Surface properties and cell response of low metal ion release Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy after multi-step chemical and thermal treatments

Ti-6Al-7Nb samples treated by innovative multi-step chemical and thermal processes were characterized in order to evaluate their surface properties and cell interaction. The main object was to asses if the treatments were effective in order to obtain a surface presenting at the same time bone-like apatite induction ability, low metal ion release, good cell response and high protein binding. The morphology, crystallographic structure, porosity and wettability of the treated materials were investigated, as well as their interaction with simulated body fluid during soaking for different times. Cytotoxicity, protein adsorption tests and in vitro fibroblast and osteoblast-like cell cultures were also performed.     

Vestibular and audiological findings in the Alport syndrome

Alport syndrome (AS) is caused by mutations in collagen IV, which is widespread in the basement membranes of many organs, including the kidneys, eyes, and ears. Whereas the effects of collagen IV changes in the cochlea are well known, no changes have been described in the posterior labyrinth. The aim of this study was to investigate both the auditory and the vestibular function of a group of individuals with AS. Seventeen patients, aged 9–52, underwent audiological tests including pure‐tone and speech audiometry, immittance test and otoacoustic emissions and vestibular tests including video head impulse test, rotatory test, and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials. Hearing loss affected 25% of the males and 27.3% of the females with X‐linked AS. It was sensorineural with a cochlear localization and a variable severity. 50% of the males and 45.4% of the females had a hearing impairment in the high‐frequency range. Otoacoustic emissions were absent in about one‐third of the individuals. A peripheral vestibular dysfunction was present in 75% of the males and 45.4% of the females, with no complaints of vertigo or dizziness. The vestibular impairment was compensated and the vestibulo‐ocular reflex asymmetry was more evident in rotatory tests carried out at lower than higher speeds; a vestibular hypofunction was present in all hearing impaired ears although it was also found in subjects with normal hearing. A posterior labyrinth injury should be hypothesized in AS even when the patient does not manifest hearing disorders or evident signs of renal failure.     

Screening of HIV-1 isolates by reverse heteroduplex mobility assay and identification of non-B subtypes in Italy

OBJECTIVE: The increasing prevalence of HIV-1 transmission through heterosexual contacts and the growing number of immigrants from non-Western countries, where non-B subtypes and recombinant forms are prevalent, suggest the possible emergence in Italy of a new epidemic wave of HIV-1 non-B subtypes as well as recombinant forms. METHODS: The distribution of HIV-1 subtypes has been evaluated in 63 seropositive individuals residing in Italy, most of whom were infected through a sexual route during the last 5 years. A modified heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA) strategy, reverse HMA (rHMA), has been developed in our laboratory, allowing rapid identification of divergent-from-B-subtype isolates, which have been subsequently characterized by detailed molecular and phylogenetic analyses. RESULTS: Five samples show, on rHMA, an electrophoretic pattern compatible with a non-B subtype classification. Their phylogenetic analysis, performed on both env and gag regions, confirms the rHMA subtyping prediction, given that 3 samples fall into the "A-family" subtype and 2 into the G subtype. The 5 non-B-subtype HIV-1 isolates have been identified among 23 variants (prevalence, 21.74%) isolated during the 2000 to 2001 period in heterosexuals. In parallel, B-subtype isolates show high levels of intrasubtype nucleotide divergence, compatible with a constant HIV-1 molecular diversification. CONCLUSION: The Italian HIV-1 epidemic is still mostly attributable to the B subtype, which shows an increasing nucleotide heterogeneity. Heterosexual transmission and the interracial blending, however, are slowly introducing novel HIV-1 subtypes, and the data indicate that rHMA represents a powerful tool for HIV-1 biomolecular screening in epidemics characterized by a mono-/dual-subtype predominance.     

Schedule-dependent antitumor and toxic effects of thymidine and 5-fluorouracil in AKR and L1210 leukemias

Summary The effect of thymidine (dThd) on 5-fluorouracil (FUra) toxicity to both leukemia stem cells (LCFU) and hematopoietic stem cells (NCFU) was examined. A dose of 10 mg/mouse of dThd given within 1 h before FUra enhanced FUra cytotoxicity to NCFU by a factor of about 4. This effect was also reflected in the reduction of the LD₁₀. The dose-survival curve of FUra in AKR leukemia was modified by the prior administration of dThd 10 mg/mouse: the cytotoxic effect of FUra was enhanced by a factor of between 100 and 1000 throughout the dose range studied. These findings were reflected in the ILS studies. When given by high dose infusion dThd had only a slight antitumor effect on AKR leukemia, and no effect on L1210. When large doses of dThd were infused concomitantly with FUra they ptoentiated its cytotoxicity against NCFU, AKR LCFU, and L1210 LCFU in a dose-dependent manner and by a maximum factor of about 70.This investigation was supported by PHS grant no CA-34144 awarded by the National Cancer Institute, DHSS     

Role of Cachexia and Fragility in the Patient Candidate for Cardiac Surgery

Frailty is the major expression of accelerated aging and describes a decreased resistance to stressors, and consequently an increased vulnerability to additional diseases in elderly people. The vascular aging related to frail phenotype reflects the high susceptibility for cardiovascular diseases and negative postoperative outcomes after cardiac surgery. Sarcopenia can be considered a biological substrate of physical frailty. Malnutrition and physical inactivity play a key role in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia. We searched on Medline (PubMed) and Scopus for relevant literature published over the last 10 years and analyzed the strong correlation between frailty, sarcopenia and cardiovascular diseases in elderly patient. In our opinion, a right food intake and moderate intensity resistance exercise are mandatory in order to better prepare patients undergoing cardiac operation.     

Free Fatty Acids Signature in Human Intestinal Disorders: Significant Association between Butyric Acid and Celiac Disease

Altered circulating levels of free fatty acids (FFAs), namely short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), and long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), are associated with metabolic, gastrointestinal, and malignant diseases. Hence, we compared the serum FFA profile of patients with celiac disease (CD), adenomatous polyposis (AP), and colorectal cancer (CRC) to healthy controls (HC). We enrolled 44 patients (19 CRC, 9 AP, 16 CD) and 16 HC. We performed a quantitative FFA evaluation with the gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method (GC–MS), and we performed Dirichlet-multinomial regression in order to highlight disease-specific FFA signature. HC showed a different composition of FFAs than CRC, AP, and CD patients. Furthermore, the partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) confirmed perfect overlap between the CRC and AP patients and separation of HC from the diseased groups. The Dirichlet-multinomial regression identified only strong positive association between CD and butyric acid. Moreover, CD patients showed significant interactions with age, BMI, and gender. In addition, among patients with the same age and BMI, being male compared to being female implies a decrease of the CD effect on the (log) prevalence of butyric acid in FFA composition. Our data support GC–MS as a suitable method for the concurrent analysis of circulating SCFAs, MCFAs, and LCFAs in different gastrointestinal diseases. Furthermore, and notably, we suggest for the first time that butyric acid could represent a potential biomarker for CD screening.     

Obesity and Circulating Levels of Vitamin D before and after Weight Loss Induced by a Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet

Background: Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in calcium and phosphorus metabolism, also influencing bone tissue. Several studies have reported that vitamin D blood levels were significantly lower in people with obesity, probably due to its uptake by the adipose tissue. Clinical studies that investigated the changes of circulating levels of vitamin D following weight loss reported controversial data. A very low-calorie ketogenic diet is acknowledged as a reliable treatment to achieve a rapid weight loss. Therefore, we investigated the effect of weight loss, consequent to a very low-calorie ketogenic diet, on vitamin D blood concentrations. Methods: A cohort of 31 people with obesity underwent a very low-calorie ketogenic diet for 10–12 weeks. The serum concentrations of vitamin D, parathormone, calcium and phosphorous were measured before and after weight loss; they were compared to a control group of 20 non-obese, non-diabetic, age- and gender-matched persons. Results: Patients with obesity had a higher habitual intake of vitamin D than the control group (p < 0.05). However, the vitamin D blood levels of the obese group were significantly lower than those of the control group (p < 0.005) and they increased after weight loss (p < 0.001). At baseline, vitamin D blood concentrations of the persons with obesity were significantly correlated with both fat mass–kg (r = −0.40; p < 0.05) and body mass index (r = −0.47; p < 0.01). Following very low-calorie ketogenic diet, the change in vitamin D serum concentrations was correlated only with the change in fat mass–kg (r = −0.43; p < 0.01). Conclusion: This study confirmed that patients with obesity have lower vitamin D levels that normalize after significant weight loss, supporting the hypothesis that vitamin D is stored in the adipose tissue and released following weight loss.     

Risk for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Healthcare Workers,Turin, Italy

We measured severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike protein subunits S1/S2 antibodies by using capillary electrophoresis and a chemiluminescence immunoassay for 5,444 active healthcare workers in Italy. Seroprevalence was 6.9% and higher among participants having contact with patients. Seroconversion was not observed in 37/213 previously infected participants.