miR-23b/SP1/c-myc forms a feed-forward loop supporting multiple myeloma cell growth

Deregulated microRNA (miR)/transcription factor (TF)-based networks represent a hallmark of cancer. We report here a novel c-Myc/miR-23b/Sp1 feed-forward loop with a critical role in multiple myeloma (MM) and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) cell growth and survival. We have found miR-23b to be downregulated in MM and WM cells especially in the presence of components of the tumor bone marrow milieu. Promoter methylation is one mechanism of miR-23b suppression in myeloma. In gain-of-function studies using miR-23b mimics-transfected or in miR-23b-stably expressing MM and WM cell lines, we observed a significant decrease in cell proliferation and survival, along with induction of caspase-3/7 activity over time, thus supporting a tumor suppressor role for miR-23b. At the molecular level, miR-23b targeted Sp1 3'UTR and significantly reduced Sp1-driven nuclear factor-κB activity. Finally, c-Myc, an important oncogenic transcription factor known to stimulate MM cell proliferation, transcriptionally repressed miR-23b. Thus MYC-dependent miR-23b repression in myeloma cells may promote activation of oncogenic Sp1-mediated signaling, representing the first feed-forward loop with critical growth and survival role in myeloma.

The Standard Model from LHC to future colliders

This review summarizes the results of the activities which have taken place in 2014 within the Standard Model Working Group of the "What Next" Workshop organized by INFN, Italy. We present a framework, general questions, and some indications of possible answers on the main issue for Standard Model physics in the LHC era and in view of possible future accelerators.

Health status and 6 years survival of 552 90+ Italian sib-ships recruited within the EU Project GEHA (GEnetics of Healthy Ageing)

In a scenario of increasing life expectancy worldwide, it is mandatory to identify the characteristics of a healthy aging phenotype, including survival predictors, and to disentangle those related to environment/lifestyle versus those related to familiarity/genetics. To this aim we comprehensively characterised a cohort of 1,160 Italian subjects of 90 years and over (90+, mean age 93 years; age range 90-106 years) followed for 6 years survival, belonging to 552 sib-ships (familiar longevity) recruited (2005-2008) within the EU-funded GEHA project in three Italian geographic areas (Northern, Central and Southern Italy) different for urban/rural and socio-economical characteristics. On the whole, the following factors emerged as significant predictors of survival after 90 years of age: absence of cognitive impairment and physical disability, high hand grip strength scores and body mass index (BMI) values, "excellent/good" self-reported health, high haemoglobin and total cholesterol levels and low creatinine levels. These parameters, excluding BMI values, were also significantly associated within sib-ships, suggesting a strong familial/genetic component. Geographical micro-heterogeneity of survival predictors emerged, such as functional and physical status being more important in Southern than in Central and Northern Italy. In conclusion, we identified modifiable survival predictors related to specific domains, whose role and importance vary according to the geographic area considered and which can help in interpreting the genetic results obtained by the GEHA project, whose major aim is the comprehensive evaluation of phenotypic and genetic data.

Contribution of genetic polymorphisms on functional status at very old age: a gene-based analysis of 38 genes (311 SNPs) in the oxidative stress pathway

Preservation of functional ability is a well-recognized marker of longevity. At a molecular level, a major determinant of the physiological decline occurring with aging is the imbalance between production and accumulation of oxidative damage to macromolecules, together with a decreased efficiency of stress response to avoid or repair such damage. In this paper we investigated the association of 38 genes (311 SNPs) belonging to the pro-antioxidant pathways with physical and cognitive performances, by analyzing single SNP and gene-based associations with Hand Grip strength (HG), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Walking Speed (WS), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Composite Cognitive Score (CCS) in a Cohort of 1089 Danish nonagenarians. Moreover, for each gene analyzed in the pro-antioxidant pathway, we tested the influence on longitudinal survival. In the whole sample, nominal associations were found for TXNRD1 variability with ADL and WS, NDUFS1 and UCP3 with HG and WS, GCLC and UCP2 with WS (p<0.05). Stronger associations although not holding the multiple comparison correction, were observed between MMSE and NDUFV1, MT1A and GSTP1 variability (p<0.009). Moreover, we found that association between genetic variability in the pro-antioxidant pathway and functional status at old age is influenced by sex. In particular, most significant associations were observed in nonagenarian females, between HG scores and GLRX and UCP3 variability, between ADL levels and TXNRD1, MMSE and MT1A genetic variability. In males, a borderline statistically significant association with ADL level was found for UQCRFS1 gene. Nominally significant associations in relation to survival were found in the female sample only with SOD2, NDUFS1, UCP3 and TXNRD1 variability, the latter two confirming previous observations reported in the same cohort. Overall, our work supports the evidence that genes belonging to the pro-anti-oxidant pathway are able to modulate physical and cognitive performance after the ninth decade of life, finally influencing extreme survival.

Cognitive functioning and survival in the elderly: the SSADH C538T polymorphism

The variability of the Succinic Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase (SSADH, or ALDH5A1) gene affects both pathological and normal phenotypes correlated to cognitive function. We tested the association between the C538T polymorphism of the SSADH gene and preservation of cognitive function in the elderly, and its possible effects on survival. A sample from southern Italy (514 subjects; 18-107 years) was screened for C538T variability. We found that, within the 65-85 years age range, the T/T genotype is overrepresented in subjects with impaired cognitive function (MMSE < or = 23) compared to those with conserved cognitive function (MMSE > 23). Furthermore, we found that the T/T genotype affects survival after 65 years of age. In fact, after this age, the survival function of T/T homozygous subjects is lower than that of the others. Given that the enzymatic activity of the protein encoded by allele T is 82.5% of the activity of the protein encoded by allele C, our results suggest that the efficiency of the SSADH enzyme is important for the preservation of cognitive function and survival in the elderly.

A cluster analysis to define human aging phenotypes

The definition of a precise and consistent aging phenotype that allows to measure the physical and cognitive decline, as well as the increase of mortality hazard late in life, is a major problem for studies aimed at finding the genetic factors modulating rate and quality of human aging. In this frame, it seems promising the concept of frailty which tends to figure out the subjects who are more vulnerable and more prone to negative outcomes, such as death or hospitalization. Cognitive, functional and psychological measures turned out to be the most effective measures to define frailty, as they condense most of the frailty cycle that occurs in the elderly and is probably responsible of the aging related physical decline. We used MMSE, Hand Grip strength, and GDS as variable parameters in a hierarchical Cluster Analysis (CA) in order to recognise aging phenotypes. By using a sample of 65-85 years old subjects we identified three frailty phenotypes that were consistent from both geriatric and genetic perspectives. Therefore, the method we propose may provide unbiased phenotypes suitable for the identification of genetic variants affecting the quality of aging in this age range. The CA method was less effective in ultranonagenarians, probably due to the high prevalence of frail subjects in this age group that makes difficult to distinguish discrete phenotypes.

Characterization of a bidirectional promoter shared between two human genes related to aging: SIRT3 and PSMD13

The human SIRT3 gene contains an intronic VNTR enhancer whose variability is correlated with life span. The SIRT3 5' flanking region encompasses the PSMD13 gene encoding the p40.5 regulator subunit of the 26S proteasome. Proteasome is a multicatalytic proteinase whose function declines with aging. SIRT3 and PSMD13 are linked in a head-to-head configuration (788-bp intergenic region). The molecular configuration of two genes that are both related to aging prompted us to search for shared regulatory mechanisms between them. Transfection experiments carried out in HeLa cells by deletion mutants of the PSMD13-SIRT3 intergenic region showed a complex pathway of coregulation acting in both directions. Furthermore, linkage disequilibrium (LD) analyses carried out in a sample of 710 subjects (18-108 years of age) screened for A21631G (marker of PSMD13), and for G477T and VNTR(intron5) (markers of SIRT3), revealed high LD, with significantly different PSMD13-SIRT3 haplotype pools between samples of centenarians and younger people.

The effects of APOE and tau gene variability on risk of frontotemporal dementia

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a complex dementing syndrome whose genetic/non genetic risk factors are mostly unknown. Aim of the present work was to investigate whether APOE and/or tau gene variability does affect the risk of FTD. A sample of FTD cases (sporadic: n = 54; familial: n = 46, one subject per family) was collected in a genetically homogeneous population (Calabria, southern Italy) and analyzed in comparison with an age- and sex-matched control group (n = 180) extracted from the same population. Logistic regression analysis showed that APOE gene variability affects the probability of disease, with allele epsilon4 increasing (exp(beta1) = 2.68 with [1.51-4.76] 95% confidence interval; p = 0.001) and allele epsilon2 decreasing (exp(beta1) = 0.28 with [0.12-0.66] 95% confidence interval; p = 0.003) the risk of FTD. On the contrary, tau gene variability was ineffectual (exp(beta1) non significantly different from 1 for either H1 or H2 haplotypes), although a small effect was observed by the H1 haplotype in increasing the protective effect of the epsilon2 allele (p = 0.007).

Variability of the SIRT3 gene, human silent information regulator Sir2 homologue, and survivorship in the elderly

The human sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) gene encodes a putative mitochondrial NAD-dependent deacetylase (SIRT3) which belongs to the evolutionary conserved family of sirtuin 2 proteins. Studies in model organisms have demonstrated that SIR2 genes control lifespan, while no data are available regarding a possible role of SIRT3 in human longevity. By analysing the genotype-specific survival function relevant to the G477T marker of SIRT3, we found that in males the TT genotype increases (p=0.0272), while the GT genotype decreases (p=0.0391) survival in the elderly. Since SIRT3 lies in a chromosomal region (11p15.5) where four genes potentially associated with longevity are located (HRAS1, Insulin-like Growth Factor 2, Proinsulin, and Tyrosine Hydroxylase) we tested for linkage-disequilibrium between G477T alleles and alleles of the above genes. The disequilibrium was not significant in any case, thus suggesting that SIRT3 itself, or a gene strictly linked to SIRT3, may have a role in human longevity.

The allele (A)(-110) in the promoter region of the HSP70-1 gene is unfavorable to longevity in women

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are crucial for maintenance of cell homeostasis and survival both during and after various stresses. The capability to cope with stress is believed to affect the chance of health and survival at organismal level. We have investigated whether the gene pool relevant to the (A/C)(-110) polymorphism in the promoter region of the HSP70-1 gene changes as the population ages and survival selection occurs. A total of 591 southern Italian subjects were enrolled in the study (263 males and 328 females; age range 18-109 years), free of clinically manifest diseases and with normal haemato-chemical parameters. A significant age-related decrease of the frequency of allele (A)(-110) was observed in females. The probability ratio of 0.403 (95% confidence interval [0.163, 0.910]) computed by considering female centenarians as cases and young women (18-49 years old) as controls showed that the (A)(-110) allele is unfavorable to longevity in females.

Y-chromosome and mtDNA polymorphisms in Iraq, a crossroad of the early human dispersal and of post-Neolithic migrations

Analyses of mtDNA and Y-chromosome variation were performed in a sample of Iraqis, a scarcely investigated population of the "Fertile Crescent." A total of 216 mtDNAs were screened for the diagnostic RFLP markers of the main Eurasian and African haplogroups. A subset of these samples, whose HVS-I sequences were previously obtained, was also examined by high-resolution restriction analysis. The Y-chromosome variation was investigated in 139 subjects by using 17 biallelic markers and the 49a,f/Taq I system. For both uniparental systems, the large majority of the haplogroups observed in the Iraqi population are those (H, J, T, and U for the mtDNA, and J(xM172) and J-M172 for the Y chromosome) considered to have originated in the Middle East and to have later spread all over Western Eurasia. However, about 9% of the mtDNAs and 30% of the Y-chromosomes most likely represent arrivals from distant geographic regions. The different proportion of long-range genetic input observed for the mtDNA and the Y chromosome appears to indicate that events of gene flow to this area might have involved mainly males rather than females.

Peopling of three Mediterranean islands (Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily) inferred by Y-chromosome biallelic variability

An informative set of biallelic polymorphisms was used to study the structure of Y-chromosome variability in a sample from the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sicily, and compared with data on Sardinia to gain insights into the ethnogenesis of these island populations. The results were interpreted in a broader Mediterranean context by including in the analysis neighboring populations previously studied with the same methodology. All samples studied were enclosed in the comparable spectrum of European Y-chromosome variability. Pronounced differences were observed between the islands as well as in the percentages of haplotypes previously shown to have distinctive patterns of continental phylogeography. Approximately 60% of the Sicilian haplotypes are also prevalent in Southern Italy and Greece. Conversely, the Corsican sample had elevated levels of alternative haplotypes common in Northern Italy. Sardinia showed a haplotype ratio similar to that observed in Corsica, but with a remarkable difference in the presence of a lineage defined by marker M26, which approaches 35% in Sardinia but seems absent in Corsica. Although geographically adjacent, the data suggest different colonization histories and a minimal amount of recent gene flow between them. Our results identify possible ancestral continental sources of the various island populations and underscore the influence of founder effect and genetic drift. The Y-chromosome data are consistent with comparable mtDNA data at the RFLP haplogroup level of resolution, as well as linguistic and historic knowledge.

The variability of the mitochondrial genome in human aging: a key for life and death?

The impressive performance of the research in mitochondrial genetics and human aging in the last decade outlines a new scenery in which the inherited variation of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) may play a role in rate and quality of aging. This variation in humans was initially looked at as nearly neutral, and useful just for the reconstruction of human population history. However, recent data suggest that different mtDNA molecules are qualitatively different from each other. The aim of this paper is to discuss current ideas on the relationships among mitochondrial function, mtDNA inherited variation, and aging. The main processes where the mitochondrion is involved and the importance these processes have on aging and death of individuals will be described. A possible connection between programmed death phenomena (mitoptosis, apoptosis, phenoptosis) and rate and quality of aging will be discussed. Finally, the possible role played in these processes by the mtDNA germline variation will be explored.

Male/female ratio in centenarians: a possible role played by population genetic structure

All the demographic surveys on the centenarians have highlighted that females outnumber males. The centenarians' male/female (M/F) ratio reported by most studies ranges between 1:4 and 1:7. A puzzling 1:2 ratio was observed in Calabria, a Southern Italian region. To our knowledge only in Sardinia a similar phenomenon had been previously observed. We have therefore used the data of the Italian Institute of Statistics to figure out the centenarians' M/F ratio in the Italian regions. We found that this ratio gradually decreases from South to North. Such a result is certainly due to many factors. Thus, we have explored the possibility, it is also influenced by the genetic structure of the Italian population. In fact, the distribution of the centenarians' M/F ratio turned out to be significantly correlated with the genetic structure of the Italian population as outlined by the principal component analysis.

Y chromosome binary markers to study the high prevalence of males in Sardinian centenarians and the genetic structure of the Sardinian population

We have analyzed a sample of 40 centenarians and 116 young controls from Sardinia, with a set of new Y chromosome binary markers, to evaluate if Y chromosome genes are involved in the high prevalence of males among centenarian Sardinians (1/2 vs. 1/4 in other populations studied). The results indicate that none of the seven lineages that account for >97% of the Y chromosome diversity in Sardinia provide an advantage with respect to the extreme longevity. However, our results, although based on the male-specific Y chromosome polymorphisms, give a clear profile of the pattern of genetic variability in Sardinia. Indeed they indicate that the Sardinian population had two main founder populations that have evolved in isolation for at least the last 5,000 years. These findings set the stage for future studies on longevity and other complex traits in Sardinia.

Paradoxes in longevity: sequence analysis of mtDNA haplogroup J in centenarians

Previous studies have shown that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup J is significantly over-represented in healthy centenarians with respect to younger controls, thus suggesting that this haplogroup predisposes to successful aging and longevity. On the other hand, the same haplogroup is reported to have elevated frequency in some complex diseases. To verify if centenarians clustered in a particular lineage within J we have sequenced the D-loop region from 18 centenarians and 18 younger controls, previously characterized to be J. Then the entire mtDNA molecule was sequenced in a sub-sample of nine centenarians to find possible functional mutations associated with haplogroup J in successful aging. No clustering of the J haplogroup mtDNA from centenarians was observed. In addition, most of the mutations found are known as disease-associated mutations. The general picture that emerges from the study is that the J haplogroup of centenarians is surprisingly similar to that found in complex diseases, as well as in Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. This finding implies that the same mutations could predispose to disease or longevity, probably according to individual-specific genetic backgrounds and stochastic events. This data reveals another paradox of centenarians and confirms the complexity of the longevity trait.

The 49a,f haplotype 11 is a new marker of the EU19 lineage that traces migrations from northern regions of the Black Sea

Previous studies on human Y-chromosome polymorphisms in the European populations highlighted the high frequency of the 49a,f/TaqI haplotype 11 and of the Eu19 (M17) lineage in Eastern Europe. To better understand the origin and the evolution of the Eu19, and its relationship with 49a,f Ht11, this study surveyed 2,235 individuals (mainly from Europe and the Middle East) for the 49a,f Ht11 and for many biallelic markers defining the Eu19 lineage. As previously described, the highest frequency of Eu19 was found in Eastern Europe. All the Eu19 Y-chromosomes turned out to be 49a,f Ht11 or its derivatives, the distribution of which suggests that the Eu19/49a,f Ht11 emerged in Ukraine, probably in a Palaeolithic population. Thereafter, the spread of this lineage toward Europe, Asia, and India occurred at different waves over a few thousands years. At present this seems to indicate the influence of the Ukraine Palaeolithic groups in the gene pool of modern populations. For the first time it is possible to make inferences about the evolution of some haplotypes of the 49a,f system. In spite of its unknown molecular base, this is one of the first most informative polymorphisms of the Y chromosome.

HCV positivity at postmortem among 793 heroin addicts examined in Piedmont (Italy)

BACKGROUND

During a wider study in progress at the Turin University with the cooperation of the Departments of Anatomy, Pharmacology and Forensic Medicine, and of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, anti-HCV antibodies were determined in the blood of drug-addicts submitted to judicial autopsy.

METHODS

This investigation was carried out on blood samples taken at postmortem from 793 subjects submitted to judicial autopsy in Piedmont from 1977 to 1996. This is a retrospective investigation and these cases represented 93.9% of the total autopsies, and 98.6% of them came from Turin and province.

RESULTS

The percentage of subjects for whom the search for anti-HCV antibodies proved positive was 75.8% (74.5% among males, and 86.5% among females). These data remained relatively unchanged through the years, with a range 64.3% to 85.3%. They are close to those recorded in the international literature with regard to living subjects admitted to public health institutions for the prevention and treatment of drug addiction.

CONCLUSIONS

As the positivity related to age, lower values were found among the 15-20-year olds as compared to the older ones: 57.1% among the former, and 85.5% among the latter. This difference may be due to a longer period of drug addiction among subjects deceased at an older age, with a more prolonged risk of infection.

Maori origins, Y-chromosome haplotypes and implications for human history in the Pacific

An assessment of 28 pertinent binary genetic markers on the non-recombining portion of the Y chromosome (NRY) in New Zealand Maori and other relevant populations has revealed a diverse genetic paternal heritage of extant Maori. A maximum parsimony phylogeny was constructed in which nine of the 25 possible binary haplotypes were observed. Although approximately 40% of the samples have haplotypes of unequivocal European origin, an equivalent number of samples have a single binary haplotype that is also observed in Indonesia and New Guinea, indicative of common indigenous Melanesian ancestry. The balance of the lineages has either typical East Asian signatures or alternative compositions consistent with their affinity to Melanesia or New Guinea. Molecular analysis of mtDNA variation confirms the presence of a single predominant characteristic Southeast Asian (9-bp deletion in the Region V) lineage. The Y-chromosome results support a pattern of complex interrelationships between Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, in contrast to mtDNA and linguistic data, which uphold a rapid and homogeneous Austronesian expansion. The Y-chromosome data highlight a distinctive gender-modulated pattern of differential gene flow in the history of Polynesia.

The Werner syndrome gene and global sequence variation

We have identified a dense set of markers useful in association studies involving the Werner syndrome (WRN) gene. The homozygotic disruption of the WRN gene is the cause of Werner disease. In addition, this gene is likely to be involved in many complex traits, such as aging, or at least some of the traits and diseases related to age. To investigate the genetic variation associated with the WRN gene, a sample of 93 individuals representing all the continents was analyzed by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography. A systematic survey of all 35 exons and flanking regions identified 58 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, 15 of which fall in the coding region and cause 11 missense mutations. The resulting global nucleotide diversity was 5.226 x 10(-4), with a slight difference between coding and noncoding regions.

The phylogeography of Y chromosome binary haplotypes and the origins of modern human populations

Although molecular genetic evidence continues to accumulate that is consistent with a recent common African ancestry of modern humans, its ability to illuminate regional histories remains incomplete. A set of unique event polymorphisms associated with the non-recombining portion of the Y-chromosome (NRY) addresses this issue by providing evidence concerning successful migrations originating from Africa, which can be interpreted as subsequent colonizations, differentiations and migrations overlaid upon previous population ranges. A total of 205 markers identified by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), together with 13 taken from the literature, were used to construct a parsimonious genealogy. Ancestral allelic states were deduced from orthologous great ape sequences. A total of 131 unique haplotypes were defined which trace the microevolutionary trajectory of global modern human genetic diversification. The genealogy provides a detailed phylogeographic portrait of contemporary global population structure that is emblematic of human origins, divergence and population history that is consistent with climatic, paleoanthropological and other genetic knowledge.

The genetic legacy of Paleolithic Homo sapiens sapiens in extant Europeans: a Y chromosome perspective

A genetic perspective of human history in Europe was derived from 22 binary markers of the nonrecombining Y chromosome (NRY). Ten lineages account for >95% of the 1007 European Y chromosomes studied. Geographic distribution and age estimates of alleles are compatible with two Paleolithic and one Neolithic migratory episode that have contributed to the modern European gene pool. A significant correlation between the NRY haplotype data and principal components based on 95 protein markers was observed, indicating the effectiveness of NRY binary polymorphisms in the characterization of human population composition and history.

Y chromosome sequence variation and the history of human populations

Binary polymorphisms associated with the non-recombining region of the human Y chromosome (NRY) preserve the paternal genetic legacy of our species that has persisted to the present, permitting inference of human evolution, population affinity and demographic history. We used denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC; ref. 2) to identify 160 of the 166 bi-allelic and 1 tri-allelic site that formed a parsimonious genealogy of 116 haplotypes, several of which display distinct population affinities based on the analysis of 1062 globally representative individuals. A minority of contemporary East Africans and Khoisan represent the descendants of the most ancestral patrilineages of anatomically modern humans that left Africa between 35,000 and 89,000 years ago.

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the gallbladder: report of two cases

We report two cases of primary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the gallbladder, which, to the best of our knowledge, represent the first description of this entity. One of the tumors consisted entirely of LCNEC, whereas the second tumor was composed of LCNEC and the more common intestinal-type adenocarcinoma. Both tumors were morphologically similar to their pulmonary counterpart and were characterized by large cells with prominent nucleoli, coarse chromatin, and a high mitotic rate. The cells showed an organoid growth pattern with rosette formation and frequent areas of necrosis. Panendocrine markers were expressed in a variable proportion of tumor cells in both cases, and one of the cases also showed focal positivity for type 2 somatostatin receptors. One of the tumors followed a rapidly fatal course despite aggressive surgical treatment and chemotherapy administration, and the second patient is still alive and disease-free 12 months after surgery. The description of these two cases of LCNEC of the gallbladder is significant for two reasons. From an academic standpoint, we now know that all the neuroendocrine tumors described in other organs can arise de novo in the gallbladder. More importantly, however, the recognition of this rare tumor type carries important clinical implications in regard to the use of chemotherapeutic agents and supplemental treatments (for example, somatostatin analogs).

MtDNA and Y chromosome polymorphisms in Hungary: inferences from the palaeolithic, neolithic and Uralic influences on the modern Hungarian gene pool

Magyars imposed their language on Hungarians but seem not to have affected their genetic structure. To better investigate this point, we analysed some mtDNA and Y chromosome polymorphisms in a sample of the Hungarian Palóc who, for historical reasons, could have retained genetic traces of Magyars more than other groups. In addition, we examined a mixed sample from Budapest. About 100 individuals were tested for the markers defining all the European and Asian mtDNA haplogroups and about 50 individuals for some Y chromosome markers, namely the 12f2 and 49a,f/TaqI RFLPs, the YAP insertion, the microsatellites YCAIIa, YCAIIb, DYS19 and the Asian 50f2/C deletion. In the mtDNA analysis only two subjects belonged to the Asian B and M haplogroups. The Y chromosome analyses showed that the Palóc differed from the Budapest sample by the absence of YAP+ allele and by the DYS19 allele distribution; that the proto-European 49a,f Ht 15 and the neolithic 12f2-8Kb were rather uncommon in both groups; that there is a high prevalence of the 49a,f Ht 11 and the YCAII a5-b1; and that the Asian 50f2/C deletion is absent. These results suggest that the influence of Magyars on the Hungarian gene pool has been very low through both females and males and the Hungarian language could be an example of cultural dominance. Alternative explanations are discussed. An expansion centred on YAP-, 49a,f Ht 11 is revealed by the median network based on compound haplotypes. 49a,f Ht 11 could represent either a paleolithic marker of eastern Europe which underwent expansion after the last glacial period, or a marker of the more recent spread of the Yamnaia culture from southern Ukraine.

Genetic evidence of an early exit of Homo sapiens sapiens from Africa through eastern Africa

The out-of-Africa scenario has hitherto provided little evidence for the precise route by which modern humans left Africa. Two major routes of dispersal have been hypothesized: one through North Africa into the Levant, documented by fossil remains, and one through Ethiopia along South Asia, for which little, if any, evidence exists. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can be used to trace maternal ancestry. The geographic distribution and variation of mtDNAs can be highly informative in defining potential range expansions and migration routes in the distant past. The mitochondrial haplogroup M, first regarded as an ancient marker of East-Asian origin, has been found at high frequency in India and Ethiopia, raising the question of its origin. (A haplogroup is a group of haplotypes that share some sequence variations.) Its variation and geographical distribution suggest that Asian haplogroup M separated from eastern-African haplogroup M more than 50,000 years ago. Two other variants (489C and 10873C) also support a single origin of haplogroup M in Africa. These findings, together with the virtual absence of haplogroup M in the Levant and its high frequency in the South-Arabian peninsula, render M the first genetic indicator for the hypothesized exit route from Africa through eastern Africa/western India. This was possibly the only successful early dispersal event of modern humans out of Africa.

Mitochondrial DNA inherited variants are associated with successful aging and longevity in humans

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is characterized by high variability, maternal inheritance, and absence of recombination. Studies of human populations have revealed ancestral associated polymorphisms whose combination defines groups of mtDNA types (haplogroups) that are currently used to reconstruct human evolution lineages. We used such inherited mtDNA markers to compare mtDNA population pools between a sample of individuals selected for successful aging and longevity (212 subjects older than 100 years and in good clinical condition) and a sample of 275 younger individuals (median age 38 years) carefully matched as to sex and geographic origin (northern and southern Italy). All nine haplogroups that are typical of Europeans were found in both samples, but male centenarians emerged in northern Italy as a particular sample: 1) mtDNA haplogroup frequency distribution was different between centenarians and younger individuals (P=0.017 by permutation tests); and 2) the frequency of the J haplogroup was notably higher in centenarians than in younger individuals (P=0.0052 by Fisher exact test). Since haplogroups are defined on the basis of inherited variants, these data show that mtDNA inherited variability could play a role in successful aging and longevity.

Y-chromosome specific YCAII, DYS19 and YAP polymorphisms in human populations: a comparative study

Two hypervariable Y-specific markers, the YCAII and DYS19 STRs, and the more stable Y Alu Polymorphism (YAP) have been analysed in about 1400 individuals of 21 different populations, mainly from Europe but also from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. On the basis of the frequency distributions of these three Y-markers we compare, using different statistical analyses, their power in detecting population genetic structure and in distinguishing closely related groups. The pattern of populations' genetic affinities inferred from the three markers considered altogether suggests a strong genetic structure that, with a few exceptions, broadly corresponds to the linguistic relatedness and/or geographic location of the sampled populations.

Different genetic components in the Ethiopian population, identified by mtDNA and Y-chromosome polymorphisms

Seventy-seven Ethiopians were investigated for mtDNA and Y chromosome-specific variations, in order to (1) define the different maternal and paternal components of the Ethiopian gene pool, (2) infer the origins of these maternal and paternal lineages and estimate their relative contributions, and (3) obtain information about ancient populations living in Ethiopia. The mtDNA was studied for the RFLPs relative to the six classical enzymes (HpaI, BamHI, HaeII, MspI, AvaII, and HincII) that identify the African haplogroup L and the Caucasoid haplogroups I and T. The sample was also examined at restriction sites that define the other Caucasoid haplogroups (H, U, V, W, X, J, and K) and for the simultaneous presence of the DdeI10394 and AluI10397 sites, which defines the Asian haplogroup M. Four polymorphic systems were examined on the Y chromosome: the TaqI/12f2 and the 49a,f RFLPs, the Y Alu polymorphic element (DYS287), and the sY81-A/G (DYS271) polymorphism. For comparison, the last two Y polymorphisms were also examined in 87 Senegalese previously classified for the two TaqI RFLPs. Results from these markers led to the hypothesis that the Ethiopian population (1) experienced Caucasoid gene flow mainly through males, (2) contains African components ascribable to Bantu migrations and to an in situ differentiation process from an ancestral African gene pool, and (3) exhibits some Y-chromosome affinities with the Tsumkwe San (a very ancient African group). Our finding of a high (20%) frequency of the "Asian" DdeI10394AluI10397 (++) mtDNA haplotype in Ethiopia is discussed in terms of the "out of Africa" model.

Human genetic affinities for Y-chromosome P49a,f/TaqI haplotypes show strong correspondence with linguistics

Numerous population samples from around the world have been tested for Y chromosome-specific p49a,f/TaqI restriction polymorphisms. Here we review the literature as well as unpublished data on Y-chromosome p49a,f/TaqI haplotypes and provide a new nomenclature unifying the notations used by different laboratories. We use this large data set to study worldwide genetic variability of human populations for this paternally transmitted chromosome segment. We observe, for the Y chromosome, an important level of population genetics structure among human populations (FST = .230, P < .001), mainly due to genetic differences among distinct linguistic groups of populations (FCT = .246, P < .001). A multivariate analysis based on genetic distances between populations shows that human population structure inferred from the Y chromosome corresponds broadly to language families (r = .567, P < .001), in agreement with autosomal and mitochondrial data. Times of divergence of linguistic families, estimated from their internal level of genetic differentiation, are fairly concordant with current archaeological and linguistic hypotheses. Variability of the p49a,f/TaqI polymorphic marker is also significantly correlated with the geographic location of the populations (r = .613, P < .001), reflecting the fact that distinct linguistic groups generally also occupy distinct geographic areas. Comparison of Y-chromosome and mtDNA RFLPs in a restricted set of populations shows a globally high level of congruence, but it also allows identification of unequal maternal and paternal contributions to the gene pool of several populations.

Prevalence of myocarditis at autopsy in Turin, Italy

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence of myocarditis in a general hospital in Turin, Italy.

DESIGN

We retrospectively reviewed 17162 postmortem records from autopsies routinely performed at San Giovanni Battista General Hospital, Turin, between 1965 and 1994.

RESULTS

Applying the so-called Dallas criteria, myocarditis was histologically found in 91 cases (0.53%, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.7). The prevalence increased, reaching a peak between 1985 and 1994 (1.2%, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.6). The disease was found more frequently in patients from 20 to 39 years of age, with no difference between males and females. The present data were compared to those of a previous study, performed in 1985 and 1993 to 1994, in which we had prospectively taken into account 605 autopsies (not comprised in the present retrospective study) with standardized myocardial sampling for histological examination: a 5.1% prevalence was found (nearly five times as high as that retrospectively detected in the same period).

CONCLUSIONS

If a standardized method of myocardial samples for microscopic examination is not followed, it is possible that myocarditis is overlooked in an unsuspected number of cases.

Pre-Caucasoid and Caucasoid genetic features of the Indian population, revealed by mtDNA polymorphisms

About 70 individuals from Punjab were examined for some mtDNA polymorphisms, namely, the RFLPs of the six classical enzymes (HpaI, BamHI, HaeII, MspI, AvaII, and Hin-cII) and for the sites AluI(7,025), DdeI(10,394), and AluI(10,397). The AluI(7,025) polymorphic site was also investigated in 96 Indians from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh and in 163 Mediterranean Caucasoids. Moreover, 30 Indian DdeI(10,394)Alu(10,397) (++) mtDNAs were typed by the "high-resolution restriction analysis" with 14 endonucleases to estimate their divergence time. The results obtained are the following: (1) The RFLPs analysis has displayed some Caucasoid types as in Indians of Uttar Pradesh; (2) the AluI(7,025) (-) allele, which defines the most frequent Caucasoid-specific lineage (haplogroup H), ranges from 18% to 45% in the Mediterranean Caucasoids, whereas it has shown low frequencies in Punjab (6.0%) and in Uttar Pradesh (1.8%) and was not found in Andhra Pradesh; (3) the DdeI(lO,394)AluI(10,397) (+ +) haplotype, which although previously was considered an East Asian marker (haplogroup M) and was found very frequently in India, is also frequent in Punjab (27%); this frequency is, however, much lower than in Uttar Pradesh (49%) and in Andhra Pradesh (74%), and a gradient decreasing from south to north is therefore observed; (4) the divergence time of the Indian DdeI(10,394)AluI(10,397) (++) mtDNAs has been estimated to be 30,250-60,500 years, a value that is compatible with that of the homologous East Asian lineage. These results strongly support the hypothesis that the DdeI(10,394)AluI(10,397) (++) haplotype predated the Indo-European invasion and probably the split between proto-Indians and proto-Orientals. Its frequency cline well reflects the major influence of Indo-Europeans in the north and in the center of India.

A view of the neolithic demic diffusion in Europe through two Y chromosome-specific markers

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mtDNA provides the first known marker distinguishing proto-Indians from the other Caucasoids; it probably predates the diversification between Indians and Orientals

The concomitant presence of the two sites Ddel at 10,394 and Alul at 10,397 has been considered an East-Asian marker of ancient origin (it was also observed in Australians, Melanesians and Native Americans). Unexpectedly, it was found in more than 50% of Indians (133 Hindus and 30 Tribals) who had shown Caucasoid characteristics not only at nuclear DNA but also at mtDNA level. It can therefore no longer be considered an exclusively East-Asian mtDNA feature. The analysis of more than 200 Caucasoids, mainly from the Mediterranean basin, showed that it is only sporadically present in these people. Thus it represents the first known marker which distinguishes Indians from the other Caucasoids. The lack of this marker in Indian mtDNA molecules carrying Caucasoid characteristics suggests that it predates the invasion of India by speakers of an Indo-European language and, if it is valid to extrapolate from Near Eastern data, the arrival in India of the farmers who spread the Dravidian language. If this polymorphism had a common origin in both Orientals and Indians, it should also predate the diversification between ancient Indians and Mongoloids.

Complicated jejunal diverticulosis: report of a case

The authors report a case of complicated multiple jejunal diverticulosis and review the data from the literature on this pathology. A 74-year-old man was admitted to our unit presenting with symptoms of intestinal obstruction. He had previously experienced three episodes of the same symptomatology with melena. Endoscopy excluded gastroduodenal or colonic bleeding; an X-ray of the small bowel detected multiple large jejunal diverticula. The patient underwent surgery: a jejunal resection was performed just below the Treitz angle extending about 60-70 cm. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the 8th postoperative day. At present, the patient is doing well and has not since demonstrated any symptoms of either intestinal obstruction or melena.

Recurrent secondary hyperparathyroidism due to parathyroid carcinoma: usefulness of Ki-67 immunostaining in the diagnosis of a malignant parathyroid tumor

Parathyroid carcinoma is a very rare disease occurring in less than 2-3% of all the cases showing clinical features of primary hyperparathyroidism. Several histological markers have been used for distinguishing between benign and malignant tumors of the parathyroid glands. However, most of these markers are not easily applicable and clinical prognosis cannot be predicted by histopathological criteria alone. A recent study has drawn attention to the role of the cell cycle associated antigen Ki-67 detected by MIB-1 monoclonal immunocytochemistry in parathyroid tumors: in fact, Ki-67 seems to be a valuable marker of malignancy in such tumors since it permits an easy detection of proliferating and dividing cells. Here we report in detail a case of severe recurrent hyperparathyroidism in a 51-year-old female patient undergoing regular hemodialysis treatment. In the surgical specimens of the parathyroid glands, the tumor proliferative fraction of 56, expressed as the number of Ki-67-positive nuclei per thousand cells, and the mean mitosis count of 0.5, expressed as the percentage of the total amount of Ki-67 positive nuclei, support the diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma despite the scanty amount of microscopical signs considered characteristic of malignancy, i.e. extensive thick fibrous bands or prominent nucleoli. To our knowledge this paper is the first clinical report that supports the diagnostic role of the cell cycle associated antigen Ki-67 in parathyroid carcinoma in a case of secondary hyperparathyroidism in a patient undergoing hemodialysis.

[Adult myocarditis in a general hospital: observations on 605 autopsies]

We studied 605 necropsies carried out in a general hospital (San Giovanni battista in Turin), during the years 1985-86 (405 cases) and 1993-94 (200 cases). A standardized sample of myocardium was systematically taken and submitted to histological examination. Thirty-one cases of myocarditis were found (5.1%). Th disease was more frequently observed in the age group from 30 to 49 years and in people dying of malignancies: females showed higher frequency than males (7.4% vs. 4%), with differences nearly significant from a statistical point of view. None of these cases was recognized by the physicians. The prevalence rate of myocarditis in the present series is higher than in retrospective reviews, where microscopic examination of myocardium was not systematically performed. The discrepancies between clinical results and pathological findings confirm that myocarditis is often unsuspected by the physicians.

Pathologic changes in a long-term heterotopic heart transplant survivor

This report concerns the pathologic findings observed at autopsy in a 10-year-old heterotopic heart transplant under cyclosporine treatment. The allograft showed a diffuse multivessel atherosclerotic disease whereas in the recipient heart coronary arteries and aorta were focally affected by atherosclerosis. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen had significantly increased expression in the allograft vessels in comparison with the recipient.

Evolutionary correlation between control region sequence and restriction polymorphisms in the mitochondrial genome of a large Senegalese Mandenka sample

We present here the first comparative analysis at the population level between Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and control region sequence polymorphism in a large and homogeneous Senegalese Mandenka sample. Eleven RFLP haplotypes and 60 different sequences are found in 119 individuals, revealing that a very high level of mtDNA diversity can be maintained in a small population. A sequence neighbor-joining tree and an analysis of molecular variance show that sequences associated with a given restriction haplotype are evolutionarily highly correlated: sequencing generally leads to the subtyping of RFLP haplotypes. Evolutionary relationships among RFLP haplotypes inferred from restriction site differences are in good agreement with those inferred from sequence data. A single difference is observed and is likely due to a single restriction homoplasy having occurred in the control region. Selective neutrality tests on both RFLP and sequence data accept the hypotheses of mtDNA neutrality and population equilibrium. The deep coalescence times (exceeding 50,000 yr) of sequences associated with the two most frequent restriction haplotypes confirm that the Niokolo Mandenka population has not passed through a recent bottleneck and that gene flow is maintained among West African populations despite ethnic differences.

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma mimicking mesenteric inflammatory disease

A case of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma mimicking mesenteric inflammatory disease (MID) is presented. The patient had mesenteric and omental lesions characterized at biopsy by extensive fibrosis of fat tissue with mild to moderate inflammation. One year later, post-mortem examination revealed a well-differentiated epithelial mesothelioma. Immunohistochemical stains for keratin and vimentin were diffusely positive, whereas EMA showed a membranous staining of scattered cells. CEA, Ber-EP4, B72.3 and Leu-M1 were negative. In addition, actin monoclonals decorated groups of cells pertaining to the tumoural component. Immunostains of sections from retrieved paraffin blocks of the previous biopsy showed that the bulk of the spindle-shaped and histiocytic-like cells present in the fibrous streams was strongly labeled by low-molecular-weight keratin, and coexpressed vimentin and actin. EMA showed a membranous staining of sporadic spindle and round cells. The other immunostains were invariably negative. This immunohistochemical pattern closely corresponded to the immunophenotype of the mesothelial tumour detected at autopsy and was very suggestive of myofibroblastic/submesothelial cell origin. The quantitative evaluation of silver nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs) demonstrated high levels of cell proliferation in both surgical and autopsy tissue samples.

COII/tRNA(Lys) intergenic 9-bp deletion and other mtDNA markers clearly reveal that the Tharus (southern Nepal) have Oriental affinities

We searched for the East Asian mtDNA 9-bp deletion in the intergenic COII/tRNA(Lys) region in a sample of 107 Tharus (50 from central Terai and 57 from eastern Terai), a population whose anthropological origin has yet to be completely clarified. The deletion, detected by electrophoresis of the PCR-amplified nt 7392-8628 mtDNA fragment after digestion with HaeIII, was found in about 8% of both Tharu groups but was found in none of the 76 Hindus who were examined as a non-Oriental neighboring control population. A complete triplication of the 9-bp unit, the second case so far reported, was also observed in one eastern Tharu. All the mtDNAs with the deletion, and that with the triplication, were further characterized (by PCR amplification of the relevant mtDNA fragments and their digestion with the appropriate enzymes) to locate them in the Ballinger et al. phylogeny of East Asian mtDNA haplotypes. The deletion was found to be associated with four different haplotypes, two of which are reported for the first time. One of the deletions and especially the triplication could be best explained by the assumption of novel length-change events. Ballinger's classification of East Asian mtDNA haplotypes is mainly based on the phenotypes for the DdeI site at nt 10394 and the AluI site at nt 10397. Analysis of the entire Tharu sample revealed that more than 70% of the Tharus have both sites, the association of which has been suggested as an ancient East Asian peculiarity. These results conclusively indicate that the Tharus have a predominantly maternal Oriental ancestry. Moreover, they show at least one and perhaps two further distinct length mutations, and this suggests that the examined region is a hot spot of rearrangements.

The common, Near-Eastern origin of Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews supported by Y-chromosome similarity

About 80 Sephardim, 80 Ashkenazim and 100 Czechoslovaks were examined for the Y-specific RFLPs revealed by the probes p12f2 and p49a,f on TaqI DNA digests. The aim of the study was to investigate the origin of the Ashkenazi gene pool through the analysis of markers which, having an exclusively holoandric transmission, are useful to estimate paternal gene flow. The comparison of the two groups of Jews with each other and with Czechoslovaks (which have been taken as a representative source of foreign Y-chromosomes for Ashkenazim) shows a great similarity between Sephardim and Ashkenazim who are very different from Czechoslovaks. On the other hand both groups of Jews appear to be closely related to Lebanese. A preliminary evaluation suggests that the contribution of foreign males to the Ashkenazi gene pool has been very low (1% or less per generation).

MtDNA polymorphisms among Tharus of eastern Terai (Nepal)

Tharus--a population of Terai (a region with a severe malarial morbidity in the past)--can be subdivided into three main groups: Western, Central and Southern Tharus. They have usually been considered a Mongoloid population and this has been further substantiated by mtDNA findings on Central Tharus. Studies on the distribution of malaria-related genes have shown an extremely high frequency (0.8) of the alpha-thal gene among Western and Central Tharus. This frequency, however, unexpectedly turned out to be only 0.04 in a sample of Eastern Tharus. This raised doubts on the common notion that Tharus are a single anthropological entity. In the present investigation mtDNA markers were studied in the same sample of Eastern Tharus previously examined for the alpha-thal gene. The findings were: 1. the same three features which confirmed the classification of Central Tharus as Mongoloids (i.e., the common occurrence of HpaI-1/HincII-1 and HaeII-5 morphs, and the lack of BamHI polymorphism) were also present in this sample. Since the only neighbouring population accessible to Tharus, until recently, has been Hindu (Caucasoids), this result strongly supports the notion that Tharus are indeed a single anthropological entity; 2. two statistically significant differences between Eastern and Central Tharus--namely, a much higher HaeII morph 5 frequency among Central Tharus, and the absence in the same group of the mutation at 15.487 bp (very common among Eastern Tharus)--together with the results on alpha-tal gene, suggested that Tharu subgroups underwent an effective reproductive isolation.

XbaI-RFLP of the APOB gene in a sample group from southern Italy

The XbaI Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) of the APOB gene at codon 2488 was investigated in a sample group from Southern Italy (165 subjects), taken from a population characterized by a low average level of cholesterolemia. The X2 allele (presence of XbaI cutting site), that in several groups was found to be associated with increased cholesterolemia, showed in Southern Italians a frequency of 39% which is significantly (P much less than 0.001) lower than that found in the majority of the Caucasoid groups so far tested (50%). However, an analysis of both cholesterol and APOB serum levels performed in a sample of 82 subjects, homogeneous for sex and age did not reveal any significant association between lipidemic parameters and APOB-XbaI genotypes.