Member area login
You don't have or don't remember the password!
Click Here
Editor-in-chief
Maria Stella Graziani

Deputy Director
Martina Zaninotto

Associate Editors
Ferruccio Ceriotti
Davide Giavarina
Bruna Lo Sasso
Giampaolo Merlini
Martina Montagnana
Andrea Mosca
Paola Pezzati
Rossella Tomaiuolo
Matteo Vidali

EIC Assistant
Francesco Busardò

International Advisory Board Khosrow Adeli Canada
Sergio Bernardini Italy
Marcello Ciaccio Italy
Eleftherios Diamandis Canada
Philippe Gillery France
Kjell Grankvist Sweden
Hans Jacobs The Netherlands
Eric Kilpatrick UK
Magdalena Krintus Poland
Giuseppe Lippi Italy
Mario Plebani Italy
Sverre Sandberg Norway
Ana-Maria Simundic Croatia
Tommaso Trenti Italy
Cas Weykamp The Netherlands
Maria Willrich USA
Paul Yip Canada


Publisher
Biomedia srl
Via L. Temolo 4, 20126 Milano

Responsible Editor
Giuseppe Agosta

Editorial Secretary
Chiara Riva
Biomedia srl
Via L. Temolo 4, 20126 Milano
Tel. 0245498282
email: biochimica.clinica@sibioc.it

--------------------

ISSN print: 0393 – 0564
ISSN digital: 0392- 7091



BC: Articoli scritti da U. M. Bracale

Metalloproteinasi e vescicole extracellulari: una finestra di opportunità per la gestione degli aneurismi
Harnessing the potential of metalloproteinases in extracellular vesicles: a window of opportunity for aneurysm management
<p>An aortic aneurysm is a ruinous condition that compromises the aortic wall. If inaccurately monitored, it could evolve in an extensive dilatation of the vessel and eventually in the aorta&#39;s devastating rupture with low survival rates. The recent attempts to increase clinical remission and disease clearance have only partially alleviated the disease-related poor prognosis. Indeed, aortic aneurysm events annually increase their impact on the National Health Systems of industrialized countries. In recent years, liquid biopsy tests have gained attention as a valuable alternative to traditional diagnostics. Classified as small extracellular vesicles of endosomal origin, exosomes are 30-150 nm diameter vesicles, which are physiologically produced by all cell types and secreted through an exocytosis process in blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and other body fluids. Representing the molecular footprint of the cells of origin, exosomes have been recently considered to design a reliable liquid biopsy for non-invasive monitoring of disease evolution and a valuable tool to monitor the therapy response. Metalloproteinases have been reported as specific markers of aortic aneurysm in terms of disease staging and progression. Of interest, it has been demonstrated a specular metalloproteinase expression in the extracellular vesicles of patients, thus constituting a personal &quot;barcode&quot; of disease progression. This evidence could potentially allow the definition of innovative liquid biopsy approaches for monitoring the disease together with a comprehensive aortic aneurysm-derived exosomes molecular characterization and trapping.</p>
Biochimica Clinica ; 45(4) 339-347
Rassegne - Reviews
 
Galectin-3 and Lp(a) plasma concentrations and advanced carotid atherosclerotic plaques: correlation with plaque presence and features
<p>Introduction: atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of death and morbidity worldwide. It consists in thedevelopment of plaques in the intima media layers of arteries due to lipid accumulation and oxidation, causingmassive inflammation. We aim to better understand the role of Galectin-3 (Gal-3) and Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] aspossible peripheral markers of plaque presence.<br />Methods: Gal-3 and Lp(a) were measured in plasma samples from 99 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomyand 78 healthy controls, by immunometric assays. Plaques were classified histologically, according to the AmericanHeart Association (AHA) guidelines as type Va (fibroatheroma), Vb (mainly calcific) and Vl (complicated lesion).<br />Results: Gal-3 and Lp(a) plasma levels are higher in patients compared to controls [19.8 ng/mL (SD 5.8) vs 14.0ng/mL (3.6)], p&lt;0.0001 and 8.4 mg/dL (IQR 4.0-25.1) vs 4.7 mg/dL (2.4-12.7), p=0.0003, respectively). Analysis ofROC curves confirmed the discriminating power of these markers obtaining an area under the curve of 0.806(p&lt;0.0001) for Gal-3 and 0.657 (p=0.0001) for Lp(a). At multivariate logistic regression, Gal-3 and Lp(a) plasma levelswere associated with plaque presence independently of each other as well as of age, sex, LDL-C levels and previousmyocardial infarction with an odds ratio of 1.22 (95%CI 1.08-1.38, p=0.002) and 1.05 (1.00-1.09, p=0.048)respectively. No differences of Gal-3 and Lp(a) plasma levels were observed among the plaque types.<br />Conclusion: our data showed that Gal-3 and Lp(a) are reliable markers of advanced atherosclerotic plaques. Theabsence of differences among the different lesion types suggests that the increase of Gal-3 and Lp(a) is independentof the specific plaque features.</p>
Biochimica Clinica ; 43(3) 289-295
Contributi Scientifici - Scientific Papers