Andrea Petrucca - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Andrea Petrucca

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of Neutrophil CD64 Expression and Procalcitonin as Useful Markers in Early Diagnosis of Sepsis

International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2008

Quantitation of neutrophil CD64 expression and procalcitonin (PCT) levels in blood samples have b... more Quantitation of neutrophil CD64 expression and procalcitonin (PCT) levels in blood samples have been recently proposed as useful tools for early detection of sepsis. To determine the usefulness of these tests, we analyzed blood samples of 112 patients, admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), presenting clinical symptoms of sepsis, as well as of 50 healthy controls. At the end of the study, a retrospective analysis showed that only 52 of the 112 ICU-patients presented a real sepsis (positive blood culture). The results obtained indicated that of the 52 patients with sepsis, 50 and 49 presented levels of neutrophil CD64 expression ≥ 2398 molecules per cell (cut-off determined by receiver operator characteristic analysis) and PCT levels > 0.5 ng/ml (cut-off suggested by the manufacturer), respectively. However, the neutrophil CD64 test showed higher specificity in detecting sepsis since 5 out of the 60 ICU-patients without sepsis (negative blood culture), presented CD64 expression...

Research paper thumbnail of Low FT3 serum values are associated with markers of disease severity, evaluated during the acute phase of COVID-19

Research paper thumbnail of Recurrence of measles in central Italy: the experience of a hospital in Rome

Microbiologia Medica, 2019

Measles continue to be a major public health issue worldwide with high morbidity and mortality ra... more Measles continue to be a major public health issue worldwide with high morbidity and mortality rates. The disease is still endemic in Europe and during 2017 a vast outbreak was described in Italy, Romania and Hungary, which led to thousands of new cases and several deaths. In Italy, 3931 confirmed cases of measles were reported to the Italian national surveillance system from many Italian administrative regions; Lazio, in central Italy, exhibited the highest number of infected patients 1322 (33.63%) and as well as the highest incidence. In this study, we describe the results of a retrospective analysis, carried out during 2016 and 2017, concerning the measles antibody prevalence in patients and healthcare workers attending the Sant’Andrea Hospital of Rome (Lazio). A total of 94 patients (median 30 years of age) were screened in 2016, and 316 (median 40 years of age) during 2017, with an increase of 236% compared to previous year. During 2017, 41 confirmed cases of measles were repor...

Research paper thumbnail of Interaction Between PHON2 and Ompa at the Old Pole of Allows Proper Polar Icsa Surface Exposition and Actin Based Motility in Shigella Flexneri

Research paper thumbnail of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Control Measures in the Emergency Department: The Role of Rapid Antigenic Testing in Asymptomatic Subjects

Healthcare

Limiting transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from asymptomatic people assumes the paramount importance of ... more Limiting transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from asymptomatic people assumes the paramount importance of keeping fragile subjects protected. We evaluated the utility of rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing in asymptomatic subjects attending emergency departments in non-COVID-19 areas, using a single nasopharyngeal swab specimen collected in universal transport medium to perform both rapid antigen testing and rRT-PCR (used as reference standard) in a cohort of 899 patients. In the overall sample, the rapid antigen test had 43.9% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value, 93.6% negative predictive value. Considering subjects with rRT-PCR cycle threshold ≤30, the test had 80.4% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value, 98.8% negative predictive value. Considering subjects with rRT-PCR cycle threshold ≤25, the test had 94.7% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value and 99.7% negative predictive value. Despite low sensitivity, routine app...

Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 1 of Gene signature and immune cell profiling by high-dimensional, single-cell analysis in COVID-19 patients, presenting Low T3 syndrome and coexistent hematological malignancies

Additional file 1: Figure S1. a Graphic correlations between FT4 and TSH with serum FT3 values. b... more Additional file 1: Figure S1. a Graphic correlations between FT4 and TSH with serum FT3 values. b Box plot correlations between FT4 and TSH in COVID-19 patients with low serum FT3 values (Group A), compared to normal FT3 values (Group B). The corresponding correlation coefficient r for each scatter plot and the p value for each box plot are indicated.

Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 2 of Gene signature and immune cell profiling by high-dimensional, single-cell analysis in COVID-19 patients, presenting Low T3 syndrome and coexistent hematological malignancies

Additional file 2: Figure S2. a Graphic and b box plot correlations between FT3 serum values and ... more Additional file 2: Figure S2. a Graphic and b box plot correlations between FT3 serum values and several disease severity markers in COVID-19 patients. The corresponding correlation coefficient r for each scatter plot and the p value for each box plot are indicated.

Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 3 of Gene signature and immune cell profiling by high-dimensional, single-cell analysis in COVID-19 patients, presenting Low T3 syndrome and coexistent hematological malignancies

Additional file 3: Figure S3. a Correlations of FT3 serum values in COVID-19 patients with blood ... more Additional file 3: Figure S3. a Correlations of FT3 serum values in COVID-19 patients with blood cells and disease markers; b correlations of FT3 serum values in COVID-19 patients with lymphocyte subpopulations.

Research paper thumbnail of Gene signature and immune cell profiling by high-dimensional, single-cell analysis in COVID-19 patients, presenting Low T3 syndrome and coexistent hematological malignancies

Journal of Translational Medicine, 2021

Background Low T3 syndrome is frequent in patients admitted to intensive care units for critical ... more Background Low T3 syndrome is frequent in patients admitted to intensive care units for critical illness and pneumonia. It has been reported also in patients with COVID-19, Hodgkin disease and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We analyzed the clinical relevance of Low T3 syndrome in COVID-19 patients and, in particular, in those with associated hematological malignancies. Methods Sixty-two consecutive patients, hospitalized during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Sant’Andrea University Hospital in Rome, were subdivided in 38 patients (Group A), showing low levels of FT3, and in 24 patients (Group B), with normal FT3 serum values. During the acute phase of the disease, we measured serum, radiologic and clinical disease severity markers and scores, in search of possible correlations with FT3 serum values. In addition, in 6 COVID-19 patients, 4 with Low T3 syndrome, including 2 with a hematological malignancy, and 2 with normal FT3 values, we performed, high-dimensional single-cell...

Research paper thumbnail of Author response for "Detection of α-defensin in synovial fluids by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry as innovative and cost effective assay for improved definition of periprosthetic joint infections

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation by Real-Time PCR of the Expression of S. Flexneri Virulence-Associated Genes ospB and phoN2 under Different Genetical Backgrounds

International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2008

Under conditions of activated type III secretion Shigella fiexneri up-regulates the expression of... more Under conditions of activated type III secretion Shigella fiexneri up-regulates the expression of numerous genes, including the virulence plasmid (pINV)-encoded ospB and phoN2 genes. ospB and plwN2 are virulence-associated genes which are part of a bicistronic transcriptional unit encoding OspB, a protein (effector) of unknown function secreted by the type III secretion (TTS) apparatus, and PhoN2 (apyrase or ATP-diphosphohydrolase), a periplasmic protein involved in polar IcsA localization on the surface of S. flexneri. In this work we used real-time peR to measure transcription of ospB and phoN2 of wild-type S. ftexneri strain M90T as well as of derivative mutants impaired in definite virulence traits. The results obtained confirmed and extended previous reports indicating that the expression of ospB and phoN2 genes is modulated in a virB-dependent, mxiE-independent manner under conditions of non-activated secretion, while their expression is considerably induced in a 1I1xiE-dependent manner under conditions of activated secretion. That the expression of the ospB-phoN2 operon is up-regulated in condition of activated secretion, indicates that probably the expression of these two genes might be important, especially during the later stages of infection of S. fiexneri.

Research paper thumbnail of Molecular Characterization of Virulence Determinants of Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia Strains Isolated from Patients Affected by Cystic Fibrosis

International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2007

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging nosocomial bacterial pathogen which is currently isol... more Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging nosocomial bacterial pathogen which is currently isolated with increasing frequency from the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. In this study 13 S. maltophilia strains (11 isolated from the airways of independent CF patients, and two non-CF respiratory reference strains) have been characterized for the expression of several virulence-associated factors. In particular, the ability to form biofilm on abiotic surfaces has been determined and correlated with different features, such as motility, adherence and the ability to invade A549 respiratory epithelial cells. Moreover, the presence of a flagellum-associated gene as well as that of the StmPr1 gene, which encodes an extra-cellular protease, have been determined by Southern blot hybridization. Our data indicate that the different degree of biofilm formation exhibited by the 11 CF isolates does not correlate with motility, ability to adhere to and invade A549 cells, or with the presen...

Research paper thumbnail of Apyrase, the Product of the Virulence Plasmid-Encoded phoN2 ( apy ) Gene of Shigella flexneri , Is Necessary for Proper Unipolar IcsA Localization and for Efficient Intercellular Spread

Journal of Bacteriology, 2006

The role in virulence of the Shigella flexneri ospB - phoN2 operon has been evaluated. Here we co... more The role in virulence of the Shigella flexneri ospB - phoN2 operon has been evaluated. Here we confirm that OspB is an effector and show that apyrase, the product of phoN2 , may be a virulence factor, since it is required for efficient intercellular spreading. Apyrase may be important in a deoxynucleoside triphosphate-hydrolyzing activity-independent manner, suggesting that it may act as an interaction partner in the process of IcsA localization.

Research paper thumbnail of Isolamento e caratterizzazione di ceppi di Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolati in un'area italiana endemica per borreliosi di Lyme

… Malattie infettive nell'arco …, 2003

Ciceroni L, Ciarrocchi S, Petrucca A, Caruso G, Berciato G, Zasio C, Ciervo A. Isolamento e carat... more Ciceroni L, Ciarrocchi S, Petrucca A, Caruso G, Berciato G, Zasio C, Ciervo A. Isolamento e caratterizzazione di ceppi di Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolati in un'area italiana endemica per borreliosi di Lyme. In: 6. Convegno internazionale Malattie infettive nell'arco alpino. Abstracts ; ; Siusi ...

Research paper thumbnail of Controllo dell'espressione di geni ferro-dipendenti in Pseudomonas da parte di una nuova classe di fattori sigma alternativi

Research paper thumbnail of No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Circulation in Rome (Italy) during the Pre-Pandemic Period: Results of a Retrospective Surveillance

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 outbreak recorded o... more In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 outbreak recorded over the previous months could be characterized as a pandemic. The first known Italian SARS-CoV-2 positive case was reported on 21 February. In some countries, cases of suspected “COVID-19-like pneumonia” had been reported earlier than those officially accepted by health authorities. This has led many investigators to check preserved biological or environmental samples to see whether the virus was detectable on dates prior to those officially stated. With regard to Italy, the results of a microbiological screening in sewage samples collected between the end of February and the beginning of April 2020 from wastewaters in Milan (Northern Italy) and Rome (Central Italy) showed presence of SARS-CoV-2. In the present study, we evaluated, by means of a standardized diagnostic method, the SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence amongst patients affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARI) in an ...

Research paper thumbnail of www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms Review Meta-Omic Platforms to Assist in the Understanding of NAFLD Gut Microbiota Alterations: Tools and Applications

Abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver dis... more Abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide as a result of the increasing prevalence of obesity, starting from early life stages. It is characterized by a spectrum of liver diseases ranging from simple fatty liver (NAFL) to steatohepatitis (NASH), with a possible progression to fibrosis, thus increasing liver-related morbidity and mortality. NAFLD development is driven by the co-action of several risk factors, including obesity and metabolic syndrome, which may be both genetically induced and diet-related. Recently, particular attention has

Research paper thumbnail of The human gut microbiota: a dynamic interplay with the host from birth to senescence settled during childhood

Research paper thumbnail of A metaproteomic pipeline to identify newborn mouse gut phylotypes

Journal of Proteomics, 2014

In order to characterize newborn mouse gut microbiota phylotypes in very early-life stages, an or... more In order to characterize newborn mouse gut microbiota phylotypes in very early-life stages, an original metaproteomic pipeline, based on LC-MS 2-spectra and Mascot driven NCBI non-redundant repository database interrogation was developed. An original computational analysis assisted in the generation of a taxonomic gut architecture from protein hits to operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and related functional categories. Regardless of the mouse's genetic background, a prevalence of Firmicutes (Lactobacillaceae) and Proteobacteria (Enterobacteriaceae) was observed among the entire Eubacteria taxonomic node. However, a higher abundance of Firmicutes was retrieved for Balb/c gut microbiota compared to Rag2 ko mice, the latter was mainly characterized by a Proteobacteria enriched microbiota. The metaproteomic-obtained OTUs were supported, for the identification (ID) of the cultivable bacteria fraction, corroborated by axenic culture-based MALDI-TOF MS IDs. Particularly, functional analysis of Rag2 ko mice gut microbiota proteins revealed the presence of abundant glutathione, riboflavin metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway components, possibly related to genetic background. The metaproteomic pipeline herein presented may represent a useful tool to investigate the highly debated onset of the human gut microbiota in the first days of life, when the bacterial composition, despite its very low diversity (complexity), is still very far from an exhaustive description and other complex microbial consortia.

Research paper thumbnail of Proteomics boosts translational and clinical microbiology

Journal of Proteomics, 2014

The application of proteomics to translational and clinical microbiology is one of the most advan... more The application of proteomics to translational and clinical microbiology is one of the most advanced frontiers in the management and control of infectious diseases and in the understanding of complex microbial systems within human fluids and districts. This new approach aims at providing, by dedicated bioinformatic pipelines, a thorough description of pathogen proteomes and their interactions within the context of human host ecosystems, revolutionizing the vision of infectious diseases in biomedicine and approaching new viewpoints in both diagnostic and clinical management of the patient. Indeed, in the last few years, many laboratories have matured a series of advanced proteomic applications, aiming at providing individual proteome charts of pathogens, with respect to their morph and/or cell life stages, antimicrobial or antimycotic resistance profiling, epidemiological dispersion. Herein, we aim at reviewing the current state-of-the-art on proteomic protocols designed and setup for translational and diagnostic microbiological purposes, from axenic pathogens' characterization to microbiota ecosystems' full description. The final goal is to describe applications of the most common MALDI-TOF MS platforms to advanced diagnostic issues related to emerging infections, increasing of fastidious bacteria, and generation of patient-tailored phylotypes.

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of Neutrophil CD64 Expression and Procalcitonin as Useful Markers in Early Diagnosis of Sepsis

International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2008

Quantitation of neutrophil CD64 expression and procalcitonin (PCT) levels in blood samples have b... more Quantitation of neutrophil CD64 expression and procalcitonin (PCT) levels in blood samples have been recently proposed as useful tools for early detection of sepsis. To determine the usefulness of these tests, we analyzed blood samples of 112 patients, admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), presenting clinical symptoms of sepsis, as well as of 50 healthy controls. At the end of the study, a retrospective analysis showed that only 52 of the 112 ICU-patients presented a real sepsis (positive blood culture). The results obtained indicated that of the 52 patients with sepsis, 50 and 49 presented levels of neutrophil CD64 expression ≥ 2398 molecules per cell (cut-off determined by receiver operator characteristic analysis) and PCT levels > 0.5 ng/ml (cut-off suggested by the manufacturer), respectively. However, the neutrophil CD64 test showed higher specificity in detecting sepsis since 5 out of the 60 ICU-patients without sepsis (negative blood culture), presented CD64 expression...

Research paper thumbnail of Low FT3 serum values are associated with markers of disease severity, evaluated during the acute phase of COVID-19

Research paper thumbnail of Recurrence of measles in central Italy: the experience of a hospital in Rome

Microbiologia Medica, 2019

Measles continue to be a major public health issue worldwide with high morbidity and mortality ra... more Measles continue to be a major public health issue worldwide with high morbidity and mortality rates. The disease is still endemic in Europe and during 2017 a vast outbreak was described in Italy, Romania and Hungary, which led to thousands of new cases and several deaths. In Italy, 3931 confirmed cases of measles were reported to the Italian national surveillance system from many Italian administrative regions; Lazio, in central Italy, exhibited the highest number of infected patients 1322 (33.63%) and as well as the highest incidence. In this study, we describe the results of a retrospective analysis, carried out during 2016 and 2017, concerning the measles antibody prevalence in patients and healthcare workers attending the Sant’Andrea Hospital of Rome (Lazio). A total of 94 patients (median 30 years of age) were screened in 2016, and 316 (median 40 years of age) during 2017, with an increase of 236% compared to previous year. During 2017, 41 confirmed cases of measles were repor...

Research paper thumbnail of Interaction Between PHON2 and Ompa at the Old Pole of Allows Proper Polar Icsa Surface Exposition and Actin Based Motility in Shigella Flexneri

Research paper thumbnail of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Control Measures in the Emergency Department: The Role of Rapid Antigenic Testing in Asymptomatic Subjects

Healthcare

Limiting transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from asymptomatic people assumes the paramount importance of ... more Limiting transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from asymptomatic people assumes the paramount importance of keeping fragile subjects protected. We evaluated the utility of rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing in asymptomatic subjects attending emergency departments in non-COVID-19 areas, using a single nasopharyngeal swab specimen collected in universal transport medium to perform both rapid antigen testing and rRT-PCR (used as reference standard) in a cohort of 899 patients. In the overall sample, the rapid antigen test had 43.9% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value, 93.6% negative predictive value. Considering subjects with rRT-PCR cycle threshold ≤30, the test had 80.4% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value, 98.8% negative predictive value. Considering subjects with rRT-PCR cycle threshold ≤25, the test had 94.7% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value and 99.7% negative predictive value. Despite low sensitivity, routine app...

Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 1 of Gene signature and immune cell profiling by high-dimensional, single-cell analysis in COVID-19 patients, presenting Low T3 syndrome and coexistent hematological malignancies

Additional file 1: Figure S1. a Graphic correlations between FT4 and TSH with serum FT3 values. b... more Additional file 1: Figure S1. a Graphic correlations between FT4 and TSH with serum FT3 values. b Box plot correlations between FT4 and TSH in COVID-19 patients with low serum FT3 values (Group A), compared to normal FT3 values (Group B). The corresponding correlation coefficient r for each scatter plot and the p value for each box plot are indicated.

Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 2 of Gene signature and immune cell profiling by high-dimensional, single-cell analysis in COVID-19 patients, presenting Low T3 syndrome and coexistent hematological malignancies

Additional file 2: Figure S2. a Graphic and b box plot correlations between FT3 serum values and ... more Additional file 2: Figure S2. a Graphic and b box plot correlations between FT3 serum values and several disease severity markers in COVID-19 patients. The corresponding correlation coefficient r for each scatter plot and the p value for each box plot are indicated.

Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 3 of Gene signature and immune cell profiling by high-dimensional, single-cell analysis in COVID-19 patients, presenting Low T3 syndrome and coexistent hematological malignancies

Additional file 3: Figure S3. a Correlations of FT3 serum values in COVID-19 patients with blood ... more Additional file 3: Figure S3. a Correlations of FT3 serum values in COVID-19 patients with blood cells and disease markers; b correlations of FT3 serum values in COVID-19 patients with lymphocyte subpopulations.

Research paper thumbnail of Gene signature and immune cell profiling by high-dimensional, single-cell analysis in COVID-19 patients, presenting Low T3 syndrome and coexistent hematological malignancies

Journal of Translational Medicine, 2021

Background Low T3 syndrome is frequent in patients admitted to intensive care units for critical ... more Background Low T3 syndrome is frequent in patients admitted to intensive care units for critical illness and pneumonia. It has been reported also in patients with COVID-19, Hodgkin disease and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We analyzed the clinical relevance of Low T3 syndrome in COVID-19 patients and, in particular, in those with associated hematological malignancies. Methods Sixty-two consecutive patients, hospitalized during the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Sant’Andrea University Hospital in Rome, were subdivided in 38 patients (Group A), showing low levels of FT3, and in 24 patients (Group B), with normal FT3 serum values. During the acute phase of the disease, we measured serum, radiologic and clinical disease severity markers and scores, in search of possible correlations with FT3 serum values. In addition, in 6 COVID-19 patients, 4 with Low T3 syndrome, including 2 with a hematological malignancy, and 2 with normal FT3 values, we performed, high-dimensional single-cell...

Research paper thumbnail of Author response for "Detection of α-defensin in synovial fluids by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry as innovative and cost effective assay for improved definition of periprosthetic joint infections

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation by Real-Time PCR of the Expression of S. Flexneri Virulence-Associated Genes ospB and phoN2 under Different Genetical Backgrounds

International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2008

Under conditions of activated type III secretion Shigella fiexneri up-regulates the expression of... more Under conditions of activated type III secretion Shigella fiexneri up-regulates the expression of numerous genes, including the virulence plasmid (pINV)-encoded ospB and phoN2 genes. ospB and plwN2 are virulence-associated genes which are part of a bicistronic transcriptional unit encoding OspB, a protein (effector) of unknown function secreted by the type III secretion (TTS) apparatus, and PhoN2 (apyrase or ATP-diphosphohydrolase), a periplasmic protein involved in polar IcsA localization on the surface of S. flexneri. In this work we used real-time peR to measure transcription of ospB and phoN2 of wild-type S. ftexneri strain M90T as well as of derivative mutants impaired in definite virulence traits. The results obtained confirmed and extended previous reports indicating that the expression of ospB and phoN2 genes is modulated in a virB-dependent, mxiE-independent manner under conditions of non-activated secretion, while their expression is considerably induced in a 1I1xiE-dependent manner under conditions of activated secretion. That the expression of the ospB-phoN2 operon is up-regulated in condition of activated secretion, indicates that probably the expression of these two genes might be important, especially during the later stages of infection of S. fiexneri.

Research paper thumbnail of Molecular Characterization of Virulence Determinants of Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia Strains Isolated from Patients Affected by Cystic Fibrosis

International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2007

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging nosocomial bacterial pathogen which is currently isol... more Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging nosocomial bacterial pathogen which is currently isolated with increasing frequency from the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. In this study 13 S. maltophilia strains (11 isolated from the airways of independent CF patients, and two non-CF respiratory reference strains) have been characterized for the expression of several virulence-associated factors. In particular, the ability to form biofilm on abiotic surfaces has been determined and correlated with different features, such as motility, adherence and the ability to invade A549 respiratory epithelial cells. Moreover, the presence of a flagellum-associated gene as well as that of the StmPr1 gene, which encodes an extra-cellular protease, have been determined by Southern blot hybridization. Our data indicate that the different degree of biofilm formation exhibited by the 11 CF isolates does not correlate with motility, ability to adhere to and invade A549 cells, or with the presen...

Research paper thumbnail of Apyrase, the Product of the Virulence Plasmid-Encoded phoN2 ( apy ) Gene of Shigella flexneri , Is Necessary for Proper Unipolar IcsA Localization and for Efficient Intercellular Spread

Journal of Bacteriology, 2006

The role in virulence of the Shigella flexneri ospB - phoN2 operon has been evaluated. Here we co... more The role in virulence of the Shigella flexneri ospB - phoN2 operon has been evaluated. Here we confirm that OspB is an effector and show that apyrase, the product of phoN2 , may be a virulence factor, since it is required for efficient intercellular spreading. Apyrase may be important in a deoxynucleoside triphosphate-hydrolyzing activity-independent manner, suggesting that it may act as an interaction partner in the process of IcsA localization.

Research paper thumbnail of Isolamento e caratterizzazione di ceppi di Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolati in un'area italiana endemica per borreliosi di Lyme

… Malattie infettive nell'arco …, 2003

Ciceroni L, Ciarrocchi S, Petrucca A, Caruso G, Berciato G, Zasio C, Ciervo A. Isolamento e carat... more Ciceroni L, Ciarrocchi S, Petrucca A, Caruso G, Berciato G, Zasio C, Ciervo A. Isolamento e caratterizzazione di ceppi di Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolati in un'area italiana endemica per borreliosi di Lyme. In: 6. Convegno internazionale Malattie infettive nell'arco alpino. Abstracts ; ; Siusi ...

Research paper thumbnail of Controllo dell'espressione di geni ferro-dipendenti in Pseudomonas da parte di una nuova classe di fattori sigma alternativi

Research paper thumbnail of No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Circulation in Rome (Italy) during the Pre-Pandemic Period: Results of a Retrospective Surveillance

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 outbreak recorded o... more In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 outbreak recorded over the previous months could be characterized as a pandemic. The first known Italian SARS-CoV-2 positive case was reported on 21 February. In some countries, cases of suspected “COVID-19-like pneumonia” had been reported earlier than those officially accepted by health authorities. This has led many investigators to check preserved biological or environmental samples to see whether the virus was detectable on dates prior to those officially stated. With regard to Italy, the results of a microbiological screening in sewage samples collected between the end of February and the beginning of April 2020 from wastewaters in Milan (Northern Italy) and Rome (Central Italy) showed presence of SARS-CoV-2. In the present study, we evaluated, by means of a standardized diagnostic method, the SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence amongst patients affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARI) in an ...

Research paper thumbnail of www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms Review Meta-Omic Platforms to Assist in the Understanding of NAFLD Gut Microbiota Alterations: Tools and Applications

Abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver dis... more Abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide as a result of the increasing prevalence of obesity, starting from early life stages. It is characterized by a spectrum of liver diseases ranging from simple fatty liver (NAFL) to steatohepatitis (NASH), with a possible progression to fibrosis, thus increasing liver-related morbidity and mortality. NAFLD development is driven by the co-action of several risk factors, including obesity and metabolic syndrome, which may be both genetically induced and diet-related. Recently, particular attention has

Research paper thumbnail of The human gut microbiota: a dynamic interplay with the host from birth to senescence settled during childhood

Research paper thumbnail of A metaproteomic pipeline to identify newborn mouse gut phylotypes

Journal of Proteomics, 2014

In order to characterize newborn mouse gut microbiota phylotypes in very early-life stages, an or... more In order to characterize newborn mouse gut microbiota phylotypes in very early-life stages, an original metaproteomic pipeline, based on LC-MS 2-spectra and Mascot driven NCBI non-redundant repository database interrogation was developed. An original computational analysis assisted in the generation of a taxonomic gut architecture from protein hits to operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and related functional categories. Regardless of the mouse's genetic background, a prevalence of Firmicutes (Lactobacillaceae) and Proteobacteria (Enterobacteriaceae) was observed among the entire Eubacteria taxonomic node. However, a higher abundance of Firmicutes was retrieved for Balb/c gut microbiota compared to Rag2 ko mice, the latter was mainly characterized by a Proteobacteria enriched microbiota. The metaproteomic-obtained OTUs were supported, for the identification (ID) of the cultivable bacteria fraction, corroborated by axenic culture-based MALDI-TOF MS IDs. Particularly, functional analysis of Rag2 ko mice gut microbiota proteins revealed the presence of abundant glutathione, riboflavin metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway components, possibly related to genetic background. The metaproteomic pipeline herein presented may represent a useful tool to investigate the highly debated onset of the human gut microbiota in the first days of life, when the bacterial composition, despite its very low diversity (complexity), is still very far from an exhaustive description and other complex microbial consortia.

Research paper thumbnail of Proteomics boosts translational and clinical microbiology

Journal of Proteomics, 2014

The application of proteomics to translational and clinical microbiology is one of the most advan... more The application of proteomics to translational and clinical microbiology is one of the most advanced frontiers in the management and control of infectious diseases and in the understanding of complex microbial systems within human fluids and districts. This new approach aims at providing, by dedicated bioinformatic pipelines, a thorough description of pathogen proteomes and their interactions within the context of human host ecosystems, revolutionizing the vision of infectious diseases in biomedicine and approaching new viewpoints in both diagnostic and clinical management of the patient. Indeed, in the last few years, many laboratories have matured a series of advanced proteomic applications, aiming at providing individual proteome charts of pathogens, with respect to their morph and/or cell life stages, antimicrobial or antimycotic resistance profiling, epidemiological dispersion. Herein, we aim at reviewing the current state-of-the-art on proteomic protocols designed and setup for translational and diagnostic microbiological purposes, from axenic pathogens' characterization to microbiota ecosystems' full description. The final goal is to describe applications of the most common MALDI-TOF MS platforms to advanced diagnostic issues related to emerging infections, increasing of fastidious bacteria, and generation of patient-tailored phylotypes.