Background: Running economy and performance in middle distance running depend on several physiolo... more Background: Running economy and performance in middle distance running depend on several physiological factors, which include anthropometric variables, functional characteristics, training volume and intensity. Since little information is available about hematological predictors of middle distance running time, we investigated whether some hematological parameters may be associated with middle distance running performance in a large sample of recreational runners.
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequent causes of cancer related deaths w... more Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequent causes of cancer related deaths worldwide. Recently, the use of cell-free DNA as diagnostic tools to identify cancer has been investigated. The aim of this work was to assess whether circulating DNA could be considered a useful marker for detection of early stage CRC and polyps. Methods: A total of 118 patients with CRC were included in the study along with 49 patients with colorectal polyps and 26 control subjects. Cell-free DNA was quantified using a real-time TaqMan-polymerase chain reaction assay. Nonparametric tests (Mann-Whitney test and Spearman correlation) were utilized for statistical analysis. Results: Serum DNA concentrations were significantly higher in CRC patients and patients with polyps (median value 105.0 ng/mL and 40.0 ng/mL) compared with controls (median value 14.0 ng/mL; p-0.05). Although carcinoembryonic antigen was above the cut-off in only 13/66 (19.7%) patients with early stage CRC, serum free DNA showed values above the threshold identified using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis in 53/66 (80.3%) patients. Conclusions: Our data confirm that serum DNA concentrations are significantly increased in CRC patients with early stage disease and in patients with polyps. This marker might be useful for identifying high-risk individuals.
La Rivista Italiana della Medicina di Laboratorio - Italian Journal of Laboratory Medicine, 2014
Background. Increased values of mean platelet volume (MPV) are frequently observed in patients wi... more Background. Increased values of mean platelet volume (MPV) are frequently observed in patients with cardiovascular disorders. Limited data is available on the relationship between platelet size and plasma lipids in general populations. Methods. We retrieved results of platelet count, MPV and plasma lipids performed on a whole cohort of unselected outpatients. Cumulative results were retrieved for 4.691 outpatients.
Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis : an international journal in haemostasis and thrombosis, Jan 11, 2015
Biological variability is an important aspect for appropriate interpretation of hemostasis testin... more Biological variability is an important aspect for appropriate interpretation of hemostasis testing, but unreliable evidence has been provided to date regarding the effect of different postures on first-line clotting tests such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and fibrinogen. Variation of APTT, PT and fibrinogen was therefore investigated in 19 healthy volunteers after 25 min in supine position, 20 min in sitting position and 20 min stationary standing in upright position. The change from supine to sitting position caused a significant decrease of PT and a significant increase of fibrinogen. The variation of fibrinogen exceeded the quality specifications for bias. The change from supine to standing position caused a significant bias in all the parameters tested, with a decrease of PT and an increase of fibrinogen that exceeded the quality specifications for bias. The change from sitting to standing position also caused a significant bias in all t...
Although recent advances in circulating DNA analysis allow the prediction of tumor genomes by non... more Although recent advances in circulating DNA analysis allow the prediction of tumor genomes by noninvasive means, some challenges remain, which limit the widespread introduction of cfDNA in cancer diagnostics. We analyzed the status of the two best characterized colorectal cancer (CRC) genetic and epigenetic alterations in a cohort of CRC patients, and then compared the degree to which the two patterns move from tissue to plasma in order to improve our understanding of biology modulating the concordance between tissues and plasma methylation and mutation profiles.
Seminars in thrombosis and hemostasis, Jan 14, 2015
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a prevalent and life-threatening condition that requires an accur... more Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a prevalent and life-threatening condition that requires an accurate and timely diagnosis. The current diagnostic approach to this condition, entailing an efficient integration of clinical judgment, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory testing, is the result of decades of scientific and medical research. This article aims to present and discuss the major breakthroughs that have occurred in the diagnostic imaging of both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, along with the various biological markers that have emerged from the laboratory bench and which have only marginally migrated to the bedside. Despite decades of research, the current diagnostic armamentarium for an efficient diagnosis of VTE remains suboptimal, and some wiggle room remains for the development of more efficient diagnostic tools, which may include thrombus-targeted molecular imaging, infrared thermal imaging, thrombin generation, and proteomics.
Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD, 2014
Magnesium plays an important role in the modulation of vascular tone and endothelial function and... more Magnesium plays an important role in the modulation of vascular tone and endothelial function and can regulate glucose and lipid metabolism. Patients with hypertension, metabolic syndrome (MetS) and diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have low body magnesium content; indeed, magnesium supplementation has been shown to have a positive effect on blood pressure (BP) and gluco-metabolic parameters. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of magnesium supplements on hemodynamic and metabolic parameters in healthy men with a positive family history of MetS or T2DM. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 8-week crossover trial with a 4 week wash-out period, oral supplements of 8.1 mmol of magnesium-pidolate or placebo were administered twice a day to 14 healthy normomagnesemic participants, aged 23-33 years. The primary endpoint was office BP, measured with a semiautomatic oscillometric device. Secondary endpoints included characteristics of the MetS, namely endothelial function, a...
Despite the relatively low prevalence, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from ca... more Despite the relatively low prevalence, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from cancer among women. As such, an early diagnosis for establishing a timely surgical and/or chemotherapeutic treatment is essential for improving the outcome. The most reliable, but not always straightforward, approach to diagnose ovarian cancer relies on multiple, time-consuming and expensive investigative tools. These typically include clinical presentation (i.e., pelvic or abdominal pain, urinary frequency or urgency, increased abdominal size or bloating) with pelvic examination, transvaginal ultrasonography (US), and measurement of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125). Although the conventional pathway to develop and market a clinically useful biomarker is challenging, recent advances in genomic and proteomic technologies have led to the identification of previously unknown candidate markers of ovarian cancer. Some of these are currently under clinical validation. The human epididymis protei...
Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry, Jan 31, 2015
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer and the third caus... more Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer and the third cause of cancer deaths. The leading predisposing condition is represented by an underlying viral hepatitis, mainly sustained by hepatitis B and C viruses. Since the cumulative risk of developing HCC can be as high as 30-fold in patients with infectious cirrhosis, a timely diagnosis is necessary for establishing an appropriate treatment in these patients. The armamentarium of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in patients with HCC currently entails alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and a limited number of innovative biomarkers, among which squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) and its immune complexes are amongst the most widely investigated. The clinical data published so far and reviewed in this article seemingly suggest that neither total serum SSCA or its isoform 1 (i.e., SCCA1) may be ready for the prime time for management of patients with HCC. More interesting evidence has emerged from studie...
The efficient diagnosis and accurate monitoring of diabetic patients are cornerstones for reducin... more The efficient diagnosis and accurate monitoring of diabetic patients are cornerstones for reducing the risk of diabetic complications. The current diagnostic and prognostic strategies in diabetes are mainly based on two tests, plasma (or capillary) glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Nevertheless, these measures are not foolproof, and their clinical usefulness is biased by a number of clinical and analytical factors. The introduction of other indices of glucose homeostasis in clinical practice such as fructosamine and glycated albumin (GA) may be regarded as an attractive alternative, especially in patients in whom the measurement of HbA1c may be biased or even unreliable. These include patients with rapid changes of glucose homeostasis and larger glycemic excursions, and patients with red blood cell disorders and renal disease. According to available evidence, the overall diagnostic efficiency of GA seems superior to that of fructosamine throughout a broad range of clinical se...
Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine : CCLM / FESCC, Jan 20, 2014
Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal myeloid disorders characterized by the... more Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal myeloid disorders characterized by the overproduction of mature blood cells. The pathogenetic hallmark of MPNs is the dysregulation of JAK-STAT signaling, usually associated with the JAK2 V617F mutation. Multiple additional genetic and epigenetic alterations that constitutively activate the JAK-STAT signaling pathway have been described, including the modulation of the microRNAs (miRs) expression levels. The aims of our study were to investigate JAK2 V617F mutation allele burden and miR-143 expression levels in MPNs patients and to investigate the correlation between these genetic signatures and hematological parameters. Methods: In total 78 patients with a clinical diagnosis of polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM), made according to the WHO 2008 criteria, were included in the study. Twenty healthy subjects were checked as controls. Quantification of JAK2 V617F mutation and...
International journal of laboratory hematology, Jan 13, 2014
The potential cross-contamination of additives between primary blood tubes is a well-known proble... more The potential cross-contamination of additives between primary blood tubes is a well-known problem during sample collection. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of citrated blood contamination with different amounts of dipotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetic (K2 EDTA blood) on activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and fibrinogen. Blood was collected from 15 ostensibly healthy volunteers into four 0.109 m citrate blood tubes followed by one K2 EDTA blood tube. The citrate tubes of each subject were pooled and divided in five aliquots. The whole blood of the K2 EDTA tube was then added in scalar amounts to autologous citrated blood aliquots, to obtain K2 EDTA contamination ranging from 0% to 43%, and thus mimic potential pre-analytical contamination. A statistically and clinically significant prolongation was observed for both APTT and PT between 29% and 43% K2 EDTA contamination, whereas the decrease of fibrinogen values became statistically a...
Atherothrombosis is a preventable and multifaceted pathological disorder whose pathogenesis invol... more Atherothrombosis is a preventable and multifaceted pathological disorder whose pathogenesis involves a large number of biological pathways such as lipid and hormonal metabolism, inflammation, and hemostasis. Although it has been known for a long time that atherosclerosis has a sizable hereditary component, research in the field of genetics of cardiovascular disease is still ongoing, with doubts often outweighing certainties. A large amount of evidence gathered so far allows to identify at least 5 potential important pathways that can be specifically targeted by genetic studies--lipoprotein metabolism, inflammation, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, platelet function, blood coagulation, and fibrinolysis. Owing to a large number of published studies that have investigated the role of genetic polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of atherothrombosis and its complications, in this review, we focused on data emerging from meta‑analyses. The available evidence suggests that some selec...
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common among the severe cardiac arrhythmias and carries a si... more Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common among the severe cardiac arrhythmias and carries a significant risk of mortality and morbidity in the general population. The most important complication is represented by development of one or more thrombi in the left atrium of the dyskinetic heart, and their successive cerebral and peripheral embolization. The pathophysiological basis of the thromboembolic complications in AF entails the presence of a hypercoagulable state, which is mirrored by increased concentrations of a variety of prothrombotic markers. D-dimer is universally considered the gold standard among the various biomarkers that reflect activation of coagulation, fibrinolysis, or both, and several studies have assessed its diagnostic and prognostic role in AF. With a few exceptions and despite a broad heterogeneity in the study designs, published data seem to demonstrate that D-dimer values may be associated with the presence of atrial thrombosis, may be predictive of primar...
Tumour-released DNA in blood represents a promising biomarker for cancer detection. Although epig... more Tumour-released DNA in blood represents a promising biomarker for cancer detection. Although epigenetic alterations such as aberrant promoter methylation represent an appealing perspective, the discordance existing between frequencies of alterations found in DNA extracted from tumour tissue and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has challenged their practical clinical application. With the aim to explain this bias of agreement, we investigated whether protocadherin 10 (PCDH10) promoter methylation in tissue was associated with methylation pattern in matched cfDNA isolated from plasma of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), and whether the strength of concordance may depend on levels of cfDNA, integrity index, as well as on different clinical-pathological features. A quantitative methylation-specific PCR was used to analyse a selected CpG site in the PCDH10 promoter of 67 tumour tissues, paired normal mucosae, and matched plasma samples. The cfDNA integrity index and cfDNA concentration were as...
The human glycoprotein (GP)IIb/IIIa belongs to a large family of cation-dependent adhesion molecu... more The human glycoprotein (GP)IIb/IIIa belongs to a large family of cation-dependent adhesion molecules known as integrins, which share a common heterodimeric structure. The primary function of GPIIb/IIIa is to aid platelet aggregation by transmitting bidirectional signals across the plasma membrane. Since the GPIIb/IIIa receptor is among the key integrins involved in platelet aggregation and, therefore, thrombus formation, the development of GPIIb/IIIa antagonists (e.g., abciximab, eptifibatide and tirofiban) has become an attractive strategy for antiplatelet therapy with an expected strong and specific effect. All three drugs are administered intravenously, and large-scale clinical trials have demonstrated a clear clinical benefit and good safety profile in high-risk patients, especially those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. However, the adverse events related to thrombosis or bleeding are still reported in patients undergoing therapy with GPIIb/IIIa antagonists and re...
Background: Running economy and performance in middle distance running depend on several physiolo... more Background: Running economy and performance in middle distance running depend on several physiological factors, which include anthropometric variables, functional characteristics, training volume and intensity. Since little information is available about hematological predictors of middle distance running time, we investigated whether some hematological parameters may be associated with middle distance running performance in a large sample of recreational runners.
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequent causes of cancer related deaths w... more Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequent causes of cancer related deaths worldwide. Recently, the use of cell-free DNA as diagnostic tools to identify cancer has been investigated. The aim of this work was to assess whether circulating DNA could be considered a useful marker for detection of early stage CRC and polyps. Methods: A total of 118 patients with CRC were included in the study along with 49 patients with colorectal polyps and 26 control subjects. Cell-free DNA was quantified using a real-time TaqMan-polymerase chain reaction assay. Nonparametric tests (Mann-Whitney test and Spearman correlation) were utilized for statistical analysis. Results: Serum DNA concentrations were significantly higher in CRC patients and patients with polyps (median value 105.0 ng/mL and 40.0 ng/mL) compared with controls (median value 14.0 ng/mL; p-0.05). Although carcinoembryonic antigen was above the cut-off in only 13/66 (19.7%) patients with early stage CRC, serum free DNA showed values above the threshold identified using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis in 53/66 (80.3%) patients. Conclusions: Our data confirm that serum DNA concentrations are significantly increased in CRC patients with early stage disease and in patients with polyps. This marker might be useful for identifying high-risk individuals.
La Rivista Italiana della Medicina di Laboratorio - Italian Journal of Laboratory Medicine, 2014
Background. Increased values of mean platelet volume (MPV) are frequently observed in patients wi... more Background. Increased values of mean platelet volume (MPV) are frequently observed in patients with cardiovascular disorders. Limited data is available on the relationship between platelet size and plasma lipids in general populations. Methods. We retrieved results of platelet count, MPV and plasma lipids performed on a whole cohort of unselected outpatients. Cumulative results were retrieved for 4.691 outpatients.
Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis : an international journal in haemostasis and thrombosis, Jan 11, 2015
Biological variability is an important aspect for appropriate interpretation of hemostasis testin... more Biological variability is an important aspect for appropriate interpretation of hemostasis testing, but unreliable evidence has been provided to date regarding the effect of different postures on first-line clotting tests such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and fibrinogen. Variation of APTT, PT and fibrinogen was therefore investigated in 19 healthy volunteers after 25 min in supine position, 20 min in sitting position and 20 min stationary standing in upright position. The change from supine to sitting position caused a significant decrease of PT and a significant increase of fibrinogen. The variation of fibrinogen exceeded the quality specifications for bias. The change from supine to standing position caused a significant bias in all the parameters tested, with a decrease of PT and an increase of fibrinogen that exceeded the quality specifications for bias. The change from sitting to standing position also caused a significant bias in all t...
Although recent advances in circulating DNA analysis allow the prediction of tumor genomes by non... more Although recent advances in circulating DNA analysis allow the prediction of tumor genomes by noninvasive means, some challenges remain, which limit the widespread introduction of cfDNA in cancer diagnostics. We analyzed the status of the two best characterized colorectal cancer (CRC) genetic and epigenetic alterations in a cohort of CRC patients, and then compared the degree to which the two patterns move from tissue to plasma in order to improve our understanding of biology modulating the concordance between tissues and plasma methylation and mutation profiles.
Seminars in thrombosis and hemostasis, Jan 14, 2015
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a prevalent and life-threatening condition that requires an accur... more Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a prevalent and life-threatening condition that requires an accurate and timely diagnosis. The current diagnostic approach to this condition, entailing an efficient integration of clinical judgment, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory testing, is the result of decades of scientific and medical research. This article aims to present and discuss the major breakthroughs that have occurred in the diagnostic imaging of both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, along with the various biological markers that have emerged from the laboratory bench and which have only marginally migrated to the bedside. Despite decades of research, the current diagnostic armamentarium for an efficient diagnosis of VTE remains suboptimal, and some wiggle room remains for the development of more efficient diagnostic tools, which may include thrombus-targeted molecular imaging, infrared thermal imaging, thrombin generation, and proteomics.
Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD, 2014
Magnesium plays an important role in the modulation of vascular tone and endothelial function and... more Magnesium plays an important role in the modulation of vascular tone and endothelial function and can regulate glucose and lipid metabolism. Patients with hypertension, metabolic syndrome (MetS) and diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have low body magnesium content; indeed, magnesium supplementation has been shown to have a positive effect on blood pressure (BP) and gluco-metabolic parameters. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of magnesium supplements on hemodynamic and metabolic parameters in healthy men with a positive family history of MetS or T2DM. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 8-week crossover trial with a 4 week wash-out period, oral supplements of 8.1 mmol of magnesium-pidolate or placebo were administered twice a day to 14 healthy normomagnesemic participants, aged 23-33 years. The primary endpoint was office BP, measured with a semiautomatic oscillometric device. Secondary endpoints included characteristics of the MetS, namely endothelial function, a...
Despite the relatively low prevalence, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from ca... more Despite the relatively low prevalence, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from cancer among women. As such, an early diagnosis for establishing a timely surgical and/or chemotherapeutic treatment is essential for improving the outcome. The most reliable, but not always straightforward, approach to diagnose ovarian cancer relies on multiple, time-consuming and expensive investigative tools. These typically include clinical presentation (i.e., pelvic or abdominal pain, urinary frequency or urgency, increased abdominal size or bloating) with pelvic examination, transvaginal ultrasonography (US), and measurement of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125). Although the conventional pathway to develop and market a clinically useful biomarker is challenging, recent advances in genomic and proteomic technologies have led to the identification of previously unknown candidate markers of ovarian cancer. Some of these are currently under clinical validation. The human epididymis protei...
Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry, Jan 31, 2015
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer and the third caus... more Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer and the third cause of cancer deaths. The leading predisposing condition is represented by an underlying viral hepatitis, mainly sustained by hepatitis B and C viruses. Since the cumulative risk of developing HCC can be as high as 30-fold in patients with infectious cirrhosis, a timely diagnosis is necessary for establishing an appropriate treatment in these patients. The armamentarium of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in patients with HCC currently entails alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and a limited number of innovative biomarkers, among which squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) and its immune complexes are amongst the most widely investigated. The clinical data published so far and reviewed in this article seemingly suggest that neither total serum SSCA or its isoform 1 (i.e., SCCA1) may be ready for the prime time for management of patients with HCC. More interesting evidence has emerged from studie...
The efficient diagnosis and accurate monitoring of diabetic patients are cornerstones for reducin... more The efficient diagnosis and accurate monitoring of diabetic patients are cornerstones for reducing the risk of diabetic complications. The current diagnostic and prognostic strategies in diabetes are mainly based on two tests, plasma (or capillary) glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Nevertheless, these measures are not foolproof, and their clinical usefulness is biased by a number of clinical and analytical factors. The introduction of other indices of glucose homeostasis in clinical practice such as fructosamine and glycated albumin (GA) may be regarded as an attractive alternative, especially in patients in whom the measurement of HbA1c may be biased or even unreliable. These include patients with rapid changes of glucose homeostasis and larger glycemic excursions, and patients with red blood cell disorders and renal disease. According to available evidence, the overall diagnostic efficiency of GA seems superior to that of fructosamine throughout a broad range of clinical se...
Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine : CCLM / FESCC, Jan 20, 2014
Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal myeloid disorders characterized by the... more Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal myeloid disorders characterized by the overproduction of mature blood cells. The pathogenetic hallmark of MPNs is the dysregulation of JAK-STAT signaling, usually associated with the JAK2 V617F mutation. Multiple additional genetic and epigenetic alterations that constitutively activate the JAK-STAT signaling pathway have been described, including the modulation of the microRNAs (miRs) expression levels. The aims of our study were to investigate JAK2 V617F mutation allele burden and miR-143 expression levels in MPNs patients and to investigate the correlation between these genetic signatures and hematological parameters. Methods: In total 78 patients with a clinical diagnosis of polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM), made according to the WHO 2008 criteria, were included in the study. Twenty healthy subjects were checked as controls. Quantification of JAK2 V617F mutation and...
International journal of laboratory hematology, Jan 13, 2014
The potential cross-contamination of additives between primary blood tubes is a well-known proble... more The potential cross-contamination of additives between primary blood tubes is a well-known problem during sample collection. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of citrated blood contamination with different amounts of dipotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetic (K2 EDTA blood) on activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and fibrinogen. Blood was collected from 15 ostensibly healthy volunteers into four 0.109 m citrate blood tubes followed by one K2 EDTA blood tube. The citrate tubes of each subject were pooled and divided in five aliquots. The whole blood of the K2 EDTA tube was then added in scalar amounts to autologous citrated blood aliquots, to obtain K2 EDTA contamination ranging from 0% to 43%, and thus mimic potential pre-analytical contamination. A statistically and clinically significant prolongation was observed for both APTT and PT between 29% and 43% K2 EDTA contamination, whereas the decrease of fibrinogen values became statistically a...
Atherothrombosis is a preventable and multifaceted pathological disorder whose pathogenesis invol... more Atherothrombosis is a preventable and multifaceted pathological disorder whose pathogenesis involves a large number of biological pathways such as lipid and hormonal metabolism, inflammation, and hemostasis. Although it has been known for a long time that atherosclerosis has a sizable hereditary component, research in the field of genetics of cardiovascular disease is still ongoing, with doubts often outweighing certainties. A large amount of evidence gathered so far allows to identify at least 5 potential important pathways that can be specifically targeted by genetic studies--lipoprotein metabolism, inflammation, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, platelet function, blood coagulation, and fibrinolysis. Owing to a large number of published studies that have investigated the role of genetic polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of atherothrombosis and its complications, in this review, we focused on data emerging from meta‑analyses. The available evidence suggests that some selec...
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common among the severe cardiac arrhythmias and carries a si... more Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common among the severe cardiac arrhythmias and carries a significant risk of mortality and morbidity in the general population. The most important complication is represented by development of one or more thrombi in the left atrium of the dyskinetic heart, and their successive cerebral and peripheral embolization. The pathophysiological basis of the thromboembolic complications in AF entails the presence of a hypercoagulable state, which is mirrored by increased concentrations of a variety of prothrombotic markers. D-dimer is universally considered the gold standard among the various biomarkers that reflect activation of coagulation, fibrinolysis, or both, and several studies have assessed its diagnostic and prognostic role in AF. With a few exceptions and despite a broad heterogeneity in the study designs, published data seem to demonstrate that D-dimer values may be associated with the presence of atrial thrombosis, may be predictive of primar...
Tumour-released DNA in blood represents a promising biomarker for cancer detection. Although epig... more Tumour-released DNA in blood represents a promising biomarker for cancer detection. Although epigenetic alterations such as aberrant promoter methylation represent an appealing perspective, the discordance existing between frequencies of alterations found in DNA extracted from tumour tissue and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has challenged their practical clinical application. With the aim to explain this bias of agreement, we investigated whether protocadherin 10 (PCDH10) promoter methylation in tissue was associated with methylation pattern in matched cfDNA isolated from plasma of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), and whether the strength of concordance may depend on levels of cfDNA, integrity index, as well as on different clinical-pathological features. A quantitative methylation-specific PCR was used to analyse a selected CpG site in the PCDH10 promoter of 67 tumour tissues, paired normal mucosae, and matched plasma samples. The cfDNA integrity index and cfDNA concentration were as...
The human glycoprotein (GP)IIb/IIIa belongs to a large family of cation-dependent adhesion molecu... more The human glycoprotein (GP)IIb/IIIa belongs to a large family of cation-dependent adhesion molecules known as integrins, which share a common heterodimeric structure. The primary function of GPIIb/IIIa is to aid platelet aggregation by transmitting bidirectional signals across the plasma membrane. Since the GPIIb/IIIa receptor is among the key integrins involved in platelet aggregation and, therefore, thrombus formation, the development of GPIIb/IIIa antagonists (e.g., abciximab, eptifibatide and tirofiban) has become an attractive strategy for antiplatelet therapy with an expected strong and specific effect. All three drugs are administered intravenously, and large-scale clinical trials have demonstrated a clear clinical benefit and good safety profile in high-risk patients, especially those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. However, the adverse events related to thrombosis or bleeding are still reported in patients undergoing therapy with GPIIb/IIIa antagonists and re...
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Papers by Elisa Danese