Asbestos is still the leading cause of occupational cancer mortality worldwide. Asbestos-related lung cancer (LC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) prognosis is still poor especially at ...advanced stage, so early diagnosis biomarkers are needed. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as potential early diagnostic biomarkers of asbestos-related LC and MPM.
To evaluate the role of miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of asbestos-related LC and MPM by performing a literature systematic review and meta-analysis.
MEDLINE, EMBASE via Ovid, PUBMED and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched up to April 2023 to identify relevant articles. A grey literature search was also conducted using the Google Scholar platform. MeSH and free text terms for ‘asbestos’, ‘occupational exposure’, ‘lung cancer’, ‘mesothelioma’ and ‘miRNAs’ were used to search the literature. Our systematic review protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database. Study quality was assessed via the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
From the search, 331 articles were retrieved, and, after applying our selection criteria, and exclusion of one study for poor quality, 27 studies were included in the review. Most of the studies were hospital-based case-control, conducted in Europe, and evaluated MPM among men only. MiRNAs expression was measured mainly in plasma or serum. MiR-126, miR-132–3p, and miR-103a-3p were the most promising diagnostic biomarkers for MPM, and we estimated a pooled area under the curve (AUC) of 85 %, 73 %, and 50 %, respectively. In relation to MPM prognosis, miR-197‑3p resulted associated with increased survival time. MiR-126, alone and combined with miR-222, was confirmed associated also to LC diagnosis, together with miR-1254 and miR-574–5p; no miRNA was found associated to LC prognosis.
Based on our systematic literature review there is suggestive evidence that the expression of specific miRNAs in the blood serum or plasma are associated with asbestos-related LC and MPM diagnosis and prognosis. Further large longitudinal studies are urgently needed to validate these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms given the potential important implications for patients’ survival.
Bacteriological surveillance is little applied in management of equine frozen semen but it is quite important to verify the microbial contamination in order to find out the chance of transmission of ...pathology to the mare in AI. Authors describe a qualitative and quantitative analysis for bacterial contamination on long time (3–17 years) equine frozen semen stored in liquid nitrogen. The semen checked, produced in Italy and in another Europe country, was cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen inside sealed plastic straws. One hundred and ten straws were checked out for pathogenic and no pathogenic bacteria, aerobes and anaerobes and fungi (moulds and yeasts). The Total Microbial Charge was quite variable with an average of about 1.4
×
10
5
CFU/ml. Mostly the microbial agents identified were fungi (17.5%),
Enterobacter-coccus spp. (15%),
Pseudomonas spp. (6.25%),
Stenothophomonas maltophila (6.25%) and anaerobic bacteria like
Propionibacterium granulosum (7.5%) and
Clostridium spp. (3.75%). 3.75% were unidentified Gram-negative rod and cocci.
Streptococcus spp.,
Staph. aureus,
E. coli,
Th. equigenitalis and
Mycoplasma spp. were not detected. The most represented species were
Enterobacter-coccus spp. (1.1
×
10
5
CFU/ml),
St. maltophila (8
×
10
4
CFU/ml) and
Pr. granulosum (7
×
10
4
CFU/ml) while yeast and even more moulds were little abundant (4.7
×
10
4 and 3.4
×
10
4
CFU/ml respectively). The knowledge of equine frozen semen microbial quality is essential to check out transmission of venereal disease and improve the quality of cryopreserved germplasm.
Mutations of presenilin 2 gene are a rare cause of familial Alzheimer disease (AD). We describe an Italian family with hereditary dementia associated with a novel mutation in the presenilin 2 gene.
...Clinical investigations of the diseased subjects; interviews with relatives; studies of medical records; pedigree analysis; and neuroradiologic, neuropathologic, and molecular genetic studies were carried out in the pedigree.
Genetic analysis showed a novel PSEN2 A85V mutation present in the proband and in all analyzed affected members, in a subject presenting with an amnesic mild cognitive impairment, and in a young, still asymptomatic subject. The proband showed a clinical phenotype indicative of Lewy body dementia and the neuropathologic examination demonstrated the presence of unusually abundant and widespread cortical Lewy bodies in addition to the hallmark lesions of AD. Other affected members exhibited a clinical phenotype typical of AD.
Our findings add complexity to the spectrum of atypical phenotypes associated with presenilin mutations and should then be taken into account when considering the nosography of neurodegenerative diseases. They also support previous data that specific mutations of genes associated with familial Alzheimer disease may influence the presence and extent of Lewy bodies.
Genetic evidence indicates a central role of cerebral accumulation of beta-amyloid (Abeta) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Beside presenilin 1 and 2, three other recently discovered ...proteins (Aph 1, PEN 2 and nicastrin) are associated with gamma-secretase activity, the enzymatic complex generating Abeta. Alterations in genes encoding these proteins were candidates for a role in AD. The PEN 2 gene was examined for unknown mutations and polymorphisms in sporadic and familial Alzheimer patients. Samples from age-matched controls (n=253), sporadic AD (SAD, n=256) and familial AD (FAD, n=140) were screened with DHPLC methodology followed by sequencing. Scanning the gene identified for the first time a missense mutation (D90N) in a patient with FAD. Three intronic polymorphisms were also identified, one of which had a higher presence of the mutated allele in AD subjects carrying the allele epsilon4 of apolipoprotein E than controls. The pathogenic role of the PEN-2 D90N mutation in AD is not clear, but the findings might lead to new studies on its functional and genetic role.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Only few studies compared the surgical morbidity and mortality of thoracoscopic segmentectomy versus lobectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer, in particular, by relating the ...segmental resections with the corresponding anatomical lobes.
METHODS
We enrolled a total of 7487 patients who underwent VATS lobectomy (7269) or segmentectomy (218) from January 2014 to July 2019. A propensity score matching approach was used to account for potential confounding factors between the 2 groups. After matching, 349 lobectomies and 208 segmentectomies were included in the analysis. We analysed the operative and postoperative outcomes of video-assisted anatomical segmentectomy compared with video-assisted lobectomy and, in details, the results of segmentectomy with its corresponding lobectomy in a large cohort of patients from the Italian VATS Group Registry.
RESULTS
The overall conversion rate to thoracotomy was not statistically different between the groups (27 patients 8% vs 7 patients 3%, P = 0.1). The lobectomy group had a greater number of resected lymph nodes (median 11 vs 8, P = 0.006). No significant differences were detected in 30-day mortality (1.4%, 5 patients vs 0.9%, 2 patients), overall complications (18%, 62 patients vs 14%, 29 patients) and prolonged air leakage (31 patients, 9% vs 12 patients, 6%) between lobectomy and segmentectomy, respectively. No statistical differences were found regarding the median duration of drainage (3.2 days, P = 1) and the overall median length of hospital stay (6.4 days, P = 0.1) between the 2 groups. In the context of segmentectomy versus corresponding lobectomy, the right upper lobectomy compared with right upper segmentectomy showed a higher number of resected lymph nodes (P = 0.027). No statistical differences were reported in terms of conversion rate and postoperative complication and mortality.
CONCLUSIONS
Segmentectomy could be considered a safe procedure without significant differences compared to thoracoscopic lobectomy in terms of postoperative morbidity and mortality.
Since 2000, many studies have been published, including randomized ones, which have demonstrated that anatomical segmentectomy for early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) yields oncological equivalent results with respect to those of lobectomy, with a potential lung-sparing effect 1–4.
Validation of predictive risk models for prolonged air leak (PAL) is essential to understand if they can help to reduce its incidence and complications. This study aimed to evaluate both the clinical ...and statistical performances of 4 existing models. We selected 4 predictive PAL risk models based on their scientific relevance. We referred to these models as Chicago, Bordeaux, Leeds and Pittsburgh model, respectively, according to the affiliation place of the first author. These predicting risk models were retrospectively applied to patients recorded on the second edition of the Italian Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Group registry. Predictions for each patient were calculated based on the logistic regression coefficient values provided in the original manuscripts. All models were tested for their overall performance, discrimination, and calibration. We recalibrated the original models with the re-estimation of the model intercept and slope. We used curve decision analysis to describe and compare the clinical effects of the studied risk models. Better statistical metrics characterize the models developed on larger populations (Chicago and Bordeaux models). However, no model has a valid benefit for threshold probability greater than 0.30. The Net benefit of the most performing model (Bordeaux model) at the threshold probability of 0.11 is 23 of 1000 patients, burdened by 333 false positive cases. One of 1000 is the Net benefit at the threshold probability of 0.3. The use of PAL scores based on preoperative predictive factors cannot be currently used in a clinical setting because of a high false positive rate and low positive predictive value.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study compares the uniportal with the 3-portal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) by examining the data collected in the Italian VATS Group Database. The primary end ...point was early postoperative pain; secondary end points were intraoperative and postoperative complications, surgical time, number of dissected lymph nodes and length of stay.
METHODS
This was an observational, retrospective, cohort, multicentre study on data collected by 49 Italian thoracic units. Inclusion criteria were clinical stage I–II non-small-cell lung cancer, uniportal or 3-portal VATS lobectomy and R0 resection. Exclusion criteria were cT3 disease, previous thoracic malignancy, induction therapy, significant comorbidities and conversion to other techniques. The pain parameter was dichotomized: the numeric rating scale ≤3 described mild pain, whereas the numeric rating scale score >3 described moderate/severe pain. The propensity score-adjusted generalized estimating equation was used to compare the uniportal with 3-portal lobectomy.
RESULTS
Among 4338 patients enrolled from January 2014 to July 2017, 1980 met the inclusion criteria; 1808 patients underwent 3-portal lobectomy and 172 uniportal surgery. The adjusted generalized estimating equation regression model using the propensity score showed that over time pain decreased in both groups (P < 0.001). There was a statistical difference on the second and third postoperative days; odds ratio (OR) 2.28 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.62–3.21; P < 0.001 and OR 2.58 (95% CI 1.74–3.83; P < 0.001), respectively. The uniportal-VATS group had higher operative time (P < 0.001), shorter chest drain permanence (P < 0.001) and shorter length of stay (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Data from the Italian VATS Group Database showed that in clinical practice uniportal lobectomy seems to entail a higher risk of moderate/severe pain on second and third postoperative days.
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