Ricerc@Sapienza

The aim of the study is to observe retrospectively the correlation between Oral
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) and risk factors; including tobacco, alcohol and Family History
of Cancer (FHC). A total of 478 patients were included retrospectively from the database of the
Department of Oral Sciences and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sapienza University of Rome. A Test
Group (TG) consisted of 239 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of OSCC. A Control Group (CG)
consisted of 239 patients without history and/or diagnosis of oral cancer. The logistic regression

The phosphoinositide (PI) signal transduction pathway participates in liver metabolism. Abnormal activity or expression of PI-specific phospholipase C (PLC) enzymes has been described in different liver diseases. We resume the role of the PI metabolism in liver and PLC abnormalities in different liver diseases. Moreover, we present the results of PLC analyses in a normal human liver and an alcohol-damaged liver.

The gastrointestinal microbiome is a complex echosystem that establishes a symbiotic, mutually beneficial relation with the host, being rather stable in health, but affected by age, drugs, diet, alcohol, and smoking. Alcohol and smoking contribute to changes in the stomach and affect H pylori-related disorders including the risk of gastric cancer. In the small intestine and in the colon alcohol causes depletion of bacteria with anti-inflammatory activity, eventually resulting in intestinal damage with “leaky gut”.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is a term used to describe the broad spectrum of pathologies and disorders caused by alcohol exposure in uterus. Since alcohol is able to directly cross the placental barrier, alcohol intake during pregnancy causes a broad range of symptoms whose severity can greatly vary in degree. It is already well established that Ethanol exhibits teratogenic effects resulting in growth delays, physical and specific facial anomalies, neurological defects including intellectual disabilities and behavioral problems.

Emerging researches from human and animal models have shown the role of ethanol in innate immune system modulation, particularly in the central nervous system. The activation of receptors of the innate immunity, Toll-like receptors and nucleotide- binding oligomerization domain-like (NOD-like) receptors, triggers the signaling pathways that bring to the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which, in turn, provokes neuroinflammation and neural damage.

Even at low to moderate doses, ingestion of the widely used recreational drug alcohol (ethanol) can impact cognitive and emotional processing. Recent studies show that the sense of agency (SoA; ie, the subjective experience of voluntary control over actions) can be modulated by specific pharmacological manipulations. The SoA, as quantified by the intentional binding (IB) paradigm, is enhanced by direct or indirect dopaminergic agonists in patients with Parkinson's disease and by ketamine (an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist) in healthy individuals.

The nerve growth factor (NGF) belongs to a family of proteins named neurotrophins, consisting of NGF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), NT-4/5 and NT-6. NGF regulates a large number of physiological mechanisms that result in neurotrophic, metabotrophic and/or immunotrophic effects. Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease, psychiatric disorders (e.g. depression and schizophrenia) and brain parasitic infection have in common the effect of changing the brain levels of neurotrophins, in particular NGF.

This work highlights recent studies in epigenetic mechanisms that play a role in alcoholism, which is a complex multifactorial disorder. There is a large body of evidence showing that alcohol can modify gene expression through epigenetic processes, namely DNA methylation and nucleosomal remodeling via histone modifications. In that regard, chronic exposure to ethanol modifies DNA and histone methylation, histone acetylation, and microRNA expression. The alcohol-mediated chromatin remodeling in the brain promotes the transition from use to abuse and addiction.

The nerve growth factor (NGF) belongs to a family of proteins termed neurotrophins, consisting of NGF, brain-derived neuro- trophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), NT-4/5 and NT-6. Today, NGF is well recognized to mediate a large number of trophobiological actions resulting in neurotrophic, immunotrophic and/or metabotrophic effects. The pathobiology of neurode- generative diseases, including Alzheimer disease, psychiatric disorders (e.g.

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a complex and malformative condition due to the teratogenic effect of alcohol consumed during pregnancy. Several epidemiological studies have shown that maternal alcohol use during pregnancy is the most common preventable cause of mental retardation in childhood.