PMID- 37849603
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
LR  - 20231020
IS  - 2168-8184 (Print)
IS  - 2168-8184 (Electronic)
IS  - 2168-8184 (Linking)
VI  - 15
IP  - 9
DP  - 2023 Sep
TI  - Evaluating the Serum Levels of Beclin-1 and Mammalian/Mechanistic Target of 
      Rapamycin (mTOR) in Three Different Professional Categories.
PG  - e45335
LID - 10.7759/cureus.45335 [doi]
LID - e45335
AB  - BACKGROUND: The possible associations between occupational factors and autophagy 
      - a catabolic process that is evolutionarily conserved and serves as a vital 
      cornerstone in maintaining cellular balance - remain largely unexplored. 
      OBJECTIVES: We assessed serum levels of beclin-1, a principal effector of 
      autophagy, and the mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), a protein 
      recognized for its part in suppressing autophagy, within a group of healthy 
      individuals hailing from three different professional fields, each characterized 
      by its unique working conditions. METHODS: A total of 60 men were recruited from 
      three distinct occupational categories: airline pilots, construction laborers, 
      and fitness trainers. Each group consisted of 20 subjects who were selected 
      during routine occupational health appointments. Serum levels of beclin-1 and 
      mTOR were measured using commercially available immunoassays and compared among 
      the three categories. RESULTS: Fitness instructors had the highest concentration 
      of beclin-1 (3.1 +/- 0.9 ng/mL). Construction workers followed with a mean of 2.4 +/- 
      0.4 ng/mL, while airline pilots had the lowest levels at 1.9 +/- 0.5 ng/mL (one-way 
      analysis of variance, P < 0.001). In terms of mTOR levels, construction workers 
      had the highest concentration (5.9 +/- 1.9 ng/mL), followed by airline pilots (4.4 
      +/- 1.7 ng/mL). Fitness instructors, on the other hand, had the lowest mTOR levels 
      (3.5 +/- 1.2 ng/mL; one-way analysis of variance, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Serum 
      levels of autophagy biomarkers can vary among healthy individuals based on their 
      professional roles. Considering the crucial function autophagy serves in both 
      health and disease, further investigations are crucial to deepen our 
      comprehension of the potential implications of autophagy in the field of 
      occupational medicine.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2023, Minoretti et al.
FAU - Minoretti, Piercarlo
AU  - Minoretti P
AD  - General Direction, Studio Minoretti, Oggiono, ITA.
FAU - Garcia Martin, Angel
AU  - Garcia Martin A
AD  - Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Complutense University of Madrid, 
      Madrid, ESP.
FAU - Gomez Serrano, Manuel
AU  - Gomez Serrano M
AD  - Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Complutense University of Madrid, 
      Madrid, ESP.
FAU - Santiago Saez, Andres
AU  - Santiago Saez A
AD  - Legal Medicine, Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, ESP.
AD  - Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Complutense University of Madrid, 
      Madrid, ESP.
FAU - Liano Riera, Miryam
AU  - Liano Riera M
AD  - Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Complutense University of Madrid, 
      Madrid, ESP.
FAU - Emanuele, Enzo
AU  - Emanuele E
AD  - Occupational Health, 2E Science, Robbio, ITA.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20230916
PL  - United States
TA  - Cureus
JT  - Cureus
JID - 101596737
PMC - PMC10577503
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - autophagy
OT  - beclin-1
OT  - laboratory medicine
OT  - mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin
OT  - occupational medicine
COIS- The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
EDAT- 2023/10/18 06:43
MHDA- 2023/10/18 06:44
PMCR- 2023/09/16
CRDT- 2023/10/18 03:52
PHST- 2023/09/15 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2023/10/18 06:44 [medline]
PHST- 2023/10/18 06:43 [pubmed]
PHST- 2023/10/18 03:52 [entrez]
PHST- 2023/09/16 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.7759/cureus.45335 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Cureus. 2023 Sep 16;15(9):e45335. doi: 10.7759/cureus.45335. eCollection 2023 
      Sep.