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The Cynara germplasm has a lack of information, most populations have not been characterised and many of them, taking their name from the cultivation area, has synonymy. In the frame of the European project CYNARES, sponsored by the AGRGENRES programme, European Cynara accessions have been characterize at morphological, biochemical, and molecular level. Moreover, disease resistance and post-harvest behaviour and industrial-food processes ability with regard to quality and safety objectives are studied. The Morphological characterization was carried out in different fields/countries since Cynara germplasm belonging to different typologies have different environmental requirements. The descriptors, developed by IPGRI and UPOV were used. So doing the descriptor will be also validate. The reaction of Italian accessions of artichoke and cardoon to artificial inoculation with Italian isolates of V. dahliae is under evaluation. The experimental design consist of three randomised blocks with 30 plants per clone. The more promising material is also tested for fresh handling and minimal processing. For giving an added value to selected whole intact and to minimally processed ready-to-eat artichoke products, high organoleptic qualities of raw material must be accompanied by an enough postharvest shelf-life of the fresh and ready to eat commodity. On the core collection a biochemical characterization of the different artichoke/cardoon genotypes is performed by evaluating the head content of polyphenols (mono- and di-caffeoylquinic acids and flavonoids), sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose) and fructans (inulin). Molecular characterization has been conducted on an European Core collection constituted by 556 genotypes, utilizing markers of different typologies (AFLP, ISSR, SSR). Molecular data fingerprint the single lines and made easier their registration/patent. Moreover, molecular data gave information on the genetic structure European Cynara material. rhe characterization is fundamentals to rationalize the European germplasm. Further cluster malysis obtained with different characterization data will be utilized to choose within in cluster some genotype to be considered in the Core collection.

BACKGROUND: During inflammation, activated vascular endothelial cells and other cell types express various adhesion molecules, which facilitate the binding of circulating leukocytes and their extravasation in surrounding tissue (i.e. renal tissue). The serum concentration of circulating soluble adhesion molecules is supposed to reflect the degree of this activation. OBJECTIVE: In the first part of the study, we determined if the serum levels of the soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1 and the soluble endothelial cell-leukocyte adhesion molecule (sELAM)-1, in patients affected by microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), associated with myeloperoxidase (MPO)-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), were related to the active and the inactive vasculitis phase. In the second part of the study, we examined the changes in circulating sICAM-1 and sELAM-1 levels and the clinical outcome of renal function in these patients. METHODS: We examined 20 MPO-ANCA-positive MPA patients in an acute phase and in a remission phase, after 6 months of treatment, and 50 subjects as controls, 30 with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in stable chronic renal failure (CRF) and 20 healthy volunteers (HS) with normal renal function. RESULTS: Regarding serum creatinine (Cr) concentration, no significant differences were found comparing active and inactive phases in the MPA group and the CRF group. Mean serum adhesion molecule levels in the MPA group were higher in the active phase compared to the inactive phase and to the CRF and HS groups. In addition, considering the outcome of serum Cr concentrations in the MPA group, the serum adhesion molecule levels were higher and decreased more slowly in patients with final high serum Cr concentrations than in patients with final normal serum Cr concentrations. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that in MPO-ANCA-positive MPA patients, higher sICAM-1 and sELAM-1 levels during the active phase and their slower decline during the treatment period, could be a prognostic risk factor for CRF development.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive loss of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons and the presence of cytoplasmic inclusions named Lewy bodies. Two missense mutations of the alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn; A30P and A53T) have been described in several families with an autosomal dominant form of PD. alpha-Syn also constitutes one of the main components of Lewy bodies in sporadic cases of PD. To develop an animal model of PD, lentiviral vectors expressing different human or rat forms of alpha-syn were injected into the substantia nigra of rats. In contrast to transgenic mice models, a selective loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons associated with a dopaminergic denervation of the striatum was observed in animals expressing either wild-type or mutant forms of human alpha-syn. This neuronal degeneration correlates with the appearance of abundant alpha-syn-positive inclusions and extensive neuritic pathology detected with both alpha-syn and silver staining. Lentiviral-mediated expression of wild-type or mutated forms of human alpha-syn recapitulates the essential neuropathological features of PD. Rat alpha-syn similarly leads to protein aggregation but without cell loss, suggesting that inclusions are not the primary cause of cell degeneration in PD. Viral-mediated genetic models may contribute to elucidate the mechanism of alpha-syn-induced cell death and allow the screening of candidate therapeutic molecules.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a progressive loss of midbrain dopamine neurons and the presence of cytoplasmic inclusions called Lewy bodies. Mutations in several genes including alpha-synuclein and parkin have been linked to familial PD. The loss of parkin's E3-ligase activity leads to dopaminergic neuronal degeneration in early-onset autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism, suggesting a key role of parkin for dopamine neuron survival. To evaluate the potential neuroprotective role of parkin in the pathogenesis of PD, we tested whether overexpression of wild-type rat parkin could protect against the toxicity of mutated human A30P alpha-synuclein in a rat lentiviral model of PD. Animals overexpressing parkin showed significant reductions in alpha-synuclein-induced neuropathology, including preservation of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cell bodies in the substantia nigra and sparing of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive nerve terminals in the striatum. The parkin-mediated neuroprotection was associated with an increase in hyperphosphorylated alpha-synuclein inclusions, suggesting a key role for parkin in the genesis of Lewy bodies. These results indicate that parkin gene therapy may represent a promising candidate treatment for PD.

SummaryBackgroundEpidemiologic studies have demonstrated that elderly patients with fixed airflow obstruction can be affected by asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).MethodsWe studied 49 consecutive elderly outpatients, presenting fixed airflow obstruction, by clinical history (smoking), pulmonary function tests, blood gas analysis, and induced sputum.ResultsThe age was not different in patients with COPD (n=28) and asthma (n=21) (70.2±3.9 years vs. 69.6±3.7 years), also the degree of fixed airflow obstruction was similar (FEV1: 58.3±1.5% vs. 59.0±1.4% of predicted). Patients with asthma had significantly more eosinophils in peripheral blood (0.43±0.05×10−3μL vs. 0.27±0.1×10−3μL, P

In vitro and in vivo clinical and experimental data have suggested that leukotrienes play a key role in inflammatory reactions of the skin. Antileukotriene drugs, i.e. leukotriene receptor antagonists and synthesis inhibitors, are a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs that have shown clinical efficacy in the management of asthma. We searched the MedLine database and carried out a manual search on journals specializing in allergy and dermatology for the use of antileukotriene drugs in urticaria. Montelukast might be effective in chronic urticaria associated with aspirin or food additive hypersensitivity or with autoreactivity to intradermal serum injection when taken with an antihistamine but not in moderate chronic idiopathic urticaria. Evidence for the effectiveness of zafirlukast and the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, zileuton, in chronic urticaria is mainly anecdotal. In addition, there is anecdotal evidence of effectiveness of antileukotrienes in primary cold urticaria, delayed pressure urticaria and dermographism. No evidence exists for other physical urticarias, including cholinergic, solar and aquagenic urticarias, vibratory angio-oedema, and exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

Introduction: The significance of the association between allergic rhinitis and abnormal airway responsiveness is unclear. For this reason, we have studied, in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, non specific bronchial hyperreactivity, total serum IgE and blood eosinophils, with reference to the responsible allergen, during and out of the pollen season. Materials and methods: Fourty-nine, non-smoking patients, living in Palermo, with clinical diagnosis of allergic rhinitis, skin prick tests and specific serum IgE mono-sensitive to pollen allergens, were enrolled in the study. Twenty patients suffered from seasonal rhinitis to Parietaria pollen, 15 patients to Graminacee pollen and 14 patients to Olea pollen. In all patients lung function measurements (assessed as response to methacholine), total serum IgE and blood eosinophil counts were measured, during and out of the pollen season. Results: During pollen season, 16 out of 49 rhinitis patients demonstrated values of bronchial responsiveness, measured as response to inhaled methacholine, in the asthmatic range (PC20-FEV1 ≤ 1,500 μg/mL), whereas, out of the pollen season, only 8 patients were in the asthmatic range. By analyzing the results with reference to the responsible allergen, during the pollen season, 15 out of 16 patients were Parietaria-sensitive and, out of the pollen season, 7 out of 8 patients. Finally, in Parietaria-sensitive rhinitis, bronchial responsiveness significantly correlated, during and out of the pollen season, with total serum IgE and blood eosinophil counts. Conclusions: The results of this study underline that the percentage of allergic patients to Parietaria with a PC20-FEV1 to methacholine in the asthmatic range is greater to that of allergic patients to Graminacee and Olea. Besides, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that Parietaria is more important than Graminacee and Olea as a risk factor for developing of non specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness, expecially during the pollen season.

BACKGROUND: Corticosteroids are considered to be particularly effective in reducing nasal congestion and are therefore recommended as first-line treatment in allergic rhinitis patients with moderate to severe and/or persistent symptoms. OBJECTIVE: We compared the clinical efficacy of fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray (FPANS) 200 microg given once daily, administered in mono-therapy or combined therapy with a H1 receptor antagonist (cetirizine, CTZ) or with a leukotriene antagonist (montelukast, MSK), and the combined therapy of CTZ plus MSK in the treatment of patients affected by allergic rhinitis to Parietaria during natural pollen exposure. In addition, we examined the effect of the treatment on eosinophil counts and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in nasal lavage performed at beginning of season, during season and at the end of the season. METHODS: One hundred patients aged 12-50 years (mean+/-SD 31.8+/-9.6) with a history of moderate to severe Parietaria pollen-induced seasonal allergic rhinitis were selected. A randomized, double-blind, double dummy, placebo (PLA)-controlled, parallel-group study design was used. Patients were treated FPANS 200 microg once daily (n=20) or with FPANS 200 microg once daily, plus CTZ (10 mg) in the morning (n=20), or with FPANS 200 microg once daily, plus MSK (10 mg) in the evening (n=20) or with CTZ (10 mg) in the morning plus MSK in the evening (n=20) or matched PLA (n=20). Assessment of efficacy was based on scores of daily nasal symptoms and on eosinophil counts and ECP in nasal lavage. RESULTS: All treatments showed significant differences (P

BACKGROUND: H 1 -receptor antagonists are considered to be particularly effective in reducing pruritus, and they are therefore recommended as first-line treatment in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). Recently, antileukotriene receptors have been used in patients with CIU, either administered as monotherapy or combined with H 1 -receptor antagonists. OBJECTIVE: We compared the clinical efficacy of 5 mg of desloratadine administered once daily either as monotherapy or combined with a leukotriene antagonist, 10 mg of montelukast daily, and 10 mg of montelukast administered daily as monotherapy for the treatment of patients affected by CIU with placebo. METHODS: One hundred sixty patients aged 18 to 69 years (mean +/- SD, 43.9 +/- 13.4 years) with a history of moderate CIU were selected. A randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study design was used. Patients were treated with 5 mg of desloratadine once daily (n = 40), 10 mg of montelukast once daily (n = 40), 5 mg of desloratadine (n = 40) in the morning plus montelukast in the evening, or matched placebo (n = 40). Assessment of treatment efficacy was based on scores of daily cutaneous symptoms evaluated reflectively and instantaneously. RESULTS: Only the group treated with desloratadine as monotherapy or as combined therapy concluded the whole study. Twenty-seven of the 40 patients in the montelukast group and 35 of the 40 patients in the placebo group discontinued the treatment. As reflective evaluation, all groups showed significant differences compared with the placebo group in terms of total symptom score, number of hives, and size of largest hive. In addition to the pruritus, only the groups treated with desloratadine as monotherapy or combined therapy showed significant differences compared with those receiving placebo, whereas there were no differences between the montelukast and placebo groups. Finally, no differences were found between the desloratadine group and the desloratadine plus montelukast group. The instantaneous evaluation demonstrated similar results regarding the desloratadine group and the desloratadine plus montelukast group versus the placebo group, whereas there were no significant differences between the group treated with montelukast alone and the placebo group for pruritus and size of largest hive. No differences were found between the group treated with desloratadine alone and the desloratadine plus montelukast group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this comparative study demonstrate that desloratadine is highly effective for the treatment of patients affected by CIU. In addition, the regular combined therapy of desloratadine plus montelukast does not seem to offer a substantial advantage with respect to desloratadine as monotherapy in patients affected by moderate CIU.

SummaryBackgroundDiagnosing asthma cannot be always easy. It is important to consider the validity of the diagnostic tests, and/or how much more commonly they are positive in patients with asthma compared to healthy subjects and, particularly, to patients with asthma-like symptoms.ObjectiveTo evaluate the validity of diagnostic tests for asthma, in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, in patients with bronchial asthma compared to patients affected by gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with asthma-like symptoms, and healthy control subjects without asthma and gastro-oesophageal reflux (GER).DesignSingle-center, cross-sectional, observational study.PatientsWe studied 60 patients with mild asthma, 30 patients with GERD and asthma-like symptoms and 25 healthy control subjects.MeasurementsWe measured provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in the forced expiratory volume in 1s (MCh PC20/FEV1), the amplitude percent mean of peak expiratory flow (A%M of PEF), derived from twice-daily readings for >2 weeks, the FEV1/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio, the eosinophil count in blood and in induced sputum and the serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels.ResultsFEV1/FVC ratio, A%M of PEF, blood eosinophils counts and serum ECP levels were less sensitive and specific when the reference population was composed of patients with asthma-like symptoms by GER. While, MCh PC20/FEV1 and induced sputum eosinophils count were the most sensitive (both 90%) and specific (89% and 92%, respectively) tests.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that MCh PC20/FEV1 and the induced sputum eosinophil count are the most useful objective tests in patients with mild asthma. All patients with asthma presented both an MCh PC20/FEV1 1%.

Food allergy is a common and increasing problem worldwide. The newly-found knowledge might provide novel experimental strategies, especially for laboratory diagnosis. Approximately 20% of the population alters their diet for a perceived adverse reaction to food, but the application of double-blind placebo-controlled oral food challenge, the “gold standard” for diagnosis of food allergy, shows that questionnaire-based studies overestimate the prevalence of food allergies. The clinical disorders determined by adverse reactions to food can be classified on the basis of immunologic or nonimmunologic mechanisms and the organ system or systems affected. Diagnosis of food allergy is based on clinical history, skin prick tests, and laboratory tests to detect serum-food specific IgE, elimination diets and challenges. The primary therapy for food allergy is to avoid the responsible food. Antihistamines might partially relieve oral allergy syndrome and IgE-mediated skin symptoms, but they do not block systemic reactions. Systemic corticosteroids are generally effective in treating chronic IgE-mediated disorders. Epinephrine is the mainstay of treatment for anaphylaxis. Experimental therapies for IgE-mediated food allergy have been evaluated, such as humanized IgG anti-IgE antibodies and allergen specific immunotherapy.

The role of helminths in asthma and/or rhinitis and in allergic sensitization is still unclear. We assessed the relationship between Ascaris-specific IgE, respiratory symptoms and allergic sensitization in Bangladesh immigrants. 246 individuals were examined from 1996 to 2001. Serum total IgE, Ascaris IgE, specific IgE to inhalant allergens, skin prick tests (SPT) and parasitological evaluation of the stool were performed. Total serum IgE were significantly higher in Ascaris-IgE positive (> 0.35 kU/L) individuals (806.5 [409.0–1436.0] kU/L vs. 207.0 [127.0–332.5] kU/L; P < 0.0001) and in subjects with respiratory symptoms (413.0 [239.0–1096.0] kU/L vs. 259.5 [147.0–387.0] kU/L), ( P < 0.0001), but not in SPT positive subjects (413.0 [179.0–894.0] kU/L vs. 404.6 [305.0–1201.0] kU/L ( P= 0.5). Ascaris-specific IgE were detected in 48 subjects with respiratory symptoms (40.0%) and in 46 subjects without respiratory symptoms (36.5%) ( P = 0.5). The SPT positivity was similar between Ascaris-IgE seropositive (38.2%) and Ascaris-IgE seronegative (38.1%) subjects ( P = 0.9). Total IgE and length of stay in Italy correlated with SPT positivity (OR 5.6 [CI 95% 1.5–19.8], P = 0.007, and OR 1.5 [CI 95% 1.3–1.7], P < 0.0001), and with respiratory symptoms (OR 13.7 [CI 95% 3.0–62.4], P = 0.0007, and OR 2.4 [CI 95% 1.9–3.0], P < 0.0001). Ascaris-IgE were negatively associated with SPT positivity (OR 0.3 [CI 95% 0.1–0.8], P = 0.02) and with respiratory symptoms (OR 0.1 [CI 95% 0.04–0.7], P = 0.01). Our findings favour the role of environmental factors in the development of respiratory symptoms in immigrants, irrespective of Ascaris-IgE.

Subjects with rhinitis but without asthma may have coexisting bronchial hyperresponsiveness, although the reasons for this are uncertain. To evaluate the factors that determine BHR in rhinitis we examined 410 patients with symptomatic rhinitis with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) ≥ 80% of the predicted value. In all subjects a skin prick test (SPT) was performed, a determination of total serum IgE and an eosinophils count in the blood. Of the 410 subjects we found that 161 (39.3%) exhibited a methacholine PD20 of 800 mg or less (Group A), whereas 249 (60.7%) had a methacholine PD20 more of 800 mg (Group B). Despite the matched mean values for FEV1 and FVC, compared with Group B, Group A had a lower predicted forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% (FEF25%-75%) (86.7 ± 12.0 vs. 93.7±7.3, P < 0.0001). A great portion of the subjects of the Group A in respect to subjects of the Group B were exposed to passive smoke (37.8% vs. 22.0%, P = 0.0008), reported having mothers with asthma (34.1% vs. 6.0%, P < 0.0001), presented a positive skin prick test (93.7% vs. 67.0%, P < 0.0001), had higher levels of total serum IgE (geometric mean of Log10 2.46 ± 0.27 kU/L vs. 2.06 ± 0.38 kU/L, P < 0.0001) and higher blood eosinophil counts (geometric mean of Log10 2.67 ± 0.07 × 10−3 mL vs. 2.57 ± 0.09 × 10−3 mL, P < 0.0001), and reported increased nasal obstruction (2.0 (95%CI 1.8 to 2.2) vs. 0.6 (95%CI 0.5 to 0.7), P < 0.0001). Logistic regression demonstrates that nasal obstruction (OR 2.19,95%CI 1.72 to 2.80) and the presence of positive SPT (OR 6.15,95%CI 2.42 to 15.61) were the most available predictors to discriminate between subjects with BHR and subjects without BHR. In addition, BHR was positively related to blood eosinophil counts (OR= 2.80, 95%CI 1.54 to 5.07), FEF25%-75% values (OR= 2.72, 95%CI 1.23 to 5.99) and familiarity (mother) for asthma (OR = 2.45, 95%CI 1.10 to 5.46). Whereas passive smoke and total serum IgE were not positively related to BHR. Increased nasal obstruction and the presence of positive SPT were the most available predictors to discriminate between subjects with and without BHR. Finally, BHR was positively related to blood eosinophil counts, FEF25%-75% values and to familiarity (mother) for asthma.