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Land grabbing is a phenomenon that has spread widely over the last two decades and which involves rich and emerging countries and international companies as protagonists in the large-scale acquisition of land in developing countries. Through the development of an econometric model that takes into account the annual size of land grabbing in the African countries, the research aims to understand the main intrinsic factors, linked to the hosting countries, that guide the large-scale acquisition of land by foreign investors. Results show that the presence of a high debt towards foreign organisations, the high availability of virgin lands, the strong vocation of the hosting country for the cultivation of cereals, and the dependence on foreign markets for the supply of food commodities would be some drivers that guide foreign investors to grab land in African countries for the cultivation of agricultural and food crops. In light of the economic, social, and environmental consequences of the phenomenon, the study provides interesting managerial implications for foreign investors and useful political indications for governments and policy-makers, and it lays the groundwork for future research.

The antiproliferative effects of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and of its combination with doxorubicin (DXR) were studied on three tumor cell lines, the mouse B16 melanoma and Friend erythroleukemia and the human K562 erythroleukemia, both as DXR-sensitive (B16, FLC, K562) and resistant (B16-DXR, FLC-DXR, K562-DXR) variants; the latter lines were endowed with typical multidrug resistance (MDR). Growth inhibition by IFN-alpha was greater in B16-DXR and FLC-DXR than in their chemosensitive counterparts and was superimposable in K562 and K562-DXR. On the other hand, the combination of IFN-alpha and DXR turned out to be merely additive in B16, B16-DXR, K562 and K562-DXR; it was synergistic in FLC and antagonistic in FLC-DXR. Our results and those of others seem to indicate that synergy between IFN-alpha and DXR may occur rarely in MDR cells.

There is emerging clinical evidence that amsacrine (m-AMSA) administration may be associated with cardiotoxic effects such as severe, even fatal, ventricular arrhythmias and impairment of the inotropic performance of the heart. Information on the cardiac effects of m-AMSA in animals is scanty. Studies on mice, dogs, and monkeys have not evidenced the cardiotoxicity of the compound. The data presented in this paper show that m-AMSA causes acute ECG alterations in normal rabbits and a dose-related negative inotropic effect on the isolated rabbit heart, suggesting that this species may be a useful model for the study of the cardiac actions of this antiblastic.

In the last few years the wine market has been affected by a deep structural transformation due to the entry in the world productive scenario of new competitors and for changing of the demand not only at geographical level but also for more and more orientation of consumers towards the quality wines. This transformation has involved even the Italian wine sector, that takes in the international wine scenario a significant importance, both in terms of supply and of the weight on the world wine export. Recently, the Italian sector showed a remarkable ability front to the world economic and financial crisis thanks to its ability to satisfy a diversified demand oriented toward the quality wines productions, more and more requested by the Italian and foreign consumers. The competitiveness analysis of Italian wine in the main partner countries, compared to the agri-food products, shows different scenario depending on the wine categories considered. In general results reveal an increasing competitiveness in some markets, such as Asiatic, East or North European countries, which do not have a viticulture tradition and where the acknowledgement of the health characteristics of wine and of the product as an expression of an Italian lifestyle are strategic factors for the success of Italian wine. Contextually, emerges a disadvantage in traditional markets (France) and in new producing markets (USA). In this context is necessary to consider the peculiarities of each market that differ in terms of dimension, culture, purchasing power, through the adoption of focused strategies.

Growing evidence indicates that lysosomal Cathepsins D (CD), B (CB) and L (CL) may promote carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Therefore, we evaluated their potential value as biochemical parameters of malignant progression in patients with benign diseases which may undergo malignant transformation, such as liver cirrhosis (LC) and chronic pancreatitis (CHP) as well as in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and pancreatic cancer (DPC). CD, CB and CL serum levels were determined by immunoenzymatic assays in LC, CHP, HCC or DPC patients and correlated with a number of biochemical and clinical parameters of these diseases. CD serum levels were increased in LC, CHP and HCC, but not in the DPC group as compared to normal subjects (NS) (P < 0.01). Interestingly, higher levels of this enzyme were observed in LC patients compared to HCC patients (P < 0.01). CB serum concentrations were increased in all patient groups (P < 0.01). However no difference was evidenced between benign and malignant diseases. CL serum levels were significantly increased only in DPC as compared to NS (P < 0.01) or CHP patients (P < 0.02) and in HCC as compared to NS (P < 0.01). The evaluation of CD, CB and CL serum pattern in LC, CHP, HCC and DPC patients may be useful as additional biochemical parameters in the differential diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of these diseases. Prospective clinical investigations to assess the potential value of these enzymes as biochemical markers of malignant progression of LC or CHP are warranted by the present data.

The process of market globalization has led to a redefinition of business models in order to compete in domestic and international markets. In the current competitive scenario, the survival of companies is linked to their ability to reduce or contain the sum of both production and transaction costs. The aim of this paper is to identify the existence of similar organizational models of a sample of Sicilian firms active in the Ornamental Plants sector based on those transaction costs that they support in relation to the sales channel and the other human and firm characteristics. Using a clustering procedure, we identified four well-distinct organizational models whose formation is influenced not only by the physical and economic size of firms but also by the transaction costs experimented. A reconsideration of these models, both in cooperatives and in small firms managed by young entrepreneurs, is needed.

This study aims at investigating the consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for agri-food products delivered in the farmers markets with electric vehicles (EVs). The empirical analysis has been carried out by administering an online questionnaire to 273 consumers within a hypothetical context. A multiple price list has been provided in order to measure the price premium for 1 kg of oranges transported by EVs comparing with the ones transported by traditional vehicles. A Tobit regression model has been used for the data analysis in order to identify the most influential factors affecting the consumers’ WTP. Results suggest that consumers’ WTP is mainly influenced by environmental attitudes, knowledge and possibility of engaging in responsible purchasing, and the approval of friends and relatives (social norms). This study delivers insights into support both farmers’ choice to invest in EVs and policymakers to develop policies promoting this transition process. The main limitations of this study are related to the use of a random sample of respondents and to the social desirability bias linked to self-reported questions.

Purpose This study aims to explore and describe the main enabling factors affecting the implementation of blockchain technology (BCT) in a strategic sector such as the wine industry, as well as the motivation behind this choice. Design/methodology/approach In light of the novelty of the phenomenon studied, a case study approach was adopted analyzing three Italian wineries. A conceptual framework, based on the dynamic capabilities, absorptive capacity and dominant logic theories, was developed. Primary and secondary data were collected. Findings Results show that wineries working in a highly dynamic and competitive market invest more in knowledge acquisition and internal assimilation and less in transformation and exploitation of acquired knowledge, in particular preferring to outsource the application phase of BCT. The particularity of the wine industry, indeed, demonstrates the existence of hybrid alternatives in which exploration and exploitation processes can be balanced. These findings confirm the value of the conceptual framework developed to explain how wineries implement BCT in their business. Research limitations/implications The present work must be considered in light of the research scope and its qualitative nature. Practical implications Findings suggest that the adoption of BCT depends on the wineries’ ability to invest more in effective knowledge management systems to acquire and assimilate knowledge internally and in managerial skills and dominant logic that become strategic resources that can improve their innovation performance. Originality/value Compared to previous studies on BCT adoption in the wine industry, this work helps us to better understand how wineries implement BCT as it focuses on their ability to acquire, manage and capitalize on the flow of knowledge, as a strategic resource, which forms the basis for creating dynamic capabilities and value. Findings are of interest to develop strategies aimed to ensure the effectiveness of this innovation in a strategic sector.

PurposeThis systematic review aims to investigate how geographical cues affect wine consumers' behaviors, with reference to the New and Old Worlds, and accordingly, how are recent consumption patterns and new consumer profiles modifying roles of geographical cues?Design/methodology/approachThis work employed a systematic literature review methodology on the extant literature published from 2009 to 2019.FindingsResults, summarized in a conceptual framework, emphasize five thematic areas on how geographical cues should be considered for future research and for new marketing strategies to capture consumers of New and Old World wines. Consumers' wine knowledge, socio-ethno-demographic factors, consumption settings, labeling strategies and the use of medals and awards on labels emerged as relevant factors to deal with consumer's risk-reduction strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limit is the adoption of a systematic review method.Practical implicationsResults suggest that wine managers should invest in acquiring more knowledge about consumers' profiles in both Worlds for their marketing campaigns, labeling and advertisement strategies. Although geographical cues are considered relevant in consumers' buying decisions, extrinsic cues are also increasingly acceptable, and there should be more investment in publicizing geographical attributes around the world.Originality/valueThis is the first review focusing exclusively on the role of geographical cues on consumer's behavior toward New and Old World wine producers.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how a food and beverage packaging company manages internal and external stakeholders to achieve sustainable innovation outcomes, as well as to contribute to the spread of sustainability paths along the supply chain, on which it operates. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was chosen and applied multiple methods of semi-structured interviews and a documentation review. Findings Results reveal a structured stakeholder relationship management, according to which the packaging company acts through a stakeholder engagement process to both acquire and share new knowledge to address stakeholder pressure. Co-creation models result in a winning strategy to exploit knowledge, above all in a supply chain context, where actors should act as a part of a strictly interlinked system, involving external stakeholders (also suppliers) and internal stakeholders in joint eco-innovation projects. The case study shows the potential strategic role of a packaging company in affecting relevant actors of the supply chain through the promotion of a sustainability culture. Research limitations/implications The first limitation is linked to the chosen case study approach, which does not allow for results to be generalized. Future works could arrange panel data analysis to investigate in depth the behavior of several packaging companies regarding stakeholder relationship management. Practical implications Managerial implications mainly underline that, to fully address market stakeholder pressure, managers should recognize the relevance of acquiring and sharing new knowledge from external sources, without underestimating the need to integrate it with internal stakeholders (employees) for its exploitation. Originality/value The present work is original for the food and beverage industry, with specific attention on the packaging sector, which, until today, has been widely investigated regarding food and waste loss reduction strategies, but less often from the perspective of stakeholder relationship management in addressing sustainability.

The paper analyses the impact of Mediterranean Sea warming on some species of small pelagic fish (pesce azzurro) in the Italian fishing industry. In particular, through a time series regression model, the research examines the productivity trend in physical terms of target species of small pelagic fish from 1950 to 2016, considering the Mediterranean Sea Surface Temperatures Anomalies as an indicator of sea warming, and the Western Mediterranean Oscillation index and the North Atlantic Oscillation index as proxies of climatic variability. The research results show an evident link between the reduction of fish availability and sea warming, with potential repercussions on the incomes of the employees in thefishing industry. Our findings provide interesting suggestions and implications on the theoretical, managerial, and political level, providing insights for new researches.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand whether the companies most involved in communicating their responsible behaviour externally are those most active on the social media (SM) platform, with a philanthropic purpose rather than strictly aimed at economic aspects. Design/methodology/approach The authors, first, assess firms’ efforts on the SM platform using the model proposed by Chung et al. (2014), and, second, the authors analyze the content of messages in order to verify what dimensions of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) they contain. A multivariate modelling has been performed in order to verify whether the wineries that take most care to communicate their responsible behaviour are those that are more involved in the management of Social Network. The wineries’ effort in SM platform was analyzed using the model proposed by Chung et al. (2014), which consider three dimensions named intensity, richness and responsiveness. In order to verify the relationship between the SM effort and their engagement in CSR initiatives, the Probit model has been utilized taking into consideration four CSR dimension (Green CSR, Ethical CSR, Community CSR and Cultural CSR). Findings The findings show that wineries most involved in corporate social responsibility initiatives and in the active communication of these initiatives on SM platforms are those that are most active on SM and in particular those that interact most with their web users, triggering in them some reactions that lead to the sharing of content and, therefore, having a significant impact on the dissemination of information through SM. Research limitations/implications The main limitations of this study are related to the limited sample size, the time period considered. Practical implications This study provides insight and hints into wine entrepreneurs interested in improving the effectiveness of their CSR communication via SM showing the importance of the interactive dimension of SM, in order to reduce scepticism and gain greater credibility on the market. Originality/value This study uses four dimensions of the companies’ SM efforts’ built on the basis of a number of variables that are more explicative of the SM engagement.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers’ willingness to accept irradiated food and the major factors related both to socio-demographic characteristics and to the perceived risk of consumers about the assumption of foods treated with novel technologies and irradiation, in particular, affecting their behavior. Consumers’ need for information has been investigated. Design/methodology/approach An online survey, involving 392 consumers living in Italy, was carried out to respond to the aim of the study. A Probit model was performed in order to identify major factors affecting the probability to accept food treated with ionizing radiation. Findings Findings show that the acceptability of irradiated foods is mainly affected by the consumers’ perceived risk to health consequent to their consumption. Equally influent are the socio-economic characteristics such as age, monthly income and geographical area in which consumers live. Research limitations/implications This study provides some interesting suggestions both for policy makers and managers, primarily related to the need to start an effective promotion campaign aimed to familiarize the consumers about the principles, aims and benefits of irradiation technology. Originality/value Very few empirical studies have been carried out in order to evaluate the acceptability of foods products treated with ionizing radiation in Italy, where exist a growing problem related to the food loss and waste, and the need for information among consumers about the irradiated foods.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, it identifies distinct organizational models in a sample of small and medium enterprises operating in the Sicilian wine industry; and second, it identifies the key factors enabling a superior export success. Design/methodology/approach Internal resources were analyzed theoretically in order to achieve the aims of the study. Subsequently the empirical investigation was carried out administering a questionnaire to a sample of 102 wineries in Sicily, Italy. A cluster analysis was performed in order to group these firms into homogeneous categories. Findings The findings show that success in the international market is more common among wineries characterized by a larger physical and economic size, a longer experience in the international market, managed by entrepreneurs-owners who are highly educated and proficient in foreign language, and implement voluntary certifications. Research limitations/implications The results need to be interpreted within the context of the study’s research design; more specifically, the reader should take into account that the study focuses exclusively on one industry and on one region (wine in Sicily). Practical implications The findings offer a valid support for managers who could use this results to better focus their effort and choose the most appropriate strategy in order to improve their performance in foreign markets. Originality/value Very few empirical studies have been carried out on the impact that internal and in particular organizational resources have on the firms’ organizational models operating in the wine industry.

Stakeholders play a relevant role in sustainable business models’ definitions, but their influence on a company’s strategic choices varies according to different factors. The heterogeneity of business models and the different approaches used to achieve the goal of sustainability, in which social or environmental purposes can prevail, require more in-depth research to identify new solutions that can help to develop business models able to create positive external effects for the environment and society.

Over the past few years, public attention has focused on the quality and safety control, traceability, and environmental issues surrounding food products. Several mandatory public standards and private voluntary schemes worldwide have been developed to address these concerns. Using survey data, this paper analyses the key factors affecting the adoption of voluntary quality standards in the wine industry and the existence of a relationship between the adoption of voluntary quality standards and economic performance, measured in terms of labour productivity and marketing behaviour. The survey involved 89 cellars, of which 68 were non-certified and 21 had one or more food quality certifications. Using the data collected, an index based on Euclidean distances was constructed to compare economic performance between certified and non-certified firms. The findings provide evidence that internal motivations drive entrepreneurs to adopt voluntary standards and that wineries adopting voluntary standards exhibit better economic performance than non-certified wine firms. From a managerial viewpoint, these results suggest that although the adoption of voluntary quality certifications does not have a direct effect in terms of a labour productivity increase, it entails a business management improvement. For policymakers, the results suggest a need to develop policies and establish more stable financial assistance for the internationalisation of wine firms, thereby supporting them through this transition.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to detect what experience and credence quality attributes contribute to the consumer decision to consume cactus pear fruit. The authors therefore try to measure the effect of each quality attribute on consumer choice. Design/methodology/approach – As a theoretical basis, two principal quality attributes emphasised in the literature on consumer behaviour were analysed and adjusted to the specific fruit features. The empirical strategy was carried out by administering a telephone questionnaire survey of 270 interviewees who consume cactus pears in Italy. The questionnaire, consisting of 14 items expressed on a metric scale (five-point Likert scale), was used to rate the importance of cactus pear fruit quality attributes. An ordered logit model was employed for data analysis. Findings – The results show that consumption of cactus pear fruit is mainly based on credence and experience attributes, which have different effects on the consumer decision to consume cactus pear fruit. Among experience quality attributes, the colour red, a low quantity of seeds, and being peeled are the attributes with major effects, following by credence attributes such as environmental sustainability, healthiness, and Italian origin. Research limitations/implications – The research was based on a particular fruit, and further comparative research is clearly needed. In fact, further advancement in cactus pear research would require that the validity of the empirical findings and their degree of generalisation be examined in other geographical areas. Practical implications – The results of this study could help to identify some factors on which business could intervene to create a more effective consumer-based approach. Originality/value – This study contributes to a better definition of cactus pear fruit quality for consumers with the aim of developing marketing strategies to increase farm business. To the best of the knowledge, no study has ever measured the effects of cactus pear fruit quality attributes on consumer choice.

Since ancient times Humans and Soil have experienced interwoven links. Nowadays soil scientists continue to stress such links highlighting the importance of soil in: i) satisfying the ever growing Human demand for food, water and energy, and ii) providing ecosystem services that mitigate climate changes, influence human health and improve biodiversity. Pedotechniques are recently used to generate soils suitable for table grape cultivation in order to increase productivity and grape quality, thus to get substantial financial returns. We show one emblematic study case of pedotechniques applied in Sicily (Italy). Aims of the investigation were: i) stressing threats to soil security derived by the generation of anthropogenic soils, ii) assessing the economic sustainability of pedotechniques and table grape production, taking into consideration only the internal factors and excluding the external economic contributions that are allocated to social sustainability and iii) stressing the role of soil science to focus on “economic value” to the soil ecosystem services and degradation processes. Results highlight that soil transformations allow for considerable investment costs. The highest productivity and the consequent higher profitability of the cultivation amortize the start-up costs. From the other side transformations could trigger considerable deterioration of both soil ecosystem services and environmental quality. In order to stress this last aspect and to define the relationships between pedotechnique application and soil security we have considered the five soil security dimensions (i.e. capability, condition, capital, connectivity and codification).

The paper is an original article that uses accounting frameworks to determine what creates a competitive advantage in a cooperative business model. In particular, it investigates the influence of tangible, intangible and financial resources on the business performance of cooperatives operating in the Sicilian wine industry, with the RBV of the firms as a theoretical background. Using a linear regression model, our results show that tangible and financial resources are a source of a sustained competitive advantage. This study fills the gap existing in the strategic management literature related to the role of resources, tangible and intangible, in the cooperative system, providing both theoretical and practical implications.

This study was directed to assess the clinical impact of the circulating cathepsin L, cystatin C, activin A, and follistatin in breast cancer patients. The serum concentrations of these molecules were determined by immunoenzymatic assays, and their association with some clinico-pathological parameters of breast cancer progression was evaluated. Our results identified cystatin C and activin A as predictive markers for the presence of breast cancer and bone metastasis, respectively. Therefore, these proteins may have a clinical role as circulating biomarkers in the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of breast cancer patients.

Over the last few years, the Italian fishery sector has showed a tendential reduction in the economic performance because of the contraction of the value of the product, as a result of the fall in the catches and in the production average prices of the main species, and of the growing operational costs. Therefore, the contraction of the National supply is balanced by the imports which, in terms of value in the reference period tested in the current study (2003/04 – 2007/08) have grown, causing a further burdening in the absolute value of the Italian trade balance. The outlined background is made further worse by the slowdown, in few years, in the rise in the fishery products consumptions, due to the reduction in the purchasing power of the families and to the competition of the import products. The study, after analysing the structure and the trend of the import-export trade of the main Italian fishery products, quantifies Italy’s competitive advantage in the business with the chief trade partners with the aim to put forward possible intervention strategies oriented to improve Italy’s competitive performances on the international market. The analysis shows how just for some products it is possible to expect a market rise and, in particular, for the fishery resources that our seas are plenty of. The products with a high trade value as shrimps, cuttlefish, squids and red tunas, since they are overexploited resources, can be, only within certain limits, object of strategies of penetration in the market. For other products instead, as sardines, it’s possible to formulate some intervention strategies oriented to a higher sensitization of the consumers about the nutritional proprieties of the sardines, anchovies etc., and of the local catch in particular, helping, indirectly, to reduce the foreign supplies. In this background, the certification of the product, the assignation of quality trademarks, but above all an effective information of the healthy characteristics of the catch, are effective strategies to improve Italy’s competitive position in the International market.

Cathepsin L is a ubiquitous lysosomal cysteine endopeptidase that is mainly involved in the metabolic turnover of intracellular proteins. However, it is now well established that this enzyme may also be implicated in the regulation of other important biological processes includ- ing bone resorption. Therefore, altered expression levels of Cathepsin L may result in disturbances of bone homeo- stasis and, eventually, in the onset of pathological condi- tions associated with altered bone turnover. These observations support the concept that Cathepsin L may be regarded as an additional target for the development of novel therapeutic options for the treatment of patients with bone diseases. This review provides insight into the most recent advances in understanding the role of Cathepsin L in normal and pathological bone remodeling and discusses the potential clinical and therapeutic applications related to these findings.

This study applies the hedonic pricing model to examine important objective attributes appearing on the label of Italian wines influencing average customer wine prices in Japan. Data on 829 red Italian wines sold in the Japanese market were collected through the wine searcher dataset, and the information included on the wine labels, useful for assisting in the selection and appreciation of wines, has been included. A log-linear model was esteemed and the proposed hedonic equation accounted for 43.5% of the variation in wine prices. The results indicate that international grape varieties, alcohol content and the year of production explain most of the price difference. On the other hand, the appellations of origin linked to specific Italian territories negatively affect the medium price of wine. The proposed model will provide useful information for export-oriented Italian wineries in order to establish effective marketing strategies.

This study offers a contribution to understanding the complexity of the international wine trade analysing the specialisation patterns of 14 among the most important wine world actors in the period 2007–2016, in order to verify if the patterns of comparative advantages for the trade of this countries have experienced significant changes. Using the Lafay index, as a comparative advantage measure, our results reveal deep changes in the global wine market exchange. Our result constitutes a base element for the future development of the competitive scenario and provides some both theoretical and practical implications. In the baseline projection, the maintenance of the competitive position is closely linked to the needs to know the specificities, the differences, the sizes and the economic opportunities for each of the countries target, in order to undertake targeted actions and effective strategies.

Experiments were performed to assess the dose-dependent effects of quercetin, kaempferol, (+) catechin, and (-) epicatechin on superoxide radical production through the modulation of manganese superoxide dismutase and xanthine oxidase activities. The experiments were carried out at flavanoid concentrations ranging from 1 µM to 100 µM. This investigation highlighted that flavonols induced opposite effects on superoxide radical production at different doses, i.e. pro-oxidant at the highest concentration (100 µM) and anti-oxidant at the lowest concentration (1 µM). Similar behaviors were observed for xanthine oxidase with flavan-3ols. The diastereoisomer (the catechin) acted as a stronger radical scavenger than the epicatechin. However, flavan-3ols were less pro-oxidant than flavonols: in fact, the addition of the superoxide dismutase enzyme was able to cancel the flavan-3ols' pro-oxidant effect. This study also shows that the absence of the 4-carbonyl group conjugated with the 2-3 double bonds in the heterocyclic ring cancelled the pro-oxidant effect of flavan-3ols. The opposite dose-dependent effects of flavonols suggest that they may be used as either a pro-oxidant or antioxidant.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the capability of a crude extract of phenols from extra virgin olive oil of Moraiolo cultivar to induce apoptosis and/or differentiation in sensitive and resistant HL60 cell lines to anticancer drugs (Typical Multidrug Resistance). Our data highlight that the crude extract is able to induce apoptosis on both sensitive and resistant cells, whereas the exposure to a number of anticancer drugs does not induce apoptosis in resistant cells. In differentiation experiments we investigated the capability of crude extract of phenols to induce the expression of CD11 granulocytic or CD14 monocytic cell surface antigen in sensitive and resistant HL60 cell lines. At IC50 dose level (17 µg/ml and 32 µg/ml respectively for sensitive and resistant cell lines), the crude extract induced differentiation associated with the expression of CD14 monocytic cell surface antigen either in sensitive or resistant cell lines but not that of CD11 granulocityc cell surface antigen. Further investigations are in progress to better clarify the mechanism by which olive oil phenols induce differentiation differentiation on this cell line.

The clinical significance of serum cathepsin K and cystatin C was assessed in patients with breast cancer (BCa) or prostate cancer (PCa) with confined disease (M0) or bone metastasis (BM). Cathepsin K and cystatin C circulating levels were determined by ELISAs in 63 cancer patients, in 35 patients with nonmalignant diseases and in 42 healthy blood donors (control group). In BCa patients, cathepsin K serum levels were significantly lower than in sex matched control group (HS; p = 0.0008) or in patients with primary osteoporosis (OP; p = 0.0009). On the contrary, cystatin C levels were significantly higher in BCa patients than in HS ( p = 0.0001) or OP ( p = 0.017). In PCa patients, cathepsin K concentrations did not significantly differ from those measured in sex matched HS or in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Conversely, cystatin C was more elevated in cancer patients than in controls ( p = 0.0001) or BPH patients ( p = 0.0078). Furthermore, in PCa patients, a positive correlation was observed between cystatin C and cathepsin K ( r S = 0.34; p = 0.047). No further relationship was highlighted between these molecules and the clinicobiological parameters of BCa or PCa progression including the number of bone lesions. Moreover, ROC curve analysis showed a poor diagnostic performance of cathepsin K and cystatin C in the detection of BM patients. Interestingly, the administration of zoledronic acid (ZA), a bisphosphonate derivative endowed with a potent antiosteoclastic activity, induced in BM patients a marked increase of cathepsin K and cystatin C serum levels compared to baseline values. However, this phenomenon was statistically significant only in the PCa group. In conclusion Cystatin C and cathepsin K may be regarded as possible markers to monitor the therapeutic response to bisphosphonate treatments. Nevertheless, their clinical value as specific gauges of skeletal metastasis remains questionable.