Decision-making process as guide to the management of non-carious cervical lesions with and without painful symptomatology.

The aim of this study is to develop a decision-making path for the management of non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) associated with or without dentin hypersensitivity (DH) This will allow to limit or delay invasive approaches identifying the causes that produced them. The need for this review is because there are no clear guidelines in the current literature for the treatment of NCCLs. Usually, the selection of the best therapy option is postponed to clinical judgment which can be influenced by a patient's demands (aesthetic, symptomatologic reasons or worsening of pre-existing NCCL). To establish a therapeutic plan the young dentist should be able to distinguish the NCCLs that need to be monitored over time from those in need of early treatment. Indeed, the experience of the dentist and the compliance of the patient play a decisive role for the success of the therapy.

Whole-Exome Sequencing in the Isolated Populations of Cilento from South Italy.

The present study describes the genetic architecture of the isolated populations of Cilento, through the analysis of exome sequence data of 245 representative individuals of these populations. By annotating the exome variants and cataloguing them according to their frequency and functional effects, we identified 347,684 variants, 67.4% of which are rare and low frequency variants, and 1% of them (corresponding to 319 variants per person) are classified as high functional impact variants; also, 39,946 (11.5% of the total) are novel variants, for which we determined a significant enrichment for deleterious effects. By comparing the allele frequencies in Cilento with those from the Tuscan population from the 1000 Genomes Project Phase 3, we highlighted an increase in allele frequency in Cilento especially for variants which map to genes involved in extracellular matrix formation and organization. Furthermore, among the variants showing increased frequency we identified several known rare disease-causing variants. By different population genetics analyses, we corroborated the status of the Cilento populations as genetic isolates. Finally, we showed that exome data of Cilento represents a useful local reference panel capable of improving the accuracy of genetic imputation, thus adding power to genetic studies of human traits in these populations.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies common variants in CTNNA2 associated with excitement-seeking.

The tendency to seek stimulating activities and intense sensations define excitement-seeking, a personality trait akin to some aspects of sensation-seeking. This trait is a central feature of extraversion and is a component of the multifaceted impulsivity construct. Those who score high on measures of excitement-seeking are more likely to smoke, use other drugs, gamble, drive recklessly, have unsafe/unprotected sex and engage in other risky behaviors of clinical and social relevance. To identify common genetic variants associated with the Excitement-Seeking scale of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, we performed genome-wide association studies in six samples of European ancestry (N=7860), and combined the results in a meta-analysis. We identified a genome-wide significant association between the Excitement-Seeking scale and rs7600563 (P=2 × 10(-8)). This single-nucleotide polymorphism maps within the catenin cadherin-associated protein, alpha 2 (CTNNA2) gene, which encodes for a brain-expressed α-catenin critical for synaptic contact. The effect of rs7600563 was in the same direction in all six samples, but did not replicate in additional samples (N=5105). The results provide insight into the genetics of excitement-seeking and risk-taking, and are relevant to hyperactivity, substance use, antisocial and bipolar disorders.

Angiogenesis and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in adults with metabolic syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and fatal cardiovascular events. Angiogenesis is thought to contribute to this risk as it might be involved in the progression of atherosclerotic plaques. We investigated the levels of circulating biomarkers of angiogenesis and cardiovascular risk in adults with MetSyn and assessed their association with established metabolic risk factors. DESIGN: The Genetic Park project is a highly inclusive cross-sectional survey (about 80% of residents) conducted in three isolated populations in Southern Italy. A total of 1000 men and women (age range: 18-98 years) were included in the analysis. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were recorded. Metabolic and cardiovascular biomarkers included glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, vascular endothelial growth factor, placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). RESULT: Subjects with MetSyn had higher levels of PlGF and NT-proBNP after adjustment for age, smoking and body mass index. Circulating levels of PlGF, hs-TnT and NT-proBNP were directly related to the number of criteria of MetSyn, and this association interacted with gender. There was a strong correlation between ageing and cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in circulating levels of biomarkers of angiogenesis and cardiac function in subjects with MetSyn mirrors the pathophysiological changes occurring in the cardiovascular system. Over time, these changes might accelerate the formation and progression of atherosclerotic plaques and contribute significantly to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality risk.

Purification and characterization of a human sialoglycoprotein antigen expressed in immature thymocytes and fetal tissues.

The monoclonal antibody UN1 was previously produced in our laboratory on the basis of selective reactivity with human thymocytes and has been classified as unclustered by the 5th and 6th International Workshop and Conference on Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens. The antigen recognized by mAb UN1 was found to be expressed on the cell surface of immature human thymocytes, a subpopulation of peripheral T lymphocytes and on several fetal tissues including thymus. The UN1 antigen is purified from children's thymus by ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. Two-dimensional electrophoresis shows that the purified antigen displays microheterogeneity appearing as multiple spots over a pI range 4.4-5.0 at 100-120 kDa. Treatment with neuraminidase results in a retarded migration in SDS-PAGE, an increase in isoelectric point and a reduction in carbohydrate content, indicating a substantial content of sialic acid. Glycosidase digestion and lectin-binding analysis indicate that the carbohydrate residues are essentially O-linked. A preliminary analysis has detected the UN1 antigen in human breast carcinoma tissues but not in normal breast. The biochemical features and the pattern of expression of the UN1 antigen indicate that this molecule may have the characteristics typical of the family of cell-membrane-associated mucin-like glycoproteins; a number of these molecules are thought to have a role in cell-cell interaction, tumor progression and metastasis.