Staff: Alfonso Siani M.D., Gianvincenzo Barba M.D., M.Sc., Paola Russo, B.Sc. Biology

Non Permanent Staff: Fabio Lauria, Annunziata Nappo, Marika Dello Russo, Emilia Donatiello, Annarita Formisano, Sonia Sparano

Aim of the Unit:

The primary purpose of the Unit of Epidemiology & Population Genetics is to learn the multi-factorial causes of nutrition-related diseases and to discover new ways to prevent and treat them. We strive to accomplish this goal through research aimed at improved understanding of how diet-interacting with individual genetic background-influences health, at the dissemination of new knowledge about nutrition to health professionals and the public and at the development of strategies to enhance public care for nutrition.

Research Activity:

The research activity is focused on the understanding the multi-factorial causes of nutrition-related diseases. Nutritional factors, interacting with the environment and the individual genetic background, play a fundamental role in many complex diseases. Understanding these interactions could help to prevent widespread pathological conditions, such as obesity, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The effort of prevention is of course more useful if started in developmental age. This is the primary purpose of the IDEFICS Project (Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS), funded by European Community (VI EC Programme, 2006-2011, contract n. 016181) for developing common European strategies for the primary prevention of childhood obesity and overweight. This project will allow to give concrete answer to the EC's request expressed in the GREEN PAPER "Promoting healthy diets and physical activity: a European dimension for the prevention of overweight, obesity and chronic diseases", Brussels, 2005. For the detailed description of the IDEFICS Project and Consortium see http://www.idefics.eu.

The experimental approach in the epidemiological and nutritional field of the EPIGEN Unit is based on the validation of dietary questionnaires for adults and children and on the methodological strategy for the assessment of nutritional and metabolic risk factors for nutrition-related diseases. This epidemiological approach is supported by the molecular approach, through the identification and the determination of genetic variants (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, SNPs) associated to complex diseases and the analysis of their interaction of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
This molecular approach to the study of complex diseases has been implemented by the SNPs Lab of the EPIGEN Unit, whose activity led to the identification of risk polymorphisms for arterial hypertension, renal sodium handling and obesity.
In 2008 the National Research Council (CNR) funded a RSTL project (DG.RSTL.076.003), to be performed in the SNPs Lab, aimed to the identification of genetic variants of the MSY (Male Specific) region of the Y chromosome involved in the pathogenesis of gender-related complex diseases.

The EPIGEN Unit's expertise in nutritional and genetic epidemiology is currently applied to the ongoing national and international collaborative studies listed below.

Synthesis of the research lines : 

• Survey of the dietary habits of adult population samples in different EC countries to identify dietary patterns and compliance with dietary recommendations.
• Research on gene-environment interactions with regard to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
• Assessment of nutritional and lifestyle determinants of early obesity in childhood.
• Educational activities aimed to increase the knowledge of the public and of health operators with regard to the role of diet in the prevention and treatment of chronic degenerative disease
• Identification of genetic variants of the MSY (Male Specific region) of the Y chromosome involved in the pathogenesis of gender-related complex diseases.

 Collaborative Project:

	IMMIDIET  (QLRT-2000-00100, EC FIFTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME 2001-2003) (http://www.moli-sani.org/immidiet_site/project.html) Dietary habit profile in European communities with different risk of myocardial infarction: the impact of migration as a model of gene/environment interaction. Ongoing population study funded by the EC, aimed to evaluate: the present dietary habits and the risk profile of three European communities at different risk of myocardial infarction (MI); the impact of migration within the EC as a model of gene/environment interaction.
	THE OLIVETTI PROSPECTIVE HEART STUDY (http://www.olivettiheartstudy.org) Epidemiological investigation of genetic and lifestyle determinants of cardiovascular risk factors, coordinated by Prof. Pasquale Strazzullo, "Federico II" University of Naples, Italy. The study has examined a sample of 1,100 male workers of the Olivetti factories in Southern Italy. This project, started in 1970, is still ongoing, through periodic follow up.
	The BRAVO Projet / The ARCA Epidemiological study of the early determinants (dietary habits and anthropometric indices) of childhood obesity in a sample of 6-12 year children living in Southern Italy.
	IDEFICS project (EC SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME 2006-2011 Contract no. 016181) (http://www.idefics.eu) Large-scale European collaborative study aimed: to study and compare nutrition, lifestyle and social factors of 2-10 year children in 8 European countries, with particular attention to the overweight/obesity problem and related diseases; to promote healthy dietary habits and physical activity in European children, involving children and their parents, schools and institution in a larger awareness of the overweight/obesity problem.
	THE WANDSWORTH HEART & STROKE STUDY (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/csri/cvme/whss) Population-based survey in South London to estimate the prevalence of the major cardiovascular risk factors in both men and women of different ethnic background, coordinated by Prof. FP Cappuccio, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK. Approximately 1,600 men and women aged 40-59 years of three ethnic groups (white, South Asian and of African origin) living in South London were screened for cardiovascular risk factors.
	DG.RSTL.076.003 / Identification of genetic variants of the MSY region of the Y chromosome involved in the pathogenesis of gender-related complex diseases RSTL Project, funded by CNR, aimed to the identification and the molecular characterization of the genes of the Y chromosome involved in the pathogenesis of gender-related multi-factorial diseases.