Article
Toxicology
Jiang Ma, Wei Zhang, Yisheng He, Lin Zhu, Chunyuan Zhang, Jia Liu, Yang Ye, Yuzheng Zhuge, Ge Lin
Summary: The study suggests that pyrrole-hemoglobin adducts may serve as a more suitable biomarker for pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PAs) exposure, with higher concentrations and longer persistence compared to pyrrole-plasma protein adducts.
ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Teresa Urbano, Tommaso Filippini, Lauren A. Wise, Daniela Lasagni, Tiziana De Luca, Sabrina Sucato, Elisa Polledri, Marcella Malavolti, Chiara Rigon, Annalisa A. Santachiara, Thelma Pertinhez, Roberto Baricchi, Silvia Fustinoni, Marco Vinceti
Summary: This study assessed the impact of cadmium exposure on human health and found a positive correlation between cadmium exposure and biomarkers of toxicity. Despite the positive correlation between dietary and urinary cadmium estimates, dietary cadmium intake showed inconsistent results with the study endpoints and generally weaker associations.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Giulia Martella, Elena Gorokhova, Pedro F. M. Sousa, Natalia Y. Tretyakova, Brita Sundelin, Hitesh V. Motwani
Summary: Exposure to chemical pollution can lead to genetic and epigenetic changes, developmental alterations, and reproductive disorders, causing population declines in polluted environments. However, linking DNA adducts to pollution load in situ remains challenging, hindering the use of DNA adducts as biomarkers for environmental health assessment.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
C. R. Kirman, A. A. Li, P. J. Sheehan, J. S. Bus, R. C. Lewis, S. M. Hays
Summary: This review discusses issues related to total exposures of human populations to ethylene oxide and how biomonitoring data can provide insights into the relative contributions of different pathways to exposure. It also highlights the importance of understanding endogenous and exogenous pathways in assessing risks associated with ethylene oxide exposure in human populations.
JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH-PART B-CRITICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Jin Wang, Xiaogang Lu, Runli Gao, Chengxin Pei, Hongmei Wang
Summary: Detection of biomarkers in biomedical samples is crucial for the retrospective identification of exposure to Organophosphorus neurotoxic agents (OPNAs). Common biomarkers include intact agents, degradation products and protein adducts. Direct agent identification is successful in basic experimental research, while protein adducts are more suitable for retrospective identification. However, more potential biomarkers need to be discovered.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhongfang Xing, Ruiqian Zhang, Zhehui Zhao, Liangliang Wang, Ling Yuan, Huilan Yu, Yang Yang, Yuntao Yang, Shilei Liu, Chengxin Pei
Summary: In this study, the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) was exposed to the nerve agent iBuVX. Through analysis, new phosphonyl-modified flavonoid compounds were identified as potential biomarkers, which has significant implications for the retrospective analysis of organophosphorus exposure for chemical weapon verification and forensic analysis.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Marie Roser, David Beal, Camille Eldin, Leslie Gudimard, Fanny Caffin, Fanny Gros-Desormeaux, Daniel Leonco, Francois Fenaille, Christophe Junot, Christophe Pierard, Thierry Douki
Summary: This study aimed to identify new biomarkers of exposure to sulfur mustard (SM) and validate their detectability in various models and body fluids. The results demonstrated that N7Gua-CEES, glutathione, and cysteine conjugates of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) were easily quantifiable in different models and plasma, showing promising potential for application in toxicological studies related to SM.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kamala Vanarsa, Jessica Castillo, Long Wang, Kyung Hyun Lee, Claudia Pedroza, Yair Lotan, Chandra Mohan
Summary: This study identified potential biomarkers for bladder cancer diagnosis and disease progression using aptamer screening and systems biology analysis. Urine d-dimer showed high sensitivity (97%) for bladder cancer diagnosis, while urine IL-8 and IgA were associated with disease progression. These biomarkers could be used for initial triage and patient follow-up, reducing the need for invasive cystoscopy-based diagnostic methods.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Visnja Mihajlovic, Nenad Grba, Jan Sudi, Diane Eichert, Smilja Krajinovic, Milivoj B. Gavrilov, Slobodan B. Markovic
Summary: The study on the occupational exposure of petrochemical industry workers to BTEX compounds, particularly benzene, revealed levels exceeding the Occupational Exposure Limits and indicating a higher risk of cancer. Proper control and monitoring are necessary to address these issues.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tasawar Khanam, Shijia Liang, Song Xu, Syed Ali Musstjab Akber Shah Eqani, Mustafa Nawaz Shafqat, Hifza Rasheed, Nazia Bibi, Heqing Shen, Jie Zhang
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the urinary arsenic species and potential toxicity biomarkers in adult male participants in floodplain areas of Pakistan. The results showed that the most excreted arsenic species was DMA, accounting for 65% of total arsenic. High levels of MMA were also detected. The study identified thirty-eight potential arsenic toxicity biomarkers, mainly related to oxidative stress, one-carbon metabolism, purine metabolism, caffeine metabolism, and hormone metabolism.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Teresa Urbano, Tommaso Filippini, Lauren A. Wise, Sabrina Sucato, Elisa Polledri, Marcella Malavolti, Silvia Fustinoni, Bernhard Michalke, Marco Vinceti
Summary: This study assessed the association between selenium status and urinary 8-oxodG concentrations in a Northern Italian population and found that this association varied by sex, with background exposure to selenium species positively associated with oxidative stress.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Li Zhu, Wei Jia, Qiao Wang, Pan Zhuang, Xuzhi Wan, Yiping Ren, Yu Zhang
Summary: By administering rats with labeled acrylamide, new exposure biomarkers were identified, confirming significant effects of acrylamide on energy and amino acid metabolism.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Austin Sigler, Jiandong Wu, Annalise Pfaff, Olajide Adetunji, Paul Nam, Donald James, Casey Burton, Honglan Shi
Summary: Repeated exposure to low-level blasts can cause biological changes similar to mild traumatic brain injury. This study aimed to find potential small molecule biomarkers of brain injury during repeated blast exposure. The study evaluated ten small molecule metabolites and found that urinary levels of homovanillic acid, linoleic acid, and glutamate, as well as serum levels of N-acetylaspartic acid, were significantly altered after repeated blast exposure. The results suggest that measuring these metabolites could help identify individuals at risk of TBI.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Victoria Ramos-Garcia, Isabel Ten-Domenech, Alba Moreno-Gimenez, Laura Campos-Berga, Anna Parra-Llorca, Maria Gormaz, Maximo Vento, Melina Karipidou, Dimitrios Poulimeneas, Eirini Mamalaki, Eirini Bathrellou, Julia Kuligowski
Summary: Accurately assessing dietary intake in nutritional research is challenging but crucial. To overcome the subjectivity of self-reporting methods, the development of analytical methods for determining food intake and microbiota biomarkers is necessary. This study presents a UHPLC-MS/MS method for quantifying and semi quantifying food intake biomarkers (BFIs) and microbiota biomarkers in urine samples from lactating mothers. The analysis identified distinct clusters of samples based on biomarker concentrations and revealed correlations between certain BFIs and dietary recall data. These findings emphasize the feasibility, usefulness, and complementary nature of assessing BFIs, dietary recall, and microbiota biomarkers in nutrition cohort studies.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gabriela Vieyra, Susan E. Hankinson, Youssef Oulhote, Laura Vandenberg, Lesley Tinker, JoAnn Mason, Aladdin H. Shadyab, Robert Wallace, Chrisa Arcan, J. C. Chen, Katherine W. Reeves
Summary: This study evaluated the associations between dietary patterns and urinary phthalate biomarkers. It found that postmenopausal women with higher alignment to DASH and aMed dietary patterns had lower concentrations of certain phthalate biomarkers in their urine, while an inflammatory diet pattern was associated with higher phthalate biomarker concentrations.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giuseppe De Palma, Gonzalo Carrasco-Avino, Enrica Gilberti, Moris Cadei, Tatiana Pedrazzi, Ivan M. Gallegos Mendez, Alejandra Roman, Nicolas Demartines, Paolo Boffetta, Ismail Labgaa
Summary: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a deadly malignancy with limited treatment options. The role of arsenic (As) in GBC carcinogenesis is debated, and there are no data on As measurement in GBC samples. This pilot study measured As concentrations in GBC tissue samples compared to non-cancerous gallbladder (NCGB) samples and found higher levels of arsenic in GBC samples, suggesting a potential impact of arsenic on GBC and the need for further studies.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara Raia, Antonio Conti, Alan Zanardi, Barbara Ferrini, Giulia Maria Scotti, Enrica Gilberti, Giuseppe De Palma, Samuel David, Massimo Alessio
Summary: This study investigates the role of ceruloplasmin in iron and lipid metabolism. It reveals that deficiency of ceruloplasmin leads to obesity, adipose tissue accumulation, liver iron deposition, and steatosis. Ceruloplasmin replacement therapy is found to be effective in limiting liver iron accumulation and steatosis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luca Boniardi, Laura Campo, Luca Olgiati, Francesca Longhi, Chiara Scuf, Silvia Fustinoni
Summary: An increasing body of scientific evidence has found that even at very low concentrations, air pollution is linked to various aspects of human health, with greater impact on those living in urban environments, particularly young children and the elderly. This study investigated the exposure of urban school children in Milan, Italy to air pollution using personal and biological monitoring. The results suggest that measures to mitigate traffic, along with educational interventions on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and commuting mode, should be taken to reduce children's exposure to air pollution.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Toxicology
Elizabeth Leese, Kate Jones, Beatrice Bocca, Radia Bousoumah, Argelia Castano, Karen S. Galea, Ivo Iavicoli, Marta Esteban Lopez, Veruscka Leso, Sophie Ndaw, Simo P. Porras, Flavia Ruggieri, Paul T. J. Scheepers, Tiina Santonen
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the practicality of using exhaled breath condensate (EBC) as a biological matrix for detecting and measuring hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) in occupational workers. EBC samples were collected from workers in various countries and analyzed using hyphenated chromatography systems with inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed that occupationally exposed workers had significantly higher levels of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) compared to the control group. Chrome platers had the highest levels of Cr(VI) in their EBC samples, and both Cr(VI) and Cr(III) levels increased significantly after working. This study suggests that EBC can be a valid and non-invasive biological matrix for assessing occupational exposure to Cr(VI) and Cr(III).
TOXICOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Antonello E. Rigamonti, Gianfranco Frigerio, Diana Caroli, Alessandra De Col, Silvano G. Cella, Alessandro Sartorio, Silvia Fustinoni
Summary: Metabolomics can provide valuable information about the biochemical mechanisms underlying the benefits of a body weight reduction program (BWRP). In this study, a targeted metabolomic approach was used to analyze the metabolomic profile of obese adolescents before and after a 3-week BWRP. The results showed that the BWRP significantly improved body composition, glucometabolic homeostasis, and cardiovascular function. A total of 64 metabolites were reduced after the intervention, while three metabolites were increased. Overall, the study highlights the effectiveness of a short-term BWRP in changing the plasma metabolomic profile. Rating: 9.5/10.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Marta Keller, Andrea Cattaneo, Andrea Spinazze, Letizia Carrozzo, Davide Campagnolo, Sabrina Rovelli, Francesca Borghi, Giacomo Fanti, Silvia Fustinoni, Mariella Carrieri, Angelo Moretto, Domenico Maria Cavallo
Summary: This study systematically reviewed 101 studies on the exposure levels of sevoflurane, desflurane, and isoflurane in hospitals. It was found that occupational exposure to these waste anaesthetic gases (WAGs) is still relatively high. However, there is a lack of consistent monitoring methods and instruments, and real-time monitoring techniques are underutilized, which hinders accurate assessment of short-term and long-term occupational exposure risks.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Giulia Collatuzzo, Giuseppe De Palma, Francesco S. Violante, Stefano Porru, Francesca Larese Filon, Eleonora Fabianova, Concepcion Violan, Luigi Vimercati, Mihaela Leustean, Marta Maria Rodriguez-Suarez, Emanuele Sansone, Emma Sala, Carlotta Zunarelli, Vittorio Lodi, Maria Grazia Lourdes Monaco, Gianluca Spiteri, Corrado Negro, Jana Beresova, Lucia A. Carrasco-Ribelles, Silvio Tafuri, Shuffield S. Asafo, Giorgia Ditano, Mahsa Abedini, Paolo Boffetta
Summary: We investigated changes in serologic measurements after COVID-19 vaccination and found that age, infection, vaccine doses, time between doses and serologies, and vaccine type were associated with changes in serologic levels within 13 months.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Silvia Fustinoni, Dario Consonni
Summary: This study summarizes the occupational exposure to perfluoroalkyl acid surfactants in an Italian fluoropolymer plant and research center from 2004 to 2021. The results show a reduction in the concentration of these chemicals in the serum of workers, indicating the effectiveness of mitigation measures.
ANNALS OF WORK EXPOSURES AND HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Emanuele Sansone, Carlo Bonfanti, Emma Sala, Stefano Renzetti, Luigina Terlenghi, Alberto Matteelli, Mara Maria Tiraboschi, Tatiana Pedrazzi, Massimo Lombardo, Camillo Rossi, Anna Maria Indelicato, Arnaldo Caruso, Giuseppe De Palma
Summary: This study aims to assess the trends of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over a 9-month period after vaccination with an anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in a COVID-19 hospital in Northern Italy. The results showed that vaccination significantly reduced the infection rate and elicited a specific humoral response that lasted throughout the observational period. Pre-vaccine infection, especially during the first wave of the pandemic, greatly enhanced the response to vaccination, which was also influenced by age.
News Item
Oncology
Russell C. Cattley, Hans Kromhout, Meng Sun, Erik J. Tokar, Mohamed A-E Abdallah, Alison K. Bauer, Kendra R. Broadwater, Laura Campo, Emanuela Corsini, Keith A. Houck, Gaku Ichihara, Michiharu Matsumoto, Simone Morais, Jaroslav Mraz, Tetsuo Nomiyama, Kristen Ryan, Huizhong Shen, Takeshi Toyoda, Kirsi Vahakangas, Marianna G. Yakubovskaya, Il Je Yu, Nathan L. DeBono, Aline de Conti, Fatiha El Ghissassi, Federica Madia, Heidi Mattock, Elisa Pasqual, Eero Suonio, Roland Wedekind, Lamia Benbrahim-Tallaa, Mary K. Schubauer-Berigan
Article
Immunology
Emanuele Sansone, Giulia Collatuzzo, Stefano Renzetti, Giorgia Ditano, Carlo Bonfanti, Emma Sala, Luigina Terlenghi, Alberto Matteelli, Mahsa Abedini, Shuffield Seyram Asafo, Paolo Boffetta, Giuseppe De Palma
Summary: Given their occupational risk profile, healthcare workers (HCWs) were prioritized for anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. However, breakthrough infections remained common, especially with new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) spreading rapidly in Italy. The level of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies does not accurately predict protection from natural infection or vaccination, emphasizing the need for further research on susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed to characterize the risk profiles for SARS-CoV-2 infection in recently booster-dosed HCWs, finding that hybrid immunization (vaccine plus natural infection) elicited higher antibody levels. However, it did not always provide better protection against reinfection, highlighting the importance of the immunization profile as a virus-host interaction modifier. Despite high resistance to reinfection, there was a notable infection rate (5.6%) during the peri-booster period, reinforcing the importance of preventive measures.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Silvia Fustinoni, Rosa Mercadante, Giorgia Lainati, Simone Cafagna, Dario Consonni
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the kinetics of elimination of cC(6)O(4) in exposed workers. The results showed that the half-life of cC(6)O(4) in human blood is about 8 days, indicating its shorter biopersistence compared to legacy PFAS. The good correlation between urine and serum cC(6)O(4) suggests urine as a possible non-invasive matrix for biomonitoring.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Giuseppe De Palma, Emma Sala, Sofia Rubino, Simone Dalola, Marco Ferrari, Daniele Marioli, Pietro Apostoli, Cesare Tomasi, Francesca Righetti, Flavia Mattioli, Vittorio Ferrari
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of an original and innovative system that can objectively assess the interactions between operators and display screen equipment (DSE). The system collects electrical impulses generated by mouse, keyboard, and camera to evaluate active operator-DSE interactions. The obtained results show that the system is effective in collecting activity data and can provide an objective evaluation of active time spent by DSE operators, facilitating more accurate occupational health risk assessment and management.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Emma Sala, Lorenzo Cipriani, Andrea Bisioli, Emilio Paraggio, Cesare Tomasi, Pietro Apostoli, Giuseppe De Palma
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed the risk assessment of biomechanical overload of the upper limb using multiple assessment methods, including the Washington State Standard, threshold limit values proposed by ACGIH, OCRA checklist, RULA, and INRS's Strain Index and Outil de Reperage et d'Evaluation des Gestes. The results showed differences in the assessment of action frequency and posture among the methods, while strength assessment was more consistent. Therefore, the use of multiple assessment methods ensures a more comprehensive analysis of biomechanical risk.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Emma Sala, Andrea Bisioli, Pietro Ponzoni, Alessandro De Bellis, Emilio Paraggio, Giuseppe De Palma
Summary: This study proposes a new methodology, named WB-RAMBO, to assess the risk in the activities performed by physiotherapists. By breaking down each type of intervention into elementary operations and integrating multiple ergonomic methods, the method provides a risk assessment for each operation. The results show that the risk assessment is acceptable from an ergonomic perspective, and the work plan can be redesigned and adapted based on the assessment.
MEDICINA DEL LAVORO
(2022)