Methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) A66G polymorphism is not related to plasma homocysteine concentration and the risk for vascular disease.

Epidemiological evidence has revealed that hyperhomocysteinemia increases the risk for vascular disease. Methionine Synthase Reductase (MTRR) is one of several key enzymes in the homocysteine metabolic pathway and its mutant forms have been implicated in abnormal homocysteine accumulation. In this study, we determined total plasma homocysteine levels and MTRR A66G polymorphism in 114 patients with vascular disease: 58 patients with deep-vein thrombosis, 56 patients with arterial thrombosis, and 95 healthy subjects from the Sicilian population. Our data confirmed that, as already reported, moderately elevated t-Hcy levels are correlated with an increased risk of vascular disease. In our study, the levels of t-Hcy found in both deep-vein thrombosis (13.7+/-3.2 micromol/L) and arterial thrombosis (14.3+/-4.3 micromol/L) patient groups were higher than levels detected in normal subjects (8.7+/-2.7 micromol/L). We concluded that the MTRR A66G polymorphism was not associated with the t-Hcy plasma concentration because the same genotype frequency distribution was detected in both patients and healthy individuals.

Detection of Staphylococcus aureus and enterotoxin genotype diversity in Monte Veronese, a Protected Designation of Origin Italian cheese.

AIMS: To evaluate the risk associated with the load and enterotoxigenicity of Staphylococcus aureus in Monte Veronese, a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese of the Lessinia area (Verona, Italy). METHODS AND RESULTS: Staphylococcus aureus was quantified by a conventional culture method and by a nucA targeted real-time PCR assay developed in this study. Staphylococcus aureus numbers in cheese were higher than the limit tolerated by the Italian food legislation in 78% instances, according to both detection methods. Multiplex PCR tests for 17 Staph. aureus enterotoxin (SE) genes were applied to nucleic acids extracted from curds, cheeses and Staph. aureus isolates. The SE gene diversity appeared reduced after ripening. The gene encoding SED was found most frequently in dairy samples and the enterotoxin genes ser, sed, seg and sem predominated in the isolates. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of enterotoxigenic Staph. aureus strains with complex SE genotypes in this PDO cheese at numbers often exceeding the Italian tolerance threshold represents an important risk factor. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The high frequency of contamination of Monte Veronese PDO cheese and, expectedly, similar typical productions from raw milk, by enterotoxigenic Staph. aureus imposes a tighter hygienic control in the earlier manufacturing phases.