0000000000593174
AUTHOR
Francesco Paolo D'armiento
Expression of inflammation-related genes in human atherosclerotic plaques
Aims: Atherosclerosis is an inflammator y disease which molecular mechanisms are not been completely investigated. Our aim is to perform a wide expression study of inflammation related genes in human atherosclerotic plaques. Methods: The Human Inflammation Array (Applied Biosystems) was used to perform the mRNA quantification of 92 inflammation-related genes in 12 atherosclerotic plaques, their respective adjacent regions (with a lower grade lesion) and 7 healthy ar teries. The principle of the array is the real-time PCR amplification with a TaqMan probe specific for each gene. Data analysis was performed with SDS 2.3 software with the comparative Ct method using the gene beta-2-microglobulin as h…
External iliac artery pseudoaneurysm complicating renal transplantation
Objective: To assess the etiology, management and outcome of iliac pseudoaneurysms following renal transplantation. Methods: Eleven patients who underwent repair between 1982 and 2007 were identified. Five (Group 1) presented pseudoaneurysm at the anastomosis of the donor renal and native iliac arteries, and six (Group 2) presented iliac pseudoaneurysm following transplant nephrectomy. Intraoperative cultures and immunohistochemical examinations were obtained from all surgical cases to determine the existence of a relationship between infection or transplant rejection and pseudoaneurysm formation. Results: Endovascular repair (EVR) was used to treat three patients, while eight patients unde…
Altered expression of inflammation-related genes in human carotid atherosclerotic plaques.
Abstract Objective Inflammation is a pivotal process in atherosclerosis development and progression, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely obscure. We have conducted an extensive expression study of atherosclerotic plaques to identify the inflammatory pathways involved in atherosclerosis. Methods We studied 11 human carotid plaques, their respective adjacent regions and 7 control arteries from different subjects. Expression of 92 genes was studied by TaqMan low-density array human inflammation panel. Human aortic endothelial and smooth muscle cells were used for in vitro experiments. Results The mRNA levels of 44/92 genes (48%) differed significantly between the tissues exa…
Small Bowel Carcinomas in Coeliac or Crohn’s Disease: Clinico-pathological, Molecular, and Prognostic Features. A Study From the Small Bowel Cancer Italian Consortium
Background and aims An increased risk of small bowel carcinoma [SBC] has been reported in coeliac disease [CD] and Crohn's disease [CrD]. We explored clinico-pathological, molecular, and prognostic features of CD-associated SBC [CD-SBC] and CrD-associated SBC [CrD-SBC] in comparison with sporadic SBC [spo-SBC]. Methods A total of 76 patients undergoing surgical resection for non-familial SBC [26 CD-SBC, 25 CrD-SBC, 25 spo-SBC] were retrospectively enrolled to investigate patients' survival and histological and molecular features including microsatellite instability [MSI] and KRAS/NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, TP53, HER2 gene alterations. Results CD-SBC showed a significantly better sex-, age-, and st…
Decreased Paraoxonase-2 Expression in Human Carotids During the Progression of Atherosclerosis
Objective— Many gene products involved in oxidation and inflammation are implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We investigated paraoxonase 2 (PON2), 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), and 5-LO activating protein (FLAP) expression and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in carotid lesions to assess their involvement in plaque formation. Methods and Results— We measured gene expression and MDA levels in atherosclerotic plaques from 59 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, and in plaque-adjacent tissue from 41/59 patients. Twenty-three fetal carotids and 6 mammary arteries were also investigated. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry revealed decreased PON2 expression i…