0000000000183261
AUTHOR
G. Vesco
Coxiella burnetii spread in Sicily
Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by C. burnetii. Common reservoirs of this worldwide disease are wild and domestic animals, especially sheep, goats, cattle. Q fever has been considered also an occupational disease for abattoir workers, sheep shearers, livestock farmers, and veterinarians due to their direct contact with potentially infected animals. The aims of this study were to estimate C. burnetii spread in Sicilian livestock and among rangers that live and work in Western Sicily. ELISA test on animal serum and IFI test on seasonal rangers sera were carried out. Real Time PCR was performed on milk and vaginal swab samples collected from animals to search for the C. burnetii DNA. The …
Antigen-specific T cells and cytokines detection as useful tool for understanding immunity against zoonotic infections.
Zoonoses include a broad range of diseases, that are becoming of great interest, due to the climate changing, that cause the adaptation of vectors to new niches and environments. Host immune responses play a crucial role in determining the outcome of infections, as documented by expansion of antigen-specific T cells during several zoonotic infections. Thus, understanding of the contribution of antigen-specific T-cell subsets in the host immune response is a powerful tool to evaluate the different immunological mechanisms involved in zoonotic infections and for the development of effective vaccines. In this paper we discuss the role of T cells in some eukaryotic and prokaryotic infectious mo…
Nutraceutical effects of table green olives: a pilot study with Nocellara del Belice olives
Background: The aim of this study was to analyse the nutraceutical properties of table green olives Nocellara del Belice, a traditional Mediterranean food. The Mediterranean Diet has as key elements olives and extra virgin olive oil, common to all Mediterranean countries. Olive oil is the main source of fat and can modulate oxidative stress and inflammation, whereas little is known about the role of olives. Moreover, emerging evidences underline the association between gut microbiota and food as the basis of many phenomena that affect health and delay or avoid the onset of some age-related chronic diseases. Methods: In order to show if table green olives have nutraceutical properties and/or…