Project description:Work-related stress in police officers has been recognized as a risk factor for mental and physical illness, compromising work performance and public safety. While genetic, individual and environmental factors may contribute to stress, basic pathophysiological mechanisms are still not completely understood. Previous studies have shown the potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers and/or mediator for stress responses. In this study, we aimed at identifying possible dysregulation of salivary miRNAs associated with work-related stress in police officers. The study was conducted in a cohort composed of police officers in service at the mobile unit of Genoa in 2009, whose response to occupational stress has been continuously monitored since 2009 using the Demand-Control and the Effort-Reward Imbalance models. 113 male police officers in service in 2022 were recruited and divided in three groups according to their response to stress (low, intermediate and high stress response). miRNAs were extracted from saliva samples and analyzed by small RNA sequencing followed by an integrated bioinformatics/biostatistics analysis. The high stress response group was characterized by 18 differentially expressed miRNAs compared with the low stress response group, with four miRNAs (miR-10400-5p, miR-1290, miR-6074-5p, and miR-9902) at higher levels and fourteen miRNAs (miR-203a-3p, miR-7-5p, miR-143-3p, miR-181a-5p, miR-142-5p, miR-223-5p, let-7f-5p, let-7g-5p, miR-26b-5p, miR-27a-3p, miR-30e-5p, miR-26a-5p, miR-142-3p, and miR-21-5p) at lower levels. We also discovered sets of miRNAs that exhibited dynamic expression changes in response to intermediate and low stress. Functional enrichment analysis identified processes related to apoptosis, cellular response to stress, negative regulation of gene expression, responses to abiotic stimuli, positive regulation of catabolism as commonly regulated by the modulated miRNAs. Work-related stress response was associated with specific salivary miRNA expression patterns, with a general decrease of miRNA levels in the highly distressed police officers. These results suggest salivary miRNA profiling as a non-invasive and useful biomarker of stress and further characterize the link between chronic psychosocial stress and cellular and behavioral response mechanisms.
Project description:Occupational dermatitis medicamentosa-like of TCE (ODMLT) is a complex immune process which can cause serious damage of liver function, and becoming a serious occupational health problem in China. However, the pathogenesis of ODMLT remained undefined. The aim of the present study was to identify the expression profiles of circulating exosomal miRNAs in ODMLT patients and its role in the regulation of liver injury. The exosomes were isolated from the serum of patients and healthy individuals, and characterized by electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and Western blot and total RNA was extracted. Expression of exosomal miRNAs was evaluated with Agilent Human miRNA microarrays and the expression of selective serum exosomal miRNA were verified by qRT-PCR.
Project description:Saliva (oral fluids) is an emerging biofluid poised for clinical diseases detection. Although the rationale for oral diseases applications (e.g. oral cancer) is clear, the rationale and relationship between systemic diseases and saliva biomarkers are unknown. In this study, we used mouse models of melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer and compared the transcriptome biomarker profiles of tumor-bearing mice to those of control mice. Microarray analysis showed that salivary transcriptomes were significantly altered in tumor-bearing mice vs. controls. Analysis of the transcriptomes in the mouse tumors, serum, salivary glands and saliva revealed that salivary biomarkers have multiple origins. Furthermore, we identified that the expression of two groups of significantly altered transcription factors Runx1, Mlxipl, Trim30 and Egr1, Tbx1, Nr1d1 in melanoma-bearing mice that can potentially be responsible for 82.6% of the up-regulated genes expression and 62.5% of the down-regulated gene expression in the mice saliva, respectively. We also confirmed that the ectopic production of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the melanoma tumor tissue as a tumor-released mediator that can induce expression of the transcription factor Egr-1 in the salivary gland. Taken together, our data support the conclusion that upon systemic disease development, a disease-specific change occurs in the salivary biomarker profile. Although the origins of the disease-specific salivary biomarkers are both systemic and local, stimulation of salivary gland by mediators released from remote tumors play an important role in regulating the salivary surrogate biomarker profiles.
Project description:Chronic stress has been associated with a range of health disparities, but examination of occupational stress, especially in the wake of COVID-19, has been minimal for many careers. A novel methodology involving work stress diaries and collection of salivary cortisol was employed to determine correlations between occupations, occupational stressors, and how well these are related to the physiological response to stress exposure, the release of cortisol. While cortisol levels tended to follow typical circadian rhythm based on sampling times, cortisol levels also followed the subjective stress levels listed in the work stress diaries following linear regression analysis using the pooled study population data (p = 0.042). When comparing the stressors between the studied careers, participants who worked in the healthcare industry accounted for one-third of the total participants, but reported nearly half (42%) of the more severe occupational stressors listed in the diaries. Finally, the most commonly listed emotional reactions to exposures listed included feelings of stress, frustration, anger, anxiety, or overwhelm. As the workplace progresses from the pandemic, the opportunity to reduce occupational stress exposures in the workplace is at hand. Companies that work towards minimizing the stress faced by their workforce would have a healthier and more relaxed workforce.
Project description:MSCs from salivary gland or wharton's jelly were subjected to gene expression analysis, and their extracellular vesicles were used for exosomal miRNA profiling.
Project description:We used miRNA expression arrays and integrated analysis to study mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC) to identify potential drivers involved with its pathogenesis. Normal salivary glands were used as controls.