45 results on '"Rosalia Emma"'
Search Results
2. E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products impact on dental color parameters
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Shipra Gupta, Vaibhav Sahni, Rosalia Emma, Stefan Gospodaru, Gheorghe Bordeniuc, Valeriu Fala, Amaliya Amaliya, Giusy Rita Maria La Rosa, Sebastiano Antonio Pacino, Salvatore Urso, Hasan Guney Yilmaz, Giovanni Zucchelli, and Riccardo Polosa
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Dental color ,Digital spectrophotometer ,Smoking ,e-cigarettes ,Heated tobacco products ,Science (General) ,Q1-390 ,Social sciences (General) ,H1-99 - Abstract
Objectives: Abstaining from tobacco smoking may not only improve general health, but also reduce teeth staining and restore teeth whiteness. Compared with conventional cigarettes, E-cigarettes (ECs) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) may offer substantial reduction in exposure to pigmented tar-like compounds of cigarette smoke. It is possible that improvements in dental color indices may be observed in those who have stopped smoking combustible cigarettes by switching to tar-free nicotine delivery products. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated and compared dental color parameters by digital spectrophotometry among five different groups: individuals who currently smoke ; individuals who used to smoke but have quit ; individuals who have never smoked ; exclusive users of electronic cigarettes (former smokers) ; and exclusive users of heated tobacco products (former smokers) . Results: Dental whiteness in current cigarette smokers was notably worse compared with never and former smokers, (13.38 Whiteness Index for Dentistry (WID) units vs. 19.96 and 16.79 WID units). Remarkably high WID values (i.e., whiter teeth) were also observed in ECs (16.72 WID units) and HTPs users (17.82 WID units). Compared to current smokers, difference in dental whiteness for ECs and HTPs users was visually noticeable (ΔWID difference being on average > 2.90 units). The colour differences measured as delta E*(ΔE*) were all visually detectable except for the comparison between ex-smokers and ECs users for which no perceptible color difference was observed (0.415). Conclusion: Exclusive use of ECs and HTPs is associated with better dental color measurements than current smoking, suggesting that tar-free nicotine delivery technologies are unlikely to have negative effects on dental appearance. Clinical significance: Use of alternative nicotine delivery systems may be associated with cosmetic benefits with important implications for those smokers perceiving dental aesthetics as a significant problem. For these an oral-based narrative may be a much more significant reason to refrain from smoking than the fear of developing smoking-related diseases in future.
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- 2024
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3. Cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and genotoxicity of electronic cigarettes emission aerosols compared to cigarette smoke: the REPLICA project
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Rosalia Emma, Virginia Fuochi, Alfio Distefano, Konstantinos Partsinevelos, Sonja Rust, Fahad Zadjali, Mohammed Al Tobi, Razan Zadjali, Zaina Alharthi, Roberta Pulvirenti, Pio Maria Furneri, Riccardo Polosa, Ang Sun, Massimo Caruso, Giovanni Li Volti, and the Replica Project Group
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract Concerns have recently increased that the integrity of some scientific research is questionable due to the inability to reproduce the claimed results of some experiments and thereby confirm that the original researcher's conclusions were justified. This phenomenon has been described as 'reproducibility crisis' and affects various fields from medicine to basic applied sciences. In this context, the REPLICA project aims to replicate previously conducted in vitro studies on the toxicity of cigarette smoke and e-cigarette aerosol, sometimes adding experiments or conditions where necessary, in order to verify the robustness and replicability of the data. In this work the REPLICA Team replicated biological and toxicological assessment published by Rudd and colleagues in 2020. As in the original paper, we performed Neutral Red Uptake (NRU) assay for the evaluation of cytotoxicity, Ames test for the evaluation of mutagenesis and In Vitro Micronuclei (IVMN) assay for the evaluation of genotoxicity on cells treated with cigarette smoke or e-cigarette aerosol. The results showed high cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and genotoxicity induced by cigarette smoke, but slight or no cytotoxic, mutagenic and genotoxic effects induced by the e-cigarette aerosol. Although the two studies presented some methodological differences, the findings supported those previously presented by Rudd and colleagues.
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- 2023
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4. Repeatability of dental plaque quantitation by light induced fluorescence technology in current, former, and never smokers
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Gianluca Conte, Amaliya Amaliya, Shipra Gupta, Rosalia Emma, Stefan Gospodaru, Gheorghe Bordeniuc, Valeriu Fala, Sebastiano Antonio Pacino, Salvatore Urso, Giovanni Zucchelli, and Riccardo Polosa
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Smoking ,Smoking cessation ,Dental plaque ,Dental calculus ,Quantitative light-induced fluorescence ,Reproducibility ,Dentistry ,RK1-715 - Abstract
Abstract Background The effects of smoking on the accumulation of dental plaque have not been studied in depth. We compared dental plaque quantitation obtained with a novel light induced fluorescence technology among current, former, and never smokers and verified measurements’ repeatability. Methods Dental plaque quantitation was objectively assessed by quantitative light induced fluorescence (QLF) technology on three separate study visits in current, former, and never smokers: baseline (day 0), day 7, day 30. Increase in the fluorescence intensity of at least 30% (ΔR30) and 120% (ΔR120) together with the simple oral hygiene (SOH) scoring were considered for analysis. Results The QLF parameters were highly repeatable in each study group (p
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- 2023
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5. Aerosol Emissions from Heated Tobacco Products: A Review Focusing on Carbonyls, Analytical Methods, and Experimental Quality
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Roberto A. Sussman, Federica Sipala, Rosalia Emma, and Simone Ronsisvalle
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heated tobacco products ,carbonyls ,aerosols ,analytical methods ,Chemical technology ,TP1-1185 - Abstract
We provide an extensive review of 17 independent and industry-funded studies targeting carbonyls in aerosol emissions of Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs), focusing on quality criteria based on the reproducibility of experiments, appropriate analytic methods, and puffing regimes. Most revised studies complied with these requirements, but some were unreproducible, while others failed to consider analytical variables that may have affected the results and/or produced unrealistic comparisons. We also provide a review of the literature on the physicochemical properties of heated tobacco and HTP aerosols, as well as the evaluation of HTPs by regulatory agencies, addressing various critiques of their relative safety profile. The outcomes from the revised studies and regulatory evaluations tend to agree with and converge to a general consensus that HTP aerosols expose users to significantly lower levels of toxicity than tobacco smoke.
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- 2023
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6. Comparing the Effectiveness, Tolerability, and Acceptability of Heated Tobacco Products and Refillable Electronic Cigarettes for Cigarette Substitution (CEASEFIRE): Randomized Controlled Trial
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Pasquale Caponnetto, Davide Campagna, Marilena Maglia, Francesca Benfatto, Rosalia Emma, Massimo Caruso, Grazia Caci, Barbara Busà, Alfio Pennisi, Maurizio Ceracchi, Marcello Migliore, and Maria Signorelli
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Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
BackgroundPeople who smoke and who face challenges trying to quit or wish to continue to smoke may benefit by switching from traditional cigarettes to noncombustible nicotine delivery alternatives, such as heated tobacco products (HTPs) and electronic cigarettes (ECs). HTPs and ECs are being increasingly used to quit smoking, but there are limited data about their effectiveness. ObjectiveWe conducted the first randomized controlled trial comparing quit rates between HTPs and ECs among people who smoke and do not intend to quit. MethodsWe conducted a 12-week randomized noninferiority switching trial to compare effectiveness, tolerability, and product satisfaction between HTPs (IQOS 2.4 Plus) and refillable ECs (JustFog Q16) among people who do not intend to quit. The cessation intervention included motivational counseling. The primary endpoint of the study was the carbon monoxide–confirmed continuous abstinence rate from week 4 to week 12 (CAR weeks 4-12). The secondary endpoints included the continuous self-reported ≥50% reduction in cigarette consumption rate (continuous reduction rate) from week 4 to week 12 (CRR weeks 4-12) and 7-day point prevalence of smoking abstinence. ResultsA total of 211 participants completed the study. High quit rates (CAR weeks 4-12) of 39.1% (43/110) and 30.8% (33/107) were observed for IQOS-HTP and JustFog-EC, respectively. The between-group difference for the CAR weeks 4-12 was not significant (P=.20). The CRR weeks 4-12 values for IQOS-HTP and JustFog-EC were 46.4% (51/110) and 39.3% (42/107), respectively, and the between-group difference was not significant (P=.24). At week 12, the 7-day point prevalence of smoking abstinence values for IQOS-HTP and JustFog-EC were 54.5% (60/110) and 41.1% (44/107), respectively. The most frequent adverse events were cough and reduced physical fitness. Both study products elicited a moderately pleasant user experience, and the between-group difference was not significant. A clinically relevant improvement in exercise tolerance was observed after switching to the combustion-free products under investigation. Risk perception for conventional cigarettes was consistently higher than that for the combustion-free study products under investigation. ConclusionsSwitching to HTPs elicited a marked reduction in cigarette consumption among people who smoke and do not intend to quit, which was comparable to refillable ECs. User experience and risk perception were similar between the HTPs and ECs under investigation. HTPs may be a useful addition to the arsenal of reduced-risk alternatives for tobacco cigarettes and may contribute to smoking cessation. However, longer follow-up studies are required to confirm significant and prolonged abstinence from smoking and to determine whether our results can be generalized outside smoking cessation services offering high levels of support. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03569748; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03569748
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- 2023
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7. Electronic nicotine delivery systems exhibit reduced bronchial epithelial cells toxicity compared to cigarette: the Replica Project
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Massimo Caruso, Rosalia Emma, Alfio Distefano, Sonja Rust, Konstantinos Poulas, Fahad Zadjali, Antonio Giordano, Vladislav Volarevic, Konstantinos Mesiakaris, Mohammed Al Tobi, Silvia Boffo, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, Pietro Zuccarello, Cesarina Giallongo, Margherita Ferrante, Riccardo Polosa, Giovanni Li Volti, and the Replica Project Group
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) may reduce health risks associated with chronic exposure to smoke and their potential benefits have been the matter of intense scientific debate. We aimed to replicate three published studies on cytotoxic and inflammatory effects of cigarette smoke and ENDS aerosol in an independent multi-center ring study. We aimed to establish the reliability of results and the robustness of conclusions by replicating the authors’ experimental protocols and further validating them with different techniques. Human bronchial epithelial cells (NCI-H292) were exposed to cigarette whole smoke and vapor phase and to aerosol from ENDS. We also assessed the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 and the remodeling mediator matrix metalloproteinase-1. We replicated cell viability results and confirmed that almost 80% of cytotoxic effects are due to volatile compounds in the vapor phase of smoke. Our findings substantiated the reduced cytotoxic effects of ENDS aerosol. However, our data on inflammatory and remodeling activity triggered by smoke differed significantly from those in the original reports. Taken together, independent data from multiple laboratories clearly demonstrated the reduced toxicity of ENDS products compared to cigarettes.
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- 2021
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8. Heparan Sulfate and Enoxaparin Interact at the Interface of the Spike Protein of HCoV-229E but Not with HCoV-OC43
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Virginia Fuochi, Giuseppe Floresta, Rosalia Emma, Vincenzo Patamia, Massimo Caruso, Chiara Zagni, Federica Ronchi, Celestino Ronchi, Filippo Drago, Antonio Rescifina, and Pio Maria Furneri
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heparan sulfate ,enoxaparin ,coronavirus ,HCoV-229E ,HCoV-OC43 ,APN ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
It is known that the spike protein of human coronaviruses can bind to a secondary receptor, or coreceptor, to facilitate the virus entry. While HCoV-229E uses human aminopeptidase N (hAPN) as a receptor, HCoV-OC43 binds to 9-O-acetyl-sialic acid (9-O-Ac-Sia), which is linked in a terminal way to the oligosaccharides that decorate glycoproteins and gangliosides on the surface of the host cell. Thus, evaluating the possible inhibitory activity of heparan sulfate, a linear polysaccharide found in animal tissues, and enoxaparin sodium on these viral strains can be considered attractive. Therefore, our study also aims to evaluate these molecules’ antiviral activity as possible adsorption inhibitors against non-SARS-CoV. Once the molecules’ activity was verified in in vitro experiments, the binding was studied by molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations confirming the interactions at the interface of the spike proteins.
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- 2023
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9. The Impact of Tobacco Cigarettes, Vaping Products and Tobacco Heating Products on Oxidative Stress
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Rosalia Emma, Massimo Caruso, Davide Campagna, Roberta Pulvirenti, and Giovanni Li Volti
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oxidative stress ,tobacco ,cigarette ,airway diseases ,harm reduction ,Therapeutics. Pharmacology ,RM1-950 - Abstract
Cells constantly produce oxidizing species because of their metabolic activity, which is counteracted by the continuous production of antioxidant species to maintain the homeostasis of the redox balance. A deviation from the metabolic steady state leads to a condition of oxidative stress. The source of oxidative species can be endogenous or exogenous. A major exogenous source of these species is tobacco smoking. Oxidative damage can be induced in cells by chemical species contained in smoke through the generation of pro-inflammatory compounds and the modulation of intracellular pro-inflammatory pathways, resulting in a pathological condition. Cessation of smoking reduces the morbidity and mortality associated with cigarette use. Next-generation products (NGPs), as alternatives to combustible cigarettes, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cig) and tobacco heating products (THPs), have been proposed as a harm reduction strategy to reduce the deleterious impacts of cigarette smoking. In this review, we examine the impact of tobacco smoke and MRPs on oxidative stress in different pathologies, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and tumors. The impact of tobacco cigarette smoke on oxidative stress signaling in human health is well established, whereas the safety profile of MRPs seems to be higher than tobacco cigarettes, but further, well-conceived, studies are needed to better understand the oxidative effects of these products with long-term exposure.
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- 2022
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10. Role of Cigarette Smoke on Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-2 Protein Membrane Expression in Bronchial Epithelial Cells Using an Air-Liquid Interface Model
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Massimo Caruso, Alfio Distefano, Rosalia Emma, Michelino Di Rosa, Giuseppe Carota, Sonja Rust, Riccardo Polosa, Pietro Zuccarello, Margherita Ferrante, Giuseppina Raciti, and Giovanni Li Volti
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ACE-2 ,nicotine ,smoke ,cigarette ,epithelial cells ,Therapeutics. Pharmacology ,RM1-950 - Abstract
Prevalence studies of current smoking, among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, demonstrated an unexpectedly low prevalence among patients with COVID-19. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of smoke from cigarettes on ACE-2 in bronchial epithelial cells. Normal bronchial epithelial cells (H292) were exposed to smoke by an air-liquid-interface (ALI) system and ACE-2 membrane protein expression was evaluated after 24 h from exposure. Our transcriptomics data analysis showed a significant selective reduction of membrane ACE-2 expression (about 25%) following smoking exposure. Interestingly, we observed a positive direct correlation between ACE-2 reduction and nicotine delivery. Furthermore, by stratifying GSE52237 as a function of ACE-2 gene expression levels, we highlighted 1,012 genes related to ACE-2 in smokers and 855 in non-smokers. Furthermore, we showed that 161 genes involved in the endocytosis process were highlighted using the online pathway tool KEGG. Finally, 11 genes were in common between the ACE-2 pathway in smokers and the genes regulated during endocytosis, while 12 genes with non-smokers. Interestingly, six in non-smokers and four genes in smokers were closely involved during the viral internalization process. Our data may offer a pharmaceutical role of nicotine as potential treatment option in COVID-19.
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- 2021
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11. Short and Long Term Repeatability of Saccharin Transit Time in Current, Former, and Never Smokers
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Rosalia Emma, Pasquale Caponnetto, Fabio Cibella, Massimo Caruso, Gianluca Conte, Francesca Benfatto, Salvatore Ferlito, Alessandro Gulino, and Riccardo Polosa
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smoking ,mucociliary clearance transit time ,saccharin test ,reproducibility ,MCC ,Physiology ,QP1-981 - Abstract
Smoking progressively damages the efficiency of mucociliary clearance (MCC) defense mechanisms, thus contributing to increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. Prolonged mucociliary clearance transit time (MCCTT) caused by chronic smoking has been investigated by saccharin test, but little data is available about its short- and long-term reproducibility. Moreover, it is not known if MCC impairment can be reversed when stopping smoking. Objective of the study is to investigate and compare short (3 days) and long term (30 days) repeatability of baseline saccharin transit time (STT) among current, former, and never smokers. STT results were analyzed in 39 current, 40 former, and 40 never smokers. Significant (p < 0.0001) short-term and long-term repeatability of STT were observed in current (R squared = 0.398 and 0.672, for short- and long-term, respectively) and former smokers (R squared = 0.714 and 0.595, for short- and long-term, respectively). Significant differences in MCCTT were observed among the three study groups (p < 0.0001); the median (IQR) MCCTT being 13.15 (10.24–17.25), 7.26 (6.18–9.17), and 7.24 (5.73–8.73) minutes for current, former and never smokers, respectively. Comparison between current smokers and former smokers was significantly different (p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference between former and never smokers. The Saccharin test was well tolerated by all participants. We have shown for the first time high level repeatability in both current and former smokers. Moreover, MCC impairment can be completely reversed, former smokers exhibiting similar STT as never smokers. Measurement of STT is a sensitive biomarker of physiological effect for the detection of early respiratory health changes and may be useful for clinical research.
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- 2020
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12. Non-inferiority trial comparing cigarette consumption, adoption rates, acceptability, tolerability, and tobacco harm reduction potential in smokers switching to Heated Tobacco Products or electronic cigarettes: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
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Pasquale Caponnetto, Massimo Caruso, Marilena Maglia, Rosalia Emma, Daniela Saitta, Barbara Busà, Riccardo Polosa, Umberto Prosperini, Alfio Pennisi, Francesca Benfatto, Carlo Sartorio, Matteo Guastella, and Enrico Mondati
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Medicine (General) ,R5-920 - Abstract
Background: Despite the introduction of tobacco control measures, smoking remains highly prevalent in most EU countries. In Italy, one in four adults were still regular smokers in 2017. Increasing use of combustion-free delivering nicotine technologies for cigarette substitution may accelerate the current downward trends in smoking prevalence. Whether Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) are more effective tobacco smoking substitutes that may potentially facilitate adoption and full conversion compared to e-cigarettes (ECs) is not known.We have designed a prospective study to compare changes in cigarette consumption and adoption rates among smokers randomized to either HTPs or ECs. Product acceptability, tolerability, and their tobacco harm reduction potential will be also compared. Methods: 220 healthy smokers, not motivated to quit, will be randomized into a 12-weeks single-center, open label, non-inferiority trial comparing study outcomes from HTPs vs. ECs use. The primary outcome will be biochemically verified self-reported continuous abstinence at 12-weeks from the previous visit. Secondary outcomes will include: smoking reduction from baseline, adoption rates and product acceptability, tolerability, changes in step test values and in the level of selected biomarkers of exposure in exhaled breath (i.e. eCO) and in spot urine samples. A follow-up visit will be also included at 24-weeks to review product usage and smoking behavior under naturalistic condition of use.Recruitment of participants started in May 2019 and enrolment is expected to be completed in November 2019. Discussion: This will be the first study directly comparing Heated Tobacco Products with Electronic Cigarettes in term of reduction in cigarette consumption, adoption rates, product acceptability, tolerability, and tobacco harm reduction potential. This knowledge can contribute to a better understanding of the potential role of this new technology in the evolving nicotine consumer market. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03569748.Registered June 25, 2018.https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/app/action/LoginUser?ts=1&cx=-jg9qo4. Keywords: Smoking, Effectiveness, Tolerability, Harm reduction, Acceptability, Electronic cigarettes, Just fog, Heated tobacco products, IQOS, Non-inferiority trial
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- 2020
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13. Mepolizumab in the management of severe eosinophilic asthma in adults: current evidence and practical experience
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Rosalia Emma, Jaymin B. Morjaria, Virginia Fuochi, Riccardo Polosa, and Massimo Caruso
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Diseases of the respiratory system ,RC705-779 - Abstract
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition involving the airways with varying pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical symptoms and outcomes, generally controlled by conventional therapies including inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β 2 agonists. However, these therapies are unable to successfully control symptoms in about 5–10% of severe asthma patients. Atopic asthma, characterized by high immunoglobulin (Ig)E or eosinophilia, represents about 50% of asthmatic patients. Interleukin (IL)-5 is the main cytokine responsible of activation of eosinophils, hence therapeutic strategies have been investigated and developed for clinical use. Biologics targeting IL-5 and its receptor (first mepolizumab and subsequently, reslizumab and benralizumab), have been recently approved and used as add-on therapy for severe eosinophilic asthma resulting in a reduction in the circulating eosinophil count, improvement in lung function and exacerbation reduction in asthma patients. Despite these biologics having been approved for stratified severe asthma patients that remain uncontrolled with high doses of conventional therapy, a number of patients may be eligible for more than one biologic. Presently, the lack of head-to-head studies comparing the biological agents among themselves and with conventional therapy make the choice of optimal therapy for each patient a challenge for clinicians. Moreover, discontinuation of these treatments, implications for efficacy or adverse events, in particular in long-term treatment, and needs for useful biomarkers are still matters of debate. In this review we evaluate to date, the evidence on mepolizumab that seems to demonstrate it is a well-tolerated and efficacious regimen for use in severe eosinophilic asthma, though more studies are still required.
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- 2018
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14. Commentary: Inflammatory and Oxidative Responses Induced by Exposure to Commonly Used e-Cigarette Flavoring Chemicals and Flavored e-Liquids without Nicotine
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Massimo Caruso, Giovanni Li Volti, Pio Maria Furneri, Virginia Fuochi, Rosalia Emma, and Riccardo Polosa
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e-Cigarette ,flavoring agents ,inflammation ,oxidative stress ,e-liquids ,Physiology ,QP1-981 - Published
- 2018
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15. Cytotoxicity, Mutagenicity and Genotoxicity of Electronic Cigarettes Emission Aerosols Compared to Cigarette Smoke: the REPLICA project
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Rosalia Emma, Virginia Fuochi, Alfio Distefano, Sonja Rust, Fahad Zadjali, Mohammed Al Tobi, Razan Zadjali, Zaina Alharthi, Roberta Pulvirenti, Pio Maria Furneri, Riccardo Polosa, Massimo Caruso, and Giovanni Li Volti
- Abstract
During the last decade electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been studied as an alternative devices to the tobacco cigarette, but with better safety for the health of smokers, so as to create a new approach to smoking addiction, such as the “smoking harm reduction”. This new approach, suggested by a part of the scientific world, aroused interest and debates in the regulatory field, involving all the major regulatory bodies and often creating divergences from nation to nation on the rules driving the production, distribution and consumption of these alternative products. Many studies have been conducted both in vitro and in vivo, to clarify the effects of the e-cigarette compared to the classic one. In this context, the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of HArm Reduction (CoEHAR) was established within the University of Catania (Italy) and the multi-center project, created under its leadership, the REPLICA project, which aims to replicate in vitro studies originally conducted by tobacco and e-cigarette manufacturers, in order to verify the robustness and replicability of the data. In this work the REPLICA Team replicated part of the work published by Rudd and colleagues in 2020, which aims to establish the aerosol-induced cytotoxicity, mutagenesis and genotoxicity of a pod system e-cigarette aerosol compared to tobacco cigarette smoke. As in the original paper, we performed Neutral Red Test (NRU) for the evaluation of cytotoxicity, AMES test for the evaluation of mutagenesis and In Vitro Micronuclei (IVM) assay for the evaluation of genotoxicity on cells treated with cigarette smoke or e-cigarette aerosol. The results obtained showed high cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and genotoxicity induced by cigarette smoke, but slight or no cytotoxic, mutagenic and genotoxic effects induced by the e-cigarette aerosol. The data obtained support those previously presented by Rudd and colleagues, although we have highlighted some methodological flaws of their work. Overall, we can affirm that the results obtained by Rudd and colleagues have been established and our data also confirm the idea that e-cigarette aerosol is much safer and less harmful than cigarette smoking, making it a useful device in smoking harm reduction.
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- 2022
16. Comparing the Effectiveness, Tolerability, and Acceptability of Heated Tobacco Products and Refillable Electronic Cigarettes for Cigarette Substitution (CEASEFIRE): Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
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Pasquale Caponnetto, Davide Campagna, Marilena Maglia, Francesca Benfatto, Rosalia Emma, Massimo Caruso, Grazia Caci, Barbara Busà, Alfio Pennisi, Maurizio Ceracchi, Marcello Migliore, and Maria Signorelli
- Abstract
BACKGROUND People who smoke and who face challenges trying to quit or wish to continue to smoke may benefit by switching from traditional cigarettes to noncombustible nicotine delivery alternatives, such as heated tobacco products (HTPs) and electronic cigarettes (ECs). HTPs and ECs are being increasingly used to quit smoking, but there are limited data about their effectiveness. OBJECTIVE We conducted the first randomized controlled trial comparing quit rates between HTPs and ECs among people who smoke and do not intend to quit. METHODS We conducted a 12-week randomized noninferiority switching trial to compare effectiveness, tolerability, and product satisfaction between HTPs (IQOS 2.4 Plus) and refillable ECs (JustFog Q16) among people who do not intend to quit. The cessation intervention included motivational counseling. The primary endpoint of the study was the carbon monoxide–confirmed continuous abstinence rate from week 4 to week 12 (CAR weeks 4-12). The secondary endpoints included the continuous self-reported ≥50% reduction in cigarette consumption rate (continuous reduction rate) from week 4 to week 12 (CRR weeks 4-12) and 7-day point prevalence of smoking abstinence. RESULTS A total of 211 participants completed the study. High quit rates (CAR weeks 4-12) of 39.1% (43/110) and 30.8% (33/107) were observed for IQOS-HTP and JustFog-EC, respectively. The between-group difference for the CAR weeks 4-12 was not significant (P=.20). The CRR weeks 4-12 values for IQOS-HTP and JustFog-EC were 46.4% (51/110) and 39.3% (42/107), respectively, and the between-group difference was not significant (P=.24). At week 12, the 7-day point prevalence of smoking abstinence values for IQOS-HTP and JustFog-EC were 54.5% (60/110) and 41.1% (44/107), respectively. The most frequent adverse events were cough and reduced physical fitness. Both study products elicited a moderately pleasant user experience, and the between-group difference was not significant. A clinically relevant improvement in exercise tolerance was observed after switching to the combustion-free products under investigation. Risk perception for conventional cigarettes was consistently higher than that for the combustion-free study products under investigation. CONCLUSIONS Switching to HTPs elicited a marked reduction in cigarette consumption among people who smoke and do not intend to quit, which was comparable to refillable ECs. User experience and risk perception were similar between the HTPs and ECs under investigation. HTPs may be a useful addition to the arsenal of reduced-risk alternatives for tobacco cigarettes and may contribute to smoking cessation. However, longer follow-up studies are required to confirm significant and prolonged abstinence from smoking and to determine whether our results can be generalized outside smoking cessation services offering high levels of support. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03569748; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03569748
- Published
- 2022
17. Investigation on the Antibacterial Activity of Electronic Cigarette Liquids (ECLs): A Proof of Concept Study
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Virginia Fuochi, Riccardo Polosa, Pio Maria Furneri, Alfio Distefano, Aldo Stivala, Massimo Caruso, and Rosalia Emma
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Glycerol ,0106 biological sciences ,Nicotine ,Staphylococcus aureus ,Cell Survival ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Microbial Sensitivity Tests ,Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ,Bacterial growth ,medicine.disease_cause ,Proof of Concept Study ,01 natural sciences ,Enterococcus faecalis ,Microbiology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Minimum inhibitory concentration ,0302 clinical medicine ,010608 biotechnology ,Escherichia coli ,medicine ,Humans ,Viability assay ,Minimum bactericidal concentration ,biology ,Chemistry ,biology.organism_classification ,Antimicrobial ,Propylene Glycol ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Flavoring Agents ,Klebsiella pneumoniae ,A549 Cells ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Pseudomonas aeruginosa ,Antibacterial activity ,Biotechnology - Abstract
Background: The key ingredients of e-cigarettes liquid are commonly propane-1,2-diol (also called propylene glycol) and propane-1,2,3-triol (vegetal glycerol) and their antimicrobial effects are already established. The nicotine and flavors which are often present in e-liquids can interfere with the growth of some microorganisms. Objective: The effect of combining these elements in e-liquids is unknown. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible effects of these liquids on bacterial growth in the presence or absence of nicotine and flavors. Methods: Susceptibilities of pathogenic strains (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Sarcina lutea) were studied by means of a multidisciplinary approach. Cell viability and antioxidant assays were also evaluated. Results: All e-liquids investigated showed antibacterial activity against at least one pathogenic strain. A higher activity was correlated to the presence of flavors and nicotine. Discussion: In most cases the value of minimal bactericidal concentration is equal to the value of minimal inhibitory concentration showing that these substances have a bactericidal effect. This effect was observed in concentrations up to 6.25% v/v. Antioxidant activity was also correlated to presence of flavors. Over time, the viability assay in human epithelial lung A549 cells showed a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth. Conclusion: Our results have shown that flavors considerably enhance the antibacterial activity of propane-1,2-diol and propane-1,2,3-triol. This study provides important evidence that should be taken into consideration in further investigative approaches, to clarify the different sensitivity of the various bacterial species to e-liquids, including the respiratory microbiota, to highlight the possible role of flavors and nicotine.
- Published
- 2021
18. Comparative assessment of electronic nicotine delivery systems aerosol and cigarette smoke on endothelial cell migration: The Replica Project
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Massimo Caruso, Rosalia Emma, Alfio Distefano, Sonja Rust, Konstantinos Poulas, Antonio Giordano, Vladislav Volarevic, Konstantinos Mesiakaris, Silvia Boffo, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, Georgios Karanasios, Roberta Pulvirenti, Aleksandar Ilic, Angelo Canciello, Pietro Zuccarello, Margherita Ferrante, Riccardo Polosa, and Giovanni Li Volti
- Subjects
ENDS ,ENDS, cells migration, cigarette smoke, e-cigarette, endothelial cells, wound healing ,cells migration ,cigarette smoke ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Environmental Chemistry ,wound healing ,e-cigarette ,Spectroscopy ,endothelial cells ,Analytical Chemistry - Abstract
Cigarette smoking is associated with impairment of repair mechanisms necessary for vascular endothelium homeostasis. Reducing the exposure to smoke toxicants may result in the mitigation of the harmful effect on the endothelium and cardiovascular disease development. Previous investigations evaluated in vitro the effect of electronic cigarette (EC) compared with cigarette smoke demonstrating a significant reduction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) migration inhibition following EC aerosol exposure. In the present study, we replicated one of these studies, evaluating the effects of cigarette smoke on endothelial cell migration compared with aerosol from EC and heated tobacco products (HTPs). We performed an in vitro scratch wound assay on endothelial cells with a multi-center approach (ring-study) to verify the robustness and reliability of the results obtained in the replicated study, also testing the effect of aerosol from two HTPs on endothelial cells. Consistently with the original study, we observed a substantial reduction of the effects of aerosol from EC and HTPs on endothelial cell migration compared with cigarette smoke. While cigarette smoke reduced endothelial wound healing ability already at low concentrations (12.5%) and in a concentration-dependent manner, EC and HTPs aerosol showed no effect on endothelial cells until 80%-100% concentrations. In conclusion, our study further confirms the importance of EC and tobacco heated products as a possible harm reduction strategy for cardiovascular diseases development in smokers.
- Published
- 2022
19. In vitro cytoxicity profile of e-cigarette liquid samples on primary human bronchial epithelial cells
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Massimo Caruso, Alfio Distefano, Rosalia Emma, Pietro Zuccarello, Chiara Copat, Margherita Ferrante, Giuseppe Carota, Roberta Pulvirenti, Riccardo Polosa, Gesualdo Antonio Missale, Sonja Rust, Giuseppina Raciti, and Giovanni Li Volti
- Subjects
microplastics ,smoke ,aerosol ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Environmental Chemistry ,cytotoxicity ,metals ,Spectroscopy ,Analytical Chemistry - Abstract
Cigarette smoke is associated to severe chronic diseases. The most harmful components of cigarette smoke derive from the combustion process, which are significantly reduced in the electronic cigarette aerosol, thus providing a valid option in harm reduction strategies. To develop safer products, it is therefore necessary to screen electronic cigarette liquids (e-liquids) to meet high safety standards defined by government regulations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of metal- and plastic-derived contaminants in four different commercial e-liquids with high concentration of nicotine and their cytotoxic effect in normal human bronchial epithelial cells by a number of in vitro assays, in comparison with the 1R6F reference cigarette, using an air-liquid interface (ALI) exposure system. Moreover, we evaluated the effect of aerosol exposure on oxidative stress by measuring the production of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial potential. Our results showed no contaminants in all e-liquids and a significantly reduced cytotoxic effect of e-liquid aerosol compared to cigarette smoke as well as a maintained mitochondria integrity. Moreover, no production of reactive oxygen species was detected with e-cigarette aerosol. In conclusion, these results support the reduced toxicity potential of e-cigs compared to tobacco cigarettes in an in vitro model resembling real life smoke exposure.
- Published
- 2022
20. Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Exhibit LowerToxicity Compared to Cigarettes: 'The Replica Study Experience'
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Alfio Distefano, Massimo Caruso, Rosalia Emma, Sonja Rust, Konstantinos Poulas, Fahad Zadjali, Silvia Boffo, Vladislav Volarevic, Konstantinos Mesiakaris, Georgios Karanasios, Mohammed Al Tobi, Najwa Albalushi, Antonio Giordano, Angelo Canciello, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, Aleksandar Ilic, Tancredi Caruso, Giuseppe Carota, Maria R. Spampinato, Pietro Zuccarello, Margherita Ferrante, Riccardo Polosa, and Giovanni Li Volti
- Subjects
Genetics ,Molecular Biology ,Biochemistry ,Biotechnology - Published
- 2022
21. Impact of exclusive e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products use on muco-ciliary clearance
- Author
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Alessandro Gulino, Fabio Cibella, Pasquale Caponnetto, G. Conte, Francesca Benfatto, Mario Malerba, Rosalia Emma, Riccardo Polosa, Massimo Caruso, and Salvatore Ferlito
- Subjects
Mucociliary clearance ,business.industry ,e-cigarette, heated tobacco products, mucociliary clearance transit time, saccharin test, smoking ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,food and beverages ,saccharin test ,Transit time ,RM1-950 ,Pharmacology ,e-cigarette ,Tobacco smoke ,smoking ,heated tobacco products ,mucociliary clearance transit time ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Medicine ,Therapeutics. Pharmacology ,business ,Saccharin ,Original Research - Abstract
Background: Tobacco smoking impairs mucociliary clearance (MCC) efficiency as shown by prolonged saccharin test transit time (STTT). Avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke from combustible cigarettes may restore MCC function and former smokers have been shown to exhibit similar STTT as never smokers. The impact on STTT of switching from smoking to combustion-free tobacco products such as e-cigarettes (ECs) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) is not known. Methods: We report STTT of exclusive EC and HTP users. Test results were compared with those obtained in current, former, and never smokers. Results: STTT were obtained from 39 current, 40 former, 40 never smokers, and from 20 EC and 20 HTP users. Comparison of STTT values showed significant difference among the five study groups ( p Conclusion: Former smokers who have switched to exclusive regular use of combustion-free nicotine delivery systems (i.e., ECs and HTPs) exhibit similar saccharin transit time as never and former smokers. This suggests that combustion-free nicotine delivery technologies are unlikely to have detrimental effects on MCC function.
- Published
- 2021
22. Electronic nicotine delivery systems exhibit reduced bronchial epithelial cells toxicity compared to cigarette: The Replica Project
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Arsenijevic A, Boffo S, Li Volti G, Antonio Giordano, Massimo Caruso, Riccardo Polosa, Volarevic, K. Mesiakaris, Alfio Distefano, Konstantinos Poulas, Sonja Rust, Rosalia Emma, Fahad Zadjali, Pietro Zuccarello, Tobi Ma, and Margherita Ferrante
- Subjects
Smoke ,Cigarette smoking ,Nicotine delivery ,business.industry ,Reduced toxicity ,Toxicity ,Vapor phase ,Cigarette smoke ,Medicine ,Pharmacology ,business ,Bronchial Epithelial Cell - Abstract
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide. Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) may reduce health risks associated with chronic exposure to smoke and their potential benefits have been the matter of intense scientific debate. Here we replicated three key published studies from the Tobacco Industry on cytotoxic and inflammatory effects of cigarette smoke and ENDS aerosol in an independent multicentric study. We aimed to establish the reliability of results and the robustness of conclusions by replicating the authors’ experimental protocols and further validating them with different techniques. We exposed human bronchial epithelial cell (NCI-H292) to cigarette smoke and to aerosol from ENDS. All the exposure were conducted at air-liquid interface to assess cytotoxicity effects of smoke and aerosol. Moreover, we aimed to assess different inflammatory mediators release (IL-6, IL-8 and MMP-1) from cells exposed to whole smoke and to smoke without particulate matter (vapor phase). We were able to replicate the results obtained in the original studies on cytotoxicity confirming that almost 80% of the cytotoxic effect of smoke is due to the vapor phase of smoke. Moreover, our results substantiated the reduced cytotoxic effects of ENDS aerosol in respect to cigarette smoke. However, our data are significantly different from the original ones in terms of inflammatory and remodeling activity triggered by smoke. Taken all together, the data obtained independently in different laboratories clearly demonstrate the reduced toxicity of ENDS products compared to cigarettes and thus providing a valuable tool to the harm reduction strategies in smokers. Competing Interest Statement Riccardo Polosa is full tenured professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Catania (Italy) and Medical Director of the Institute for Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology at the same University. In relation to his recent work in the area of respiratory diseases, clinical immunology, and tobacco control, RP has received has received lecture fees and research funding from Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, CV Therapeutics, NeuroSearch A/S, Sandoz, MSD, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Duska Therapeutics, and Forest Laboratories. Lecture fees from a number of European EC industry and trade associations (including FIVAPE in France and FIESEL in Italy) were directly donated to vaper advocacy no-profit organizations. RP has also received grants from European Commission initiatives (U-BIOPRED and AIRPROM) and from the Integral Rheumatology & Immunology Specialists Network (IRIS) initiative. He has also served as a consultant for Pfizer, Global Health Alliance for treatment of tobacco dependence, CV Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Duska Therapeutics, ECITA (Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association, in the UK), Arbi Group Srl., and Health Diplomats. RP has served on the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board of Cordex Pharma, Inc., CV Therapeutics, Duska Therapeutics Inc, Pfizer, and PharmaCielo. RP is also founder of the Center for Tobacco prevention and treatment (CPCT) at the University of Catania and of the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of HArm Reduction (CoEHAR) at the same University, which has received support from Foundation for a Smoke Free World to conduct 8 independent investigator-initiated research projects on harm reduction. RP is also currently involved in the following pro bono activities: scientific advisor for LIAF, Lega Italiana Anti Fumo (Italian acronym for Italian Anti-Smoking League), the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives (CASAA) and the International Network of Nicotine Consumers Organizations (INNCO); Chair of the European Technical Committee for standardization on -Requirements and test methods for emissions of electronic cigarettes- (CEN/TC 437; WG4). Giovanni Li Volti is currently elected Director of the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of HArm Reduction. Konstantinos Poulas has received service grants and research funding from a number of Vaping Companies. He is the Head of the Institute of Research and Innovations, which has received a grant from the Foundation for a Smoke Free World. All the other authors declare no conflicts of interest., This investigator-initiated experimental research was produced with the help of a grant from the Foundation for a Smoke Free World. The funder had no role in the study design, or the writing of the experimental research. The contents, selection and presentation of facts, as well as any opinions expressed in the experimental research are the sole responsibility of the author and under no circumstances shall be regarded as reflecting the positions of the funder.
- Published
- 2021
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23. The effect of e-cigarette aerosol emissions on respiratory health: a narrative review
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Massimo Caruso, Riccardo Polosa, Renée O’Leary, Rosalia Emma, and Donald P. Tashkin
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,respiratory health ,Respiratory Tract Diseases ,Population ,MEDLINE ,Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ,Global Health ,Tobacco smoke ,Nicotine ,03 medical and health sciences ,E-cigarette ,0302 clinical medicine ,Air Pollution ,Environmental health ,Health care ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,Medicine ,Indoor ,030212 general & internal medicine ,education ,Respiratory health ,Aerosols ,Inhalation Exposure ,education.field_of_study ,business.industry ,Incidence ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,030228 respiratory system ,Air Pollution, Indoor ,Relative risk ,Narrative review ,business ,nicotine ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Introduction: Due to the uptake in the use of e-cigarettes (ECs), evidence on their health effects is needed to inform health care and policy. Some regulators and health professionals have raised concerns that the respirable aerosols generated by ECs contain several constituents of potential toxicological and biological relevance to respiratory health. Areas covered: We critically assess published research on the respiratory system investigating the effects of ECs in preclinical models, clinical studies of people who switched to ECs from tobacco cigarettes, and population surveys. We assess the studies for the quality of their methodology and accuracy of their interpretation. To adequately assess the impact of EC use on human health, addressing common mistakes and developing robust and realistic methodological recommendations is an urgent priority. The findings of this review indicate that ECs under normal conditions of use demonstrate far fewer respiratory risks than combustible tobacco cigarettes. EC users and smokers considering ECs have the right to be informed about the relative risks of EC use, and to be made aware that findings of studies published by the media are not always reliable. Expert opinion: Growing evidence supports the relative safety of EC emission aerosols for the respiratory tract compared to tobacco smoke.
- Published
- 2019
24. Screening of different cytotoxicity methods for the assessment of ENDS toxicity relative tobacco cigarettes
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Giuseppe Carota, Roberta Pulvirenti, Massimo Caruso, Sonja Rust, Alfio Distefano, Rosalia Emma, Riccardo Polosa, and Giovanni Li Volti
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Neutral red ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Chemistry ,Annexin ,Apoptosis ,High-content screening ,Toxicity ,media_common.cataloged_instance ,Viability assay ,European union ,Pharmacology ,Cytotoxicity ,media_common - Abstract
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), i.e., electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) and Tobacco Heating Products (THPs), are rapidly growing in popularity. The marketing of these products is regulated by specific rules in the European Union and in the US, which permit their legal sales. Nonetheless, comprehensive quality and safety requirements for regulatory purposes are still under development. Cytotoxicity studies are an important initial step in appraising the potential toxicity of ENDS. The aim of the present study was to screen a battery of different in vitro cytotoxicity methods for the assessment of toxicity induced by ENDS. We evaluated different cytotoxicity assays, including neutral red uptake (NRU), 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), Annexin V apoptosis, High Content Screening (HCS) assays and Real Time Cell Analysis (RTCA), to compare two e-cigs (Vype ePen 3 and Vype eStick Maxx) and two THPs (IQOS and GLO™) with the 1R6F reference tobacco cigarette. Human bronchial epithelial cells (H292) were exposed to 1R6F smoke (5 puffs by HCI regime), ePen vapor (10 puffs by modified HCI regime), eStick vapor (25 puffs by CRM81 regime), IQOS vapor (7 puffs by HCI regime) and GLO vapor (8 puffs by HCI regime) at air-liquid interface. All tests showed reduced cell viability following 1R6F smoke exposure and slight or no reduction with ENDS at 24 hours compared to controls. In addition, Annexin V and RTCA exhibited a further significant reduction in cell viability following 1R6F exposure compared with other assays. Furthermore, Annexin V allowed to discriminate viable cells from those in early/late apoptosis. Finally, RTCA and HCS being time-resolved analyses allowed also to determine the kinetic dependency parameter for toxicity of smoke/vapor chemicals on cell viability. In conclusion, NRU assay may be considered a suitable test, especially when combined with a time-resolved test, for assessing the kinetic of cytotoxicity induced by these products.
- Published
- 2021
25. REPEATABILITY OF A CALIBRATED DIGITAL SPECTROPHOTOMETER FOR DENTAL SHADE EVALUATION IN CURRENT, FORMER AND NEVER SMOKERS – STUDY PROTOCOL
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G. Conte, Salvatore Urso, Eugenio Pedullà, Antonio Pacino, Rosalia Emma, Riccardo Polosa, and Fabio Cibella
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Protocol (science) ,business.industry ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Dentistry ,Repeatability ,Former Smoker ,Oral hygiene ,Nicotine ,Never smokers ,stomatognathic diseases ,Cigarette smoking ,medicine ,Smoking cessation ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Despite the negative impact of cigarette smoking on oral health and teeth appearance, there is no data available on dental shade changes in smokers who quit smoking. Dental discoloration caused by smoking may be permanent, with minimal restoration after stopping smoking. If this is valid, former smokers can show dental shade values equivalent to those of current smokers.The aim of this study is to compare the dental shade assessment by digital spectrophotometry (VITA Easyshade V) in current, former and never smokers and to verify the short (7 days) and long-term (30 days) repeatability of these measurements.Confirmation of good reproducibility of VITA Easyshade V with clear objective discrimination of dental shade measurements among current, former, and never smokers will improve the power of this measurement giving more confidence in clinical research findings of dental shades in these populations.It is also anticipated that results from the study will expand the application of this measurements to include medical and regulatory research applied to combustion-free tobacco products (e.g. e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, oral tobacco/nicotine products, etc.), smoking cessation medications, and to consumer care product for oral hygiene and dental aesthetics.
- Published
- 2021
26. REPEATABILITY OF A DIGITAL IMAGING TECHNOLOGY FOR DENTAL PLAQUE QUANTITATION (QRAYCAM™ PRO) IN CURRENT, FORMER AND NEVER SMOKERS – STUDY PROTOCOL
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Riccardo Polosa, Salvatore Urso, Pasquale Caponnetto, Rosalia Emma, A. Pacino, Fabio Cibella, and G. Conte
- Subjects
Protocol (science) ,business.industry ,Digital imaging technology ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Dentistry ,Repeatability ,Dental plaque ,medicine.disease ,Oral hygiene ,Nicotine ,Never smokers ,stomatognathic diseases ,Medicine ,Smoking cessation ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Although the detrimental health effects of smoking on human health are well described, the impact of smoking on dental plaque build-up lacks consistent records. This is because dental research on periodontal health has primarily relied on subjective indices with poor discriminatory power. Novel digital imaging techniques for the objective quantitation of dental plaque are now available. Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence (QLF) technology has been used in several studies for digital quantification and monitoring of dental plaque.The objective of the study is to quantitate and compare short- and long-term repeatability of dental plaque among current, former, and never smokers by using a high resolution, auto-focus, hand-held QLF scanner (QRayCam™ Pro; Inspektor Research Systems BV, Amsterdam, NL).Demonstration of good reproducibility of QLF technology with clear discrimination for dental plaque quantitation among current, former, and never smokers will pave the way to future application of this test for both medical and regulatory research applied not only to combustion-free tobacco products (e.g. e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, oral tobacco/nicotine products, etc.) and smoking cessation medications, but also to consume care product for oral hygiene.
- Published
- 2021
27. Bacteriocins, a natural weapon against bacterial contamination for greater safety and preservation of food: a review
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Rosalia Emma, Virginia Fuochi, and Pio Maria Furneri
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Preservative ,Food industry ,food spoilage ,Food spoilage ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Food Contamination ,bacteriocins ,Bacteriocin ,Lactobacillus ,Generally recognized as safe ,Animals ,Humans ,biology ,business.industry ,food preservation ,Lactabacillus spp ,Food preservation ,biology.organism_classification ,Antimicrobial ,industrial application ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Biotechnology ,drug delivery ,Food Microbiology ,business - Abstract
Nowadays, consumers have become increasingly attentive to human health and the use of more natural products. Consequently, the demand for natural preservatives in the food industry is more frequent. This has led to intense research to discover new antimicrobial compounds of natural origin that could effectively fight foodborne pathogens. This research aims to safeguard the health of consumers and, above all, to avoid potentially harmful chemical compounds. Lactobacillus is a bacterial genus belonging to the Lactic Acid Bacteria and many strains are defined GRAS, generally recognized as safe. These strains are able to produce substances with antibacterial activity against food spoilage bacteria and contaminating pathogens: the bacteriocins. The aim of this review was to focus on this genus and its capability to produce antibacterial peptides. The review collected all the information from the last few years about bacteriocins produced by Lactobacillus strains, isolated from clinical or food samples, with remarkable antimicrobial activities useful for being exploited in the food field. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of their use and the possible ways of improvement for industrial applications were described.
- Published
- 2021
28. SACCHARIN TRANSIT TIME IN EXCLUSIVE E-CIGARETTES AND HEATED TOBACCO PRODUCTS USERS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
- Author
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Pasquale Caponnetto, Massimo Caruso, Mario Malerba, G. Conte, Fabio Cibella, Alessandro Gulino, Salvatore Ferlito, Riccardo Polosa, Rosalia Emma, and Francesca Benfatto
- Subjects
business.industry ,Cross-sectional study ,Significant difference ,Physiology ,Transit time ,Former Smoker ,Tobacco smoke ,Never smokers ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Nicotine delivery ,Medicine ,business ,Saccharin - Abstract
Tobacco smoking impairs mucociliary clearance (MCC) efficiency as shown by prolonged saccharin test transit time (STTT). Avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke from combustible cigarettes may restore MCC function and former smokers have been shown to exhibit similar STTT as never smokers. The impact of switching from smoking to combustion-free tobacco products such as e-cigarettes (ECs) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) on STTT is not known. We report STTT of exclusive EC and HTP users. Test results were compared to those obtained in current, former, and never smokers.STTT were obtained from 39 current, 40 former, 40 never smokers and from 20 EC and 20 HTP users. Comparison of STTT values showed significant difference among the five study groups (p< 0.00001) with current smokers having a median (IQR) STTT of 13.15 min, which was significantly longer compared to that of all other study groups. In particular, compared to former (7.26 min) and never smokers (7.24 min), exclusive EC users and exclusive HTP users had similar STTT at 7.00 and 8.00 min respectively.Ex-smokers who have switched to exclusive regular use of combustion-free nicotine delivery systems (i.e. ECs and HTPs) exhibit similar saccharin transit time as never and former smokers. This suggests that combustion-free nicotine delivery technologies are unlikely to have detrimental effects on MCC function.
- Published
- 2020
29. Nicotine dosimetry and stability in cambridge filter PADs (CFPs) following different smoking regime protocols and storage conditions
- Author
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Massimo Caruso, Claudia Favara, Pietro Zuccarello, Sonja Rust, Riccardo Polosa, Roberta Pulvirenti, Margherita Ferrante, Giovanni Li Volti, and Rosalia Emma
- Subjects
Normalization (statistics) ,Nicotine ,Post exposure ,010501 environmental sciences ,Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ,Toxicology ,030226 pharmacology & pharmacy ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Drug Stability ,law ,medicine ,Dosimetry ,Food science ,Electronic cigarette ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Smoke ,Principal Component Analysis ,Time zero ,Chemistry ,Cambridge filter pad ,Methodology ,Temperature ,General Medicine ,Reference Standards ,Tobacco constituents ,Smoking regimes ,Nicotine delivery ,Particulate Matter ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Despite the growing numbers of studies on cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery products (ENDs), no standard assessment of nicotine stability in various matrix post exposure is currently available. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the optimal standard condition to store Cambridge Filter Pads (CFPs) before chemical analysis in order to guarantee the titer of nicotine.We further performed data normalization according to different smoking or vaping runs. Smoke and vapor generated respectively by a reference tobacco cigarette (1R6F) and ENDs under different exposure regimes (ISO, HCI and CRM81) were collected on CFPs as totalparticulate matter(TPM) and subsequently analyzed for nicotine content. For each exposure, some CFPs were analyzed at time zero, whereas the others were stored under different conditions for nicotine assessment after 30 days. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed the best correlation between nicotine on CFPs and TPM for normalization. This study suggests that different exposure regimes and products can affect the preservation of nicotine titer on CFPs while samples storage at −80°C may prevent the loss of nicotine. Finally, normalization of nicotine with TPM is strongly recommended for regulatory purpose.
- Published
- 2020
30. Nicotine dosimetry and stability in Cambridge Filter PADs (CFPs) following different smoking regimen protocols and condition storage
- Author
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Roberta Pulvirenti, Sonja Rust, Claudia Favara, Massimo Caruso, Giovanni Li Volti, Margherita Ferrante, Rosalia Emma, Pietro Zuccarello, and Riccardo Polosa
- Subjects
Time zero ,Chemistry ,law.invention ,Nicotine ,Regimen ,Nicotine delivery ,law ,nicotine, electronic cigarette, stability, Cambridge Filter Pad, smoking regimen, storage ,Nicotine concentration ,medicine ,Dosimetry ,Food science ,Electronic cigarette ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Despite the growing numbers of studies with cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery products (ENDs), there is no standard covering nicotine dosimetry and its stability in various matrix. The aim of the present study was to provide a protocol to normalize nicotine concentration adsorbed in Cambridge Filter PADs (CFPs) and their storage method. Smoke/vapor generated by a reference tobacco cigarette (1R6F) and ENDs with different exposure regimes (ISO, HCI and CRM81) was collected in CFPs. For each exposure, some CFPs were analyzed at time zero, whereas the others were stored under different conditions for nicotine assessment after 30 days. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was also performed to establish the best parameter for nicotine normalization. PCA showed the best correlation between nicotine in CFPs and TPM. Our results showed differences between products and puffing regimes, but storage of CFPs at −80°C was always effective in maintaining the nicotine content. In conclusion, this study highlights that different exposure regimens and products can affect the preservation of nicotine titer in CFPs and samples storage at −80°C may prevent the loss of nicotine. These conditions are recommended and should be adopted for Inter-laboratory comparison studies on ENDs to ensure harmonization between participating laboratories.
- Published
- 2020
31. A new standardized phytoextract from red orange and lemon wastes (red orange and lemon extract) reduces basophil degranulation and activation
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Simona Fabroni, Massimo Caruso, Margherita Amenta, Rosalia Emma, Paolo Rapisarda, Gabriele Ballistreri, Calogero Rinzivillo, and Walter Currenti
- Subjects
Citrus ,lemon ,Basophil Degranulation Test ,Plant Science ,Orange (colour) ,Basophil ,Basophil degranulation ,medicine.disease_cause ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry ,Analytical Chemistry ,antiallergic, CD203c, Citrus fruit ,Allergen ,CD63 ,medicine ,Food science ,Plant Extracts ,Tetraspanin 30 ,010405 organic chemistry ,Chemistry ,Organic Chemistry ,Degranulation ,Red Orange ,food and beverages ,Flow Cytometry ,Lemon extract ,Basophils ,0104 chemical sciences ,010404 medicinal & biomolecular chemistry ,Basophil activation ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Citrus fruit - Abstract
Citrus fruits are rich sources of bioactive compounds and their consumption is associated to health-promoting effects. Citrus processing wastes contain bioflavonoids and other high added value compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiallergic properties of a new phytoextract obtained by citrus wastes and peels. Blood orange and lemon processing wastes were used to produce a Red orange and Lemon Extract (RLE). Blood samples from 30 allergic donors were collected and used to evaluate the basophil activation (CD203c) and degranulation (CD63) by stimulation trough allergen with and without the RLE. Reduced basophil expression of CD203c and CD63 were observed in RLE + Allergen treated samples, with -20.21% of CD203c expression (p < 0.0001) and -54.11% of CD63 expression (p < 0.0001), compared to Allergen treated samples. The RLE evidenced a good antiallergic activity, mainly acting on basophils degranulation, and therefore reducing the key event of pro-inflammatory mediators release after allergic stimuli.
- Published
- 2020
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32. Role of Cigarette Smoke on ACE-2 Protein Membrane Expression in Bronchial Epithelial Cells Using an Air-Liquid Interface Model
- Author
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Michelino Di Rosa, Riccardo Polosa, Giuseppina Raciti, Rosalia Emma, Pietro Zuccarello, Giuseppe Carota, Margherita Ferrante, Massimo Caruso, Giovanni Li Volti, Sonja Rust, and Alfio Distefano
- Subjects
Smoke ,Nicotine ,Membrane ,Chemistry ,Interface model ,ACE-2 ,nicotine ,smoke ,cigarette ,epithelial cells ,medicine ,biochemistry ,Cigarette smoke ,medicine.drug ,Cell biology - Abstract
Prevalence studies of current smoking among hospitalized COVID-19 patients demonstrated an unexpectedly low prevalence of current smoking among patients with COVID-19. The aim of the present proposal was to evaluate the effect of smoke from cigarettes on ACE-2 in bronchial epithelial cells. Normal bronchial epithelial cells (H292) were exposed to smoke by an air-liquid-interface (ALI) system and ACE-2 membrane protein expression was evaluated after 24 hours from exposure. Our transcriptomics data analysis showed a significant selective reduction of membrane ACE-2 expression (about 25%) following smoking exposure. Interestingly, we observed a positive direct correlation between ACE-2 reduction and nicotine delivery. Furthermore, by stratifying GSE52237 as a function of ACE-2 gene expression levels, we highlighted 1012 genes related to ACE-2 in smokers and 855 in non-smokers. Furthermore, we showed that 161 genes involved in the endocytosis process were highlighted using the online pathway tool KEGG. Finally, 11 genes were in common between the ACE-2 pathway in smokers and the genes regulated during endocytosis, while 12 genes with non-smokers. Interestingly, six in non-smokers and four genes in smokers were closely involved during the viral internalization process. Our data may offer a pharmaceutical role of nicotine as potential treatment option in COVID-19.
- Published
- 2020
33. Biologic agents for severe asthma patients: clinical perspectives and implications
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Maria Domenica Amaradio, Riccardo Polosa, Massimo Caruso, Rosalia Emma, and Jaymin B. Morjaria
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Severe asthma ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Omalizumab ,Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ,Biological Factors ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Internal Medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Anti-Asthmatic Agents ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Intensive care medicine ,Mepolizumab ,Anti-IgE ,Predictive biomarker ,Asthma ,Biological therapies ,Biologic drugs ,business.industry ,Antibodies, Monoclonal ,medicine.disease ,Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic ,Biologic Agents ,Anti-IL-5 ,030228 respiratory system ,Biological warfare ,Emergency Medicine ,Interleukin-5 ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory multifactorial disorder of the airways characterized by the involvement of immune cells and mediators in its onset and maintenance. Traditional therapeutic strategies have been unsatisfactory in controlling the underlying pathology, especially in the more severe states. Hence in the last couple of decades, new biological approaches targeting molecular mediators have been developed. In this narrative review we examine biological agents currently available for the management of severe asthma, focusing our attention on their clinical application, pros and cons, and in particular on gaps regarding the use of these agents. The most well-known and used biologic agent in clinical practice is omalizumab, though there is emerging evidence for mepolizumab too. The future of these biological therapies is to broaden our knowledge of their practical use and ascertain predictive biomarkers, or define an algorithm, useful in the optimal application of these 'biological weapons'.
- Published
- 2017
34. Screening of different cytotoxicity methods for the assessment of ENDS toxicity relative to tobacco cigarettes
- Author
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Sonja Rust, Roberta Pulvirenti, Giuseppe Carota, Massimo Caruso, Alfio Distefano, Giovanni Li Volti, Rosalia Emma, and Riccardo Polosa
- Subjects
Neutral red ,Cell Survival ,Cytotoxicity ,Cigarette smoke ,ENDS ,Electronic cigarette ,THP ,Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ,Pharmacology ,Toxicology ,Tobacco smoke ,Cell Line ,law.invention ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Annexin ,law ,Humans ,Viability assay ,Chemistry ,Epithelial Cells ,Tobacco Products ,General Medicine ,Apoptosis ,Toxicity - Abstract
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), i.e., electronic-cigarettes (e-cigs) and Tobacco Heating Products (THPs), are rapidly growing in popularity. Nonetheless, comprehensive quality and safety requirements for regulatory purposes are still under development. Cytotoxicity studies are important initial steps in appraising the potential ENDS toxicity. The aim of the present study was to screen different in vitro cytotoxicity methods for the assessment of ENDS toxicity. We evaluated NRU, MTT, Annexin V apoptosis (AN-V), High-Content Screening (HCS) assays and Real-Time Cell Analysis (RTCA), to compare two e-cigs and two THPs with the 1R6F reference tobacco cigarette. Human adenocarcinoma lung epithelial cells (H292) were exposed to tobacco smoke and ENDS vapor at air-liquid interface. All tests showed reduced cell viability following 1R6F smoke exposure and slight or no reduction with ENDS at 24 h. AN-V and RTCA exhibited a further significant reduction in cell viability following 1R6F exposure. AN-V allowed to discriminate viable cells from those in early/late apoptosis. RTCA and HCS being time-resolved analyses elucidate the kinetic dependency parameter for toxicity of smoke/vapor chemicals on cell viability. In conclusion, NRU assay may be considered a suitable test, especially when combined with a time-resolved analysis, for assessing the kinetic of cytotoxicity induced by these products.
- Published
- 2021
35. IL-17-high asthma with features of a psoriasis immunophenotype
- Author
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Jörgen Östling, Marleen van Geest, James P.R. Schofield, Zala Jevnikar, Susan Wilson, Jonathan Ward, Rene Lutter, Dominick E. Shaw, Per S. Bakke, Massimo Caruso, Sven-Erik Dahlen, Stephen J. Fowler, Ildikó Horváth, Norbert Krug, Paolo Montuschi, Marek Sanak, Thomas Sandström, Kai Sun, Ioannis Pandis, Charles Auffray, Ana R. Sousa, Yike Guo, Ian M. Adcock, Peter Howarth, Kian Fan Chung, Jeanette Bigler, Peter J. Sterk, Paul J. Skipp, Ratko Djukanović, Outi Vaarala, I.M. Adcock, H. Ahmed, C. Auffray, P. Bakke, A.T. Bansal, F. Baribaud, S. Bates, E.H. Bel, J. Bigler, H. Bisgaard, M.J. Boedigheimer, K. Bønnelykke, J. Brandsma, P. Brinkman, E. Bucchioni, D. Burg, A. Bush, M. Caruso, A. Chaiboonchoe, P. Chanez, K.F. Chung, C.H. Compton, J. Corfield, A. D'Amico, S.E. Dahlen, B. De Meulder, R. Djukanovic, V.J. Erpenbeck, D. Erzen, K. Fichtner, N. Fitch, L.J. Fleming, E. Formaggio, S.J. Fowler, U. Frey, M. Gahlemann, T. Geiser, Y. Guo, S. Hashimoto, J. Haughney, G. Hedlin, P.W. Hekking, T. Higenbottam, J.M. Hohlfeld, C. Holweg, I. Horváth, P. Howarth, A.J. James, R. Knowles, A.J. Knox, N. Krug, D. Lefaudeux, M.J. Loza, R. Lutter, A. Manta, S. Masefield, A. Mazein, A. Meiser, R.J.M. Middelveld, M. Miralpeix, P. Montuschi, N. Mores, C.S. Murray, J. Musial, D. Myles, L. Pahus, I. Pandis, S. Pavlidis, P. Powell, G. Praticò, M. Puig N. Rao, J. Riley, A. Roberts, G. Roberts, A. Rowe, T. Sandström, W. Seibold, A. Selby, D.E. Shaw, R. Sigmund, F. Singer, P.J. Skipp, A.R. Sousa, P.J. Sterk, K. Sun, B. Thornton, W.M. van Aalderen, M. van Geest, J. Vestbo, N.H. Vissing, A.H. Wagener, S.S. Wagers, Z. Weiszhart, C.E. Wheelock, S.J. Wilson, Antonios Aliprantis, David Allen, Kjell Alving, P. Badorrek, David Balgoma, S. Ballereau, Clair Barber, Manohara Kanangana Batuwitage, A. Bautmans, A. Bedding, A.F. Behndig, Jorge Beleta, A. Berglind, A. Berton, Grazyna Bochenek, Armin Braun, D. Campagna, Leon Carayannopoulos, C. Casaulta, Romanas Chaleckis, B. Dahlén, imothy Davison, Jorge De Alba, Inge De Lepeleire, Tamara Dekker, Ingrid Delin, P. Dennison, Annemiek Dijkhuis, Paul Dodson, Aleksandra Draper, K. Dyson, Jessica Edwards, L. El Hadjam, Rosalia Emma, Magnus Ericsson, C. Faulenbach, Breda Flood, G. Galffy, Hector Gallart, D. Garissi, J. Gent, M. Gerhardsson de Verdier, D. Gibeon, Cristina Gomez, Kerry Gove, Neil Gozzard, E. Guillmant-Farry, E. Henriksson, Lorraine Hewitt, U. Hoda, Richard Hu, Sile Hu, X. Hu, E. Jeyasingham, K. Johnson, N. Jullian, Juliette Kamphuis, Erika J. Kennington, Dyson Kerry, G. Kerry, M. Klüglich, Hugo Knobel, Johan Kolmert, J.R. Konradsen, Maxim Kots, Kosmas Kretsos, L. Krueger, Scott Kuo, Maciej Kupczyk, Bart Lambrecht, A.-S. Lantz, Christopher Larminie, L.X. Larsson, P. Latzin, N. Lazarinis, N. Lemonnier, Saeeda Lone-Latif, L.A. Lowe, Alexander Manta, Lisa Marouzet, Jane Martin, Caroline Mathon, L. McEvoy, Sally Meah, A. Menzies-Gow, Leanne Metcalf, Maria Mikus, Philip Monk, Shama Naz, K. Nething, Ben Nicholas, U. Nihlén, Peter Nilsson, R. Niven, B. Nordlund, S. Nsubuga, Antonio Pacino, Susanna Palkonen, J. Pellet, Giorgio Pennazza, Anne Petrén, Sandy Pink, C. Pison, Anthony Postle, Malayka Rahman-Amin, Lara Ravanetti, Emma Ray, Stacey Reinke, Leanne Reynolds, K. Riemann, Martine Robberechts, J.P. Rocha, C. Rossios, Kirsty Russell, Michael Rutgers, G. Santini, Marco Santoninco, M. Saqi, Corinna Schoelch, S. Scott, N. Sehgal, Marcus Sjödin, Barbara Smids, Caroline Smith, Jessica Smith, Katherine M. Smith, P. Söderman, A. Sogbessan, F. Spycher, Doroteya Staykova, S. Stephan, J. Stokholm, K. Strandberg, M. Sunther, M. Szentkereszty, L. Tamasi, K. Tariq, John-Olof Thörngren, Jonathan Thorsen, S. Valente, Marianne van de Pol, C.M. van Drunen, Jonathan Van Eyll, Jenny Versnel, Anton Vink, C. von Garnier, A. Vyas, Frans Wald, Samantha Walker, Kristiane Wetzel, Coen Wiegman, Siân Williams, Xian Yang, Elizabeth Yeyasingham, W. Yu Amgen, W. Zetterquist, Z. Zolkipli, A.H. Zwinderman, Publica, Pediatric surgery, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development (AR&D), Pulmonology, AII - Inflammatory diseases, Experimental Immunology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Epidemiology and Data Science, APH - Methodology, and Commission of the European Communities
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0301 basic medicine ,Male ,URINARY-EXCRETION ,Allergy ,Neutrophils ,Inflammatory bowel disease ,Cohort Studies ,DOUBLE-BLIND ,0302 clinical medicine ,Immunology and Allergy ,POPULATION ,Interleukin-13 ,Interleukin-17 ,psoriasis ,BRODALUMAB ,Up-Regulation ,IL-17 ,Phenotype ,1107 Immunology ,Biomarker (medicine) ,Female ,Interleukin 17 ,medicine.symptom ,Life Sciences & Biomedicine ,ENDOTYPES ,Signal Transduction ,EXPRESSION ,Adult ,Settore BIO/14 - FARMACOLOGIA ,Immunology ,PHENOTYPES ,Bronchi ,03 medical and health sciences ,INFLAMMATION ,Psoriasis ,medicine ,Humans ,Interleukin 8 ,Asthma ,U-BIOPRED Study Group ,Science & Technology ,business.industry ,Gene Expression Profiling ,biomarkers ,Epithelial Cells ,asthma ,bronchial brushings ,medicine.disease ,bronchial biopsies ,Neutrophilia ,030104 developmental biology ,030228 respiratory system ,EXACERBATION ,CELLS ,Sputum ,business ,Transcriptome ,Biomarkers - Abstract
Background The role of IL-17 immunity is well established in patients with inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease, but not in asthmatic patients, in whom further study is required. Objective We sought to undertake a deep phenotyping study of asthmatic patients with upregulated IL-17 immunity. Methods Whole-genome transcriptomic analysis was performed by using epithelial brushings, bronchial biopsy specimens (91 asthmatic patients and 46 healthy control subjects), and whole blood samples (n = 498) from the Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes (U-BIOPRED) cohort. Gene signatures induced in vitro by IL-17 and IL-13 in bronchial epithelial cells were used to identify patients with IL-17–high and IL-13–high asthma phenotypes. Results Twenty-two of 91 patients were identified with IL-17, and 9 patients were identified with IL-13 gene signatures. The patients with IL-17–high asthma were characterized by risk of frequent exacerbations, airway (sputum and mucosal) neutrophilia, decreased lung microbiota diversity, and urinary biomarker evidence of activation of the thromboxane B2 pathway. In pathway analysis the differentially expressed genes in patients with IL-17-high asthma were shared with those reported as altered in psoriasis lesions and included genes regulating epithelial barrier function and defense mechanisms, such as IL1B, IL6, IL8, and β-defensin. Conclusion The IL-17–high asthma phenotype, characterized by bronchial epithelial dysfunction and upregulated antimicrobial and inflammatory response, resembles the immunophenotype of psoriasis, including activation of the thromboxane B2 pathway, which should be considered a biomarker for this phenotype in further studies, including clinical trials targeting IL-17.
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- 2019
36. Enhanced oxidative stress in smoking and ex-smoking severe asthma in the U-BIOPRED cohort
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Barbro Dahlén, Ioannis Pandis, Julie Corfield, Charles Auffray, Norbert Krug, Peter H. Howarth, Ildiko Horvath, Per Bakke, Rosalia Emma, Lorena Fabbella, Kian Fan Chung, Paolo Montuschi, Massimo Caruso, Aruna T. Bansal, Diane Lefaudeux, Ratko Djukanovic, Thomas Sandström, Louise Fleming, Ana R. Sousa, Marek Sanak, Peter J. Sterk, Ian M. Adcock, Pascal Chanez, Swen-Erik Dahlen, René Lutter, Stephen J. Fowler, Craig E. Wheelock, Johan Kolmert, Florian Singer, Matthew J. Loza, Dominick E. Shaw, Bertrand De Meulder, Loukides, Stelios, Publica, Pulmonology, and AII - Inflammatory diseases
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Male ,0301 basic medicine ,REDOX REGULATION ,RAT LUNG ,Pulmonology ,Physiology ,Respiratory Medicine and Allergy ,NF-KAPPA-B ,lcsh:Medicine ,Urine ,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine ,Biochemistry ,Gastroenterology ,Bronchial brushing ,AIRWAY DISEASES ,Cohort Studies ,Habits ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Smoking Habits ,SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE ,oxidative stress ,Public and Occupational Health ,lcsh:Science ,Immune Response ,Lungmedicin och allergi ,Multidisciplinary ,Smoking ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,Body Fluids ,Enzymes ,3. Good health ,Multidisciplinary Sciences ,Dismutases ,Cohort ,Science & Technology - Other Topics ,Biomarker (medicine) ,Female ,Anatomy ,medicine.symptom ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Research Article ,Adult ,severe asthma ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Settore BIO/14 - FARMACOLOGIA ,Substance-Related Disorders ,General Science & Technology ,Urinary system ,Immunology ,PATHOPHYSIOLOGY ,610 Medicine & health ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,MECHANISMS ,03 medical and health sciences ,Signs and Symptoms ,Diagnostic Medicine ,Internal medicine ,Mental Health and Psychiatry ,Bronchoscopy ,MD Multidisciplinary ,isoprostanes ,Tobacco Smoking ,medicine ,Humans ,U-BIOPRED Study Group ,Asthma ,Inflammation ,Behavior ,Creatinine ,Science & Technology ,NITRIC-OXIDE ,Superoxide Dismutase ,business.industry ,lcsh:R ,Sputum ,LUNG INFLAMMATION ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Smoking Related Disorders ,Proteins ,Cell Biology ,medicine.disease ,respiratory tract diseases ,Mucus ,030104 developmental biology ,chemistry ,CIGARETTE-SMOKE ,Enzymology ,lcsh:Q ,business ,Biomarkers - Abstract
Oxidative stress is believed to be a major driver of inflammation in smoking asthmatics. The U-BIOPRED project recruited a cohort of Severe Asthma smokers/ex-smokers (SAs/ex) and non-smokers (SAn) with extensive clinical and biomarker information enabling characterization of these subjects. We investigated oxidative stress in severe asthma subjects by analysing urinary 8-iso-PGF2α and the mRNA-expression of the main pro-oxidant (NOX2; NOSs) and anti-oxidant (SODs; CAT; GPX1) enzymes in the airways of SAs/ex and SAn. All the severe asthma U-BIOPRED subjects were further divided into current smokers with severe asthma (CSA), ex-smokers with severe asthma (ESA) and non-smokers with severe asthma (NSA) to deepen the effect of active smoking. Clinical data, urine and sputum were obtained from severe asthma subjects. A bronchoscopy to obtain bronchial biopsy and brushing was performed in a subset of subjects. The main clinical data were analysed for each subset of subjects (urine-8-iso-PGF2α; IS-transcriptomics; BB-transcriptomics; BBr-transcriptomics). Urinary 8-iso-PGF2α was quantified using mass spectrometry. Sputum, bronchial biopsy and bronchial brushing were processed for mRNA expression microarray analysis. Urinary 8-iso-PGF2α was increased in SAs/ex, median (IQR) = 31.7 (24.5-44.7) ng/mmol creatinine, compared to SAn, median (IQR) = 26.6 (19.6-36.6) ng/mmol creatinine (p< 0.001), and in CSA, median (IQR) = 34.25 (24.4-47.7), vs. ESA, median (IQR) = 29.4 (22.3-40.5), and NSA, median (IQR) = 26.5 (19.6-16.6) ng/mmol creatinine (p = 0.004). Sputum mRNA expression of NOX2 was increased in SAs/ex compared to SAn (probe sets 203922_PM_s_at fold-change = 1.05 p = 0.006; 203923_PM_s_at fold-change = 1.06, p = 0.003; 233538_PM_s_at fold-change = 1.06, p = 0.014). The mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes were similar between the two severe asthma cohorts in all airway samples. NOS2 mRNA expression was decreased in bronchial brushing of SAs/ex compared to SAn (fold-change = -1.10; p = 0.029). NOS2 mRNA expression in bronchial brushing correlated with FeNO (Kendal's Tau = 0.535; p< 0.001). From clinical and inflammatory analysis, FeNO was lower in CSA than in ESA in all the analysed subject subsets (p< 0.01) indicating an effect of active smoking. Results about FeNO suggest its clinical limitation, as inflammation biomarker, in severe asthma active smokers. These data provide evidence of greater systemic oxidative stress in severe asthma smokers as reflected by a significant changes of NOX2 mRNA expression in the airways, together with elevated urinary 8-iso-PGF2α in the smokers/ex-smokers group. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov-Identifier: NCT01976767.
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- 2018
37. High nicotine exposure in rodents is unlikely to inform about its toxicity in humans
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Massimo Caruso, Riccardo Polosa, and Rosalia Emma
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Nicotine ,NICOTINE EXPOSURE ,business.industry ,MEDLINE ,Context (language use) ,Rodentia ,Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ,Electronic Cigarette Use ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Harm ,030228 respiratory system ,Environmental health ,Toxicity ,Tobacco ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Tobacco Smoke Pollution ,030212 general & internal medicine ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
More realistic exposures protocols are required to provide reliable toxicological information about electronic cigarette use in the context of smoking harm reductionhttp://bit.ly/2YkZHWG
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- 2018
38. Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis as a Strategy for Preventing Asthma
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Jaymin B. Morjaria, Riccardo Polosa, Rosalia Emma, Cristina Russo, and Massimo Caruso
- Subjects
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Allergen immunotherapy ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Allergy ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Specific immunotherapy ,Immunology ,Disease ,Allergic rhinitis ,law.invention ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,medicine ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,In patient ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Intensive care medicine ,Asthma ,business.industry ,Prevention ,Immunotherapy ,medicine.disease ,Rhinitis, Allergic ,SIT ,030228 respiratory system ,Desensitization, Immunologic ,business - Abstract
To evaluate the impact of allergic rhinitis (AR) on the development of asthma and to update readers on recent literature suggesting that early treatment of allergic subjects with immunotherapy may prevent asthma onset. AR is frequently associated with asthma, leading to the concept that these two conditions are different aspects of the same disease. There is increasing evidence that AR precedes the onset of asthmatic symptoms and current treatment strategies are beneficial in symptom control with no impact prevention. There is limited knowledge about the risk factors responsible for the progression of AR to asthma, though recent data supports the notion that it is possible to prevent asthma onset by allergen immunotherapy. Despite significant advances in specific immunotherapy (SIT) therapy strengthening its efficacy in AR and possible prevention of progression to asthma, the adoption of this therapeutic strategy is still restricted in comparison to therapies directed towards treatment of AR symptoms. Unlike corticosteroids and other symptomatic therapies, the benefit of SIT treatment in allergic individuals has been shown to prevent the development of allergic conditions. Hence, large well-conducted randomized clinical trials with long-term efficacy of SIT are required to confirm or refute the concept that SIT may abrogate the progression of AR to asthma in patients.
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- 2018
39. Basophil biomarkers as useful predictors for sublingual immunotherapy in allergic rhinitis
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Maria Domenica Amaradio, Massimo Caruso, Giovanni Tringali, Davide Campagna, Fabio Cibella, Riccardo Polosa, and Rosalia Emma
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Adult ,Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Allergen immunotherapy ,Allergy ,Parietaria ,Immunology ,Basophil ,medicine.disease_cause ,Allergic sensitization ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Allergen ,Basophil threshold sensitivity ,ASIT ,CD63 ,medicine ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,Pyrophosphatases ,Pharmacology ,Sublingual Immunotherapy ,biology ,Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases ,Tetraspanin 30 ,business.industry ,Allergens ,Middle Aged ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,Rhinitis, Allergic ,Basophils ,Basophil activation ,030104 developmental biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,030228 respiratory system ,Tolerability ,CD203c ,Female ,business ,Biomarkers - Abstract
Prevalence of allergic diseases is increasing worldwide. Allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) is potentially the only curative treatment for allergy, but there is a lack of reliable methods to monitor the immune responses to ASIT and to predict clinical efficacy. Recently, the definition of allergen sensitivity threshold (CD-Sens) by Basophil Activation Tests has been suggested as potential method in this context. The aim of this study was to compare trends of CD-Sens, measured by the markers CD63 and CD203c, and clinical symptoms in subjects with allergic rhinitis receiving Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT). 26 rhinitis patients allergic to Parietaria were selected and matched into two groups; a SLIT treated group (SG) and a reference group (RG) treated by traditional anti-allergic medications. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score for the four cardinal symptoms of rhinitis and peripheral blood was collected before the first dose of SLIT (T0) and after 12 months (T12) to define the severity of the symptoms and the sensitivity of basophils to Parietaria. The comparison between T0 and T12 in SG patients showed a significant decrease of symptom severity (VAS score) and an increased tolerability of basophils to Parietaria (CD-Sens) both by CD63 and CD203c. But, only CD203c seems to be correlated with the clinical symptoms. These data corroborate the hypothesis that SLIT could change the immunological course of allergic sensitization already in the first year, and that an immunological parameter as CD-Sens measured by CD63 and CD203c expression on stimulated basophils could be useful to monitor the changes in the immune system.
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- 2018
40. Mepolizumab in the management of severe eosinophilic asthma in adults: current evidence and practical experience
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Massimo Caruso, Jaymin B. Morjaria, Rosalia Emma, Riccardo Polosa, and Virginia Fuochi
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,severe asthma ,Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Exacerbation ,eosinophilic asthma ,Review ,Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ,Anti-asthmatic Agent ,Severity of Illness Index ,Antibodies ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Reslizumab ,anti-IL-5 ,Internal medicine ,Eosinophilia ,Monoclonal ,medicine ,Humans ,Pharmacology (medical) ,biologics ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Anti-Asthmatic Agents ,Humanized ,Asthma ,lcsh:RC705-779 ,business.industry ,mepolizumab ,lcsh:Diseases of the respiratory system ,Eosinophil ,medicine.disease ,Benralizumab ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Treatment Outcome ,030228 respiratory system ,chemistry ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Mepolizumab ,Biomarkers ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition involving the airways with varying pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical symptoms and outcomes, generally controlled by conventional therapies including inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2 agonists. However, these therapies are unable to successfully control symptoms in about 5–10% of severe asthma patients. Atopic asthma, characterized by high immunoglobulin (Ig)E or eosinophilia, represents about 50% of asthmatic patients. Interleukin (IL)-5 is the main cytokine responsible of activation of eosinophils, hence therapeutic strategies have been investigated and developed for clinical use. Biologics targeting IL-5 and its receptor (first mepolizumab and subsequently, reslizumab and benralizumab), have been recently approved and used as add-on therapy for severe eosinophilic asthma resulting in a reduction in the circulating eosinophil count, improvement in lung function and exacerbation reduction in asthma patients. Despite these biologics having been approved for stratified severe asthma patients that remain uncontrolled with high doses of conventional therapy, a number of patients may be eligible for more than one biologic. Presently, the lack of head-to-head studies comparing the biological agents among themselves and with conventional therapy make the choice of optimal therapy for each patient a challenge for clinicians. Moreover, discontinuation of these treatments, implications for efficacy or adverse events, in particular in long-term treatment, and needs for useful biomarkers are still matters of debate. In this review we evaluate to date, the evidence on mepolizumab that seems to demonstrate it is a well-tolerated and efficacious regimen for use in severe eosinophilic asthma, though more studies are still required.
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- 2018
41. Volatile Organic Compounds Breathprinting of U-BIOPRED Severe Asthma smokers/ex-smokers cohort
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Dominick E. Shaw, Ana R. Sousa, Marek Sanak, Aruna T. Bansal, Peter J. Sterk, Hugo H. Knobel, Pascal Chanez, Diane Lefaudeux, Johan Kolmert, Hans Weda, Ratko Djukanovic, Sven-Erik Dahlén, Thomas Sandström, Nicholas J. W. Rattray, Charles Auffray, Norbert Krug, Florian Singer, Teunis J. Vink, Rosalia Emma, Ildikò Horvàrth, Paul Brinkman, Giorgio Pennazza, Bertrand De Meulder, Massimo Caruso, Stephen J. Fowler, Kian Fan Chung, Per Bakke, and Paolo Montuschi
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Smoke ,medicine.medical_specialty ,010405 organic chemistry ,business.industry ,Severe asthma ,010402 general chemistry ,medicine.disease ,01 natural sciences ,Tobacco smoke ,respiratory tract diseases ,0104 chemical sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Internal medicine ,Cohort ,medicine ,Risk factor ,Adverse effect ,Cotinine ,business ,Asthma - Abstract
Introduction: Severe asthma is a heterogeneous disease and tobacco smoke is an important risk factor. Asthmatics who smoke show adverse effects on clinical, prognostic and therapeutic outcomes. Metabolomic analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)in exhaled breath can be useful to identify a“severe asthma smoking phenotype” Aims: To investigate VOCs associated with a significant smoking history (>5 pack-years)in severe asthma by examining the breathomics data among severe asthma non-smokers(SAn)and severe asthma smokers/ex-smokers(SAs/ex)U-BIOPRED cohorts Methods: Breathomics and clinical data were obtained from 34 SAn and 14 SAs/ex(13 ex-smokers and one current smoker, as assessed by urinary cotinine).Exhaled breath was collected in Tedlar bags and VOCs trapped on Tenax tubes. VOCs were desorbed and analysed by GC-MS at Philips Research. ANOVA adjusted for age and sex was applied and p Results: VOCs comparison between SAn and SAs/ex showed a significant difference in 29 VOCs:23 were increased in SAs/ex, while six VOCs were decreased in SAs/ex.Identified VOCs include hydrocarbons, ketones, nitriles, and furans.Acetonitrile, 2-hexenal and 1,4-cyclohexadiene were increased in SAs/ex with p Conclusions: Acetonitrile, 1,4-cyclohexadiene and furans were elevated in SAs/ex group, as several authors have reported in active smokers.However, patients in SAs/ex group were almost all ex-smokers. This implies that the observed differences are not due to active smoke per se, but potentially reflect differences in the airways nflammation/metabolism/microbiome associated with smoking history
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- 2017
42. U-BIOPRED clinical adult asthma clusters linked to a subset of sputum -omics
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Hugo H. Knobel, Koos Zwinderman, Anton Vink, Laurie Pahus, Elisabeth H. Bel, Wim van Aalderenm, Massimo Caruso, Marianne A. van de Pol, Lorraine Hewitt, David Balgoma, Jilaiha Gent, Paul Skipp, Sally Meah, Grazyna Bochenek, Martina Gahlemann, Xugang Hu, Graham Roberts, Stephen J. Fowler, Aleksandra Draper, Jon R Konradsen, Craig E. Wheelock, Philips Monk, Roelinde Middelveld, Päivi Söderman, Stelios Pavlidis, João P. Carvalho da Purfição Rocha, Caroline Smith, Alan J. Knox, Doroteya Staykova, Ildiko Horvath, Nadia Mores, Christophe von Garnier, Frans Wald, Uruj Hoda, Giuseppe Santini, Anne Petrén, Thomas Sandström, Alexander Mazein, Tamara Dekker, Ana R. Sousa, Andrea Maiser, Zsoka Weiszhart, Wolfgang Seibold, Susanna Palkonnen, Johan Kolmert, Cristina Gómez, Marco Sentoninco, Nancy Peffer, Anna James, Ingrid Delin, Montse Miralpeix, Antonios Aliprantis, Annemiek Dijkhuis, Amanda Roberts, Clare S. Murray, Lara Ravanetti, Yike Guo, Jenny Versnel, Richard Hu, Saeeda Lone-Satif, Jonathan Ward, Martine Robberechts, René Lutter, Linn Krueger, Antonio Pacino, Arnaldo D'Amico, Jans Hohlfeld, Scott Wagers, Neil Fitch, Pippa Powel, Matthew J. Loza, Karin Strandberg, Damijan Erzen, H. Ahmed, Per Bakke, Neil Gozzard, David Gibeon, Arianne Wagerner, Kerry Gove, Siân Williams, Ann Berglind, Rosalia Emma, Bob Thornton, Val Hudson, Elizabeth Yeyashingham, John Haughney, Ann-Sofie Lantz, Kjell Alving, Bart N. Lambrecht, Marek Sanak, Lilla Tamasi, Nadja Hawwa Vissing, Katja Nething, Barbro Dahlén, Jacek Musiał, Pim de Boer, Marcus O.D. Sjödin, Sarah Masefield, Marleen van Geest, Maciej Kupczyk, Peter H. Howarth, Alix Berton, Peter J. Sterk, David Myles, Peter Nilsson, Emma Ray, Ian M. Adcock, Pascal Chanez, Christos Rossios, Paolo Montuschi, Inge De Lepeleire, Armin Braun, Juliette Kamphuis, Davide Campagna, Salvatore Valente, Kees van Drunen, Urs Frey, Philipp Badorek, Ralf Sigmund, Malayka Rahman-Amin, Maria Mikus, James P.R. Schofield, Simone Hashimoto, Marton Szentkereszty, Gabriella Galffy, Lisa Marouzet, Barbara Smids, L. Larsson, Louise Fleming, Corinna Schoelch, Leanne Metcalf, Ashley Woosdcock, Anthony D. Postle, Maxim Kots, Sven-Erik Dahlén, J. M. Edwards, J.C. Smith, Gunilla Hedlin, Breda Flood, Veit J. Erpenbeck, Wen Yu, Susan J. Wilson, Jeanette Bigler, Jorge De Alba, Leon Carayannopoulos, Kristiane Wetzel, Klaus Fichtner, Paul Brinkman, Cecile T.J. Holweg, David Supple, Romanas Chaleckis, Coen Wiegman, Anthony Rowe, Hans Bisgaard, Annelie F. Behndig, Joost Brandsma, Richard G. Knowles, Jorge Beleta, Scott Kuo, Katherine M. Smith, Sandy Pink, Pieter-Paul Hekking, An Bautmans, Ben Nicholas, Kathrin Riemann, Michael Rutgers, Leanne Reynolds, Adesimbo Sogbesan, Dominic Burg, Aruna T. Bansal, Ulf Nihlen, Dyson Kerry, Ioannis Pandis, Julie Corfield, Björn Nordlund, Shama Naz, Wilhelm Zetterquist, Diane Lefaudeux, Xian Yang, Clair Barber, Kirsty E. Russell, Andrew Menzies-Gow, Dominic E. Shaw, Patrick Dennison, Elisabeth Henriksson, John G. Matthews, Tim Higgenbottam, Ratko Djukanovic, Charles Auffray, Kai Sun, Amphun Chaiboonchoe, Jonathan Thorsen, Nikos Lazarinis, Samantha Walker, John-Olof Thörngren, Frédéric Baribaud, Florian Singer, Klaus Bøonnelykke, John H. Riley, Magnus Ericsson, Sile Hu, Jørgen Vestbo, Bertrand De Meulder, Kamran Tariq, Maria Gerhardsson de Verdier, Stacey N. Reinke, Navin Rao, Trevor Garret, Norbert Krug, Michael Boedigheimer, Chris Compton, Cornelia Faulenbach, Hector Gallart, Matthias Klüglich, Caroline Mathon, Giorgio Pennazza, Kian Fan Chung, Thomas Geiser, Jörgen Östling, Courtney Coleman, Erika Kennington, Nora Adriaens, Jane Martin, Medical Research Council (MRC), Commission of the European Communities, National Institute for Health Research, AII - Inflammatory diseases, Pulmonology, AII - Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Graduate School, Experimental Immunology, Ear, Nose and Throat, APH - Methodology, Epidemiology and Data Science, ARD - Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, and Publica
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Male ,Proteomics ,Allergy ,Severe asthma ,Severity of Illness Index ,Leukocyte Count ,0302 clinical medicine ,Immunology and Allergy ,Medicine ,CLASS DISCOVERY ,610 Medicine & health ,Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ,COPD ,EPITHELIAL-CELLS ,Middle Aged ,sputum eosinophilia ,Phenotype ,1107 Immunology ,Cohort ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,Life Sciences & Biomedicine ,Algorithms ,clustering ,EXPRESSION ,Adult ,Settore BIO/14 - FARMACOLOGIA ,Immunology ,PHENOTYPES ,03 medical and health sciences ,INFLAMMATION ,partition-around-medoids algorithm ,Severity of illness ,Humans ,LYN ,Asthma ,Aged ,U-BIOPRED Study Group ,Science & Technology ,IDENTIFICATION ,business.industry ,Gene Expression Profiling ,Sputum ,Omics ,medicine.disease ,respiratory tract diseases ,030104 developmental biology ,030228 respiratory system ,Exhaled nitric oxide ,business ,Biomarkers - Abstract
BACKGROUND: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease in which there is a differential response to asthma treatments. This heterogeneity needs to be evaluated so that a personalised management approach can be provided.OBJECTIVES: We stratified patients with moderate-to-severe asthma based on clinico-physiological parameters and performed an -omics analysis of sputum.METHODS: Partition-around-medoid clustering was applied to a training set of 266 asthma participants from the European U-BIOPRED adult cohort using 8 pre-specified clinic-physiological variables. This was repeated in a separate validation set of 152 asthmatics. The clusters were compared based on sputum proteomic and transcriptomic data.RESULTS: Four reproducible and stable clusters of asthmatics were identified. The training set cluster T1 consists of well-controlled moderate-to-severe asthmatics, while cluster T2 is a group of late-onset severe asthmatics with history of smoking and chronic airflow obstruction. Cluster T3 is similar to cluster T2 in terms of chronic airflow obstruction but is composed of non-smokers. Cluster T4 is predominantly composed of obese female uncontrolled severe asthmatics with increased exacerbations, but with normal lung function. The validation set exhibited similar clusters, demonstrating reproducibility of the classification. There were significant differences in sputum proteomics and transcriptomics between the clusters. The severe asthma clusters, T2, T3 and T4, had higher sputum eosinophilia than T1 with no differences in sputum neutrophil counts, exhaled nitric oxide and serum IgE levels.CONCLUSION: Clustering based on clinico-physiological parameters yielded 4 stable and reproducible clusters that associate with different pathobiological pathways.CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The definition of four distinct clusters of asthma linked to different pathobiological pathways provides a better template for the phenotyping and personalised treatment of severe asthma, where high unmet needs remain.CAPSULE SUMMARY: Unsupervised clustering of asthma on clinical features alone has led to the definition of four phenotypes. Sputum 'omics' analysis has revealed different biological pathways pointing towards potential new treatments.
- Published
- 2017
43. Smoking history can influence the epigenetic and gene expression profile
- Author
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Rosalia Emma, Riccardo Polosa, and Massimo Caruso
- Subjects
Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Genetics ,Study groups ,Physiology ,Gene Expression Profiling ,Smoking ,Cell Biology ,Biology ,equipment and supplies ,Smoking history ,Epigenesis, Genetic ,Transcriptome ,Gene expression profiling ,03 medical and health sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,Physiology (medical) ,Gene expression ,Animals ,Humans ,Female ,Epigenetics ,Selection (genetic algorithm) - Abstract
to the editor: We read with great interest the article by Martin et al. ([3][1]) about potential effects of e-vapor exposure on gene expression and we have some observations. It is important to draw attention to the definitions and selection criteria of participants in the three study groups
- Published
- 2016
44. Electronic cigarette vapour enhances pneumococcal adherence to airway epithelial cells under abnormal conditions of exposure
- Author
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Massimo Caruso, Rosalia Emma, Pio Maria Furneri, Riccardo Polosa, and Virginia Fuochi
- Subjects
inorganic chemicals ,Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,business.industry ,Respiratory System ,Epithelial Cells ,Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ,respiratory system ,law.invention ,03 medical and health sciences ,Streptococcus pneumoniae ,0302 clinical medicine ,030228 respiratory system ,law ,biological sciences ,Immunology ,bacteria ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,business ,Airway ,Electronic cigarette - Abstract
E-cigarette vapour enhances pneumococcal adherence to airway epithelial cells under “abnormal” conditions of exposure http://ow.ly/O9J030keaYe
- Published
- 2018
45. Weekly low-dose methotrexate for reduction of Global Initiative for Asthma Step 5 treatment in severe refractory asthma: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
- Author
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Salvatore Bellinvia, Riccardo Polosa, Rosalia Emma, Angela Alamo, Massimo Caruso, Marek L. Kowalski, and Christian Domingo
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Omalizumab ,Severity of Illness Index ,Anti-asthmatic Agent ,Drug Administration Schedule ,law.invention ,Tertiary Care Centers ,Immunomodulation ,Study Protocol ,Chronic severe asthma ,Pharmacotherapy ,Clinical Protocols ,Double-Blind Method ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Internal medicine ,Severity of illness ,medicine ,Humans ,Pharmacology (medical) ,Anti-Asthmatic Agents ,Asthma ,business.industry ,medicine.disease ,Clinical trial ,Methotrexate ,Treatment Outcome ,Italy ,Research Design ,Chronic Disease ,Physical therapy ,Drug Therapy, Combination ,Steroids ,business ,Immunosuppressive Agents ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Background Patients with chronic severe asthma (CSA) have a crippling disease and current available treatments are not satisfactory. Thus, management of CSA remains a major unmet need. Although the evidence from existing randomized controlled trials fails to support a definite role for immunomodulatory drugs in these patients due to major methodologic drawbacks, findings with low-dose methotrexate (MTX) are encouraging. However, larger and well-designed clinical trials are required to establish the beneficial role of MTX in CSA, and for the detection of the key characteristics of those who are going to respond to this drug. Methods/design Patients will be recruited from the accessible asthmatic patients lists of tertiary referral centers. All patients will meet the stringent diagnostic criteria for CSA, including the requirement for the regular use of Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention Step 5 medications (oral prednisone and/or omalizumab). The experimental design of the proposed study will take the form of a double-blind parallel-randomized placebo-controlled trial consisting of a total of eight visits, including run-in and run-out periods. Patients will be randomly allocated to receive either MTX or a matched placebo once a week as an add-on therapy to their existing medication after run-in. Physiological, laboratory and clinical assessments will be measured regularly throughout the study and compared with baseline assessments. Discussion We expect that MTX will reduce Step 5 medications dosage in patients with CSA without compromising the overall disease control. Improvement in several indicators of asthma severity and control will be also investigated. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02124226 (assigned 25 April 2014).
- Published
- 2014
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