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S100 proteins are demonstrated to exert a protective role in the gastrointestinal tract. In the present study, we investigated whether S100B protein, that is typically expressed by enteroglial cells, is detectable in feces and could be a useful noninvasive indicator of gut chronic inflammation.This clinical prospective study included n=48 patients suffering Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) and non IBD-controls. The clinical disease activity was evaluated using Harvey-Bradshaw or Mayo Score Index while the diagnosis of IBD was defined based on standard endoscopic and histological criteria. S100B and calprotectin were extracted and analyzed using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.Unlike calprotectin, S100B was significantly decreased in both CD and UC compared to non IBD-patients. The strongest quantitative alterations of S100B were detected concomitantly with signs of active or quiescent disease, including high/normal expression of fecal calprotectin, mucosal damage/cryptitis, mucin depletion and inflammatory infiltrate, as defined by endoscopic evaluation and histological analysis. At the onset of disease and under no Infliximab-based therapy, the lowest was detected suggesting that S100B in feces could have a potential diagnostic value for IBD.Testing for S100B and calprotectin could be a useful screening tool to better predict IBD activity.

Applicare appieno i principi del gender main-streaming, in accordo alle indicazioni della Comunità Europea, alla tutela della salute e sicurezza nei luoghi di lavoro significa in pratica rivedere tutti gli aspetti della prevenzione sotto l'ottica di genere, vale a dire tenendo in considerazione le differenze di sesso e di genere tra lavoratori e lavoratrici non solo come determinanti della salute, ma ancor più nel caso specifico come determinanti del rischio. In questo passaggio evolutivo il ruolo del medico competente è particolarmente importante. In questo lavoro vengono proposti alcuni strumenti operativi che possono concretamente implementare l'ottica di genere nei diversi ambiti della prevenzione, nei quali il medico competente ha un ruolo di primo piano, se non esclusivo, quali la valutazione dei rischi, la formazione e la sorveglianza sanitaria.

Background: Biological reference values (RVs) explore the relationships between humans and their environment and habits. RVs are fundamental in the environmental field for assessing illnesses possibly associated with environmental pollution, and also in the occupational field, especially in the absence of established biological or environmental limits. Objectives: The Italian Society for Reference Values (SIVR) determined to test criteria and procedures for the definition of RVs to be used in the environmental and occupational fields. Methods: The paper describes the SIVR methodology for defining RVs of xenobiotics and their metabolites. Aspects regarding the choice of population sample, the quality of analytical data, statistical analysis and control of variability factors are considered. The simultaneous interlaboratory circuits involved can be expected to increasingly improve the quality of the analytical data. Results: Examples of RVs produced by SIVR are presented. In particular, levels of chromium, mercury, ethylenethiourea, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol, 2,5-hexanedione, 1-hydroxypyrene and t,t-muconic acid measured in urine and expressed in micrograms/g creatinine (µg/g creat) or micrograms/L (µg/L) are reported. Conclusions: With the proposed procedure, SIVR intends to make its activities known to the scientific community in order to increase the number of laboratories involved in the definition of RVs for the Italian population. More research is needed to obtain further RVs in different biological matrices, such as hair, nails and exhaled breath. It is also necessary to update and improve the present reference values and broaden the portfolio of chemicals for which RVs are available. In the near future, SIVR intends to expand its scientific activity by using a multivariate approach for xenobiotics that may have a common origin, and to define RVs separately for children who may be exposed more than adults and be more vulnerable.

Occupational exposure limits and guideline values for the general population proposed for benzene by several international bodies are discussed and compared with the Italian and EU occupational limit values, taking also into account the criteria used for their derivation. Benzene is an environmental pollutant, and the EU guideline value for ambient air is 5 ?g/m3, based on carcinogenic risk. Presently, occupational exposures are greatly reduced, and in many instances close to those of the general population. Consequently, it does not seem to be appropriate to maintain the Italian and the EU occupational exposure limits of 1 ppm (3.2 mg/m3), which are inconsistent with the ALARA principle and not justified by technological constraints. It should be pointed out that, in any case, preventive interventions should be carried out, beyond the compliance with the established limit values, in order to ensure the lowest exposure and by carrying out biological monitoring as a tool to verify the appropriateness of risk management measures.

European Commission, H2020 [101016167]; Regional Health Authority (Azienda Zero), Veneto Region, Italy; Health Research Institute of Asturias (ISPA), Spain, Porru S, Monaco MGL, Spiteri G, Carta A, Pezzani MD, Lippi G, Gibellini D, Tacconelli E, Dalla Vecchia I, Sala E, Sansone E, De Palma G, Bonfanti C, Lombardo M, Terlenghi L, Pira E, Mansour I, Coggiola M, Ciocan C, Godono A, Tardon A, Rodriguez-Suarez MM, Fernandez-Tardon G, Jimeno-Demuth FJ, Castro-Delgado RV, Iglesias Cabo T, Scapellato ML, Liviero F, Moretto A, Mason P, Pavanello S, Volpin A, Vimercati L, Tafuri S, De Maria L, Sponselli S, Stefanizzi P, Caputi A, Gobba F, Modenese A, Casolari L, Garavini D, D'Elia C, Mariani S, Filon FL, Cegolon L, Negro C, Ronchese F, Rui F, De Michieli P, Murgia N, Dell'Omo M, Muzi G, Fiordi T, Gambelunghe A, Folletti I, Mates D, Calota VC, Neamtu A, Perseca O, Staicu CA, Voinoiu A, Fabiánová E, Bérešová J, Adamčáková ZK, Nedela R, Lesňáková A, Holčíková J, Boffetta P, Abedini M, Ditano G, Asafo SS, Visci G, Violante FS, Zunarelli C, Verlato G

A literature review was performed to highlight which work-related diseases express sex/gender differences in health outcomes and focus the main limits of studies in this field.The research, carried out on PubMed by specific search string, identified 4828 articles (1997-2017 period) of which 381 are eligible for review (4-22%, depending on the disease).Among them, 68% reported sex/gender differences in health outcomes, which in most cases appear to be due to different exposure and/or work segregation rather than to biological differences. However, few studies place this assessment among the research goals and results are almost never discussed and hypothesis are seldom formulated about any observed differences.It seems necessary to use research methodologies and study design that can detect and explain the described complexity and useful in defining appropriate preventive strategies.È stata condotta una revisione della letteratura per evidenziare quali tra le patologie lavoro-correlate esprimano differenze di sesso/genere negli outcome di salute e focalizzare i principali limiti degli studi in tale ambito. La ricerca, effettuata su PubMed mediante stringa specifica, ha identificato 4828 articoli (periodo 1997-2017) di cui 381 eleggibili ai fini della revisione (4-22% a seconda della patologia). Tra questi, il 68% hanno evidenziato differenze di sesso/genere negli outcome di salute che nella maggior parte dei casi sembrano dovute ad una diversa esposizione e/o ad una segregazione lavorativa, piuttosto che a differenze biologiche. Pochi studi tuttavia pongono tale valutazione tra gli obiettivi della ricerca e i risultati non vengono quasi mai discussi e raramente vengono formulate ipotesi sulle eventuali differenze osservate. Appare necessario utilizzare metodologie di ricerca e disegni degli studi in grado di rilevare e spiegare la complessità descritta e utili a definire adeguate strategie preventive.

In this paper we have defined the new biomarkers of exposure (NBE) as those biomarkers discovered in the last five years and, among previously validated biomarkers, also those applied in different ranges of doses or those determined in biological matrices which differ from matrices originally considered. We examined the results from the surveys carried out by the main Italian research units involved in biological monitoring, i.e. those from the Universities of Brescia, Milan, Naples, Padua, Parma, Pavia, Turin and Verona. The data were collected using a standardized model and included the following: type of element or organic compound, type of biomarker, analytical technique and method, their relationship with environmental monitoring data, their relationship with effect indicators or effects in general, improvement with respect to old biomarkers, reference values. Twenty two NBEs were identified: 14 elements and chemical compounds as such or as metabolites, 4 examples of mixtures, 3 of new matrices, one of speciation. Among the others, aspects such as interest in requiring NBE, quality assurance, availability, cost-benefit ratio were discussed. We conclude that development of this specific field of research appears to be a crucial point for future improvement in risk assessment and health surveillance procedures.