Search results for "42"
showing 10 items of 3911 documents
Risk of Classic Kaposi Sarcoma With Combinations of Killer Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor and Human Leukocyte Antigen Loci: A Population-Based Case-con…
2015
BACKGROUND Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a complication of KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection. Other oncogenic viral infections and malignancies are associated with certain HLA alleles and their natural killer (NK) cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) ligands. We tested whether HLA-KIR influences the risk of KSHV infection or KS. METHODS In population-based case-control studies, we compared HLA class I and KIR gene frequencies in 250 classic (non-AIDS) KS cases, 280 KSHV-seropositive controls, and 576 KSHV-seronegative controls composing discovery and validation cohorts. Logistic regression was used to calculate sex- and age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. RESUL…
Measles in Italy: Viral strains and crossing borders
2019
In 2017, Italy experienced one of the largest outbreaks of measles in recent years, with 5404 notified cases and 4347 confirmed cases. A further 2029 cases were notified during the first 6 months of 2018, and 1516 of them were laboratory-confirmed. The B3 and D8 genotypes were identified as those responsible for the outbreak. Possible transmission routes can be established by monitoring the circulating measles virus strains in support of the national health authorities to warn people and travellers. Keywords: Outbreak, Measles, Genotype identification, Surveillance
Population Structure in the Model Grass Brachypodium distachyon Is Highly Correlated with Flowering Differences across Broad Geographic Areas
2016
The small, annual grass Brachypodium distachyon (L.) Beauv., a close relative of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), is a powerful model system for cereals and bioenergy grasses. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of natural variation can elucidate the genetic basis of complex traits but have been so far limited in B. distachyon by the lack of large numbers of well-characterized and sufficiently diverse accessions. Here, we report on genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) of 84 B. distachyon, seven B. hybridum, and three B. stacei accessions with diverse geographic origins including Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. Over 90,000 high-quality single-nu…
The prevalence of malnutrition according to the new ESPEN definition in four diverse populations
2016
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism.Background & aims: Consensus on the definition of malnutrition has not yet been reached. Recently, The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) proposed a consensus definition of malnutrition. The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence of malnutrition according to the ESPEN definition in four diverse populations. Methods: In total, 349 acutely ill middle-aged patients, 135 geriatric outpatients, 306 healthy old individuals and 179 healthy young individuals were included in the study. Subjects were screened for risk of malnutrition using the SNAQ. The ESPEN definition of maln…
HPV vaccine hesitancy among parents of female adolescents: a pre-post interventional study
2017
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in female adolescents. The highest infection rate is found among individuals aged 15-24 years, and the HPV vaccine represents an opportunity to reduce the burden of cervical cancer caused by HPV types 16 and 18. The World Health Organization has defined girls aged 9e13 years as the priority target for HPV vaccination. In Italy, in accordance with international public health guidelines, HPV vaccination wasfree and actively offered to all girls during their 12th year of life (from the completion of 11 years until the age of 12 years) between 2007 and 2008, establishing a target vaccination coverage of 95% within 5 ye…
Erratum to “Worldwide comparison of ovarian cancer survival: Histological group and stage at diagnosis (CONCORD-2)” [Gynecol. Oncol. 144 (2017) 396–4…
2017
Objective. Ovarian cancer comprises several histological groups with widely differing levels of survival. We aimed to explore international variation in survival for each group to help interpret international differences in survival from all ovarian cancers combined. We also examined differences in stage-specific survival. Methods. The CONCORD programme is the largest population-based study of global trends in cancer survival, including data from 60 countries for 695,932 women (aged 15–99 years) diagnosed with ovarian cancer during 1995–2009. We defined six histological groups: type I epithelial, type II epithelial, germ cell, sex cord-stromal, other specific non-epithelial and non-specific…
Immunization against Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) in a Cohort of Nursing Students Two Decades after Vaccination: Surprising Feedback
2019
Health-care students can be exposed to biological risks during university training. The persistence of long-term immunogenicity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) was analyzed in a cohort of nursing students two decades after primary vaccination. A total of 520 students were enrolled at the University of Palermo and were evaluated for levels of anti-HBsAg antibodies. The students were examined during the first year of their Degree Course and were checked two years later. All students with anti-HBsAg <
Incidence trends of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma in Italy from 1990 to 2015
2020
The incidence of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma has increased for decades in most Western countries - a trend virtually restricted to women aged50 or 60 years. In southern Europe, conversely, the trends have been insufficiently studied. This article reports a study from Italy.Thirty-eight local cancer registries, currently covering 15,274,070 women, equivalent to 49.2% of the Italian national female population, participated. Invasive cancers registered between 1990 and 2015 with an International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, 3rd revision, topography code C51 and morphology codes compatible with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (n = 6294) were eligible. Incidence trends were analyse…
Missense Mutations of Human Hsp60: A Computational Analysis to Unveil Their Pathological Significance
2020
Two chaperonopathies have been linked to mutations in the human hsp60 (hHsp60; HSPD1) gene, but other existing variants might cause diseases, even if there is no comprehensive information about this possibility. To fill this vacuum, which might be at the basis of misdiagnoses or simply ignorance of chaperonopathies in patients who would benefit by proper identification of their ailments, we searched the sequenced human genomes available in public databases to determine the range of missense mutations in the single hsp60 gene. A total of 224 missense mutations were identified, including those already characterized. Detailed examination of these mutations was carried out to assess their possi…
TLR4 participates in the transmission of ethanol-induced neuroinflammation via astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles
2019
Background Current evidence indicates that extracellular vesicles (EVs) participate in intercellular signaling, and in the regulation and amplification of neuroinflammation. We have previously shown that ethanol activates glial cells through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) by triggering neuroinflammation. Here, we evaluate if ethanol and the TLR4 response change the release and inflammatory content of astrocyte-derived EVs, and whether these vesicles are capable of communicating with neurons by spreading neuroinflammation. Methods Cortical neurons and astrocytes in culture were used. EVs were isolated from the extracellular medium of the primary culture of the WT and TLR4-KO astrocytes treated …