Effects of soil tillage on Tuber magnatum development in natural truffières

Tuber magnatum Pico, the Italian white truffle, commands the highest prices of any truffle. Despite its commercial value, it is the only edible European truffle which has not yet been successfully cultivated. Because of this, it is essential to safeguard natural truffières and to identify cultural practices to maximize their productivity. Soil tillage is successfully and extensively used in black truffle cultivation to enhance productivity, but its effects are not known on the development of T. magnatum. A recently developed real-time PCR assay was applied to evaluate the effects of tillage (10-15 cm depth) on T. magnatum mycelium in two different natural truffle grounds located in Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. Tillage effects on bulk density, ectomycorrhizal fungal communities, and ascoma production were also assessed. Tilling significantly increased the quantity of T. magnatum mycelium which seemed to be related to an increase in soil porosity by up to 34%, and the diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities. On the contrary, no significant effects were found on ascoma production. The results highlight that real-time PCR is the most reliable method for evaluating the effects of cultural practices on the development of T. magnatum in soil avoiding long-term studies on fruiting body production.

Assessment of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities in the natural habitats of Tuber magnatum (Ascomycota, Pezizales)

The ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal communities of four natural Tuber magnatum truffle grounds, located in different Italian regions (Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, Molise, and Tuscany), were studied. The main objective of this study was to characterize and compare the ECM fungal communities in the different regions and in productive (where T. magnatum ascomata were found) and nonproductive points. More than 8,000 (8,100) colonized root tips were counted in 73 soil cores, and 129 operational taxonomic units were identified using morphological and molecular methods. Although the composition of the ECM fungal communities studied varied, we were able to highlight some common characteristics. The most plentiful ECM fungal taxa belong to the Thelephoraceae and Sebacinaceae families followed by Inocybaceae and Russulaceae. Although several ectomycorrhizas belonging to Tuber genus were identified, no T. magnatum ectomycorrhizas were found. The putative ecological significance of some species is discussed.

Multiple pilomatrixomas and myotonic dystrophy: a case report

Clinical and histopathological data of a patient affected by myotonic dystrophy (Steinert Disease) and multiple pilomatrixomas (calcifying epithelioma of Malherbe) are reported. This association has been previously reported in other 16 cases. The prevalence of pilomatricoma in myotonic dystrophy results much greater than in general population. This association affects females as well as males. This tumour, when associated with myotonic dystrophy, is more frequently multiple than single.

A prevalence study of multiple sclerosis in L'Aquila, central Italy

We report the results of an epidemiologic study in the Municipality of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Central Italy, undertaken to estimate the prevalence rate of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). On December 31, 1984, the prevalence was 33.2 per 100,000 (34.2 when age and sex is standardized to the Italian population). In agreement with recent intensive surveys from different regions in the North and South of Italy, our data indicate that the prevalence of MS in Italy is higher than 30 per 100,000, and emphasize the importance of small population studies in the epidemiology of MS. Our findings suggest that in Italy the risk for MS is higher than recorded before.

T-lymphocyte subsets modifications in multiple sclerosis: correlation with clinical disease activity

Serial analyses of peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets were performed in 280 samples collected over a 27 months period from 14 multiple sclerosis patients. A significant decrease of T8+ cells was found in 47.1% (47/87) of blood samples collected within four weeks of onset of a relapse opposed to 2.1% (1/47) of samples collected during the four weeks before a relapse and to 3.4% (5/146) of those collected over four weeks after a relapse. Changes of T-cells subsets appear to correlate with disease activity, but normal findings observed before relapses suggest that the decrease of T8+ cells cannot be used as valid predictor of relapse.