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Lenzi A, De Cristofaro M, Biagini D, Ghimenti S, Armenia S, Pugliese NR, Masi S, Di Francesco F, Lomonaco T. Development of a high-throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry platform for the determination of intact natriuretic peptides in human plasma. Talanta 2024; 275:126077. [PMID: 38636440 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
We present an innovative, reliable, and antibody-free analytical method to determine multiple intact natriuretic peptides in human plasma. These biomolecules are routinely used to confirm the diagnosis and monitor the evolution of heart failure, so that their determination is essential to improve diagnosis and monitor the efficacy of treatment. However, common immunoassay kits suffer from main limitations due to high cross-reactivity with structurally similar species. In our method, we pre-treated the sample by combining salting-out with ammonium sulfate with microextraction by packed sorbent technique. Analyses were then carried out by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. The use of 3-nitrobenzyl alcohol as a supercharger reagent enhanced the ESI ionization and improved the signal-to-noise ratio. The analytical protocol showed good linearity over one order of magnitude, recovery in the range of 94-105 %, and good intra- and inter-day reproducibility (RSD<20 %), and the presence of a matrix effect. Limits of detection were in the range of pg/mL for all peptides (0.2-20 pg/mL). Stability study in plasma samples demonstrated that proper protease inhibitors need to be included in blood collection tubes to avoid peptide degradation. Preliminary analyses on plasma samples from heart failure patients allow the quantification of ANP 1-28 as the most abundant species and the detection of ANP 5-28, BNP 1-32, and BNP 5-32. The method could be used to investigate how cross-reactivity issues among structurally similar species impact determinations by ELISA kits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Lenzi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Mariano De Cristofaro
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Silvia Armenia
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Nicola R Pugliese
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Stefano Masi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
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2
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Biagini D, Oliveri P, Baj A, Gasperina DD, Ferrante FD, Lomonaco T, Ghimenti S, Lenzi A, Bonini A, Vivaldi F, Oger C, Galano JM, Balas L, Durand T, Maggi F, Di Francesco F. The effect of SARS-CoV-2 variants on the plasma oxylipins and PUFAs of COVID-19 patients. Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat 2023; 169:106770. [PMID: 37633481 DOI: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2023.106770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Oxylipins are important signalling compounds that are significantly involved in the regulation of the immune system and the resolution of inflammation. Lipid metabolism is strongly activated upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, however the modulating effects of oxylipins induced by different variants remain unexplored. Here, we compare the plasma profiles of thirty-seven oxylipins and four PUFAs in subjects infected with Wild-type, Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529) variants. The results suggest that oxidative stress and inflammation resulting from COVID-19 were highly dependent on the SARS-CoV-2 variant, and that the Wild-type elicited the strongest inflammatory storm. The Alpha and Delta variants induced a comparable lipid profile alteration upon infection, which differed significantly from Omicron. The latter variant increased the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and decreased the levels of omega-3 PUFA in infected patients. We speculate that changes in therapeutics, vaccination, and prior infections may have a role in the alteration of the oxylipin profile besides viral mutations. The results shed new light on the evolution of the inflammatory response in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | | | - Andreina Baj
- Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | | | | | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessio Lenzi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Camille Oger
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Pôle Chimie Balard Recherche, University of Montpellier, ENSCN, UMR 5247 CNRS, France
| | - Jean-Marie Galano
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Pôle Chimie Balard Recherche, University of Montpellier, ENSCN, UMR 5247 CNRS, France
| | - Laurence Balas
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Pôle Chimie Balard Recherche, University of Montpellier, ENSCN, UMR 5247 CNRS, France
| | - Thierry Durand
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Pôle Chimie Balard Recherche, University of Montpellier, ENSCN, UMR 5247 CNRS, France
| | - Fabrizio Maggi
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" - IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
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3
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Poma N, Bonini A, Vivaldi F, Biagini D, Di Luca M, Bottai D, Di Francesco F, Tavanti A. Biosensing systems for the detection and quantification of methane gas. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:5627-5634. [PMID: 37486352 PMCID: PMC10439851 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12629-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Climate change due to the continuous increase in the release of green-house gasses associated with anthropogenic activity has made a significant impact on the sustainability of life on our planet. Methane (CH4) is a green-house gas whose concentrations in the atmosphere are on the rise. CH4 measurement is important for both the environment and the safety at the industrial and household level. Methanotrophs are distinguished for their unique characteristic of using CH4 as the sole source of carbon and energy, due to the presence of the methane monooxygenases that oxidize CH4 under ambient temperature conditions. This has attracted interest in the use of methanotrophs in biotechnological applications as well as in the development of biosensing systems for CH4 quantification and monitoring. Biosensing systems using methanotrophs rely on the use of whole microbial cells that oxidize CH4 in presence of O2, so that the CH4 concentration is determined in an indirect manner by measuring the decrease of O2 level in the system. Although several biological properties of methanotrophic microorganisms still need to be characterized, different studies have demonstrated the feasibility of the use of methanotrophs in CH4 measurement. This review summarizes the contributions in methane biosensing systems and presents a prospective of the valid use of methanotrophs in this field. KEY POINTS: • Methanotroph environmental relevance in methane oxidation • Methanotroph biotechnological application in the field of biosensing • Methane monooxygenase as a feasible biorecognition element in biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Poma
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, 56127, Pisa, Italy
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Groningen, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Federico Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy
- Metitech S.R.L., Via Livornese 835, 56122, Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mariagrazia Di Luca
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daria Bottai
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy
- Metitech S.R.L., Via Livornese 835, 56122, Pisa, Italy
| | - Arianna Tavanti
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
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Biagini D, Pugliese NR, Vivaldi FM, Ghimenti S, Lenzi A, De Angelis F, Ripszam M, Bruderer T, Armenia S, Cappeli F, Taddei S, Masi S, Francesco FD, Lomonaco T. Breath analysis combined with cardiopulmonary exercise testing and echocardiography for monitoring heart failure patients: the AEOLUS protocol. J Breath Res 2023; 17:046006. [PMID: 37524075 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/acec08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes the AEOLUS pilot study which combines breath analysis with cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and an echocardiographic examination for monitoring heart failure (HF) patients. Ten consecutive patients with a prior clinical diagnosis of HF with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction were prospectively enrolled together with 15 control patients with cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, type II diabetes or chronic ischemic heart disease. Breath samples were collected at rest and during CPET coupled with exercise stress echocardiography (CPET-ESE) protocol by means of needle trap micro-extraction and were analyzed through gas-chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The protocol also involved using of a selected ion flow tube mass spectrometer for a breath-by-breath isoprene and acetone analysis during exercise. At rest, HF patients showed increased breath levels of acetone and pentane, which are related to altered oxidation of fatty acids and oxidative stress, respectively. A significant positive correlation was observed between acetone and the gold standard biomarker NT-proBNP in plasma (r= 0.646,p< 0.001), both measured at rest. During exercise, some exhaled volatiles (e.g., isoprene) mirrored ventilatory and/or hemodynamic adaptation, whereas others (e.g., sulfide compounds and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone) depended on their origin. At peak effort, acetone levels in HF patients differed significantly from those of the control group, suggesting an altered myocardial and systemic metabolic adaptation to exercise for HF patients. These preliminary data suggest that concomitant acquisition of CPET-ESE and breath analysis is feasible and might provide additional clinical information on the metabolic maladaptation of HF patients to exercise. Such information may refine the identification of patients at higher risk of disease worsening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola R Pugliese
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico M Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessio Lenzi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca De Angelis
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Matyas Ripszam
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tobias Bruderer
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Armenia
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federica Cappeli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Taddei
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Masi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Lenzi A, Biagini D, Ghimenti S, Vivaldi FM, Salvo P, Di Francesco F, Lomonaco T. HiSorb sorptive extraction for determining salivary short chain fatty acids and hydroxy acids in heart failure patients. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2023; 1228:123826. [PMID: 37481789 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Variations in salivary short-chain fatty acids and hydroxy acids (e.g., lactic acid, and 3-hydroxybutyric acid) levels have been suggested to reflect the dysbiosis of human gut microbiota, which represents an additional factor involved in the onset of heart failure (HF) disease. The physical-chemical properties of these metabolites combined with the complex composition of biological matrices mean that sample pre-treatment procedures are almost unavoidable. This work describes a reliable, simple, and organic solvent free protocol for determining short-chain fatty acids and hydroxy acids in stimulated saliva samples collected from heart failure, obese, and hypertensive patients. The procedure is based on in-situ pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFB-Br) derivatization and HiSorb sorptive extraction coupled to thermal desorption and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The HiSorb extraction device is completely compatible with aqueous matrices, thus saving on time and materials associated with organic solvent-extraction methods. A Central Composite Face-Centred experimental design was used for the optimization of the molar ratio between PFB-Br and target analytes, the derivatization temperature, and the reaction time which were 100, 60 °C, and 180 min, respectively. Detection limits in the range 0.1-100 µM were reached using a small amount of saliva (20 µL). The use of sodium acetate-1-13C as an internal standard improved the intra- and inter-day precision of the method which ranged from 10 to 23%. The optimized protocol was successfully applied for what we believe is the first time to evaluate the salivary levels of short chain fatty acids and hydroxy acids in saliva samples of four groups of patients: i) patients admitted to hospital with acute HF symptoms, ii) patients with chronic HF symptoms, iii) patients without HF symptoms but with obesity, and iv) patients without HF symptoms but with hypertension. The first group of patients showed significantly higher levels of salivary acetic acid and lactic acid at hospital admission as well as the lowest values of hexanoic acid and heptanoic acid. Moreover, the significant high levels of acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid observed in HF respect to the other patients suggest the potential link between oral bacteria and gut dysbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Lenzi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico M Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 3, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
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6
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Biagini D, Ghimenti S, Lenzi A, Bonini A, Vivaldi F, Oger C, Galano JM, Balas L, Durand T, Salvo P, Di Francesco F, Lomonaco T. Salivary lipid mediators: Key indexes of inflammation regulation in heart failure disease. Free Radic Biol Med 2023; 201:55-65. [PMID: 36940734 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of premature death and disability in humans and their incidence continues to increase. Oxidative stress and inflammation have been recognized as key pathophysiological factors in cardiovascular events. The targeted modulation of the endogenous mechanisms of inflammation, rather than its simple suppression, will become key in treating chronic inflammatory diseases. A comprehensive characterization of the signalling molecules involved in inflammation, such as endogenous lipid mediators, is thus needed. Here, we propose a powerful MS-based platform for the simultaneous quantitation of sixty salivary lipid mediators in CVD samples. Saliva, which represents a non-invasive and painless alternative to blood, was collected from patients suffering from acute and chronic heart failure (AHF and CHF, respectively), obesity and hypertension. Of all the patients, those with AHF and hypertension showed higher levels of isoprostanoids, which are key indexes of oxidant insult. Compared to the obese population, AHF patients showed lower levels (p < 0.02) of antioxidant omega-3 fatty acids, in line with the "malnutrition-inflammation complex syndrome" typical of HF patients. At hospital admission, AHF patients showed significantly higher levels (p < 0.001) of omega-3 DPA and lower levels (p < 0.04) of lipoxin B4 than CHF patients, suggesting a lipid rearrangement typical of the failing heart during acute decompensation. If confirmed, our results highlight the potential use of lipid mediators as predictive markers of re-acutisation episodes, thus providing opportunities for preventive intervention and a reduction in hospitalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessio Lenzi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy; Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, Pisa, 56100, Italy
| | - Federico Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Camille Oger
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Pôle Chimie Balard Recherche, UMR 5247 CNRS, University of Montpellier, ENSCN, France
| | - Jean-Marie Galano
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Pôle Chimie Balard Recherche, UMR 5247 CNRS, University of Montpellier, ENSCN, France
| | - Laurence Balas
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Pôle Chimie Balard Recherche, UMR 5247 CNRS, University of Montpellier, ENSCN, France
| | - Thierry Durand
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Pôle Chimie Balard Recherche, UMR 5247 CNRS, University of Montpellier, ENSCN, France
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
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Poma N, Vivaldi F, Bonini A, Biagini D, Bottai D, Tavanti A, Di Francesco F. Voltammetric sensing of trypsin activity using gelatin as a substrate. Microchem J 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2023.108631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
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Bonini A, Carota AG, Poma N, Vivaldi FM, Biagini D, Bottai D, Lenzi A, Tavanti A, Di Francesco F, Lomonaco T. Emerging Biosensing Technologies towards Early Sepsis Diagnosis and Management. Biosensors (Basel) 2022; 12:894. [PMID: 36291031 PMCID: PMC9599348 DOI: 10.3390/bios12100894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sepsis is defined as a systemic inflammatory dysfunction strictly associated with infectious diseases, which represents an important health issue whose incidence is continuously increasing worldwide. Nowadays, sepsis is considered as one of the main causes of death that mainly affects critically ill patients in clinical settings, with a higher prevalence in low-income countries. Currently, sepsis management still represents an important challenge, since the use of traditional techniques for the diagnosis does not provide a rapid response, which is crucial for an effective infection management. Biosensing systems represent a valid alternative due to their characteristics such as low cost, portability, low response time, ease of use and suitability for point of care/need applications. This review provides an overview of the infectious agents associated with the development of sepsis and the host biomarkers suitable for diagnosis and prognosis. Special focus is given to the new emerging biosensing technologies using electrochemical and optical transduction techniques for sepsis diagnosis and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Angela Gilda Carota
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Noemi Poma
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico Maria Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Daria Bottai
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessio Lenzi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Arianna Tavanti
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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Biagini D, Antoni S, Ghimenti S, Bonini A, Vivaldi F, Angelucci C, Riparbelli C, Cuttano A, Fuoco R, Di Francesco F, Lomonaco T. Methodological aspects of dried blood spot sampling for the determination of isoprostanoids and prostanoids. Microchem J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2022.107212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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10
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Biagini D, Franzini M, Oliveri P, Lomonaco T, Ghimenti S, Bonini A, Vivaldi F, Macera L, Balas L, Durand T, Oger C, Galano JM, Maggi F, Celi A, Paolicchi A, Di Francesco F. MS-based targeted profiling of oxylipins in COVID-19: A new insight into inflammation regulation. Free Radic Biol Med 2022; 180:236-243. [PMID: 35085774 PMCID: PMC8786407 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The key role of inflammation in COVID-19 induced many authors to study the cytokine storm, whereas the role of other inflammatory mediators such as oxylipins is still poorly understood. IMPRECOVID was a monocentric retrospective observational pilot study with COVID-19 related pneumonia patients (n = 52) admitted to Pisa University Hospital between March and April 2020. Our MS-based analytical platform permitted the simultaneous determination of sixty plasma oxylipins in a single run at ppt levels for a comprehensive characterisation of the inflammatory cascade in COVID-19 patients. The datasets containing oxylipin and cytokine plasma levels were analysed by principal component analysis (PCA), computation of Fisher's canonical variable, and a multivariate receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Differently from cytokines, the panel of oxylipins clearly differentiated samples collected in COVID-19 wards (n = 43) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) (n = 27), as shown by the PCA and the multivariate ROC curve with a resulting AUC equal to 0.92. ICU patients showed lower (down to two orders of magnitude) plasma concentrations of anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid mediators, suggesting an impaired inflammation response as part of a prolonged and unsolvable pro-inflammatory status. In conclusion, our targeted oxylipidomics platform helped shedding new light in this field. Targeting the lipid mediator class switching is extremely important for a timely picture of a patient's ability to respond to the viral attack. A prediction model exploiting selected lipid mediators as biomarkers seems to have good chances to classify patients at risk of severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy.
| | - Maria Franzini
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Lisa Macera
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Laurence Balas
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EBNSCM, France
| | - Thierry Durand
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EBNSCM, France
| | - Camille Oger
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EBNSCM, France
| | - Jean-Marie Galano
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EBNSCM, France
| | - Fabrizio Maggi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Italy
| | - Alessandro Celi
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Aldo Paolicchi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy.
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11
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Mrakic-Sposta S, Biagini D, Bondi D, Pietrangelo T, Vezzoli A, Lomonaco T, Di Francesco F, Verratti V. OxInflammation at High Altitudes: A Proof of Concept from the Himalayas. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11020368. [PMID: 35204250 PMCID: PMC8869289 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11020368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
High-altitude locations are fascinating for investigating biological and physiological responses in humans. In this work, we studied the high-altitude response in the plasma and urine of six healthy adult trekkers, who participated in a trek in Nepal that covered 300 km in 19 days along a route in the Kanchenjunga Mountain and up to a maximum altitude of 5140 m. Post-trek results showed an unbalance in redox status, with an upregulation of ROS (+19%), NOx (+28%), neopterin (+50%), and pro-inflammatory prostanoids, such as PGE2 (+120%) and 15-deoxy-delta12,14-PGJ2 (+233%). The isoprostane 15-F2t-IsoP was associated with low levels of TAC (−18%), amino-thiols, omega-3 PUFAs, and anti-inflammatory CYP450 EPA-derived mediators, such as DiHETEs. The deterioration of antioxidant systems paves the way to the overload of redox and inflammative markers, as triggered by the combined physical and hypoxic stressors. Our data underline the link between oxidative stress and inflammation, which is related to the concept of OxInflammation into the altitude hypoxia fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Mrakic-Sposta
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council (IFC-CNR), 20162 Milan, Italy; (S.M.-S.); (A.V.)
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (T.L.); (F.D.F.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Danilo Bondi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (D.B.); (T.P.)
| | - Tiziana Pietrangelo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (D.B.); (T.P.)
| | - Alessandra Vezzoli
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council (IFC-CNR), 20162 Milan, Italy; (S.M.-S.); (A.V.)
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (T.L.); (F.D.F.)
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (T.L.); (F.D.F.)
| | - Vittore Verratti
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, 66100 Chieti, Italy;
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12
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Biagini D, Fusi J, Vezzosi A, Oliveri P, Ghimenti S, Lenzi A, Salvo P, Daniele S, Scarfò G, Vivaldi FM, Bonini A, Martini C, Franzoni F, Di Francesco F, Lomonaco T. Effects of long-term vegan diet on breath composition. J Breath Res 2022; 16. [PMID: 35051905 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ac4d41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The composition of exhaled breath derives from an intricate combination of normal and abnormal physiological processes that are modified by the consumption of food and beverages, circadian rhythms, bacterial infections, and genetics as well as exposure to xenobiotics. This complexity, which results wide intra- and inter-individual variability and is further influenced by sampling conditions, hinders the identification of specific biomarkers and makes it difficult to differentiate between pathological and nominally healthy subjects. The identification of a "normal" breath composition and the relative influence of the aforementioned parameters would make breath analyses much faster for diagnostic applications. We thus compared, for the first time, the breath composition of age-matched volunteers following a vegan and a Mediterranean omnivorous diet in order to evaluate the impact of diet on breath composition. Mixed breath was collected from 38 nominally healthy volunteers who were asked to breathe into a two-liter handmade Nalophan bag. Exhalation flow rate and carbon dioxide values were monitored during breath sampling. An aliquot (100 mL) of breath was loaded into a sorbent tube (250 mg of Tenax GR, 60/80 mesh) before being analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Breath profiling using TD-GC-MS analysis identified five compounds (methanol, 1-propanol, pentane, hexane, and hexanal), thus enabling differentiation between samples collected from the different group members . Principal component analysis showed a clear separation between groups, suggesting that breath analysis could be used to study the influence of dietary habits in the fields of nutrition and metabolism. Surprisingly, one Italian woman and her brother showed extremely low breath isoprene levels (about 5 ppbv), despite their normal lipidic profile and respiratory data, such as flow rate and pCO2. Further investigations to reveal the reasons behind low isoprene levels in breath would help reveal the origin of isoprene in breath.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Jonathan Fusi
- University of Pisa Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Via Roma, 67, Pisa, Toscana, 56126, ITALY
| | - Annasilvia Vezzosi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Paolo Oliveri
- Department of Drug and Food Chemistry and Technology, University of Genoa, Via Brigata Salerno, 13, Genoa, 16100, ITALY
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Alessio Lenzi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Moruzzi 1, Pisa, 56124, ITALY
| | - Simona Daniele
- University of Pisa Department of Pharmacy, Via Bonanno Pisano, 12, Pisa, Toscana, 56126, ITALY
| | - Giorgia Scarfò
- University of Pisa Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Via Roma, 67, Pisa, Toscana, 56126, ITALY
| | - Federico Maria Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Claudia Martini
- University of Pisa Department of Pharmacy, Via Bonanno Pisano, 12, Pisa, Toscana, 56126, ITALY
| | - Ferdinando Franzoni
- University of Pisa Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Via Roma, 67, Pisa, Toscana, 56126, ITALY
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
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13
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Daniele S, Scarfò G, Ceccarelli L, Fusi J, Zappelli E, Biagini D, Lomonaco T, Di Francesco F, Franzoni F, Martini C. The Mediterranean Diet Positively Affects Resting Metabolic Rate and Salivary Microbiota in Human Subjects: A Comparison with the Vegan Regimen. Biology (Basel) 2021; 10:biology10121292. [PMID: 34943207 PMCID: PMC8699008 DOI: 10.3390/biology10121292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Salivary microbiota has been shown to be individualized and influenced by genetic and environmental factors, including macronutrient intake and lifestyle. Herein, the effect of two long-term dietary patterns, the Mediterranean and the vegan diet, was analyzed on oral microbiota composition and metabolic profile of human subjects. Moreover, we correlated microbial species to metabolic parameters. Subjects following the Mediterranean diet had a wider spectrum of oral bacteria and a better metabolic profile compared to the vegan diet, confirming the positive effects of a Mediterranean diet. Abstract Salivary microbiota, comprising bacteria shed from oral surfaces, has been shown to be individualized, temporally stable, and influenced by macronutrient intake and lifestyle. Nevertheless, the effect of long-term dietary patterns on oral microbiota composition and the relationship between oral microbiota composition and metabolic rate remains to be examined. Herein, salivary microbiota composition and metabolic profile were analyzed in human subjects with vegan (VEG) or Mediterranean (MED) long-term dietary patterns. MED subjects presented significantly higher percentages of Subflava and Prevotella species as compared to VEG ones. Moreover, MED subjects showed a lower carbohydrate and a higher lipid consumption than VEG subjects, and, accordingly, a significantly higher basal metabolic rate (BMR) and a lower respiratory quotient (RQ). Prevotella abundance was demonstrated to be inversely related to RQ and carbohydrate consumption, whereas Subflava percentages were demonstrated to be positively correlated to BMR. Lactobacillus abundance, which was inversely related to Subflava presence in MED subjects, was associated with decreased BMR (Harris–Benedict) values. Overall, our data evidence the influence of macronutrient intake on metabolic profile and oral microbiota and confirm the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet on BMR and on the abundance of microbial species associated with a better macronutrient metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Daniele
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.D.); (L.C.); (E.Z.); (C.M.)
| | - Giorgia Scarfò
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.S.); (J.F.)
| | - Lorenzo Ceccarelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.D.); (L.C.); (E.Z.); (C.M.)
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Jonathan Fusi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.S.); (J.F.)
| | - Elisa Zappelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.D.); (L.C.); (E.Z.); (C.M.)
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (D.B.); (T.L.); (F.D.F.)
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (D.B.); (T.L.); (F.D.F.)
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (D.B.); (T.L.); (F.D.F.)
| | - Ferdinando Franzoni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (G.S.); (J.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-050-2211857; Fax: +39-050-40834
| | - Claudia Martini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (S.D.); (L.C.); (E.Z.); (C.M.)
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14
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Henderson B, Slingers G, Pedrotti M, Pugliese G, Malásková M, Bryant L, Lomonaco T, Ghimenti S, Moreno S, Cordell R, Harren FJM, Schubert J, Mayhew CA, Wilde M, Di Francesco F, Koppen G, Beauchamp JD, Cristescu SM. The peppermint breath test benchmark for PTR-MS and SIFT-MS. J Breath Res 2021; 15. [PMID: 34416737 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/ac1fcf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A major challenge for breath research is the lack of standardization in sampling and analysis. To address this, a test that utilizes a standardized intervention and a defined study protocol has been proposed to explore disparities in breath research across different analytical platforms and to provide benchmark values for comparison. Specifically, thePeppermint Experimentinvolves the targeted analysis in exhaled breath of volatile constituents of peppermint oil after ingestion of the encapsulated oil. Data from thePeppermint Experimentperformed by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) are presented and discussed herein, including the product ions associated with the key peppermint volatiles, namely limonene,α- andβ-pinene, 1,8-cineole, menthol, menthone and menthofuran. The breath washout profiles of these compounds from 65 individuals were collected, comprising datasets from five PTR-MS and two SIFT-MS instruments. The washout profiles of these volatiles were evaluated by comparing the log-fold change over time of the product ion intensities associated with each volatile. Benchmark values were calculated from the lower 95% confidence interval of the linear time-to-washout regression analysis for all datasets combined. Benchmark washout values from PTR-MS analysis were 353 min for the sum of monoterpenes and 1,8-cineole (identical product ions), 173 min for menthol, 330 min for menthofuran, and 218 min for menthone; from SIFT-MS analysis values were 228 min for the sum of monoterpenes, 281 min for the sum of monoterpenes and 1,8-cineole, and 370 min for menthone plus 1,8-cineole. Large inter- and intra-dataset variations were observed, whereby the latter suggests that biological variability plays a key role in how the compounds are absorbed, metabolized and excreted from the body via breath. This variability seems large compared to the influence of sampling and analytical procedures, but further investigations are recommended to clarify the effects of these factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Henderson
- Department of Molecular and Laser Physics, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gitte Slingers
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Health Unit, Mol, Belgium.,Hasselt University, Faculty of Medicine and Life Science, Limburg Clinical Research Center, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Michele Pedrotti
- Department of Food Quality and Design, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Food Quality and Nutrition-Edmund Mach Foundation, Research and Innovation Center, San Michele all'Adige, Trentino, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pugliese
- Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.,Atmospheric Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michaela Malásková
- Institute for Breath Research, Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.,Department Life Science Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien, Wien, Austria
| | - Luke Bryant
- Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sergi Moreno
- National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Cordell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Frans J M Harren
- Department of Molecular and Laser Physics, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jochen Schubert
- Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
| | - Chris A Mayhew
- Institute for Breath Research, Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.,Tiroler Krebsforschungsinstitut (TKFI), Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael Wilde
- Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gudrun Koppen
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Health Unit, Mol, Belgium
| | - Jonathan D Beauchamp
- Department of Sensory Analytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising, Germany
| | - Simona M Cristescu
- Department of Molecular and Laser Physics, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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15
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Bonini A, Poma N, Vivaldi F, Biagini D, Bottai D, Tavanti A, Di Francesco F. A label-free impedance biosensing assay based on CRISPR/Cas12a collateral activity for bacterial DNA detection. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021; 204:114268. [PMID: 34298471 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2021.114268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The rapid and selective identification in the clinical setting of pathogenic bacteria causing healthcare associated infections (HAIs) and in particular blood stream infections (BSIs) is a major challenge, as the number of people affected worldwide and the associated mortality are on the rise. In fact, traditional laboratory techniques such culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methodologies are often associated to long turnaround times, which justify the pressing need for the development of rapid, specific and portable point of care devices. The recently discovered clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat loci (CRISPR) and the new class of programmable endonuclease enzymes called CRISPR associated proteins (Cas) have revolutionised molecular diagnostics. The use of Cas proteins in optical and electrochemical biosensing devices has significantly improved the detection of nucleic acids in clinical samples. In this study, a CRISPR/Cas12a system was coupled with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements to develop a label-free biosensing assay for the detection of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, two bacterial species commonly associated to BSI infections. The programmable Cas12a endonuclease activity, induced by a specific guide RNA (gRNA), and the triggered collateral activity were assessed in in vitro restriction analyses, and evaluated thanks to impedance measurements using a modified gold electrode. The Cas12a/gRNA system was able to specifically recognize amplicons from different clinical isolates of E. coli and S. aureus with a limit of detection of 3 nM and a short turnaround time approximately of 1.5 h. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first biosensing device based on CRISPR/Cas12a label free impedance assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Noemi Poma
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Federico Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy; Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via G. Moruzzi 1, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Daria Bottai
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Arianna Tavanti
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy; INSTM, Via G. Giusti 9, Florence, Italy.
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16
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Kirchhain A, Zubrienė A, Kairys V, Vivaldi F, Bonini A, Biagini D, Santalucia D, Matulis D, Di Francesco F. Biphenyl substituted lysine derivatives as recognition elements for the matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9. Bioorg Chem 2021; 115:105155. [PMID: 34303036 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are an important factor in cancer progression and metastasis, especially gelatinases MMP-2 and MMP-9. A simple methodology for their detection and monitoring is highly desirable. Molecular probes have been very widely and successfully applied to study the activity of MMPs in cellular processes in vitro. We thus synthesized a small compound library of MMP-2 and MMP-9 binding probes based on drug molecules and endowed with free amine groups for the functionalization of transducer surfaces. In this study, we combined experimental results obtained by a kinetic fluorogenic peptide substrate cleavage assay with molecular modeling studies in order to assess the ability of the probe to bind to their target enzymes. The synthesized biphenyl substituted lysine derivatives showed IC50-values in the low nanomolar concentration range against MMP-2 (ligands 3a-d: 3 nM to 8 µM, ligands 4a-d: 45 nM to 350 µM) and low micromolar range against MMP-9 (ligands 3a-d: 350 nM to 60 µM, ligands 4a-d: 5 µM to 600 µM), with a selectivity up to more than 160-fold for MMP-2. The experimental results correlated well with molecular modelling with FleXAID and X-score functions. We showed that in our compound series, the side chain remained far away from the S1' cavity and the ligand for all the docked minima. Ligands 4a-d with their free amine group on the side chain may thus be bound to transducer surfaces for the fabrication of sensors, while retaining their activity against their target enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arno Kirchhain
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi, 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Asta Zubrienė
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, Vilnius LT-10257, Lithuania
| | - Visvaldas Kairys
- Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, Vilnius LT-10257, Lithuania
| | - Federico Vivaldi
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi, 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi, 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Biagini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi, 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Delio Santalucia
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi, 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Daumantas Matulis
- Department of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, Vilnius LT-10257, Lithuania
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi, 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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17
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Vivaldi F, Dallinger A, Bonini A, Poma N, Sembranti L, Biagini D, Salvo P, Greco F, Di Francesco F. Three-Dimensional (3D) Laser-Induced Graphene: Structure, Properties, and Application to Chemical Sensing. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:30245-30260. [PMID: 34167302 PMCID: PMC8289247 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c05614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Notwithstanding its relatively recent discovery, graphene has gone through many evolution steps and inspired a multitude of applications in many fields, from electronics to life science. The recent advancements in graphene production and patterning, and the inclusion of two-dimensional (2D) graphenic materials in three-dimensional (3D) superstructures, further extended the number of potential applications. In this Review, we focus on laser-induced graphene (LIG), an intriguing 3D porous graphenic material produced by direct laser scribing of carbonaceous precursors, and on its applications in chemical sensors and biosensors. LIG can be shaped in different 3D forms with a high surface-to-volume ratio, which is a valuable characteristic for sensors that typically rely on phenomena occurring at surfaces and interfaces. Herein, an overview of LIG, including synthesis from various precursors, structure, and characteristic properties, is first provided. The discussion focuses especially on transport and surface properties, and on how these can be controlled by tuning the laser processing. Progresses and trends in LIG-based chemical sensors are then reviewed, discussing the various transduction mechanisms and different LIG functionalization procedures for chemical sensing. A comparative evaluation of sensors performance is then provided. Finally, sensors for glucose detection are reviewed in more detail, since they represent the vast majority of LIG-based chemical sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico
Maria Vivaldi
- Department
of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University
of Pisa, via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
- Institute
of Clinical Physiology, National Research
Council, via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alexander Dallinger
- Institute
of Solid State Physics, NAWI Graz, Graz
University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Department
of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University
of Pisa, via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Noemi Poma
- Department
of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University
of Pisa, via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Sembranti
- Department
of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University
of Pisa, via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department
of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University
of Pisa, via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Institute
of Clinical Physiology, National Research
Council, via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Greco
- Institute
of Solid State Physics, NAWI Graz, Graz
University of Technology, Petersgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department
of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University
of Pisa, via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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18
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Bellagambi FG, Petersen C, Salvo P, Ghimenti S, Franzini M, Biagini D, Hangouët M, Trivella MG, Di Francesco F, Paolicchi A, Errachid A, Fuoco R, Lomonaco T. Determination and stability of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in saliva samples for monitoring heart failure. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13088. [PMID: 34158583 PMCID: PMC8219749 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92488-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is the main cause of mortality worldwide, particularly in the elderly. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is the gold standard biomarker for HF diagnosis and therapy monitoring. It is determined in blood samples by the immunochemical methods generally adopted by most laboratories. Saliva analysis is a powerful tool for clinical applications, mainly due to its non-invasive and less risky sampling. This study describes a validated analytical procedure for NT-proBNP determination in saliva samples using a commercial Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay. Linearity, matrix effect, sensitivity, recovery and assay-precision were evaluated. The analytical approach showed a linear behaviour of the signal throughout the concentrations tested, with a minimum detectable dose of 1 pg/mL, a satisfactory NT-proBNP recovery (95-110%), and acceptable precision (coefficient of variation ≤ 10%). Short-term (3 weeks) and long-term (5 months) stability of NT-proBNP in saliva samples under the storage conditions most frequently used in clinical laboratories (4, - 20, and - 80 °C) was also investigated and showed that the optimal storage conditions were at - 20 °C for up to 2.5 months. Finally, the method was tested for the determination of NT-proBNP in saliva samples collected from ten hospitalized acute HF patients. Preliminary results indicate a decrease in NT-proBNP in saliva from admission to discharge, thus suggesting that this procedure is an effective saliva-based point-of-care device for HF monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca G. Bellagambi
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy ,grid.7849.20000 0001 2150 7757Institute of Analytical Sciences (ISA) – UMR 5280, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69100 Lyon, France
| | - Christina Petersen
- grid.452599.60000 0004 1781 8976Cardiology Division, Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Salvo
- grid.5326.20000 0001 1940 4177Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Franzini
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Biagini
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Marie Hangouët
- grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Institute of Analytical Sciences (ISA), UMR 5280, French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), 69100 Lyon, France
| | - Maria Giovanna Trivella
- grid.5326.20000 0001 1940 4177Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Aldo Paolicchi
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Abdelhamid Errachid
- grid.7849.20000 0001 2150 7757Institute of Analytical Sciences (ISA) – UMR 5280, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69100 Lyon, France
| | - Roger Fuoco
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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19
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Lomonaco T, Salvo P, Ghimenti S, Biagini D, Vivaldi F, Bonini A, Fuoco R, Di Francesco F. Stability of volatile organic compounds in sorbent tubes following SARS-CoV-2 inactivation procedures. J Breath Res 2021; 15. [PMID: 33752195 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/abf0b4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 is a highly transmissible respiratory illness that has rapidly spread all over the world causing more than 115 million cases and 2.5 million deaths. Most epidemiological projections estimate that the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus causing the infection will circulate in the next few years and raise enormous economic and social issues. COVID-19 has a dramatic impact on health care systems and patient management, and is delaying or stopping breath research activities due to the risk of infection to the operators following contact with patients, potentially infected samples or contaminated equipment. In this scenario, we investigated whether virus inactivation procedures, based on a thermal treatment (60 °C for 1 h) or storage of tubes at room temperature for 72 h, could be used to allow the routine breath analysis workflow to carry on with an optimal level of safety during the pandemic. Tests were carried out using dry and humid gaseous samples containing about 100 representative chemicals found in exhaled breath and ambient air. Samples were collected in commercially available sorbent tubes, i.e. Tenax GR and a combination of Tenax TA, Carbograph 1TD and Carboxen 1003. Our results showed that all compounds were stable at room temperature up to 72 h and that sample humidity was the key factor affecting the stability of the compounds upon thermal treatment. Tenax GR-based sorbent tubes were less impacted by the thermal treatment, showing variations in the range 20%-30% for most target analytes. A significant loss of aldehydes and sulphur compounds was observed using carbon molecular sieve-based tubes. In this case, a dry purge step before inactivation at 60 °C significantly reduced the loss of the target analytes, whose variations were comparable to the method variability. Finally, a breath analysis workflow including a SARS-CoV-2 inactivation treatment is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roger Fuoco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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20
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Bonini A, Poma N, Vivaldi F, Kirchhain A, Salvo P, Bottai D, Tavanti A, Di Francesco F. Advances in biosensing: The CRISPR/Cas system as a new powerful tool for the detection of nucleic acids. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021; 192:113645. [PMID: 33039910 PMCID: PMC7513908 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2020.113645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A main challenge in the development of biosensing devices for the identification and quantification of nucleic acids is to avoid the amplification of the genetic material from the sample by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is at present necessary to enhance sensitivity and selectivity of assays. PCR has undoubtedly revolutionized genetic analyses, but it requires careful purification procedures that are not easily implemented in point of care (POC) devices. In recent years, a new strategy for nucleic acid detection based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and associated protein systems (Cas) seems to offer unprecedented possibilities. The coupling of the CRISPR/Cas system with recent isothermal amplification methods is fostering the development of innovative optical and electrochemical POC devices. In this review, the mechanisms of action of several new CRISRP/Cas systems are reported together with their use in biosensing of nucleic acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Noemi Poma
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Federico Vivaldi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy,Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via G. Moruzzi 1, Pisa, Italy
| | - Arno Kirchhain
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Via G. Moruzzi 1, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daria Bottai
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, Pisa, Italy
| | - Arianna Tavanti
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 35-39, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
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21
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Wilkinson M, White IR, Hamshere K, Holz O, Schuchardt S, Bellagambi FG, Lomonaco T, Biagini D, Di Francesco F, Fowler SJ. The peppermint breath test: a benchmarking protocol for breath sampling and analysis using GC-MS. J Breath Res 2020; 15. [PMID: 33302258 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/abd28c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Exhaled breath contains hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which offers the potential for diagnosing and monitoring a wide range of diseases. As the breath research field has grown, sampling and analytical practices have become highly varied between groups. Standardisation would allow meta-analyses of data from multiple studies and greater confidence in published results. The Peppermint Consortium has been formed to address this task of standardisation. In the current study we aimed to generate initial benchmark values for thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) analysis of breath samples containing peppermint-derived VOCs. Headspace analysis of peppermint oil capsules was performed to determine compounds of interest. Ten healthy participants were recruited by three groups. Each participant provided a baseline breath sample prior to taking a peppermint capsule, with further samples collected at 60, 90, 165, 285 and 360 min following ingestion. Sampling and analytical protocols were different for each institution, in line with their usual practice. Samples were analysed by TD-GC-MS and benchmarking values determined for the time taken for detected peppermint VOCs to return to baseline values. Sixteen compounds were identified in the capsule headspace. Additionally, 2,3-dehydro-1,8-cineole was uniquely found in the breath samples, with a washout profile that suggested it was a product of peppermint metabolism. Five compounds (α-pinene, β-pinene, eucalyptol, menthol and menthone) were quantified by all three groups. Differences in recovery were observed between the groups, particularly for menthone and menthol. The average time taken for VOCs to return to baseline was selected as the benchmark and were 441, 648, 1736, 643 and 375 min for α-pinene, β-pinene, eucalyptol, menthone and menthol respectively. An initial set of easy-to-measure benchmarking values for assessing the performance of TD-GC-MS systems for the analysis of VOCs in breath is presented. These values will be updated when more groups provide additional data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim Wilkinson
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Iain R White
- Laboratory of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica, 5000, SLOVENIA
| | - Katie Hamshere
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Olaf Holz
- Member of the German Center for Lung Research (BREATH), Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM, Hannover, GERMANY
| | - Sven Schuchardt
- Member of the German Center for Lung Research (BREATH), Fraunhofer-Institut fur Toxikologie und Experimentelle Medizin, Hannover, GERMANY
| | - Francesca G Bellagambi
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 5, rue de la Doua, Villeurbanne, FRANCE, 69100, FRANCE
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Pisa, ITALY
| | - Denise Biagini
- Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Pisa, ITALY
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Pisa, ITALY
| | - Stephen J Fowler
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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22
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Bellagambi FG, Lomonaco T, Ghimenti S, Biagini D, Fuoco R, Di Francesco F. Determination of peppermint compounds in breath by needle trap micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J Breath Res 2020; 15. [PMID: 33238253 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/abcdec] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Breath analysis is an alternative approach for disease diagnosis and for monitoring therapy. The lack of standardized procedures for collecting and analysing breath samples currently limits its use in clinical practice. In order to overcome this limitation, the "Peppermint Consortium" was established within the breath community to carry out breath wash-out experiments and define reference values for a panel of compounds contained in the peppermint oil capsule. Here, we present a needle trap micro-extraction technique coupled with gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for a rapid and accurate determination of alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, limonene, eucalyptol, menthofuran, menthone, menthol and menthyl acetate in mixed breath samples. Detection limits between 1 and 20 pptv were observed when 25 mL of a humidified standard gas mixture were loaded into a needle trap device at a flow rate of 10 mL/min. Inter- and intra-day precisions were lower than 15%, thus confirming the reliability of the assay. Our procedure was used to analyse breath samples taken from a nominally healthy volunteer who were invited to swallow a 200 mg capsule of peppermint oil. Six samples were collected at various times within six hours of ingestion. Analyte concentrations were not affected by the sampling mode (i.e. mixed vs. end-tidal fraction), whereas respiratory rate and exhalation flow rate values slightly influenced the concentration of the target compounds in breath samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca G Bellagambi
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 5, rue de la Doua, Villeurbanne, FRANCE, 69100, FRANCE
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Universita degli Studi di Pisa Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Via G. Moruzzi, 13, Pisa, Tuscany, 56124, ITALY
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Toscana, ITALY
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Toscana, ITALY
| | - Roger Fuoco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Toscana, ITALY
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Toscana, ITALY
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23
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Salvo P, Vivaldi FM, Bonini A, Biagini D, Bellagambi FG, Miliani FM, Di Francesco F, Lomonaco T. Biosensors for Detecting Lymphocytes and Immunoglobulins. Biosensors (Basel) 2020; 10:E155. [PMID: 33121071 PMCID: PMC7694141 DOI: 10.3390/bios10110155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Lymphocytes (B, T and natural killer cells) and immunoglobulins are essential for the adaptive immune response against external pathogens. Flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) kits are the gold standards to detect immunoglobulins, B cells and T cells, whereas the impedance measurement is the most used technique for natural killer cells. For point-of-care, fast and low-cost devices, biosensors could be suitable for the reliable, stable and reproducible detection of immunoglobulins and lymphocytes. In the literature, such biosensors are commonly fabricated using antibodies, aptamers, proteins and nanomaterials, whereas electrochemical, optical and piezoelectric techniques are used for detection. This review describes how these measurement techniques and transducers can be used to fabricate biosensors for detecting lymphocytes and the total content of immunoglobulins. The various methods and configurations are reported, along with the advantages and current limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Salvo
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Federico M. Vivaldi
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy;
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.B.); (D.B.); (F.M.M.); (F.D.F.); (T.L.)
| | - Andrea Bonini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.B.); (D.B.); (F.M.M.); (F.D.F.); (T.L.)
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.B.); (D.B.); (F.M.M.); (F.D.F.); (T.L.)
| | - Francesca G. Bellagambi
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques, UMR 5280, Université Lyon 1, 5, rue de la Doua, 69100 Villeurbanne, France;
| | - Filippo M. Miliani
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.B.); (D.B.); (F.M.M.); (F.D.F.); (T.L.)
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.B.); (D.B.); (F.M.M.); (F.D.F.); (T.L.)
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (A.B.); (D.B.); (F.M.M.); (F.D.F.); (T.L.)
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24
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Henderson B, Ruszkiewicz DM, Wilkinson M, Beauchamp JD, Cristescu SM, Fowler SJ, Salman D, Francesco FD, Koppen G, Langejürgen J, Holz O, Hadjithekli A, Moreno S, Pedrotti M, Sinues P, Slingers G, Wilde M, Lomonaco T, Zanella D, Zenobi R, Focant JF, Grassin-Delyle S, Franchina FA, Malásková M, Stefanuto PH, Pugliese G, Mayhew C, Thomas CLP. A benchmarking protocol for breath analysis: the peppermint experiment. J Breath Res 2020; 14:046008. [PMID: 32604084 DOI: 10.1088/1752-7163/aba130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has shown promise for detection of a range of diseases but results have proved hard to replicate due to a lack of standardization. In this work we introduce the 'Peppermint Initiative'. The initiative seeks to disseminate a standardized experiment that allows comparison of breath sampling and data analysis methods. Further, it seeks to share a set of benchmark values for the measurement of VOCs in breath. Pilot data are presented to illustrate the standardized approach to the interpretation of results obtained from the Peppermint experiment. This pilot study was conducted to determine the washout profile of peppermint compounds in breath, identify appropriate sampling time points, and formalise the data analysis. Five and ten participants were recruited to undertake a standardized intervention by ingesting a peppermint oil capsule that engenders a predictable and controlled change in the VOC profile in exhaled breath. After collecting a pre-ingestion breath sample, five further samples are taken at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h after ingestion. Samples were analysed using ion mobility spectrometry coupled to multi-capillary column and thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry. A regression analysis of the washout data was used to determine sampling times for the final peppermint protocol, and the time for the compound measurement to return to baseline levels was selected as a benchmark value. A measure of the quality of the data generated from a given technique is proposed by comparing data fidelity. This study protocol has been used for all subsequent measurements by the Peppermint Consortium (16 partners from seven countries). So far 1200 breath samples from 200 participants using a range of sampling and analytical techniques have been collected. The data from the consortium will be disseminated in subsequent technical notes focussing on results from individual platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Henderson
- Exhaled Biomarkers and Exposure, Department of Molecular and Laser Physics, IMM, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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25
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Lomonaco T, Manco E, Corti A, La Nasa J, Ghimenti S, Biagini D, Di Francesco F, Modugno F, Ceccarini A, Fuoco R, Castelvetro V. Release of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from photo-degraded plastic debris: A neglected source of environmental pollution. J Hazard Mater 2020; 394:122596. [PMID: 32302919 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Environmental pollution associated to plastic debris is gaining increasing relevance not only as a threat to ecosystems but also for its possible harmful effects on biota and human health. The release of toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a potential hazard associated with the environmental weathering of plastic debris. Artificial aging of reference polymers (polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, high and low density polyethylene) was performed in a Solar Box at 40 °C and 750 W/m2. The volatile degradation products were determined before and after 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks of aging using a validated analytical procedure combining headspace (HS) with needle trap microextraction (NTME) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A progressive increase in VOCs was observed during artificial photo-degradation, whose chemical profile resulted polymer-dependent and included carbonyls, lactones, esters, acids, alcohols, ethers, aromatics. The amount of extractable fraction in polar solvents generally showed a similar trend. The same analytical procedure was used to determine VOCs released from plastic debris collected at a marine beach. All samples released harmful compounds (e.g. acrolein, benzene, propanal, methyl vinyl ketone, and methyl propenyl ketone), supporting the initial hypothesis that microplastics represent an unrecognized source of environmental pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Enrico Manco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Corti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Jacopo La Nasa
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Modugno
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessio Ceccarini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roger Fuoco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
| | - Valter Castelvetro
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, Pisa, Italy
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26
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Ghimenti S, Lomonaco T, Bellagambi FG, Biagini D, Salvo P, Trivella MG, Scali MC, Barletta V, Marzilli M, Di Francesco F, Errachid A, Fuoco R. Salivary lactate and 8-isoprostaglandin F 2α as potential non-invasive biomarkers for monitoring heart failure: a pilot study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7441. [PMID: 32366899 PMCID: PMC7198483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a cardiovascular disease affecting about 26 million people worldwide costing about $100 billons per year. HF activates several compensatory mechanisms and neurohormonal systems, so we hypothesized that the concomitant monitoring of a panel of potential biomarkers related to such conditions might help predicting HF evolution. Saliva analysis by point-of-care devices is expected to become an innovative and powerful monitoring approach since the chemical composition of saliva mirrors that of blood. The aims of this study were (i) to develop an innovative procedure combining MEPS with UHPLC-MS/MS for the simultaneous determination of 8-isoprostaglandin F2α and cortisol in saliva and (ii) to monitor lactate, uric acid, TNF-α, cortisol, α-amylase and 8-isoprostaglandin F2α concentrations in stimulated saliva samples collected from 44 HF patients during their hospitalisation due to acute HF. Limit of detection of 10 pg/mL, satisfactory recovery (95–110%), and good intra- and inter-day precisions (RSD ≤ 10%) were obtained for 8-isoprostaglandin F2α and cortisol. Salivary lactate and 8-isoprostaglandin F2α were strongly correlated with NT-proBNP. Most patients (about 70%) showed a significant decrease (a factor of 3 at least) of both lactate and 8-isoprostaglandin F2α levels at discharge, suggesting a relationship between salivary levels and improved clinical conditions during hospitalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Francesca G Bellagambi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy.,Univ Lyon, CNRS, Universitè Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut des Sciences Analytiques, UMR 5280, 5 rue de la Doua, F-69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 3, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria G Trivella
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 3, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria C Scali
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentina Barletta
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mario Marzilli
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Abdelhamid Errachid
- Univ Lyon, CNRS, Universitè Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut des Sciences Analytiques, UMR 5280, 5 rue de la Doua, F-69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Roger Fuoco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy
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Kirchhain A, Poma N, Salvo P, Tedeschi L, Melai B, Vivaldi F, Bonini A, Franzini M, Caponi L, Tavanti A, Di Francesco F. Biosensors for measuring matrix metalloproteinases: An emerging research field. Trends Analyt Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2018.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Paoletti C, He M, Salvo P, Melai B, Calisi N, Mannini M, Cortigiani B, Bellagambi FG, Swager TM, Di Francesco F, Pucci A. Room temperature amine sensors enabled by sidewall functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes. RSC Adv 2018; 8:5578-5585. [PMID: 30820317 PMCID: PMC6390973 DOI: 10.1039/c7ra13304a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A new series of sidewall modified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with perfluorophenyl molecules bearing carboxylic acid or methyl ester moieties are herein reported. Pristine and functionalized SWCNTs (p-SWCNTs and f-SWCNTs, respectively) were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nitrene-based functionalization provided intact SWCNTs with methyl 4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoate (SWCNT-N-C6F4CO2CH3) and 4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoic acid (SWCNT-N-C6F4CO2H) attached every 213 and 109 carbon atoms, respectively. Notably, SWCNT-N-C6F4CO2H was sensitive in terms of the percentage of conductance variation from 5 to 40 ppm of ammonia (NH3) and trimethylamine (TMA) with a two-fold higher variation of conductance compared to p-SWCNTs at 40 ppm. The sensors are highly sensitive to NH3 and TMA as they showed very low responses (0.1%) toward 200 ppm of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) containing various functional groups representative of different classes of analytes such as benzene, tetrahydrofurane (THF), hexane, ethyl acetate (AcOEt), ethanol, acetonitrile (CH3CN), acetone and chloroform (CHCl3). Our system is a promising candidate for the realization of single-use chemiresistive sensors for the detection of threshold crossing by low concentrations of gaseous NH3 and TMA at room temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Paoletti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of PisaVia G. Moruzzi 1356124 PisaItaly
| | - Maggie He
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology77 Massachusetts AvenueCambridgeMA 02139USA
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of PisaVia G. Moruzzi 1356124 PisaItaly
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research (IFC-CNR)Via G. Moruzzi 1Pisa56124Italy
| | - Bernardo Melai
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of PisaVia G. Moruzzi 1356124 PisaItaly
| | - Nicola Calisi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of PisaVia G. Moruzzi 1356124 PisaItaly
- Department of Chemistry “U. Schiff”, University of FlorenceVia della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI)Italy
- National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM)Via G. Giusti 950121 FirenzeItaly
| | - Matteo Mannini
- Department of Chemistry “U. Schiff”, University of FlorenceVia della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI)Italy
- National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM)Via G. Giusti 950121 FirenzeItaly
| | - Brunetto Cortigiani
- Department of Chemistry “U. Schiff”, University of FlorenceVia della Lastruccia 3-13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI)Italy
- National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM)Via G. Giusti 950121 FirenzeItaly
| | - Francesca G. Bellagambi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of PisaVia G. Moruzzi 1356124 PisaItaly
| | - Timothy M. Swager
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology77 Massachusetts AvenueCambridgeMA 02139USA
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of PisaVia G. Moruzzi 1356124 PisaItaly
| | - Andrea Pucci
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of PisaVia G. Moruzzi 1356124 PisaItaly
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Lanata A, Guidi A, Greco A, Valenza G, Di Francesco F, Scilingo EP. Automatic recognition of pleasant content of odours through ElectroEncephaloGraphic activity analysis. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2017; 2016:4519-4522. [PMID: 28269281 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2016.7591732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This study presents a machine learning approach applied to ElectroEnchephaloGraphic (EEG) response in a group of subjects when exposed to a controlled olfactory stimulation experiment. In the literature, in fact, there are controversial results on EEG response to odorants. This study proposes a robust leave-one-subject-out classification method to recognize features extracted from EEG signals belonging to pleasant or unpleasant olfactory stimulation classes. An accuracy of 75% has been achieved in a group of 32 subjects. Moreover a set of features extracted from lateral electrodes emphasized that right and left hemispheres behave differently when the subjects are exposed to pleasant or unpleasant odours stimuli.
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Salvo P, Calisi N, Melai B, Dini V, Paoletti C, Lomonaco T, Pucci A, Di Francesco F, Piaggesi A, Romanelli M. Temperature- and pH-sensitive wearable materials for monitoring foot ulcers. Int J Nanomedicine 2017; 12:949-954. [PMID: 28203074 PMCID: PMC5293368 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s121726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Foot ulcers account for 15% of comorbidities associated with diabetes. Presently, no device allows the status of foot ulcers to be continuously monitored when patients are not hospitalized. In this study, we describe a temperature and a pH sensor capable of monitoring diabetic foot and venous leg ulcers developed in the frame of the seventh framework program European Union project SWAN-iCare (smart wearable and autonomous negative pressure device for wound monitoring and therapy). Temperature is measured by exploiting the variations in the electrical resistance of a nanocomposite consisting of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene). The pH sensor used a graphene oxide (GO) layer that changes its electrical potential when pH changes. The temperature sensor has a sensitivity of ~85 Ω/°C in the range 25°C–50°C and a high repeatability (maximum standard deviation of 0.1% over seven repeated measurements). For a GO concentration of 4 mg/mL, the pH sensor has a sensitivity of ~42 mV/pH and high linearity (R2=0.99).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Salvo
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa; Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research
| | - Nicola Calisi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa
| | - Bernardo Melai
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa
| | - Valentina Dini
- Wound Healing Research Unit, Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa
| | - Clara Paoletti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa
| | - Andrea Pucci
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa
| | | | - Alberto Piaggesi
- Diabetic Foot Section, Department of Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Romanelli
- Wound Healing Research Unit, Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa
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Greco A, Lanata A, Valenza G, Di Francesco F, Scilingo EP. Gender-specific automatic valence recognition of affective olfactory stimulation through the analysis of the electrodermal activity. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2016; 2016:399-402. [PMID: 28268357 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2016.7590724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study reports on the development of a gender-specific classification system able to discern between two valence levels of smell, through information gathered from electrodermal activity (EDA) dynamics. Specifically, two odorants were administered to 32 healthy volunteers (16 males) while monitoring EDA. CvxEDA model was used to process the EDA signal and extract features from both tonic and phasic components. The feature set was used as input to a K-NN classifier implementing a leave-one-subject-out procedure. Results show strong differences in the accuracy of valence recognition between men (62.5%) and women (78%). We can conclude that affective olfactory stimulation significantly affect EDA dynamics with a highly specific gender dependency.
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Donadio C, Calia D, Ghimenti S, Onor M, Colombini E, Fuoco R, Di Francesco F. The Removal of β2-Microglobulin in Spent Dialysate Cannot Be Monitored by Spectrophotometric Analysis. Blood Purif 2016; 40:109-12. [PMID: 26183959 DOI: 10.1159/000430906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Baldoli I, Mazzocchi T, Paoletti C, Ricotti L, Salvo P, Dini V, Laschi C, Francesco FD, Menciassi A. Pressure mapping with textile sensors for compression therapy monitoring. Proc Inst Mech Eng H 2016; 230:795-808. [PMID: 27334110 DOI: 10.1177/0954411916655184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Compression therapy is the cornerstone of treatment in the case of venous leg ulcers. The therapy outcome is strictly dependent on the pressure distribution produced by bandages along the lower limb length. To date, pressure monitoring has been carried out using sensors that present considerable drawbacks, such as single point instead of distributed sensing, no shape conformability, bulkiness and constraints on patient's movements. In this work, matrix textile sensing technologies were explored in terms of their ability to measure the sub-bandage pressure with a suitable temporal and spatial resolution. A multilayered textile matrix based on a piezoresistive sensing principle was developed, calibrated and tested with human subjects, with the aim of assessing real-time distributed pressure sensing at the skin/bandage interface. Experimental tests were carried out on three healthy volunteers, using two different bandage types, from among those most commonly used. Such tests allowed the trends of pressure distribution to be evaluated over time, both at rest and during daily life activities. Results revealed that the proposed device enables the dynamic assessment of compression mapping, with a suitable spatial and temporal resolution (20 mm and 10 Hz, respectively). In addition, the sensor is flexible and conformable, thus well accepted by the patient. Overall, this study demonstrates the adequacy of the proposed piezoresistive textile sensor for the real-time monitoring of bandage-based therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Baldoli
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Tommaso Mazzocchi
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Clara Paoletti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Leonardo Ricotti
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentina Dini
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Cecilia Laschi
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Arianna Menciassi
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pontedera, Italy
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Dini V, Salvo P, Janowska A, Di Francesco F, Barbini A, Romanelli M. Correlation Between Wound Temperature Obtained With an Infrared Camera and Clinical Wound Bed Score in Venous Leg Ulcers. Wounds 2015; 27:274-278. [PMID: 26479211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The measurement of skin and wound bed temperature in chronic wounds may be a useful way to optimize the assessment and diagnosis of chronic wound infection. The aim of this clinical research trial was to correlate the wound bed score, validated by Falanga in 2006, to wound bed and perilesional skin temperature with an easy-to-use, handheld, noninvasive thermometer. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, the authors recruited 18 patients affected by venous insufficiency and lower leg ulcers. A total of 24 chronic wound bed and perilesional skin ulcers were assessed using an infrared camera (FLIR T620 Thermal Imager, FLIR Systems Boston, MA). At the same visit, an operator blinded to the thermal image results made a wound bed score to make a clinical evaluation of the lesion. RESULTS The wound bed temperature range after dressing removal was between 31°C and 35°C, and the perilesional skin temperature range was between 31°C and 34°C. The wound bed score range was between 5-14 (14 patients > 10; 11 patients ≤ 10). The study data showed an increasing relationship between the wound bed score and the wound bed temperature according to several studies that have demonstrated 33°C is the critical temperature level required for normal cellular activity. The correlation between the wound bed score and the perilesional skin temperature is weaker compared to other measurements. CONCLUSION The results obtained in this preliminary research suggest that this correlation is worth being further investigated with a larger dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pietro Salvo
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy
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Fasano E, Esposito F, Scognamiglio G, Di Francesco F, Montuori P, Amodio Cocchieri R, Cirillo T. Bisphenol A contamination in soft drinks as a risk for children's health in Italy. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2015; 32:1207-14. [PMID: 25905576 DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2015.1031713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) was determined in sugary carbonated, non-carbonated and milk-based beverages, through HLPC-fluorescence detection and confirmed by LC-MS/MS, in a selection of brands that are mostly consumed by Italian children. The daily intake was determined through the WHO budget method (BM). BPA was found at detectable levels in 57% of carbonated beverages, in 50% of non-carbonated and in 100% of milk-based beverages. The median concentrations were 1.24 µg l(-1) (range = < LOD-4.98 µg l(-1)) in canned carbonated beverages and 0.18 µg l(-1) (< LOD-1.78 µg l(-1)) in non-canned carbonated beverages. In non-carbonated beverages, median concentrations were 0.80 µg l(-1) (< LOD-2.79 µg l(-1)) and 0.18 µg l(-1) (< LOD-3.58 µg l(-1)), respectively, for canned and non-canned beverages; in milk-based products the BPA median concentration was 3.60 µg l(-1) (1.00-17.65 µg l(-1)). BPA daily intake from sugary drink consumption in children ranged from 0.008 to 1.765 µg kg(-1) bw day(-1). The median exposure values for the 'best' and 'worst' cases were 0.16% and 0.47% respectively of the EFSA t-TDI for BPA (4 µg kg(-1) bw day(-1)), and 10.59% and 35.30% of the t-TDI when the maximum levels were considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelina Fasano
- a Department of Agriculture , 'Federico II' University of Naples, Via Università , Portici, Naples , Italy
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Cirillo T, Latini G, Castaldi MA, Dipaola L, Fasano E, Esposito F, Scognamiglio G, Francesco FD, Cobellis L. Exposure to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate and bisphenol A through infant formulas. J Agric Food Chem 2015; 63:3303-3310. [PMID: 25730646 DOI: 10.1021/jf505563k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are ubiquitous contaminants identified as endocrine disruptors. Phthalates are worldwide used as plasticizers, in particular to improve the mechanical properties of polymers such as polyvinyl chloride. Because they are not chemically bound to the polymer, they tend to leach out with time and use. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) are the two most common phthalates. BPA is an estrogenic compound used to manufacture polycarbonate containers for food and drink, including baby bottles. It can migrate from container into foods, especially at elevated temperatures. Diet is a predominant source of exposure for phthalates and BPA, especially for infants. The aim of this study was to test the presence of DEHP, DnBP, and BPA in infant formulas. DEHP, DnBP, and BPA concentrations were measured in 22 liquid and 28 powder milks by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and high performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection, respectively. DEHP concentrations in our samples were between 0.005 and 5.088 μg/g (median 0.906 μg/g), DnBP concentrations were between 0.008 and 1.297 μg/g (median 0.053 μg/g), and BPA concentrations were between 0.003 and 0.375 μg/g (median 0.015 μg/g). Concentrations of the investigated contaminants in liquid and powder milks were not significantly different, even though samples were packed in different types of containers. These data point out potential hazards for infants fed with baby formulas. Contamination seems more related to the production of formulas than to a release from containers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Cirillo
- †Department of Agriculture, "Federico II" University, Via Università, 100 80055 Portici, Naples Italy
| | - Giuseppe Latini
- ‡Clinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR), Via Andrea Bafile, 6, 72100 Brindisi, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Castaldi
- §Department of the Woman, the Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, Second University of NaplesVia Costantinopoli, 104 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Lucia Dipaola
- ‡Clinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR), Via Andrea Bafile, 6, 72100 Brindisi, Italy
| | - Evelina Fasano
- †Department of Agriculture, "Federico II" University, Via Università, 100 80055 Portici, Naples Italy
| | - Francesco Esposito
- †Department of Agriculture, "Federico II" University, Via Università, 100 80055 Portici, Naples Italy
| | - Gelsomina Scognamiglio
- †Department of Agriculture, "Federico II" University, Via Università, 100 80055 Portici, Naples Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- ‡Clinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR), Via Andrea Bafile, 6, 72100 Brindisi, Italy
- ∥Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of PisaVia Giuseppe Moruzzi, 3 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Luigi Cobellis
- §Department of the Woman, the Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, Second University of NaplesVia Costantinopoli, 104 80138 Naples, Italy
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Biver T, Criscitiello F, Di Francesco F, Minichino M, Swager T, Pucci A. MWCNT/perylene bisimide water dispersions for miniaturized temperature sensors. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra11544b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on a new ionic surfactant based on perylene bisimide suitable for the exfoliation of MWCNTs. The system has utility for the formation of sensitive sensors to measure body temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarita Biver
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale
- Università di Pisa
- 56124 Pisa
- Italy
- INSTM
| | | | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale
- Università di Pisa
- 56124 Pisa
- Italy
- INSTM
| | - Matteo Minichino
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale
- Università di Pisa
- 56124 Pisa
- Italy
| | - Timothy Swager
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Cambridge
- USA
| | - Andrea Pucci
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale
- Università di Pisa
- 56124 Pisa
- Italy
- INSTM
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Ghimenti S, Tabucchi S, Bellagambi FG, Lomonaco T, Onor M, Trivella MG, Fuoco R, Di Francesco F. Determination of sevoflurane and isopropyl alcohol in exhaled breath by thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for exposure assessment of hospital staff. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2014; 106:218-23. [PMID: 25619625 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2014.11.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Volatile anaesthetics and disinfection chemicals pose ubiquitous inhalation and dermal exposure risks in hospital and clinic environments. This work demonstrates specific non-invasive breath biomonitoring methodology for assessing staff exposures to sevoflurane (SEV) anaesthetic, documenting its metabolite hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) and measuring exposures to isopropanol (IPA) dermal disinfection fluid. Methods are based on breath sample collection in Nalophan bags, followed by an aliquot transfer to adsorption tube, and subsequent analysis by thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). Ambient levels of IPA were also monitored. These methods could be generalized to other common volatile chemicals found in medical environments. Calibration curves were linear (r(2)=0.999) in the investigated ranges: 0.01-1000 ppbv for SEV, 0.02-1700 ppbv for IPA, and 0.001-0.1 ppbv for HFIP. The instrumental detection limit was 10 pptv for IPA and 5 pptv for SEV, both estimated by extracted ion-TIC chromatograms, whereas the HFIP minimum detectable concentration was 0.5 pptv as estimated in SIM acquisition mode. The methods were applied to hospital staff working in operating rooms and clinics for blood draws. SEV and HFIP were present in all subjects at concentrations in the range of 0.7-18, and 0.002-0.024 ppbv for SEV and HFIP respectively. Correlation between IPA ambient air and breath concentration confirmed the inhalation pathway of exposure (r=0.95, p<0.001) and breath-borne IPA was measured as high as 1500 ppbv. The methodology is easy to implement and valuable for screening exposures to common hospital chemicals. Although the overall exposures documented were generally below levels of health concern in this limited study, outliers were observed that indicate potential for acute exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi, 3, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Tabucchi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi, 3, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca G Bellagambi
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi, 3, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi, 3, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Massimo Onor
- Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds, CNR, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Roger Fuoco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi, 3, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi, 3, 56124 Pisa, Italy; Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
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Lomonaco T, Ghimenti S, Piga I, Biagini D, Onor M, Fuoco R, Di Francesco F. Influence of sampling on the determination of warfarin and warfarin alcohols in oral fluid. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114430. [PMID: 25478864 PMCID: PMC4257678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The determination of warfarin, RS/SR- and RR/SS-warfarin alcohols in oral fluid may offer additional information to the INR assay. This study aimed to establish an optimized sampling technique providing the best correlation between the oral fluid and the unbound plasma concentrations of these compounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS Samples of non-stimulated and stimulated oral fluid, and blood were collected from 14 patients undergoing warfarin therapy. After acidification, analytes were extracted with a dichloromethane/hexane mixture and determined by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Plasma samples were also ultrafiltered for the determination of the unbound fraction. The chromatographic separation was carried out in isocratic conditions with a phosphate buffer/methanol mobile phase on a C-18 reversed-phase column. The absence of interfering compounds was verified by HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF. RESULTS Stimulation generally increased the oral fluid pH to values close to blood pH in about 6 minutes. The concentration of warfarin and RS/SR-warfarin alcohols in oral fluid followed the same trend, whereas the concentration of RR/SS-warfarin alcohols was not affected. Six minute stimulation with chewing gum followed by collection with a polyester swab was the best sampling procedure, with a good repeatability (RSD < 10%) and relatively low inter-subject variability (RSD = 30%) of the oral fluid to plasma ratio. This procedure provided strong correlations between the measured oral fluid and unbound plasma concentration of warfarin (r = 0.92, p < 0.001) and RS/SR-warfarin alcohols (r = 0.84, p < 0.001), as well as between stimulated oral fluid and total plasma concentration of warfarin (r = 0.78, p < 0.001) and RS/SR-warfarin alcohols (r = 0.81, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The very good correlation between oral fluid and unbound plasma concentration of warfarin and RS/SR-warfarin alcohols suggests that oral fluid analysis could provide clinically useful information for the monitoring of anticoagulant therapy, complementary to the INR assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ghimenti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Isabella Piga
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Denise Biagini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Massimo Onor
- Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds, CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roger Fuoco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy
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Donadio C, Calia D, Ghimenti S, Onor M, Colombini E, Fuoco R, Di Francesco F. Uric acid is the major determinant of absorbance in spent dialysate allowing spectrophotometric evaluation of dialysis dose. J Nephrol 2014; 27:331-7. [PMID: 24535999 DOI: 10.1007/s40620-013-0003-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Accepted: 08/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ultraviolet (UV) absorbance of spent dialysate has been proposed as a method for monitoring hemodialysis efficiency. The contribution of the various uremic toxins to UV absorption, however, needs clarifying. METHODS Urea, creatinine and uric acid were measured in blood and dialysate before and during dialysis in 22 maintenance hemodialysis patients. Absorbance was measured in dialysate. RESULTS High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses of dialysate revealed uric acid as the predominant peak. Spent dialysate absorbance decreased, during dialysis, similarly to serum and dialysate urea, creatinine and uric acid. Dialysate urea correlated closely with absorbance, though urea did not contribute to absorbance, which was determined mostly by uric acid. Uric acid and urea removals were very similar. The spectrophotometric Kt/V correlated with spKt/V urea, with slight but significant differences between the two measurements. CONCLUSIONS UV absorbance is determined mostly by uric acid. Absorbance measurements seem suitable as a method for monitoring dialysis efficiency.
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Di Francesco F, Ferrari C, Moni L, Melai B, Bernazzani L, Chiappe C. Tuning of the freezing and melting points of [Hmim][NO3] by the addition of water and nitrate salts. RSC Adv 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c4ra06290f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple chemometric models can be used to describe properties of ionic liquids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Di Francesco
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale
- Pisa, Italy
- Centro di ricerca “E. Piaggio”
- 56122 Pisa, Italy
| | - Carlo Ferrari
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
- UOS di Pisa “Adriano Gozzini” c/o Area della Ricerca CNR di Pisa
- Italy
| | - Letizia Moni
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale
- Pisa, Italy
| | - Bernardo Melai
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale
- Pisa, Italy
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Lomonaco T, Ghimenti S, Piga I, Onor M, Melai B, Fuoco R, Di Francesco F. Determination of total and unbound warfarin and warfarin alcohols in human plasma by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. J Chromatogr A 2013; 1314:54-62. [PMID: 24054125 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2013.08.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Revised: 08/23/2013] [Accepted: 08/25/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Two analytical procedures are presented for the determination of the total content and unbound fraction of both warfarin and warfarin alcohols in human plasma. Chromatographic separation was carried out in isocratic conditions at 25°C on a C-18 reversed-phase column with a mobile phase consisting of a 70% buffer phosphate 25mM at pH=7, 25% methanol and 5% acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1.2mL/min. Fluorescence detection was performed at 390nm (excitation wavelength 310nm). Neither method showed any detectable interference or matrix effect. Inter-day recovery of the total warfarin and warfarin alcohols at a concentration level of 1000ng/mL was 89±3% and 73±3%, respectively, whereas for their unbound fraction (at a concentration level of 10ng/mL) was 66±8% and 90±7%, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precision (assessed as relative standard deviation) was <10% for both methods. The limits of detection were 0.4 and 0.2ng/mL for warfarin and warfarin alcohols, respectively. The methods were successfully applied to a pooled plasma sample obtained from 69 patients undergoing warfarin therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Lomonaco
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Calisi N, Giuliani A, Alderighi M, Schnorr JM, Swager TM, Di Francesco F, Pucci A. Factors affecting the dispersion of MWCNTs in electrically conducting SEBS nanocomposites. Eur Polym J 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2013.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Ghimenti S, Lomonaco T, Onor M, Murgia L, Paolicchi A, Fuoco R, Ruocco L, Pellegrini G, Trivella MG, Di Francesco F. Measurement of warfarin in the oral fluid of patients undergoing anticoagulant oral therapy. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28182. [PMID: 22164240 PMCID: PMC3229510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2011] [Accepted: 11/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients on warfarin therapy undergo invasive and expensive checks for the coagulability of their blood. No information on coagulation levels is currently available between two controls. METHODOLOGY A method was developed to determine warfarin in oral fluid by HPLC and fluorimetric detection. The chromatographic separation was performed at room temperature on a C-18 reversed-phase column, 65% PBS and 35% methanol mobile phase, flow rate 0.7 mL/min, injection volume 25 µL, excitation wavelength 310 nm, emission wavelength 400 nm. FINDINGS The method was free from interference and matrix effect, linear in the range 0.2-100 ng/mL, with a detection limit of 0.2 ng/mL. Its coefficient of variation was <3% for intra-day measurements and <5% for inter-day measurements. The average concentration of warfarin in the oral fluid of 50 patients was 2.5±1.6 ng/mL (range 0.8-7.6 ng/mL). Dosage was not correlated to INR (r = -0.03, p = 0.85) but positively correlated to warfarin concentration in the oral fluid (r = 0.39, p = 0.006). The correlation between warfarin concentration and pH in the oral fluid (r = 0.37, p = 0.009) confirmed the importance of pH in regulating the drug transfer from blood. A correlation between warfarin concentration in the oral fluid and INR was only found in samples with pH values ≥7.2 (r = 0.84, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS Warfarin diffuses from blood to oral fluid. The method allows to measure its concentration in this matrix and to analyze correlations with INR and other parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ghimenti
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale – Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tommaso Lomonaco
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale – Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Massimo Onor
- Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organometallici – CNR, Pisa, Italy
| | - Laura Murgia
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale – Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Aldo Paolicchi
- Dipartimento di Patologia Sperimentale BMIE, sez. Patologia Generale e Clinica – Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roger Fuoco
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale – Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lucia Ruocco
- Laboratorio di Analisi Chimico – Cliniche - Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pellegrini
- Laboratorio di Analisi Chimico – Cliniche - Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Di Francesco
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale – Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Coyle S, Lau KT, Moyna N, O'Gorman D, Diamond D, Di Francesco F, Costanzo D, Salvo P, Trivella MG, De Rossi DE, Taccini N, Paradiso R, Porchet JA, Ridolfi A, Luprano J, Chuzel C, Lanier T, Revol-Cavalier F, Schoumacker S, Mourier V, Chartier I, Convert R, De-Moncuit H, Bini C. BIOTEX--biosensing textiles for personalised healthcare management. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 14:364-70. [PMID: 20064761 DOI: 10.1109/titb.2009.2038484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Textile-based sensors offer an unobtrusive method of continually monitoring physiological parameters during daily activities. Chemical analysis of body fluids, noninvasively, is a novel and exciting area of personalized wearable healthcare systems. BIOTEX was an EU-funded project that aimed to develop textile sensors to measure physiological parameters and the chemical composition of body fluids, with a particular interest in sweat. A wearable sensing system has been developed that integrates a textile-based fluid handling system for sample collection and transport with a number of sensors including sodium, conductivity, and pH sensors. Sensors for sweat rate, ECG, respiration, and blood oxygenation were also developed. For the first time, it has been possible to monitor a number of physiological parameters together with sweat composition in real time. This has been carried out via a network of wearable sensors distributed around the body of a subject user. This has huge implications for the field of sports and human performance and opens a whole new field of research in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Coyle
- CLARITY Centre for SensorWeb Technologies, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland.
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Pioggia G, Francesco FD, Ferro M, Sorrentino F, Salvo P, Ahluwalia A. Characterization of a carbon nanotube polymer composite sensor for an impedimetric electronic tongue. Mikrochim Acta 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s00604-008-0952-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Schäfer T, Di Francesco F, Fuoco R. Ionic liquids as selective depositions on quartz crystal microbalances for artificial olfactory systems—a feasibility study. Microchem J 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2006.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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