Portrait of a scientific study

Each participant to the Moli-sani project answers to two questionnaires and undergoes a thorough medical examination, accompanied by a biological sample collection. Let’s see these operations in details:

The general questionnaire
simple questions to know fundamental information such as:

• A brief history of participant’s health and of his/her lifestyle habits
• The occurrence of cardiovascular disease, tumours and infectious disease in his/her family
• His/her physical activity
• Drugs used

The dietary questionnaire
One of the pillars of the whole Project: collecting information on what participants used to eat and drink in the last year.

The medical examination
It is carried out in our specially equipped out-patient rooms. Our researchers and doctors examine every participant by::

The sample collection
During medical examination, a number of samples are being collected:

• Blood, to analyse various parameters, but also to extract DNA in order to study genetics  of the participant
• Urine, to measure the levels of certain endogenous or exogenous substances

Laboratory tests

• Blood glucose
• Cholesterol
• HDL
• LDL
• Triglycerides
• C reactive protein
• Complete blood count

Samples stored in the Biological Bank

• Serum
• EDTA plasma
• Citrate plasma
• DNA Buffy coats
• Leukocytes
• Urine

Where are samples stored?
In a real “bank” located at the  Catholic University in Campobasso. Storage facilities will allow us to use these samples for future studies.
Of course, all the participant’s samples are strictly protected from any kind of illicit access. Furthermore, they are under the joint supervision of the Italian Istituto Superiore di Sanità and the Bioethical Center of the Catholic University in Rome. In other words, privacy of participants, of their DNA and their biological samples is guaranteed at any level.