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Research paper thumbnail of Surfactant Protein B Plasma Levels: Reliability as a Biomarker in COPD Patients

Biomedicines

Background: The diagnosis of COPD is based on both clinical signs and functional tests. Although ... more Background: The diagnosis of COPD is based on both clinical signs and functional tests. Although there are different functional tests used to assess COPD, no reliable biomarkers able to provide information on pathogenesis and severity are available. The aim of the present study is to explore the relationship between surfactant protein B (Sp-B) serum levels and clinical, radiological, and functional pulmonary parameters in COPD patients. Methods: Forty COPD patients and twenty smokers without airflow limitations or respiratory symptoms were enrolled. Each patient was given questionnaires (CAT and mMRC) and 6MWT, spirometry, DLCO, and computer tomography (CT) were performed. All participants underwent a venous blood sample drawing, and quantitative detection of their Sp-B plasma levels was performed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The spirometry and Sp-B plasma levels were assessed after 12 months. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in the plasma Sp-B l...

Research paper thumbnail of Low FT3 Values During the Acute Phase of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection Correlate to the Severity Indexes of the Disease

Social Science Research Network, 2020

Background: Low T3 syndrome is a frequent finding in critical illness The prevalence and clinical... more Background: Low T3 syndrome is a frequent finding in critical illness The prevalence and clinical relevance of the Low T3 syndrome in coronavirus infections ha

Research paper thumbnail of MicroRNA-551b expression profile in low and high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

PubMed, Jul 1, 2018

Objective: To evaluate the expression of microRNA (miR)-551b in patients with low and high grade ... more Objective: To evaluate the expression of microRNA (miR)-551b in patients with low and high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and to find an association with high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection-related prognostic biomarkers. Patients and methods: The expression level of miR-551b was determined in 50 paraffin-embedded cervical specimens (10 normal squamous epithelium, 18 condylomas, 8 CIN1, and 14 CIN2-3) using quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). χ2-test compared miR-551b expression in different diagnosis groups. An Ordered Logistic Regression and a Probit correlation were made to correlate miR-551b expression levels with the cervical tissue histological findings. The immunohistochemical distribution of p16 and Ki-67 according to histopathological findings was also assessed. Results: The distribution of the miR-551b expression profile was significantly lower in CIN1-3 samples compared to other histological diagnosis groups (condyloma and negative). The expression levels were inversely correlated to the cervical pathological grade, from negative to CIN2-3. A 1% increase in miR-551b expression level produced an increase of 19% to the probability of a minor histological grade diagnosis in a range from negative to CIN2-3 and an increase of 13% to the probability of a negative histological grade diagnosis. Among the cases with miR-551b expression < 0.02 (considered as cut-off value) a significant statistical correlation was found between p16 and Ki-67 expression and the diagnosis of CIN2-3. Conclusions: Our data showed a significant inverse correlation between miR-551b expression and the histological grading of the lesions, suggesting a tumor suppressive function in the different stages of cervical dysplasia.

Research paper thumbnail of Multi-omics approach to analyze the molecular pato-physiology of the low T3 syndrome, observed in COVID-19 patients

Endocrine Abstracts, May 15, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Erratum: Stearoyl-CoA-desaturase 1 regulates lung cancer stemness via stabilization and nuclear localization of YAP/TAZ

Research paper thumbnail of Histologic Analysis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis by Morphometric and Fractal Analysis

Biomedicines

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrotic lung disorder, ultimately ... more Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrotic lung disorder, ultimately leading to respiratory failure and death. Despite great research advances in understanding the mechanisms underlying the disease, its diagnosis, and its treatment, IPF still remains idiopathic without known biological or histological markers able to predict disease progression or response to treatment. The histologic hallmark of IPF is usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), with its intricate architectural distortion and temporal inhomogeneity. We hypothesize that normal lung alveolar architecture can be compared to fractals, such as the Pythagoras tree with its fractal dimension (Df), and every pathological insult, distorting the normal lung structure, could result in Df variations. In this study, we aimed to assess the UIP histologic fractal dimension in relationship to other morphometric parameters in newly diagnosed IPF patients and its possible role in the prognostic stratification of ...

Research paper thumbnail of Complete Pseudo-Anodontia in an Adult Woman with Pseudo-Hypoparathyroidism Type 1a: A New Additional Nonclassical Feature?

Diagnostics, Nov 30, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of B4GALT1 as a New Biomarker of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Nov 30, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Increased expression of β-1,4-Galactosyltransferase-I in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a basis for further therapeutic applications

12.01 - Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias

Research paper thumbnail of Molecular characterization of spheroid cultures from lung adenocarcinoma pleural effusion

Research paper thumbnail of Stearoyl-CoA-desaturase 1 regulates lung cancer stemness via stabilization and nuclear localization of YAP/TAZ

Research paper thumbnail of Opposite Effect of Thyroid Hormones on Oxidative Stress and on Mitochondrial Respiration in COVID-19 Patients

Antioxidants

Background: Thyroid hormones (TH)s are master regulators of mitochondrial activity and biogenesis... more Background: Thyroid hormones (TH)s are master regulators of mitochondrial activity and biogenesis. Nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) is generally considered an adaptative response to reduced energy that is secondary to critical illness, including COVID-19. COVID-19 has been associated with profound changes in the cell energy metabolism, especially in the cells of the immune system, with a central role played by the mitochondria, considered the power units of every cell. Infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) affects and alters mitochondrial functions, both to influence its intracellular survival and to evade host immunity. Aim of the study: This study was undertaken to analyze the oxidative balance and mitochondrial respiration in COVID-19 patients with and without NTIS to elucidate the role that thyroid hormones (TH)s play in this context. Methods: In our cohort of 54 COVID-19 patients, admitted to our University Hospital during the COVID-19 pa...

Research paper thumbnail of ALDOC- and ENO2- driven glucose metabolism sustains 3D tumor spheroids growth regardless of nutrient environmental conditions: a multi-omics analysis

Background Metastases are the major cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. By the time ... more Background Metastases are the major cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. By the time cancer cells detach from their primary site to eventually spread to distant sites, they need to acquire the ability to survive in non-adherent conditions and to proliferate within a new microenvironment in spite of stressing conditions that may severely constrain the metastatic process. In this study, we gained insight into the molecular mechanisms allowing cancer cells to survive and proliferate in an anchorage-independent manner, regardless of both tumor-intrinsic variables and nutrient culture conditions. Methods 3D spheroids derived from lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and breast cancer cells were cultured in either nutrient-rich or -restricted culture conditions. A multi-omics approach, including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, was used to explore the molecular changes underlying the transition from 2D to 3D cultures. Small interfering RNA-mediated loss of function assays ...

Research paper thumbnail of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) to measure alterations on hydroelectrolytic equilibrium of peripheral cells in COVID-19 patients with nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS)

Research paper thumbnail of Nonthyroidal Illness Syndrome: To Treat or Not to Treat? Have We Answered the Question? A Review of Metanalyses

Frontiers in Endocrinology

Background and ObjectiveNonthyroidal Illness Syndrome (NTIS) occurs in approximately 70% of patie... more Background and ObjectiveNonthyroidal Illness Syndrome (NTIS) occurs in approximately 70% of patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICU)s and has been associated with increased risk of death. Whether patients with NTIS should receive treatment with thyroid hormones (TH)s is still debated. Since many interventional randomized clinical trials (IRCT)s were not conclusive, current guidelines do not recommend treatment for these patients. In this review, we analyze the reasons why TH treatment did not furnish convincing results regarding possible beneficial effects in reported IRCTs.MethodsWe performed a review of the metanalyses focused on NTIS in critically ill patients. After a careful selection, we extracted data from four metanalyses, performed in different clinical conditions and diseases. In particular, we analyzed the type of TH supplementation, the route of administration, the dosages and duration of treatment and the outcomes chosen to evaluate the results.ResultsWe observed...

Research paper thumbnail of Correspondence to

surface epitopes prevents the establishment of resistance to BRAF/MEK inhibitors in melanoma

Research paper thumbnail of EMT markers in lung adenocarcinoma pleural effusion spheroid cells

Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Deconvolution of malignant pleural effusions immune landscape unravels a novel macrophage signature associated with worse clinical outcome in lung adenocarcinoma patients

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors are still unable to provide clinical benefit to the large ... more BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors are still unable to provide clinical benefit to the large majority of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. A deeper characterization of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is expected to shed light on the mechanisms of cancer immune evasion and resistance to immunotherapy. Here, we exploited malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) from lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients as a model system to decipher TIME in metastatic NSCLC.MethodsMononuclear cells from MPEs (PEMC) and peripheral blood (PBMC), cell free pleural fluid and/or plasma were collected from a total of 24 LUAD patients and 12 healthy donors. Bulk-RNA sequencing was performed on total RNA extracted from PEMC and matched PBMC. The DEseq2 Bioconductor package was used to perform differential expression analysis and CIBERSORTx for the regression-based immune deconvolution of bulk gene expression data. Cytokinome analysis of cell-free pleural fluid and plasma samples was performed ...

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 Surfactant Protein B Plasma Levels: Reliability as a Biomarker in COPD Patients

Biomedicines

Background: The diagnosis of COPD is based on both clinical signs and functional tests. Although ... more Background: The diagnosis of COPD is based on both clinical signs and functional tests. Although there are different functional tests used to assess COPD, no reliable biomarkers able to provide information on pathogenesis and severity are available. The aim of the present study is to explore the relationship between surfactant protein B (Sp-B) serum levels and clinical, radiological, and functional pulmonary parameters in COPD patients. Methods: Forty COPD patients and twenty smokers without airflow limitations or respiratory symptoms were enrolled. Each patient was given questionnaires (CAT and mMRC) and 6MWT, spirometry, DLCO, and computer tomography (CT) were performed. All participants underwent a venous blood sample drawing, and quantitative detection of their Sp-B plasma levels was performed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The spirometry and Sp-B plasma levels were assessed after 12 months. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in the plasma Sp-B l...

Research paper thumbnail of Low FT3 Values During the Acute Phase of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection Correlate to the Severity Indexes of the Disease

Social Science Research Network, 2020

Background: Low T3 syndrome is a frequent finding in critical illness The prevalence and clinical... more Background: Low T3 syndrome is a frequent finding in critical illness The prevalence and clinical relevance of the Low T3 syndrome in coronavirus infections ha

Research paper thumbnail of MicroRNA-551b expression profile in low and high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

PubMed, Jul 1, 2018

Objective: To evaluate the expression of microRNA (miR)-551b in patients with low and high grade ... more Objective: To evaluate the expression of microRNA (miR)-551b in patients with low and high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and to find an association with high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection-related prognostic biomarkers. Patients and methods: The expression level of miR-551b was determined in 50 paraffin-embedded cervical specimens (10 normal squamous epithelium, 18 condylomas, 8 CIN1, and 14 CIN2-3) using quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). χ2-test compared miR-551b expression in different diagnosis groups. An Ordered Logistic Regression and a Probit correlation were made to correlate miR-551b expression levels with the cervical tissue histological findings. The immunohistochemical distribution of p16 and Ki-67 according to histopathological findings was also assessed. Results: The distribution of the miR-551b expression profile was significantly lower in CIN1-3 samples compared to other histological diagnosis groups (condyloma and negative). The expression levels were inversely correlated to the cervical pathological grade, from negative to CIN2-3. A 1% increase in miR-551b expression level produced an increase of 19% to the probability of a minor histological grade diagnosis in a range from negative to CIN2-3 and an increase of 13% to the probability of a negative histological grade diagnosis. Among the cases with miR-551b expression < 0.02 (considered as cut-off value) a significant statistical correlation was found between p16 and Ki-67 expression and the diagnosis of CIN2-3. Conclusions: Our data showed a significant inverse correlation between miR-551b expression and the histological grading of the lesions, suggesting a tumor suppressive function in the different stages of cervical dysplasia.

Research paper thumbnail of Multi-omics approach to analyze the molecular pato-physiology of the low T3 syndrome, observed in COVID-19 patients

Endocrine Abstracts, May 15, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Erratum: Stearoyl-CoA-desaturase 1 regulates lung cancer stemness via stabilization and nuclear localization of YAP/TAZ

Research paper thumbnail of Histologic Analysis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis by Morphometric and Fractal Analysis

Biomedicines

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrotic lung disorder, ultimately ... more Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrotic lung disorder, ultimately leading to respiratory failure and death. Despite great research advances in understanding the mechanisms underlying the disease, its diagnosis, and its treatment, IPF still remains idiopathic without known biological or histological markers able to predict disease progression or response to treatment. The histologic hallmark of IPF is usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), with its intricate architectural distortion and temporal inhomogeneity. We hypothesize that normal lung alveolar architecture can be compared to fractals, such as the Pythagoras tree with its fractal dimension (Df), and every pathological insult, distorting the normal lung structure, could result in Df variations. In this study, we aimed to assess the UIP histologic fractal dimension in relationship to other morphometric parameters in newly diagnosed IPF patients and its possible role in the prognostic stratification of ...

Research paper thumbnail of Complete Pseudo-Anodontia in an Adult Woman with Pseudo-Hypoparathyroidism Type 1a: A New Additional Nonclassical Feature?

Diagnostics, Nov 30, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of B4GALT1 as a New Biomarker of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Nov 30, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Increased expression of β-1,4-Galactosyltransferase-I in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a basis for further therapeutic applications

12.01 - Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias

Research paper thumbnail of Molecular characterization of spheroid cultures from lung adenocarcinoma pleural effusion

Research paper thumbnail of Stearoyl-CoA-desaturase 1 regulates lung cancer stemness via stabilization and nuclear localization of YAP/TAZ

Research paper thumbnail of Opposite Effect of Thyroid Hormones on Oxidative Stress and on Mitochondrial Respiration in COVID-19 Patients

Antioxidants

Background: Thyroid hormones (TH)s are master regulators of mitochondrial activity and biogenesis... more Background: Thyroid hormones (TH)s are master regulators of mitochondrial activity and biogenesis. Nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) is generally considered an adaptative response to reduced energy that is secondary to critical illness, including COVID-19. COVID-19 has been associated with profound changes in the cell energy metabolism, especially in the cells of the immune system, with a central role played by the mitochondria, considered the power units of every cell. Infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) affects and alters mitochondrial functions, both to influence its intracellular survival and to evade host immunity. Aim of the study: This study was undertaken to analyze the oxidative balance and mitochondrial respiration in COVID-19 patients with and without NTIS to elucidate the role that thyroid hormones (TH)s play in this context. Methods: In our cohort of 54 COVID-19 patients, admitted to our University Hospital during the COVID-19 pa...

Research paper thumbnail of ALDOC- and ENO2- driven glucose metabolism sustains 3D tumor spheroids growth regardless of nutrient environmental conditions: a multi-omics analysis

Background Metastases are the major cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. By the time ... more Background Metastases are the major cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. By the time cancer cells detach from their primary site to eventually spread to distant sites, they need to acquire the ability to survive in non-adherent conditions and to proliferate within a new microenvironment in spite of stressing conditions that may severely constrain the metastatic process. In this study, we gained insight into the molecular mechanisms allowing cancer cells to survive and proliferate in an anchorage-independent manner, regardless of both tumor-intrinsic variables and nutrient culture conditions. Methods 3D spheroids derived from lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and breast cancer cells were cultured in either nutrient-rich or -restricted culture conditions. A multi-omics approach, including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, was used to explore the molecular changes underlying the transition from 2D to 3D cultures. Small interfering RNA-mediated loss of function assays ...

Research paper thumbnail of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) to measure alterations on hydroelectrolytic equilibrium of peripheral cells in COVID-19 patients with nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS)

Research paper thumbnail of Nonthyroidal Illness Syndrome: To Treat or Not to Treat? Have We Answered the Question? A Review of Metanalyses

Frontiers in Endocrinology

Background and ObjectiveNonthyroidal Illness Syndrome (NTIS) occurs in approximately 70% of patie... more Background and ObjectiveNonthyroidal Illness Syndrome (NTIS) occurs in approximately 70% of patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICU)s and has been associated with increased risk of death. Whether patients with NTIS should receive treatment with thyroid hormones (TH)s is still debated. Since many interventional randomized clinical trials (IRCT)s were not conclusive, current guidelines do not recommend treatment for these patients. In this review, we analyze the reasons why TH treatment did not furnish convincing results regarding possible beneficial effects in reported IRCTs.MethodsWe performed a review of the metanalyses focused on NTIS in critically ill patients. After a careful selection, we extracted data from four metanalyses, performed in different clinical conditions and diseases. In particular, we analyzed the type of TH supplementation, the route of administration, the dosages and duration of treatment and the outcomes chosen to evaluate the results.ResultsWe observed...

Research paper thumbnail of Correspondence to

surface epitopes prevents the establishment of resistance to BRAF/MEK inhibitors in melanoma

Research paper thumbnail of EMT markers in lung adenocarcinoma pleural effusion spheroid cells

Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Deconvolution of malignant pleural effusions immune landscape unravels a novel macrophage signature associated with worse clinical outcome in lung adenocarcinoma patients

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors are still unable to provide clinical benefit to the large ... more BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors are still unable to provide clinical benefit to the large majority of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. A deeper characterization of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is expected to shed light on the mechanisms of cancer immune evasion and resistance to immunotherapy. Here, we exploited malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) from lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients as a model system to decipher TIME in metastatic NSCLC.MethodsMononuclear cells from MPEs (PEMC) and peripheral blood (PBMC), cell free pleural fluid and/or plasma were collected from a total of 24 LUAD patients and 12 healthy donors. Bulk-RNA sequencing was performed on total RNA extracted from PEMC and matched PBMC. The DEseq2 Bioconductor package was used to perform differential expression analysis and CIBERSORTx for the regression-based immune deconvolution of bulk gene expression data. Cytokinome analysis of cell-free pleural fluid and plasma samples was performed ...

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.