Measurement of various polyaromatic hydrocarbons in the urban area of Naples]

In order to investigate the organic compound fraction of the Naples aerosol a chromatographic method was used for the separation and analysis of the polycyclic aromatic (PAH). As a first step a suitable one-step thin-layer chromatography (TLC) separation of the cyclohexane extractable material from airborne particulate was sought. After the TLC separation the concentrated samples were analyzed by reverse-phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. We obtained chromatographic separation of five PAH on the EPA Priority Pollutant List and we determined the concentration of these PAHs present in atmospheric matter.     

Diverse pathological implications of YKL-40: Answers may lie in ‘outside-in’ signaling

The developing paradigms about YKL-40, a member of the “mammalian chitinase-like proteins”, from across the globe, project it as a vital parameter for the detection of disease onset and progression. It is expressed and secreted by cancer cells of different origins along with a variety of non-malignant cells including inflammatory and structural cells. Numerous studies demonstrate that YKL-40 over-expression is associated with increased patient mortality though the cellular receptors responsible for mediating these effects have not yet been identified. The putative YKL-40 ligands are thought to be carbohydrate structures, since it is capable of binding chitin, chito-oligosaccharides and heparin. Binding of collagen to YKL-40, identified it as the only non-carbohydrate extracellular matrix (ECM) ligand for YKL-40. Our broad understanding of YKL-40 as a versatile biomarker and its involvement in activating several signaling pathways make us anticipate that its specific receptors/binding partners may exist on the cell surface also. The cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) moieties seem to be the potential candidates for this role, suggesting that it could interact with HS-proteoglycans. It is recommended to clearly delineate YKL-40-mediated signaling mechanisms before promoting the YKL-40 know-how for translational research, in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The present review provides an overview of YKL-40 as a versatile biomarker, discussing the related pathological mechanisms and aims to reassess and unify the already proposed diverse hypotheses in YKL-40-regulated signaling mechanisms.     

Short-term effects of i.v. injected murine 99MTc-F(ab')2 fragments of an anti-melanoma antibody (HMW-MAA 225.28 S) on haemato-immunological parameters in patients with melanoma

To evaluate alterations induced by injected murine radiolabelled F(ab')2 fragments of the anti HMW-MAA MoAb 225.28S on the principal haemato-immunological parameters, 32 patients with advanced malignant melanoma were studied. No statistically significant change was found after MoAb administration, but monocytes (3 h after injection) and granular eosinophils (24 h after) were reduced and circulating immune complexes increased (3 h after). No toxic effect or adverse reaction was observed. Therefore, the controlled administration of purified MoAb fragments for diagnostic purposes seems to involve only a very low risk of immediate adverse reactions.