Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Cell Death Discov 2020 Nov 26;6(1):131. Epub 2020 Nov 26.

Torvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TOR, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy.

The development of the sequencing technologies allowed the generation of huge amounts of molecular data from a single cancer specimen, allowing the clinical oncology to enter the era of the precision medicine. This massive amount of data is highlighting new details on cancer pathogenesis but still relies on tissue biopsies, which are unable to capture the dynamic nature of cancer through its evolution. This assumption led to the exploration of non-tissue sources of tumoral material opening the field of liquid biopsies. Read More

Nutrients 2020 Jun 19;12(6). Epub 2020 Jun 19.

Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.

Plant lignans and their microbial metabolites, e.g., enterolactone (ENL), may affect bile acid (BA) metabolism through interaction with hepatic receptors. Read More

Int J Med Microbiol 2020 Apr 17;310(3):151401. Epub 2020 Jan 17.

Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address:

Whole-genome sequencing has enabled detailed studies on bacterial evolution during infection, but there is limited knowledge on intraclonal variation. In this study, we sought to provide a snapshot of the intraclonal diversity of Escherichia coli as both commensal in the faecal environment and pathogen during urinary tract infection, respectively. This was performed by whole-genome sequencing and analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gene-content variation in ten isolates belonging to the same clone and isolated from rectal swabs or urine samples. Read More

Acta Trop 2019 Nov 16;199:105150. Epub 2019 Aug 16.

Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

The point-of-care strip assay for the detection of the schistosome Circulating Cathodic Antigen (POC-CCA) in urine has shown to be a user-friendly and sensitive alternative to stool microscopy for the diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni infections. However, visual scoring of the test is by definition observer dependent and leads to discussion about the qualitative interpretation, in particular in low intensity infections when test lines tend to be weak. In order to standardise visual scoring, an innovative approach for semi-quantitative interpretation of the POC-CCA cassettes, called G-scores, was developed and evaluated. Read More

Nanoscale Res Lett 2019 Mar 5;14(1):79. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

Institute of Nano Biomedicine and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Instrument for Diagnosis and Therapy, Thin Film and Microfabrication Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electronical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China.

Up to date, the way in which metal nanoparticles are cleared in vivo has yet to be elucidated well. Herein, we report a novel intestinal goblet cell-mediated in vivo clearance pathway to remove metal nanoparticles. Typical metal nanoparticles such as triangular silver nanoplates, magnetic nanoparticles, gold nanorods, and gold nanoclusters were selected as representative examples. Read More

Front Immunol 2018 14;9:2635. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.

Traditional microscopic examination of urine or stool for schistosome eggs lacks sensitivity compared to measurement of schistosome worm-derived circulating antigens in serum or urine. The ease and non-invasiveness of urine collection makes urine an ideal sample for schistosome antigen detection. In this study several user-friendly, lateral-flow (LF) based urine assays were evaluated against a composite reference that defined infection as detection of either eggs in urine or anodic antigen in serum. Read More

Int J Pharm 2018 May 8;543(1-2):73-82. Epub 2018 Mar 8.

Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy.

This study reports novel food-grade granules for co-delivery of L. plantarum 299v and a standardized extract of Olea europaea leaves (Phenolea®) as oral carrier of probiotics and hydroxytyrosol. Different granule formulations containing either L. Read More

Anal Chem 2017 07 5;89(14):7569-7577. Epub 2017 Jul 5.

Glasgow Polyomics, University of Glasgow , Glasgow G61 1HQ, United Kingdom.

In untargeted metabolomics approaches, the inability to structurally annotate relevant features and map them to biochemical pathways is hampering the full exploitation of many metabolomics experiments. Furthermore, variable metabolic content across samples result in sparse feature matrices that are statistically hard to handle. Here, we introduce MS2LDA+ that tackles both above-mentioned problems. Read More

Virol J 2016 Jun 10;13:97. Epub 2016 Jun 10.

Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Via dell'Istria 65, 34137, Trieste, Italy.

Background: The novel Malawi polyomavirus (MWPyV) was initially detected in stool specimens from healthy children and children with gastrointestinal symptoms, mostly diarrhea, indicating that MWPyV might play a role in human gastroenteric diseases. Recently, MWPyV sequences were additionally identified in respiratory secretions from both healthy and acutely ill children suggesting that MWPyV may have a tropism for different human tissues. This study was designed to investigate the possible sites of latency/persistence for MWPyV in a cohort of healthy Italian children. Read More

Autism Res 2016 07 6;9(7):752-9. Epub 2015 Oct 6.

Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy.

The uremic toxin p-cresol (4-methylphenol) is either of environmental origin or can be synthetized from tyrosine by cresol-producing bacteria present in the gut lumen. Elevated p-cresol amounts have been previously found in the urines of Italian and French autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children up until 8 years of age, and may be associated with autism severity or with the intensity of abnormal behaviors. This study aims to investigate the mechanism producing elevated urinary p-cresol in ASD. Read More

J Clin Virol 2015 Aug 19;69:30-2. Epub 2015 May 19.

Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, 2901 Caolang Road, Jinshan 201508 Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Background: The clinical features of avian-origin influenza virus A (H7N9) virus infection have been extensively characterized, but viral RNA detection in extra-pulmonary samples has seldom been studied.

Objectives: To study shedding of viral RNA in extra pulmonary samples in patients with avian influenza H7N9 infections.

Study Design: A retrospective study of throat swabs, urine, fecal samples and sera collected sequentially from 18 hospitalized patients with H7N9 infections in Shanghai, China, between April and July in 2013 was conducted. Read More

J Inflamm (Lond) 2015 20;12. Epub 2015 Jan 20.

Institute for Tropical Medicine, University Clinics Tübingen, Wilhelmstraße 27, 72074 Tübingen, Germany ; Institut National d'Hygiène - Onchocerciasis Reference Laboratory, Sokodé, Togo.

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa poly-parasite infections are frequently observed in children, and with poly-parasitism modulating immune mechanisms, mediated by cytokines and chemokines, are required to prevent overwhelming inflammation and host tissue damage. We analyzed in children co-infected with helminthes and protozoan parasites their cellular production of regulatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in response to parasite antigens and allergens.

Methods: Intestinal and intravascular parasite infections were detected in stool and urines samples. Read More

Food Environ Virol 2015 Mar 19;7(1):41-8. Epub 2014 Nov 19.

Centre de Recherche en Sciences Biologiques, Alimentaires et Nutritionnelles, CRSBAN/UFR-SVT, Université de Ouagadougou, 03 BP 7131, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso,

Urine from urine-diversion toilets (UDTs) is routinely used as fertilizer for urban agriculture in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Because urine from UDTs can be accidentally spoiled by feces, we determined whether virulent enteric viruses could persist in urine that is used for agricultural purposes and pose a threat to human health. Urine samples (N = 60) were first collected from 42 UDTs during the months of January and February 2012 in Ouagadougou and screened negative for the presence of norovirus (NoV) and group A rotavirus (RV). Read More

J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2014 Dec;99(12):4632-40

Department of Epidemiology (B.J.F.), Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205; Divisions of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (B.J.F., R.F., N.H.G., J.J.G.) and Cancer Prevention (R.F.), National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9704; Institute for Health Research (H.S.F.), Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver, Colorado 80231; Cancer Research Technology Program (X.X.), Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702; and Institute for Genome Sciences (J.R.), University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201.

Context: The gut microbiota may influence the risk of breast cancer through effects on endogenous estrogens.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate whether urinary estrogens and estrogen metabolites are associated with the diversity and composition of the fecal microbiome.

Design And Setting: This was a cross-sectional study among women enrolled in Kaiser Permanente of Colorado. Read More

Xenobiotica 2015 Jan 31;45(1):71-8. Epub 2014 Jul 31.

Center of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing , People's Republic of China and.

1. 1-Triacontanol (TA) recently shows promising anti-tumor activity. The present study was aimed to develop a sensitive gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to explore the pharmacokinetic profiles, distribution and excretion of TA in Sprague-Dawley rats after oral administration of TA. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2013 12;2013:527418. Epub 2013 Dec 12.

Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy ; Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Medical Genetics, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.

We have previously demonstrated that intraperitoneal injections of 2'-O-methyl-phosphorothioate (2'OMePS) antisense oligoribonucleotides adsorbed onto a cationic core-shell nanoparticles (NPs), termed ZM2, provoke dystrophin restoration in the muscles of mdx mice. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the oral route as an alternative way of administration for ZM2-antisense oligoribonucleotides complexes. The biodistribution and elimination of nanoparticles were evaluated after single and multiple oral doses of IR-dye conjugated nanoparticles. Read More

J Chromatogr A 2013 Aug 3;1301:111-21. Epub 2013 Jun 3.

Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.

Due to their growth-promoting effects, the use of synthetic glucocorticoids is strictly regulated in the European Union (Council Directive 2003/74/EC). In the frame of the national control plans, which should ensure the absence of residues in food products of animal origin, in recent years, a higher frequency of prednisolone positive bovine urines has been observed. This has raised questions with respect to the stability of natural corticoids in the respective urine samples and their potential to be transformed into synthetic analogs. Read More

Zoonoses Public Health 2014 Mar 10;61(2):105-12. Epub 2013 May 10.

Queensland Paediatric Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Children's Health Queensland Hospitals and Health Service , The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.

Q fever is a vaccine-preventable disease; despite this, high annual notification numbers are still recorded in Australia. We have previously shown seroprevalence in Queensland metropolitan regions is approaching that of rural areas. This study investigated the presence of nucleic acid from Coxiella burnetii, the agent responsible for Q fever, in a number of animal and environmental samples collected throughout Queensland, to identify potential sources of human infection. Read More

Food Funct 2013 Jul 25;4(7):1032-9. Epub 2013 Feb 25.

Instituto en Formación de Nutrición Animal, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Camino del Jueves s/n, 18100, Armilla, Granada, Spain.

Our aim was to investigate carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) intake and excretion after feeding rats with diets containing advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) from bread crust (BC) or its soluble or insoluble fractions, and to identify the factors responsible for the effects observed. CML in serum and different tissues was measured to detect possible accumulations. For 88 days, weanling rats were fed with either a control diet or one containing BC, or its soluble low molecular weight (LMW), soluble high molecular weight (HMW) or insoluble fractions. Read More

Br J Biomed Sci 2008 ;65(4):191-4

Department of Medical Microbiology, Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn BB2 3HH, UK.

Selective screening media for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria are needed to guide antibiotic therapy and institute appropriate infection control measures. This study evaluates a selective cefpodoxime-incorporated chromogenic agar (CCA) medium for the detection of ESBLs from clinical specimens. The medium was formulated specifically for this study. Read More

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2008 Nov 8;26(3):272-7. Epub 2008 Jun 8.

Guang dong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics, Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China.

The concentration of enrofloxacin and its metabolite, ciprofloxacin, in feces and urines were investigated in healthy pigs after oral administration (p.o.) of a single dose of 5. Read More

Radiother Oncol 2008 Dec 21;89(3):353-60. Epub 2008 Jul 21.

Centre for Molecular Imaging and Experimental Radiotherapy, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.

Background And Purpose: [18F]-EF3 allows non-invasive detection of hypoxia. In the framework of its validation, we aimed at comparing its pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, metabolism and specificity for hypoxia with the hypoxia tracer [18F]-FMISO.

Materials And Methods: C3H mice were injected IV with 3. Read More

Bull Soc Pathol Exot 2007 May;100(2):119-23

Université d'Abidjan-Cocody, Côte d'lvoire.

Regional and national epidemiological data being not available for coherent and efficient control strategies, the identification of high risk zones of schistosomiasis was set up in 5 regions of Côte d'lvoire in April 1999. The inquiry was conducted by questionnaire in 1291 primary schools including 119624 pupils. After less than 2 months, the results revealed blood in urines and in stools in respectively 22035 (18. Read More

J Pharm Biomed Anal 2007 Feb 9;43(3):1065-77. Epub 2006 Oct 9.

Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Mereside, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4TG, UK.

The subject of this study was the determination of the major urinary and biliary metabolites of [(14)C]-ZD6126 following i.v. administration to female and male bile duct cannulated rats at 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, respectively, and male bile duct cannulated dogs at 6 mg/kg by HPLC-NMR spectroscopy. Read More

Rev Med Interne 2006 Aug 13;27(8):595-9. Epub 2006 Jun 13.

Service de médecine interne, hôpital Ambroise-Paré, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

Objective: The clinical presentation of acute schistosomiasis in travellers differs from those observed with chronic schistosomiasis in people from endemic areas. The objective of this study is to describe the main clinical and biological characteristics of the acute schistosomiasis in French travellers.

Methods: Retrospective study conducted in 42 hospital laboratories of parasitology in France, based on a questionnaire filled out for each case of schistosomiasis diagnosed in subjects non-originating from an endemic country and returning from of a stay in Africa, between 2000 and 2004. Read More

Pediatr Infect Dis J 2004 Nov;23(11):1055-6

Department of Microbiology, Miyagi University, Sendai, Japan.

To investigate the transmission route of Helicobacter pylori, stool specimens of 50 infants 3 days old were studied by a stool antigen immunoassay and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). By PCR, H. pylori DNA was detected in 15 neonates (30%). Read More

Bacteriol Virusol Parazitol Epidemiol 2003 Apr-Sep;48(2-3):130-4

U.M.F. Timişoara, Disciplina de Microbiologie.

In order to analyse the evolution of the sensitivity to antibiotics of same strains with nosocomial potential such as Klebsiella isolated in a hospital, we took into study a number of 976 samples, collected in a new-born care department of the "Dr. D. Popescu" hospital Timişoara. Read More

Rev Med Liege 2004 Feb;59(2):106-9

CHR hutois, Service de Dermatologie, Huy.

Diaper dermatitis is a frequent condition. Several clinical types are distinguished. The most frequent type results from increased fragility of the newborn buttock skin when covered by diapers. Read More

Bull Soc Pathol Exot 2004 Feb;97(1):47-52

Institut de recherche en sciences de la santé, 03 BP 7047, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso, through the works of many teams of the OCCGE based in Bobo-Dioulasso, has signi-ficant data on several tropical endemics of which schistosomiasis. With the complementary works, it appears to be possible to establish a distribution of the schistosomiasis which reveals its importance. It will be the first stage of the planned national control program. Read More

Rinsho Byori 2003 Nov;51(11):1150-3

Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1247.

Education of clinical laboratory medicine in the medical course of Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine is described. It include lectures (90 min, 15 times) for the 4th grade students and practices for the 5th grade students (one week/2 w, 16 times) and for the 6th grade students (one week/2 w, 4-5 times). In the practice course of 5th grade students, subjects concerning preanalytical issues have been employed to understand the importance. Read More