Papers by Antonella Agodi
Journal of Neuroscience Research, 1988
An axolemma-enriched fraction was isolated and characterized from homogenates of brain stem, pool... more An axolemma-enriched fraction was isolated and characterized from homogenates of brain stem, pooled optic nerve and tract, and sciatic and hypoglossal nerves of adult rabbits. In these fractions, the phospholipase A1 and A2, as well as the activity of acyl-CoA:1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine and acyl-CoA:2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine acetyl transferase, using 1-acyl- and 2-acyl-GPC as acyl acceptors, were studied. The activity of the four enzymes was clearly detectable in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) axolemmatic preparations, as well as in other subcellular fractions examined. The axolemma fractions, in which acetylcholinesterase displayed the highest activities, were particularly enriched in the acylation reaction enzymes. These latter showed specific activities about twofold higher compared with those of the homogenates and significant correlation with acetylcholinesterase. The noticeable presence of these enzyme activities in both CNS and PNS axolemma suggests that a deacylation-reacylation system for phospholipids may be operative in this membrane.
Italian Journal of Public Health
Background On average 7% of patients admitted to intensive-care units (ICUs) suffer from a potent... more Background On average 7% of patients admitted to intensive-care units (ICUs) suffer from a potentially preventable ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Our objective was to survey attitudes and practices of ICUs doctors in the field of VAP prevention. Methods A questionnaire was made available online in 6 languages from April, 1st to September 1st, 2012 and disseminated through international and national ICU societies. We investigated reported practices as regards (1) established clinical guidelines for VAP prevention, and (2) measurement of process and outcomes, under the assumption “if you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it”; as well as attitudes towards the implementation of a measurement system. Weighted estimations for Europe were computed based on countries for which at least 10 completed replies were available, using total country population as a weight. Data from other countries were pooled together. Detailed country-specific results are presented in an online additi...
Clinical Management of Complicated Urinary Tract Infection, 2011
Background The role of unidirectional air flow (UAF) in preventing surgical site infections (SSI)... more Background The role of unidirectional air flow (UAF) in preventing surgical site infections (SSI) following interventions of hip replacements has been challenged by recent studies showing no benefit and even greater risk. These studies did not evaluate the air microbiological quality of operating theatres (OT) presuming its coherence with the characteristic of the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. Objectives The multicentre ISChIA study funded by the Italian Ministry of Health was aimed at evaluating the association between HVAC used in OTs, microbial air contamination and risk of SSI in hip and knee prosthesis in order to give a contribution to the debate about the protecting role of UAF. Methods Microbial air contamination was evaluated in the patient area of OT, once when empty and during each operation by passive (Index of Microbial Air contamination, IMA) and active sampling (colony forming unit, cfu/m3). SSI surveillance was conducted according to the HE...
International surgery, 2015
The aims of the present study were to: (1) assess surgical site infection (SSI) incidence in a co... more The aims of the present study were to: (1) assess surgical site infection (SSI) incidence in a cohort of surgical patients and (2) estimate the compliance with national guidelines for perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP). SSIs, among the most common health care-associated infections, are an important target for surveillance and an official priority in several European countries. SSI commonly complicates surgical procedures in older people and is associated with substantial attributable mortality and costs. The implementation of PAP guidelines is difficult among surgeons, and failure to comply with the standard of care has been widely reported. A 12-month prospective survey was performed in accordance with the methods, protocols, and definitions of the Hospital in Europe Link for Infection Control through Surveillance (HELICS) protocol. The compliance of the current PAP practices with the published national guidelines was assessed. A total of 249 patients were enrolled. The cum...
Objective: We evaluated whether Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated nosocomial infections in our IC... more Objective: We evaluated whether Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated nosocomial infections in our ICU originate mainly from patients' endogenous flora or from exogenous cross-transmission. Design and setting: A 6-month prospective surveillance survey was performed according to standardized protocols at the interdisciplinary ICU of the Azienda Ospedaliera Cannizzaro. Patients: The study analyzed 121 patients and focused on three different states: carriage upon admission, colonization of sterile sites, and infections during ICU stay. Results: We identified 138 P. aeruginosa isolates from 45 patients. The cumulative incidence of P. aeruginosa sustained colonization in the ICU was 29.9/100 patients, and the incidence density was 16.2/1,000 patient-days. The cumulative incidence of P. aeruginosasustained infections in the ICU was 36.7/100 patients, and the incidence density was 19.9/1,000 patient-days. The most frequent infection type was ventilator-associated pneumonia. PFGE analysis of P. aeruginosa isolates led to the identification of a major clone represented by 60.8% of isolates involving 45.9% of patients. The impact of crosstransmission, i.e., the preventable proportion of P. aeruginosa acquisition, was estimated to be at least 59.5% of all colonization or infection episodes. Acquisition of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa was significantly associated with crosstransmission. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the ICU personnel and environment served as reservoirs for cross-transmission and emphasize the importance of exogenous acquisition of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa, of reduction in antibiotic pressure, and prompt enforcement of infection control measures.
BMC pediatrics, 2013
To identify the predictive factors for malignancies using basic clinical and laboratory informati... more To identify the predictive factors for malignancies using basic clinical and laboratory information in children presenting with musculoskeletal pain and eventually diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) or malignancy. A retrospective case-control chart review research examining laboratory data from patients referred for musculoskeletal pain in 2001-2010 and diagnosed with malignancy or JIA was performed. The validity of each test for the diagnosis of neoplasia was assessed by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV) and likelihood ratios. A total of 134 patients were enrolled. Statistically significant differences were found in neutrophil count, Hb, LDH, IgA and C4 values, ANA, anti-EA EBV IgG and anti-CMV IgG titres. High LDH value and anti-CMV IgG were the most predictive factors for neoplasia. High specificity factors for neoplasia were abnormal values of neutrophil count, Hb, IgA and C4, and the pres...
PLoS ONE, 2014
Objective: A systematic review and a meta-analysis were carried out in order to summarize the cur... more Objective: A systematic review and a meta-analysis were carried out in order to summarize the current published studies and to evaluate LINE-1 hypomethylation in blood and other tissues as an epigenetic marker for cancer risk.
BMC public health, 2014
The Italian Study Group on Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicin... more The Italian Study Group on Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health conducted a multicentre survey aiming to evaluate undergraduate health care students' knowledge of tuberculosis and tuberculosis control measures in Italy. In October 2012-June 2013, a sample of medical and nursing students from 15 Italian universities were enrolled on a voluntary basis and asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire investigating both general knowledge of tuberculosis (aetiology, clinical presentation, outcome, screening methods) and personal experiences and practices related to tuberculosis prevention. Data were analysed through multivariable regression using Stata software. The sample consisted of 2,220 students in nursing (72.6%) and medicine (27.4%) courses. Our findings clearly showed that medical students had a better knowledge of tuberculosis than did nursing students.Although the vast majority of the sample (up to 95%) answered questions about tuberculosis aetiology correctly, only 60% of the students gave the correct responses regarding clinical aspects and vaccine details. Overall, 66.9% of the students had been screened for tuberculosis, but less than 20% of those with a negative result on the tuberculin skin test were vaccinated. Multivariable regression analysis showed that age and type of study programme (nursing vs. medical course) were determinants of answering the questions correctly. Although our data showed sufficient knowledge on tuberculosis, this survey underlines the considerable need for improvement in knowledge about the disease, especially among nursing students. In light of the scientific recommendations concerning tuberculosis knowledge among students, progress of current health care curricula aimed to develop students' skills in this field is needed.
Research in Microbiology, 1996
The present study sought to determine whether the pigment produced by Proteus mirabilis from the ... more The present study sought to determine whether the pigment produced by Proteus mirabilis from the L-forms of various aromatic amino acids under aerobic conditions is melanic in nature. It is a black-brown pigment which behaves like a melanin in many respects, namely solubility features, bleaching by oxidizing agents and positive response to the Fontana-Masson assay. In the present study, for the first time, it was shown by electron spin resonance analysis that a bacterial melanin is able to act as a free radical trap, as was previously demonstrated for other melanins. Scanning electron microscopy studies showed a specific organized structure of the pigment as rounded aggregates of spherical bodies. DNA hybridization data did not reveal, in the P. mirabilis genome, any nucleotide sequence related to Shewanella colwelliana mel A, one of the two melanogenesis systems already defined at the molecular level in bacteria. Results obtained from experiments on pigment production inhibition suggest a possible role of tyrosinase in P. mirabilis melanogenesis. In conclusion, from the bulk of our results, it appears that the pigment produced by P. mirabilis is melanic in nature.
European Journal of Epidemiology, 1998
This study was undertaken to characterize serial Haemophilus parainfluenzae strains from epidemio... more This study was undertaken to characterize serial Haemophilus parainfluenzae strains from epidemiologically unrelated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and from healthy carriers. A comprehensive approach was used including different phenotypical and molecular typing methods: biotyping, antibiotyping, conventional ribotyping, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) assay, and PCR-ribotyping. Conventional ribotyping and PFGE analysis were confirmed as excellent procedures to differentiate isolates
Nutrition Research, 2013
In our study, we hypothesized that higher caffeine intake would be associated with lower sleep du... more In our study, we hypothesized that higher caffeine intake would be associated with lower sleep duration among 13-year-old adolescents. In addition, we aimed to identify food sources of caffeine intake in this sample. Eligible participants were adolescents who were born in 1990 and attended school in Porto, Portugal, in 2003/2004. Self-administered questionnaires were used, and diet was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire. From the 2160 eligible participants, only 1522 with valid information regarding their diet were included in this study. In our sample, the median intake of caffeine was 23.1 mg/d, with soft drinks being the major source. Ice tea presented the highest median (25th-75th percentiles) contribution (33.1% [14.0-52.1]), followed by cola (21.1% [6.4-37.6]). Regarding cocoa products, chocolate bars presented a median contribution of 5.1% (1.0-14.0), and snacks containing chocolate had a contribution of 3.0% (0.5-7.2). Coffee and tea presented a negligible contribution. Adolescents who reported less sleep duration and those who spent more time watching TV during the weekend had a significantly higher caffeine intake. Overall, boys had higher intakes of caffeine from soft drinks, and private school attendees, those who had parents with more education, who reported less television viewing time and had lower body mass index presented higher intakes of caffeine from chocolate. Considering sleeping more than 9.5 hours as a reference class, for each increase of 10 mg/d in caffeine intake, we found that the odds ratio of sleeping 8.5 hours or less was 1.12 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.19). Our results support the hypothesis that caffeine intake was inversely associated with sleep duration in adolescents.
Nurse Education Today, 2014
s u m m a r y Background: The training of health workers is a key issue for the prevention of hea... more s u m m a r y Background: The training of health workers is a key issue for the prevention of healthcare associated infections. Objectives: To evaluate knowledge of nursing and medical students concerning the prevention of healthcare associated infections. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: University hospitals in nine Italian cities. Participants: One thousand four hundred sixty one healthcare students (607 medical students and 854 nursing students). Methods: The study was performed using a questionnaire investigating 3 areas, each having different possible points: standard precautions = 12; hand hygiene = 8; healthcare associated infections = 5, for an overall perfect score of 25. Scores that met a cutoff ≥17.5 were considered to be indicative of an acceptable level of knowledge. Factors associated with an acceptable level of knowledge were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Results: Mean overall score (±SD) was 18.1 ± 3.2. Nursing students (18.6 ± 2.9) obtained a higher overall score than medical students (17.4 ± 3.5) (p b 0.001). Weighed scores (±SD) by area were: 10.3 (±2.0) for standard precautions, 5.0 (±1.3) for hand hygiene and 2.8 (±1.1) for healthcare associated infections. Knowledge level concerning the three areas was different between medical and nursing students (p b 0.001). The probability of finding acceptable knowledge was smaller for medical students (OR: 0.54 p b 0.0001) and for students aged ≥24 years (OR: 0.39 p b 0.0001). Conclusion: The overall score showed an acceptable level of knowledge for the whole sample; but, considering separately the two curricula, only nursing students reached the minimum acceptable score. It seems important to investigate what is working better in nursing than in medical education in order to implement and validate new teaching approaches.
Mutagenesis, 2014
The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 4977-bp deletion is a biomarker of mitochondrial genomic instabilit... more The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 4977-bp deletion is a biomarker of mitochondrial genomic instability. It is frequently detected in a number of sporadic diseases, and it accumulates in many tissues during aging. Folic acid plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic stability in mammals. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to characterise the levels of the mtDNA deletion in the lymphocytes of healthy young women, taking into account folate intake, red blood cell (RBC) folate levels and the distribution of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene C677T polymorphism. Folate intake was estimated by a food frequency questionnaire. Determination of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and of the mtDNA deletion was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. A total of 476 women were enrolled. Low levels of deletion were found (mean ΔCt = 1.24). After multivariate analysis, results did not show any significant relationship between age, smoking habits, pregnancy status, nutritional status, inadequate folate intake, folate deficiency, use of folic acid supplements, MTHFR C677T polymorphism and mtDNA 4977-bp deletions. The lack of association between inadequate folate intake, folate deficiency and mitochondrial genomic instability was confirmed also considering reference values of folate based on DNA damage prevention. Our results indicate that mtDNA 4977-bp deletions are maintained at low levels in lymphocytes of young healthy women despite the wide range of variation of folate intakes and folate status. Future studies, carefully designed to address limits and methodological issues related to variation of this biomarker as an effect of different dietary patterns and of folate status, could provide further insight on the specific mechanisms that are acting in lymphocytes of healthy subjects under observed folate intake.
Microbial Drug Resistance, 1995
DNA-based methodologies are considerably more powerful than other phenotype-based typing systems,... more DNA-based methodologies are considerably more powerful than other phenotype-based typing systems, providing a finer level of epidemiological discrimination, differentiating both closely and distantly related independent isolates that otherwise may appear as identical. In this study, plasmid analysis and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were used to compare 28 isolates of Enterococci (respectively 13 strains of Enterococcus faecalis and 15 strains of Enterococcus faecium) with high-level resistance to aminoglycosides, isolated in Catania (Italy). Plasmid profile analysis resolved 20 different patterns among 24 plasmid harboring strains; many isolates showed one or two plasmids of the same size, but different plasmid content. Analysis of the PFGE-based RFLP patterns after SmaI digestion of genomic DNA resolved 26 different clones from 28 isolates: particularly, it resolved two different clones from three isolates showing identical plasmid profiles, and it identified as a single clone two isolates exhibiting different plasmid profiles. Thus, on the basis of our PFGE-based RFLP analysis data, we concluded that all the strains included in the study were genetically unrelated with two exceptions.
Journal of Neurology, 2011
Quality of life (QoL) may be adversely affected by Tourette syndrome (TS). Although the core symp... more Quality of life (QoL) may be adversely affected by Tourette syndrome (TS). Although the core symptoms of this complex neurodevelopmental disorder are tics, patients often present with an array of behavioural difficulties, such as co-morbid obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study we investigated whether young people with TS exhibited poorer QoL in comparison to healthy individuals and an epilepsy control group. We also analysed whether greater tic severity or co-morbid OCD and\or ADHD led to greater differences in perceived QoL. The Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Research Version (Edwards et al. in J Adolesc 25:275-286, 2002) was used to assess QoL and a range of clinical scales were administered to assess anxiety, depression and other behavioural symptoms. TS was associated with significant differences in aspects of QoL related to home and social activities, involving peer and family interactions. Patients with more severe tics reported a greater negative impact on QoL. Patients with TS and no associated diagnoses (pure TS) presented with lower QoL scores in the environment domain, poorer perceived QoL in general, and depressive features. Co-morbid OCD appeared to exert a greater impact on self and relationship QoL domains. The presence of both OCD and ADHD as co-morbidities led to more widespread problems. In conclusion, TS can be associated with poorer perceived QoL. Although social aspects of QoL may be more vulnerable to TS in general, co-morbid conditions make an important contribution in determining which aspects of QoL are most affected in the individual.
Journal of Hospital Infection, 2013
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Papers by Antonella Agodi