL. Although only preliminary data from phase III confirmatory trials have been reported, the FCR regimen, which combines fludarabine and cyclophosphamide with rituximab, is currently the most effective treatment regimen for CLL patients, and has also been demonstrated to significantly improve overall survival. The success of rituximab and the identification of other CLL lymphocyte surface antigens have spurred the development of a multitude of monoclonal antibodies targeting distinct proteins and epitopes in an attempt to target CLL cells more effectively.

Kinetics of the lipoperoxyl radical-scavenging activity of indicaxanthin in solution and unilamellar liposomes

The reaction of the phytochemical indicaxanthin with lipoperoxyl radicals generated in methyl linoleate methanol solution by 2,2'-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile), and in aqueous soybean phosphatidylcholine unilamellar liposomes by 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane)hydrochloride, was studied. The molecule acts as a chain-terminating lipoperoxyl radical scavenger in solution, with a calculated inhibition constant of 3.63 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1), and a stoichiometric factor approaching 2. Indicaxanthin incorporated in liposomes prevented lipid oxidation, inducing clear-cut lag periods and decrease of the propagation rate. Both effects were concentration-dependent, but not linearly related to the phytochemical concentration. The consumption of indicaxanthin during liposome oxidation was remarkably delayed, the lower the concentration the longer the time-interval during which it remained in its native state. Indicaxanthin and alpha-tocopherol, simultaneously incorporated in liposomes, exhibited cooperative antioxidant effects and reciprocal protective interactions. The extent of synergism decreased at the increase of the ratio (indicaxanthin)/(alpha-tocopherol). A potential antioxidant mechanism of indicaxanthin is discussed in the context of the chemistry of the molecule, and of the possible reactivity of a short-lived intermediate.

Cytoprotective effects of the antioxidant phytochemical indicaxanthin in β-thalassemia red blood cells

Antioxidant phytochemicals are investigated as novel treatments for supportive therapy in beta-thalassemia. The dietary indicaxanthin was assessed for its protective effects on human beta-thalassemic RBCs submitted in vitro to oxidative haemolysis by cumene hydroperoxide. Indicaxanthin at 1.0-10 microM enhanced the resistance to haemolysis dose-dependently. In addition, it prevented lipid and haemoglobin (Hb) oxidation, and retarded vitamin E and GSH depletion. After ex vivo spiking of blood from thalassemia patients with indicaxanthin, the phytochemical was recovered in the soluble cell compartment of the RBCs. A spectrophotometric study showed that indicaxanthin can reduce perferryl-Hb generated in solution from met-Hb and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), more effectively than either Trolox or vitamin C. Collectively our results demonstrate that indicaxanthin can be incorporated into the redox machinery of beta-thalassemic RBC and defend the cell from oxidation, possibly interfering with perferryl-Hb, a reactive intermediate in the hydroperoxide-dependent Hb degradation. Opportunities of therapeutic interest for beta-thalassemia may be considered.

Hepatitis A seroprevalence in Tuscany, Italy

Information regarding the current seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) is useful for the control of HAV infections. The objective of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of anti-HAV antibodies among children (1-5 years old) and young adults (15-20 years old) in Tuscany, in central Italy. A total of 565 sera were collected in three years 1992, 1998 and 2004, equally distributed between the two age groups. The overal proportion of those that tested positive for anti-HAV antibodies was 8.3%. The proportion of immune children (1-5 years old) statistically significantly increased over the years. The percentage of immune subjects among 15-20-year-old young adults varied over the years, not showing a significant statistical trend, nevertheless our findings indicate that in a low endemicity area, adolescents and young adults are becoming increasingly susceptible to HAV infection. On-going monitoring of immunity to HAV is necessary for detecting trends over time.

Hepatitis A seroprevalence in Tuscany, Italy

Information regarding the current seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) is useful for the control of HAV infections. The objective of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of anti-HAV antibodies among children (1-5 years old) and young adults (15-20 years old) in Tuscany, in central Italy. A total of 565 sera were collected in three years 1992, 1998 and 2004, equally distributed between the two age groups. The overal proportion of those that tested positive for anti-HAV antibodies was 8.3%. The proportion of immune children (1-5 years old) statistically significantly increased over the years. The percentage of immune subjects among 15-20-year-old young adults varied over the years, not showing a significant statistical trend, nevertheless our findings indicate that in a low endemicity area, adolescents and young adults are becoming increasingly susceptible to HAV infection. On-going monitoring of immunity to HAV is necessary for detecting trends over time.

Seroprevalence of bactericidal antibody against Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C in pre-vaccinal era: the Italian epidemiological scenario

Meningococcal disease is particularly severe. The case-fatality rate is 7.78% in Europe and 10-14% in the USA. This paper reports the results of a sero-epidemiological study in Italy on meningitis due to Meningococcus C before the introduction of the monovalent conjugate vaccine. In 2003-2004, a total of 577 sera were collected in 17 of the 20 Italian Regions. Serum Bactericidal Assay (SBA) was performed by using rabbit complement serum according to standardized SBA. The results showed that the percentages of protected subjects decreased from 6 to 12 months of age, increased from 1 to 4 years, decreased again until the age of 8 years and from 13 to 16 years, and were particularly high in 9- and 17-year-old subjects. The geometric mean titre of bactericidal antibodies (SBAbs GMT) was low in subjects under 1 year of age, significantly increased in 1-9-year-old children and decreased in adolescents and young adults. Finally, in each one-year age-group, low levels of antibodies were observed in subjects under 1 year of age, in 10-year-old subjects and in 14-16-year-old adolescents. High titres were observed in 3-, 8-, 9- and 17-year-old subjects. Our results therefore indicate that meningococcus C has the highest probability of spreading among 1-4, 8-10 and 14-17-year-old subjects in Italy.

Serological response to hepatitis B virus vaccine in HIV-infected children in Tanzania

BACKGROUND

HIV-infected children have a lower seroconversion rate to hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunization than healthy children. Previous studies have produced conflicting results on CD4 cell counts as predictors of vaccine response. No study has evaluated the response rate to HBV vaccination in HIV-infected children receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Our aim was to vaccinate HIV-infected children living in a close community and to investigate the anamnestic response rate after vaccination with its predictors.

METHODS

Eighty-four HIV-positive children aged 1-10 years who were negative for antibodies to the HBV core antigen (anti-HBc) completed immunization with three doses of 5 microg HBVAXPRO (Aventis, Milan, Italy). Quantitative testing for antibodies to the HBV surface antigen (anti-HBs) was performed: a seroprotective titre was defined as anti-HBs>10 mUI/mL.

RESULTS

After the vaccination, the anti-HBs seroconversion rate was 59.5%. It was higher in individuals in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) immune category 1 than in those in CDC categories 2 and 3. Seroconversion was found in 70.8% of HAART-treated and 44.4% of treatment-naïve children. In multivariable models, HAART use and absolute CD4 cell counts were independently associated with probability of seroconversion and with higher anti-HBs titres.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a higher seroconversion rate compared with previous studies in HIV-infected children. In children who are candidates to receive antiretroviral therapy, it may be advisable to defer HBV vaccination until after treatment initiation.

An improved Voronoi-diagram-based neural net for pattern classification

We propose a novel two-layer neural network to answer a point query in R(n) which is partitioned into polyhedral regions; such a task solves among others nearest neighbor clustering. As in previous approaches to the problem, our design is based on the use of Voronoi diagrams. However, our approach results in substantial reduction of the number of neurons, completely eliminating the second layer, at the price of requiring only two additional clock steps. In addition, the design process is also simplified while retaining the main advantage of the approach, namely its ability to furnish precise values for the number of neurons and the connection weights necessitating neither trial and error type iterations nor ad hoc parameters.