Search results for "Poisoning"

Influence of organophosphate poisoning on human dendritic cells.

2013

Organophosphourus compounds (OPC, including nerve agents and pesticides) exhibit acute toxicity by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. Lung affections are frequent complications and a risk factor for death. In addition, epidemiological studies reported immunological alterations after OPC exposure. In our experiments we investigated the effects of organophosphourus pesticides dimethoate and chlorpyrifos on dendritic cells (DC) that are essential for the initial immune response, especially in the pulmonary system. DC, differentiated from the monocyte cell line THP-1 by using various cytokines (IL-4, GM-CSF, TNF-α, Ionomycin), were exposed to organophosphourus compounds at different concentrat…

Pseudocholinesterase Activity in Organophosphate Poisoning after Storage of Unseparated Blood Samples at Room Temperature for 3 Weeks

2005

Suppressed pseudocholinesterase activity is a well-established laboratory finding in patients with serious organophosphate poisoning (1). Recently, a 48-year-old man with suspected ingestion of methyl parathion died, and the postmortem examination was not indicative. After 3 weeks, an overlooked specimen was discovered that had been collected from the patient ∼1 h after the suspected poisoning. The determination of pseudocholinesterase activity was requested. The blood sample, which showed complete hemolysis, was separated by centrifugation, and the pseudocholinesterase activity was determined. The result of 4.21 kU/L indicated the presence of only minor organophosphate poisoning without su…

Poisoning histories in the Italian renaissance: The case of Pico Della Mirandola and Angelo Poliziano.

2018

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and Angelo Poliziano were two of the most important humanists of the Italian Renaissance. They died suddenly in 1494 and their deaths have been for centuries a subject of debate. The exhumation of their remains offered the opportunity to study the cause of their death through a multidisciplinary research project. Anthropological analyses, together with documentary evidences, radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA analysis supported the identification of the remains attributed to Pico. Macroscopic examination did not reveal paleopathological lesions or signs related to syphilis. Heavy metals analysis, carried out on bones and mummified tissues, showed that in Pico's…

Pheno-genotyping of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis isolates identified in Sicily during a reemergence period.

2005

After an upward trend paralleling that occurring in most European countries, including Italy, since October 2002 Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) has again gained the first position among outbreak and sporadic human isolates of Salmonella in Sicily. Because phage typing of S. Enteritidis has many technical and epidemiological limitations and molecular methods have proved to be poorly discriminative for this organism, multiple typing, using phage typing together with pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and plasmid profiling on a sample of fifty human and poultry isolates identified during the period October 2002 to May 2003 in Sicily, was chosen as the most valua…

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CASES OF POISONING DETECTED IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM OF THE “SAN GIOVANNI DI DIO” HOSPITAL FROM 2012 TO 2016 AND IN THE TOXI…

2017

Many clinical cases of intentional or unintentional poisoning have been analysed for every kind of xenobiotics in the period 2012-2016 observed at the “San Giovanni di Dio” Hospital in Agrigento, The same kind of study was carried out on some cases of the period 2000-2010 and 2010-2016 at the “Bucchieri La Ferla” Hospital in Palermo. At the “San Giovanni di Dio” Hospital in Agrigento individual and anonymous data from a sample of 264 individuals has been collected and they present a set of symptoms that are, in whole or in part, caused by the poisoning. Simultaneously, the survey carried out on the hospital in Palermo, which involved 96 individuals, gave particular attention to poisoning ca…

Trame di donne all’indomani della peste romana del 1656

2020

Nel gennaio 1659 viene scoperta a Roma una rete di donne che produce, smercia e somministra veleno per sopprimere mariti. La rete è estesa, il numero delle vittime sembra ingente, la trama è in atto da almeno cinque anni e si è giovata del regime di eccezione prodotto dalla pestilenza che ha colpito la città (1656-1657). Il contributo intende esaminare il tema proposto dal punto di vista della storia delle donne: gli aspetti metodologici; un caso di studio che può inscriversi nella prospettiva di «all’indomani di»; gli effetti che il caso di studio scelto stesso ha ponendosi a sua volta come punto di svolta. Women’s plots in the aftermath of the Roman plague of 1656. The “Acqua tofana” stor…

A Fatal Case of a Paint Thinner Ingestion: Comparison Between Toxicological and Histological Findings

2008

Synthetic Haptens and Monoclonal Antibodies to the Cyanotoxin Anatoxin‐a

2019

Early warning systems for monitoring toxic events may benefit from the availability of monoclonal antibodies enabling the sensitive and specific detection of anatoxin-a, a cyanotoxin involved in numerous cases of animal poisoning resulting from toxic algal blooms in freshwaters. Through the synthesis of three functionalized derivatives of anatoxin-a, we have succeeded in generating the first-ever reported immunoreagents (bioconjugates and antibodies) suitable for the development of immunoanalytical approaches aimed at rapid and onsite detection of this harmful cyanotoxin.

Rapid whole protein quantitation of staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

2012

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen and has been indicated as the fifth causative agent of food-borne human illness throughout the world. Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) are toxic compounds excreted mainly by strains of S. aureus. Among these toxins, enterotoxins A (SEA) and B (SEB) are both of the most prevalent compounds in staphylococcal food poisoning. In this work, reverse phase liquid chromatography coupled to ESI mass spectrometry (LC–ESI/MS) has been applied for its rapid identification and quantification. Limit of detection (LOD) values were 0.5 and 0.2 ng for SEA and SEB, respectively and limit of quantification (LOQ) value was 1 ng for both enterotoxins. SEA…

GHB related acids are useful in routine casework of suspected GHB intoxication cases

2021

Abstract GHB related acids (3,4-dihydroxy butyric acid, 2,4-dihydroxy butyric acid and glycolic acid) are produced through oxidative GHB metabolism. These analytes could be potential biomarkers to ensure the diagnosis of a GHB intoxication and even prolong the detection window. Within this study, forensic routine cases were measured to consider the potential of additional gas chromatographic mass spectrometric analysis on these acids. 17 GHB positive real cases (10 serum samples and 7 urine samples) and 40 cases with suspicion of drugging in DFC cases and negative GHB results (21 serum samples and 19 urine samples) were evaluated. Increased GHB related acid concentrations were detected in a…