openoffice.org-1.9.117-3.1.0.fc4 "Bitstream Vera Serif" text set to italic fails to look different from non-italic. Bold works.
Bitstream Vera Serif does not have an italic font, e.g. use gedit and select Bitstream Vera Serif as the font, it won't have an italic style available.
http://qa.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=18285
FYI, Dejavu (derivative of Bitstream) has a Serif Oblique version. http://www.alanwood.net/unicode/fonts.html#dejavuserif