University of Palermo

About: University of Palermo is a education organization based out in Palermo, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 15621 authors who have published 40250 publications receiving 964384 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Palermo & Universita degli Studi di Palermo.

Factor V Leiden, C>T MTHFR Polymorphism and Genetic Susceptibility to Preeclampsia

Abstract: We performed a case-controlled study to investigate whether the FV Leiden mutation and the C>T677 polymorphism of the 5,10 methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) are associated with the occurrence of preeclampsia in 96 otherwise healthy preeclamptic women and 129 parous women as controls FV Leiden carriers were 10 (105%) in cases and 3 (23%) in controls (OR: 49, 95% Cl: 13-183) MTHFR TT homozygotes were 28 (298%) in cases and 24 (186%) in the control group (OR: 18,95% Cl 10-35) No difference in any of the polymorphisms was found between proteinuric (n = 45) and non-proteinur-ic (n = 51) patients Moreover, MTHFR polymorphism does not affect the association between FV Leiden and preeclampsia In conclusion, FV Leiden mutation and MTHFR TT genotype are associated with the occurrence of preeclampsia, suggesting that, during pregnancy, women carrying these gene variants are prone to develop such a complication

Total oxidation of propene at low temperature over Co3O4-CeO2 mixed oxides: Role of surface oxygen vacancies and bulk oxygen mobility in the catalytic activity

Abstract: Co 3 O 4 , CeO 2 and Co 3 O 4 –CeO 2 mixed oxides with Co/Ce nominal atomic ratio 0.1:5, prepared by co-precipitation method with sodium carbonate, were tested in the oxidation of propene under lean condition and the catalyst stability was checked by performing three consecutive heating–cooling cycles. Characterization of the textural properties were performed by surface area measurement BET, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. Among the Co 3 O 4 –CeO 2 mixed oxides, Co 3 O 4 (30 wt%)–CeO 2 (70 wt%) gives the best activity attaining full propene conversion at 250 °C. This sample is characterized by the presence of Co 3 O 4 particles well dispersed and in good contact with ceria according to BET and XRD data and as evidenced by SEM micrographs. Oxygen temperature-programmed desorption (O 2 -TPD) and C 3 H 6 -temperature-programmed reduction (C 3 H 6 -TPR) experiments were carried out in order to study the surface and bulk oxygen mobility and to correlate it to the activity. At temperature around 200 °C, O 2 -TPD experiments showed the desorption of mobile surface oxygen species for the most active samples, Co 3 O 4 and Co 3 O 4 (30 wt%)–CeO 2 (70 wt%). C 3 H 6 -TPR experiments for both of the oxides also evidenced a high reactivity at low temperature, especially, for Co 3 O 4 (30 wt%)–CeO 2 (70 wt%) giving at 345 °C an intense peak of CO 2 formation. Conversely, the ceria sample showed by C 3 H 6 -TPR much less pronounced oxygen bulk mobility, starting to react with propene above 500 °C and forming only CO. In this case, the catalytic activity of ceria was explained in terms of formation of surface oxygen vacancies which are relevant to the propene oxidation in presence of gaseous oxygen.

The Role of Intrinsic Pathway in Apoptosis Activation and Progression in Peyronie's Disease

Abstract: Peyronie's disease (PD) is characterized with formation of fibrous plaques which result in penile deformity, pain, and erectile dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in plaques from PD patients. Tunica albuginea from either PD or control patients was assessed for the expression of bax, bcl-2 and caspases 9 and 3 using immunohistochemistry and by measurement of apoptotic cells using TUNEL assay. Bax overexpression was observed in metaplastic bone tissue, in fibroblasts, and in myofibroblast of plaques from PD patients. Little or no bcl-2 immunostaining was detected in samples from either patients or controls. Caspase 3 immunostaining was very strong in fibrous tissue, in metaplasic bone osteocytes, and in primary ossification center osteoblasts. Moderate caspase 9 immunostaining was seen in fibrous cells plaques and in osteocytes and osteoblasts of primary ossification centers from PD patients. Control samples were negative for caspase 9 immunostaining. In PD patients the TUNEL immunoassay showed intense immunostaining of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, the absence of apoptotic cells in metaplasic bone tissue and on the border between fibrous and metaplastic bone tissue. Apoptosis occurs in stabilized PD plaques and is partly induced by the intrinsic pathway.

Impact of chronic psychosocial stress on autonomic cardiovascular regulation in otherwise healthy subjects.

Abstract: Elevated psychosocial stress might favor the occurrence of cardiovascular disease; however, mechanisms are incompletely understood. We hypothesized that patients (n126; 441 years of age) referred to an internal medicine clinic because of symptoms related to chronic psychosocial stress would demonstrate signs of autonomic dysregulation compared with controls (n132; 421 years of age). We used autoregressive spectral analysis of RR interval variability to obtain indirect markers of sympathetic and of vagal (respectively, low-frequency and high-frequency components, both expressed in normalized units) oscillatory modulation of sinoatrial node, as well as of sympathetic vasomotor regulation (low-frequency component of systolic arterial pressure variability) and of cardiac baroreflex sensitivity (-index). Higher values of systolic and diastolic arterial pressure (respectively, 1241 versus 117 1m m Hg and 801 versus 751 mm Hg; both P0.001), altered markers of autonomic regulation (increased normalized low-frequency and reduced high-frequency component of RR variability, P0.005; increased-low frequency component of systolic arterial pressure variability, P0.002), and reduced baroreflex sensitivity (19.31.4 versus 23.02.0 ms/mm Hg; P0.05) were observed in patients compared with controls. Autonomic responses to active standing were also blunted in stressed patients. Autonomic markers were significantly correlated to stress perception score and were capable of discriminating between controls and patients with a high degree of accuracy. Chronic real-life stress in humans appears associated to increased arterial pressure and to impaired autonomic regulation of cardiovascular functions. The combination of sympathetic predominance, vagal withdrawal, and blunted baroreflex sensitivity might represent a treatable mechanistic link between psychosocial factors and future incidence of hypertension. (Hypertension. 2005;46:1201-1206.)