Annexin A1 subcellular expression in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Aims: Annexin A1 (ANXA1) is a soluble cytoplasmic protein, moving to membranes when calcium levels are elevated. ANXA1 has also been shown to move to the nucleus or outside the cells, depending on tyrosine‐kinase signalling, thus interfering in cytoskeletal organization and cell differentiation, mostly in inflammatory and neoplastic processes. The aim was to investigate subcellular patterns of immunohistochemical expression of ANXA1 in neoplastic and non‐neoplastic samples from patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas (LSCC), to elucidate the role of ANXA1 in laryngeal carcinogenesis. Methods and results: Serial analysis of gene expression experiments detected reduced expression of ANXA1 gene in LSCC compared with the corresponding non‐neoplastic margins. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction confirmed ANXA1 low expression in 15 LSCC and eight matched normal samples. Thus, we investigated subcellular patterns of immunohistochemical expression of ANXA1 in 241 paraffin‐embedded samples from 95 patients with LSCC. The results showed ANXA1 down‐regulation in dysplastic, tumourous and metastatic lesions and provided evidence for the progressive migration of ANXA1 from the nucleus towards the membrane during laryngeal tumorigenesis. Conclusions: ANXA1 dysregulation was observed early in laryngeal carcinogenesis, in intra‐epithelial neoplasms; it was not found related to prognostic parameters, such as nodal metastases.     

Exposure of nursing personnel to electromagnetic fields in neonatal intensive care

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are recognised as a source of environmental pollution for workers and people resident in exposed areas. The level of exposure to EMFs of the nurses working in the Siena Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, during two workdays was recorded and peak levels > 10 mG (1 microT) were registered well above an almost permanence exposure at > 2 mg G. The application of existing standard, cautionary criteria and rules would suggest protective or restrictive measures against EMF exposure for these workers.     

Factor V Arg306 → Thr (factor V Cambridge) and factor V Arg306 → Gly mutations in venous thrombotic disease

We investigated the prevalence of two reported mutations of the factor V gene (factor V Arg³⁰⁶ → Thr, or factor V Cambridge, and factor V Arg³⁰⁶ → Gly) in 104 relatively young patients with verified venous thrombosis and in 208 age-, sex- and race-matched controls, in order to establish whether the two mutations are associated with increased predisposition for venous thrombosis. PCR amplification followed by Bst NI and Msp I digestion was employed to determine the genotypes, and each mutation was confirmed by DNA sequencing. Among the controls, one individual was found to be heterozygous for the factor V Arg³⁰⁶ → Thr mutation and one heterozygous for the factor V Arg³⁰⁶ → Gly mutation; none of the patients carried either mutation. Our findings do not support factor V Cambridge and factor V Arg³⁰⁶ → Gly as risk factors for venous thrombosis.     

HHV-6 is frequently detected in dried cord blood spots from babies born to HIV-positive mothers

Intrauterine transmission of HHV-6 is well established in immunocompetent women while few data are available on infections in babies born to HIV-positive mothers. To assess the rate of HHV-6 vertical transmission in comparison to CMV, we analyzed cord blood spots dried on cards (Dried Blood Spots, DBS) collected during a multi-center study on HIV congenital infections in Italy. DBS were tested by PCR for HHV-6 and CMV footprints. HHV-6 amplimers were sequenced and characterized. As control group, cards taken from babies born to HIV-negative mothers were analyzed. DBS of 187 babies born to HIV-positive and 372 to HIV-negative mothers were analyzed. The prevalence of HHV-6 was 3.2% in babies born to HIV-positive mothers. CMV was found in the HIV-positive group with a prevalence rate of 1.6%. In newborns of control pregnant women, HHV-6 prevalence rate was 1.1% (p=0.09), while CMV was not detected (p=0.04). Sequence analysis could distinguish between HHV-6 A and B variant in both groups and one A/B coinfection was found in a baby born to a HIV-positive mother. HIV-infected mothers transmit HHV-6 and CMV viruses to their babies more frequently than uninfected women.