Pietro Arico

Detection of Human Papillomavirus DNA in Cervical Samples: Analysis of the New PGMY-PCR Compared To the Hybrid Capture II and MY-PCR Assays and a Two-Step Nested PCR Assay

ABSTRACT The PGMY-PCR for human papillomavirus (HPV) was evaluated, in parallel with nested PCR (nPCR), in samples with noted Hybrid Capture II (HCII) and MY-PCR results. PGMY-PCR detected HPV DNA in 2.5% of HCII-negative-MY-PCR-negative samples and in 71.7% of HCII-positive-MY-PCR-negative samples; also, it detected the MY-PCR-negative-nPCR-negative types HPV-42, HPV-44, HPV-51, HPV-87, and HPV-89.

A new delivery system of clobetasol‐17‐propionate (lipid‐loaded microspheres 0·025%) compared with a conventional formulation (lipophilic ointment in a hydrophilic phase 0·025%) in topical treatment of atrophic/erosive oral lichen planus. A Phase IV, randomized, observer‐blinded, parallel group clinical trial

Background  Topical application of clobetasol‐17‐propionate has been diffusely reported as an efficacious therapy in atrophic/erosive oral lichen planus (OLP), without exposing the patient to systemic side‐effects. However, prolonged contact and respective topical effects on the oral mucosa should be avoided.

HCV infection and oral lichen planus: a weak association when HCV is endemic.

Abstract  Oral lichen planus (OLP), an immune‐mediated disorder, has been reported as an extra‐hepatic manifestation of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, especially in HCV hyperendemic areas such as southern Europe and Japan. The aim of this study was to investigate from an epidemiological standpoint whether HCV infection is an important factor affecting the relative risk of OLP in a Mediterranean population or whether this relates to the degree of HCV endemicity. Two cohorts of OLP patients resident in two different regions of southern Italy (Campania and Sicily; n = 859) were evaluated for HCV infection status and categorized into five age classes to respective region‐matched controls. No significant difference was found between OLP patients and the general population in this area, when data were corrected by the age‐stratified prevalence of HCV. Therefore, the age‐specific prevalence of HCV infection in OLP patients shows a close trend of direct association with increasing age, without significant differences with the general population of each geographical area. An aetiological link between OLP and HCV cannot be inferred solely by epidemiological data.

Source and Nature of Inhaled Atmospheric Dust from Trace Element Analyses of Human Bronchial Fluids

Rapid volcanic eruptions quickly ejecting large amounts of dust provoke the accumulation of heavy metals in people living in surrounding areas. Analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage samples (BAL) collected from people exposed to the paroxysmal 2001 Etna eruption revealed a strong enrichment of many toxic heavy metals. Comparing the BAL to the dust composition of southeastern Sicily, we found that only V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and U enrichment could be related to the volcanic event, whereas Ni, Cu, Cd, and Pb contents come from the dissolution of particles of anthropogenic origin. Furthermore, the nature of these inhaled anthropogenic particles was revealed by anomalous La and partially Ce concentrations in BAL that were consistent with a mixture of road dust and petroleum refinery emissions. Our results indicate that trace element distribution in BAL is a suitable tracer of human exposure to different sources of inhaled atmospheric particulates, allowing investigations into the origin of source materials inhaled by people subjected to atmospheric fallout.

Influence of dissolved organic matter on rare earth elements and yttrium distributions in coastal waters

Data collected during this study indicate that dissolved Y and REE (rare earth element) behaviour can be monitored through shale-normalised ratios. Relationships occurring between these ratios suggest that leaching from lithogenic materials is the main source of REE in the studied area. This process involves riverine detrital matter in the inner area of the Gulf of Palermo. Features of shale-normalised patterns and the relationship recognised between dissolved Fe and Y/Ho suggest that REE are released from Fe-rich coatings of atmospheric dust. Observed similarities between dissolved Fe and chlorophyll-α content suggest that leaching of Fe-rich atmospheric particulates induces a fertilisation of shallow water layers influencing the dissolved organic content. In turn, the increasing chlorophyll-α content causes a progressive decrease in amplitude of the negative Ce anomaly in seawater that is also observed in water in the Central Mediterranean Sea, suggesting that organic matter generally plays a key role in REE behaviour at the solid–liquid interface. Shale-normalised REE features recognised in suspended particulate matter (SPM) indicate the occurrence of three different fractions from lithogenic matter, biogenic carbonates and authigenic components, respectively. The latter is formed during REE scavenging onto the surface of detrital biogenic particles and is mainly recognised in inner gulf waters.