The comet assay or single cell gel electrophoresis, is the most common method used to measure strand breaks and a variety of other DNA lesions in human populations. To estimate the risk of overall mortality, mortality by cause, and cancer incidence associated to DNA damage, a cohort of 2,403 healthy individuals (25,978 person-years) screened in 16 laboratories using the comet assay between 1996 and 2016 was followed-up. Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated a worse overall survival in the medium and high tertile of DNA damage (p < 0.001). The effect of DNA damage on survival was modelled according to Cox proportional hazard regression model. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.42 (1.06–1.90) for overall mortality, and 1.94 (1.04–3.59) for diseases of the circulatory system in subjects with the highest tertile of DNA damage. The findings of this study provide epidemiological evidence encouraging the implementation of the comet assay in preventive strategies for non-communicable diseases.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma is not always a straightforward procedure, and it may require an adaptable approach. This study illustrates strategies used when the ophthalmic artery is difficult to catheterize or not visible, and it ascertains the effectiveness and safety of these strategies.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on a series of 108 eyes affected by intraocular retinoblastoma and selected for intra-arterial chemotherapy (follow-up range, 6-82 months). We recognized 3 different patterns of drug delivery: a fixed pattern through the ophthalmic artery, a fixed pattern through branches of the external carotid artery, and a variable pattern through either the ophthalmic or the external carotid artery.RESULTS: We performed 448 sessions of intra-arterial chemotherapy, 83.70% of them through the ophthalmic artery and 16.29% via the external carotid artery. In 24.52% of eyes, the procedure was performed at least once through branches of the external carotid artery. In 73 eyes, the pattern of drug delivery was fixed through the ophthalmic artery; for 9 eyes, it was fixed through branches of the external carotid artery; and for 17 eyes, the pattern was variable. Statistical analysis did not show any significant difference in the clinical outcome of the eyes (remission versus enucleation) treated with different patterns of drug delivery. Adverse events could not be correlated with any particular pattern.CONCLUSIONS: Alternative routes of intra-arterial chemotherapy for intraocular retinoblastoma appear in the short term as effective and safe as the traditional drug infusion through the ophthalmic artery.

The tissue engineering (TE) of dental oral tissue is facing significant changes in clinical treatments in dentistry. TE is based on a stem cell, signaling molecule, and scaffold triad that must be known and calibrated with attention to specific sectors in dentistry. This review article shows a summary of micro- and nanomorphological characteristics of dental tissues, of stem cells available in the oral region, of signaling molecules usable in TE, and of scaffolds available to guide partial or total reconstruction of hard, soft, periodontal, and bone tissues. Some scaffoldless techniques used in TE are also presented. Then actual and future roles of nanotechnologies about TE in dentistry are presented.

Guidelines for the management of osteoporosis induced by endogenous hypercortisolism are not available. Both the American College of Rheumatology and the International Osteoporosis Foundation recommend to modulate the treatment of exogenous glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) based on the individual fracture risk profile (calculated by FRAX) and dose of glucocorticoid used, but it is difficult to translate corticosteroid dosages to different degrees of endogenous hypercortisolism, and there are no data on validation of FRAX stratification method in patients with endogenous hypercortisolism. Consequently, it is unclear whether such recommendations may be adapted to patients with endogenous hypercortisolism. Moreover, patients with exogenous GIO take glucocorticoids since suffering a disease that commonly affects bone. On the other hand, the correction of coexistent risk factors, which may contribute to increase the fracture risk in patients exposed to glucocorticoid excess, and the removal of the cause of endogenous hypercortisolism, may lead to the recovery of bone health. Although the correction of hypercortisolism and of possible coexistent risk factors is necessary to favor the normalization of bone turnover with recovery of bone mass; in some patients, the fracture risk could not be normalized and specific anti-osteoporotic drugs should be given. Who, when, and how the patient with endogenous hypercortisolism should be treated with bone-active therapy is discussed.

A 35‐year‐old woman presented with a 8‐month history of scaling, hyperkeratotic and fissured lesions of the fingertips of the first three fingers of both the hands. She referred the healing of the dermatitis during the summer holidays. She was employed in a small firm where she was used to glue together silver components with glass ones of decorative pieces. For this aim, she applied a glue (Loxeal UV 30–20) cured by exposition to UV light coming from a proper lamp. The material safety data sheet (MSDS) indicated that the glue contained hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA). Patch tests performed with the standard SIDAPA series gave negative results; patch tests carried out with an additional one (acrylic adhesive series) showed positive reactions towards glue components (HEMA,HPMA) and towards other acrylates (possible cross‐reacting). An inspection performed in the work‐place showed that the patient was in contact with the glue not only when she applied it on the components, but particularly when she handled the bottle cap (splashed with the glue) in its opening and closing. After the changing of her occupation, the patient has not presented relapse of the dermatitis. The UV‐cured acrylic resins are known for some time to be a frequent cause of occupational allergic contact dermatitis in dentists and in printing industry. The case reported shows a different exposition source towards these resins, i.e. from UV‐cured acrylate adhesive employed for sticking metal pieces with glass ones.

Different results have been reported on the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in human melanocytic lesions, which may be due to different methodologic approaches. Therefore, we compared EGFR expression in six human melanoma cell lines by utilizing the monoclonal antibodies 2E9, 425, and 225, applying four immunocytochemical staining procedures. The results were compared with those obtained by a multiple point ligand binding assay. In addition, Northern blot analysis was performed.A three-step immunoperoxidase method using the monoclonal antibody 2E9 proved most sensitive. Staining intensities, estimated semiquantitatively, correlated well with the quantitative data obtained by the ligand-binding assay. Expression on the mRNA level was also in agreement with these results.Immunohistochemical staining of a large series of human cutaneous melanocytic lesions using the method selected showed differential EGFR expression in various stages of melanocytic tumor progression: 19% of common nevocellular nevi; 61% of dysplastic nevi, 89% of primary cutaneous melanomas, and 91% of melanoma metastases showed staining of the melanocytic cells. Intralesional heterogeneity of EGFR expression was present. Although the mean percentage of positive melanocytic cells in positive lesions did not increase with progression, mean staining intensity was stronger in malignant lesions compared to benign lesions.Ligand binding assays showed that EGFR expression in the highly metastasizing cell lines MV3 and BLM was at least 40 times higher than in the cell lines IF6, 530, M14, and Mel57, which do not or only sporadically metastasize after subcutaneous inoculation in nude mice. Although the differences between the various stages of progression are not absolute, we provide further evidence that EGFR expression increases in human melanocytic tumor progression.

This chapter presents a study examining heterogeneity of Sézary cells multiparameter approach in two cases. Two patients, a 56-year-old woman and a 71-year-old woman, were diagnosed as having Sézary Syndrome on the basis of clinical, histopathological, hematological, and ultrastructural criteria. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained by Ficoll/Paque density gradient centrifugation. More than 85% of isolated mononuclear cells had cerebriform nuclei as seen by electron microscopy. A series of monoclonal antibodies was utilized for membrane antigen recognition in an indirect immunofluorescence assay using F(ab′)2 fragments of a goat anti-mouse immunoglobulin antiserum. Atypical cells from both cases exhibited a phenotype currently associated with mature T helper lymphocytes, being OKT3 and OKT4 positive, and OKT8 negative.

We have studied the surface antigen pattern, enzymatic phenotype, and functional capacity of peripheral blood lymphocytes from a patient with Sézary syndrome (SS). The majority of these cells formed E rosettes but lacked the Fc(μ) receptor. The neoplastic cells were reactive with pan-T cell (OKT3)- and helper T cell (OKT4)-subset monoclonal antibodies; however, they lacked the 5/9 antigen, which identifies a more restricted subset of helper T cells. Most SS cells also reacted with PTF 29.12, a monoclonal antibody which recognizes DR determinants. Only 35% of the cells expressed single, focal accumulations of α-naphthyl-acid esterase activity, which is a characteristic of T.M cells, but 85% of them showed this focal staining pattern with acid phosphatase or β-glucuronidase. Mononuclear cells from the SS patient showed poor or no proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen, concanavalin A, purified protein derivative, Candida, and allogeneic cells and lacked both helper and suppressor activity for pokeweed mitogen driven production of IgM and IgG immunoglobulins by normal B cells, but they were able to stimulate a marked proliferative response in mixed-lymphocyte culture. The defective expression of enzymatic and surface membrane characteristics, together with the lack of some T-cell functions, suggests that the patient cells may be immature T.M lymphocytes.

La complessità del materiale particolato sospeso in atmosfera, costituito da particelle con diverse caratteristiche chimico-fisiche, richiede uno studio approfondito della matrice, sia tramite frazionamento dimensionale (infatti particelle di dimensioni diverse hanno diversa tossicità e diversa origine) sia tramite frazionamento chimico (estrazione sequenziale della matrice con solventi diversi, per identificare classi di composti con diverso comportamento estrattivo). I risultati così ottenibili sono utili per la valutazione della tossicità delle specie presenti e per l'identificazione delle sorgenti emissive, aspetti fondamentali per stabilire un piano d'azione contro l'inquinamento dell'aria. La normativa europea per il monitoraggio dell'aria prevede la determinazione del solo contenuto totale di Pb, As, Cd e Ni e non esiste una metodica di riferimento per il frazionamento chimico sequenziale. Per questo motivo sono state proposte ed utilizzate in letteratura diverse metodiche di frazionamento. Alcuni autori applicano a campioni di PM lo schema ideato da Tessier per i sedimenti. Altri hanno modificato in vario modo tale schema per renderlo più adatto ai campioni di polvere. Molti studi riguardano l'applicazione di schemi estrattivi che prevedono la sola determinazione delle frazioni solubile e residua, che sono risultate le più rappresentative nel caso di polveri aerodisperse. La scelta della soluzione estraente adatta alla caratterizzazione del PM deriva da un compromesso tra diverse esigenze: simulare le condizioni ambientali e biologiche; controllare l'influenza di fattori esterni sull'estrazione; mantenere selettività verso le sorgenti emissive; possibilità di valutare l'andamento spaziale e temporale degli inquinanti; ottenere il maggior numero di informazioni su un unico campione, dati gli elevati costi di campionamento. La confrontabilità dei risultati ottenuti dai diversi gruppi di ricerca è un fattore di grande rilevanza nell'interpretazione dei risultati, che possono variare, a seconda del tipo di estraente utilizzato. Con questo lavoro si intende valutare i risultati ottenuti con alcune delle soluzioni estraenti riportate in letteratura, a nostro avviso le più rappresentative, in modo da confrontare la ripetibilità dei dati, le efficienze estrattive e la selettività delle soluzioni prese in esame. Abbiamo confrontato le solubilità elementari, sia su materiale certificato sia su campioni reali, ottenute usando come estraenti: H2O deionizzata, HClO4 10 -4 M, HNO3 0,2 M, tampone acetato 10-2 M ed EDTA 1 mM. È emerso che l'uso di H2O deionizzata fornisce risultati dipendenti dalla variabilità ambientale, quindi riduce la possibilità di tracciare le sorgenti. Le condizioni estrattive, inoltre, non sono rappresentative delle reali condizioni ambientali, molto più complesse. Nel caso dell'HClO4 10 -4 M si hanno problemi di nebulizzazione nell'analisi ICP-OES, probabilmente per la precipitazione di KClO4. L'uso di HNO3 consente un buon controllo dei fattori esterni (come adsorbimento e variazioni di pH) ma forza troppo la solubilità. Inoltre, osservando il comportamento del frazionamento chimico in funzione della classificazione dimensionale su campioni ottenuti con un impattore multistadio, è evidente che l'estrazione in HNO3 fornisce, per alcuni elementi, risultati molto meno selettivi rispetto alle sorgenti emissive(la frazione solubile è, per molti elementi, quasi corrispondente al contenuto totale).