Search results for "ASIS"

The microbiome in respiratory medicine: current challenges and future perspectives

2017

The healthy lung has previously been considered to be a sterile organ because standard microbiological culture techniques consistently yield negative results. However, culture-independent techniques report that large numbers of microorganisms coexist in the lung. There are many unknown aspects in the field, but available reports show that the lower respiratory tract microbiota: 1) is similar in healthy subjects to the oropharyngeal microbiota and dominated by members of the Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria phyla; 2) shows changes in smokers and well-defined differences in chronic respiratory diseases, although the temporal and spatial kinetics of these changes are only partially…

Eight novel variants in the SLC34A2 gene in pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis

2020

BackgroundPulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is caused by genetic variants in the SLC34A2 gene, which encodes the sodium-dependent phosphate transport protein 2B (NaPi-2b). PAM is characterised by deposition of calcium phosphate concretions (microliths) in the alveoli leading to pulmonary dysfunction. The variant spectrum of SLC34A2 has not been well investigated and it is not yet known whether a genotype–phenotype correlation exists.MethodsWe collected DNA from 14 patients with PAM and four relatives, and analysed the coding regions of SLC34A2 by direct DNA sequencing. To determine the phenotype characteristics, clinical data were collected and a severity score was created for each va…

Oral vinorelbine versus etoposide with cisplatin and chemo-radiation as treatment in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer: A randomized…

2019

Objectives: Concomitant chemo-radiation is the standard treatment for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC), The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of oral vinorelbine and cisplatin (OVP) compared with etoposide and cisplatin (EP), both in combination with radiotherapy, in this setting. Material and methods: An open-label, randomized phase II trial was undertaken including 23 hospitals in Spain. Adults with untreated unresectable stage III NSCLC were randomizedl:1 to receive: oral vinorelbine (days 1 and 8 with cisplatin on day 1 in 3-week cycles; 2 cycles of induction, 2 cycles in concomitance) or etoposide (days 1-5 and 29-32 with cisplatin on d…

Lung Metastases from Esophageal Granular Cell Tumor: An Undoubted Criterion for Malignancy

2017

Functional characterization of a novel 3D model of the epithelial-mesenchymal trophic unit

2017

Background/Aim: Epithelial-mesenchymal communication plays a key role in tissue homeostasis and abnormal signaling contributes to chronic airways disease such as COPD. Most in vitro models are limited in complexity and poorly represent this epithelial-mesenchymal trophic unit. We postulated that cellular outgrowth from bronchial tissue would enable development of a mucosal structure that recapitulates better in vivo tissue architecture. Materials and Methods: Bronchial tissue was embedded in Matrigel and outgrowth cultures monitored using time-lapse microscopy, electrical resistance, light and electron microscopy. Cultures were challenged repetitively with cigarette smoke extract (CSE). Res…

Genetic tools discriminate strains of Leishmania infantum isolated from  humans and dogs in Sicily, Italy

2020

Background Leishmaniasis is one of the most important vector-borne diseases and it represents a serious world health problem affecting millions of people. High levels of Leishmania infections, affecting both humans and animals, are recognized among Italian regions. Among these, Sicily has one of the highest prevalence of Leishmania infection. Methodology/Principal Findings Seventy-eight Leishmania strains isolated from human and animal samples across Sicily, were analyzed for the polymorphic k26-gene and genotypes were assigned according to the size of the PCR products. A multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) approach based on the analysis of 11 independent loci was used to investigate po…

In cutaneous leishmaniasis, induction of retinoic acid in skin-derived Langerhans cells is not sufficient for induction of parasite persistence-media…

2017

The RAB GTPase RAB18 modulates macroautophagy and proteostasis

2017

Macroautophagy is a conserved degradative pathway and its deterioration is linked to disturbances in cellular proteostasis and multiple diseases. Here, we show that the RAB GTPase RAB18 modulates autophagy in primary human fibroblasts. The knockdown of RAB18 results in a decreased autophagic activity, while its overexpression enhances the degradative pathway. Importantly, this function of RAB18 is dependent on RAB3GAP1 and RAB3GAP2, which might act as RAB GEFs and stimulate the activity of the RAB GTPase. Moreover, the knockdown of RAB18 deteriorates proteostasis and results in the intracellular accumulation of ubiquitinated degradation-prone proteins. Thus, the RAB GTPase RAB18 is a positi…

2017

Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC) separate the peripheral blood from the brain. These cells, which are surrounded by basal lamina, pericytes and glial cells, are highly interconnected through tight and gap junctions. Their permeability properties restrict the transfer of potentially useful therapeutic agents. In such a hermetic system, the gap junctional exchange of small molecules between cerebral endothelial and non-endothelial cells is crucial for maintaining tissue homeostasis. MicroRNA were shown to cross gap junction channels, thereby modulating gene expression and function of the recipient cell. It was also shown that, when altered, BMEC could be regenerated by endothelial…

Ethanol-Induced Oxidative Stress Modifies Inflammation and Angiogenesis Biomarkers in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells (ARPE-19): Role of CYP2E1 and …

2020

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays a key role in retinal health, being essential for the protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nevertheless, excessive oxidative stress can induce RPE dysfunction, promoting visual loss. Our aim is to clarify the possible implication of CYP2E1 in ethanol (EtOH)-induced oxidative stress in RPE alterations. Despite the increase in the levels of ROS, measured by fluorescence probes, the RPE cells exposed to the lowest EtOH concentrations were able to maintain cell survival, measured by the Cell Proliferation Kit II (XTT). However, EtOH-induced oxidative stress modified inflammation and angiogenesis biomarkers, analyzed by proteome array, ELIS…