No abstract

MacroH2A1 has two splice isoforms, macroH2A1.1 and macroH2A1.2, that have been studied in several form of cancer. In the literature there are not many scientific papers dealing with the role of macroH2A1 in breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most frequent form of malignancy in females. It tend to metastasize to the bone in ∼70% of patients. Despite treatment, new bone metastases will still occur in 30-50% of cases with advanced disease. Overall 5-year survival after the diagnosis of bone metastasis is ∼20%. Osteoclasts and osteoblasts of the bone microenvironment are engaged by soluble factors released by neoplastic cells, resulting in bone matrix breakdown. This malfunction enhances the proliferation of the cancer cells, creating a vicious cycle. We investigated immunohistochemical expression of macroH2A1 in primitive breast cancer, focusing on the comparison of metastatic and non-metastatic cases. Furthermore, the immunohistochemical expression of macroH2A1 has been evaluated both in all cases of nodal metastases and in distant metastases. Our data demonstrated that macroH2A1 expression was higher expressed in metastatic breast cancer (77%) vs. non-metastatic breast cancer (32%). Also in analyzed metastases cases, a high macroH2A1 expression was detected: 85 and 80% in nodal and distant metastases cases, respectively. These results supported the fact that macroH2A1 is more highly expressed in breast cancer with worst prognosis.

The admissibility of human "odor mortis" discrimination in courts depends on the lack of comprehension of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the human decay process and of the lack in standardized procedures in training cadaver dogs. Blood was collected from four young people who died from traffic accidents and analyzed using HS-SPME/GC-MS at different decompositional stages. Two dogs, professionally trained, were tested to exactly locate blood samples, for each time point of the experiment. We found a long list of VOCs which varied from fresh to decomposed blood samples, showing differences in specific compounds. Dog performance showed a positive predictive value between 98.96% and 100% for DOG A, and between 99.47% and 100% for DOG B. Our findings demonstrated that decomposing human blood is a good source of VOCs and a good target for canine training.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are tissue-enzymes that play a key role during the remodeling process, such as in inflammatory diseases. MMP-7 and MMP-9 have been shown to be implicated in extracellular matrix homeostasis and in joint disc remodeling. The objective of this study was to determine the relation of MMP-7 and MMP-9 expression with severe temporomandibular joint dysfunction, in particular with anterior disk displacement without reduction (ADDwoR), using an immunohistochemical approach. Therefore, twenty human temporomandibular synovia in the test group and ten in the control group were collected. The results showed there was a statistically significant difference (P<0.001) for morphometric and densitometric analysis of both detected MMPs in control and test groups. In conclusion, MMP-7 and MMP-9 were overexpressed in the synovial tissue of patients with ADDwoR.

Background Recent epidemiological studies on workers describe that exposure to pesticides can induce oxidative stress by increased production of free radicals that can accumulate in the cell and damage biological macromolecules, for example, RNA, DNA, DNA repair proteins and other proteins and/or modify antioxidant defense mechanisms, as well as detoxification and scavenger enzymes. This study aimed to assess oxidative stress and DNA damage among workers exposed to pesticides. Methods For this purpose, 52 pesticide exposed workers and 52 organic farmers were enrolled. They were assessed: the pesticide exposure, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total glutathione (TG), oxidized glutathione levels (GSSG), and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), levels. Results Correlation between pesticide exposure was positively associated with high TBARS and 8-oxodG levels (p <  0.001). A negative association was founded with TG and GSSG and pesticide exposure. Conclusions The present investigation results seem to indicate a mild augment in oxidative stress associated with pesticide exposure, followed by an adaptive response to increase the antioxidant defenses to prevent sustained oxidative adverse effects stress.