1,720,977 research outputs found
Application of sars-cov-2 antigenic test in asymptomatic workers: Sensitivity and specificity of the test
Full text linkBackground: Healthcare workers (HCW) are at increased risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2; while PCR test remains gold standard for diagnosis of COVID19 infection, antigen based rapid detection tests have been recently approved by OMS. Methods: We pooled data on occupational surveillance of 6,397 asymptomatic HCW and other employees who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection at the University Hospital in Bologna using rapid antigen test between November 16, 2020 and January 29, 2021. Findings: A total of 17,993 rapid tests were performed, of which 704 for contact with an infected person and 17,289 for voluntary screening. Among 17,732 tests with valid results, 87 tested positive (0.49%) and 17 weakly positive (0.10%). The sensitivity of the antigenic test was 88.6% (81.1-96.1), the specificity was 93.4% (89-97.8), the positive predictive value, given a prevalence of infection of 42.1%, was 90.7% (84.8-96.6)
Spatial variability of nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde and residential exposure of children in the industrial area of Viadana, Northern Italy
No full textSpatial variability of nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde and residential exposure of children in the industrial area of Viadana, Northern Ital
FUSION CIRCRNAS FROM THE KMT2A:AFF1 CHIMERIC GENE IN PEDIATRIC B-ALL PATIENTS AND CELL LINES HARBORING THE T(4;11)(Q21.3-Q22.1;Q23.3) TRANSLOCATION
No full textIntroduction: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous transcripts
originated as back-splicing products. Their circular structure confers
higher stability than linear transcripts, resulting in their involvement,
when deregulated, in several human diseases, including cancer. Increasing literature documents a predominant non-coding role as micro RNA
sponges or transcriptional regulators, affecting the expression of genes
involved in cell proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. circRNAs are also generated by the back-splicing of linear fusion transcripts derived from genomic rearrangements, giving rise to fusion circRNAs (f-circRNAs), as demonstrated in hematological and solid tumors
harboring recurrent chromosomal rearrangements.
Methods: By analyzing six bone marrow (BM) samples from pediatric patients at diagnosis of B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (BALL) and two cell lines (SEM and MV4-11), we investigated if the
linear KMT2A:AFF1 fusion transcript, originated by the recurrent balanced t(4;11)(q21.3-q22.1;q23.3) translocation, might generate f-circRNAs. We performed RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing experiments with
divergent primers, designed on each linear fusion transcript sequence,
on RNAse R-digested RNA samples, using a pool of normal BM samples
and the pre-B cell line NALM-6 as negative controls. RT-qPCR also
evaluated the KMT2A:AFF1 f-circRNA expression in positive and negative samples, including B-ALL patients with the t(12;21) translocation
or a normal karyotype.
Results: The RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing results in SEM and
MV4-11 cell lines indicated the generation of three f-circRNAs showing
the back-splicing of AFF1 exon 8 with either KMT2A exon 2 or exon 1
and AFF1 exon 11 with KMT2A exon 2. The obtained products were not
digested by RNAse R treatment, confirming their circular structure.
Notably, the first and the third isoforms were also observed in pediatric
B-ALL patients with the t(4;11) translocation, but not in patients without
this rearrangement, indicating specificity for t(4;11) positive patients.
Furthermore, one patient, tested in samples at onset and relapse, displayed the persistence of both f-circRNAs isoforms.
Conclusions: Identifying specific f-circRNAs from the
KMT2A:AFF1 fusion transcript is of relevance, as this evidence could
help better understand the role of the t(4;11) rearrangement in the biology
of pediatric B-ALL. The oncogenic role of such transcripts is under evaluation by in vitro studies. Furthermore, circRNAs and f-circRNAs are
considered novel “liquid biopsy” biomarkers for early and non-invasive
diagnosis of tumors, as well as therapeutic targets in human cancer.
Therefore, such molecules may be crucial for future diagnostic/followup approaches and personalized thera
One year of sars-cov-2 pandemic: Comparison of infection between health care workers and general population before and after vaccination
Full text linkBackground: The Covid-19 pandemic in Italy has been characterized by three waves of infection during 2020. Vaccination of healthcare workers started in January 2021, earlier than that of other population groups. The main aim of this study is to compare the spread of the pandemic between HCW and the general population focusing on potential effects of the vaccination. Methods:The study consisted of a retrospective analysis of results of RT-PCR tests performed between 6 March 2020 and 4 April 2021 among HCWs from Bologna, Italy, and those of the general population of Emilia Romagna region. We calculated the crude proportion of positive RT-PCR tests over total tests and the crude prevalence of positive test in population; then, we conducted joinpoint analyses using the Joinpoint Regression Program of the National Cancer Institute. Results: The results of the joinpoint analysis show that both φ and ψ ratio indicators have a similar pattern, with a sharp increase during the early phase of the pandemic, and a strong decrease at the end of the first wave around week 15. In both indicators there are no significant changes in the trend after week 25. Pandemic spread among HCWs appeared earlier than in the general population, but it oth-erwise appeared to have comparable features. A decline in infection was apparent among HCWs after vaccination. Conclusions: Surveillance of HCWs would inform on the epidemic in the general population. The apparent effectiveness of the anti-SarsCoV2 vaccine will likely occur in the general population
Occupational exposure to asbestos and risk of kidney cancer: an updated meta-analysis
Full text linkLimited information is available on carcinogenicity of asbestos on non-respiratory organs. We aimed at conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies on occupational exposure to asbestos and risk of kidney cancer. We searched through three databases, PubMed, Embase and Scopus for article published after 2000, and after eliminating duplicates and non-relevant studies, we identified 13 studies. We combined their results with those of 31 non-overlapping studies included in a previous review up to 2000. We conducted a meta-analysis based on random-effects models. The pooled relative risk of kidney cancer for asbestos exposure was 0.94 (95% confidence interval, 0.84–1.04), with no differences according to type of asbestos fiber, geographic region, period of exposure, or estimated quality of the study. Our results showed a lack of association between occupational asbestos exposure and risk of kidney cancer
PVT1: A long non-coding RNA recurrently involved in neoplasia-associated fusion transcripts
No full textNGS technologies and bioinformatics tools allow the rapid identification of chimeric transcripts in cancer. More than 40,000 fusions are so far reported in the literature; however, for most of them, the role in oncogenesis is still not fully understood. This is the case for fusions involving the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) (8q24.21). This lncRNA displays oncogenic functions in several cancer types interacting with microRNAs and proteins, but the role of PVT1 fusion transcripts is more obscure. These chimeras have been identified in both hematological malignancies and solid tumors, mainly arising from rearrangements and/or amplification of the 8q24 chromosomal region. In this review, we detail the full spectrum of PVT1 fusions in cancer, summarizing current knowledge about their genesis, function, and role as biomarkers
Epidemiological study of allergy in the scholastic population of Giulianova (TE): preliminary data.
No full text
CircRNAs and Fusion-circRNAs in cancer: New players in an old game
Full text linkCircular RNAs (circRNAs) are generated from 'back-splicing' events. Their circular structure makes them stable in cells and body fluids. These entities are involved in several human diseases including cancer, as they affect the expression of genes promoting proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Moreover, they are secreted in extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes, having a potential role as messengers in cell-to-cell communications. CircRNAs are also generated by the back-splicing of linear fusion transcripts derived from genomic rearrangements, giving rise to fusion circRNAs (f-circRNAs). Here we discuss the most relevant results achieved by studying the role of circRNAs in cancer onset and progression, particularly focusing on f-circRNAs in hematological and solid tumors. Moreover, we report recent advances in the application of circRNAs as novel “liquid biopsy” biomarkers for early and non-invasive diagnosis of tumors, and as therapeutic targets in human cancer. Their use as engineered molecules sponging oncogenic miRNAs or stably expressing proteins/drugs is also discussed. All these achievements suggest the crucial importance of circRNAs and f-circRNAs in the future setup of personalized therapies in molecular medicine
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