1,720,983 research outputs found
Prevalenza di patologie tiroidee negli operatori sanitari radioesposti dell'Azienda 0spedaliero Universitaria Pisana
No full textSoluble markers for diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma
No full textMalignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a highly aggressive and invasive tumor, whose incidence is expected to peak, in many countries, at the end of the present decade, 20-40 years after the peak of asbestos use (asbestos being the most important etiological factor). MPM has a poor prognosis, in part, owing to a difficult and often late diagnosis hindered by a lack of available tests able to diagnose or predict this cancer in its early stages. Recently, there has been increased interest in noninvasive, economic and well-accepted diagnostic tests for screening of asbestos-exposed subjects, as well as for monitoring response of MPM patients to treatment. Several markers have been studied in biofluids, such as serum, plasma and pleural effusions, especially using ELISA, and some of them are still under investigation. However, only mesothelin and ostepontin have proven levels of sensitivity and specificity that are worth testing in the clinical setting
Serum mesothelin and other biomarkers: What have we learned in the last decade?
Full text linkIn the last decade there is been much interest in noninvasive, economic and well-accepted diagnostic tests for screening of subjects exposed to asbestos, and in patients with malignant pleuric mesothelioma (MPM) for diagnosis or monitoring response to treatment. Several biomarkers have been suggested as tools for screening and early diagnosis of MPM. Currently, in patients with MPM, have been reported high levels of soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP), plasmatic osteopontin (pOPN), vimentin, fibulin-3 and many others as promising marker for diagnosis, even their use in prevention monitoring is still discussed. In this type of disease, a key role could be played by miRNAs, which expression has been investigated in a large series of MPM to examine new pathways useful in diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. An altered expression of some proteins has been reported, useful as biomarkers, in comparative proteomic analysis of malignant pleural mesothelioma. New promising markers are nowadays under study and alone or better in combination, they'll be very helpful in diagnosing, monitoring mesothelioma patients or for screening of risk groups
Proposta di valutazione della pregressa esposizione ad amianto in un gruppo di ex-esposti
No full textLa pubblicazione riporta un metodo di classificazione delle esposizioni ad amianto in un gruppo di ex esposti
Polymorphisms in the putative micro-RNA-binding sites of mesothelin gene are associated with the serum levels of the mesothelin-related protein
No full textBACKGROUND: Serum mesothelin, also known as soluble mesothelin-related protein (SMRP), reportedly shows increased levels in epithelial-type malignant pleural mesothelioma, but sometimes also arrives at high values in healthy asbestos-exposed subjects.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) of the mesothelin-encoded gene (MSLN) are associated with the SMRP levels measured in serum.
METHODS: The 3'UTR of the mesothelin gene was genotyped in 59 healthy asbestos-exposed subjects, selected on the basis of their SMRP levels. Direct sequencing did not show any new polymorphism, but enabled us to genotype two known SNPs (rs1057147, rs57272256). Differences in the mean values of SMRP in wild-type and variant heterozygote groups were calculated.
RESULTS: High levels of SMRP in healthy asbestos-exposed subjects were significantly associated with polymorphism rs1057147 (G<A). Regarding rs57272256, there was no statistically significant difference between wild-type and heterozygote groups. Our study suggests that rs1057147 polymorphism can affect mesothelin expression. Although these data need to be confirmed with a larger number of cases, this study warrants further research in order to better understand the relationship between mesothelin polymorphisms and SMRP
Two novel polymorphisms in 5' flanking region of the mesothelin gene are associated with soluble mesothelin-related peptide (SMRP) levels.
No full textBACKGROUND AND AIMS: Increased concentrations of soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP) have been found in sera of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) even if a relatively high rate of false positives has hampered their clinical use as a tumor marker. Individual SMRP levels could be affected by polymorphic elements. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms within the promoter-5'UTR regions and SMRP levels in healthy asbestos-exposed individuals and patients suffering from MPM.
METHODS: The promoter-5'UTR regions of the mesothelin gene were genotyped in 59 healthy asbestos-exposed subjects and 27 MPM patients. SMRP levels were measured using a commercially available ELISA kit.
RESULTS: Two novel polymorphisms, an A>C variant (called New1) and a C>T variant (called New2), were identified. In healthy subjects, high SMRP levels were associated with the C-variant of New1, with an average 1.62-fold increase compared with AA homozygotes (p<0.0001). Most of the C-allele carriers had SMRP levels above the threshold of 1.00 nM. We set two different SMRP cutoffs on the basis of the combined New1+New2 genotypes.
CONCLUSIONS: New1-New2 genotypes could be employed as markers for setting individualized and appropriate thresholds of "normality" when SMRP is used in surveillance programs of asbestos-exposed people
Identificazione e caratterizzazione dei microRNA coinvolti nel Mesotelioma Pleurico Maligno
No full textOne of the research areas of modern medicine is to work on the identification of biological markers, such as biomolecular ones, for neoplastic diseases from occupational origin. MiRNA, short RNA no-codifing sequences, are recently identified such as diagnostic markers in several type of cancer. For this reason, the aim of our study is to analyze the possible role of miRNA in malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive tumor with a strong resistance to conventional therapies and poor prognosis. Total RNA, containing also miRNA, was extracted, and RNA was retro-transcripted with specific primers. Then, miRNA expression was tested using real-time PCR method and particular probes for each miRNA. The RNU6B was used such as housekeeping gene, for data normalization. This work represents the first step for the identification of a specific miRNA pattern for MPM, which will be useful in the diagnosis of MPM and for a personalized therapeutic treatment
Combined serum mesothelin and plasma osteopontin measurements in malignant pleural mesothelioma
No full textNuovi bio-marcatori per la sorveglianza clinica di lavoratori ex-esposti
No full textLa pubblicazione illustra i progressi nella ricerca effettuati dal gruppo della medicina del lavoro di Pisa in merito al monitoraggio biologico dei lavoratori ex-esposti all'amiant
Nuovi bio-marcatori per la sorveglianza clinica di lavoratori ex-esposti
No full textLa pubblicazione illustra i progressi nella ricerca effettuati dal gruppo della medicina del lavoro di Pisa in merito al monitoraggio biologico dei lavoratori ex-esposti all'amiant
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